Private Tales When it’s Dark Enough, You Can See Stars

[Zaire]

Luella was currently braiding her hair, sitting at her small vanity and gazing intently at the mirror. She was currently working on two war braids, one on either side of her head, her fingers meticulously weaving through her platinum hair. She had been doing her hair like this for years, it was almost as natural to her as it was to brush out her long hair. The high fae was preparing to head out of the Autumn Court on a matter that she had been lucky enough to be picked to attend to. While it was nothing on the political side, which was for the best considering her blunt nature, it was something that Luella hoped would improve her newfound standing in the court. Besides, this “mission” would mean she’d probably be able to lessen her pent up aggression. Completing the second braid, she wound the two together before tying them at the end, looking over her appearance briefly before standing up.

Fae armor was more comfortable out of the some armors she had worn, especially mortal armor which was always so heavy and clunky— especially if you were a woman and had any sort of shape to you. Beginning to dress herself, Luella was prepared to execute her task flawlessly. There wasn’t much information given, but at the same time, there wasn’t much information needed. Some lesser fae had gone out to a part in the Ixchel Wilds, prancing around in the mortal realm, and have yet to return. Same thing was happening to humans as well. The disappearances didn’t bring much worry since lesser fae and mortals were… well, weak. So whatever was causing trouble would be no match for a duanann like Luella.

Regardless, she wasn’t going to not head in prepared. Dressed in white armor that radiated a magical gleam, she grabbed her favorite claymore and her pair of haladie swords. Her claymore was made for a male fae, someone taller and stronger than her 6’4 frame, but through centuries of rigorous training, Luella could wield such a beast of a sword easily with one hand. It was a small reward of showing off her might by putting her body through hell. The haladie swords were of course fitted to her, and while she was skilled with them, when it came to these things with fae, the claymore always tended to fair better. But in a forested area, she couldn’t deny that they may become useful. Collecting a few other things, Luella was traveling light, but only because she suspected she should have handled the issue before the moon rose.

Luella left her home before the sun had even risen, deciding a moment of peace before exiting the Autumn Court to the mortal plane. There were fae meandering about, although many were probably still snuggled in bed after a night of festivities— which there was always many parties to choose from. Luella almost took some pride in the fact of her being prompt to expel the danger to keep them all safe and living to party another day. The moment the sun peaked, rays gently honeying up her hair and warming her skin, Luella seemed to have disappeared. To the train eye, she was now exiting, and soon she’d enter.

Appearing in the Ixchel Wilds, the fae looked about her, seeing herself almost in the middle of nowhere of overgrown jungle. But what stood before her meters head was mist, moving as if it were a breathing, a deadly predator that stalked a jungle and rubbed it’s muzzle on every plant, marking it’s territory. How incredibly ominous. Luella wrinkled her nose in disgust. It felt… almost filthy. Humans would obviously be clueless enough to wander in there, but she couldn’t imagine even lesser fae not noticing such a tainted place. Whatever was in there, it would be Luella’s pleasure to kill it, and so she headed forward, ready to get it over with.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

They broke camp early, taking the time in the early hours to strap on their armor and check their weapons.
Hunting unholy monsters in the jungles of the Ixchel Wilds was an exercise in futility, as was pursuing creatures who've fled into it... Of course, try telling that to his superiors.
He finished strapping on his heavy plate armor. While not enchanted the white coloration seemed to make him glow in the fading dawn of the morning. Heavy armor though it was he wore it like it was no heavier than leather.
Elijah stood a full head and shoulders taller than his companions and more, a feature bestowed upon him by his Giantish ancestry. He was great in strength and stature and the Templar order exploited this fully, using him to deal with supernatural abominations and threats to the world and the faithful.

His companions numbered ten, all of them Knights of the Templar order and expert warriors. They've fought hordes of monsters together and faced dark evils. Elijah was the only constant member, however. He'd lost many companions over the years and at this point his entire original company had been buried, mourned and replaced.

They stood by their mounts in full gear, ready to head out. Elijah approached his own horse, Redemption. A huge horse gifted to him by the gods to carry him into battle, a charger large enough to carry his greater mass and size... As well as his closest friend and companion, they shared mental bond through which they communicate.
"Are you ready for this, Elijah? We both know that this is likely a demon, and your last exorcism didn't turn out too good for your men."
Elijah patted his friends muzzle and spoke back through their bond, "If the High Priest commands it, it doesn't matter if I'm ready or not."
He mounted up and gave the signal to move out. His company once again rode through the jungle. It was a terrible place to bring horses, but the journey would have been impossible without them. They stuck to game trails and did their best to follow stream banks to keep themselves in the open and out of the way of any dangerous plant life.
The humid jungle was horrid for the heavily armored men and immediately all of them were sweating profusely. But they were soldiers, so they suffered in silence.

Elijah rode at the front of the column, leading the way. Another feature of his bloodline was a keen sense of smell, based on that he'd been able to track their prey by scent even through all of the conflicting smells of the jungle.
They had received word of a possible unholy presence in an outpost village, something about insanity and fear coming on suddenly for no reason. So the people sent word to the Templar to help, and of course the templar sent Elijah and his company. As soon as they arrived at the village and began questioning people they were quickly able to find the culprit and chase him into the wilds, but of course they couldn't just chase him, off they had to deal with him permanently.
Elijah followed the scent of the creature they followed but soon began to notice the fog rolling in around them. Being a jungle fog was to be expected, so he spread the word to not get separated and thought nothing of it. His companions were disciplined, they wouldn't get lost...

They went on like this through the fog for a whole hour, and the scent of the demon was growing stronger every moment... But it seemed like they had passed that same tree three times now. Occasionally he would do a role call to make sure everyone was still there, to make sure nobody got separated and so far none of them had gotten lost... But this fog was showing itself to have unnatural properties.
Finally Elijah called a halt, peering into a bank of fog before them. He reached back and drew his holy greatsword, letting the light glow of the blade shimmer in the mist... But the luster of the holy glow was lessoned by the fog, it didn't glow as brightly as it should have...
He heard sudden movement in the fog ahead of them, the movements of many creatures suddenly springing from hiding.

"To arms!" He called out just as the first demonic spawn lunged out from the fog straight for him. He reflexively cut the creature with his holy blade but it wasn't enough to stop the beasts momentum and he was bowled off his mount. Redemption let out a cry and reared up, using its hooves to maul at a second beast that came out of the fog, his heavy shoes delivering thunderous blows against the creatures head.
Elijah pushed the demon off of him and quickly rose to his feet. He could hear the sounds of combat behind him and he knew they were caught in an ambush.
As the demon rushed him again he swung his sword in a wide glittering swath in front of him that knocked the head from its shoulders, but suddenly there was another demon to take its place, rushing in with a flurry of clawed attacks which drove him back as he struggled to defend himself.

"Break formation! Fall back!" He ordered to anyone who could still hear him, but suddenly there was a second and third demon coming at him and he was forced to retreat further off the game trail and into the forest.
Of all the cursed luck... Things were going badly. He moved his huge sword like it was a toy, wielding it to knock aside the claws that sought his throat as he was forced to take one step after another backwards and deeper into the fog.
This couldn't go on, he managed to flick his sword past the guard of one demon and end its life quickly, but he could see many more demons coming out of the fog, he knew he would be quickly overrun if he stayed to fight.
After delivering a crippling wound to the leg of another demon he broke off and dove into the fog and forest, going into a headlong sprint deeper and deeper into the jungle... He knew he would not be able to recover any sense of direction, he knew that he would be lost and possibly never find his way out... But it was better than dying.

He dove over, under and around gnarled trees, dodging demons popping out of nowhere from the fog until finally he came to a stop underneath a rotten fallen tree with many gnarled branches and holes where even he could fit his enormous size. He leaned against the log, breathing hard and struggling for air through the intensely humid heat and fog.

 

[Zaire]

This was a filthy place, Luella couldn’t help but look around in disgust. A humid, dirty jungle with a dingy mist that just stank of… well, more filth. She was grateful for her home, in the plane of the fae, at least things tended to be pristine. Even the further outreaches of the courts tended to at least not stink like some vile creature had just rolled around in it’s own shit. The fog was definitely unusual, and to Luella’s disappointment, she was starting to understand how so many fae had gone missing.

Since stepping foot into the fog, she had felt a presence as if she had just stepped into the jaws of a beast. Her intuition rarely failed her, and Luella knew this place was incredibly dangerous. Just out of her reach she could feel creatures following her, unseen but there, observing her, wary to make a move. As they should be, Luella growled in her head. Whatever beings were watching her, at least they were smart enough to not try anything. The filth was putting her in the most irritable moods, and she was sure they were not the ones who would need to face the brunt of her aggression.

“Whoever decided to create this loop is going to regret it,” Luella mumbled, understanding that walking around was moving her forward, yet taking her nowhere at all at the same time. She was impressed with how much space this loop took up, she had been in one where it was the same hallway after the other, or had been on a descending staircase that never ended, but this loop was far different. It required power, and a lot of it, if it was this expansive.

Surprisingly, Luella began to hear a commotion, her pointed ears straining. It was so muffled, was it in this loop, or elsewhere, like outside of it? She did her best to focus harder, only putting together that maybe a fight was going on, or at least she could only assume that. Then, just as suddenly the commotion stopped, completely silently. Luella held her breath, waiting for sound to return to, this complete silence worrying her.

Her armored hand slowly began reaching behind her for her claymore, lavender eyes steeling themselves for the first signs of movement. Nothing moved. At least not until her hand had grasped the hilt of her sword. When it leapt at her, it was too late. She swung in a high upward arc, easily dismembering the creature’s head from the rest of it’s body. She swiftly flicked the black blood off her sword before the severed head touched the ground.

The high fae expected more creatures to appear, perhaps even crowd around her, but instead she was greeted with the sound of quick stomping. It was coming closer, the pace was inhuman and preparing herself for the impact, Luella was using both hands to hold the hilt of her large sword. Yet, the thudding seemed to veer off before even come close to where she was. A pale brow raised in wonder, what was that thing? It was heading in her direction, wasn’t it? Luella was sure of that, but couldn’t understand why something of a great size— it had to be large for her to hear such heavy footsteps—moments before breaking through the thick jungle overgrowth, it suddenly changed its course.

Unless it was the thing she was looking for. Luella sheathed her sword and quickly started sprinting to where she figured the thing was heading. It had at least a mile between her and it, and she pumped her arms in long, smooth yet rapid strokes to aid her legs in moving quicker. A serious look had befallen her face, once again, alert for possible danger while also trying to decipher where she needed to go and how to catch up. Her gimlet gaze caught brief glimpses of broken undergrowth and vines, recently unearthed rocks, and even what looked like to be a human footprint but was far too large to actually be one.

Yet despite her hard work, she no longer heard the pounding steps, and leaping over a large tree, she paused once she had landed. She wasn’t breathing very hard, due to her elemental alignment of air, a simple thing to learn as a young fae, but it often still came handy. Yet, she still worked at slowing her beating heart, feeling a twinge of discomfort at the nape of her neck. Then she caught it, a heavy breath, directly behind her.

Luella whipped around, taking quick steps back as she drew her claymore once more, a glaring ferociously at whatever had thought to sneak up behind her— oh. Not lowering her sword, Luella’s look did soften. Was that… a human? What a massive… being. Yet, couldn’t be a giant, not that massive. She accounted his breathlessness, his armor, and the fact that he didn’t seem to be chasing her.

“Speak your name,” the duanann commanded, as if she were the one who was over 8 feet tall. But height didn’t matter, Luella had long since learned how to handle her own despite being short for her kind. Hence the muscles, the big sword, and her feisty yet sour demeanor.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

Not long after he came to a stop to catch his breath he was caught by surprise when he saw another figure leap over the log and land in front of him. It was humanoid in shape so at first he thought it was one of his comrades, but he quickly realized that mistake when he saw the armor she wore, it bore no likeness to their uniforms and armor... Was this the demon?
His greatsword was already in his hand, but even so he only lifted the tip just in time before the creature noticed his presence and had drawn its sword as well... A massive claymore being wielded so lightly even by someone of their size... And he also noticed that this was indeed a woman.

They stood on a slight draw with Elijah on the upper side by the fallen tree, so his height over this person was even greater, and the space between them was filled by their massive weapons. He took in what details he cared to notice, namely her armor, weapon and basic appearance, which wasn't necessarily displeasing to his eyes from what he could see... But he wasn't a fool, a demon could take many shapes if they so chose, and the demon might have decided that a deceptive warrior woman in the woods might have been the perfect way to get his guard down.

“Speak your name,”

He scoffed a little at this. A likely trick. Names had power and are often required for certain curses or spells to work, especially in the Ixchel wilds where wild magic and curses abound.
"I won't speak my name, but I will tell you that I hunt beasts that are an affront to the gods. Therefore, are you my enemy?"
Out of breath as he was he was able to muster the authority of a Templar in his voice. He was wary of her to say the least, he noticed enough about her to question her humanity.

 

[Zaire]

Luella gnashed her teeth together briefly at how the Templar had answered her, but what was to be expected? Most people taller than her tended to not give her respect until she had “earned it.” Despite this being somewhat commonplace for her, Luella’s gaze darkened. She didn’t like being spoken back to, and in her head, this man had the gall to try to play with words with her, a high fae who had learned wordplay and riddles and tricks before she even learned to walk.

“If you were my enemy, you’d be dead,” she barked back at him. This was somewhat true, after all, Luella could feel he wasn’t her enemy— or rather, not the one who had built this looping, humid domain filled with sordid creatures. Plus, he looked like he had been running from something, maybe one of the beasts he had mentioned? “Is the beast you search for here in this loop?” Luella inquired, her slightly pointed ears twitching. Far off, she heard what seemed like bugs scuttling around, but as moments passed, the sound seemed less muffled. That only meant it was getting closer.

So, there was something going after this strapping man. Luella wondered what would happened if she used her glamour magick to disappear and run away from him and whatever seemed to be after him. She looked over his build once more, slowly, going from his eyes down to the way he held his sword and even looking down at his feet. His armor was masterfully made, at least from where he was. He was someone important.

“Whatever you ran from is coming here. What is it?” Luella demanded, the pale hairs on the back on her neck slowly beginning to rise. She could feel it— a plethora of foul creatures, multiple presences with a murderous intent. Did that thing she had slain earlier have friends? Dozens of them? She only hoped that unlike this loop, there wasn’t an infinite amount of those filthy things, she’d rather not have to get close to their fetid, musky bodies again and again.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“If you were my enemy, you’d be dead,”

He let a smirk slip through his grim expression, "The fact that I've yet to be killed has always been a testament to my skills, not the mercy of my opponent. But if that's true then I appreciate it."
However, he didn't let his sword waver.
She made a decent point, but he wasn't convinced. As much as he wished otherwise many demons he faced preferred to toy with their victims rather than kill them in a standup fight.

“Is the beast you search for here in this loop?”

"A loop? You speak as if you don't know of it, as if it wasn't you who created this place." His eyes held an accusatory glare as he continued to eye her suspiciously.

“Whatever you ran from is coming here. What is it?”

He slowly shook his head, not diverting his attention from her.
"I and my companions came this far into the wilds seeking a demon. I've been separated from my men and my horse and I don't know if they are alive or dead, so pardon my brusqueness. Even if you are not the one I seek it would be foolish of me to trust you on the chance that you still could be. The demon has us trapped in its realm and reality itself is at his command."
He had recovered his breath now and so was able to relax slightly, put himself more at ease and less reliant on his fight or flight instincts.
He took a deep breath to slow his beating heart and allowed his hard expression to relax. By his reasoning even he wasn't exempt from suspicion even if he knew for a fact that he wasn't a demon, she could have just as much conviction and he wouldn't believe her. He recognized this dilemma and so he proposed a small test.
"For now, since we're currently not killing each other, perhaps we can prove ourselves to each other by killing the demons you mentioned were approaching? Even a master of deception such as a demon will slip up eventually."
Honestly, if he was expecting a deceptive illusion to accost him in the jungle he would have expected the demon to choose a far more vulnerable form, such as a local tribal princess... Granted, the demon could have anticipated his suspicion of such an illusion in this place to lower his guard, but still... This woman almost looked like one of the people of the mountain tribes in the spine, just as stocky and beautiful. But her armor and clothing was strange.

He focused his arcane sight, which would allow him to see the aura of magic coming from her equipment. His eyes would briefly turn a glowing sky blue as he activated his ability to detect magic.

 

[Zaire]

Luella had enough of this, she could understand being wary, but at the same time, she found it to be ridiculous. Why couldn’t he give her a direct answer? She wasn’t even playing with her words, not to mention, how on earth could he find her to be an enemy? And this mention of demons and a horse and men… she shook her head. This was pointless.

“If I had created this I wouldn’t have chosen a smelly, dingy, sweltering jungle for the set up of a loop I’d have to stay in,” She hissed. Being lectured to and being labeled as a “demon” was setting her in a foul mood— well, at least a fouler mood than from before. It was most likely due to the temperament and the fact that as she had said those words, she had tried to use her magick to create a glamour. She was going to disappear, but, it was if the magick that had flowed so freely before became bottle neck. There was magick, she could feel it, she just couldn’t use it for some reason. Was it due to the loop?

“But if it so pleases you, to prove I’m not a demon,” she glared at him as she said it, still quite offended anyone could mistake her for such a filthy thing, “then I’ll help you out of the mess you’ve found yourself in. And then you’ll tell me whatever I desire.” she added, no longer pointing her sword at him and holding out her delicate hand. Luella then smirked, “After all, you require my help more than I need yours.”

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“If I had created this, I wouldn’t have chosen a smelly, dingy, sweltering jungle for the setup of a loop I’d have to stay in,”

Still anecdotal evidence, he still had no proof. But there were a few truths that he believed in, truths that he learned about demons. A house divided against itself cannot stand, a demon would not choose to fight their allies.

“But if it so pleases you, to prove I’m not a demon,” she glared at him as she said it, still quite offended anyone could mistake her for such a filthy thing, “then I’ll help you out of the mess you’ve found yourself in. And then you’ll tell me whatever I desire.” she added, no longer pointing her sword at him and holding out her delicate hand. Luella then smirked, “After all, you require my help more than I need yours.”

When she moved her sword, he moved his.
"Understand that this is a promise, not a contract."
He reached out and took her hand, his massive glove dwarfing hers.
"We'll see who needs more help in this realm."

At this point even he could hear the demons coming closer, crashing through the forest in a small horde.
He briefly closed his eyes and offered a short prayer to Metisa for strength. He then turned and stood beside his new ally to face the incoming demons.

 

[Zaire]

The moment there hands met, Luella showed a wolffish grin, magick sparking. She had used her own magick reservoirs for this, something she didn’t enjoy doing as hers weren’t as large as she’d like, but the moment she had access to the the ley lines she’d replenished it, or at least she promised to herself.

“A promise is still a contract,” Luella corrected, sliding her hand away from his and wiping it on her armor as if her hand was filthy. “And you shook my hand. You should be careful around fae, many aren’t as forthcoming as I am.” She had such a smug tone, completely ignoring his comment on who needed more help. Really, he was lucky it was here, and the only thing she wanted was information— she could have twisted her words much more and gotten something far greater. Anyhow, now the moment of truth was upon them and she’d ascertain that now as the demons burst forth from the jungle vines and underbrush. Not wanting to take any chances, Luella didn’t wait for the flood of demons that had surrounded them in a quick instance.

“Make sure we don’t lose our ground,” Luella shouted over to the large Templar, before a demon lunged at her with a wide open mouth filled with rows of tiny sharp teeth. The teeth were so small it looked almost comical, like baby’s teeth in an adult’s mouth. But each tooth was sharped to a steep point, and there was at least 4 rows of them. Getting bitten by something like that meant the teeth were designed to shred at the skin and muscles— a tortuous end that Luella wasn’t keen on. With a wide swing, her sword met the inside of the demon’s mouth, separating the top part of it’s jaw from it’s body. She didn’t have time to focus on her handy work as others came near her, lunging towards her.

Two hands were on the hilt as she pivoted, not to evade but to increase her momentum as she unleashed another powerful swing, but this time she didn’t stop. With the moment of the first swing, Luella focused on sloping arches that had her sword flowing down to the right to then go back up to the left. It was the easiest way to keep her power without expelling much thought or energy, all she had to do was some fancy footwork and she wouldn’t be touched. The demons didn’t seem smart enough to pick up on this, merely waiting their turn to lunge and then be cut down.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“A promise is still a contract,” Luella corrected, sliding her hand away from his and wiping it on her armor as if her hand was filthy. “And you shook my hand. You should be careful around fae, many aren’t as forthcoming as I am.”
He scowled at her. So not a human, definitely, but a fae? It could still be a lie, but if it's true he could be in a lot more trouble than he bargained for, especially if this was one of the greater fae. He wondered if Astra would allow such a contract to be binding on him.

But still, it was a better explanation than being a demon if it was true.

The demons surrounded them quickly and Elijah calmly rotated with their flanking maneuver to watch their back. He mentally drew a line between her back and his, that line was ground zero, if it was lost then it could very well be over.

“Make sure we don’t lose our ground,”
He didn't answer.
The first demon to try to lunge forward was met by a metal boot to the face, his longer legs providing a longer reach.
He brought the sword up across the face of another as it tried to take advantage of the distraction provided by its fallen comrade.
Then the whole horde started pressing forward. These creatures were comparatively fragile and easy to kill, they didn't have a tough hide or hard bones, but they had teeth and claws sharp enough to rend flesh like a hot knife through butter, and one could assume that armor would only last so long against them... And they had numbers.

Always he kept his back facing the "fae". His style of fighting was different from hers, while he was still mobile and light on his feet he didn't follow around the weight of his sword, his strikes had less flow and grace but more precision and power behind their movements, thus he moved around far less than the woman behind him. He presented himself as a shield or wall while she presented herself as the sword or spear.
He brought his greatsword across his body in a long sweeping slash that took out five demons at once, but he once again found himself stepping backwards as more demons quickly climbed over the bodies of their fallen to attack his exposed side. He had enough skill and reach to keep them mostly at a distance and it required great sacrifice to get inside his guard, but these creatures were willing to make such a sacrifice. His armor deflected the majority of the claws that flicked out at him, but he hissed as a few nails slipped between the armor plates and popped the rings on his chainmail. There was blood, but he couldn't wince or flinch, he'd fought worse and received far worse... He just had to make sure that he didn't take too many cuts, mortal that he is.

Once again he was slowly being pushed back by their sheer numbers and still he made sure the imaginary line between them was unbroken by an enemy.
He wasn't yet breathless, the fight had only lasted a few seconds, but she could hear the strain in his voice.
"Perhaps your fae powers will come in handy about now? Thin the ranks to a bit more manageable amount?"

 

[Zaire]

This Templar was skilled, Luella noted that rather quickly. She hadn’t been out to the mortal realm often, but the few times she had, no one had truly impressed her. To her, they lacked so much, even the “masters” seemed to have just barely grasped basics. But Elijah used his body as well as his sword, and on top of it, he was working with her quite well. Unfortunately, the numbers of these demons did matter, even if these demons were rather weak, to keep track of them was a struggle.

Despite slewing down a multitude of them together, it seemed every time they took out one, two more appeared. How many could there possibly be? Gnashing her teeth, Luella did her best to keep them at bay, and yet, despite her confidence from before, slowly they were being pushed back. While Luella could brag about none of the demons touching her, she couldn’t keep pushing forward, something she wasn’t used to.

“Struggling?” Luella grunted, stabbing a demon through their neck before quickly flicking her wrist to decapitate it before pivoting and slashing once more, dodging and bending and even leaping. She rarely parried, always her last defense as parrying usually meant she would be open considering she had such a massive sword. However, Elijah had a point. It would be best to thin the ranks out now rather than later when they may be desperate. “Just a minute, but after that minute, you may need to step in.”

Luella didn’t enjoy using her affinity so early on, especially if there was something greater at play here. But, she was lucky, her affinity often could never be pinpointed, and if she used it right, then maybe it would be less than a minute for them to have room to breathe with this surrounding attack. She took a deep breath, and then, she focused, her zone stretching out 5 meters around her entire being, a perfect dome of sensory overload that Luella could read with ease.

It was a dizzying affair at times, but she had to concentrate, focus. Emotions were leveled, a faint smile on her lips before she changed what she was doing with her sword. She no longer needed her eyes or ears. She could feel everything now, know the movement of everything in this special zone of hers. She changed her stance and fighting style, and moved.

Her blade whistled louder than the howls of the demons, soon streaked with blood and splattering the demons’ blood all over the place, and yet, a single drop never landed on her as she maneuvered unlike before. Her feet were swift, her strikes more precise than ever, and every part of her body moved with such individuality and synchronicity at the same time. Many mortals usually feared the way she even walked, her balance already being leagues ahead of them, and now, it was all coming to a perfect point at this moment.

It was slaughter at this point, her sword cutting through every demon effortlessly despite how many lunged at her. Whether they tried to swipe at her face or her back or her legs, she moved just right or placed her sword in defense and then attacked as if nothing could phase her.

The moment that migraine began needling at her skull, Luella knew her minute was up. She was covered in sweat, her pale blonde hair sticking to her forehead and the back of her neck in all sorts of ways, and she could feel that stickiness on her hilt from her hands turning clammy with sweat. One great swing, more so to knock away those that had come close to her, another deep breath.

She stopped with her affinity and began focusing back on her sight and hearing. Her throat was tight and as a demon went to her attack her, she swung her sword in defense but this time the cut was less clean due to her shaky hand.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“Struggling?”

"Strategizing with unknown variables." He corrected. They both were obviously competent in combat, and by now she'd proven that she wasn't a demon.

“Just a minute, but after that minute, you may need to step in.”

He took that to mean that she would be weaker after that time, and it seemed to be a correct assumption. Apparently her fae powers increased her battle prowess, she was untouchable before, and she became even moreso as she used her magic.

He was pressed with his own troubles, but he couldn't help but admire this beautiful creature fighting at his back. They were slaughtering the demons, their bodies piling up and tumbling down the slight slope they fought on. They were fortunate to have found this space beside the fallen log in which they could fully swing their large swords, the trees and jungle fauna practically choked everywhere else and would have made it next to impossible to fight.
As she said, she fought for a full minute and then slowed down drastically. She could still fight but even the demons noticed her sudden weakness, immediately Elijah noticed a demon attempt to break the mental line between their backs, before it could land a potential strike to the fae's back he lopped it's head off.

"I see it's my turn." He grinned as he made a few area clearing swipes with his sword. He ran past the fae, taking out another demon along the way that was coming up on her flank.
He went to the log and shoved one hand underneath the rotting trunk, his other hand, still holding his sword, he used to steady the log as he lifted it with a grunt of effort.
The log pulled free of the ground, roots, dirt and moss tore free as he hefted the log that was nearly thirty feet long and five feet thick.

Demons rushed, attempting to tackle him as he held the tree, but the thirty or so that charged in to attack him were met with a mighty swing as the log was wielded as an oversized club against them. Demons flew and we're dashed against other surrounding tree trunks, Elijah waded into the demons with his new makeshift weapon, in spite of its size he was able to keep the demons off his companion without including her in his decimating swings.
Whereas before it seemed the jungle was absolutely alive with demons, now they were reduced to a steady stream. After about a minute the log he'd been using was splintered down to a man-sized stub, his breathing was labored and he threw the remains to crush a few more demons before returning to his sword which flared with use, the blood of demons seeming to awaken it's holy wrath.
"We might survive yet, fairy. Let us not give up while there is evil that's yet to be slain!"
Tired as he was he gladly hoisted his sword which burned with holy light and went back to his chosen position.

 

[Zaire]

Luella couldn’t imagine the might Elijah truly carried within himself. But it was not only his might but also his mind that made her pause. She had thought what she accomplished was impressive, and perhaps it was, but it couldn’t hold up to someone picking up a whole-ginormous tree and swinging it around like it was nothing while also not hitting her. Envy turned her green, not wanting to be outdone by some mortal in fancy armor and with a fancy, glowing sword. Here she was, boasting about her battle prowess and she felt like she was lagging behind. Well, enough was enough.

“F-fairy?” She stuttered at the Templar’s comment, narrowing her lavender eyes at the massive warrior beside her. Well, now that was just insulting. “I’m not some sidhe!” Luella seethed, the insult only adding to her irritation, and perhaps even steadying her hand just that much more. She spun, with a diagonal upward swing, she caught two of the demons, making both immobile. She quickly speared them down with her blade, finishing them off. “You sound like a dreary knight when you talk about evil and slaying.” She directed to him in annoyance, if only because the anger helped with the twinge of inadequacy she felt.

If Luella was a betting woman she would have tried to make another magick deal with him, but considering the Balsinde family were horrible gamblers she refrained from doing so. After all, the only bet that came to her bloodthirsty mind was who had killed more demons. That would have been a pain to figured out with so many dead at their feet.

“We’ll finish this, now.” Luella snarled, mostly to herself, ignoring the needling at her forehead and the dull ringing in her ears. If she wanted to rest then all these demons would have to dead, and more importantly, if she wanted information from this Templar, the demons would also have to be dead. To kill two birds with one stone it only made sense, now was the time to stop the swarm of demons.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“F-fairy?” She stuttered at the Templar’s comment, narrowing her lavender eyes at the massive warrior beside her. Well, now that was just insulting. “I’m not some sidhe!” Luella seethed, the insult only adding to her irritation, and perhaps even steadying her hand just that much more.

Well, he didn't know what a "sidhe" was, but apparently, she wasn't one, or a fairy.
"Pardon, not all of us are fae scholars!" He bisected another demon with a single blow as he shot back his retort.

“You sound like a dreary knight when you talk about evil and slaying.”

He couldn't help but smile, and then laugh aloud in the middle of the battle, a clear and innocent sound that was actually full of mirth, the demons thought to take advantage, but he seemed no less focused on his task, scything through another group of demons and kicking another into the air that had evaded the attack.
"Force of habit, milady. I do suppose you are right about that!"

“We’ll finish this, now.”

"Agreed." A smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth he made ready for a final push.
"I can see them dwindling, if we hold out a bit longer, I think we can ultimately outlast them!" He set himself into a solid stance, sword presented before him. The blade had grown brighter over the course of the battle, the demon blood awakening its wrath in spite of the magical oppression they both seemed to be under. He couldn't even use one of his most simple and inborn traits of being able to see magic, let alone any of the more advanced abilities he was blessed with through the gods and his ancestry.
Luckily his strength and endurance were not magical, he had worked up a sweat, was breathing hard and blood leaked from many superficial cuts, but he had yet to feel the ache of fatigue even after slaying so many for so long.

He took his solid stance, planting himself to a single spot as if to say, "No further". He stood as a wall at the back of the fae, confident in his victory and sure of his skill. The demons had begun to mill slightly, with massive, rushed attacks becoming less frequent as some of them noticed how high they had to climb to get over their comrades.
The bodies had rolled to the bottom of the slight hill they stood on and had practically piled all the way back up to them, with higher body counts around tree trunks and roots where their descent was interrupted.
Elijah took a deep breath, and then let it out with a startling shout, an authoritative voice of command issued forth from his throat.
"Hear me, demons! You are bested! We can kill each of you to the last beast and stand with blades aloft in victory! Flee! Flee now to your master and beg for his wrath instead of ours! The light of the gods and the fury of the jungle hound your heels!"

 

[Zaire]

It was not often that Luella’s surly comments and complaints were ever met with something positive. She hardly got smiles and chuckles happened much, much less. It was actually all that more surprising to her that Elijah found comedy in her words that really didn’t hold much humor, or at least not to her. Not to mention, his laughter was rather melodic, ironic to his size and his might. Luella could relate to such a thing, her voice didn’t match her stature any more, however that was different than having a innocent laugh. Laughter changed with the person in her mind.

“We’ll outlast them,” Luella shouted back, starting to feel much, much better. Perhaps it was the sense of steadfast optimism that came from Elijah or knowing the fact that he kept up his part of the work exceptionally well. Despite not liking to have admit such things, Luella was thankful for each and every time he intervened. With that newfound vigor, she even decided to add something else and have it be something nice. “After all, I think the both of us have futures far more important than theirs.” There. Nicest thing she had said all day. Even if half of it was a compliment to herself.

With Elijah behind her she had little to fear knowing that he wouldn’t let anyone inside her guard or to sneak upon her. It made it quite easy for her to stay in one spot, but really, that would only prolong the whole ordeal. She would need to move again, and just before she was about to start leaving her secure spot behind Elijah he shouted in a clear, strong voice over the hissing and yowls of primordial hunger from the demon horde. Everything went silent, a silence that was rather unnerving to Luella as it seemed the demons had paused, cocking their heads despite the drool still dripping down their ravenous mouths.

It was either that they heard Elijah’s words or something else was speaking to them, something that held much more power over them than a powerful duanann and an almost equally powerful Templar. Luella’s brows furrowed together as a type of clicking seemed to be made within the demons throats and chest, communicating something to each other. She went to take a step and before her foot can touch solid ground, the demons dashed off. All of them going around Luella and Elijah, a buzzing filling Luella’s ears, the first glimpse of magick she had felt in this place for the first time.

Return, return, return. It wasn’t iza or the mortal tongue, but Luella knew a magic command when she felt it. It wasn’t for her, and she quickly deducted that these demons did indeed have a master. A powerful one at that would could bend magick to their will in a place like this. A frisson went through her entire body at the thought of what she would be up against. Her magick stores was limited, and despite never being fond of relying on magick completely like many fae did, she knew that she would need to use everything in her repertoire to go up against something like that— whatever was waiting for them.

“Well,” Luella said slowly, staring at the back of the last demon that had ran off. “It seems to me that maybe your knightly words scared off the bad guys. Good job.” This time it was teasing instead of a jab, as she turned around to look at Elijah. She was sure that he could figure out why the demons had decided to disappear. She sucked air in through her teeth, noting that while both of them appeared sweaty with hair sticking to their respective foreheads, it seemed Elijah had taken his duties rather seriously. She could see the scratches on his armor and how His chest heaved. She was heaving too but not as much as someone who had picked up an entire, massive tree and used it as a club. “I hope you’re not mortally wounded.” She said, a bit ruthlessly. Really, she had meant for it to come out nicer.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“We’ll outlast them,” Luella shouted back, starting to feel much, much better. Perhaps it was the sense of steadfast optimism that came from Elijah or knowing the fact that he kept up his part of the work exceptionally well. Despite not liking to have admit such things, Luella was thankful for each and every time he intervened. With that newfound vigor, she even decided to add something else and have it be something nice. “After all, I think the both of us have futures far more important than theirs.” There. Nicest thing she had said all day. Even if half of it was a compliment to herself.

"I like to believe the gods have plans for us all, and while I loathe to say it, perhaps demons play a part as well."
He cut through a few more demons, but after his words they seemed to have enough and were routing into a full retreat.
Almost as quickly as they appeared, they were gone in the supernatural mist.

“Well,” Luella said slowly, staring at the back of the last demon that had ran off. “It seems to me that maybe your knightly words scared off the bad guys. Good job.”

A low chuckle was the only response he could muster. He put the point of the blade to the ground and rested against his sword. Muttering a quiet prayer of thankfulness to the gods, more out of habit than anything else.

“I hope you’re not mortally wounded.” She said, a bit ruthlessly. Really, she had meant for it to come out nicer.

He glanced at her with a skeptical expression about her tone, then down at himself. Blood leaked from many shallow wounds in places where his armor didn't cover, but the density of his flesh was akin to armor in itself, the demons claws could only cut skin deep.
"No, it's not as bad as it looks. I'm made of more sturdy stuff than most."

He straightened and stretched his back and arms before sheathing his sword.
"I should seek Redemption."

 

[Zaire]

Luella focused on cleaning her sword off as best as she could muster, sheathing it when she felt it was suitable. The stench of demons made her wrinkle her nose and she surveyed the massacre. Despite being a rather haughty being, Luella had to admit, the only difference in their skill was the fact that Luella had centuries upon Elijah. Was she only better because of such a time difference? The thought irritated her. She’d keep improving, after all, she had at least another 7,000 more years to capture what she wanted. But currently, she needed to focus on the task at hand: which was this strange loop.

“Well, you’re taller than most,” she commented in regards to calling him sturdy. Sturdy, at least in Luella’s opinion, was an understatement. Another brief thought, filled with anxiety, flashed through her mind, wondering how if right now, if Elijah chose to attack her, could she defeat him? There was the height difference, the strength difference, reach, weight, agility, experience, and so much more flew through her head. With a sigh of exasperation, the duanann female shook her head, rather upset. How on earth could she more afraid of Elijah than a swarm of demons who’s only thought were to devour her flesh?

“Redemption?” She raised a pale brow, looking him over, seeing that he had sheathed his sword. So he wasn’t out to attack her outright, not yet. But, what on earth was redemption? “You can’t escape the loop we’re in, if you’re trying to get out.” She was curious if it perhaps had anything to do with his sword? After all, it had glowed not so long ago. But regardless, she’d wait for Elijah’s answer.

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“Well, you’re taller than most,”

In spite of having fought together, and Elijah now being assured that she was not the demon, she seemed to still have reservations about him... At least from what he could read from her outward expressions of exasperation when she studied him.
A fae that uses the wind to propel her movements and slaughter hundreds of demons within minutes. He was fairly determined by now to remain in her good graces.

“Redemption?”

He turns to her, smiling. "That's a bit of an inside joke. My horse, Redemption. He's a celestial steed given to me by the gods, a redeemed Nightmare, thus his name."
He kicked a severed arm off the ground to smack wetly against a tree.
"If we can find him he can get us out of the "loop" as you call it. Nightmares have the ability to travel between adjacent planes, he can get us back to the real world if killing the demon doesn't dispell this place."

He also took the opportunity to check his weapons and armor. He was well equipped as a high ranking holy paladin, unfortunately some of his chainmail under his armor was missing some links where the claws had gotten through. Red practically bathed his once white armor, some of it his own, most of it demon blood.

"If we can find the demon by pursuing his minions, we should probably hurry... But I suppose I owe you some answers, that was the deal, correct?"

 

[Zaire]

His smile was rather disarming, Luella noticed. Something about it just seemed to genuine. Or perhaps she was too used to being around the fae and of constantly second guessing each and every action or word. She listened intently him, as a creature of magick, this tale of getting a horse that was considered a celestial steed, named Redemption, and could travel between adjacent planes… well, it was similar to what she did, was it not? Although she wouldn’t want to admit such as right now, she was stuck. The magick from the leys could not aid her, at least right now.

“I’m calling it a loop, but really, I think it’s not as simple.” She’d need to explain, after all, it was her poor use of words. “If we kept moving forward, I believe we would indeed come back to this spot. To be fair, the… demon must have immense power, for this is incredibly large. But I have tried cutting trees or plants and things, and when I return, it’s as if they were never touched. I think this… demon is able to manipulate space and time so that those who are trapped in can move ‘forward’ but the demon is continually overlapping the space. It may also be an issue as this means more of these… imps,” she seethed, looking around them, “can appear. Perhaps from different spaces. Can your nightmare horse be able to figure out exactly which plane is the one that will let us free? And… actually,” Luella placed her hands on her hips, “your horse could be on another plane, and I hope you’re not expecting to play some lullaby on a Ocarina and expect it to come running to you.” She breathed. She hadn’t talked— or rather complained and whine— this much in a very long time. Her mouth felt dry.

She waved her hands at Elijah’s last comment. “Actually, you’re lucky I don’t abuse deals. All I want to know is more about… this mission you have been sent on. I am only here for my own leisure.” This was true, or as true as it could be in fae speak. “While you explain to me this situation that I am sure you know more of, we can either look for Redemption or follow the demons. I’ll let you decide.”

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

(Sorry for the delay, work has kept me busy and tired the rest of the time. I should have more time over the next few weeks to keep up!)

“I’m calling it a loop, but really, I think it’s not as simple.” She’d need to explain, after all, it was her poor use of words. “If we kept moving forward, I believe we would indeed come back to this spot. To be fair, the… demon must have immense power, for this is incredibly large. But I have tried cutting trees or plants and things, and when I return, it’s as if they were never touched. I think this… demon is able to manipulate space and time so that those who are trapped in can move ‘forward’ but the demon is continually overlapping the space. It may also be an issue as this means more of these… imps,” she seethed, looking around them, “can appear. Perhaps from different spaces. Can your nightmare horse be able to figure out exactly which plane is the one that will let us free? And… actually,” Luella placed her hands on her hips, “your horse could be on another plane, and I hope you’re not expecting to play some lullaby on a Ocarina and expect it to come running to you.” She breathed. She hadn’t talked— or rather complained and whined— this much in a very long time. Her mouth felt dry.

He listened to her clarification as he readjusted the straps on his armor or discarded pieces that were too damaged to stay on or provide protection.
"I see, that certainly sounds like an infinite loop. Especially if it resets every time we come through. Massive as this place is, this plane that he's set up is essentially a very "small world" if we can walk around the entirety in only a few hours... Though I admit that I hadn't considered that he might have separated us to our own individual planes..."
He frowned thoughtfully.
"That would certainly be an added difficulty, because we also have no guarantee that the demon isn't all alone on an entirely detached plane from us or my comrades. Watching from afar while he continuously harasses us with his minions, wears us down till we perish."

She waved her hands at Elijah’s last comment. “Actually, you’re lucky I don’t abuse deals. All I want to know is more about… this mission you have been sent on. I am only here for my own leisure.” This was true, or as true as it could be in fae speak. “While you explain to me this situation that I am sure you know more of, we can either look for Redemption or follow the demons. I’ll let you decide.”

He shrugged as he discarded the last useless plate of his armor, which left him with the remnants of his chainmail, his grieves and plated boots, the upper half of his breastplate, his left pauldron and his gauntlets. His helmet was somewhere amongst the corpses, he didn't remember losing it in the fight.
"Myself and my company were commissioned by the Templar Order to respond to reports of a demon operating in this area. A missionary of our order in one of the nearby villages sent word of this demon so we came to exercise it. However, as you can see, it fled into the jungle and set up this trap for me and my men. It appears that you got caught up in the middle of it as well."

He looked around to get his bearings, but quickly realized that was a futile effort. Instead he started heading in the direction the demons went and tracking their signs of passage.
"Redemption is intelligent, he'll likely figure out our predicament and attempt to find me on his own once he's dealt with any enemies harassing him. I think it would be best if we continue on and see if the demon was sporting enough to trap us with him on this plane. Perhaps ending him will undo the magic and return us all to where we were."

 

[Zaire]

Luella nodded her head, looking over at Elijah as he began to toss his armor to the side. Even with a good chunk of his armor gone, he still looked massive. What Luella would do to be that tall. Or have that much muscle and might. She looked hard at his face, seeing if the answer to his height somehow was held in his eyes. She did of course listen to him speak as well— their situation was most definitely dire. Even she was aware of it. She wondered how some of the more pronounced fae warriors of her time would handle this situation. What magick they would use. How much would they use.

She rubbed her forehead, understanding that unfortunately, she couldn’t compare her skills to theirs. The difference was too great when it came to magick. But with swordsmanship she always made sure she could be anyone’s equal, if not greater than them. Although after this trip, Luella felt maybe it was time she did focus on her magick abilities. After all, it could have given her that extra edge if she had more skill in it.

“Thank you.” She said finally, following after Elijah as he moved further into the dense jungle. “For telling me.” She clarified. Sure, he must have been forced to share that information with their fae deal, but fae deals could easily be accomplished in roundabout ways. Elijah seemed too mission focus to worry about trying to hide things, and if anything, after the fight, Luella felt he was far too honest of a person.

“Do you worry for your men?” Luella asked suddenly, “you’re their leader, right?” It was the way he had said ‘my company’ and his battle might that made her think that perhaps he was in charge. Also, he had a fancy horse that could cross parallel plains and had a shiny sword. She frowned. She was here by herself and only had to worry about her wellbeing. She couldn’t imagine if she and other fae warriors had come here to only be separated. “You all must fight demons quite regularly, so I suppose they would be okay, too.”

Elijah Khalo Celasaer

(NO WORRIES!!! I’ve actually been taking a little bit of a break with writing Luella, so sorry if this post isn’t the best. Also, feel free to take as much time as you want or need. ))

 

[Elijah Khalo Celasaer]

“Thank you.” She said finally, following after Elijah as he moved further into the dense jungle. “For telling me.”

He gave her a nod, "After seeing you fight against the demon masses, it's the least you deserve, milady. And besides, my word is my bond. Let my soul be thrice cursed and damned to the deepest pits of the nine hells if I break my word."
He didn't speak lightly about his oaths.

“Do you worry for your men?” Luella asked suddenly, “you’re their leader, right?”

As he walked his shoulders seemed to sag slightly.
"Yes, I lead them, I am their captain... And yes, I worry for them..."

“You all must fight demons quite regularly, so I suppose they would be okay, too.”

He smiled and turned, stopping for a moment to let his gaze rest on her eyes.
His eyes held sadness.
"They are Templar Knights, they've fought demons before and the power of the gods has seen them through. They are a good group of men and women and an effective fighting force... But if they faced similar odds as we have, only the mercy of the gods will see them through."

He sighed, as if trying to relieve a weight from his chest.
"I alone have survived the destruction of my entire company once before, and it was because I was separated from them and couldn't protect them from the vampires who we tracked to their lair. I pray that this time will be different."
He sighed again and started walking.
"What brings a fae alone into the jungle? I thought your kind preferred more peaceful places to make your homes."