RPG Elemental Beasts: Demon Invasion [M-LSV]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#696969]Veritas danced in the air as he took flight with Seiryuu and Arcana. Ianus looked and could not help but to smile at his care-free emotion. It's been long since her smile returned to her face. Not many could say they've seen her happy since her father and the clan. Her smile quickly faded, just as fast as it had arrived. She felt she was compelled to only focus on her promise and the task at hand. Arcana could feel this, he felt the same, but knew that even hard work could determinably destroy the soul.

[B]{"Look yonder, 'tis the castle of Ilthica that I see. 'Tis the land of my elders that Ilthica lies on the edge. Come, come, let us fly."}

["Such happiness comes from you, Veritas. I am glad to see this. But remember that we are here on a mission, a task. And remember that we have a promise to fulfill. It is not our place to be caught off-guard. The others have probably arrived. But, yet, let us fly."][/B]

Seiryuu, Veritas, and Arcana took speed as they flew with the breeze of the wind. They soon saw the fountain that Robin and the others gathered around below. Veritas was first to dive down, then Seiryuu, and finally Arcana. As the three dove down, Seiryuu was stopped by Ianus as a voice echoed in the air.

[B]("Is something wrong?")

["Hmm. I'm not sure, my dragon. But I feel that someone is calling out to me. I'm not sure who it is, but it's distant and far, but still I hear them."]

("It's probably just the wind. The others are waiting, we should go. We're already late as it is.")[/B]

Nodding, Seiryuu resumed his landing and landed a few feet from the fountain. Arcana was nowhere to be found in others' eyes, but Ianus could see that he was waiting beside Veritas, who was still flitting around in a hyperactive flight. Seiryuu reverted to his lizard form and slithered upon Ianus' shoulder as she walked towards, not the fountain, but to Arcana and Veritas.

Eyes followed her movement and could see her touching thin air. The Elementals' beasts could see that she was touching Arcana, but their masters could not. She was also speaking to him, but was not heard. Ianus' hood covered her face and in doing so, her expression was not seen as she turned to look at the others. She waited to see what they had to say, for she could hear their thoughts.

[B]"So make your choice."[/B] The Elemental with the three dragons spoke to the Death Elemental, who merely looked on with the others. She then turned back to the Thunder Elemental.

[B]["Seems our so-called fellow Elementals know nothing of what they are up against. They know not that Gwydion sends to only see how her enemy works. 'Tis true 'tis pity."][/B]

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[B]OOC:[/B] Aiya! Sorry I haven't written in so long. Don't worry, I'll get caught up and if there's something wrong with my post, I'll edit it.[/size][/color]

[Heero Darkangel]

Lee over heard what Azufe had spoken to the others about, slowly and hauntingly he approached Azufe

'Any questions?,' spoke out Azufe

'I have but one....my element is spirit.....I don't know if my element would be of any use....but I want to help....so would my element be any good?' questioned Lee at that moment he saw Ianus walking towards them, she heard what was going on and then turned to the thunder elemental that stood beisde her....she must of spoke telepathically for the thunder elemental nodded as he looked at her

'Do you know something?' spoke Lee as he walked over to her

[Delta]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]
Nighttime in Ilthica a sight to behold, and for first time visitors like Kumiko, a tour around town would just be irresistible. They were already running late but she insisted they take their time walking towards the fountain.

[Detour cake shop. Bad idea ~kappa!]
?My dear, one should eat whenever she can---?
[i][ODD THAT SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS SEEN WITHOUT HIS MASTER!][/i]
The Serpent gestured towards the church. Perched atop the steeple was figure, no, a vision that glittered like golden fire against the silver moonlight.

?Oi, Epona, that?s an Elemental, right??
But her companion didn?t answer. He seemed to be locked in a staring contest with the figure. Turns out, it really was the Fire Elemental in the form of a Phoenix. Kumiko could only hear the Serpent?s side of the dialogue and from the sound of it, the Phoenix was hell-bent on staying where it was.

[i][No good...][/i]
[Fight master ~kappa?]
?Oh? Maybe this will help??
Kumiko reached into the paper bag in her arms and pulled out a yellow sponge cake.

[Castella? Can resist ~kappa?]
She held the cake in front of her and whistled a short bright tune. The Phoenix?s eyes glistened and turned towards her.

?Hora, hora, Mr. Phoenix!?
[i][Oi, Kumiko. You know better than to mess around with?][/i]
As if determined to prove the Serpent wrong, the Phoenix ruffled its feathers and took off from the steeple. It landed gracefully on her arm and started nibbling at the cake.

[Epona elementals love cake ~kappa?]

[CENTER]~o~o~o~o~o~[/CENTER]

A few eyes glared at the Water Elemental?s company, especially at the Fire Phoenix that was with them. Kumiko bade Epona and Kappa to ?go catch mice? (which they did) and made her way towards a silver-haired man. His green eyes were on another Elemental; he probably had unfinished business with him or something, she concluded.

?Hey.?
[COLOR=SlateGray]?Leave me alone.?[/COLOR]
?Just wanted to let you know that your phoenix likes Castellas.?
[COLOR=SlateGray]?Hmph.?[/COLOR]

He took the bird and the bag of cakes and continued brooding. Kumiko, meanwhile, observed the man from where she stood. Never mind that he was getting irritated at her; just by watching the party of the Fire Elementals, she could easily deduce things about their relations with each other. A particular thought entered her mind and made her lips break into a smile.

[COLOR=SlateGray]??What do you want??[/COLOR]
?Aha? You didn?t know that he liked Castellas, did you now??
[COLOR=SlateGray]?Go away.?[/COLOR]
?Kumiko.?
[COLOR=SlateGray]?What??[/COLOR]
?That?s my name. Nice to meet you.?

She extended her hand and hoped for a handshake in return.

[B]OOC:[/B] Hope you don't mind, Sevotharte. Just PM me if you want this post edited.
[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Seibzeihn]

[color=navy][font=garamond][b]OOC: That's fine, Freude ^^.

Oh, and just for clarification, Heero, Kadaj was talking about your character inside his own head. So unless Kadaj is telepathic (which he isn't), Lee would have no way of knowing what Kadaj is thinking. You don't need to edit the previous post, but I'll commonly post what's going on in Kadaj's mind just to enhance the story, so...don't go replying to all of them as if my character had said it all out loud >< [/b]

IC:

Kadaj remained unmoving for a moment, then lifted his eyes to meet those of the woman before him. They sparkled as she grinned at him, one gray, the other blue. Her hand was still extended, awaiting some sort of response.

[color=red][i]You've got to admire her courage, Master,[/color][/i] chimed Tyiar, now perched on Kadaj's shoulder once again. Kadaj didn't reply.

Instead, he extended his hand gingerly, clasping Kumiko's gently. Under normal circumstances, Kadaj would have withdrawn from the handshake after a second or so...but he didn't. Instead, he nodded to Kumiko, and his expression seemed to relax slightly.

"They call me Kadaj." His eyes bade Kumiko to sit, which she did -- not near enough to intrude on his space, but not far enough away to be considered rude. "Thanks...for bringing Tyiar back. Seems I'm not very good at controlling my emotions, sometimes."

[color=darkred]"Oh? Well, no one's perfect."[/color] Kumiko's eyes continued to sparkle at him, this time with humor.

[i]Don't I know it.[/i] "Ahh..." Kadaj hesitated for a moment, but continued (without understanding why). "I'm sorry I was cold to you. It's just...these times haven't been easy on any of us. Tensions are running high. If only we had more time -- I mean, besides this, time to relax -- maybe we'd all be able to get along better. I'd like to find out what it means to live a simple life again..." He trailed off and fell silent.

[i]Why am I saying all of this?[/i][/color][/font]

[Sakura]

[B]OOC:[/B] Sorry, I don't really know what's happening. And please try not to ignore my character, I'm trying to post as much as I can.

[COLOR=Navy]Kari sat on the rim of the fountain, she washed the blood off Fell and Larka and rebandaged their wounds, tying it tightly, but not so tight that it hurt.

"Are you alright?" she asked them.

["My wing just feels a little stiff."] Larka replied.

<"It hurts now and again but I'll be fine."> Fell mentioned.

Kari nodded and the two animals started to drink from the fountain. Kari got up and talked with Kerma. She decided to talk to the other elementalists and approached a guy and girl that were talking.

"Uh hi, I just thought that I'd talk to people. I'm Kari." she said.

"Well hi, I'm Kumiko." the girl said. Kari smiled at her.

Kari looked over at the guy and he just looked back at her.

"Don't worry, you don't have to answer." she said, smiling at him slightly.

"By the way, My element's Light, and that's Kerma, my spirit." she said, indicating the faerie that was sitting with her two animal companions.[/COLOR]

[B]OOC:[/B] Sorry about the length. And let me know if you want it changed Freude and/or Sevotharte.

[Heero Darkangel]

OOC: Oh shit!...excuse me on that Sevotharte...I didn't read it properly....My bad!!..Scrub the last two posts where I stuffed up..LOL ( here i go again..)

IC:

Lee sat leaning against the tree....He looked over wondering....what its was like to be around others...like him.....he over heard Kadaj words when he spoke to Kumiko, another girl had came into it, Lee frowned slightly

'Why don't you go over and introduce yourself properly instead of standing aside,' spoke Veradon as she pushed him from behind

'I..don't know,' spoke Lee

'Oh go on...your going to be working with them...so work with them instead of working aganist them,' Veradon spoke softly, 'Lee what have you got to lose?,'

Lee looked at her and slowly he stood up and approached everyone who stood around the fountain, Veradon, Syn and Dawn were beside him.

Kadaj looked at Lee, as Lee stood there

'Excuse my.....rudeness before.....i just came here to fight with you.....not against you,' spoke Lee with a serious look in his eyes

OOC: OK...is that better????

[Seibzeihn]

[color=navy][font=garamond][b]OOC: No problem, Heero. That'll do just fine ^^[/b]

IC:

Kadaj nodded to Lee and shrugged slightly. "We all have our good days and our bad days, no? And my name's Kadaj," said Kadaj, turning to the new arrival, a girl named Kari. [i]For what seems like the twentieth time today...[/i] he grumbled under his breath, only loud enough for Kumiko to hear him. Tyiar gave his personal greeting to each in turn, a slight spreading of the wings followed by a short bow. Shifting the sheath strapped across his back, Kadaj relaxed a little...as much as the times would allow.

[b]OOC: Sorry for the short post, but I spent all my creative energy on the one before :P[/b][/font][/color]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#696969]Everyone introduced themselves to each other. They began to get to know each other. As if that was something that Ianus needed. A smirk appeared upon her hidden face as she looked on. Arcana appeared before Ianus and looked at the others with her. Veritas was flying around, still twirling and swirling in the air, filled with happiness, where as Seiryuu formed himself into a [URL=http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/ftp/IMAGES/fantasy/dragonfly.jpg]drakkenfly[/URL], racing after Veritas.

Disliking this scene of boredom, Ianus turned and Arcana watched her leave. Veritas and Seiryuu saw this as well and flew down to Arcana, perching themselves on his back. They all looked to each other and then watched their mistress walk away from the crowd, knowing that meeting Gwydion once more would be fateful.

* * * * * *

Arriving near a quiet hill that was near the fountain, Ianus found a beautiful white willow that shaded a large part of a field. She smiled lightly and walked towards it, sitting beneath it and pulling down her hood to let the sun touch her face. Beautiful flowers bloomed all around as she looked at the hill, colorful insects float around the flowers.

She looked up to the sky and could see the clouds passing by. A tranquil feeling rushed all around her, letting her cares and worries escape her for that moment. Ianus closed her eyes and sighed. It was a feeling that she had not felt since long.

[B][I]"Why can't life be as simple as this? Sitting underneath a white willow, listening to the calm winds breezing by? If only my life was as simple as this, then perhaps I'd love it."[/B][/I]

Opening her eyes, Ianus looked ahead and saw an image in front of her. Not believing what it was, Ianus blinked a few times, but saw that the image disappeared. She sighed once more and stood. She knew that Gwydion would have plans occuring in her mind, which meant she would lay them out any moment. Ianus put her hood back on and walked back to the fountain, only to see her animals waiting for her.

[B]{"Looks of sorrow comes from our mistress. Something is the matter?"}

["No, Veritas. I just needed a moment to myself. Too many thoughts can tire a person or creature."]

("Then you're alright?")

["Yes, my dragon. I am fine. Thank you for your concerns, though. I appreciate it."]

<"We are but your allies, your friends. Your emotions are ours as well. We are connected, my mistress.">[/B]

Ianus smiled and it was seen to the three, she layed a hand on Arcana's head and petted it. She looked up and walked to the fountain and looked into it. Suddenly the voice was heard again. She looked harder and the image on the hill and the voice in the sky came together.[/size][/color]

[SilverCyclone]

((Wow...you miss quite a bit when you miss a few days...))

Gray had left the others for more favorable atmosphere. He walked around town, trying to find someplace...natural. He sighed, speaking with Enkai.
"Cobbled roads and stone buildings provide no solice..."
"Why did you leave the others?"
"Whats it matter?"
"You seem...spiteful to them."
Gray paused. He looked at the earth tiger. Mane and Shin had gone off to explore on their own, and Gray stared at Enkai.
"Spiteful? No. Not to all of them. I just...dont feel right with them."
"Why do you hate her?"
He gripped his fists. He didnt like it when Enkai knew what he was feeling.
"She...makes me uncomfortable...like a black rose. She scares me Enkai. I dont hate her..."
"Black roses are not unnatural flora. Gaia obivously has a reason for her existence."
Gray stared at the ground. [I]A black rose...but...[/I]
"Yes...your right. But I still cant shake the feeling. She..."
"-is headstrong and doomed to die if she cannot learn to trust others, yes. But you are also doomed if you do not broaden your mind."
The miner stared at the ground.
"Enkai, what if I-"
A loud rumbling caused him to pause. He looked up and saw Shin and Mane sprinting from a rather large cart. The miner and elemental let out a yelp before rushing away from it as well.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO SHIN?!"
"NOTHING! I SWEAR!"
Enkai whipped his head around.
"THATS A LIE! ITS ALWAYS YOU!"
"ALL I DID WAS OPEN A DOOR! IS THAT A CRIME?"
Mane snarled something to the earth tiger.
"YOU UNLOCKED A CELLAR?! HOW MANY CARTS CAME OUT!?"
"NOT AS MANY AS YOU'D THINK!"
"HOW MANY?!"
"SIXTEEN, BUT THATS NOT THE POINT!"
"SHIN!"
The group dashed away, leaping into a side alley as the cart made its way through the streets. Gray smacked Shin.
"SIXTEEN!? Damnit, think of all the damage you might have caused! Mane, why werent you watching him?"
The wildcat purred apologetically. Gray sighed and sat down, rubbing his eyes.
"And you wonder why we never stayed in town for long periods of time..."

((Felt like lightening the mood...))

[Redemption]

[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Robin listened to Azufe's prattle. What he said was true. Elyron had told her everything Azufe knew. But how? How did Elyron or Azufe know so much about Gwydion? It was peculiar.

Robin closed her eyes. Kadaj's tantrum, Lee's little spack, everyone seemed to have secrets they didn't want to reveal. If they were ever to fight as one, they would have to know each other like themselves. Robin opened her eyes and sighed. She cleared her throat, gaining the attention of every Elemental there, including their companions.

" Azufe's information was exact, however, I have learned something more. Not about the enemy. But about us, and how we are going to defeat the enemy. This may come as a shock to most of us who have skeletons in our closets."

" But, my source has told us, as he is an Elf and has powers of sight. We must know each other as we know ourselves to defeat Gwydion. We may have to share pasts that are too painful to relive, however, if we don't, our purpose is negilible."

Everyone looked at her shocked. It was not news they had expected to hear and news that rattled some. Kadaj and Lee looked at the ground. Robin stayed firm.

" However, it is not time to devulge such secrets. First, we must stop the Battle of Five Armies and consult the King in matters he does not understand. To the Plains of Semna."
_________________________________________________________________

Hours later, the Elementals arrived at the Plains of Semna. The company stood at the mountain pass that was one of the few ways into the Plains of Semna. The Human, Elf, Dwarf and Lizard-people armies gathered before them. A great darkness stood in front of them. It was a wall of black, an omnious sign. Arawn pawed the ground cautiously.

[COLOR=Red]Something is wrong. Death is near Robin.[/COLOR] The Hell Hound growled.
" I can feel it also Arawn. Raven, we have to get down there and warn the Kings of each army."

Robin turned to the others.
" Kadaj and Gray, you are to go to the Human King and tell him pull back. Ianus and Lee, you have the Dwarf King. Kari and Kumiko, you have the Lizard-people. Azufe, you and I have the Elven King. Everyone, expect resistance. If they resist, use any possible to push them back. They must save their strength for another battle."

OOC: There you are. You have your tasks. Go do them.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Azufe looked at Robin. "Retreating never won any battles. Never run unless you have proof that the battle is unwinable. All we have to go is your intuition, Robin, and maybe something an elf told you. Unless the commanders don't know shit, they're going to stay right where they are. Oh, and I agree with them."

"They cannot win this battle," Robin said. "They must retreat."

"This a battle that they can't afford to lose, and retreating is the same as a loss. Besides, it's not numbers that will decide this battle. It's the fate of one person. Gwydion."

"How do you know she'll be here?" Robin asked.

"Simple. With so many demons gathering for the battle, she has to be here somewhere. Even if that were not true, she would still be here. She would love the chance to kill."

"How do you know this?"

Azufe's reply didn't explain anything. "She and I have met before," was all he was willing to reveal.

"The armies must save their strength for a move vital battle," Robin said.

"There is no battle that is more importand," Azufe responded. "If Gwydion is killed, the demons will be leaderless. The confusion her death would cause will render the demon army unable to fight. She called them to this world; without her, they will become disoriented, confused. It will take them a couple hours to adapt. More than enough time to wipe them out. The armies of our world will distract the demon army long enough for me, with the aid of anyone willing to give it, to kill Gwydion."

"How will you find her down there?" Kari asked.

"All I have to do is jopin the battle. She will find me." Azufe mounted Zephyr. Together with Anzunden and Seuneu, Zephyr flew down towards the human army. They were not going to convince anyone to turn around. They were going to join the army in the coming battle.

------------------------------------------------------

OOC: amgoddess, please tell me if I need to change anything.

[Redemption]

[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Arawn growled at Azufe, sensing his mistress's discomfort of Azufe's words.

She rode Raven down to Azufe and his three dragons which were now conversing with the general of the human army.

" Look," Robin started saying forcefully to Azufe, ignoring the general, " I know what is going to happen. Whatever we do, we have to get these armies to retreat. If not, there will be a massacre. I just know. I can sense when death is impending. The smell of it is already in the air. It is the strongest I have ever smelt it. I know what is about to happen....and I will not let it HAPPEN!"

Azufe took a step backwards from Robin. He was not expecting that much compassion from the Death Elemental, considering her interaction with everyone, including himself.

" I never said it was going to be easy," she stated firmly. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Azufe didn't share Robin's views on the situation. "If the battle is postponed," he said, "the demons will gain a greater advantage for the next encounter. Gwydion will call more of them from their world to ours. Refusing to fight now will only result in a greater slaughter the next time."

"If they fight, all of them will die," Robin replied.

"Gwydion's death will offset even the loss of everyone here."

"You would let them all die?"

"This is a war," Azufe said. He was still perfectly calm. "People die in wars. Many people die. Some wars have claimed more lives than you would be willing to believe. The death toll if this battle isn't fought will exceed the death toll if this batle is fought. To save the most lives, this battle must occurr. Gwydion must die before she can call more demons to this world."

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#696969]Her dark presence fell around her as she looked to Lee. He could see past her darkened face, he knew. His discomfort was affected by her dark presence and they knew it. Arcana clawed the ground impatiently as he looked to the spirit beast. The Spirit Elemental's companions leered at Ianus' companions, and the feelings were mutual. Seiryuu hissed at the ghostly horse, while Veritas merely looked on at the ghostly panther, and Arcana glared at the Spirit Beast.

[B]["Stand down. We are not here to fight. We are here to merely bring Gwydion back. There is nothing more, understood?"][/B] Ianus spoke to her companions and beast in a stern tone which they could never disobey. They looked to her and calmed themselves as they saw that Ianus had placed her hand upon the Sonnette de Ombre. [B]["They are not the threat here, nor are we. Remember the mission, my friends. And remember that no one must know who we are, understood?"][/B]

The spirit elemental looked to Ianus and she could see that he neither despised being with her nor accepted being with her. It did not matter to Ianus. As long as she was able to near Gwydion, nothing mattered. She merely smirked and let her hands touch Seiryuu's scaly tail. The panther and horse were restless as they looked on, they could feel her darkness. They knew it to be just darkness, not if it was evil or good, but is there good or evil in darkness?[/size][/color]

[Heero Darkangel]

Lee rode beside Ianus, his silence and casual glances was all he gave in a way of conversation. She was mysterious....as darkness always is and because of his love of darkness...he found it hard to not glance at Ianus but that made him uncomfortable....

In his eyes the darkness was beautiful...it held so many secrets and always held a sense of calmness and mysteriousness which he was always drawn too and Ianus knew it.

Lee saw the agitation swell up in his companions

{bestill your souls} he spoke to them

[but...something isn't right....something stirs our souls master] spoke Dawn with a deep growl from his belly

{Within each person...something is always felt...because of our element...we can't determine what it is...we have always felt unsettled by those around us...but whether it is good or bad...} spoke Lee as he rested his hand on Dawns head

[we should be careful....who knows what the darkness holds] spoke Veradon as she fixed her eyes at Ianus

{Bestill your souls...we are not here to fight against them....we are here to fight with them} growled Lee

The three companions growled in agreement to Lee's words. Lee looked over at Ianus...his cold icy blue eyes trailed over her appearance, he knew she could sense his gaze, his coldness, his silence was haunting and the way he, the spirit elemental and companions moved was ghostly and eerie

Lee didn't care whether Ianus was there or not, he had nothing against her or her companions and elemental. Her darkness didn't scare him nor did it phase him and she proberly felt the same.
_____________________________

They rode quickly towards the Dwarf King, the Dwarf king glanced over and saw two strangers stop infront of his army

'WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!,' called the King

Lee slid out of the saddle, the army watched in confusion and awe as Lee and his companions walked towards the king

'Hault!,' growled two guards who stood in his way, at that time Veradon had disappeared. She walked up behind them and lifted them off the ground

'What the hell!,' exclaimed one of the guards

Lee carried on passed them, the King looked around as if terrified but the haunting figures that approached him

'What is the meaning of all this?' the king questioned again

'You have to call off your attack,' spoke Lee coldly as he looked at the King

'What?...Never,' roared the King in anger, 'How dare you...'

'If you don't...then we will be forced to stop it,' spoke Lee with a slightly sinister smile and cutting the Kings speech off. the King looked at the two elementals who stood before him and then looked back at his army

OOC: Ok....amgoddess PM me if I've done it wrong

[GuyYouMetOnline]

[We have to prevent the others from taking foolish actions,] Azufe sent to the three dragons. [Zephyr, take the Elven leader. Anzunden, get the lizardman leader. Seuneu, you have the Dwarven leader. Make sure that the armies do not retreat. Use any means necessary to stop the others from convincing the leaders to retreat, including force.]

"What are they doing?" Robin asked as the dragons flew off.

"Ensuring that nobody is convinced to retreat. If this battle does not occur, the demons will gain an enormous advantage for the next battle. This battle can be one. The next battle might be unwinable. We can't let this chance pass by. Kill Gwydion, and it's all over. But if this battle isn't fought, then we'll lose what may be our only chance for a victory in this war."

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#696969][B]{"This I may, mistress of mine?"}[/B] The care-free bird had said.

Waiting for a moment, Ianus could hear the dragon beating its wings against the winds. Nodding, she sent the bird with a message. She knew that if Gwydion was to die, then all hell would break loose and her chance of retrieving the item would be a loss. She then took her attention to the Drawven King, who still stood unmoved. It was time for Ianus to make her move, whether it be the horror that she show or the good.

[B]"If you do not wish to listen to him, my good man, then I suggest you listen to me."[/B] Ianus' voice echoed like the hollow wind in the breeze. Her voice was graceful yet icy. The Dwarven King looked to her.

[B]"What? I do not take kindly to strangers, such as yourselves. I will battle. Out of my way."[/B]

With the Sonnette de Ombre making its course around her body, Ianus stepped forward and the king took a step back as he felt her dark ferocity near him. Lee watched as she came closer to him. She began to speak and a cold tone rushed over her flowing voice. The dwarves behind were either caught in fear or shock as they watched this elemental stand up to their king.

[B]"Little man, I suggest you do not anger me at this point. You and your men will fall back until we are told to go forth. If you do not give word to what I say, then you shall feel my wrath."

"What, what? Little man? Now you listen to me..."

"FALL BACK! Or take a chance with me and the Sonnette."[/B]

Murmurs lingered here and there within the army. Lee looked to Ianus with a wondering in his eye. Veritas' happiness was quickly calmed by his mistress. Seiryuu reverted back to his lizard form and hurried to hide himself underneath Arcana's feathers. The dwarf king cleared his throat nervously as his eyes locked onto the floating orb.

Her face hidden a slight chuckle was heard. The Sonnette de Ombre had powers that no one had ever known before. It held such magick that was strong and quite powerful, only obeying to the one who could hold it. Should one be given this ability, they were given the power of darkness and shadow, a vision of clairvoyance, and an ear unlike any other. Ianus pulled down her hood for the first time and showed her face to the crowd. Immediately they fell into silence and were taken aback by who stood before them.

[B]"You...you...you..."

"Stop your stammering. If your army cannot even bear the sight of me, then how are you to fight against Gwydion's hellspawned army?"[/B]

Clearing his throat, yet still nerve-racked, the king was able to speak. [B]"Gwydion has no chance with us. We will stop her from taking this world from us."

"Do you really wish to take up that risk? To die for nothing? Unless you have powers even the ancient ones do not know about, then, by all means, take your men and fight! But if you do not have such powers, stand down! If you do not, I shall release the Sonnette's power upon you! And you, my good man, will be the first to fall. Now what say you?"[/size][/color]

[Redemption]

[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Robin approached Azufe and caught him by the front of his shirt.

? Listen you fool! If we don?t get these armies to retreat, then there will be no one left to defend the innocent people of Mir! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!!!!! NO ONE! Now, you listen to me, you may be bent on killing Gwydion for one reason or another, but I am NOT letting you sacrifice hundreds of thousands of warriors for your petty tiffs! This is much bigger than you and Gwydion! I agree this is an opportunity to kill Gwydion but how many lives would we have to sacrifice before we get to her! Even then, what if we couldn?t kill her because the Dark Master has conjured some even more powerful than those skeletal dragons! I am NOT going to let you go in blindly and kill yourself before we actually get to use the full extent of our powers!!?

The dragons, seeing Robin threaten Azufe, wheeled around and went to attack her. Arawn conjured death spirits to block the three dragons progress. Azufe stared lethally at Robin but she stared right back at them.

? We must attack! You are not getting in the way of me and Gwydion!?

? Oh yes I am! I will call upon death to destroy you if you get in my way! Make no doubt about it Azufe! You are not going to interfere with me or the plans with these armies!?

OOC: Takuya, please co-operate for once, I have much bigger plans for these armies.
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[GuyYouMetOnline]

OOC: I have no problem with the armies retreating. Azufe does. However, I've actually been waiting for an opportunity to do what I do in this post. If you have a problem with what I do in this post, please PM me.

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"I'll do it, Azufe! I mean it!"

Robin did indeed look ready to attack. Suddenly the three dragons broke through and landed behind Azufe.

"No barrier can hold a dragon for long," Azufe said. "Now, it's abut time to get down to business."

"I will do it," Robin repeated.

"I don't think you can kill me," Azufe replied. "And even if you somehow did, the dragons would tear you to pieces. But I have no intention of fighting. Killing you would be counterproductive at the moment.

"If we wait for too much longer, the battle will begin. There's not enough time to do any kind of planning, thanks to you. I will leave the choice of wether to battle or not up to the leaders of these armies. I will fight, no matter what. Killing Gwydion is still possible, just more difficult than it would be if this battle was to occur. The dragons could have aided me then. As it is now, I'm going to have to go one-on-one with her. Do what you will with the armies, for they no longer matter."

Azufe turned and starting walking toward the darkness, the dragons following behind him. They stopped before Azufe did. Azufe kept going until he was right at the edge of the darkness.

"Gwydion!" Azufe called. "I know you're in there! Come out and face me!"

Nothing happened for about a minute. Azufe was about to make his challenge again when someone came out of the darkness. "It's been a while, Azufe," she said.

"This has gone on for long enough, Gwydion. It's time to put an end to it."

"That will proove more difficult than you seem to tink," Gwydion replied.

"We'll just see about that." Azufe drew his poles, and Gwydion drew twin swords.

"Let's confine this to weapon combat," Gwydion said.

"You must be very sure of your skill to suggest that," Azufe replied. "I accept. Let's get this over with."

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OOC: I have no intntion of killing Gwydion (it's way too soon for her to die). Oh, other things can happen while Azufe and Gwydion fight (the armies still havn't been convinced to retreat, for example).

[Heero Darkangel]

Lee heard the Dawven army gasp as Ianus revealed her face from under her hood. The army gasped but Lee was unphased by it, he just watched her with wonder in his dark blue eyes. He tilted his head sideways as he noticed a cresent moon shaped scar on her face, her eyes changed colours and so did her hair

'Now what you say?' we're the last words spoken

Lee then turned to the Dawven King and gave him a sinister smile

'If I were you i'd do as she says,' spoke Lee hauntingly as he advanced towards the king

'HOW DARE YOU THREATEN US!!!,' roared the King

Lee gave a low ghostly laugh as his eyes turned a pale blue, Veradon suddenly appeared beside him still holding the two guards in her grasp, the armies eyes widened at her beauty even though she was half animal, her graceful movements were hauntingly beautiful in which even the king couldn't resist

'Now you have one more warning...call them off now....your we'll call it off for you,' spoke Lee in a deep calm cold tone as his eyes turned dark blue and then pale blue

the King shot a glance at Lee and then at Ianus, 'NEVER!!!...WE WILL GO TO WAR!!!!!,' roared the King as he stood up, 'MARCH!!!!!!,'

Lee's eyes suddenly stopped changing repeatively and stayed an Icy blue

'Veradon...do what you must,' spoke Lee coldly, Veradons eyes then turned red as she dropped the guards and galloped out infront of the army, her head hung downwards and the army of twenty thousand or more stopped

Slowly she lifted her head, her eyes a glowing red. She smiled and her fangs dripped with blood

'Spirits of this shattered earth...aid my call....lend me your souls!!!,' she roared hauntingly, at that moment a distant war horn was blowen and a white mist covered the field, sounds of thunderous marching filled the air...but yet nothing was seen as the marching sounded close

Lee watched Veradon and smiled at her attempt. at that moment vivid screaming entered his mind. He dropped to his knees in agony as the pain swelled in his head, he began to shiever, he looked up at Veradon who looked at him with a deep concern in her eyes, but he gave her a slight nod to carry on and she nodded back

'WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT!!!,' laughed the King, 'THERE IS NOTHING THERE.....RUN HER DOWN...DON"T FAULTER!!!....THEY ARE NO THREAT TO OUR ARMY!!...ATTACK!!!,' roared the King

The army then charged at Veradon, and she smiled sinisterly, before they clashed with her she flung out her arms, and as she didn't that....an army appeared....an army of souls....who ran at the oncoming army and clashed with them, Dawn and Syn had joined Veradon

The King looked at Lee with a horrified expression, Lee didn't realise that the king was advancing towards him from behind, his mind was too distracted by the wailing and the screaming that was going on inside. At that moment his sword was taken from it's place at his side, Lee spun around just as the King lunged at him

'YOU BASTARD!!..HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY ARMY!!!...YOU WILL PAY!!,' roared the King as the sword drove into Lees chest, 'YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR MOCKERY!!,'

Lee's pale blue eyes widened as the sword was driven deeper into his chest, striking his heart and going striaght threw to the other side where it came out of his body glistening with a pale red blood, Lee fell backwards and landed on the ground looking up at the sky, he could hear Veradons, Syns and Dawns screams which echoed over the war.

His eyes blinked, as he heard the Kings voice roar out to his army. Lee blinked again and spirits of pale blue lights rose from the ground around him and were observed into Lee's body and with that he sat up, the King Gasped as he looked at Lee who gave him a menacing smile and stood up

'But...you....I,' gasped the King as he walked backwards

Lee gripped the handle of the sword and ripped it from his body, he gasped as pain serged through him

'I can't be killed by my own blade...foolish man....my heart does not beat....there fore it can't be stopped....I am the spirit element....I die...but not by the blade of my own sword,' spoke Lee coldly as he ran at the King who drew his sword in defense and they began to fight

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#696969]The dark elemental sorceress scoffed at this sight. She grew frustrated and in doing so raised her arms to the sky and a dark sky began to form. The Sonnette stayed by her side, as did the animals. Ianus spread her arms out and from the dark sky came forth a terrible creature. It ripped the clouds apart as it dove down from its nest.

The fighting ceased as they glanced their way towards the creature now before them. The Dwarf king looked to Ianus who leered at him. This made him wary and he staggered back. She closed in on him and all he could see was the Sonnette, glittering in the sky like a black diamond waiting to be picked from its forbidden seat. The king did just that. He leaned forward and touched the Sonnette, forgetting what it would do.

The black creature soon showed its form and the army of dwarves were in shock. The black creature turned to be the fiery guardian of the shadow fire, Balrog. It was a menacing sight and the remaining army readied their weapons.

[B]"YOUR KING IS NOW MINE!"[/B] Faces turned to Ianus as she spoke. [B]"Your so-called king has touched the Sonnette. And it is said that he who touches the Sonnette will be forsaken to pay a price. His price shall be soon known when his vision is given. Now, I tell you, STAND DOWN! If you do not, then prepare yourselves to face Balrog, guardian of the shadow fire."[/B] Immediately the dwarves all sheathed their weapons, but only to take them out once more and run toward Balrog. [B]"BALROG! INCINERATE THESE FOOLS!"[/B]

A great roar came from Balrog as he slashed his whip towards the raging dwarves. Fear were set into their eyes, but until their king was released or until Balrog perished, they would not stop. Ianus shook her head and turned her attention to Lee, then to the dazed king. She kneeled down to him and took the Sonnette in her hands and let it float. She then whispered into the king's ears.

[B]"I tell you, my dwarven king, this is one battle that you cannot fight alone. I shall show you what should happen if you did battle against Gwydion's army of dead."[/B]

Holding his hand, Ianus closed her eyes and put one hand upon his head. A gasp came from the dwarf's breath as he and Ianus was taken forward in time. It was a brief moment, but when they returned back, all was still and the dwarf king was out of his comatose state.[/size][/color]

[Heero Darkangel]

Lee watched on as Ianus took the King forward....his eyes rolled as if he was watching something move. The King then gasped, Lee watched him fall to his knees, his breathing was heavy and rapid. Lee put away his sword. The whole army had stood in silence, Veradon had calmed down and at that time the spirits who fought beside her disappeared. and they joined Lee at his side

[Something bothers you.....whats wrong?] questioned Veradon telepathically as she gazed at Lee

Lee turned to her {She knows}

[Knows about what?] spoke Syn looking confused

{About me....Ianus knows one of my secrets......a burden that sets upon my shoulders...a burden that sets in my heart} spoke Lee as he looked at the ground

[Oh...you mean your....] spoke Dawn as they looked at Lee

{Yes...my immortality....I bleed....I hurt....I ache....but I can't die...they wont let me.....the last beat of my heart was the day i called upon Veradon...since then....my heart has never beated...never lived, I don't know whether I am dead or alive....my hands....my body....is always cold always....but yet I do not shiever.....even the sun doesn't make me warm.....} wpoke Lee as he looked at Ianus {and now she knows....the burden that stops my heart.....and holds it dormant}

[There is a reason why they keep you alive....and maybe this is the reason...for you to live...you want to die so badly...only because of what happened in the past....but the spirits wont allow you too..because you are needed] smiled Veradon

Lee looked at Veradon { Thank you }

Lee then walked over to Ianus and the King who still sat on the ground

'Now...will you call back your army?' spoke Lee coldly as the king looked up at him

[Delta]

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]Yes, yes. Kumiko and Kari have been out of action for a while. Mayhaps it?s time that we check up on their team?s progress?

?Kari? What is that thing doing here??
[COLOR=Navy]?[i]It?s[/i] hovering above us. Shouldn?t [i]it[/i] be with its master??[/COLOR]
[i][I thought we had an agreement?][/i]
[COLOR=Navy][i][Uhuh? yes? I understand.][/i]
?What is it, Kerma?"
[i][Its master ordered it to deliver a message to the Lizard-King.][/i][/COLOR]
[i][Let?s shoot it down.][/i]
?Now, now, Epona. As the old adage goes ?Don?t shoot the messenger?.?
[COLOR=Navy]?Or something like that. Anyways, we have to get going, Kumiko. I feel malice in the air.?[/COLOR]
?Yes, hmm. You?re right.?

It didn?t take them long to find the King?s tent; lizard soldiers in their distinctive bronze mail and emerald cape were already assembled around it. They sprinted the last league towards the said structure, hoping to outrun the dragon sent by their comrade.

[COLOR=Navy]?I wonder, does that dragon know how to speak Lizard??[/COLOR]
?Hmm? Maybe. It's reptile, isn't it??

[CENTER][B]~o~o~o~o~o~[/B][/CENTER]

They call him Tokage-oh, the King of the Lizards. Beside his wizened advisers, the Lizard King looked young, too young perhaps to be leading such a massive army to battle. But rumor has it that this King was very precocious. Thanks to him, his realm was in the dawn of what looked like another golden age, the likes of which they have not seen for 500 years. Even all battles won since he began working with the Lizard battle-host are attributed to him.

When the Elementals arrived, they found him among his generals and viziers in the middle of what seemed like an important discussion. Only when Epona knocked a halberd off a rack did the Lizards notice the Elementals? party.

[COLOR=Navy]?Kokuouheika??[/COLOR]
[COLOR=SeaGreen]?Dispose of the pleasantries, Elementals. I have been told of the coming of your party. What is it that you wish to speak with me about??[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Navy]?A matter of grave concern, Your Highness. A favor, if you may.?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=SeaGreen]?Go on.?[/COLOR]
?Withdraw the battle host.?

A din rose from those who were present. Those who were present were taken aback by the ladies? audacity; only the King remained unfazed. He stayed his stern gaze at the Elementals.

[COLOR=SeaGreen]?Such candor I did not expect from your kind. Very well then, convince my generals why you think this is the best course of action.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]?I can feel it? Internal strife. The appointed protectors of Mir are slowly falling prey to disunity. Contending amongst themselves, they allow selfishness and pride tear their side apart. Yes? this will soon become their undoing.?[/COLOR]
?Do not give battle, sir. You?ll fall apart after the first few waves.?
[COLOR=SeaGreen]?The Dragon told us that we might have a way to win this war. The sheer size of our combined armies is enough to overwhelm the enemy.?[/COLOR]
?Yes but victory is not determined solely by the size of a force??
[COLOR=SeaGreen]?Continue.?[/COLOR]
?It is in how these are mobilized. In the end, it will all depend on the level of trust that exists among the hosts.?
[COLOR=Navy]?Which your?no?our allies do not have.?[/COLOR]

A long silence followed. And then, a victorious smile replaced the testy look on the young king?s face as he rose to confer with his generals in Lizard-tongue. It seemed that their debate, which had been interrupted by the arrival of their human guests, was finally coming to an end? in the King?s favor.

[COLOR=SeaGreen]?Very well then. The Lizard host will not give battle.?[/COLOR]



[b]OOC:[/b] I went crazy with this one. PM me, amgoddess/Ohkami, if you want me to edit it.
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[Seibzeihn]

[color=navy][font=garamond][b]OOC: All right, here I go....If there's anything wrong with this post, amgoddess/SilverCyclone, feel free to PM me.[/b]

IC:

Kadaj and Gray approached the human camp at a casual pace, so as not to appear threatening. Tyiar continued to hold his disguise as a raven with lighter feathers, and [i]Geo-Crucify[/i] remained safely in its sheath across Kadaj's lower back. The soldiers, numbering in the tens of thousands, sat on the ground in small groups, polishing their weapons or resting before the upcoming battle. Compared to the other legions, the humans appeared to be the most...relaxed...about the situation. Something tugged at Kadaj's memory. Such an attitude, and some of the faces amongst the regiment, seemed all too familiar.

As Kadaj began to move through their ranks towards the commander's tent, his fears were confirmed.

"Kadaj? Kadaj!" A soldier appeared on his left. "Damn, it's been awhile!"

Kadaj did not stop walking. "It has, Corthax. It has."

Yet another soldier popped from the masses, this time on his right. He was old and grizzled, but his single eye glowed with warrior's fire.

"Yarr, boy, are you cummin back? Commander don't like desert-yers, y'know?"

"I need to speak with him," said Kadaj flatly, without meeting the man's gaze. "Is he still in the tent, Valkier?"

"That he be, son, that he be. But..." Kadaj stepped up his pace, leaving Valkier behind. Gray followed.

Casting aside the tent flap, both Elementals were confronted with a scene of splendour. The human commander had wasted no scrap of decadent material in making sure that the interior of his tent looked like a palace. Tapestries and golden wall hangings adorned every visible space -- in fact, the walls were so covered that it was impossible to see any of the tent's red fabric. But Kadaj's eyes were blind to the beauty of the commander's tent. His eyes were locked onto the commander himself.

The commander was a big man, and when he rose to his feet, he stood a full head taller than Kadaj. Clad in silver full-plate with a long red cloak and cape of rank, the commander's green eyes and short brown hair gave the illusion of youth...but Kadaj knew that he was over fifty years of age. Perhaps he had elvish blood in his veins.

[color=royalblue]"You...you have a familiar look about you..."[/color] mused the commander, ignoring the fact that the two Elementals had entered unannounced. [color=royalblue]""I was told to expect you, if you're wondering why I haven't had my soldiers throw you out."[/color]

[i]Ahh, that explains it...[/i] spoke Kadaj in his head. [i]"Let me do the talking,"[/i] he whispered to Gray. [i]"I know these people.[/i] Here he turned back to face the commander.

"I see that you have received a promotion. You were 'Captain' Hale, last I served under you," said Kadaj with a slight twist of his mouth.

[color=royalblue]"Yesss..."[/color] mused Commander Hale. [color=royalblue]"I remember you. Kadaj, right? You deserted several years ago..."[/color]

"My time had since past," spat Kadaj impatiently. "I have more important matters to discuss with you. You must pull your army back from this area, under pain of death."

[color=royalblue]"Oh?"[/color] Hale's dark eyebrows rose. [color=royalblue]"Have the other armies been told the same?"[/color]

"Yes, that they have. We are facing an enemy whose power is far beyond ours. The only chance of suvival is to retreat and regroup -- else there will be no battle. There will be a [i]massacre.[/i]" Kadaj waved one hand towards the wall of darkness beyond the tent walls. "You've seen it, and so have the others. It is an omen of death. Your men will not follow you into that."

[color=royalblue]"You speak some sense..."[/color] frowned the King. He was king, after all, but the soldiers who knew him continued to refer to him as 'Commander,' apparently. [color=royalblue]"Very well,"[/color] he sighed at last. [color=royalblue]"I never had a chance to speak to my troops before we reached this location, either. It would do well to have a little more time. But only if the others are pulling back as well -- I will not have my regiment turn tail and flee while the dwarves, lizard-men and elves battle for Mir's safety."[/color] The human pride still ran strong in the veins of the king.

"Of course," nodded Kadaj smoothly. "If you take a look outside, you will see that they are indeed moving away from this position."

[color=royalblue]"Indeed." [/color]The king strode past Kadaj towards the tent's doorway. [color=royalblue]"Then we will depart as well."[/color] He vanished from sight through the tent exist. Kadaj let out a long sigh.

[i]"That wasn't too bad..."[/i] he said silently to Gray.[/color][/font]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#696969]A sense came over the King and he looked to Lee then to Ianus, who covered her face once more. He stood up and looked back to his small army and understood now what would happen. Their destruction would be greater if they had gone into battle and this was the better.

[B]"Ay. By the axe of Glimora, we dwarves will leave this battle be."[/B] Nodding, the dwarf king turned to the rest of his army and nodded. [B]"Come, we shall go back to the village. This battle greater than what I thought it to be."[/B]

Turning to walk with his army, the king felt a hand upon his shoulder and turned back to see Ianus looking down at him. It was a calm storm of gray that glistened at him. Ianus leaned over and whispered into his ear. [B]"You passed the Sonnette's test. It took nothing in price of your touch. It forgave you when you showed it your soul. All is well, my king."[/B] A smile beamed on the king's face, knowing that Ianus was right. She stood up and looked to the army. [B]"Return to whence you came. 'Tis the right thing to do."[/B]

Watching the dwarves leave the place of death, Ianus grabbed the Sonnette from the air and attached it back to her necklace. Its glowing light began to dim once it was hanging from Ianus' neck. She straightened herself and called for her beasts, who came at her side. She looked to Lee, who still stood unphased. She knew his secret and yet it interested her. She cared not for what it was, nor why it happened, only what her magick had told her.

[B]"Shall we ride?"[/B][/size][/color]