[Plot] [Open] Week 029: Cease and Desist

[Nargles]

The normal bustle of the West Gate was replaced with an uneasy silence. Through traffic had been completely stopped, the city placed on lockdown for the time being. In light of current events, for all intents and purposes, the West Gate had become a militarized zone. Civilian activity was restricted, with several security checks set up by the dispatched Conexus guards.

For his part, Nisi Sine ensured that everything was following protocol. As Zephyrus’ lieutenant he had an image to uphold and a role to play. He was a demvir of average height, though slightly stockier in build. Covered in a pitch black casing, it was partially covered by a steel-blue cloak. Revealed under the casing was the arcane machinations that powered him. His casing was cleaned and polished, a testament to his stature. His face consisted of a single horizontal visor, a light blue light permeating through the slit. His head was shaped as a sharp triangle that expanded out to a smooth circular top. It extended back and around his head as if it was outlining a standard skull.

Carried on his back was a truly imposing weapon. An immense scythe made of unknown material was hoisted with ease. The blade was wider than average, attached to a sturdy polearm. Slits along the shaft were evenly spaced slits that radiated with an ominous red light.

Without a saying a word he surveyed the area around him. Conexus guards were spread out in ordered groups, patrolling the area in set intervals. The threat of follow-up terrorist attacks was still very real. They could not afford any repeat tragedies.

He would not allow it.

 

[swaswj]

It was uncertain exactly how much power he had to prevent it, however.

One moment, the street in front of the lieutenant was empty. In the next moment, the air reeled backward to reveal a man, head and shoulders above the demvir. His blond hair was long and straight, his icy blue eyes piercing and intense. A metallic white mask covered the lower half of his face, and a long, dark cloak concealed the rest of his body from sight.

Immediately, panic set in. A nearby civilian screamed, recognizing him as the 'Orator' -- the speaker of the Astra non Obligant who was wanted in connection with Magister Eximium's assassination. Guards broke formation at the sight of him, the more incensed among them drawing weapons and rushing over without a thought.

Mere feet away, Orator ignored everyone else, his eyes locked on Nisi's. "Where is Auspex Zephyrus?" he asked in a placid tone.

One of the guards shouted and swung at Orator with a halberd, the wicked pole-axe aiming to split his head like a melon. Beneath the cloak, however, there was movement. Orator's arm lifted in time to halt the attack against a block of metal bars. The cloak fell away from his shoulder, revealing the man to be shirtless underneath; his arm, and his chest, seemed cut from granite, covered in tight muscle. With a click, the weapon in hand spread out. In seconds, he held a polearm of his own: nearly as tall as him, capped with hexagonal bigatium, the head of the weapon was unique and frightening. The back side of the head was a curved blade, pointing back toward the Orator. The top was a vicious looking spike, easily long enough to pierce through a man's middle. The front of the weapon's head was composed of four short spikes facing forward.

He twisted, slamming the end cap of the Lucerne hammer into the impatient guard's kneecap. "Answer me!" he demanded.

[325/325]

 

[Nargles]

The guard screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground as the hammer smashed into his knee. The commotion was short lived, as additional guards began to approach. The injured man was escorted away by a comrade, while three new guards surrounded Orator. One held large spear, the other two equipped with traditional swords and shields.

Due to the lack of features on Nisi’s face casing, his intentions were had to discern. His mind tried to rationalize the criminal’s motives. It was such a bold, brash action in one of the most heavily guarded locations in Terminus. Above all that, he had the audacity to personally call out the Zephyrus?

The demvir stepped forward, retrieving the imposing scythe from his back. His tightened his grip on the weapon in preparation for what was to come. “Surprising. After your actions with the Magister, I expected you to have quite the information network. Unfortunately, you’ve come to the wrong gate Orator.”

He nodded his head, the gathered guards slowly moving closer towards the well-built man. “That being said, I can guarantee you’ll be seeing her soon,” the machina began to speak in a louder tone, “Drop your weapon.”

 

[K3]

The sound of rushing feet echoed in the emptying streets of the Westernmost district of Terminus. Two individuals ran with measured energy, each looking over their shoulders with a trace of worry. A scream of pain stopped them briefly, a hiccup in their progress they couldn't afford.

Breathing heavily as she caught her breath - she'd lost track of how long she'd been running - Annora Caestrum gripped the wall of the last building separating her and her partner from the gate. "Almost ther-shit!"

Reeling back, Annora's features went wide with shock and she pulled her partner against the wall. A diminutive spitfire of a laicar, Keydis Lysistrata was quick to quirk an eyebrow and attempt to look around the corner for herself. Her own look brought a similar cuss, and the two looked at each other quizzically.

"You know a guard, right? I think I saw someone else out there, a fight might've started already? We could probably just slip by." She panted out, dark navy locks matted to her forehead. The long bangs were pushed out of her face frequently, her chest-length braid having come somewhat undone in her mad dash to freedom. She'd barely given those bounty hunters the slip, and a close call after exiting the Nidus had left her near exhaustion.

Near the bottom of her hair, the dark navy had been dyed a shocking lavender, though the color had faded much since her last dip in the aqueous velen district. Her cloak, a dark forest green, was damp and clung to her form. A hide shawl was drawn around her shoulders underneath, a leather cuirass protecting her chest and abdomen. A pair of thick leather vambraces were around her hands and forearms, and a simple pair of traveling pants were capped by a pair of dark boots that reached halfway up Annora's shins.

Peering cautiously around the corner once more, she attempted to get a better read on the developing situation.

[ 327 / 327 ]

 

[Dysney]

Acer was among the Conexus guards that arrived at the West Gate just after the Orator had injured one of their members. The greyish-blue velen was the leader of his group, and was at the front and center of their formation. He wore light armor, steel plates covering his chest and back with smaller plates strapped to his arms and legs with a blue tabard thrown hastily over the affair.

He gripped a machine gun with both hands and a broadsword was strapped to his right hip. Dark blue eyes narrowed at the Orator as the man hefted his weapon.

Acer accosted the masked man, stopping a couple of meters away, gun trained on the Orator's head. He nodded towards Nisi in acknowledgement, but kept his eyes trained on the terrorist at hand.

His 'men' (three laicar men and two velen women to be exact), fanned out, surrounding the criminal. Each was armed with a broadsword not unlike Acer's except for one of the velen woman who wielded a pair of pistols.

[172]

What up. Joining the party

 

[Keydis Lysistrata]

"Well, it's a good thing, isn't it?" Keydis asked, peeking around the corner. The laicar stood well below Annora's shoulders but carried herself confidently. Her brown hair was short, done up in spikes and dyed red in the front. Her face was a little bruised up, especially under her right eye, despite the salves she had applied. Sometime during the morning, she had acquired a new long coat, black like her old one and trimmed in a white fur.

On her back, she had strapped a heavy metallic cylinder.

"We were talking about needing a distraction and everyone looks distracted, so let's get moving." Keydis started to follow her own advice before doing a double-take. "Er, wait, isn't that guy worth five grand?"

---

"Apparently my network needs improving," Orator conceded, circling one finger through the air as if to say, 'What can you do?' The wanted man turned to regard the number of guards around him. He thumped the butt of the Lucerne hammer against the ground, sending up a loud chime. Then he let go of the upright polearm, allowing it to fall forward.

Almost immediately, Orator grabbed it again, thrusting the spiked tip of the weapon at Nise Sine and quick-stepping backwards in the same motion, followed by a wide whirl of the hammer to discourage pursuit.

The fugitive came to a halt, his finger darting through several deft motions just before the center of the courtyard disappeared into solid blackness.

[245/570]

Spell

Break of Dusk, 15m radius

 

[K3]

Annora's breath caught in her throat at the vicious assault, stopping the words that would've admonished Keydis. Jaw setting, she shared a quick look with the laicar. Offering a hapless sigh as her friend shot her a cocky grin, the spurii answered. "Yes, he is."

As though it were all the deciding that needed making, Keydis strode out across the street towards the dome of shadows. Following, Annora's bright blue eyes locked on the Occultus spell with a hint of knowledge. On her shoulder, Pico's diminutive form peeked out. His eyes narrowed at the dire scene, stoically preparing himself for the battle to come.

Reaching into the confines of her cloak, Annora's right hand raised in preparation. Then, a flash of silver in the corner of her eyes! She shouted before throwing herself backwards as the large orb of silver-white light landed between Keydis and her, "Cover your eyes!"

Blinding light, followed by a nauseating ringing in her ears. Gritting her teeth, she could hear words beginning to filter into her perception, the light slowly dimming into a barely discernible mess. "-ou've arrived, Nox."

The Orator was clearly speaking to a newcomer, and she could make out the outline of a demvir standing just outside of the dome of darkness the terrorist had surrounded himself with.

Standing rigidly upright, the silver-bathed machina was made up of angular joints. Thin grooves ran across its exposed forearms and shoulders, running back the length of its smooth head and swirling into an untraceable pattern across the front of its head casing.

Two triangular eyes peered out in bright silver, narrowed but not sinister. Draped in a dark robe adorned with a starry pattern, it carried a large tome under its arm. Flipping the book open before it and facing the two newcomers, Sidargen Mutus spoke with a hint of regret, "please desist. There need not be any escalation."

[ 315 / 642 ]

Notes

Spell is Star Shriek Blast

 

[Nargles]

“Tch.” Nisi swung downwards in reaction to the hammer, the two weapons clanging together sending a shower of sparks in all directions. He leaped back to avoid the wide swing, the pointed edge screeching against his casing in passing. Of the closest three guards, only one was lucky, managing to deflect the attack with his large kite shield. The other two were sent flying from force, landing on the ground with a heavy thud. The sudden burst of light from what Nisi assumed was a civilian gave him a brief insight to where Orator escaping. However, he was forced to close his eyes from the blinding spell.

“Fan out and surround the area!” he ordered while moving back slowly, weapon at the ready for any potential blindside. The machina quickly regained his bearings. On command, a secondary patrol contingent ran forward and scouted along the edges of the spell zone. After traversing only a few yards back he came to a stop, slamming his weapon into the ground. The red light radiated outwards, providing a dull red hue in the darkness.

Nisi Sine began to trace a pattern at his feet. It took the form of a circle with four concentric triangles drawn within. Upon completing it, a surge of white light momentarily cut through the darkness, flickering away in an instant.

“Ateras.”

The clinking of chains echoed through the smoke, but at first glance Nisi Sine remained alone. Perhaps it was simply from the light being extinguished by the spell, or perhaps it was a case of the nerves.

An unsettling presence in the darkness sent a shiver down their spines.

things

Used novice demvir ability to reduce the damage of the passing hit of the hammer sharp part.

Then stepped back and performed a summoning ritual for one of these.

 

[Dysney]

Acer cursed under his breath and jumped back to avoid the hammer swing. He swore again, raising his arm to shield his eyes from a bright light that seemed to emanate from nowhere.

"Ah!" one of the velen woman --the one with pale blue scales-- grunted not too far away from the velen man. Her eyes were squeezed shut against the sudden assault against them.

"What was that?" the other one, the green-scaled velen, asked.

"An attack! One of you go and get Seth and Aaron!" Acer ordered sharply, gesturing toward the two laicar men who had been hit.

"I'll do it!" The green velen rushed forward to aid the fallen guards.

"Ezra, Lila, you're with me! Move out!" Acer barked in response to Nisi's orders. The remaining laicar and the blue velen obeyed without hesitating.

The trio spread out in an attempt to cover more area, Acer and Lila moving toward the direction they thought the burst of light had come from.

Lila gripped her guns, grey eyes narrowing. "Hey! I think it was those two!" she shouted, gesturing at Keydis and Annora.

Acer locked his eyes on the two women and frowned. They looked somewhat familiar... had he seen them on wanted posters before? He made an open palmed gesture toward Lila before approaching the duo slowly, gun trained on Annora.

Lila frowned, but nodded in understanding, hanging back.

The velen man frowned, brows knitting in thought before his face relaxed. He remembered those faces. Ordinarily Acer would've been glad that a couple of wanted people had shown up as they were an opportunity to make some exa, but they had chosen the worst possible time to show themselves.Would they run? Or would they assist the Orator?

[462]

 

[Keydis Lysistrata]

From the utter blackness, Orator came forward in a rush, right for Nisi Sine, still distracted with the final rites of his summoning and the discharge of Sidargen's spell. The metal butt of his polearm led the way, thrusting ahead like a spear without a blade. The towering man's blue eyes were locked onto the demvir's own, revealing no thoughts or emotions. It was impossible to tell if the man was smiling or frowning. If he felt any fear from the demonic apparition, he didn't show it.

The metal cap thrust at Nisi's chin, and then in a shockingly fast spin, the hooked blade of the Lucerne hammer came around, slicing in toward the demvir's metallic thigh.

"Bell damn it!" Keydis yelled out, throwing her arms up in front of her eyes. At least, she thought she yelled it. All she heard after the blast was a heavy whine. It was gradually fading, though, she Keydis made out people shouting instructions all over the place.

Snapping her eyes toward the newcomer demvir, the laicar frowned. The guards were going crazy and that globe of darkness was still there, so it seemed likely the caster was either on Orator's side or trying to claim the bounty for himself alone.

Fingers curling into tight fists, Keydis unleashed a cocky grin. "Want to bet that I can kick star-boy's butt before the guards figure out their asses from their elbows?" she called out to Annora, loud enough for the demvir to hear. "Half of my half of the bounty if I win!"

With that, Keydis broke into a run, straight at Sidargen. She didn't have a sword or even a dagger, but that wasn't about to slow her down! Her left fist cocked back, aiming for the machina's jaw.

[295/865]

 

[K3]

A synthetic click reached Keydis' ears, and the magus raised an empty palm, commanding tone booming in a cold drone. "In a faraway, forgotten land; a tall statue would forever stand! By Aquila's wings, Deflector!"

Long trails of crimson ebbed from the machina's outstretched palm, the virulent red arching out of the silver palm in gouts. A moment later, the mass had congealed into a wide oval before Sid. The laicar's fist crashed against it, sending cracks through the shield like glass. A thrill of fear went up the demvir's spine, though he knew not if it came from the apparition or the close call.

A triumphant, "Hmph!" had sounded from Sid's featureless face, before the cracks spider-webbed and encroached further to the deflector's edges. A shrill, "What?" was all the warning Sid gave before the barrier gave away under the determined blow, and Keydis' fist collided solidly with the bottom of Sid's head casing.

Falling back, a crackling whine could be heard as the machina hit the ground. Glaring up through silver-white eyes, he was on his feet quickly, book open. A low hum began to gather in the air around Sid, his eyes fixed on nothing and everything in their indiscrete glare. Long ribbons of silver rose from the tome where it had been written upon, and the air before the machine mage began to shimmer and warp.

With a snap like a firecracker, light reflected off a pair of overlapped portals. Arranged like a venn diagram, the silver fed quickly into them, outlining it in a matching gleam of color. Snapping the tome shut, Sid quickly slammed both palms against the back of each overlapping circle, intoning, "By Bellator's blade, Repulsor!"

The air roiled and curled as the spell was unleashed, a broad wave of sonic force barreling towards Keydis.

Clenching her teeth as a pair of guards flanked her, Annora's eyes snapped quickly to the tandem attacks. She could only help one..!

Reflexively, her blade was drawn, and she rushed towards the Orator. She couldn't help the small well of guilt in her stomach, but shoved it away as her own hand was thrown out. "A lonely fortress. It keeps watch throughout the day, crash and break on it! By Aquila's wings, Iron Bastion!"

A great screech of steel went up in the air, as a solid block of iron rose from the ground before Nisi. It could not, would not stop the blow entirely, but Annora sought to finish the job. Lancing forwards, her blade veered low to intercept the blow on the demvir's behalf.

[ 430 / 1072 ]

 

[Nargles]

The rapid assault was not wholly unanticipated. Though, he was still reeling from the earlier flash of light. The metallic end of the immense hammer struck his chin, contorting his neck upwards at a dangerous angle. However, as the criminal attempted to complete his assault, his body reacted almost automatically. His core shone brightly, a loud hum echoing outwards. At the same moment, steel erupted from the ground from a source Nisi didn't have time to think about right now. It intercepted the attack, though was cut through cleanly by the force. At the last minute; however, the bladed end came to a sudden halt against the machina’s thigh. The attack was slowed against the barrier of energy that covered his body.

However, the force of the attack cut through the defense with some effort, though its damage was tempered. Nisi stumbled momentarily, pain erupting as it pierced through the casing. The protection had provided him an opening for the moment at least. The lieutenant stepped backwards, ripping the edge out with his motion, creating a small amount of space between him and Orator. Fighting through the new pain, e raised the imposing scythe, swinging out in a deadly arc with staggering speed and force. The chine of the scythe threatened to decapitate the well-built man in an instant.

The darkness behind the man at the same moment began warp and bend. A figure in the shadows began to move, though its natural appearance was quite at home in the darkness. A faint outline could be seen if the onlookers concentrated. A square frame of what appeared to be charcoal materialized into thin air. Rippling and contorting with magical energy, a demonic hand erupted forth from the frame. The hand appeared to be a corrupted laicar hand, black as soot and with nails filed into enormous claws. It surged forth, attempting to rip Orator’s back into shreds.

Things

I thought Nisi would be Prominent level as a lieutenant. If this doesn't fly tell me.

Security Protocol
The Caelitium core of the Demvir is one of the many mysteries surrounding the race. The near limitless energy source, the self-sustaining core, the consciousness that seems to be born from it, the amount of untapped power is staggering. In fact, simply drawing a small fraction of the energy from the core can cause amazing effects. The energy from the core coats the casing of the Demvir, strengthening it greatly from any attack.

By paying 1,500 vigor, the Demvir is capable of cloaking their body with a barrier capable of sustaining 3 tiers of damage. Continuously tapping into the core is dangerous and may render it unstable, as such, before it can be activated again, they must allow the core to cool down for two rounds after the barrier is destroyed.

Coiling Abyss - Basic - 1,400 Vigor
A portal of darkness opens in front of a target within 20m, and a demonic claw lashes out at them. Augmenting with Terra Regia increases the number of portals opened, to a maximum of 4 portals.

 

[Inks]

“...Repulsor!” declared the starry-robed demvir, two portals at his hands.

The Bellator spell swept across the road, kicking up dust, shoving Keydis backwards. Eloquii Aequoris was there to catch her. The young woman landed hard, more against his arms than in them, but he’d caught her nevertheless. The sooty black watercat ever at his shoulder dug his claws into El’s jacket and chattered, ears flat against his skull. Ignoring Felo, El beamed down at Keydis, a twinkle in his wide, golden eyes.

Eloquii wasn’t sure, in hindsight, what he’d expected when he’d been weaving his way through the small spaces and narrow paths between the store fronts lining the road before Terminus’s West Gate. Restricted access in and out of the city, definitely. A bushel of extra guards in the wake of the Magister’s death? Sure.

This? Not so much. The West Gate was in chaos, it looked like – Conexus guards with their weapons drawn, one of them a demvir wielding a scythe and controlling some sort of spooky awfulness; an area of ominous blackness that he vaguely recognized as an Occultus spell; a bright demvir holding a book and wearing some impressively flamboyant robes; a tall laicar man with long blond hair, piercing eyes, and some sort of unpleasant... hammer-spear-stabby-device. Actually... The man from the grandis speculum...the Orator? That was him, wasn’t it?

Maybe this mess was what everyone had been shouting about, back on the main street (this was what he got for not paying attention). Honestly, El had been maybe a second away from trying to skirt around the bulk of the fighting and see if he couldn’t just slip himself out the West Gate (which had been his plan in the first place) while everyone was thoroughly distracted. But then he’d caught sight of them.

Two young women – one short, one tall. One laicar, one spurii. One sporting a boyish hairstyle and vivid red bangs, one whose long hair looked as though its ends had been dipped in lavender paints.

Keydis and Annora.

And how could he resist a chance to say ‘hi’ to his two best friends in Terminus?

“How’s things, Strawberry Shortstuff?”

[360 / 360]


what even​

 

[Dysney]

When the two girls moved to help the lieutenant and attack the Orator, Acer breathed a sigh of relief. He could ignore the fact that they had bounties on their heads for the time being and focus more on the biggest threat. He gestured toward Ezra and Lila, the two other guards neared him.

"Look," he muttered to them lowly in a gutteral, velen dialect, "I don't know if those two--" he glanced over again and noticed that Eloquii had joined them, "--three, are going to try anything funny or not, but for now they seem to be helping. Keep an eye on them, but don't stop them from trying to help okay?"

His subordinates nodded.

"Good." He looked over to see the two laicair guards who had been hit earlier being helped away from the scene by a green-scaled velen. "Ezra, go help them get Seth and Aaron out of here and get backup. Lila, you're with me. Let's keep our distance, this man is dangerous."

Ezra nodded before dashing over to help the injured guards be escorted away.

Lila aimed her guns at the Orator.

"Don't do that," Acer set a hand on her shoulder. "If he's strong enough to fight the Lieutenant with that, we should try and coordinate attacks with those three over there instead of taking him on alone."

"But," Lila protested, "they're criminals! At least the two girls are!"

"Then we take them in after this is all over and have them processed fairly," the man said calmly, but quickly; then, a conspiratorial smirk crossed his face briefly, "and we can collect their bounties," he added with a wink.

The velen woman nodded, a frown still marring her face. "Alright, alright, let's go."

The two guards approached El and Keydis this time their weapons weren't aimed threateningly.

"Are you willing to cooperate and help attack the Orator?" Acer asked as soon as he was within earshot.

Lila opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced with a sharp look from her superior. She snorted, resting her hands on her weapons, but didn't aim the guns at El or Keydis.

[820]

 

[Keydis Lysistrata]

"Just attack!" Keydis yelled in response to the guards before elbowing the overly tall spurii in the stomach. She flashed El an embarrassed and furious glare that promised, I will kill you and that hat! There were bigger things to worry about, though. Eyeing the starry-robed demvir with a bit more respect, Keydis wished she had a weapon at hand. She was confident in any fistfight, and she could even hold her own if her opponent had a weapon.

Keydis wasn't keen on the idea of punching fire, though, and that was a very real possibility when facing a caster.

"Beanpole, you do the flashy boom stuff, right?" The girl could vaguely remember him conjuring some form of magic. "Lead my attack!" Keydis demanded before bolting ahead. The girl leapt into the air, fist cocked up high. It was only a diversion, though: Keydis dropped back to the ground and kicked her boot out for Sidargen's stomach.

---

With his attack halted by the three-fold defense of Nisi Sine's barrier, the iron wall, and Annora's sword, Orator seemed stymied for a moment, just long enough for the echo's vicious spell to tear into his back. The thick cloak provided some protection, but the claws still ripped into his skin, drawing blood. Aside from the grunt of pain, though, Orator didn't yell out. Instead, he worked the polearm in a blindingly fast maneuver, sliding off of Annora's sword and whipping around from the side.

Muscles bulged with the force behind the attack. With a loud grunt of effort, Orator slammed the hammer-side of the weapon into Nisi Sine's side, blasting through what was left of his barrier and sending the demvir flying.

Boots sliding against the road, Orator moved to protect his back and face Annora, blunted end of the polearm aimed her way. "Why would you side against me?" he demanded, his booming voice carrying over the sounds of battle. "Surely you've seen the corruption that plagues this city, the iron grip of the Arcanum, the bigoted perception with which they view the world! Even though you are a student of the Vis... no, because you are a student, you understand what I say!"

Taller even than Annora, the wanted laicar circled backward, eyes flicking side to side, watching for the guards and that shadowy demon, but they kept coming back to Annora. There was a certain confidence in his words. "There is strength in your sword, sister. Do you truly want to wield it in defense of a man who answers questions with violence? In defense of a society that will never let you rise above your predetermined lot?

"They have already condemned you, long before they put money on your head."

[455/1320]

Note

Knocked Nisi Sine away with Gangway!

 

[K3]

For a long moment, silence persisted. Tense, and harsh. Across from Orator, the spurii brought her blade up in her right hand, the other holding her scabbard to the rear and out of the way. The two were an odd mirror, both cloak-bound. She warily eyed the large polearm the man jabbed in her direction.

Some amount of hesitance flickered in the woman's eyes, aqua blue darting from the revolutionary to Keydis - still squared off against the newcomer - and back to the masked man.

Sid's eyes lit up, another low hum beginning to gather in the air about him. Drawing one arm back until it touched his opposite shoulder, a spark of mirth entered his posture, as his head tilted to the side. "By Serpens' fangs..!"

Snapping his arm back out, his wrist flicked forward to splay his palm towards Keydis. "... Halt!"

The feint - either seen through, or guessed against by sheer luck - fell through, as a low rumble sounded beneath Keydis as she approached. Thick translucent ropes, a bright silver in coloration - sprung from the ground. Lancing forward, they quickly sought to wind around one of Keydis' arms. Falling back, the magus quickly turned his attentions to the fresh support the girl had received.

With a low rumble of static, Sid immediately dove to his side - and right into the empty darkness of the Break of Dusk!

Annora and Orator continued to stare each other down, the spectral shadow called away in its master's distress. A long breath drew from the woman, before she spoke in kind. "Then I will die condemned for the cause of non-violence. People are not tumors to be cut out, Orator. They are not all revolutionaries and bigots and martyrs.

"What do you think you are bringing?" She continued, more confidently now. She began to take slow steps to the side, the man following to keep her in front of him. The two were quickly locked in a slow circle, waiting for the other to break stride.

"Change? Justice? Truth? Will you preach truth to every mother who clutches her children in fright as you roam the streets? Will you preach change to every scholar who weeps as you burn their libraries? Will you preach justice to every lawman who sits in chains while you prepare the gallows?"

Surging forwards, Annora's left hand slipped from her sword's scabbard. Reaching to her shoulders, she discarded the cloak entirely! Revealing the great labrys strapped to her back in time to reach for it, she brought her sword across in a broad swath before unlatching Trunco from its harness. Spinning with the cut, she brought the axe above her head. In the second before she brought it down, she ground out her last few words. "No olive branch should come wrapped about a blade!"

With a sundering crash, the labrys came down on Orator and the street beneath him. A sputtering explosion followed, chips of brick and stone sent into the air like shrapnel as the blow sent tremors through the ground nearby.

[ 513 / 1585 ]

 

[Inks]

El sprang forward. The glittering, spectral ropes of the demvir’s Serpens spell, aiming for Keydis’s arm, coiled around the tall spurii’s wrist instead.

Eloquii eyed the translucent bindings for a moment, head tilted, then turned to Keydis. “In the future,” he said, still grinning, “if ya want me to ‘lead your attack’, ya gotta give me a chance ta actually cast a spell first.”

In hindsight, Keydis was a quick little thing – she might’ve been able to get herself out of the way of the spell’s searching grip without needing his assistance at all. Oh well. It wasn’t like El was in a hurry to be somewhere.

Off to one side, a thundering crash shuddered through the ground. A piece of something that used to be the road grazed El’s ear, and the spurii turned his head, expression incredulous. It looked like Annora had joined in the fight against Terminus’s Most Wanted. Both she and the Orator were wielding weapons as offensively oversized as they were, and it altogether looked like the sort of tussle El didn’t want to get involved in.

He didn’t even have a sword.

“So what’s the plan, Shortsie?” El asked, turning his attention back to Keydis.

[208 / 568]​

 

[Nargles]

An abrupt screech of pain overwhelmed all in the cloud. It even managed to pierce through explosive mess of rubble that flew forward. A crimson sigil hovered in midair, appearing and fading within moments. The figure that loomed camouflaged crumpled to the ground momentarily. From the darkness Nisi Sine surged forward, appearing to be completely unharmed. He hoped to use the momentary distraction as an opening. Although shaken from the impact, he had passed the full brunt of the assault onto his servant. Due punishment for the demon.

“It is unwise to claim innocence when your words are stained with sin,” a robotic voice echoed. His tone was unflinching, unforgiving.

“Surrender.”

He swung forwards with the scythe, initially appearing as if he was striking thin air. However, the buzz and whir of underlying machinations emanated from the weapon. The sharpened edge launched forward violently, a pulsating red chain connecting it to the shaft. Pulling the chain down, he changed the angle it travelled. Nisi aimed to catch it against the side of Orator’s body as to entangle and restrain him before the blade finished the deed in a single stroke.

Things

His scythe is a unique item. It's essentially a scythe with a detachable head that can be fired out and recalled similar to a harpoon.

Also he used Skilled Demon to transfer wounds.

Link Daemon
The truly beautiful thing about having a daemon as a servant is that any pain they suffer has been earned, any wounds a mere pittance compared to the destruction they sow in the mortal world. They are valuable as pawns to be used. What better way to use them than to save yourself? Another invocation of the accursed name creates an empathic link, and any wounds suffered by the Summoner while it's active are inflicted on the daemon instead.

Establishing this link requires 2000 Vigor, and for one round, all wounds the Summoner receives are transferred to the daemon instead. After completion, three rounds must pass before the link can be established again.

 

[Keydis Lysistrata]

The blast of debris and the sheer ferocity of the spurii's attack hurled Orator backward, chunks of the road slamming into him, leaving bruises and gashes. He did not crumple or flail, though: he touched down boots-first, stumbling and reeling but not falling, hammer held in front of himself.

Orator hesitated, eyebrows raising as he considered Annora. For an instant, his weapon dipped lower, but only for an instant. Then he burst into motion, finely honed combat reflexes kicking in. He snarled like an animal and whipped his Lucerne hammer through the air, slamming the scythe blade away, a fiery glare fixed on Nisi Sine.

"Figure it-- Nora!"

Without even thinking about it, Keydis flung herself forward, adrenaline pumping through her veins. In a blink, she was there, in front of the much taller woman. Her bare arms raised to intercept the scythe blade, sleeves falling down to reveal the angry red lightning-like scars running up both forearms. Unexpected pain exploded in her arms, forcing the laicar's eyes shut. Then she felt the impact of the scythe against her arms -- not the hot pain of flesh slicing apart, but a heavy slam and a metallic chime.

Surprised, Keydis opened her eyes, violet eyes falling on glimmering violet metal.

That metal chime drew Orator's attention, and his eyes widened when he realized what his reflexes had almost cost. The towering laicar looked at his demvir opponent, at Annora and Keydis, at the guards closing in again. He began to have doubts about his current course. One hand went into his cloak, grabbing a handful of something.

"Sid, post-mortem!" he yelled out. The spear-point of his hammer thrust forward at Nisi Sine, but it was only a half-hearted poke, a distraction from the man's sudden retreat. He did not go far, however, before he spun in a circle, casting a handful of gold-colored dust into the air, catching the faint rays of the morning sun. The fingers of his now-free hand etched a sigil in the air, and the scattering dust suddenly flared brighter, as if sucking in all the light that fell on them, heralded by pulsing of power but utterly silent. The dust exploded, each speck a new sun, each a pinpoint of searing, blinding light.

Shadows fell away, and even the field of darkness was washed away in the glare. Soon, all gathered could see nothing but intense white and the silhouette of the Orator standing in front of it... and soon even the silhouette was gone, leaving only painful sunlight.

"Your words are familiar to me," Orator said, speaking loud enough for all to hear, though he spoke to Annora. "I would rather they were not silenced."

Keydis blinked away the intense pain in her eyes, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. The scene came into halting focus, and she first stared incredulously at her arms -- the strange violet metal was gone, if it had been there at all.

Then her eyes fell upon Orator. The man had kneeled down on the street, his hammer laid on the ground in front of him. Both hands were behind his head. He said nothing else, though there was still a fire in her eyes that Keydis recognized even through the blurriness.

He was surrendering, but had he given up?

[550/1870] Final

 

[K3]

Rubbing the flash from her eyes, Annora couldn't help but look past Orator. The magus was still standing!

Book open and the raw power of the Vis brought to bear, Sid's very form seemed to vibrate and hum. His hand traced a few short gestures in the air, a low intonating buzz seeming to bubble from the depths of his chassis. "By Occultus' will... Fog!"

From every crack and joint upon the demvir, smoke issued forth. Thick and choking, he was swiftly obscured, before another low buzz sounded from within. Inaudible now, the whispered incantation stopped abruptly, before Sid burst from the smog!

Sprinting dead towards Keydis and Annora, the diminutive laicar met him with swift jab to the chest. Then, peculiarly, the demvir vanished. Like the smoke it had surged from, the image of the magus faded from existence, leaving the empty fog behind it and the disappearing steps of one Sidargen Mutus.

With a low click of the tongue, Annora turned her attentions back to Orator. Resting her labrys against the ground as she sheathed her sword, her aqua eyes met fierce dark ones. Her words came shakily, the adrenaline of battle robbing her of the confidence in her words. "A-arrest him, if you would."

Her hands gripped Trunco tightly, and she quickly turned away from the man. The situation felt too... familiar. With a heady sigh, she turned to face Keydis. The brunette seemed cool, but the occasional rub of her arms told of something more. Annora could've sworn she heard something when her laicar friend deflected the scythe... deflected?

A slow frown creased across the spurii's features. There were things at play with Keydis' life that were beyond understanding.

Final [ 283 / 1868 ]