Horizon Demon Hunter Academy (IC)

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Sheridan's compliment confused Davin until he remembered she never saw an angel until coming to the Academy. The novelty would wear off soon enough, so he didn't comment on it. He glanced at Ariel, relieved to see her falling in line, rather than being a headache. His relief was short-lived, however, as he scanned the land below. The two angels flew over the myriad of smaller lakes and ponds dotting the landscape, and at last the incoming lake slipped into view. Davin didn't get the movie reference Isaac made before, but when he radioed in, he said, "Red Leader here, I have a visual on the lake. No sight of hosti-"

Before he could finish speaking, a chorus of howls rose up from the ruined buildings and trees below. Even this high up, Davin and Ariel could hear the chilling sounds, echoing one after another. Davin narrowed his eyes and scanned below, finally catching sight of movement. "Scratch that! We've got wolves! Flying lower to get a confirmation on type..." He motioned to Ariel and folded his wings, dropping into a steep dive, until they were closer to the tops of the hollowed out buildings. He followed the shapes moving in the shadows of the overgrown town and spotted one: as it jumped out of an alcove on a roof, and shot up at him. It had the basic shape of a man, with a wolf's head, but with skinny arms, and matted fur. Davin flapped his wings hard enough to lift himself up and kicked the Rugaru in the face, sending fangs, spit, and blood flying. The wolf-man let out a sharp, whining cry and plummeted back to the ground to crash through the roof. A mushroom cloud of dust and dirt hid it from view as Davin said, "Hostiles are Rugaru- Werewolves! Red Leader falling back to rejoin Rogue Squad! Ariel, fly higher!"

Davin followed word with action and flew back up out of reach of any potential jumpers. Had he known what kind of enemies they'd be facing, he wouldn't have ordered him or Ariel to fly that low. Why didn't the Academy brief them earlier? He gritted his teeth as he saw the creatures wandering in silence through open gaps in the scattered canopy below. Beady eyes looked up at them, the wolves following them without concern for stealth. Did they not have the ground team's scent yet? Or were these just the ones tracking them? He couldn't see how many there were, but he knew Isaac and Sheridan would be overrun if they were caught out in the open. "Rogue Squad, recommend you take cover in an abandoned building. We're dealing with a horde."

Rugaru being in the area did not bode well for the people in Fort Bismarck.
 
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Frey flew just behind the two Gaians, looking out for any type of danger that Frey somehow felt would come sooner than anyone would expect. But he simply pushed this feeling aside, since his over-thinking would most likely just hinder the mission's progress. He wasn't close enough to the two to hear whatever they were talking about, but Frey was quite sure it's about something stupid, seeing as how their demonic cartoon characters were involved. He was just glad that he didn't have to put up with Ariel. Perhaps it was Davin's plan to separate the two all along, since they didn't really get along and Ariel's tendency to mess with Frey would just quicken the mission's failure. Squad 16 proceeded to move through the fort, not knowing what to expect.

Wait... was that... a howl?

It was definitely a howl, and not just from any normal canine. Frey heard it from quite a distance away, but no one seemed to notice. He had very good ears and listening skills, but a lack of communication skills. He hesitated to tell the squad about it, but he knew that if he doesn't speak up now, they're screwed. The howling started getting louder, and it wasn't just from one source. But before he could speak up, he heard Davin through the communicator.

"Scratch that! We've got wolves!"

Guess his intuition was right. He was glad he didn't have to tell them himself, but there's more important things to worry about right now. He slowly flew down towards the two, before hiding his wings and readying his violin. The other two Aetherians should be safe up in the air, but the ground squad wouldn't be able to handle a horde of Rugaru by themselves. He started following the two, awaiting orders from Isaac.
 
"Shell. Wings free! Alorven, in the air and search for mages! Be ready for anti-air spells! Kirigawa, you've got the front! I'm taking the north flank; do not let them surround us!" Saria barked out the orders even as she moved. She kept to open clearings so she could see the sky, and so no goblins could surprise her. They tried anyway, a pair of angry, yellow smurfs launching themselves at the angel.

The pendant about Saria's neck glowed with a faint inner light. Both hands came up to meet the leaping goblins, her fingers flat and pointed forward. Thinking that they had the beginnings of a meal, the goblins opened their mouths to bite her hands. She lunged forward just as they started to bite down. First, two jaws erupted in pain as they bit something harder than steel; second, two demons died as they were stabbed down their throats.

Saria flung them to the ground and readied herself for those that would come next. There would be many.

-----

Isaac stopped moving, catching Gale as he tried to reach Sheridan. The howls were still some distance away, so he had maybe a minute to decide how to proceed. They were nearing the ruins of an old town, so it was likely the Rugarus had made their home there. Where they stood now had once been farmland--the rusted remains of wire fence lay beside the cracked highway--and very few trees had sprung up in the last century. They were mostly out in the open, and there were a score of Rugarus howling as they stalked in.

Option one was to fight them where they stood. Isaac dismissed it as foolish. Option two was to find a rundown farmhouse. That could be even worse as it wouldn't leave them any space to retreat. Option three was to avoid the Rugarus entirely. Unfortunately, that probably couldn't happen either; Rugaru lived in swamps, so they were probably responsible for corrupting the lake. Option four was to split the Rugarus into smaller, more manageable groups. That made sense, but the difficulty lay in how.

"Divide and Conquer. Davin, keep an eye on the group and see how many break off when they notice us. We're going to make this a retreating battle. Hit when there's an opening, but give ground readily. The ground force is going to circle west and try to get past the southern lake tip." Isaac started off again, Gale protesting his loss of a kiss. The demon was ignored, of course, as Isaac gave Sheridan an explanation. "A Rugaru is a wolf-man hybrid, so werewolf is a common name. They aren't as bad as that, thankfully; we don't need silver to kill them, and they were never humans. They are strong, though, and have a deep bloodlust. Don't get bit. Coal, Sarah, they aren't as likely to attack you two, but be careful just the same. You as well, Frey; if there are too many on you, take to the air."

He made his path north and west, trying to reach the west shore of the lake across from the Rugarus' town. The demons picked up the group's scent before they could make it that far, though. A full two-thirds of the Rugarus turned to chase after the humans, leaving only six that were determined to bring the winged ones down.
 
"You ready Coal?" Sheridan asked with a wide smirk as she pulled out her serrated machete from one hip and her mace from the other,a battle hungry look on her face as they ran along Issac though the demons were closing in.

"You seriously have to ask?" Coal asked laughing as his palms turned black with a red tint,showing that his powers were ready.

"Wooh let's kill some kangaroos!" Sarah yelled as she made flames erupt from her hands.

"Rugurus! Not kangaroos!" Sheridan corrected as she rolled her eyes.
 
Kia noticed two goblins coming at her. She raised her blade, and side stepped to the left and brought the blade down severing one of the goblins head. The other stopped to turn his direction to Kia, but Kia disappeared in a small flash of light. And then reappearing behind the goblin stabbing it through its back. Killing it instantly. "Be careful for those to yosuke" she said pointing to the other goblins charging in, her sword dripped with blood of the yellow creatures.
 
"Roger that. Be careful Ground Team, most of them are headed your way," Davin radioed, flying above the teeming mass of wolf-men. Now that most of them were out of the town and moving along the more open fields around the lake, he could get a clearer head-count on them. "The diverted force is made up of almost three dozen, most of them scrawny. They seem to be moving according to packs, and I can make out the Alphas for them. They look a lot meaner than the others. Most don't carry any weapons, but the Alphas have swords and spears. No armor that I can see."

He kept relaying information as they hovered above the ground, the last of the wolves still shadowing them on the ground and waiting for them to get tired and land. This close to the lake, he could make out rivulets of dark colors mixed in with the lake water flowing into the river towards the fort. Bits and pieces of debris floated along, leaking more of it, and they realized they were looking at mauled animals and people, corrupting the water with blood and viscera, among other things. Outrage mixed with disgust made Davin's blood boil. He turned to Ariel and shouted above the rushing wind, "I think it's time we obliged those monsters and go for it. Open up with a Crystal Storm and I'll follow up. But don't land and put yourself in range of their claws. Let's play it safe and pick them apart. Then we can assist Ground Team."
 
Ariel
"Aye, Aye Captain!" Ariel glided down closer to the ground, closing her wings around herself. Around her appeared countless shinning crystals, each had dazziling points all directed towards the earth. They flew down at immense speed, impaling many as she swooped closer to the ground. Each crystal burst upon impact. The skewered beasts let out a sickening howl. One escaped the crystals. She swooped closer to the ground, creating a spire under the unscathed Rugarus. The confused beast was flung into the air, but returned to the ground in a two pieces. Ariel slid to a stop, replacing her katana by in its sheath. Five were left. "Rest are yours Davin!"

Yosuke
The goblins were coming in fast. Funny thing about goblins: To them, 'suicidal charge', and 'good showmanship' are the same thing. They aren't exactly strong, but they overwhelm so easily, that it is rather scary. All the while, Yosuke was making sure that the newbies weren't getting killed. Goblin after goblin, he swung his scythe, stopping it in his tracks. There were more than he expected. He didn't even think that the school knew. As he killed goblin after goblin, they kept piling onto him. "Gah!... You son of a bitch, Get off me!" One had managed to cut his arm, rather badly. With little hesitation he kneeled down and placed his hand on the ground. Goblins continued to pile on. "I said get OFF!" There was a small spark at first from within the pile. Then the goblins all flew off, hitting the ground, convulsing, before lying still. "Thunderbolt, I need cover! Ambrosia... Help me out..." The spirit was commanding an army of bees after goblins, who all ran off. The scene was hysterical really. However, upon seeing her master in pain, she rushed to his side, a worried expression on her face. "Damn scythe... Useful, yes, but at what costs... No need to worry, just a cut. I'll be fine... Help me wrap it." Ambrosia, nodded, and stuck out her hand. A strange thread began to wrap around the wound, preventing too much blood from leaving. "Alright, now help the Newbies. I'll be fine" He remembered back to Ambrosia chasing off the goblins though... Perhaps he could do the same. With a hand in the air he called forth ants from all over to chase the goblins. It did not defeat them, but it definitely hindered them. "Everyone, push forward! The leader of this gang can't be far off!" Yosuke ran off in the direction of the mine

 
Kia dodged some goblins, teleporting left and right, each time she did she had a blade cutting through a creature. She did this quickly, keeping her mind running on all cylinders. "You know" she teleported then reappeared in a new location cutting through a goblin "they should've gotten info on this place before sending us out with first year's!" She yelled keeping up with the group. But for some reason, one of the goblins caught onto her quick movements, and timed his attack precisely. And once she appeared, a larger goblin came from behind and bit down on her shoulder with bone crushing pressure. She screamed in pain as his teeth broke her collar bone, shoulder blade, and pierced deep into her flesh. She fell onto her knees as it kept putting the pressure on, pinning Kia down.
 
One of the five remaining Rugarus, much larger and broader than the others, snarled at the site of its troops falling in bloody, icy heaps. The smaller wolves around it seemed to waver, whimpering like dogs until the Alpha smacked one on the back of the head and champed its teeth, baring its fangs. It barked out orders in a guttural, growling tongue and pointed at Ariel while it drew something from a pouch at its waist, nearly invisible amongst its thick, matted fur. The other Rugarus responded by dashing towards Ariel, howling and growling, intent on surrounding her. Davin narrowed his eyes and summoned a ball of flame to his side, drawing the heat from below and frosting over the grass and plants. The entire field turned white, only to reflect the glowing fire above like a miniature sun. Before he could throw it, however, the Rugarus Alpha tore open a scroll, bit its own hand and smeared dark blood over the paper. The scroll caught fire and lit up with an intense light, forcing Davin to cover his eyes as it radiated out.

At that moment, Davin and Ariel felt a sudden weight settle over their bodies. Davin felt as if his body were made of pure lead and started to plummet to the ground. He let out a shout, losing focus on the fireball so that it fizzled out, and used his magic to shrink the distance between himself and ground, as if only falling a few feet. Even so, when he appeared at the ground and landed, his knees almost buckled and he stumbled forward. Before he could catch his balance or even warn the others, Frey in particular, the Alpha hurled itself at him and smashed into him. Both tumbled to the ground with the Alpha on top and it went straight for his throat with its fangs. A dazed, winded Davin only just managed to duck his head and smashed a sideways hammer-blow into its side, knocking it away from him. He rolled with practiced precision onto his feet. The Alpha gave him no time to recover and lunged at him again, its huge claws gleaming. Davin reached into his pocket dimension, too harried to be sure of what he'd get, and drew out the first things his hand touch, side-stepping and moving around the Rugarus, relieved to get his longsword. He kept it between him and the demon as they circled one another. The Alpha snarled, foaming at the mouth, and its dark eyes glowing with red blood lust. It tried for him again and again, but every time Davin tried to cut it with his sword, it showed enough sense to smack away his strikes on the flat side, and gave him no time to bring out his other weapons. Every time, it forced him to retreat or dodge its sweeping claws, and it tried to tackle him to the ground more than once. Davin knew if it came to a tussle on the ground and he couldn't get it off him, it would either tear out his throat or slice his unprotected face to a pulpy mess. He threw fireballs at the Alpha, but its fur proved strangely flame retardant and wouldn't catch fire.

He couldn't takes his eyes off the Rugarus to see if Ariel fared better with her opponents.

((To clarify, Frey didn't get hit with that spell, but the other Alphas may have the same scroll.))
 
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Frey diverged from the ground squad and lured away a few of the Rugaru.

"COME AND GET SOME YOU FURRY BASTARDS!" Frey shouted. He flew faster as more Rugaru started chasing after him. Thank god there were no alphas. He readied his violin, but not before turning on his MP3 player to play a backing track he recorded ahead of time. One can't go wrong with playing battle BGM while beating up some werewolves. Once he saw a chance to attack, he started playing along.

~♫Blinded by Light~

Frey concentrated the sound waves to be as thin and sharp as possible. Each of the Rugaru started receiving cuts and puncture wounds on their bodies. It slowed a few of them down, but they didn't stop chasing after him. One Rugaru even caught up to him and almost ripped his leg out, but Frey managed to barely dodge the attack. He flew higher up, making sure the Rugaru couldn't reach him, yet still within Frey's attack range. He then focused the sound waves towards their feet, trying to lock them into place, but they are simply too fast. He was getting desperate, so he replaced his violin with an electric guitar. The result was a punk rock cover of the BGM. As each note resonates, Frey's attacks become stronger and more accurate. The Rugaru started falling one by one, save for a few persistent ones. Frey knew that he couldn't keep this up much longer, so he readied his pick and started playing a solo that went faster and faster. Finally, after a grueling performance, he took out the entire group. Too bad there's no one around to give him an ovation.

It was only after he heard Davin scream did he notice that two of his classmates were nearby. He turned towards the source of the scream, to see the two seemingly unable to move in mid-air, rendering their wings useless. He speeded towards the two, and while he saw Davin use his ability to close the distance between him and the ground, Ariel simply kept falling. He picked up the speed and eventually caught Ariel mid-air before she could hit the ground and perish in the most ridiculous way possible for an angel: plummeting to her death. He flew her to the roof of the nearest abandoned building, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Hah... H-Hey... You alright...?" Frey asked Ariel. He knew that it was only a matter of time before more Rugaru come after them, and this time he might not be so lucky as to just have the underlings on their tails. An Alpha's gonna pick up their scent eventually. Only now did he notice that he didn't eliminate the group of Rugaru a while ago unscathed, when he felt a stinging sensation on his right leg most likely from the Rugaru that tried to rip it off.
 
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Ariel
Ariel noticed the ground closing in on her. The immense weight had messed with her senses, and she suddenly lost a sense of up and down. She plummeted, trying to accept the fact she was going to die. I can't die, I won't die... I have so much more to say, and do. I can't die... She was too busy with her thoughts to really do much else, but there was little she could do. As she neared the ground, she closed her eyes. She stopped... but there was no thud. Only the soft voice of a violinist.

"Frey..." Ariel hugged him tightly It would have been a heartwarming(and slightly embarrassing) scene for many... That is until...

"I hope you realize I won't be leaving your side from now on." She giggled. No doubt Frey would just drop her, but it was all worth it. He was just so much fun to be around.

 
"Push forward, he says," Saria muttered darkly to herself. What should have been a standard Goblin Nest--say two hundred, maybe two fifty--had become three rolled together. The chance of two goblins leading the group was as good as not with theses numbers. And while Yosuke was doing a fantastic job of driving through them in droves, Saria's skillset was tooled toward larger, less numerous opponents. A goblin swarm was one of the worst enemies she could deal with.

Already two dozen corpses lay at her feet, but that many again were already pressing her. She was giving ground steadily, the demons driving her back by force of number. With a cut and a stomp, two more died; then Saria backpedaled to avoid the three sets of jaws that followed. So it went, Saria falling back toward the center as more goblins poured around them.

A scream rent the air. Ichimoto's scream. Saria jumped backward and looked to where she had heard it, finding the angel with a goblin clamped on her shoulder. "KIAAA!!" She didn't stop to think or to worry about the flank she'd been trying to hold. She sprinted with all the strength she had to reach the downed angel. There was already no time, so the fastest way to help was... something she didn't want to do. Yet it was something she wouldn't hesitate to do.

She was almost to Kia when Saria spun sideways and slid to her knees with her head bowed. It looked as though she'd suddenly taken to praying, and indeed she was praying--that she wouldn't miss. From out the back of her uniform, Saria's wings sprouted. They were not the feathery white that most angels' wings were; Saria's wings had a metallic sheen, the light glinting off the hard white. Her wingspan stretched out, covering the two meters between herself and Kia in an instant. Her right wing passed by the nape of Kia's neck, not a centimeter of distance to spare between the deadly wing and Kia's soft skin. The goblin found itself divided in half: its face gripping Kia's shoulder; and everything else it needed to live sitting atop Saria's wing.

"Kia!" Saria pulled her wings back and pulled herself to Kia's side to inspect the bite. The half of a goblin head fell away, revealing the damage in all its gory detail. It wasn't pretty, but (of all the ironies) the person bit was a healer. She just needed time to heal the wound--time that, unfortunately, the goblins didn't want to give. There were already a dozen rushing the pair. Saria's mind spat out the only solution it saw, and she acted on it. "Sorry!" she stated as she wrapped her arms under Kia's. Saria hoisted the girl to her feet--wincing a little in sympathy--and wrapped her wings around the both of them.

Loud thuds echoed into the small chamber Saria had made. The goblins threw themselves at the white shell, but they'd have had an easier time breaking the wall of Fort Bismark. Inside the nearly pitch-black confines, Saria was panting--partly out of exertion, and largely from the panic that was only just wearing off. For the time being they were safe, so her brain began to function logically again. The angel spoke into her comm to let the others know the situation. "Saria here. We're alive, but we're pinned until Ichimoto's arm is usable again. Kirigawa, keep going and keep Alder safe. We'll be back to support as soon as we can. Kia, how fast can you have that healed?"

-----

Isaac laughed as Frey drew off a group to deal with. There were still more than their share chasing Sheridan and him, though. Some fast ones had drawn ahead of the others--probably a pack slightly more oriented toward speed. "Pelap, wake up. We have some work to do."

A second demon appeared climbing onto Isaac's shoulder from behind, this time his right shoulder. She was wearing a pink nightgown over her red skin. Her pink hair was mostly covered by a pink nightcap--complete with fuzzy, pink pompom--nested between two small, red horns. She yawned loudly and spoke drowsily. "Ohayo~ What is happening~?"

"Some demons want a fight."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Gale erupted in protest. "You can't wear your pajamas out in public! Sheesh, baka! Go put your clothes on!"

Pelap pouted, but vanished behind Isaac. She appeared once again only a moment later, the nightcap now gone and her body draped in a black dress--that didn't look much different from her pajamas. "Happy now~?" Her speech was slow and soft, sounding like someone still half asleep.

"Much better. Now, let's get this show on the road! Here they come!"

Isaac grinned at the antics, but Gale was right. The leading pack was on them, and they still had a short way to go before they'd reach the lake. "Sheridan, don't stop running until we have that lake at our backs. Shoot them at a distance, or defend yourself when they get close, but don't stop running." A handy example chose that moment to jump at Isaac. He pivoted his upper body just enough to bring his right fist across, smashing it into the Rugaru's jaw. The metal studs on his gloves, combined with a couple G's extra force, shattered the bone and wrenched the demon's neck to the side. It probably wasn't dead, but it was definitely down for the count. Isaac didn't bother to check either way, turning his body forward again so he could keep running.
 
"I won't be shooting!" Sheridan called as her and her demons ran side by side. "I don't carry guns,I'm against them. Sarah however is not against projectiles!" Sheridan then nodded to Sarah. The only time the girls seemed to get along was during a fight.

Sarah smirked and started running backwards so she was facing the monsters after them. She let out a cheer as she straightened her arms and sent bolts of fire at them as she ran,her brother helping her keep her speed even though she was running backwards.

Coal just rolled his eyes as he helped keep his sister running fast. He would never understand why these two women only got along during a fight or why they loved fights so much.
 
Kia was heavily panting, the wound was really draining her of energy. "I-I don't know...it...I've never healed a wound this serious before..." She said. Her shoulder felt warm and sticky, as well as a stinging sensation that never stopped. She ran a hand over her wound, she felt a bone sticking out. "I don't know...healing cuts are one thing...but bones? I've never healed something so severe...I don't know what to do!?" She said panicking. She couldn't see anything all she could hear was the goblins banging on the walls of the shell. She started to feel nauseous. "I'll t-try..." She said closing her eyes and putting a hand over her wound. Her eyes were shut, and she held her breath. Her hand then let off a faint glow as she started to heal the wound, slowly fixing the collar bone. It took way to much concentration for this.
 
The four Rugarus that were after Ariel howled in outrage at their prey escaping and gave chase immediately in order to further ruin their moment. Two ran inside the building, while the others jumped ten to fifteen feet at a time to reach the roof. Davin spotted Frey and Ariel while side-stepping his opponent and dodged another charge from the Alpha, watching and taking in the monster's movements and tendencies. After a while, he narrowed his eyes and switched his stance so he led with his free hand, smacking aside the monster's claws and stepping around the deflected strike's side, forcing the Alpha to turn towards him. At that moment, he slipped his sword under the Rugarus' arm and sliced open its armpit, black blood sluicing along the blade. The Alpha howled and lashed out with its claws, but Davin already stepped out of its reach. Something changed in the monster's eyes then, the blood haze lifting, and a flicker of worry made its next growl sound higher pitched.

On its next charge, Davin stepped around and past it, and slid his sword along its passing thigh, sliding the blade under and into its hamstrings. The Alpha's roar slipped into a wounded whine and it stumbled, unable to put any weight on its wounded leg anymore. Davin stalked towards it, blade leading again, and the Rugarus went onto its hands and leg to try and get away. With no pressure on him, Davin summoned his pistol, took aim, and shot the wolf-man in its other leg, forcing it to the ground. It tried to drag itself away, but the angel only had to walk to catch up and lopped its head off. Blood blackened the grass and wildflowers around the body as it twitched and spasmed, the severed head staring at him with wide eyes. He regarded the demon's fading consciousness with a face of stone for only a short second before he ran past it to backup the ground team. Frey and Ariel could handle the ones that went after them. He couldn't feel the tainted magic on his body anymore, but he wouldn't risk being hit with it again and being caught off guard.

When he saw the Rugarus catching up with the Ground Team, he slid to a stop and focused on the open ground between the two groups and clenched his teeth, an intense white light shining off his body. The air between his teammates and the monsters seemed to waver as if hot, and the ground rippled like waves on still water. The Rugarus charged forward without care, but much to their frustration, their prey came no closer. To the Ground Team, it would seem as if the Rugarus ran in place. In reality, Davin focused his power on 'tread-milling' the ground beneath them so that they made very slow progress, and enabled Ground Team to reach the lake. Some of the wolves seemed to catch on and started taking leaping bounds to clear the area, while a third of them, Alpha included, turned on Davin, forcing him to end the effect. He fired on the incoming wolf-men, aiming to maim their legs, and forced three of them to the ground. He dismissed his pistol once they were almost in range, and drew out his shield. At the same time, he raised a thick wall of ice that arced up behind and above him, so they couldn't surround him from all sides, and prepared to receive them...
 
Sheridan looked behind herself as she ran with a worried look. She knew he was good but she had seen them fall and knew he had magic. She also knew one of the other angels was badly hurt and it's friend was having to protect it while it healed. She wanted to go back and help Davin but she shook her head and kept on running towards the lake.

"Someone has a cruuush." Coal teased with a smirk as they ran.

"Shut up or I'm tripping you!" Sheridan snapped as she blushed brightly and glared at him.

"Psh,like he'd go for you. You're a human orph-OW!" Sarah was interupted when her brother burnt her arm with a stern glare.

Sheridan sighed and looked ahead again. She knew what Sarah had been about to say and she was right. Who would like some orphan who seemed to be plagued by bad luck and got angry as easily as she did?
 
Frey blushed when Ariel hugged him. Sure, it was sweet and all, but the next thing she said made Frey regret he ever saved her... is what most people would think. Frey was just glad she didn't get hurt. As much of an annoying brat as she is, she's still a comrade all the same. Though, it's not to say he doesn't dread what's to come if they come back. When they come back. Frey stood up, but he realized that the stinging sensation earlier was from more than just a little scratch. There were claw marks, each quite deep. He winced when he stood up, and no doubt it made it difficult to walk. Thank God he had wings, but Frey wasn't sure for how long he could stay airborne.

"Can you use your wings now?" Frey asked Ariel. "Because we don't have much time."

Frey observed the area. There are two of them trying to jump the roof, and by the sound of it, there are about two inside the building, running up the steps towards the roof. These monsters just don't know when to quit... but it's nothing the two of them couldn't handle. He took out his violin and started re-tuning it, before unfolding his wings once again and launching himself in the air.

"Shall we put an end to this, Liber?"
 
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The crackling of fire in the spot he'd been in a moment before shocks Irrius from his search, as he turns to see another fireball about to smash into him. Shouting in surprise, he manages to snuff it just short of connecting with him. Searching and quickly finding the source of the attack, he pulls a sharp turn to bring himself closer. As shard of ice is launched, he snaps a roll to the side and closes. Another fireball is launched, which he snuffs just as it leaves the mages hands. Utilizing the goblin's confusion at its spell failing, he folds his wings and dives.

The rapid drop nearly forces Irrius into an uncontrolled plummet, but he manages to catch himself and keep his fall directed. Finally, just as the goblin begins preparing its next spell, her reaches the height he was desiring and opens his wings. The sudden surface area forces him higher for a moment, before his fall becomes a glide. Slipping his spear into his hands, he collided with the goblin violently, folding in his wings at the last moment to protect the fragile structures. The force of the blow knocks the breath from him, but his spear skewers through the mage easily, blood spurting from the wound along the spears handle. Recovering his balance, the angel forces himself back into the air. He hadn't wanted to use that method of killing the thing, as it was foolhardy and reckless, but very little option had existed. Continuing his hunt, Irrius refused to look back at his squad. They'd survive, and he'd fulfill his part.
 
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Collab
Ariel/Frey

Ariel nodded and tried flapping. Her wings seemed to be working well enough. She let go of Frey, unaware her face was bright red. "Yeah I'm fine." Ariel heard the Rugarus closing in on the two. She smirked at the mention of finishing them.

"Frey, why not serenade me... With a kickass battle mix." She unsheathed her sword, the scabbard still in hand. Ariel was more of a magic fighter than a weapons specialist. She relied on her abilities in battle. From around her, three nicely sized crystals floated by her side, ready to strike.

"Oh please, spare me the sappy romantic fantasy lines." Frey said, as he readied his violin. He turned the volume knob of his MP3 player and set the volume max, and started playing another battle BGM backing track. It was missing the main instrument, which Frey would fill in with his Violin.

~Dance of Thorns~

"You get the ones coming up the stairs, I get the ones desperately trying to jump the distance." Frey turned towards the edge of the roof, to see the two Rugaru snarling, obviously annoyed by the fact that they can't reach the two Aetherians.

"Ready for this?" Frey said with a determined tone.


"Heh, you kidding? 'Course I'm ready." The two Rugarus had made it to the roof, by that time, and were charging. Ariel stood her ground. One tried to swipe her leg, but instead was met with solid rock. Meanwhile Ariel, flipped from her crystal spring board and landed behind the beast. She lunged, swinging her sword sideways, however the beast managed to grab hold of her blade. It was a good two feet taller than her, and could easily overpower her. She called up a crystal spire, that flipped the beast beneath her, giving her the upper hand. With little resistance now, she pulled her gun and shot the beast. Her bullet narrowly missed its head, but grazed its neck. It loosened its grip, so she could free her sword. She called forth a large crystal and slammed it into the beast. It howled in pain, then stood still.

The other howled in rage at the loss of its companion. Once more Ariel spring boarded as it came closer. But the beast was smarter than that, and caught her by her leg, tossing her into a wall. The wall was old and weak, so Ariel just flew right through. She landed in the pile of rubble. She could see the beast charging as the dust settled, however she was unable to move just yet. Her arm was trapped beneath the rubble. There was only one thing to do, She closed heer eyes and focused. The beast closed in. It lunged , nearly about to swipe her head, but the claw never came. A crystal double of Ariel had tackled the thing and was now holding it back. Ariel had to move quickly it was only a matter of time before the beast would over power the copy. By the time her arm was free the beast was too. It charged at her, but its head stopped inches from her face. She was breathing heavily, as sweat poured down her cheek. The beast had been impaled from the bottom of the head with a crystal spire. The spire retreated into the ground, causing the beast to fall. To make sure it was dead, Ariel cut off its head.


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Frey flew down from the roof and joined the two beasts as their dark eyes finally lit up to see their prey come right for them. He doesn't stand a chance with ground battle considering the rather nasty wounds on his leg, and he doesn't have enough stamina to keep himself in the air for too long. If only he didn't have that wound, he would've eliminated the two Rugarus even before the chorus starts. Having to stay airborne made it hard for Frey to focus on playing. But that fact didn't stop him from going all out. As the backing track's intro fades, one of the beasts leaped to Frey's level, face to face with him as it was ready to claw his face off. But its claws were immediately deflected by the sounds of a violin. A powerful force exploded as the musical notes build up, sending the wolfman back to the ground. The force wasn't powerful enough to kill it, so it once again stood up, albeit rather disoriented. The other wolfman lunged for Frey as well, but this time Frey wasn't paying attention. He only heard the sound of growling when the beast was only a few feet away from him in the air. The beast was fast to close in on the distance, and its claws were mere millimeters away from his face, but Frey was barely able to dodge it as one of the musical force bullets shot the beast's abdomen, causing it to withdraw its claws. Why do they keep targeting the face?! A pissed off Frey smashed his violin on the furry bastard's face.

"How do you like YOUR face smashed, huh?!" Frey flipped the bird at the falling Rugaru as the next part of the track closes in. He got ready to summon an electric guitar after the broken violin disappeared into thin air. Both the Rugaru were dazed. One riff should end this once and for all.

Each note created a force bullet. These ones were sharper and more concentrated than the ones from his violin. The bullets easily passed through one of the Rugaru, as each hole on its body smoked, but... the other one was nowhere to be seen.

Only when he felt it did he notice that the other Rugaru was chewing away at his bad leg.

Frey screamed from the pain. With little to no choice left, he dropped his electric guitar and prayed to the heavens that it would fall on the ground hard. Each passing second felt like an eternity as he experienced a pain like no other. Finally, the electric guitar hit the ground, the feedback causing the Rugaru to implode from the sheer force. Dark Rugaru blood splattered all over the area, and an injured and exhausted Frey fell along with the remains.


She looked out to see Frey falling. "Frey!" With there being little time to spare, she sprinted off the edge of the building unfolding her wings, more to slow her decent than to fly. There was not enough time for her to start flying, so she braced for impact, bringing a spire to meet them half way there. "Gah!... That stings..." She looked at the white haired boy in her arms and smiled, holding him closer. "You know we really need to stop meeting like this..." She looked at his leg. It was badly hurt. Bite marks, and claw marks were vividly shown by the red liquid that ran down his leg. "You should get back, and have that treated. Rather not have you killed..."
 
Yosuke
"Understood. I'm closing in to the mine. It seems to be the Goblins base of command. We need to clear out the goblins in surrounding areas. Thankfully it seems Irrius has been dealing with the mages. That makes it easier for those on the ground. I will send Thunder bolt your way, for some support." Yosuke turned to the black steed that ran beside him. "Hear that Thunderbolt? Head back and give Kia and Saria back up." The horse turned quickly and ran back towards the girls who were hunkered down

Yosuke ran slicing goblins every which way. He never let it show, but his arm was still in immense pain, yet he would be rendered useless without his weapon. To use a weapon like his, one must not be afraid of feeling pain, and it definitely helps to have a high pain tolerance. Arrows were flying. It seemed the archers had arrived. Good thing goblin archers are terrible shots, but there were a lot of arrows, for sure. He dodged and block all the way to the entrance, then he started to fight off the goblins. He winced whenever he used his right arm. It hurt really bad, but if he let it get to him he would most likely be killed. As a group ran towards him,
"Keep coming... that's it... Little closer... Now!" A thick electrical discharge came from Yosuke's hand, causing the goblins to all fall to the ground convulsing. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Yosuke nearly threw up. "Oh that's nasty..." He turned to the entrance of the mine, and could hear reinforcements from deep inside. "Oh for crying out loud. Ambrosia! Could you send a swarm of wasps down that cave!?" The spirit came by and nodded, calling forth hundreds of thousands of wasp down the cave. Inside, yelps and screams rang out. "Thanks." The spirit giggled, and then hugged her master around his neck, rubbing up against him. She had always been like this. Since his first mission, when he met her. Quite the story that was. She was actually his first partner. He was being chased by a swarm of bees, when he accidentally knocked down a hive, then suddenly they stopped. She came out of now where, and practically glomped him. "Yeah, yeah... Everyone! Finish off any stragglers out here, then follow me in here!" He ran in ready to fight.
 
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