The Legend of Heroes II: Trials by the Light

[ERode]

Out of the Crater
The timely intervention of Flynn and Rehna saved Allereun a fate of having to learn how slugs moved and slinked up the crater. Managing a faintly appreciative grimace towards the two, the alchemist flopped onto surface with a long sigh. He flipped his thumb up at Flynn's words, before saying, "All I can do is gambles. And man, if only that at least half-killed her, instead of giving her an electric massage. Crazy monster girls these days."

"Happy shooting," he waved, before the mechanist helped him over once more.

Around him, he could see various amounts of civilians being led away from the crater by Milia and Holly. They were doing good, smart work. The ground had softened up as well, now that it was no longer stone, and soon, he could feel the mud creeping up into his boots. Ah, everything was getting really cold now, huh? His body began shivering.

"Rehna, just drop me off in a house or something. Too damn cold to be trudging around now, for the both of us. So yeah. Plop me down and go kick some ass. How's that arm, by the way? Is it like, split up? Or just normal now?"

Looked like, for all the pain and cold and poison, Allereun's mouth still worked fine.

 

[Pachamac]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater
Megaera, Julius | Trent, Josette | Julius, Celeste, Aleksander | Estefania, Cadfael | Naomi || Giovanni

Despite the growing cold pervading its body and beginning to gradually slow it down, the giant serpent lunged forward to charge towards Naomi. Naomi said nothing and betrayed no emotion. She did instead hop backwards several steps, before taking a swift leap to the side in avoidance of the oversized viper's bared fangs, narrowly avoiding the beast's charge. Even its subsequent wriggle and flicker of its tail in an attempt to swat the water mage was met with failure, when Naomi gracefully jumped up, onto, and then over the snake's body, lithely landing on the ground behind it.

Her escape was not over, for despite the beast's failure so far it still moved with all the power and speed it had available to it to chase after Naomi and try to strike her, only to be met with subsequent failure after failure. Almost serenely Naomi dodged each of the growingly vexed snake's attacks, weaving to and fro around its large form and hopping left and right, narrowly out of its range. And, unbeknownst to the snake before it was too late, it was rapidly slowing down more and more, until ultimately...

...the snake froze on the spot, unable to do much more then slither at an agonising crawl. Whilst a good chunk of its body was coated in ice, the rest of it to the naked eye looked completely normal. Only, the entire cold atmosphere surrounding their small, localised battlefield had seeped into the snake's body as well, freezing its system from within.

One didn't always need to attack a foe from the outside.

---

Plunging his glaive downwards, Julius's blade sheared off a good portion of the snake which protected Megaera's jaw, at the same time as Flynn's attack to Megaera's forced the woman to reel backwards in agony. Both foes howled in pain, writhing uncomfortably backwards as blood trailed in small puddles from the oversized serpent's mouth. As Julius' feet landed on terra firma, he began quickly spinning his glaive around into a new stance, wearily guaging Megeara's form, and her reaction to Flynn's attack.

The gunslinger's bullets, being nonlethal, had done little to truly harm her. However, the blows still hurt, and quite badly at that. Already dark bruises were forming beneath the bullets' impact, and with them Megaera's rage grew. She bellowed an unholy roar at the same time her snake did, and so Julius' stance shifted, from one of attack to one of defense. One could never be too careful with a woman like Megaera...

He opted to wait, and instead let Megaera and her pet make the first move. It was a risky prospect, but...

 

[Warden]

Pompelin: Church Remains: In The Pit

One, she had never been bitten by a snake before. Two, this snake was gigantic and to her great misfortune so were its fangs. Three…

The condesa resisted the urge to tear herself away. It took a considerable amount of rationalizing, especially with the haze of sharp agony slashing through her consciousness, but she realized that it was in her best interest to stay put. Her leg had two new holes in it. If she so much as took a step forward, those holes might become lines. "Madre de Dios," Estefania shut her eyes and muttered, her knuckles glowing white as she displayed her reaction through her fists. And she hadn't even hit her stride yet! When she opened her eyes, the sight that greeted her was that of Naomi effortlessly dodging another serpent. With her size, speed, and agility, she had expected to at least evade an attack or two, but… Madre de Dios indeed. Petrified and poisoned without even a worthwhile contribution to the respective fights. This day was full of disappointments.

And she could feel her leg dying. Wonderful. Cadfael, the very person she was trying to save, went back for her. He delivered another strike which saved her from the serpent's maw and while she was grateful for the support, Estefania couldn't help but feel bitter. And disappointed. Mostly at herself. All her grand schemes somehow backfired and turned her into a damsel in distress. An interesting part to play, but she had always seen herself as a conquistador. To see the narrative unfurling like this…

It killed the will to fight, to be something more. Why struggle to develop when the Gods would push a role onto you, anyway?

The snake's jaws extended above her as its tongue forked out. The condesa swayed on her deadened foot and turned around, before pelting forward as if under the influence of strong wine. Then she toppled backwards onto the ground, and glanced up, breathing hard.

Her sword stuck out from the ground from the guard up, impaled through the middle of the monster's lower jaw.

 

[Dannyel]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater
Estefania, Cadfael, Snake

The momentary joy of its attack was ripped from its jaws, quite literally. With the full force of Cadfeal's knee being driven into its side, the snake simply had to recoil, a hiss of pain coming from its throat as it reared back. The Condesa took that moment to attack as well, driving her sword through its lower jaw. The pain was unlike anything it had ever felt before, and it writhed from side to side.

It could not function like this – it's mouth forced open lest the blade pierce through the top as well. So while its prey stumbled and staggered away, not getting far at all, the snake curled around itself, wrapped the end of its body around the hilt of the sword. Holding it firmly in place by its own weight, it pulled its jaw upwards and off the blade, blood streaming across the metal.

The pain was still excruciating, but at least it had its bite back. Weaker, yes, but the venom was still there. It flicked its body to the side, letting the sword fly back and away from where the condesa lay, and it slithered forward, ready to administer another dose of deadly venom.

Naomi, Snake

It was frozen. The snake realized it as it slithered forward, barely moving. It was frozen from the inside out, and there was nothing it could do about it. Still trying to pursue the water witch, but making no progress and offering no threat, the snake cried out in terror. Mother!

Megaera, Julius, Snake

"Protect me," Megaera hissed, and her snake leapt into action. Already bloodied and bruised, it through itself into the heart of the danger, it's snapping jaws biting fruitlessly at the skirmisher's limbs. It was unable to do so much as graze the man, what the with the way the fighter's glaive had pierced through him as he had approached. But it was able to wrap its long, sinuous body around the man, holding him in place as it's Mistress and Mother approached.

Megaera waited only long enough for her pet to secure its grip before charging forward, a harsh, inhuman scream passing her perfect lips. She launched herself at the skirmisher now that his blade was buried in the flesh of her pet, grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head back. Trapped as he was between her and her snake, he was forced to watch as the snakes that crowned her head reared back and prepared to strike.

Aleksander

Seeing the danger his friends were in, Aleksander forced himself to his feet, standing on weak legs that barely responded to his command. But he could move, and for now it would be enough. Taking his knife in his hand, he tested it's weight, activated it's power, and took aim.

 

[Pachamac]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater
Megaera, Julius | Trent, Josette | Julius, Celeste, Aleksander | Estefania, Cadfael | Naomi | Giovanni

With the snake's mass tightening around his body, Julius hissed a low, painful gasp. Whilst he had expected the likelihood of being caught in retaliation, even anticipated it, he hadn't expected it to hurt quite this much. And unfortunately it was impossible to have avoided - whilst his glaive had done considerable damage to his serpentine foe, it had also trapped the weapon's blade into it, making it impossible to pull out and retrieve. He could have let it go, but it would have meant forfeiting the weapon and leaving himself unarmed... and even then, there was still Megaera.

The wicked witch was on him in seconds, snatching at his hair and tautly pulling it backwards, craning his neck back to an uncomfortable degree. Clenching his teeth tightly together, Julius looked up at Megaera's face, and saw the venom lining both her fine features and the jaws of the hair of snakes that slowly descended down towards her. A stray drop of venom struck him on the forehead, burning like acid. As agonising as the pain was, Julius prevented himself from screaming. But that was just a small, wayward drop. When the snakes properly bit down into him, the screams would not be prevented.

Fortunate it was then, that a small, gleaming blade flew through the air, and grazed through Megaera's messy mop of hair, first severing some of her precious children, and setting alight the others on fire. Aleksander's knife, the one imbued to burn with fire, did just the trick in forcing Megaera to release Julius from her grasp.

She staggered backwards, howling in anguish and pain, covering her eyes. The torrential rainfall helped to stem much of the blaze atop her, smothering it from what could have been a terrific blaze into small, smouldering embers... but still it hurt. Still it was agony.

After a few passing seconds, Megaera's screams ended. Her face slowly rose, eyes looking out across the expanse of the crater towards Aleksander stood. It was a haunting, rage filled look. He would pay.

Unfortunately for Megaera however, that payback would not be so quick in coming.

For out of the sky fell two meteors. One, directly atop the snake's head that binded Julius to the ground. The fearsome heel of Josette struct it directly, slamming it down into the ground with so much force that it created another crater within the already large crater that was the remains of the church. The snake's body burst free from Julius' body, floating about in the air for but a few brief seconds before it fell limply to the ground, unmoving and unconscious. Josette looked up from where she had landed in a crouch, nodding towards Julius. His distraction had worked.

And it wasn't the only one.

For at the same time Josette attacked Megaera's pet, another meteor had fell down from the ground, striking Megaera in the back and pummelling her into the ground. The source? Trent and his hoverboard.

"You damn weirdos tried to cut me open and experiment on me," Said Trent, his voice a low hiss as he leapt off of Megaera's back, summoning his hoverboard to snap onto his right forearm. "And the dinner the night before wasn't even very good either. Do yourself a favour and just shut up and stay down, lady, before we really have to hurt you."

 

[Taerinn]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater


The snake slithered forward, sizing up its two prey with cold, fury-filled eyes. Its body was battered and bleeding, its jaw was oozing thick, dark blood, and most painful of all of all, it was disappointing its Mother. These things would both pay, it was only a matter of who to eliminate first.

A fist-sized chunk of rock struck the back of its head, making the snake's choice easy. It had yet to taste the larger human, and he was barely standing thanks to his smaller brethren. The snake surged forward, its eyes set upon the man's extended arm. Its fangs clamped down on the human's forearm, bringing the man to the ground onto his back.

Pain spiked with an intensity so great that Cadfael spat out an unintelligible mishmash of obscenities. The snake's substantial weight pinned his most-injured leg to the ground, holding him firmly in place. Thanks to Estefania's well-placed sword cuts and Cadfael's strikes, the snake was just as much on the verge of succumbing to its injuries as they were. Over and over, Cadfael desperately struck the side of the snake's head with his free fist and elbow, pummeling it repeatedly even after the snake finally released its vise-like bite on his arm, falling to the side and remaining still.

After making sure that the snake was not about to rise again, he laid back, panting for air. Well and truly exhausted, he squinted upat the dark sky while hearing Megaera's blood-curdling scream, then saw two meteor-like figures slice through the pouring rain and down into the crater with the force of an earthquake. By the time he brought himself to sit up again, Megaera was on the ground with Trent standing tall over her. Gods, let it end already, he thought, wincing as his arm began to grow numb as well.

 

[ERode]

Within A Certain Building
Raindrops splattered within the abandoned room. Windows shook whenever thunder clapped. His heart pounded violently, pushing blood and poison further into his body. Rehna probably left by now, right? That was fine. If this poison was truly deadly, they were all dead. But they weren't, and though he found it hard to breath, as if his lungs were being constricted, his skin hasn't blackened, and he hasn't died yet.

The blood had staunched after a while. Needle-point fangs were good for injecting poison, but the wounds they left were small compared to the hole in his side.

Bandages were wet. He'd have to change them. His fingers twitched in response. Still no good. When was it going to wear off? When would he be able to be useful?

He sighed, leaning his head against the wall. The ground rumbled beneath him as cataclysmic blows were exchanged by superhuman beings that radiated with talents he would never acquire.

He wasn't ever going to be useful, not when even the destructive force of a lightning bolt wasn't enough to give that snake-woman reason to pause.

"Ah. How frustrating."

Allereun looked at his hands, stark-white in the dim lighting, and willed them to close.

 

[Pachamac]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater Edge

Eyes blinking in disbelief, Flynn regarded the scene in the crater below him from his perch with careful caution. Thanks to the efforts of all of them, it appeared as though Megaera and her pets were potentially down for the count. The snakes at least appeared to be a certainty, the woman herself, however, another question entirely. She had managed to withstand a ton of punishment from them all up to this point, but surely it had to have its limits, right? There was no way anyone could withstand the accumulative damage that all of them had unleashed on her so far. But...

...anything was still possible. As his eyes continued to remain warily fixed on the smouldering scene below him, he struggled to one handedly reload his revolver, bracing himself for anything and everything.

---

Pompelin: Main Street
Milia, Holly

"Milia! Holly! You're both alright!" A call came from down the street, directing the attention of both women from their struggling duties in maintaining a form of crowd control to turn and look down the street, and at the familiar sight of a friend running alongside a curiously familiar, but unknown face.

Cashmere skidded to a stop beside them, looking over both of the younger, haggard women. Lips curling into a grimace, she shook her head from side to side, her hand reaching out to touch Milia's dirt stained cheek. "I'm so glad to see that both of you are safe. Are the others...?"

"We're... we're not sure..." Replied Milia weakly. It was a struggle for her to even remain standing, let alone speak. Her eyes turned towards the devastated remains of what had once been Pompelin's pride and joy church but a short distance away. "There was a... woman. An evil woman. The others were fighting her, but..." But the sounds of fighting had now since died down. Cashmere frowned.

"Cashy, help these two adorable young ladies here help to keep the crowds back," Spoke Cashmere's acquaintance, whom walked past with a reassuring, supportive pat atop the Fashionista's shoulder. "We wouldn't want anyone else getting involved in all this. I'll go check on what's happening over there." As the woman passed, she walked with a peculiar spring to her step and a whistle lilting from her lips. In her right hand she spun a large, circular blade, spinning it around her finger.

"Who is...?" Milia began to ask.

---

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater
Trent, Josette, Julius, Celeste, Aleksander, Estefania, Cadfael, Naomi | Megaera (?), Giovanni

"Well, well, this is certainly a party and a half. And you couldn't even wait for me, could you Trisha?"

Snapping the attention of everyone inside the crater away from where Megaera laid, they looked up in unison to see Elaine staring back down at them with a grin. The majority of the Guilders looked up with confusion, whilst others, such as Celeste, Julius and Aleksander looked up with relief.

Trent meanwhile, froze to the spot. He didn't even try to look around. As soon as he heard that voice... that nickname...

He hated that nickname.

"Shut up, Elaine, and get serious. We might not be done here." Spoke Trent.

"Y'think?" The Tracker replied, leaping down and skidding down the incline towards the bottom of the crater. "I do so hate having to clean up the parties you kids have when I haven't even had the chance to be in it. How's everyone doing? And... hey. Isn't this...?" Upon walking closer to where Megaera laid, and seeing the woman's appearance clearly, Elaine's face scrunched up. She had never met the wicked woman before, but she had heard of her the accounts her wards spoke of when fighting the Vandrell family. She turned and looked back towards Celeste. Back when they first formed a team, Celeste was noticeably different. Still quite angry, and still prone to hot headed recklessness as she was now, but also burdened with an incredible sense of guilt from what happened that evening. She didn't need to say anything, the look on her face confirmed it.

Elaine looked back, frowning towards Megaera. Her body lost its calm and carefree composure, instead becoming ready to move and react at a moment's notice. The pain and harm this woman had caused to her children was unforgivable. Should the woman still try to move and fight... it would not end well. For her.

 

[Dannyel]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater

Megeara laid where she fell, doing nothing more than breathe. It was difficult for her to lay so, face in the ground, biting her tongue. She knew that it was a cowardly move, but they had swept through her defenses, through her pets, leaving her beaten but not down. However, if she could make them think she was down, it might give her a chance.

Part her of – a quiet part that she didn't like to acknowledge – wondered why she was still fighting. What had started off as an easy fight was becoming progressively uglier, and she didn't know if she could make it. Wouldn't it be smarter to simply let it go and flee? Find out where exactly she was, and then make her way home. Home, where her family still hopefully was.

Unless, like her, they had been defeated as well. It seemed likely, otherwise Celeste would have been slain for her offenses, and that damned Julius as well. It was likely they were gone as well, somehow defeated by that band of miscreants. And if it was true, why should she flee? These fools had attacked her, disgraced her, and she would fight them to the bitter end.

So she waited, waited as a new player entered the scene – gods, how many of them were there? She waited as the woman drew close, studied her, as she tensed.

Apparently she was less foolish than her companions.

So when she was close enough to touch, Megaera rolled, grabbing out at her ankle. The few remained snakes bit her leg, driving their venom deep into her veins before Megaera sprang away.

There was no more time for the cultured lady, for the goddess that caused men to quake in their boots. If there was any hope left to be had at all, she needed to draw on the depths of her power. So she lost herself in it, sacrificing the woman to the monsters, and allowed base, primal instincts to take over.

She may not have her own fangs, she may walk on two legs, but she would prove that she was as dangerous and venomous as any serpent.

 

[Pachamac]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater

Was she goddamn serious? Really? Seriously?

After all this, after everything they had already been through today, she will still standing, still fighting? Why couldn't she just admit defeat and let this end already? They had all been through enough this day. First with having to investigate a nightmare world where a town and its peoples' lives were twisted into becoming fuel for a trio's vile and sinister plans, then a long and arduous fight those said three mysterious brothers and their unholy strength whilst watching their companions fall one by one. And then her, with her three terrible summoned pets... their energy and strength at its weakest, dying ebb. By now, they had all been through enough.

But Megaera would not accept that. And so, the question was:

What would it take to just end this already?

"The hell?" Snapped Elaine, recoiling her foot backwards from where Megaera had moved with remarkable speed, taking the Tracker unawares and biting her pets' fangs down onto her leg. Elaine winced with a mixture of pain and irritation as Megaera slithered a short distance back. She slowly began to rise, with an eerie wave to and fro, side to side. As the others all looked on, bracing themselves for the continued struggle and steeling themselves to fight, they watched Megaera with both apprehension and... curiosity. This was not the same woman they had fought before. The one who looked down upon them with derision and disgust from her high seat of propriety and power. This was one who had given into the desperation of someone forced back into a corner and propelled to embrace the darkness within.

It made Megaera even more dangerous. Yet at the same time...

Elaine shook her head. She saw it immediately for what it was. Megaera was on her last rope. She just needed that one last extra push, and then this would all be over with.

"You hurt my kids," Said Elaine, twirling her chakram about in her hands and then brandishing them in front of them. "You have a lot to answer for, lady."

Megaera didn't say anything. Instead, she just seemed to waver and hiss, her eyes shining a dull, golden glow. In giving in to the darkness within her, the primal beast that lay inside... she had taken on the properties of a snake. A true serpent.

Megaera shot forth, streaking across the crater directly towards where Elaine stood, her hair's snakes equally lunging forward to snap and bite and rend and tear...

 

[Dannyel]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater

Megaera struck forth, her movements a blur as she closed in on Elaine. Like this, there was nothing holding her back, but it came with a cost. When like this, Megaera couldn't plan, couldn't scheme, couldn't focus on anything wider than the enemy in front of her. All she wanted to do was sink her fangs into her victim, to rip and tear and maim.

It was a disadvantage, one that Elaine would be easily able to take advantage of.

Despite her sinuous grace, Megaera was unable to catch the woman. She kept slipping past her attacks, and Megaera only grew more enraged, more primal…and sloppy. Instead of falling back and waiting for her prey to come to her, she pressed forward. Her strikes, while savage, went far from the mark. She didn't even notice or care that Elaine was leading her away from the others, leaving her back turned to the group she had spent so long fighting.

All she could do was try and sink her teeth into the tender morsel before her.

Aleksander staggered over to where Cadfael and Estefania lay, his limbs slowly regaining sensation. He was still amazed that his knife throw had flown true, given his condition, but perhaps all those years of practice had paid off.

"Trent," he said, his voice low and tired. "Let's get this guys out of here. Elaine has got this."

"Oi! I'm back." Rehna reappeared in the room, her blonde hair plastered to her head from the rain. But she was hunched over, protecting the bundle in her arms from the elements. "I fetched some supplies."

She came over to Allereun's side, kneeling there with the supplies in her lap. "Come on, let me see the worst of it. I'm no doctor, but I'm sure between the two of us we can figure out some antiseptics and bandages, right?"

 

[Taerinn]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater
Trent, Aleksander, Cadfael, Estefania

While Aleksander helped Estefania to her feet, Trent stood over Cadfael with the same deprecating look Josette had given him, and flicked his eyes at his waiting hoverboard. "No, I don't need it." Cadfael said dismissively, eyeing how Aleksander was (barely) able to stand on his own. His own legs were not as numb anymore, but still steadfastly refused to cooperate when he tried to move them. It was probably the blood loss.

"Just get on the damn thing!" Trent sighed, hooking his hands under the wrestler's arms and hoisting him up.

A count of three and a heave later, Cadfael was laid out on the hoverboard and looking none too happy about it."She's not taking her on alone, is she?" he said, tilting his head back to see where the tracker had led Megaera off to. "Gods, where did that woman even come from...?"

 

[Pachamac]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater

"Gods, where did that woman even come from...?"

"A dark place," Replied Trent, not deigning to reveal any more then simply that. His eyes looked out towards the direction Elaine and Megaera had charged off in, mercifully away from where any of the town's crowd of locals had gathered, thanks to the vast majority of the town's populace already having been warded off by Milia, Holly and Cashmere. "No idea how exactly it is that she got here, but..."

Trent scratched the back of his neck, and shrugged towards Aleksander. "I guess she'll be okay by herself. Elaine's a tough nut to beat, I've never been able to win against her in a sparring match. And that woman... well, she might be strong, but she has to be at the end of her rope by now. Especially when all she's doing at this point is fighting with rage."

"Indeed," Added Julius with a nod, joining his companions inside the crater and offering Estefania a helping hand. At the top of the crater waited Flynn, with a hand outstretched to help those who would try to scale the slippery slope up. Naomi and Josette waited nearby with arms folded across their chests. "Once one loses themselves to anger, they have already lost. I... might not understand anger all too clearly, but I have fought a number of opponents with the same reaction as that woman, and every single one fell in due time. Megaera will be no different."

"If you say so," Said Josette, her expression one of head shaking dissapointment at just how badly wounded Cadfael appeared to be. How on Ddaear he had managed to let himself get in such a condition, she couldn't say. "By the way, aren't we missing someone?"

That caused everyone within the crater to momentarily pause.

"...huh?"

---

Pompelin: Street

"I think this is far enough by now," Said Elaine to herself, her feet skidding to a halt and turning just in time to swing her chakram up to block Megaera's clawed hands swinging down to strike her. The scratch of Elaine's blade across her opponent's palms caused her to recoil back in hissing horror, taking a few uneasy, staggered steps back. At the same time, the nest of vipers that rested atop her head similarly jostled about in shared pain. "You're just nothing but trouble, aren't you?" Said Elaine, spinning the chakram about on one finger. "You've caused my family a lot of grief, you know. Something you won't be forgiven for."

Megaera's ears were deaf to anything and everything which Elaine said. Instead she simply looked down at her bloodied hands, her body absorbing the shock and pain before diluting it down and away into nothing, and then... looking back up. Elaine rolled her eyes. Speaking was pointless, then.

The backstreet she had left Megaera to, which laid on the opposite side of where the church had once been and ran parallel against the Main Street was fortunately devoid of any bystanders, leaving just the two of them to fight against one another.

 

[ERode]

Some Randumb Building
As Allereun stewed on the inside, Rehna came back, supplies in hand. Looking up at the blonde engineer, he wondered if he should be smiling or something. The sounds of battle that had once overwhelmed even thunder had now dissipated, leaving only an uncertain silence. Hopefully, the villagers made it out of Pompelin at this point. Hopefully, none of the rock-trio had come to. Hopefully, the end of the fight was a favourable end.

Ah, there were too many things he was worried about to relax and smile, huh?

"Ish nod that bad," Allereun said, voice slurred. He frowned, his tongue oddly heavy in his mouth. More paralysation? Yay. "Jush feel numb. Lotsa injections. Stishes open. Snakshes bites dun rip or tear."

Man, fuck this talking business.

 

[Pachamac]

Venom​

Pompelin: Back Street

Despite the wound on her leg, and the slowly crawling poison that seeped through it and into her body, Elaine continued to wage war against Megaera with unparalleled speed and agility. Every single attempt of the venomous serpent woman's efforts to strike Elaine met with failure, from the sweeping out of her hands to claw Elaine's face, to the rapid flurry of hissing snakes atop her crown bursting forth with poisonous barbs narrowly missing as Elaine weaved her way to and fro, ducking and dodging attack after attack. At first Elaine sought only to move, only to dodge. For the time being, she planned only on seeing how Megaera moved, gauging her speed and agility before...

Her arm swung out, and with her chakram cleaved the air and sliced a myriad of Megaera's snakes in twine. The battle mad woman screamed as she recoiled in agony, the loss of her children felt all throughout her body. It was as if Elaine had cut off an arm, or a leg. They would grow back in time, but even so it still hurt. Still made her mad. She screamed in frustration, lunging forward to once again resume her offense...

...only to be rebuffed again and again. Megaera had already been fighting for so long now, and against overwhelming odds. She had taken far too much damage already from those petulant children who dared to oppose her... been hurt too much, and not long after waking up from a years long slumber formed in the wake of yet another fight. Elaine on the other hand, was more then capable of still fighting, fresh as she was after being freed from her petrification to fight once more. The battle was never truly a contest.

Megaera screamed and screamed, as Elaine continued to retaliate, shifting the tempo of battle in her favour. Within less then a minute Elaine had flipped and weaved her way around Megaera's body, dodging the woman's attacks and striking back with her own, to shear every last writhing snake off from the top of her body. It left Megaera standing on the spot, her body wavering to and fro, on the brink of collapse, all strength and madness gone from her body. She turned, cruel, vengeful eyes looking towards Elaine stood but a short distance away, twirling her black blooded chakram around upon her finger. Tired and hurt, unable to do anything else then simply stare death at the woman in front of her.

"You... will regret this..." Hissed Megaera.

"Tough words for someone who can barely stand any longer," Replied Elaine. "Just give it up already, lady. Admit defeat."

"Never!!" Snapped back Megaera. "Megaera does not bow. Does not submit. Megaera fights. Wins! If you want me to fall, then just try to!!"

"Oh, I don't need to do anything anymore. You already lost a long time ago, lady. Years ago. You just didn't realise it." Elaine closed her eyes shook her head from side to side. Then, opening them, she looked up, past Megaera and smiled. "Want to explain to her what we mean, Celeste?"

"My pleasure."

Megaera's eyes opened wide at the sound of that hated name. Her body whirled, head snapping up to look in the direction that Elaine stared towards... to see her, coming down at her, fist clenched and reared back behind her, glowing with all of the chi that remained in her body. With an almighty, terrific roar, Celeste's fist swung out, and struck Megaera's square in the face. One second she had been standing, albeit barely. The next, her body was still and unmoving, pummelled into a still sizzling hole in the ground. A Guilder standing beside her ruined and defeated foe, wisps of steam rising from her hand into the overhead sky above.

 

[Dannyel]

Pompelin: Church Remains: Crater

Aleksander stood, having helped the last of them out of the crater where the Church had been. Once they were out, though, he felt the strain in his muscles. It was hard to even stand, but maybe if he kept forcing his way through it, he could keep moving. At least the paralyzation was fading.

"By the way, aren't we missing someone?"

Aleksander glanced around, slowing taking note of who was there and who was not. "It'll be fine," he said. "Celeste is probably just ensuring that Elaine finishes this." He didn't know the whole story here, but he had seen enough to know that the business between Celeste and Megaera was nasty. "I'd probably do the same in her position."

He turned and staggered off, his feet dragging slightly. Still a little stiff, but moving. "We should check on the mages and the others. Make sure they are okay."

Pompelin: Random Building

Rehna looked down at Alleruen in concern. His words were slurring together, and though she might not be a doctor, she knew that was probably bad. "Just rest, Al," she said, "and let me get to work."

She started to shift his clothing, pulling it away from the edge of the wounds he had sustained. "The poison will wear off," she promised, even if she didn't know if it was true. "And then we'll all get out of here and be fine and we can go for pancakes." With a careful hand, she poured some the of the antiseptic over his wounds. "Sorry! I know it stings! Just hold on."

 

[ERode]

Some Randumb Buildings
Al? Who was that? He blinked a few more times, wondering if there was someone else in the room. Treating two people at once? How skilled.

Oh, wait, that was just his name, shortened. Was it that much of a mouthful? Naw, couldn't be. It was only three syllables, after all. Not even that long, compared to some of the richer people back home. In the numbness, he felt something slightly cool ooze into the holes in his body, as Rehna apologized, for…what was it?

Allereun laughed haltingly, chuckles resembling coughs more than anything else.

"Con feel shee. Do yer worse."

Hopefully, the poison really will wear off…but considering how it came from a snake lady that could shrug off lightning, that was unlikely. What sort of half-assed poison would it be if it didn't even need an antidote to resolve?

 

[Pachamac]

Pompelin

An hour later, and the clean up of Pompelin was beginning to occur. After everything that had happened to them, the citizens of the town were naturally caught within a state of worry and shock over the whole sordid affair, confused and beleagured by the strange events that had transpired and which had led them and their town into becoming transmogrified into cold, hard, unmoving statues.

With the defeat of Megaera and the woman's worshippers in the dreaded Gorgon Brotherhood, the town's authorities began to swiftly sweep in to try and contain the area and situation, before the Cerenian military itself would send in proper soldiers to attend the needs of the situations after having been called - they tended to every single person wounded and harmed in the course of events as well as brought all of the villains responsible, whom even now still lay unconscious, under careful watch and arrest. As they did they began treating their tired and weary saviours, as well as try to ask questions in an effort to try and gain an understanding of just what it was that happened.

For the most part, the Guilders were left as confused as the people they came to protect. Why it was the three men were so obsessed with Megeara, to the point of capturing an entire town as a part of a ritual to ressurect her from the stone prison she had trapped herself in two years ago was a mystery, as were the ramifications of just what such an event could be. The important thing for now, however, was that they had been stopped, and everyone caught within the wicked scheme were now free. The Guilders were all hurt; in some cases quite badly. But they were alive, and in time, would mend and heal. As arduous as the battle was... as terrifying and nightmare creating the whole episode was, they had still proven victorious. Still won.

It was worth it.

Well, it would be once all of their injuries were healed up, anyway...

"Gods, Cadfael, you look like shit," Said Josette, not even trying to be the least bit subtle or tactful in the way she addressed the masked wrestler. "Like, what the hell? I leave you guys for a few weeks and then everything goes to hell. Seriously?"

"Lay off, Josette." Replied Trent with a sigh, sitting down on a bench nearby and rolling his arms around to flex his shoulders. As he did his eyes continued to linger on the nearby van, where the three Gorgon brothers had been temporarily placed into before they would be escorted on to incarceration. "He and everyone else did good. We're the ones at fault for getting caught to begin with."

"Pssh, whatever," Josette shrugged her shoulders. Turning around, the short blue haired woman walked over to where Milia, Rehna and Allereun sat nearby, their bodies virtually mummified from all of the bandages wrapped around their bodies. They were almost unrecognisable. "You guys doing okay?" She asked, leaning forward to look towards Milia and Rehna, lightly patting them on the heads. "You guys did good. I'm sorry I couldn't have been more helpful sooner but... well... I'm back now. I've got your backs. And... you." Josette's eyes turned towards Allereun, where a curious eyebrow raised up incredulously upon her face. The scene of him charging towards Megaera and hurling his sword in the air to direct a lightning strike against her flashed back into her mind. "...what's your story, kid? That was some... er... fancy fighting back then?"

 

[Dannyel]

Pompelin

Rehna squirmed under Josette's hand as the girl patted her head. "Hey! I'm not a dog, you know." She stuck her bottom lip out in the most outrageous of pouts. "But seriously, I'm glad you're okay as well. And you too, Milia," she said, turning to face young healer. "Saved our butts with that healing you did, I'm sure of it. Otherwise we'd have fallen too soon."

Alekander, who was sitting gingerly across from them, laughed her spirit. The mechanic shot him a glare, and he held up one hand, placating. "Peace, girl. I admit your spirit is all."

"Damn right you do!" Rehna flicked her hair back over her shoulder, chin held high. "I'm the most spirited person the Guild has ever seen."

"Good, we need more like you." Aleksander smiled at her, then looked at all of them. "You all did good. I can't believe I'm saying this, Trent, but it looks like you might have the makings of a leader after all. Just have to work on that attitude problem."

Rehna burst out laughing. "Now that might require a miracle."

 

[ERode]

Gods, was he going to get buried alive or something? Still paralyzed, the alchemist was unable to do anything during the past hour, as medical staff checked him over, before starting to prepare him for burial. Dozens of rolls of bandages were wrapped all around him, until he could scarcely move. As a matter of fact, while Rehna and Milia could sit like the proper ladies they were, Allereun was basically just awkwardly propped up against a building, arms hanging stiffly to his sides. At least his injuries were stitched up and he wasn't lightheaded anymore.

Hopefully his bones would mend sooner rather than later. Hopefully they worked something out for the antidote. Or gave him Cadfael's genes. Allereun could have sworn the wrestler got bitten numerous times as well, so how on earth was the masked man not a rigid mummy by this point?

Resigned to simply flopping about until more vehicles arrived to cart him into a hospital, Allereun was about to close his eyes when Josette turned her attention to him instead. Ah, man, he really didn't want to speak right now, not when his tongue felt like a dozen bees just stung it. Didn't look like she was going to leave without an answer though.

"Not-so-fancy fighting. Just some magic and science and environmental stuff. Retrospectively suicidal, but no risk no rewaurd." He winced as he realized that he bit his tongue during that last word. "Didn't expect lightning to do basically nothing though. Crazy monster lady."

Allereun paused, before managing the slightest of head-bows. "Allereun Usheim, alchemist and fireworks-maker. In the Guild to serve a sentence. And Trent, found your backpack yet? Dropped it somewhere while we were fighting. Then the church exploded. So yeah. Found it yet?"