The Lull of the Clouds (ERode and Akame)

Status
Not open for further replies.
“Sure you can,” Ier-Briar replied teasingly, “Just like how you kept me in check during that whole fight, eh?” Flying off to retrieve the Fortress, which floated in the air and was now cool enough to touch, the red-haired man began to sheath the dagger once more, when he noticed Kaylee tie her messy hair into a ponytail in an attempt to get back some control over it.

Well, he never had any hair problems due to the length of his own, but it was probably really annoying when you had waist-length hair, huh? Spinning Fortress in his hand, he changed its shape into that of a comb, before tossing it over to Kaylee.

“Don’t have a mirror or whatever, but you can use that if you want.”

With that, the young man flew back down to the ground, heading towards the Fairy Ring.
 
Kaylee fumbled to catch the comb. "Oooh that's convinent." She fixed her hair as they flew towards the ring with Ier-Briar. She scanned the paper once more, she looked a little disappointed. "If we're supposed to be some special unit, you'd think they'd provide us with more information on our target." She sighed, "I guess dangerous to scout bigger, stronger monsters though, hunh?"

Her hair was finally fixed, so she returned the Fortress to it's owner. "So, I know you're interested in hearing about Nyx, my Signet Bracelet. There are four types of magic I've learned to use: Primal, Shell, Mend and Subterfuge."
 
“Maybe we’re only special because we can do the work of a full squad between the two of us,” Ier-Briar replied, taking the comb from Kaylee and reverting it to its dagger form. “I’m fairly certain that the people over at Markova-Ulms would be able to tell us more though. It’s their problem, after all.”

Her ‘explanation’ about the abilities of Nyx was…interesting, to say the least. Four types of magic that she learned? It sounded like Primal was for elemental magics, which was already excessively broad, Shell was for defensive, Mend was for healing, and Subterfuge…stealth? Ier-Briar’s eyebrows lifted up in surprise once more as Kaylee spoke of her abilities. “Out of curiosity, what exactly IS the Veritz Signet Bracelet? Standard magical devices are only capable of performing one or two spells, and the Type-Grimoires that I’ve heard of carried roughly five, but with very similar abilities…and are you saying that there’s even more magics that you can learn to use?”

As they spoke, the two neared the Fairy Ring, a large circular structure made of a dark green stone. Various runic carvings pulsed softly in the sunlight, as teams of technicians manually adjusted blocks of stone to fit separate coordinates. A few other teams were queueing up, but today, it seemed, was a day that wasn’t quite as fraught with urgent monster threats. Most of the other graduates were still crowded off in the distance, registering their hand-picked teams.

Ier-Briar stood in line, waiting for an answer.
 
Kaylee rolled up her sleeve and took off her bracelet, handing to Ier-Briar. One the bracelet was a symbol, the Veritz Family Crest was a...bird? "This symbol signifies the Phoenix. You've of the eternal being I presume. Well, it started off as a regular magi-tech weapon that let the user, my ancestors, use primal magic, which is my offensive magic. They were only limited to fire and ice, however. Throughout the years, it never wore or broke. No one knew why, and what's even crazier, it responded to me." Kaylee was starting to sound crazy, like the thing really was alive.

"When I put it on I felt it. Heat rushed through my body, and my wings lit on fire. Ever since, I've been able to cast spells without limitation, and I've created my own spell. It took 2 years to complete." She took her bracelet and put it back on. "As for my current magics: Primal is the type of magics I use to harm my opponent. A fire ball, Ice spear or lightning bolt. Shell is my defensive types, ice barriers, fire walls, electrical fields. Mend is self explanatory. I can use it to heal wounds, but it usually takes a long time to preform, so it's useless in a fight. And, subterfuge is my spell. I made it, and I'm not telling you what it is." She grinned, "it's my little secret for now."

She stepped up to the glowing runes, "aw, it's supposed to be hot where we're going and I don't have something lighter to change into." She said slightly depressed, slouching over in disappointment. Yep, she was definately not a tomboy girl.
 
A regular magi-tech weapon that allowed her ancestors to use fire and ice magic freely? Or was it that they could use only fire balls and ice spears? As he rolled it over in his hands, Ier-Briar caught the family crest that had been inscribed on the surface of the Phoenix. What an…interesting symbol. Though he had never encountered the Gods of the Sky before, he was aware that the firebird was one of them, and instantly, he recalled Kaylee’s wings.

Red as flame, like the wings of a phoenix.

Geez, if this kept up, he’ll probably turn out to be the more normal one between the two, huh? Handing the bracelet back to her, Ier-Briar laughed at her comment about not having a change of clothes. “Is that seriously coming from someone who can make ice pop out of nowhere? Just stick one of your ice spears down your back, Kaylee.”
 
She gave him somewhat of a disgusted look to his reply, even though she knew it was a joke. "But, then when the ice melts my shirt will get really wet. By the way, even magic can be taken logical. I don't 'make' ice out of nowhere, I freeze the water in the atmosphere into ice blocks." She readied herself to go through the ring. "Okay, when we get to Markova-Ulms, we're going to see what the locals know about this monster's threat, jumping into a battle unarmed with knowledge is a sure fire way to get killed."
 
"And when your shirt becomes wet, you can freeze it again! Easy, recyclable solution, eh?"

As he spoke, one of the technicians motioned for the mission statement that Kaylee had, before speaking to a few others and rearranging the coordinates. After they finished locking the runic cubes into place, the team placed their hands against the giant ring, pushing their power into the structure. Space bent, distorted, and with a popping sound, the scenery changed, revealing a desert town and a cloudless sky. Already, vestiges of heat emanated from the gateway, and Ier-Briar couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, looks like we'll be cooking. Let's see if the locals have something lighter for you to wear as well, yeah? It'd be pretty sad if the heat killed you before the monster did."
 
She looked up in the sky and messed around a little bit, acting like she was nearly about to faint. "Ahhh, sooooo hooooooottttt~" She laughed to herself. "It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, but yes some lighter clothing would be nice." Kaylee wasn't too happy about Ier-Briar's comment. "I work around fire all day! A little heat isn't going to kill me so easily!" She pouted and began to start walking. "Well, let's go see what we can find, shall we?" She looked back at Ier-Briar to make sure he was following.
 
Ier-Briar stepped through the rift and found himself instantly uncomfortable with the heat of the sun. The town was, at closer inspection, more of a village, most likely something that had only been recently settled in. Markova-Ulms, it appeared, was a young whale, and had terraformed its back into a land of sandy dunes. In the distance, the heat cast mirages of an oasis, and the sand-brick huts that were clustered around the small ring gave off the sense of a…pleasantly simplistic life.

As the two of them stepped out, a raven-haired man, his eyes gray and his chin stubbled, greeted them with a wave. “Glad you could make it,” he said in a gruff, yet amiable tone, “Name’s Sharr, Ring Operator and Guard of Carnhol Village. Your quarry’s been spotted west of here a day or two ago, but it doesn’t seem to be interested in attacking the village. Probably was distracted by the snakes and scorpions within the dunes. Anything I can offer you before you two begin your hunt?”

Ier-Briar scratched his chin for a bit, before saying, jabbing a thumb at Kaylee, “Yeah, my partner here needs a bikini, if you have one. She was looking forward to taking a dip in an oasis and all that.”

Dark-skinned children, dressed up in white robes, popped out curiously from the huts as the three talked. They ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ from a distance, clearly not accustom to foreigners in their village. It looked like adults weren’t present, at this time.
 
A stubborn growl could be heard from Kaylee after Ier-Briar's comment. "One day, I will kill you. You're just a perv that would love to see me in a bikini, hunh?" She turned back to Sharr, "I would like some lighter clothing. My current wardrobe is of high-quality material and is rather warm in this temperature. Do you have any kind of robes, or dresses that of a lighter material?" She asked politely. "Oh, and we were also wondering if you had more information about the monster it's self. We are a bit in the dark about it as of now."
 
Ier-Briar chuckled, holding up his hands to show that he meant no harm. “Just trying to be considerate here. Not like there’s much to see the first place.”

The older man was beginning to crack a smile as well, before catching himself and realizing that it would be better off not to incur the wrath of one half of the party. Motioning for her to follow him to one of the huts, the stubbly man replied, “Well, can’t get you anything too fancy, seeing how we’re out in the boonies, and it’ll probably be a bit dusty, but I do have a dress in one of the wardrobes here. Just return it once you need to leave. The older children here don’t have much when it comes to clothes, so I can’t give them out for free.”

The hut was largely filled with sleeping cots, a single wooden chest serving to contain the clothing of practically all the two dozen kids that apparently slept there. Drawing out a strapless dress that had seen better years, Sharr handed it over to Kaylee, before turning around and facing away from her.

“Was too busy with digging out underground shelters to do any significant scouting on the monster, but the Falling only happens to flora and fauna. Out here, on Markova-Ulms, I reckon that you’ll be dealing with some monstrosity of an insect, maybe a snake. So…uh, hope you’re not afraid of bugs.”

Outside, while waiting for Kaylee to do the deed, Ier-Briar sat himself on the sandy ground, entertaining some snot-nosed brats with his Fortress. With deft movements, he changed it from structure to structure, finally ending it off with a large, slick slide for the kids to play on because constant transformations were tiring.
 
Kaylee cringed at the sound of 'insect'. She was fine with bugs, but should they come face to face with a spider, she would probably not want to fight it. "Thank you for your help Sharr. I'll return this after our mission is over. I'll leave my clothes here to make sure you get this back." When they were finally gone, Kaylee got changed as quickly as she could. The dress might have been a little small on her, it reached just above her knees. She dusted it off the best she after putting it on, it was a little dirty, but she expected as much.

Kaylee came out of the hut and met up with her partner. "Come on, we shouldn't dally any longer. I really hope this monster isn't a spider.." She motioned Ier-Briar to come. "By the way, what does there's not much see mean? That you want your hair set on fire?" She said this after they had left the village, away from the children. "I'll singe your eyebrows off if you keep picking on me like this."
 
As Sharr and Kaylee left the hut, Ier-Briar first took a look at his partner's new outfit, and then shot questioning glance towards the older man, who only shrugged. She definitely looked alright in that dress, but at the same time, it threw the red-haired youth off, seeing someone go into battle wearing that. At least a bikini would maximize one's freedom of movement.

Nevertheless, he waited for the last kid to finish sliding down, before retracting the Fortress and sheathing it once more. "Sorry kiddos," he said, "Gotta go kill some monsters now!"

As they left the village, Kaylee dropped her fire-related threats and Ier-Briar grinned, putting his hands behind his head. "Well, you know, it's just in comparison to the Headmaster. No need to feel too bad about it~ More importantly though, what did Sharr tell you? We're fighting a Fallen spider?"
 
"I sure freaking hope not!" She yelled abruptly, "spiders are more than monsters; they're demons. He told me that flora and fauna were out of the question here. We would most likely be dealing with some kind of giant snake, or insect." She walked next to Ier-Briar, not too far from him but not too close. It was noticeable that Kaylee was showing much more now. Her skin wasn't very pale, but it wasn't dark either. She was definitely showing much more of it, considering how her last outfit only showed the skin on her face and hands.

"You know, going for a swim wouldn't sound to bad right about now. It is pretty hot, and I haven't been swimming in so long." She mumbled to herself. "I know we're on mission, so those thoughts will have to wait. Let's see if this, sheet has some where-a-bouts on a location." She pulled it out once more and looked over it. "Hm...nope, makes sense they wouldn't have an exact location on it, but I'm sure we'll know what it is when we see it."
 
Uwah, she was arachnophobic? Ier-Briar really couldn’t sympathize with her plight, seeing as to how spiders dealt with other insects quite readily and were more helpful than they were pests. He shrugged noncommittally, reassuring her half-heartedly that desert spiders were probably the underground sort that wouldn’t get hit by a drop of rain. As they trekked, the tall youth kept his eyes on the horizon, staying focused and trying to ignore the illusionary water that the mirages brought into his vision.

He regretted not getting anything to drink now after their little fight now, and he nodded at Kaylee’s own murmurings. “Yeah, would just love to dive into an oasis and drink it dry. Hopefully we fi-”

Suddenly, something popped up in the distance, a thin, black figure that wriggled madly. It wouldn’t have been a concern if that figure was nearby, but...it was in the horizon. That figure, large enough to be seen clearly against the mirage-ridden horizon, moved with such force that Ier-Briar realized then that the dunes weren’t shifting due to wind, but due to the earthshaking motions that it did.

“...well fuck. At least it isn’t a spider, eh?”

At such a distance, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the monster the Headmaster sent them after was as high as a building.
 
She extracted her wings from their mechanism. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall?" She smiled trying to make a good news of their situation.

"Okay," she took a deep breath, "I can do this." Ier-Briar couldn't hear her say this. He didn't know it, Kaylee hasn't actually fought with a monster since her parents died, now she's taking on a building sized being. "Alright, you go for the first strike. I'll support you as needed." She readied a fire ball in her hand, charging it up a little to make it stronger.
 
“Yeah, let’s hope for that,” Ier-Briar replied, stretching out his arms as steel wings burst out from his back. “See you over there, Kaylee. Stay safe and stay back.”

With that, a familiar resonation sounded through the empty sky as the wings burst into action, rocketing Ier-Briar through the desert and kicking up clouds of sand in his wake. As he neared, the massive girth of the monster became even more apparent. Far from the snake that it appeared to be in a distance, it now showed itself as a massive centipede, countless hook-like legs wriggling in the air as it dove headfirst into the sands. The darkened carapace shone dully in the sunlight, and pulling out the Fortress, Ier-Briar narrowed his eyes and drew it to his side.

“Ascalon Mode: Initiate.”

A red seal briefly appeared on the surface of the dagger, before vanishing. Radiant energy began to leak out of Ier-Briar as he focused his magical power into the device, and suddenly, the dagger expanded, glowing a golden light as it grew beyond the bounds of a normal weapon.

Glistening proudly in the daylight was a ten meter long sword, and with heroic effort, Ier-Briar swung with both hands, cleaving through the top part of the centipede and cleanly lopping it off. Brackish blood spewed from its severed body, and its entire body convulsed, a screech of pain leaving it.
 
Kaylee flew to catch up with the fight tossing a few fire balls before the centipede was completely underground. She listened closely, hoping to pin point where it might resurface. She looked down at the ground below her to watch for ripples in the earth. "Damn, where'd it go?" She was ready with a lightning bolt in her hand.

The ground shook wildly again, and the centipede unearthed underneath her, she was able to dodge but the wind caught her wings and sent her off balance. The young girl crashed on the ground, but got right back up and tossed her lightning into its back.It screeched in pain as it was shocked fiercely, it was stunned from the attack. "You! How dare you knock me out of the air!" Kaylee began forming another lightning bolt but it would take a second.
 
As his blade cleaved through the giant insect and severed part of its body off, Ier-Briar grimaced in irritation as its wound closed up soon after, the monster diving into the sands before Kaylee’s fireballs could land. It burst out moments later, and Ier-Briar dove at it, Fortress transforming into a giant mallet that skewed the direction of its land-to-sky attack. With a heavy impact, the body of the insect was pushed slightly to the side, but even that wasn’t enough to prevent Kaylee and Ier-Briar from being blown away by the Fallen centipede movements.

Tumbling through the sky and regaining control only after Kaylee stunned it with a bolt of lightning, the red-haired youth grinned. Fortress changed shape once more, now becoming a massive lance that covered the entirety of his forearm. Diving towards the beast, its black body fully exposed, Ier-Briar thrust outwards.

Mere moments before his strike could land, however, the jagged legs of the centipede suddenly detached and shot outwards. Three black spikes ricocheted off Ier-Briar’s armor, cracking it, while he jerked his head out of the way of a fourth. It drew a long, thin cut underneath his left eye before his lance could transform into a shield, blocking the rest of the multi-directional projectiles.
 
"Not enough voltage..." she said a little depressed. She stopped the profuction of her lightning as Ier-Briar started getting attacked by the giant spikes. He blocked them off but more came after that. "Watch out! Frozen Heart Barrier!" A big barrier of ice formed in front of him absorbing the hits from the spikes. As Ier-Briar examined the barrier her could tell it was shaped like a heart.

The bestie flailed, it's spikes had become lodged in the ice. "Freeze over!" The ice began to engulf the spikes further, holding them in place. "Now! Hit it go-" she was cut off as the centipede slamed it's tail-end down in front of her. The wind caught her wings and she began to fly back, WAY back. Ier-Briar could hear her scream as she flew backwards.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.