The Misplaced Circle

[Zeraj]

Kant held her ring in his hands. He was unsure what to make of it. She was dancing to some unknown rhythm and a strange song was pulsating from her gourds. They shook with purpose and the sounds emanating from them was otherworldly. It seem to call distant things. And it was strong. Her previous song had only touch him a little bit, but this new magic was vast. It pulsated through his chest like a low drum beat. The great beast seem to shudder upon encountering this new kind magic. It was entirely foreign to it. The beast seem to sniff the air and disfigured ears were turning towards her. It bellowed once more, but this time it's spell driven roar was nothing. Empty. It tried harder to no avail. Her magic surrounded everything. The trees, the ground, the air, and even the wind. They seem to flow with the beat. The monster tried to claw Mona against some oppressive force. Kant put another shield and this time he bounced off easily. She was weakening the monster.

The great beast spat and roared even more. From deep within it pulled hard. The monster released every last bit of it's power and forced it outward. It erupted into a great fire so bright Kant had to cover his eyes. Mona continued her song as if nothing happened. When the light ceased, a creature appeared. It was huge. Easily three times bigger than the previous beast. It was magic in physical form. Tendrils of pure magic poured from it's body and the ground was glowing red where it stood. It looked up and screamed a sound so terrible and fierce that the nearby windows broke and things were randomly lit on fire. Kant looked in awe as the beast of magic was standing. It's body was almost formless and there seemed to be no actual flesh. It was glowing and slightly see through. Kant knew that he needed to do something more, but he couldn't figure out what. The entity seemed to look around with new eyes. It no longer burned with a fiery hunger, but somehow it had something much worse. The eyes were intelligent and deep. It had malicious plans in mind and Kant knew it's hunger was still there, but now in a new form. A clever and controlled form that will more efficiently collect magic. It stared at Mona, and made an expression with it's formless face that suggested the licking of lips.

 

[GreenLady]

Mona had danced around, willing nature to work with her in expelling one so out of nature. She danced, the wing flowing through the feathers and dream catcher, stirring up sleeping magic. The gourds sounded, the seeds inside rattling and her feet stomping out a rhythm. Her eyes changed into a violet hue and she danced with more fluidity than before. She was so engrossed in her magic that she did not see the other beast pop up. Instead, she shook her staff and drew runes in the air. She called forth nature and tree roots burst up to protect Kant, winds whipped around Mona to drive her spells into more accuracy. The ground beneath her seemed to pulse in time with her beat.

 

[Zeraj]

It was if the earth itself was trying to tear the entity apart. Kant had never seen magic done in this manner before. The roots that came forth certainly defended against the backlash of the monster's power, but he felt the magical pressure behind every wave. The monster looked at her strangely. With a nonchalant movement, it stood up on two legs and it's shape became more humanoid. It shrunk to a smaller size. There was something uncannily familiar about it's new shape. Then Kant realized it was changing to look like Mona. The see through material of it's magical flesh was now condensing and coloring in. Flesh, muscle, and bone was knitted until it formed a body. After the skin grew on, it was almost an exact replica of Mona, except completely in the nude.

Kant didn't blush or flinch at the sight. He knew this was no human being. The clever deviant eyes still lingered. The fake Mona looked at her counterpart with disgust. It's eyes gleaming a fiery blue. It laughed as wind, rock, dirt, and wood rained down from everywhere. It seemed to be amused at it's new form. The nearby beasts that were sleeping now arose. They ran towards the replica with a fierce hunger. The replica titled her head in amusement, and grabbed the throat at the first one. In a single moment, it drained the beast like it was a bag of air. The remaining flesh fell towards the ground. It laughed with a sound so terrible, fire erupted on several buildings. Kant didn't know what to make of this. He saw Mona continuing dance her magical dance. It wasn't enough. Kant looked at her ring and his own in his hand. He had a grim thought. He looked at Mona once more and realized something he knew long before. Perhaps upon first sight. He considered it and decided instantly. He would do anything to keep her safe. He gripped her ring and felt the magic building. His eyes closed, and he spoke. It was no ordinary voice. There was magic within. Powerful, ancient, and utterly dangerous. The air itself seem to crackle with each word.

There was once a time when he studied ancient things. Ignoring the advice of his master, he read tomes ad went to ruins. He learned dark things. Things better kept in the dark. And suddenly it was all black.

 

[GreenLady]

Mona had watched with mouth open as the beast took on her form. Her form except naked and revealed and she felt exposed. The fake made her look seductive and beautiful and she blinked her eyes, frowning. She had never seen herself in this way. Suddenly, all beauty was driven out as the beast sucked the life from the lesser ones charging at it. She heard Kant begin to chant in a language she had never heard and she looked at him, the nature magic falling away. She felt faint, the magic having drained her of all she had left and she sunk to her knees. She was on the edge of blacking out and struggled to remain conscious. The staff fell to the ground and she looked helplessly up at herself.