[IC] Lightgivers - Volume 1: A Feeling

[Sutoratosu]

 

 

Thousands of paths. Countless more possible outcomes. Most of them with the child dead. Just as he had some many times before, the flame again caught a glimpse of that which was to come, in that one, single instant in which the woman in armor turned the spear away from him and towards the ward. It was not the construct itself that he feared, no... he knew that was merely a distraction, an attempt to upset their balance.

 

No, whatever the real threat would be, it would only come after. And regardless of whether or not the girl understood at long last what he'd been trying to beat her over the head with all this time, he would take no chances. She still came first. And as the woman evaded his next blow, moving closer to the source of his very being, already the Wolf expelled his current form, releasing his hold on the physical world as he once more returned to the girl's heart, the crimson light pulsating once more in her chest... just as the spear came for her. But Braith did nothing to stop it. He already knew it would never be what slew her. 

         What he was more concerned with was wave of pure hellfire he sensed even now. The wave that struck even one as brazen as the girl with tremors as it passed over everything. The wave that, despite her panic, he told her fret not, that he'd break no promise because he'd make one he could not keep in the first place.

 

And to the waves of hell, she fell. But just as he'd promised her, she doth rose again, the flames that had once dominated the world around her and provided so much bolstering strength to let the wolf roam free gone now, but the hund himself ever vigilant, watching, waiting, seeking for the Shatterpoint, the moment that would make or break both his and the girl's survival, eyes hidden from sight as the menace approached, braith sensing the child tremble, but letting her show none of it.

      And there, he finally saw it, as he again looked within himself, within pure flame... and with thunderous volume, with fluency so feriously swift as his window of opportunity to alter path began closing ever faster...he did proclaim, the shepherding flame using the girl's voice, as if one, single determined sound, her sound laced with his raw drive to defend the only one who truly mattered.

 

"Inveniam viam aut faciam!!"

 

The girl's body finally lifted it's head, and with it revealed the inhuman blackness of it's sclera, pure crimson blazing bright against a void of utter black. The girl had no power here, in this moment, only him, and the being in gold. She held not the knowledge needed to make it out of the encounter alive, but he did, and by the gods themselves, he would quite literally survive for both of them if necessary. A cloak of solid flame shrouded her form within the same instant as the fearsome invocation escaping her lips, as the kick that otherwise would've proved fatal made landfall and using every ounce of influence he had over that body commanded "You will roll with the punches" and like a puppet, so did the nerves and muscles respond, letting the raw force carry the girl away from the golden being and the cloak of flames even propelling her further to increase the distance between them... 

      Brath wasted no time, with both their lives in his metaphysical hands. As he took note of a twinkling of light shining from the distance, for once, he felt thankful for the cheeky little fucker the girl had nearly murdered just the day before, and quick as a scurrying church mouse, stood Rame's body up and charged it for what was left of the nearest treeline, if the smoking ruins of what had once perhaps resembled trees could even be called that. He cared nothing for the protest of the tendons in the legs as he overclocked the muscles, chanted a few more chants just to reinforce them with the vigor of flame as he ran, he knew full well a lost cause when he saw it. They'd done their part, tried what they could. He would risk nothing more here than he already had with that gambit. And so he, in the body of her, Ran, a blur of speed as he tried his absolute damndest to get her out of the situation while he could...

 

Eyes still burning with that otherworldly, contrasting black against a scarlet glow.

 

[InnocentSerenity]

Karen & Alison

 

Reacting to the fires launched straight towards xem, Karen frantically brought to mind one of xyr most common summons. Not stopping for theatrics, a sigil appeared before xem as a human began to appear, near exact in appearance to Karen, beside their violet shade to their hair. They weren’t summoned for long, as the person was enveloped in flames. “Sorry, Renka.” The person made no unnecessary movement as they disappeared back into their sigil.

 

While still not lacking of stamina, Karen expected nothing could come from continuing to fight. Even if they could succeed in driving Li out, everything they had here has already been reduced to nothing. Staying here would only give them an early grave. “Alison, pick me up and carry me out. We're getting out of here!” Karen gave no time as xe already began to focus. It only took a few moments to focus xyr mind, losing conscious control of xyr body. A snore escaped xyr lips as REMquiem activated.

 

Alison caught Karen before xe fell, as a sigil began to appear before him. Unlike xyr usual golden-colored sigils, this one took on a violet tint to its symbols. Cubic rocks, a violent shade to them as well, covered in green moss began to appear and bind themselves, forming the rough image of a human. The rocks began to move as one, forming a golem near twice as tall as Alison. Not needing the commands of Alison, the golem began to move toward Li. A hopeless endeavor, but they could only hope it would help.

 

Karen’s voice resounded in Alison’s mind. “The golem will only distract her so long, if at all. Get out while you still can!”

 

“Everyone!” Alison began running towards the tunnel, trying to get the attention of the others still around. “The golem can only do so much. If you want to run, now’s your chance!” Alison stayed close to the tunnel entrance, keeping watch for the others.

Edited December 11, 2016 by InnocentBoy

[Stalkerkain]

"What... is going on... out there?" Felis asked Alison with concern. He remained seated, his calm disposition unwavering. His eyes were still trained on the entrance to the auditorium, ready to bolt into the escape tunnel at the first sight of their enemy. Oddly, the flames had receded, following by a large explosion that shook the area around them. Was this Rame's doing? He couldn't tell anything from his position. Even without the flames, the auditorium continued to crumble, threatening to give in at any moment. There were still others out there; Rame, Aqui, Marius, and a few of the others who ran back from the tunnel. Who could tell how much longer the building would last? He himself would have to retreat, collapsing the tunnel behind him if necessary. "How many... are left outside?"

[rustytengo]

Can was annoyed as hell to say the least. First things where going fine and then the dragon attacked....Lovely. Pushing what stuff landed on him off he looked around the dragon...well girl now has done quite a number, and now there was a rock monster charging her.

 

"Yep everyone around here is so flashy hell might as well get out I'm not fighting her......Now anyway." He thought to himself as he looked around for away out. Deciding that heading to the tunnel was probably the best bet.

 

Moving in a very round about way hoping to avoid the dragon ire he made it to the tunnel Looking at the two standing there he asks "So what are we going to do with the people out there we can't just leave them right?" pointing the the few still in the way of the dragon girl.

[Hiss13]

She could feel her breath growing thin. The intense inferno was throwing all of the breathable air further and further up as the remainder of the air filled with the waste products of combustion. Aria knew she had to escape. There was a path there to escape through, after all. 

 

She had to escape. 

 

Aria looked to the scene of carnage that was unfolding and slowly stood up. 

 

She had to simply escape. 

 

She slowly made her way to the tunnel that everyone had headed to and then looked back, reflexively reaching for the staff she had holstered at her side. 

 

There was no point in going to help. 

 

The presence who had set all ablaze and taken back all those flames was something she could not face. She had long since become an incarnation of destruction the likes of which Aria could never even hope to slow down. A large beast was terrifying due to the size and illusion of a lack of control it could present. But, something like what Li had become before them was something entirely different. A human figure with that kind of malice surrounding it was nothing short of suffocating. Because she had a human figure, the killer intent felt more palpable to the point where it was constricting Aria’s heart. 

 

No matter how much she may want to turn back and fight back, she would not be able to.

 

After all, she would be merely an ant before that girl. 

 

Standing near the entrance to the tunnel, Aria muttered. “It’s…not wrong to run…right?” 

 

In the end, her pride truly was meaningless. 

[K_H]

Jev had quickly made his way to the tunnel in the chaos that followed the explosion that was the dragon-girl's arrival, and remained quiet the entire time. However, once Can spoke up with a question, an idea occurred to him.
"I've got an idea for getting those people out of there. I can reach out and grab them from afar, then pull them back towards us."

[Stalkerkain]

2 hours ago, rustytengo said:

"So what are we going to do with the people out there we can't just leave them right?" pointing the the few still in the way of the dragon girl.

"If it comes... to it... we will," Felis said. His tone was cold, indicating he was fully aware of what he was saying, and what he intended to do. "If they cannot... make it back... we will meet... with the others."

 

1 hour ago, Hiss13 said:

Standing near the entrance to the tunnel, Aria muttered. “It’s…not wrong to run…right?” 

 

"Retreating is not... wrong. " Felis said with as confident as a tone as he could muster. "I am... weak. Scared. I know I cannot... win. So I will run. I will live... and fight when I am... stronger."

Felis stared on ahead, hoping for more of the others to arrive, and to escape. After the explosion, all was eerily silent. The fighting from before had quieted down, leaving Felis only to wonder who had won. Or if a victor had been decided at all.

"But the least... I can do... is keep the tunnel free of... rubble. So that the others... still have a route... to escape," Felis said adamantly. "And if all goes... wrong... I will collapse the tunnel... behind me. It will at least... buy time for... the others. Now go. Before it is... too late."

 

48 minutes ago, K_H said:

"I've got an idea for getting those people out of there. I can reach out and grab them from afar, then pull them back towards us."

"If... you can do so... without getting yourself... in harm's way... then I will agree," Felis said. "But if you cannot... then I would not... have you waste... Marius and Aqui... and the others'... efforts. I would want... all of you... to run."

[Bfroger6]

"I-is this part of the demonstration?" Tessa shouted in panic as the ground shook, but she quickly realized how silly it was of her even to think such a thing. She watched in puzzled horror as everything around them collapsed into a flaming inferno, including the dorms where all of her stuff was. "Noooooo!" She screamed in agony, faced with images of all of her neatly assembled clothing burning away into oblivion. Not to mention her prized rapier. That thing costed money, you know! It had jewelry embedded into it!

 

No, she couldn't get hung back by these thoughts. She had to escape. She had literally 0 chances of victory in this scenario. Her lumen calculated that even with her rapier in hand, she would not be able to contribute AT ALL. So she did what any reasonable student would have done - ran towards the teacher while shouting and flailing her arms in panic, into the tunnel and into safety.

 

"Everyone...I know you keep ignoring me...but ruuuuuuuuuuun!"

[Felicity]

Panic was a very real force in Cindys mind now, the urgency in Os and Damions voices reinforced the fear and overcame the strange interest in the monstrosity ahead of them. A giant canine behemoth of flame appeared, contesting Li bravely before being proven nothing to her.

 

Then Marius' unconscious body crashed into her, sending her sprawling, and she loosed a pitched wail of abject terror. The Phantom hands spasms, floating in the air where Li had only been for a moment and raced to wards Cindy like 4 silent hornets. wo of them grabbed the girls arms, hauling her up with a painful grip. The other two clinged onto Mariuses body, not even trying to lift him but instead drag his body across the ground. They moved surprisingly quickly towards the treeline, Cindys wails breaking up into hoarse coughs within the smoke and her eyes frantically bounded around in her sockets, looking for other students like Os and Damion, her teachers or, God forbid, Li.

[K_H]

A bit of motion caught Jev's attention, and he used his Lumen to extend his arms all the way to a spot just ahead of it so that he could retrieve whichever individuals were moving at that location. If he was successful, he'd grab Aqui by the arm, then pull them towards himself and the other students in the tunnel entrance.

[Ragnar]

Roy, inside the tunnels

 

Come on, What's taking them so long? don't fucking tell me they went head to head with that overgrown fiery reptile that seems to be on a warpath on bringing fire and brimstone on earth. They can't be that stupid, right? who the fuck do they think they are? Gandalf!?  Roy snorted and looks at behind his shoulders and noticing only a few is inside this tunnel. Roy sighed and rolls his eye by the other's life choices of going outside, it seems everyone here lost their minds and wants to play the martyr in this situation and doesn't care about their own survival anymore. The boy simply shrugs and just before he takes another step further in this chamber, He heard the dragon's bloodcurdling roar coming from the outside as it echoes through the confined tunnel. "Pfft.." Roy snorted and simply cross his arms. The boy continues to wait inside the comfort of this underground tunnel, not even lifting a single finger to help his fellow students outside the field.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Ragnar

[M_Cowher]

Damon

 

Marius knocked into Cindy beside him, almost hitting him as well if he didn't dodge out of the way. Things were looking bad, and with the exception of the newly summoned golem and the strange wolf spirit nobody seemed to be standing up against Li. 'I should go...' Damon thought, recovering from nearly having a body thrown at him. Cindy had gotten up and started to drag Marius behind her like a ragdoll. 'Probably a good idea to not leave a coerator to his doom.' Damon tok off after her through the ash and rubble that remained of the campus. The charred rubble of buildings brought back painful memories of his own home. This was all too familiar, it seemed like not so long ago he was in a similar situation. The ash smelled of death. Damon looked to Marius and Cindy. "No one else has to die here today." He said to himself, starting to follow his comrades retreating into the forest.

 

'Why? What is the point of this? Li was a Coerator herself. Why attack her own? What does she gain from this?"  Damon thought to himself, sword in hand dashing behind Marius's flailing body. He looked over his shoulder ready for the worst, but the dragon lady still seemed preoccupied. 

[Felicity]

Cindy's wide, terrified eyes locked with Damions. She whimpered slightly as her hands continued to drag her along. She had heard him. Her heart still fluttered in manic fear.

[Amanojaku]

Leo watched in wordless horror as the flames spread around the auditorium. The blazing, suffocating air around him and the feeling of hopelessness brought back painful memories and, with them, came the realization that, even though he chose to come back to Auster and fight, he wasn't ready at all for what awaited him. The inventor fled, following the shapeshifter's extended arms into the tunnel.

[M_Cowher]

Damon

 

Cindy locked eyes with Damon. She looked like a scared animal, Damon realized for the first time that her lumen was actually pulling her. It was a rather strange sight when he actually thought of it. The phantom limbs pulling Cindy and Marius simultaneously. 'There is probably a lot I don't know about this girl's powers.'  There was no immediate danger so Damon no longer felt that he needed his sword out, so he sheathed it. He then tried to rouse the terrified girl to her senses. "Are you okay? You look terrified." He said awkwardly, but then began with determination. "We need to get out of here. I don't know where the others went, but if they know what's good for them they'll get the hell out of here. We have Marius, but I hope that some of the others rescued Aqui..."

[Felicity]

Cindy only stared before a moment before she nodded, a jerky, spasming motion. She turned her eyes back towards the treeline with a haggard expression. She got some of her footing back but her hands stayed where they were, supporting her as she walked now rather than dragging her along. Half her skirt was now ragged and dirty, from soft white cotton to a coarse brown mat. Locks of her hair now trailed down her face after coming loose from the ponytail she had been wearing. Otherwise though she seemed physically fine.

[anethia]

Sylva

 

It had been a slaughter, to be truthful. They were in no way ready, and no combination of their greatest powers could match up to the sheer strength of Li. How she had surpassed the other Coerators was unknown; just that at one point, she had soared far above them in raw power and technique in the blink of an eye. Sylva stood at the plane, slowly ascending. It was huge; the colour of pearls, complete with a whole host of pods and piloted by the best they could afford to waste on a bunch of degenerates learning to use a sword. They filed in, a rush, a horde of panicked prey running from a pack of wolves, fleeing from the flames. "Move, move!" She roared, trying to count but then losing her place - no sign of Aqui, most of the recruits... they couldn't stay much longer. The flames were advancing, and Li wouldn't be confused for long. They had to move now. They had no time.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Anethia

[Swampellow]

Osiric

Os came into sight of the plane, haggard and out of breathe: coughing because of the fumes. He heard Sylva yell at them to move and then saw the plane.

 

He started running towards the plane, trying not to shove anyone else out of the way as he boarded.

[Chevaleresse]

Well, today was just super boring, wasn't it? He'd looked forward to training and getting better and making friends and stuff but no one but Baixue wanted to talk to him and now everything was on fire and he had soot in his hair and in his eyes. He skittered toward the plane, looking more put out than frightened. He didn't want to die today, that'd be lame, and he wouldn't be able to get back to his sister. He was, perhaps to the relief of others, quiet for the moment.

[Felicity]

Cindy looked at the approaching as one would their saviour; Cindy's eyes were feral and shone with the instinctive desire to fell and survive. She forced herself to move at a furious, limping pace as two of her hands supported her and the other two dragged the unconscious Aqui with her, following Os without any words.

[InnocentSerenity]

Karen & Alison

Alison adjusted his hold on Karen, his arms only growing tired as he carried his sleeping master. "No point staying here, idiot! Get moving!" Nodding his head towards his unconscious master, the boy ran towards the plane, hoping that the rest would be able to escape safely.

[Bfroger6]

Tessa

Good, finally! Finally they were sending something to rescue them! Tessa ran towards the plane without much hesitation. She currently just wanted to leave the place since the entire situation made her want to utter some improper words. She was no brute though, nono, so she had to resist the urge to curse at the one who had blasted all of her belongings into smithereens, and after she'd barely gotten them all arranged...thank goodness her planner was always with her...she didn't know what she would do without her schedule book...

[Sutoratosu]

Rame

 

"Keep going, just a bit further..."

 

Braith looked on as his charge stumbled through the burning landscape, his hands forced, his influence receded. Though he'd not wanted to let her have control back when her mind was still such a mess of trepidation, he'd had more important matters to focus himself on, and she was coherent enough to at least operate her own limbs. They could run, they could try to hide, but the wolf knew this escape would be worthless, unless he knew where exactly would be best to flee to, and searching the flames took precious time and focus; gathering the energy needed to let her pass through them as open doorways- purging through one swirling, roaring inferno only to end up emerging out of a different conflagration entirely, took even more so. Luckily she had not questioned his instructions, but the disorientation with every jump was there, and intensifying, he knew it.

      She needed time to learn the technique properly, but he did not have the time to teach. She needed his counsel, after coming so much closer to the jaws of death than ever before while at his side, but his counsel was a luxury he could not afford to expend at the moment. There was only the fire and the smog, the death and destruction all around. Every flame they passed, either a source to draw power from, or an open door for the next leap.

 

Finally though, he saw it. Slowly but surely, the path out formed within his own sight into the flames, just as with the last blow from the Interloper, the Shatterpoint emerged, and without even thinking, he pounced forward like the alpha he was and grabbed hold of it in his jaws, and did not let go until at long last, the final inferno opened to engulf the girl, and as he held onto that image before him with all his might and will, spat her out, stumbling and unsteady onto the barren and blackened earth, the world around her swimming but Braith himself forbidding her legs from buckling or her equilibrium from failing, blasting mind and body alike with the essence of the flames all around and making up for their exhaustion with his own drive.

 

And there, in the oh so near distance, he saw it. Just as in the Shattering, the gleaming beacon of pearl.

 

"Good, good..." he prodded the young cub forward towards the awaiting Craft, but he knew she was barely listening, barely even conscious after the strain of what he'd put her through. It was muscle memory and subconscious impulse more than anything else that kept her actively moving. But that was fine, as far as he was concerned. They had made it, that was what mattered. They would get to live another day...

     Perhaps that day may well be worse than today. Perhaps all days after this would only bring more strife. But it did not matter. Every sunrise they would be afforded was an opportunity to grow stronger, every sunset a moment to reflect on the inborn weakness that still remained like a cancer in the body, every night a time to recall every defeats they had suffered... perhaps the visions he saw before him even now where true, and they would nothing but endless strife and conflict. But none of it mattered to It.

 

It would not stop until the promise was fulfilled. Its word and the girl were all it had...regardless if it accepted or not, it's entire world began and ended with her existence. Even it's name and reputation began and ended purely in the depths of her heart, mere facades , but facades concealing what, it could no longer recall.

 

But recall it needed not do anyway. For it was and had always been to Rame, Braith, wolf of the north, the scarlet fang, the snarling flame, and those names and legend had thus far proven as good as any for it's purposes.