P.S.S. "The Legend Of The Primal Keys"::Ch.2 b- Desolation [IC]

[Ragnar]

"I don't know who this Rossephus guy is, but he sounds like total asshat and i don't like him." Gideon answered.

"Count me in, for t'is the very reason why my dual blades are forge: to protect those who can't defend themselves and to strike great vengeance to those who attempt to poison humanity....i would never use both of my blades for the same reason, as one aided the other. just as my father once told me."

[Sutoratosu]

"And then there was four," Anansi mused, very pleased by the motivations most of them had cited. He turned his attention to the field of battle, calling out over the din of thunder and howling wind.

"Leonidas... they accept the call!" he said. "The time is now!" The old man stalking around the various rock formations stopped and looked in Anansi's direction, then a moment later he vanished into thin air, dropping his spear onto the barren earth.

"It's about time," a gravelly, aged voice said from behind the Four heroes. if they turned they'd all find the grizzled geezer standing there. "But I have to say, Anansi... I never expected them to be able to survive in this plain... When the living physically venture into the world of the dead...they tend to not stay living very long. I should know, after how I drove that Bastard Sitanas straight into the bowels of hell... It was worth it though, so I'm not going to bitch about the thing." overhead the clouds cleared from the sky, revealing a soft, orange hue in it's place. The sun was setting in the distance now. The rock formations had all stopped glowing. The winds were warm and gentle in place of the harsh, cold ones from a few moments ago. for miles and miles around the heroes grassland expanded to the horizon.

A black haired boy just a few years older than Absalom stood nearby, a Black and White Elder Dragon by his side, eyeing Leonidas suspiciously. "So this is what his little transformation was about..." The Dragon said.

The boy glanced up at it. "I still think we should've just knocked him unconscious when he had started spouting all that nonsense... I honestly don't even know if this man can even be addressed as 'Stratos' anymore..."

"Feel free to call me what you want, kiddos," he called back to them, keeping his eyes on the quartet. "I'll respond to any of them, Stratos, Leonidas, Leon... you tend to gain many birth names when you've been around as long as I have." Then to the group. "So...good to finally be able to meet you all in person," he said. "Anansi here showed me the four of you along with a few others, long ago... I think I can work with this, yes. The fact that you all have agreed to take up this fight at all speaks volumes to your character and heart as a warrior. Encase you're wondering, you are all in the Realm of Elise, children." he gestured out with the last part of the sentence, as if presenting all of the beauty of expansive territory before them.

[Felicity]

"And now you have taken us to the bloody afterlife!" Darius cried. He had just made a vow, and he was sent to hell, or heaven, or whatever it may have been. Fantastic! "And what do you have to do with this?" Darius asked of the Young boy.

[Sutoratosu]

"Don't bother worrying about who I am," the boy said cryptically in response to Darius. "I'm honestly not important in the greater scheme of things. I'm nothing more than someone who decided to join the fray for a little while and didn't live very long afterwards... I'll say nothing more about it than that, so please, don't bother asking any further." it was so obvious he was hiding so much more information that it would take an absolute idiot not to see it.

Leonidas spoke up, however. "Don't sell yourself so short, boy," he said, picking up His unconscious current body from the ground and slinging it over his shoulder like a ragdoll."You may prove to have some use yet." he looked to quartet now, ready to get going. "Now, are you going to stand here playing 20 questions with some random dead child, or are you all about ready to get this mission of ours started?"

[Felicity]

"No time like the present, unless you've tampered with that too" Darius agreed, ready to head on. He gazed around, looking at the scenery, wondering if he'd be returning sooner than he'd like.

[Sutoratosu]

"I suggest you learn to just accept that certain things in this world have been tampered with and manipulated," Leonidas said to the young knight as he looked off in the distance. "You'll have a much easier time if you do. and no, actually. we didn't quite get this far with our planning and string pulling, our plot ends right about... a few moments ago actually. from this point on, it's all up to fate and probability. And how hard you're all willing to fight." He turned his attention to Anansi.

"If you'd do the honors and open us a way into the city," he requested. "I can feel a certain someone somewhere in it's vicinity..."

"And so the war begins..." Anansi muttered to himself as he held out his palm and traced a circle in the air. It turned into a burst of light a moment later, creating a portal leading through into a Dessert landscape... oh yay! what fun, the Party was going to get to go back into the Freezing Cold and Blistering Wind!... or perhaps not. In the distance a series of scorched, ruined buildings clustered together...and there were far more where they came from. but it seemed like a bit of walking would be required to reach them from the portal's other end. Leonidas walked on through without another word, stepping out of the circle cut into the air and onto the sand.

"Now...where is the old bastard..." he muttered, scanning the horizon.

[Felicity]

Darius stepped forward standing next to the man. "Perhaps you could tell us who the "Old bastard" Is so we can help find him first. After all, we have the sharpest eyes in the land" Darius said, hooking his thumb towards Sinbad.

[Sutoratosu]

"His name is Arthur, though he doesn't know that at the moment," Leon said, eyes peeled on the darkened horizon. "Doubtless you've never heard of him, what with the way that History has been revised and edited over the years, but let's just say that in a fight, he's the only one I've ever truly trusted with my back. He took care of a little issue concerning a certain sorcerer and my Seal on Sitanas a few hundred years after I was dead and gone."

He looked back to the portal, stopping his vigil. "But I guess I shouldn't whine about the truth of the Era of Heroes being edited out of the common history... afterall, I let those damn scholars do it for a reason. In the end it was better for us to be forgotten, by everyone, including our mutual enemy... but perhaps I'll be able to show you all where I hid what I needed to salvage, give a little a bit of context as to those we're looking for." he returned his sights to the desert.

"What we're looking for right now is the light of a campfire... That's where we'll find one young Lord Arthur... and maybe even another one like you all."

Out of Darius's peripheral, he could see something that might fit the bill of a small fire...

[Aurorix]

A chill went down Zolivar's spine as the blistering cold wind rushed through the portal that the spider created. "Why, why does it have to be cold out right now." He muttered to himself. He hesitantly went into the portal after Darius and suddenly felt the freezing wind of the desert throughout his body.

"What we're looking for right now is the light of a campfire... That's where we'll find one young Lord Arthur... and maybe even another one like you all."

"Did someone say fire?!" He said in excitement, not being able to bare a couple moments in the chilling desert and it didn't help his armor was broken leaving him with only his light clothes from under his once majestic armor. He notice the light that seemed to be a fire and without thinking he rushed towards the fire without hesitation.

[Ragnar]

Who is this Arthur person? and another one like me? i doubt it, there's nobody like me but me. Gideon thought to himself as he went through the portal with a smirk on his face.

[Felicity]

Darius did indeed notice a light of a fire in his periphery, especially with Zollivar rushing towards it. "Stop you fool, who knows what the hell could be out here!" Darius called to the man who stupidly rushed forward.

[Sutoratosu]

"Stop you damn fool!" Leon shouted. "Don't go rushing off like some idiot, you'll surely get yourself killed like that someday!" It seemed as though nothing that Leonidas or Darius said was heard by Zoliver though.

"Keep your eyes on that one, Leon," Anansi said from the otherside of the portal. "He poses the most threat to the mission with his smugness and lack of foresight and thought. I advise you keep you within sight and reach at all times... I needn't tell you what danger would be posed if IT managed to get a hold of one of them somehow."

"I completely agree with you, old friend..." Leon sighed. "And here I thought I wasn't going to have to babysit anyone during this..." With that he began walking down off after Zoliver, a strange seal blazing on his palm, his magic kept at the ready encase something tried to eat the boy...which in the back of his mind, he honestly hoped would happen, just to teach the dumb man a lesson in prudence.

As he walked, the old man disappeared without a trace at one point, Stratos's body now doing the walking instead of the Hero. But it was obvious this was still Leonidas... because the same exact Seal burned on the Sky Slayers hand and he had the same, disappointed, fed up look in his eyes as the old man had shown moments ago.

Absalom and Lucian were the next ones to walk through, the latter not helping but shivering a little in the cold of the night air.

"Have you people never been in this dessert before?" Absalom sighed, embarrassed by these Westerners lack of knowledge... maybe they would've been better off staying on the other side of the Cithal Range. "Walking around in this part of the Diraha at night, alone, is a sure fire way to get yourself killed. Sand Worms can sense the vibrations of people walking, and they like to target loners because they often don't feel like dealing with the resistance that comes from Parties consisting of two or greater. Smaller amount of food, but at the same time, it's also a lesser amount of energy that has to be expended trying to get it."

Almost as if to concur with the boy's words, a slight rumbling could be felt beneath their feet for a few seconds... and then it was gone...because it was moving towards the same direction Leon and Zoliver. The Hero noticed the vibrations before the even reached him though, and was already shouting out a warning, hoping the knight would be able to hear him so far away. The Trembles went right under him and then passed as he did so, luckily he himself hadn't gotten too far from the portal.

"Zoliver, you fool! Run! Run to the Damn Camp Fire as fast as you can! They hate going after groups!"

[Felicity]

"Walking around in this part of the Diraha at night, alone, is a sure fire way to get yourself killed. Sand Worms can sense the vibrations of people walking, and they like to target loners because they often don't feel like dealing with the resistance that comes from Parties consisting of two or greater. Smaller amount of food, but at the same time, it's also a lesser amount of energy that has to be expended trying to get it."

"Well then, everyone get moving, but stay near each other. We need to stay together if we want to keep those Sand worms away" Darius said, as he walked, hoping that the others would follow

[Aurorix]

"Wait, what hates going after groups?" Zolivar said as he rushed towards the fire faster then before. Though this is the fastest he's ever ran before, maybe he was scared of what was coming, he could really want to get out of the cold, or it might be that his armor was broken and not equipped. Yea probably the armor. Needless to say he zoomed towards the camp fire not wanting to know what he got himself into. Seeing as he has no armor on that would be the wisest decision.

Edited November 8, 2014 by EXLink32

[Azeria]

As he opened came by,Shavian noticed he was no longer in the burning innards of the Inn he was sleeping in for the night,instead he was in a Dessert with an burning camp fire in front of him.Turning around he saw a Man sitting there,dressed in full armour with a tattered white cloak covering it.His attire seemed to have been stained with some blood,probably that of another human being."Why did the fire happen on the day he was going to Lithania though....was it that someone was trying to prevent him from getting to the so called "miracle"stone,but why would they burn the entire city down instead of only the Inn I was in?"Shavian thought as he reminisced about what had happened.

[Sutoratosu]

((Ah, I see you decided to go ahead and intro yourself. Let's get cracking))

Azery and Exlink

"So, you're finally awake..." Deric said, dejectedly. "Good...it's good to know that at least I saved Someone this damn tonight..." The fire crackled and flared as he stared at the young man, his eyes strangely empty of everything aside from Grief and anger. It looked as though the man's soul had been broken once, and then he had realized it had been broken, refused to lay down and die, and went off to war against those who had inflicted him such harm, only to come to realize after all his fighting and shedding of blood, that no matter how many villains he killed, his soul would always be like this, cracked, split down the middle... Worthless.

"And it looks like we have even more company..." he sighed as Zolvier finally made it over to the camp fire. A rumble came from underneath the area, and then nothing. The Sand Worm had decided against it's pursuit of the knight now that he'd gained strength in numbers. Deric stood from his seat on one of the two dried out, petrified anceint logs sitting in front of the camp fire, addressing Zoliver with eyes cold and depressing as the most frigid of Ice.

"Who are you, boy?" he demanded. "Why is it that I find you running to my fire in the middle of this God aweful night, alone in the dessert outside of a city that has been scorched by some sorcery? Speak, or walk away."

((For those still at the portal, you are free to make your way over to the scene at your own discretion right now.))

[Aurorix]

"Sorry for the intrusion," Zolivar said "my name is Zolivar Nix and I wasn't walking around alone, actually my friends are a ways behind me and I went on ahead." He said explaining the situation. "Then I felt a rumbling and one of them yelling to run towards the fire because they hate attacking groups. I don't know what he was referring to but he knows the desert more then me so I ran as fast as I could here. That's all that happened thought what was this of a scorched city?" Zolivar said not remembering any city above ground, let alone a scorched one.

[Sutoratosu]

"Are you blind?" Deric asked without humor, voice grey as slate. He thrust his finger to something in the distance... the torched outskirts of Lithania were very clearly visible. "That city, boy. Right there, Lithania, former capital of the nation of Diros since the great Dismantling of the Theocracy, and now the resting places for all of my closest friends in the this world. That's the damn city I'm talking about."

"Arthur!" Leonidas called as finally caught up to Zoliver and arrived at the Camp Fire.

"Who the hell is 'Arthur'? the white knight asked, nodding down at Shavian. "What, is it his name or something? You know either of these boys, Lancer?"

"Arthur is you, you old fool," Stratos ((Leon, whatever you prefer at this point.)) sighed, shaking his head. "But that's fine, Me and these others will have you recalling that simple fact before very long."

"You'll have to forgive me for asking this, but just who the everloving fuck are you?" Deric stepped back, hand reaching for something hidden by his blood stained white cloak.

"I'm Leonidas, Arthur, but you might know me better as Stratos this time around."

There was silence for a very long moment that seemed to drag on for a whole eternity, then from Deric "Did you have something to do with the sorcery that befell this city tonight, Sky Slayer?"

"Sadly, yes..." Stratos said, raising an Eyebrow, thinking it strange for that to be the only question the man had asked. "I'm afraid I did...in a way."

There was no further discussion after that. Only a click, then the sound of a blade being drawn. The flash was nearly blinding as Deric tore his weapon from it's sheath Slicing through the towards the Sky Slayer's throat, only to be narrowly blocked by Stratos bringing up his bracer out of reflex, catching the blade with his forearm and wincing as it shattered the metal and send the shards flying into the night air like shrapnel from an explosion. Deric charged forward, unleashing another blow, this one tearing apart the man's breast plate and sending him to the frigid sand by the fire's light. Deric stormed towards him as he lay there, fire in his eyes and anguish in his voice.

"Then my foolhardiness this night is amplified a thousand times..." he snarled. "You... you have caused the deaths of those few who I still actually give a damn about in this world... Jez, Decate, Roy... their blood is just as much on your hands for starting this mess, as it is on mine for failing to prevent their slaughtering within that damn city. I'm a man with no future, no friends, no hope. I've no real reason to go on living now, if you killed the Sky Lord like people always hear you boasting you would, then chances are that Aaron and Sam are dead now... I can't even go back to the boy, he was the only reason I ever stayed in the first place. And to think, if I had stayed in Cithalos instead of pursuing this damn rapist out of some vendetta... Now everyone's gone, I've been trying to put her soul to rest, but she wouldn't have wanted this, any of it... she wouldn't have wanted me to cause others to lose their lives pointlessly just to avenge her... now I've gone and ended up killing both her and her brother.God almighty, what a fool I've been!" He stood over top the sky slayer, blade clenched, fist white as snow. He stood with his back to the fire, casting his face in shadowy night. But Leon could see those eyes, eyes like a wolf, cold, ferocious, filled with fury more primal than god himself. "I should have just stayed in Cithalos... and killed you when you showed up and stopped all of this from happening before it ever began. God, Lucretia... I'm sorry. All I've done with this pursuit is cause innocent people to fall prey to the evil lying before me. In my quest to avenge you tonight, all I've done is things you surely look upon me with shame for. I have truly lost the way of a White Knight... and the way of a Magistrate."

He turned his blade around in his palm, holding it back handed now as he lifted it into the air before him, hoisting it high in front of his face in a sacrificial manner. He looked down at the Sky slayer, tears glossing over his eyes and flowing down his cheeks. He was in a trance of pure grief. His breathing spuradic as he said "With my soon to be last breath, Stratos Valgiri, slayer of hollowed skies and bringer of ruin... I hereby sentence you to die in the name of humanity, and sentence myself as well for my failure to prevent your actions." Then he thrust his arms down, sending the blade towards Leon's heart...

Shavian watched all this... and he felt a strange pain in his side. If he rolled up his shirt a little, he'd find a loaded Fusil stuffed into the waist of his pants, the same one he'd carried within him on his travel west. There the man who had apparently saved him was, going on about some woman named lucretia... about to kill someone. He didn't know what was going on... but he had the power to play god in his hands right now.

There was only one question. Who would he fire upon? Whose life would he snuff out in one simple, irrevocable act? Or would he even fire at all?

[Felicity]

((This has been at a standstill for far too long. I can edit/delete as necessary.))

After a short, paranoia inducing trip across the sands, Darius came upon the fight. Shocked, Darius rushed to tackle the man, who was about to impale Leon.

[Sutoratosu]

((You're right, Corporal, it has.))

Darius plowed into Deric just in the nick of time, saving Leon from an untimely death and sending himself along with the other knight sprawling in the sand. It wasn't long before the man shoved Darius off of him with a sudden kick to the sternum, getting up and glaring down at the young warrior, the same wolflike, grief tainted fury present in his eyes as before. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to tear his throat out with his bare hands.

"So you're going to interfere, are you?" he snarled, just now noticing his sword had been knocked away however. It didn't matter, his hands would suffice just fine, as they had so long ago on that night... He unclipped his tattered Cloak from his armor, letting the thing fall to the ground as he stalked closer, Fist clenched and prepared to strike. "Fine, if you're so eager to throw away your life... I don't care anymore."

[Felicity]

Darius levelled his bastard sword at the man after he scrambled to his feet and unsheathed it.. Darius was honourable, but by no means was he about to risk a loss by sheer stupidity. "I have to tell you, you swing that fist at me, you'll probably lose it. Furthermore, you're outnumbered quite heavily here" Darius saw that the man had no intention of giving in, so he glanced at Leon, waiting to see if the man would interfere.

[Sutoratosu]

Leon was getting up, slowly but surely. And he was a bit pissed to say the least, even with this whole "Sky Slayer" business he'd gone and gotten into in this cycle, this was ridiculous. He should've never gotten involved in Rosse's little scheming and conspriracies... all he had ever gotten was hate and copious amounts of cringe worthy flaming from it. And here Arthur was, the old bastard he had fucking SAVED, once upon a time, now trying to kill him and his Party mates... "Now now..." he tried chiding his rising anger. "He can't remember anything, after all... it's not quite his fault." But even as he tried the self placation to keep from any needless violence right now, he lifted his left palm, stripping off what was left of his breast plate with the other. Ah, Muinnat blades... great when you're the one swinging them, but not so much when it's in the hands of the other guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTU4wWVqKiU

"Stop," he ordered, voice strong as steel. Deric didn't even bat an eye. "Stop or I will fucking kill you!" That rage filled outburst seemed to draw his attention. "You're not that important boy, go on, fucking test my patience here and now, and I will tear you apart like the rabid dog I truly am and send your sorry ass back to Elise. Anansi will have you back again before too long, Arthur, I can always wait around and get to you later; the only one who it is imperative we find soon is Circe."

Unfortunately, it didn't work... because the Knight only glared at him... and then started stalking forward once more. "I'd like to see you try, Sky Slayer. Your legend ends this night."

By this point Leon had made it over to Darius' side, placing his hand on the man's bastard sword and lowering it from the ready. A moment later the knight could see a harsh light blazing in between the Sky slayer's fingers, Electricity and thunder beginning to crackle and dance across the cloudless night sky. He clapped his palms together in a ritual like motion, bringing them back apart a moment later, the light now cloaking both hands and leaving streaks in the air. The wind began to stir, growing stronger and faster... Sand and small stones were beginning to be picked up in drifts around them. A few white, blazing winds began to issue from Leon's hands, swirling forth one after another and going wild like animals. Darius could recognize them as being similiar to the same winds he'd seen Leon use in the vision from the past Anansi had showed them.

"This is the wrath of the one of the strongest pieces of magic there is... the wrath of the first Apocrypha," he warned, obviously done with this whole situation from the tone of his voice. "You have one last chance. Stand down, or I will give you a beating that you'll be sure to always remember." Deric finally stopped this time, taking a few steps backwards even, when he saw the Conjurings Stratos was up to.

"A mass murderer and a Sorcerer," He spat. "How low can you progress?"

"Start talking to him," Leon suddenly ordered, glancing at Darius. His voice and glare left absolutely no room for argument, not unless one were crazy, that is."It's obvious the damn fool won't listen to anything I might say. And I suggest you do it now, because I've no patience left with him... before long he may well be nothing but a splatter in the sand."

[Ragnar]

"I wouldn't be too hasty if i we're you.." Gideon said from the distance as he approach the scene. "It seems you have no choice here, we're not really murderers, well that is unless you give an reason not to." Gideon said with a smug look on his face. "if you value your life, i suggest you listen to what my knight buddy here has to say.,,but first state your name and business you jackal."

Edited November 22, 2014 by typhlosionrulez

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Sinbad finally emerged, having taken his time. Too many flashes of Bianca made it hard for him to move. But he picked up his feet, he moved them with purpose. He had to uphold what she wanted.

Then he was greeted with this grisly scene. His brow furrowed.

"SILENCE!!! THERE WILL BE NO BLOODSHED HERE!!!" Sinbad yelled. "Enough blood has stained this land, need we add more? It is already so full the land itself bleeds. There is no more room for blood today. We have a purpose here, one bound in fate and the fabric of the very world. And if you do shed more blood, you will make a young lady cry pale tears, do you want that? Would you want a Woman to have to cry for all the hate and bloodshed in this world? She may not be here now, but she is watching. I promised her this world would be a place where no one would ever have to cry again, that she could dry her tears one day. I wanted her to dry those pale tears she cried for humanity, I wanted them to stop hanging on her cheeks, her beautiful rosy cheeks. And then the very Humanity she believed in stole her life. You THINK you have nothing to live for? What do I have to live for? NOTHING!!! But am I going to weep and get angry like a child who hasn't gotten the lot he wanted in life? No. I have a job to do, and you here all do. None of our blood can spill on this day, because if it does her last hope for this world is gone, her pale tears will fill the heavens and hell itself."

((edit: now with sweet musics. Get in the mood dang it!!!))

[Felicity]

Sinbads speech stirred Darius, but not to violence. It made him stow his sword. Darius looked at Deric, his voice hushed. "And there you have it. What will you do, I wonder?"