RP:The Frosted Cavalry

Part of the A Test of Faith Arc

Remains of the Castle

(Continued from The Ties That Bind.)

Valiana made her way through the streets of Cenril hot on Satoshi's heels. Despite years of practice moving swiftly through the forests the Draco Elf struggled to keep up with Satoshi's alarming pace. Had it been another time or under different circumstances Val might have smirked in amusement at the way in which the street in front of them cleared out effortlessly. Men and women alike ducked into alleyways or stepped into the cities gutters to offer the enraged Queen and her gryphon companion a wide girth and Val suspected the emotion projecting from her visage was hardly any better. As a result even the city's ruffians knew better than to get in the way of the trio as they charged swiftly forward. With each house or shop they passed Val attempted to reach out with her aura, searching for some semblance of Frostmaw's Justice, yet she found nothing. The streets seemed to wind endlessly south-east, a test of the templar's patience which was nearly non-existant. As they approached the wharfs upon the city's edge Val began to wonder if they had missed something, yet the gryphon too had made no indication of sensing Redovian's presence. Then it hit her. The recognition was so very faint Val might not have paid it any notice on a normal day. But here, in the woman's present state of mind the slight press of Redovian's aura upon her consciousness might as well have been a boulder hurtled against her mental barriers. "This way!" The cry was released in a excited shriek as the Templar took the lead, working her way along Cenril's rocky shores at something just short of a run. As the shattered ruins of a castle came into sight the presence pushed harder upon her mind. "There!" A hand raised to point out the location did little to detract from her speed. Val hoped Satoshi was on her heels because she could not emotionally spare the moment's hesitation to look behind her.

Satoshi would have kept stalking forward, seething rage rather than thought directing her, were it not for Valiana's shout followed seconds later by an elated scream from the gryphon. All too suddenly the roles are reversed, with the kit bringing up the rear while paladin and winged beast charge forward. The castle's gutted remains loom above, a blackened and miserable looking monster with the jagged remnants of a gate serving as an all-consuming maw. Satoshi recognizes the old building, having visited it once long before, and while she's glad Emiur had been correct... she's none too pleased by the choice of location. For the cryomancer knows what waits within. Suffocating heat, all-consuming flames, molten rock... Another scream from the gryphon, this time one of pain, yanks Satoshi from unpleasant thoughts and she looks up to see the creature rearing up on hind legs, wings splayed and beaked parted in a defiant shout. Sprouting from the gryphon's thick right shoulder is a crossbow bolt buried nearly to the fletching, thick blood oozing out around the shaft. Satoshi's eyes narrow as they scrutinize the castle's entrance, catching the flicker of movement within, and spotting the man positioned just beyond the threshold, made nearly invisible by his dark leathers. But his frantic movements as he tries to load another bolt give him away, to not just the vulpine predator, but the beast he's just attempted to slay. Golden eyes blazing, the gryphon's wings pump once to send him forward in a soaring lunge, foretalons extended to catch the man square in the chest. No more than a half-strangled scream escapes the human before his ribs collapse beneath the force of the gryphonic tackle, and both go tumbling into the darkness beyond, latched together in a savage tangle of claws, limbs, wings, and blood. "Of course he's under guard," Satoshi comments cooly, expression eerily devoid of emotion save for a flicker of murderous light within the amber flecks of her eyes. She's going to enjoy this.

Redovian shouted, "*The sudden influx of spiritual power rushes forth from out of the depths of the chasm, once the pain of the young gryphon reaches his rider. The anger of the paladin that lies imprisoned within the depths of the chasm causes an overwhelming influx of pressure that can ealsy be felt. Somewhere, deep down in the bowels of this forsaken hellhole, Redovian can feel his mount's pain, and his anger has manifested by means of the powerful aura that erupts from the darkness below.*"

Valiana caught the whistle of the bolt as it sliced through the air. Arms were raised to protect her face and neck instinctively. Just as the defensive position was taken so too came the scream of the gryphon. Within those next moments words of command were muttered in the elven tongue. The result, the conjuration of a pulsing aura of thick blue light that flowed out from the paladin's shield arm. Using the divine bulwark to protect herself from any further projectiles, the woman turned to analyze the damage the gryphon had sustained, calling out to Satoshi in those same moments. "I can't take him down from h--." The cry to the frost mage was cut short as the gryphon took flight. Cerulean eyes followed the majestic beast to the castle wall and watched on calmly as the he effectively neutralized the threat before either woman could take action. Knowing full well that where there was one guard there were always more, Valiana broke into a full sprint for the castle's gate. Eyes catching more movement above the paladin raised her divine shield overhead just in time to deflect another one of the crude projectiles. The woman did not allow the movement to slow her approach as she entered the arched gateway, becoming safely concealed from the crossbowman's attack. However, as Val came to a halt and turned back to see what Satoshi had made of the situation, she was caught off guard by a third hired thug. The man, wielding a large hatchet had sprung out from the crumbled stone remains of the castle's walls. Had it not been for the surge of energy from Redovian's aura Val would likely have never turned her head to catch sight of the attack, and may have ultimately met an untimely demise. In the last moments of the thug's assault Val managed to bring her sword arm across her body in an attempted defense. The motion served to deflect the axe, yet the rusted metal still sliced into the paladin's arm, living a shallow cut. "Argh!" She cried out in pain as she countered, effortlessly sinking her divine blade into the man's torso.

Satoshi, with a hiss, staggers backwards against the sudden pressure of Redovian's holy aura, the motion ultimately serving to remove her from the flight path of a third bolt. Quivering in the blackened pillar beside her rests the arrow, having missed the kit's head by less than an inch. Vulpine ears swivel forward in search of the grind and clank of a crossbow being reloaded, and eyes trace the bolt's original path, until she's locked onto the human crouched beside a tumble of old stone that had once served as a castle wall. When the man lifts his weapon up to take aim again, he finds his sights empty. The white-clad female has seemingly vanished. Cautiously, he lowers his crossbow, eyes squinted as they sweep the courtyard in search of his target. "Lose somethin', doll~?" The voice is a velvet purr that pours into his left ear, the white plume of breath that accompanies it teeth-chatteringly cold. Shivering, the human whirls around to face Satoshi, the little magus perched upon one of the stones he'd used as cover and peering down at him with feral delight. Bloodlust has transformed the foxkin's face from amiable kit to predatory vixen, angles sharpened, eyes burning with molten amber, and fangs exposed in a shark's grin. And all of it is only semi-visible, frequently fading in and out of sight as the chilling aura of mist gathers about her in a ghostly shroud. Before his weapon can be raised or fired--despite the numbness overtaking his hands, the vampire lashes out with her right hand, the once dead limb reborn anew as ice, with fingertips hewn into elongated talons. As her open-palmed hand slams into the man's face, the frozen claws curl inward, seeking out weak points at the jawbone, chin, ears, and peak of the skull, where pressure and sharpened tips combine to plunge through flesh and bone. "Foxes are quick. Didn't anyone tell ya that~?" With a stomach-wrenching crunch, the cryomancer slays the man before retracting her claws, leaving the corpse to slide off the blades and crumple to the ground. Licking the blood and brainmatter off her fingers, Satoshi glances in the direction Valiana and the gryphon had gone. The scent of fresh blood reaches her, and the vampire unconsciously sifts through it, allowing her to partially map out what's taken place in the past few moments: the gryphon hasn't been injured anew but is further away now, another human has been killed judging by the abundance of sweet odors in the air, and the slight, exotic, yet unappetizing, scent of dragonkin blood marks a minor injury for Valiana. Leaping down from her perch, Satoshi hurries toward the castle gates in a low crouch, senses on high alert for the next guard as she seeks to catch up with her companions.

Valiana pulled her blade from the guard, pristine metal dripping with the humanoid's blood. As the life drains from the man's eyes he crumples to the ground, a lifeless mass of flesh and bones. The Draco Elf's eyes-- now flickering orbs of silver flame--turn to the ruins, searching meticulously for any other guards that might have taken up a defensive position within the castle's remains. The paladin saw nobody, though she ducked behind a pile of crumbled stones and dirt as added precaution, the commotion coming from the chasm below suggesting they would have more company soon. Content with the safety of her position, the paladin offered a glance, void of emotion, to the wound she now carried. The magical properties of her blood had caused the bleeding to stop and the ugly slice in her skin had seemingly crusted over. The dark red scabbing glimmered with flecks of silver, no doubt attributed to her Saurian blood. ~Satoshi~ The thought entered her mind swiftly. Attention was turned to the area surrounding the ruins as she searched for her companion. The feline was not hard to spot, perched upon a pillar next to the now lifeless body of her unfortunate prey. Waiting for the short moments that it took the cryomancer to close the distance, Val addressed her. "Seems the whole city of Cenril knows we're here now. We best head inside. I don't believe there's any guards left up here."

Satoshi's ears do not cease their movements, twisting and turning in every direction, seeking out the slightest sounds of further enemies, while the kit's blazing eyes stare unwaveringly ahead. "I sense nothing further alive out here," she remarks to Valiana. While she could be wrong, she has faith in her keen senses, and is certain she'd smell fear, pick up the sound of movement, or detect the workings of magic, if anyone else living was lurking outside. As the magus stalks through the gates, she's met with the sound of eagle screams, clattering metal, and high-pitched shouts of alarm and pain. It'd seem the gryphon has finished off his original attacker and found new targets to play with, and judging by the voices, they're not human. Smaller, too, and caught off guard by the sudden aerial assault. "Onwards, lady Valiana~," Satoshi calls before running toward the spiraling stone stairwell that encircles the chasm. With each stride the noises of battle grow louder, with the chasm's interior doubling the sounds until it's impossible to tell if one gryphon and ten creatures fight, or ten gryphons and hundred foes. It's almost deafening for the kit, ears folded back and fangs bared in unspoken pain, as she rushes down...

Chasm to the Depths

Valiana nodded in agreement, glad to have Satoshi's battle experience to second her battle synopsis. Rising from her crouched position, the paladin winced sharply as pain shot up her arm, yet having sustained wounds tenfold the one she now bared, the cut was all sent to the back of her mind. Without a moment's hesitation Val followed Satoshi, the deafening clatter of battle pushing her descent down the spiraling staircase ever faster. As they made their way down Val scanned the area before them, not wanting to let another crossbowman catch them off guard. About halfway down the stairwell their rapid descent was met by the charge of a humanoid creature that Val identified immediately as a hobgoblin. Unfortunately for this creature, he had chosen to meet the threat above alone. As the brute came to a halt and reached to his back for a bolt, Val took action. Legs tensed with draconic strength as the draco elf lept past Satoshi, clearing an entire arced corner of the spiraling stairs. The momentum from the lunging fall brought the paladin's mass to slam down upon the hobgoblin who fumbled with the bolt's loading mechanism nervously. Val's outstretched hands were poised in front of her as she slammed down, a sharp grunt given at the impact. With the preparation taken she was able to successfully grab the crossbow and slam it against the wall until the brute released it. With both of them disarmed the hobgoblin reached for the club at his side, as his other arm flailed wildly in an attempt to push back his attacker. Not wasting her time with steel, Val decided to let gravity and the hard floor below do her work for her. Quickly grabbing the man's leather breastplate she gained a solid base before turning quickly and using her momentum to throw the hobgoblin off the side of the stairwell before he had time to realize what had happened.

If there were any doubts on whether or not she could work with this half-dragon paladin, they're put to rest when Valiana sends the unfortunate hobgoblin sailing into the void. "That's my kind of fighting~," the kit trills. Further comments are set aside, however, as another pair of hobgoblins come charging up the steps. Satoshi's words swiftly meld into lyrics designed to manipulate the dampness that clings to the surrounding stonework, transforming water droplets into a sheet of ice encasing one of the steps seconds before the hobgoblins reach it. With a squawk, the first of the little humanoids hits the ice patch, feet shooting out from under him and launching him backwards into his companion. In a heap of green flesh and rusted metal the hobgoblins struggle, insults and blows swapped while they attempt to untangle themselves. Satoshi, however, doesn't give them that pleasure. While they bicker, the magus sings, her arcane-laced words targeting the platform the two squabble on. With each melody, moisture is fed into the cracks of the worn stone, seeping deep into its core before the cryomancer's tune shifts, words hardening to direct the liquids to solidify, to freeze, and to expand. A sharp crack comes from within the rock, the noise causing the pair of hobgoblins to halt and stare at one another, before they--and the platform--are sent plunging into the darkness below. All the while, the sounds of combat continue, the gryphon continuing to screech threats, insult, and triumph, while his enemies have grown quieter, their numbers dwindling beneath the bestial onslaught--both from death silencing them, and innate cowardice sending others fleeing for safety.

Satoshi shouted, "*A hobgoblin comes screaming down into the molten pit below, shortly followed by a large stone platform and two other hobgoblins. The screeching of a large bird echoes throughout the chamber, accompanied by the sounds of hobgoblins in combat*"

Redovian shouted, "*in return to such events, the sounds of men shouting and metal clanging echoes from the bottom, as preparations are made for the upcoming battle*"

Valiana glances towards Satoshi, soft features wearing a look of both satisfaction and approval--keep it simple, is what Val had always preached, and sending their foes to a molten death was certainly doing just that. The moment having come and passed in the heat of battle Val again turned her eyes downward. Taking a moment to size up the gap in the stairs caused by Satoshi's assault, the draco elf allowed her wings to slide effortlessly from betwixt her shoulder blades, the scaled appendages serving as a back-up, just in case more of the stairs were affected by the frost magic than Val expected. Leaping the gap the paladin stumbled down a couple additional stairs before catching her balance. Once safely across she continued the descent. The sounds of battle grew closer it seemed, as the air, heavy and thick with heat weighed down about the woman. The Silver blood within her made her hate the heat, yet she would withstand any conditions to free the man that waited in pain below. Finally, the paladin's boots met the landing at what must have been the bottom of the chasm, surely, for any further and Val would have guess they'd reach the planet's core. Elven eyes caught site of the gryphon through the thick dust that hung in the air. The beast's onslaught had what must have been five men -or creatures- stumbling back in their sloppy guards. As the Templar sized up the situation and stepped forward to aid in the combat, one of the men had turned, scrambling away from a powerful hoof and ran in Valiana's direction. The man ran straight past her in a complete panic, stopping at the edge of the molten pool. A smirk crossed Val's lips in amusement as she wondered where exactly the dim-witted brute had intended to go. Yet the humor passed and was replaced instead by the wide arc of Aina Lhach, the paladin's divine blade. As the steel met flesh the hobgoblin stumbled, falling backwards at the pit's edge. Val did not wait to see if the victim had fallen into the lava or not, before turning back and continuing her approach to the scene of the battle.

Bottom of the Chasm

Satoshi's descent down the staircase is not as swift as Valiana's by this point. Rising temperatures and awareness of what waits below has slowed the kit's steps, putting distance between herself and her two battling companions. Distance and time are necessary, however, for the magus to weave more of her magic into the aura of mist about her, coaxing stray wisps closer to her skin where they grow colder, producing a cooling shell to ward off the heat. This isn't the only spellcraft Satoshi devotes her attention to, only the most obvious, the rest are currently unseen preparations woven into the air, her aura, and her flesh. She has no doubt she will need these spells very soon, and likely at a moment's notice, thus there is no sense in her wasting the time available to her now. A prepared mage is a living mage, after all. Redovian's gryphon has no such worries. The beast, although bloody from numerous cuts and wounds, rages onward, a flurry of feathers, fur, beak, and claws that tears into any flesh unfortunate enough to get within the murderous whirlwind's range. Hobgoblin bodies line the ground he's crossed, many of them missing hands, fingers, or other parts, some still alive and screaming for mercy as they bleed out--or burn, where the unlucky have landed upon rivulets of lava. Nothing stands in the gryphon's path as he charges forward, fully intent upon closing the gap between himself and his partner, the man he can sense so close. 'Kreeeeee!!' the gryphon howls, launching himself into the air with a painful snap of wings and riding the molten thermals across the pits of bubbling lava. Redovian is almost in sight of his keen eagle eyes...

Satoshi shouted, "*A gryphon's scream of triumph fills the chasm as the sounds of its huge wings draw closer to Coreliant's Shrine*"

Valiana pressed forward, the draco elf moving dexterously, treating the small bands of magma as roots within the forest as she skipped over them, jumping at the points where the hardened earth had given way to thicker streams of molten lava. The paladin had not noticed the slowing of the ice magus behind her. Whatever business the woman had been about, Val was confident she could handle herself. Instead, Valiana focused on reaching her battle focus. The heightened state of mental alacrity that the paladin had learned in her days serving as an acolyte had proved more than useful in combat. The serenity that Valiana reached in those passing moments allowed her to clue in to everything around her. A twisting band of divine energy was sent forth in attempt to reach Redovian. While the man had likely heard the tumultuous combat Val could not help the urge to let him know that they were there now. As though the gods were reminding the Templar to keep her focus, one of the hobgoblins that lay upon the ground, a gash spilling blood from his head, attempted to rise and take one last swing at the woman as she passed by. Recognizing the attempt as an act of bravery Val could not help but feel a hint of remorse as she caught the shaft of the spiked mace in a gauntleted hand and tore it from the creatures grasp. Dropping the weapon to the floor she used her divine shield to bash him over the head. The bulwark, harder than steel, caused the humanoid to drop lifeless. "He's in here!" Val turned now to find Satoshi and finally realized the feline was further back than expected. "Are you okay?" A cough followed the words as the paladin stood waiting, dripping with sweat in the overbearing heat.

Satoshi looks like a ghost as she moves among the streams of lava, steam and mist blurring her already pale features, footsteps so light and careful as to appear like she's drifting across the ground. Valiana's words receive a flick of ears in response, but no words, the magus' every breath devoted to the constant weaving of her magic, strengthening, building, and maintaining a string of spells to be triggered at any given moment. She does manage a nod as answer, hoping her expression of determined concentration keeps further questions at bay. It is no simple task to keep numerous enchantments going at once while moving; being on the brink of a magma pit is icing on the Hell Cake. Satoshi entrusts Valiana to lead the way from here, knowing the paladin can easily locate Redovian by this point, and...selfishly enough, wanting to ensure it's not her own icy neck that's the first to cross the threshold into a trap. No one ever called Satoshi a saint, after all. She's a survivor, through and through. ...Redovian's gryphon, not so much. He's all action and fearlessness, without a lick of caution. Thus, it's with another bugling screech that he announces his presence into Coreliant's Shrine, amid a flaring of wings and talons bared in preparation for conflict.

Coreliant's Shrine

Valiana hardly had to use her divine connection to Redovian to find the paladin's location amidst the brown dust lingering in the air, after all she could just follow the shrieks of the gryphon that had led the way. Nevertheless, fluid measured movements brought the Draco elf ever closer to the aura of Frostmaw's Justice. Finally after moving through the expanse of the underground lair elven eyes caught site of a larger opening ahead. Yet just as the paladin's trained sight identified the opening she could vaguely make out several figures within, just beyond the rearing mass of the Frost Gryphon that stood within the caves entrance. "This way." The beckon was a hushed whisper as it met Satoshi's ears. Pressing forward dexterously so as to avoid running into a trap, Val opened herself to the Divine energy that she had learned to command. The prayer to Arkhen was pushed forth within her mind. As the gods will coursed through her Valiana drank it in, the sheer brilliance of the power serving to revitalize her worn muscles and cast away some of the overbearing heat of this underground hell. She could sense a foreboding evil from this place, yet she could not put a name to its source.. Until she crossed the barrier to the Shrine's entrance.

Redovian , the Justice of Frostmaw and Champion of Cyris, can be seen here, forced to kneel before the shrine of the Ascendi Coreliant, bound by chains empowered by dark magic. His clothes torn, left naught but rags in the wake of savage beatings and severe torture at the hands of those whom hold him captive. His bare chest, reddened by the overwhelming heat, bares several lashes that still bleed, which are barely covered by the man's hair, which hangs loose as his head remains bowed. Indeed, With his arms outstretched, being forced to kneel before a god he dispises, and being tortured by vicious men who took great efforts to ensure they did a job deserving of the gold they were paid. But, as the fierce cry of the frost gryphon echoes proudly in this dark chasm, the man cannot help but smirk as he opens his eyes. Valiana's aura, and that damn otherwordly chill of Satoshi. A guy just couldn't sacrifice himself for nothing around here huh? The paladin raises his head to look down the shrine's long walkway, those eyes of his peering out to see his faithful mount, his proud Queen, and the one woman to have captured his heart, all standing there like some rag tag team of heroes. Bloodied and bruised, they seem to have hacked their way to the man, and for this, their sacrifice, Redovian could only chuckle. That was his job, wasn't it? But, before that ray of hope can shine its brightest, a dark realization hits home. They were not alone. The man cries out as best he can, his voice commanding and powerful, no matter his current condition. " Watch ou~" BAM!! A sickening blow to his stomach causes blood to come flying out of his mouth, as two dark figures stand before him. One holds a staff, fashioned from the bones of a dragon, while the other bares no outward signs of holding any weapon, yet with a single blow has incapacitated Redovian. The two men turn to face the champions, and neither say a word as they leave Redovian upon the floor, crumpled.

The firste to step forth, is the staff baring necromancer, Barragan, who is clad in rune-covered robes of the pitchest black. The vampire's face is leen, and his features are gloomy and dreary. But without hesitation does the dark spellcaster start to recite occult incantations, pointing his staff to Valiana, as he unleashes a barrage of dark spheres upon the draco-elf, an opening attempt to test his foes defences, as well as an attempt to drive her into the lava that flows about the room. It seems Valiana has her foe.

Grimjoww watches as his ally, Barragan, picks his choice of foes to face, and turns his emotionless gaze upon Satoshi. This vampire is garbed in simple cloth attire, a sash tied about his wasite. He is barefoot, and seems to have no weapons on his person. Yet, there is a look about this vampire. Death seems to hang about him, and he moves with a grace that is startling, as without warning does he advance upon the Queen of Frostmaw with speed that is hard to track. Grimjoww is upon the cryomancer is mere moments, the death monk croutching low, testing the woman's defenses, before the man's anti magic aura would reach the Ice Magus, just as the vampire's fist is driven towards Satoshi's lithe frame with incredible strength. If Satoshi has some kind of arcane wards in place, it seems magic fails upon this spawn of elazul. And if Satoshi is not quick, the monk's fist may cause serious damage to her petite frame.

Satoshi's instincts go on high alert at the sight of the simply dressed man. Every line of his body screams Monk, and the only thought that crosses Satoshi's mind at such a word is 'Cuki'. How many times has she battled with Aramoth's devoted? How many times has she been forced to work around his despicable anti-magic aura? The count is too high even for the kit to keep track of. But now, those memories earn their keep. While she does not know this monk too is an anti-mage, her repeated encounters with Cuki have trained her to react as if fighting him. And, so when moves, it is not an outward spell that she reacts with. Instead, the energies she's gathered are turned inward, literally sending ice into her veins, willing her wintry magics to overtake her body, to freeze muscle, solidify flesh, and crystallize blood. As swift as the internal spell is, it still doesn't have the chance to fully complete before the monk is upon her. Only partially encased in natural ice, the rest of her conjuration is canceled by his proximity and her mist-woven cloak is extinguished, leaving Satoshi with--at best--a light armor beneath her flesh when he strikes her. The pain is blunted by the thick layer of ice, as such, but the force is not stopped in full, resulting in the small kit being hurled backwards to slam into the shrine wall with the sound of shattering glass. While Satoshi struggles back to her feet, the taste of blood thick in her mouth and agony screaming in her torso where she was struck, she's given a brief moment of reprieve thanks to Redovian's gryphon. The beast refuses to be ignored when there is combat at hand, announcing his displeasure with a challenging scream before launching himself forward, wings pumping in powerful strokes designed to carry him over all those gathered. As he soars just above height level, talons strike out at the monk first, and then the necromancer, striving to distract them both from their targets while he banks hard and comes in for another sweep. The eagle screech he calls out with echoes off the walls, filling the room with the voice of a hundred Frost Gryphons.

Valiana would have smirked in amusement had the emotion not bounced thoughtlessly off of her battle focus. This man was Redovian's captor? The question pressed against her mind as she watched the necromancer's approach in silence. The seasoned eyes of a battle veteran sizing up not only the dark mage before her but her surroundings in but a brief moment. Then came the man's incantation; before the barrage of darkness is released, the divine templar has already began the recitation of a prayer of her own. The words flow melodiously from parted lips, spoken in the ancient dialect of the Sylvan Elves. "Arkhen, Vakha en'kalina taurninin tuulo' 'ksh amin en' lle." Each word seems to beckon forth more strength for the wave of divine energy that forms before her, a glass wall of radiant light. The brilliant glow of the magic casts the entire room alight. As the paladin raises an arm a wrist flicks and the protective barrier is set into motion. The wall of purity rushes towards the Necromancers dark spheres. Each sphere is absorbed effortlessly like bullets striking a sheet of Kevlar a foot thick. The necromancer's threat neutralized, Valiana begins an attack of her own. Tense digits grasp at the hilt of Aina Lhach, the paladin's enchanted blade. Scaled wings rise overhead, looming above the Draco Elf's thin figure before they tense and thrust without warning. The paladin's weapon seems to sheen in brilliant white as though catching the light of the sun despite the gloomy environment. Within moments the distance between predator and prey is closed yet the woman's movement does not slow, instead the templar's longsword is brought to point in front of her, slicing the air itself in its path. The woman turned into a humanoid projectile with the divine blade as the spearhead. Should the blade find flesh Valiana would drive through, slamming the impaled necromancer and herself into the shrine behind him.

Barragan watches as the wall of light absorbs his spheres, as was expected. So it is, when Valiana charges forth with holy sword at the ready, the dark mage does not move. Aina Lhach is driven into the torso of the necromancer, driving the man back and impaling him into the shrine as intended. But something is wrong. Horribly wrong. For as just a moment prior stood a dying necromancer, now stands a corpse, long dead, who dissolves into a sickening dark mist thats powerful stench fills the chamber with the odor of death. Anything this mist touches withers and dies, and it falls upon Valiana, whose sword is embedded deep into the shrine of a dark god. Barragan's bone chilling voice calls out from the shadows. " You were foolish to have come here, to the temple of our lord, and expect it to be that easy." If Valiana is not quick, she will fall to the powerful effects of the dangerous mist that descends upon her. And if she does manage to escape that threat, her foe, the powerful necromancer Barragan, lies in wait within the darkness of the chamber, waiting for a chance to strike.

Grimjoww watches as Satoshi is flung across the room by the power this vampiric monk posseses, and is about to charge forth again, before the gryphon leaps into the fray. But it is here, that the true terrifying fact of the threat they face comes into play. The larger beast, whose power has taken the lives of many men already, is stopped dead in its tracks by this monk, who takes hold of each talon, and tosses the frost gryphon like a rag doll into the stone wall of this cavern,crumpling the ally of Satoshi and Valiana ina single display of otherwordly strength. This time too, the vampire speaks. " You shall die here, a sacrifice to out lord." With that said, the monk looks to a large boulder that has dropped next to him, and with careful aim, does he kicks the massive chunk of stone towards Satoshi with. The stone projectile flies forth towards the cryomancer now, looking as if it would fall upon her and crush her flat. But just as it nears the magister templi, it is shattered at its core, Grimjoww flying thought the debris now, his palm leading the way, vampiric claws sent forth to render the gensai's flesh from her bones in an assault of calculated and feral swipes.

Satoshi is a mage trained in combat, every spare second is put to use, idle banter and catty remarks bypassed in favor of utilizing each fragment of time to her advantage. And so, while Grimjoww is briefly occupied with the gryphon, the magus is calling upon those magics she'd crafted before entering the shrine. Mist, born of the vapors released by the heated rocks and naturally present in the air, begins to fill the room in ragged clumps, the pockets of fog glimmering with hints of ice, one such gathering directly in front of the kit to obscure her from view. Due to the immense heat present, Satoshi doesn't seem capable of conjuring more than these myriad shards of frost... or so she wishes it to appear. In truth, the flecks of ice are intentionally minuscule, and unnaturally razor sharp. Flesh, cloth, eyes, anything that passes through the gathered fogs will find itself shredded by a million tiny fangs of glass. Inhaling the diamond dust ensures a similar fate to internal workings and, as she's learned from fighting Cuki, Satoshi does not feed further magic into the mists. Once they are created, they simply exist, a natural element, and thus not under the sway of anti-magic. Her earlier preparations pay off thusly, as she's able to manage this in an alarmingly short amount of time, leaving her on guard when the boulder is sent hurtling toward her. Enshrouded as she is by a wall of mist, how she reacts to the stone's approach is a mystery. Only a dark gleam and a sudden chill mark any sort of reaction... up until the instant Grimjoww bursts through the rock. It is then he will meet Asorial as the scythe's preternatural edge is sent screaming in a downward strike, the power of the blade cleaving the very air before it to produce a slicing wave of pure kinetic energy. Blade of air and blade of ice were meant to cleave through the stone itself, to send its remnants and raw power raining back at the monk, but with Grimjoww plowing through in what's meant as a surprise attack, he's lined himself up for Asorial's essence-devouring bite.

Valiana crashed into the shrine with a sharp "Umphh." The pain that shot through her body at impact told every inch of her consciousness that she would be wearing the bruises of this battle for days. However, the paladin considered that an acceptable consequence considering the outcome of her attack. The necromancer had fallen easily enough, it seemed. Yet as she attempted to retract the blade it did not come free. The corpse before her melted away, likely having been some sort of re-animated being, compelled forth by the dark magic. The paladin could sense the evil, the death in that ensuing mist. Abandoning the blade the paladin swept a scaled wing across her body and used the scaled appendage to shield herself from the mist as she rolled away from the corpse and dove for safety. A divine prayer is pushed forth in rushed words. The woman's body pulses with white light that casts off the mist that had touched her, yet not before its effects were felt. The sheer pain of the necrotic touch took but a moment to set in, yet it left Val writhing in pain. The paladin's right wing could be seen to hang lifeless at her side. She attempted to retract the Draconic blades yet could not feel it. Knowing full well she could not spare a moment further, the paladin pushed herself off the ground, coming to rest on a knee. Again she heralded the grace of the Gods. The woman's eyes were closed as she turned inward in her search for the necromancer. Seemingly a thousand individual columns of light energy were cast from the templar's position, extending outward to the walls of the cavern, each touching a different spot, each searching for the evil presence of her foe. Upon locating what she thought to be the man in a remote corner of the cave, Valiana let all but a dozen columns of light closest him dissipate. A command was uttered in elven tongue and the light spell was set into action. Those few remaining columns seemed to become ignited as searing holy flames shot down each of them, racing towards the necromancer's position

Grimjoww pushes forth through the debris, as Asorial is sent forth to render him in twine, the monk meets the blade of wind, the kinetic energy somewhat dulled by the anti magic aura, but still able to tear into the man's pale flesh spilling his blood upon the chamber floor. But, he does not stop as Asoril's blade is slammed aside, parried if you will, by the monk's right hand, the flat of the blade the main focus as the vampire presses the attack, determined to close the distance between himself and the caster, and the wide sweeping arc of her blade. Once inside, having refused to retreat, the monk sends forth a powerful kick towards Satoshi's side. The sheer force of the blow causing dust and debris from earlier to rise off the ground, as the power in the kick is unleashed. If hit directly, Satoshi faces grave danger, but it seems that in return for her blade's kinetic powers, Grimjoww answers in kind. For even if his kick does not hit home, the power of the blow, that sheer force, is capable of sending her plummeting backwards against the cavern wall.

Barragan is exposed by these columns of light, but seems naught to care as a spell is already unleashed upon the draco-elf the moment she looks his way, lightning streaking from the crown of his staff, the powerful element heading towards the paladin just as that holy fire would reign down the wrath of the gods upon the necromancer. It seems the dark magus is a living ball of white flames, yet he does not scream, nor call out in pain. Why? The truth of what is to come, is unbelieveable. As even out of the flames, as his life seems to be exstinguished by the retribution of the divine, Barragan appears before Valiana, having closed the distance by some spell or ability. Robes left in tatters, the stench of death wafting off his form, the sudden arrival of the necromancer may catch most off guard. His attack? Simple. The dark mage raises his staff, and with the last remaining bit of his strength, slams the crown of his staff down, shattering the obsidian crystal that is housed atop it, resulting in a sudden and violent expulsion of raw necromantic force that shakes the walls of the cavern. Barragan is sent hurling into the fire pits, Valiana's fate? Unknown as the dust has yet to settle.

Satoshi, quite simply, is not there when Grimjoww's kick arrives. The monk is going to quickly discover that while this mage seems chaotic and haphazard, dropping spells at random, she is in fact calculating, and well-prepared. While the pockets of mist positioned throughout the room are traps of their own, they serve a secondary, and far more vital, function. His speed is obvious, and while she is exceedingly fast herself, Satoshi is no fool to think she can out match him in close combat. Thus, she relies upon her Vampiric Gift. In the instant Asorial is shoved aside and the wall of shredding mist before her blown through, Satoshi enacts that peculiar skill of hers, a subtle tug given upon her frozen core, a call that awakens the links between the frosted fogs present, so that one moment she's before the monk, and the next she is across the room. Like the rare master thieves with their ability to step through shadows, Satoshi steps through Snow. The experience is disorienting no doubt, but it beats being roundhouse'd by a freight train, and provides Satoshi time to gather her senses and retaliate. Grimjoww may be powerful, but Satoshi is curious just how well he can handle steam of the most potent sort, for the cryomancer sings out a single word then, flooding the mists with Winter's strength, flash freezing them to extreme temperatures... and plunging them into the gathered lava streams. The results are explosive, rock splintering beneath the violent collision of hyper-chilled ice and molten stone, steam billowing up in torrents so heated they put geysers to shame--a lick of the steam is enough to melt flesh from bone. And the section of fog nearest Grimjoww is the first to be subjected, a conical jet of the flesh-liquifying steam spewing out from the rivulet of lava at his feet. Dodge, and he will find the next nearest mist patch prepared to meet him in like, over and over again in a macabre rhythm and dance until the entire patch of rock between magus and monk is filled with the super-heated vapor.

Valiana had opened her eyes to track the progress of her holy flames yet just as she did she caught sight of the lighting that arced its way toward her. The paladin lunged forward avoiding the majority of the arc and absorbing what part might have caught her form with the pulsing shield of divine energy she had always carried into battle. The paladin rose to her feet readying another attack as she watched the necromancer burn in holy flame. Yet within those passing moments he somehow disappeared, re-materializing in front of the Templar. Her blade still buried in the shrine, Valiana set to conjuring a holy flame to smite down the vampire that stood before her. As Barragan raised the staff as though to strike, the Paladin instead poised her shield in front of her, divine magic serving to shift the medium sized shield into a tower that covered the woman's body from head to knees. The bulwark served to absorb most of the negative energy from the blast, yet the sheer force of it uprooted the paladin and sent her flying backwards through the air. Frantically Val attempted to use the one wing she had remaining to stabilize her airborne tumble with little success. As she managed to turn upright Val dug mithril clad heels into the ground in attempt to slow the moment. Even this proved to have little success. Ultimately, as the dust settled, the paladin was found to be laying crumpled against the cavern wall. Slowly she rises and turns eyes first to the smoldering mass of the once necromancer and secondly to Satoshi to determine if her battle companion required help.

Grimjoww watches as the aftermath of his kick levels a stone pillar that holds up a section of this cavern, the monk's kick so powerful that a few staglamites fall down from the cavern's high top, to plummet into the lava below. It is in these moments that Satoshi's spell takes effect, sending colemns of incredibly hot steam rising up to boil the monk where he stood. But, this man was not under the command of his master for any old reason. Using his vampiric abilities, which he has mastered to enhance his physical abilities beyond that of almost any mortal being, Grimjoww takes to the air, landing upon one of the falling staglamites at is plumments down. One colemn of steam, two, even three are dodge before the fourth crashes into the staglamite the monk has leapt upon, causing a tremendous crash of stone, steam and physical force that create a thick cloud of dust some feet above Satoshi. Moments pass with no signs of the monk, before suddenly, out of the dust and debris once more, Grimjoww comes down upon Satoshi. Silent and deadly, the monk lets his fist lead the way, as he unleashes a barrage of punches with such startling power and speed the naked eye could not possibly keep up. But, having expected another disappearing act in case his attack did not land on its mark, the monk leaps into the air, and with two powerful kicks, sends the tips of some low hanging staglamites soaring towards the next location of mist or snow that Satoshi could possibly teleport to, hoping that if he hasn't pummled the cryomancer into the unforgiving earth below him, that the gensai would not expect to be met by the sharp end of a natural stone spear at her safe spot.

Satoshi has, in fact, not moved from her spot hidden among the mists. She's relying upon their concealing properties to compromise the monk's targeting while she brings Asorial forward in a horizontal grip. While Grimjoww is occupied with evading the onslaught of steam by riding stalactites, the foxkin begins turning the black-ice scythe over and over in her hands, a steady rotation that rapidly builds in speed until there's a near solid wall of darkness before Satoshi created by the flat of the blade. The fan-like motions send most of the obscuring mists away from Satoshi's position, allowing her to see that the monk is diving toward her, prepared to pummel her with a barrage of stone-shattering punches. But Satoshi has other intentions. For Asorial is a more useful weapon due to its abilities rather than its design. Where a scythe is highly limited in mobility, accuracy, and strength, this one is blessed with techniques that the foxkin could not produce on her own. One such being the Weave of Darkness, a funnel of shredding wind and shadow produced by the rapid spinning of the scythe, a funnel that is also gathering the remaining steam to issue it forth along with its already malicious assault. ...A funnel now directed at the descending monk. The raw power of buffeting winds is not enough to fully halt Grimjoww's momentum, this Satoshi knows--or believes, more importantly--and she knows that the shadows will be reduced to mere wisps by his aura, but she's certain the natural whirlwind is enough to slow him, to blunt the worst of his power. Thus when the gap is closed between the two vampires, Satoshi is not left to face the raw strength of Grimjoww, instead enduring a series of stunted blows, many of them glancing off Asorial's still-spinning blade. Where the strikes do reach flesh however, the pain is instant and acute, the wards of her coat not capable of buffering them due to the monk's anti-magic. Beneath the onslaught, Satoshi stumbles back and involuntarily halts her scythe's progress.... before she's promptly sent hurtling backwards, for the abrupt end of the boiling, cutting funnel results in a shockwave that originates from the point directly between mage and monk, pulsing outward in a violent burst of misplaced kinetic force. The shock of the blast is enough to shake the foundations of the shrine, produce fissures in its stone walls, and send the petite kit clear across the room to lie in a heap near the door. If it's hit -Satoshi- that hard, despite having Asorial as a shield between herself and the inertia-based explosion, just what did it do to the unarmored and unprotected monk?

Valiana studied the combat unraveling between the frost magus and what seemed to be a monk from her position across the cave. The paladin was looking for an opening in which she could join the feline Queen and lend aid rather than getting in the way. Given her battered condition and the area encompassing onslaught Satoshi chose to unleash, she could find none. As though an answer to Val's question of what action to take next, that massive blast was unleashed within the cavern. Its sheer power shook the ground Val stood on and no doubt caused some structural damage to the cavern that protected the lot of them from being crushed deep beneath the earth. That blast alone had convinced Val to turn attention elsewhere-- Satoshi clearly had the struggle under control, and if she did not Val could still make her entrance once she had her sword back in hand. Cerulean eyes moved to where Aina Lhach stuck out from the dark shrine, black flecks moving analytically as they inspected the situation. The paladin limped her way over at a pace similar to that of a rushed jog. Coming to stand before the dark shrine Val fought back the emotional chaos provoked by Coreliant's evil power. Hastily, digits reached down to touch the blade as Val channeled her divine energy through its hilt. The paladin's warmth awakened Aina Lhach and gave the sentient weapon the strength necessary to break free from the stone. The audible 'pop' that sounded was nearly drowned out by the battle still echoing throughout the cavern. "Are you okay?!" The question was ushered forth in a breathy shout as Val made her way to Frostmaw's Justice at a dead sprint.

Grimjoww was fast, possessed superior strength to most any being he has ever met. And could withstand punishment unlike anything one could imagine. But this woman! The power, the cunning, it was too much even for this monk to withstand. And so, when he came down to finish the cryomancer, he meets his end as the natural blasts erupt all around him. Death finally coming to take the man who has worshipped it for so long. As the blasts die off, there is no sign of the monk. He seems to have been utterly destroyed by the onslaught unleashed by the Queen of Frostmaw...

Redovian lies upon the black stone alter, barely able to open his eyes after the vicious beatings and severe torture at the hands of Barragan and Grimjoww. But her voice. Valiana's presence, awakens the man from the darkness that saught to take him. That, and a sudden flash. A darker presence lurks within now. Pain. Anger. Destruction. A masked figure smirks at the paladin before he is awoken, flames rising high, steam filling the chamber as it begins to collapse after the series of battles that have taken place. The chains, with the death of the necromancer, lose the enchantments placed upon them and seemingly dissovle, as the dark magic disappaits into nothingness. And so, Redovian, clothed in not but tatters, tries to rise as Valiana rushes towards him. But, with that image still stuck in his head, the paladin suddenly realises something. Ror'Rih was in his right hand. The blade having appeared out of nowhere, silent now, content it is once again with its master. Tenbatsu Kaji still rests upon the later, its pure existence having made it impossible for those dark beings to touch it. With the little bit of strength he posseses, Redovian tries to crawl over and get the blade..

Satoshi's grip tightens on Asorial, the scythe's haft used to pull herself back on her feet and steady her stance while the world pitches and tilts around her. "Hellfire. Goin' to feel that in the morning," the magus hisses through clenched teeth. Being a vampire as well as partially elemental, she doesn't feel pain to the same degree as most beings, yet there isn't an inch of the kit that isn't singing in agony from the battering of monk and shockwave. Steeling herself, Satoshi straightens up and begins making her way toward the pair of paladins, only to halt halfway there. Although not a creature with much grasp on privacy, Satoshi still can't help feeling a sense that she's intruding upon the reunion of Cyris and Arhken's Chosens. And, admittedly, the holy auras both exude make the vampire uncomfortable, weakened as she is and thus unable to produce her own neutralizing aura as buffer against the divine. Instead of approaching further, the kit changes her course, moving to check on the gryphon even as the young warrior is stumbling back onto his talons. He chirps a raspy sound at the foxkin, golden eyes blinking away the remnants of confusion as Satoshi leans forward to bump her forehead against his own feathery one. "You're a very brave one, you are," she murmurs, unable to stop a grin as the gryphon's ear tufts perk forward at the praise.

Valiana watched Redovian's movement as she closed in on his position. The man's attempt to rise brought the full image of the sheer physical despair he was in to the Draco Elf's eyes for the first time. Val had noticed the way in which Redovian was attempting to drag himself to his blade and as she did the thought of fetching it for him crossed her mind. Yet the woman's will and good reason failed as she continued her path straight for Redo. In that final stride before the man that had stolen her heart, Val dropped to her knees, sliding to a stop at Redovian's side and throwing her arms around him. For but a moment she knelt there, drinking in the man's presence. Then came the all too horrid reminder that drew her back to reality as a stalagmite dropped from the ceiling dangerously close to their position. "Get up.." The words were a broken whisper… Then a cry, begging the man to rise. "Get up, damn you!" Val wrapped her arms around Redovian's torso, using all that was left of her strength to pull him from the floor that shook with the activity. "We need to get out of here.." Val seemed not to notice the tears cascading down her reddened cheeks as she attempted to support the man's weight and urge him towards the exit.

Redovian held the white-cloth bound hilt of Tenbatsu Kaji at the same moment that Valiana threw her arms about him, the conjoining rushes of divine power, as Seika once again appears before her ward, and Valiana's divine aura wraps itself about Frostmaw's Justice, the man is revitalized somewhat by sheer divine power. Val's words reach the man, as one leg is lifted up as more stalagamites fall. Indeed, in this inferno it seems as if the world is about to end. But with Seika wrapping the paladin in her power once more, the celesital body seems to lend strength to an otherwise beaten man. But the words that come out of his mouth are perhaps not that one's Valiana and Satoshi wish to hear. Redovian stands now, Valiana's grip loosening about him as he says. " You should not have come here." Looking to the draco-elf first, then his Queen, the paladin clarifies his statement. " I have to save the children." With that, he turns, and attempts to take a step forward, stumbling forth like a drunken fool, his anger at his own weakness fueling the dark blade he bares as it whispers to him, and only him, ~ You've failed... your sacrifice is for naught paladin...You will not save them with your limited strength..." A scowl forms upon the man's rugged features, as he stares down the long passage way that seems to be closing even more with every passing second. " I..-will- save them!" Comes the man's voice, answering the blade's malign torment. He rises again, determination fueling his actions as he starts down the passageway. " They shall not die in this hell.." He looks over his shoulder to Valiana, seeing the condition she is in, and then to his Queen, and the condition she is in, before he says. " I am free. Go, to the exit, I shall join you there."

Satoshi takes one look at the bloodied man and his tattered clothing, and states simply, "Like hell you will. Let's go. Less chit-chat, more action." Without another word the magus sweeps past Redovian and Valiana, and out the crumbling door, one hand gripping Asorial and the other clenched around something hung about her neck--the snowflake pendant Svilfon had created for her. The combination of Asorial's glacial energies and the captured essence of Frostmaw's snows is enough to bolster the genasi, enough to quell the worst of the pain so that the task at hand can be dealt with. While Satoshi is in no way healed of her injuries, she is at least temporarily relieved of their presence, the agony reduced to a manageable throb. There's no way she'll let herself be trapped in this hell of fire, stone, and magma, not when the refreshing chill of air and water wait above, and so she intends to see Redovian's task through as swiftly as possible. Once outside the shrine, Satoshi pauses to glance around the lava-filled chamber before calling back, "Which way, Cyrisling?" She can't detect the scent of anything living over the stink of sulfur and cloying heat of molten stone, nor can she hear all but the most obvious noises beneath the roar of the earth shifting above their heads, or the hiss of steam escaping vents. The paladin's gryphon is suffering from equally muffled senses, and coupling it with his various wounds, the young creature is made anxious, sticking close to his rider's side. His beak clacks frequently with nerves put on edge by the ebbing battlelust and looming danger.

Valiana opened her mouth in protest, yet the words were replaced with a smirk as Satoshi's objection was risen first. "We're not going anywhere without you, Redovian. After all, we risked our necks to get into this molten hell for you." She stepped forward, keeping pace with Cyris' Paladin. The draconic blood within Val still burned, the Saurian magic seeming to have kicked into overdrive as her body made minor repairs to itself. Yet that bloodline was tied as closely in dependency upon the chill and frost as Satoshi's own. The result left Val weakened. No matter how she tried she had not learned to suppress the blood of her ancestor's once it had been activated within her. Fatigued and clinging to the greatest band of Arkhen's blessing as the paladin could muster without overexerting herself, Valiana was in no mood to argue with the man based on his inflated sense of pride. "What children? Tell us what we need to do to get you out of here, because we're not leaving without you." How sternly that statement was made would likely have impressed even the Lady Myrall. "I promise you if you decide to throw away your life I will make sure the weight is heavier upon your shoulders than just your own." She coughed sharply for a few moments, having drawn in some of the dust that was now thicker than the air. It was probably best to limit speech to a few words at a time now.

Redovian eyes his Queen, eyes the woman he loves, and cannot bring himself to shake away that stern glare he has, as he says. " I am sorry you both have suffered because of me, but you don't understand, this place is set to collapse within itself the moment I was set free. It will take both of you using your abilities to hold open the entrance, long enough for me to get the children." The paladin then looks to the dark blade he carries, as he says. " And I cannot say that with what I am about to do, you will be safe." With that said, the paladin utters a single phrase, a release command that has been whispered to him ever since he was awarded this blade for slaying Sephrene Ryder. " Awaken Ror'Rih, and ravage the land with your rage." With these words spoken, the paladin's form is devoured by a darkness that brings with it a chill so severe, that perhaps even Satoshi will feel its bite, as a dark aura emerges forth and conceals that paladin of Cyris for a moment. The sudden surge of power fills the caverm, which continues to fall about them, with dark energy, until, at its climax, Redovian reappears. The spiritual pressure that usually surrounds the man is intensified considerably, and the tramsformation is quite drastic, as the paladin, once in rags, now stands in a dark attire seeminghly made out of the black ice that is native to the lands of Frostmaw, mixed with shadows. Its seems his attire is almost opposite of his usual white armor and hoari, But the main thing is the mask which appears upon his face, unique markings upon a demonic face that is twisted in rage. And once he opens his eyes once more, there are no longer the nightblue they naturall are, but pitch black orbs, with cyan blue iris that leave a haunting impression to any who behold them. This dark power, this transformation, is the true power of Ror'Rih. With a final look to Satoshi, and mainly Valiana, the paladin says in a voice that is far from his usual tone. " GO!" We haven't the time to discuss this!" Before, with his right foot leading, the paladin pushes off the shrine floor, the power bestowed upon him by the blade of wrath increasing his own augmented abilities by a considerable amount, as with a single push the man is nearly down the hall, the wake of his leap cracking the foundation of Coreliant's Shrine, leaving a scar in the dark stone that makes its way all the way up to touch the image of the fallen Ascendi. Redovian is determined to save this children, by any means possible. And with this unnatural strength given to him by Ror'Rih, he may just have a chance.

Satoshi's aura ignites with the sudden influx of energies in the area, the normally pail mists tinted with wraithen black as they feed upon the vapors both tangible and ethereal. Her vampiric nature resonates with the darkened essences being given off by Redovian in that moment Ror'rih is awoken, and even Asorial responds, a low-pitched keening that flits just beyond the range of hearing. Satoshi is not an evil creature, nor a good one, but by nature she is a being attuned as much to the darkness as the light, born of chaos, sired by a tiefling, and reborn, cleansed by neutrally divine hands to create a ghost that treads the gray path between Light and Shadow. As such, she's painfully aware of the convoluted energies Redovian is giving off in these moments, and she can't help the instinct to flee at such an overwhelming sensation. With eyes aflame in an abyssal amber light, Satoshi spares but a moment to regard Redovian's transformation, expression devoid of emotion, before she turns away. "I'll secure the staircase. Be quick," the little queen remarks without looking back. With that, she darts away, Asorial in hand and a trail of shadowy ice in her wake. The magus begins to sing then, to call upon her magics once more as she makes her way to the winding stairs that lead out of the chasm, each step closer bringing her in turn farther from the overpowering heat, allowing her snows to come easier. As the first of the steps are reached, Satoshi releases her spell, the melody trailing behind her in corporeal lines of azure light that trace along the walls and climb upward like ivy grown from glass. Wherever the threads of magic touch, they begin to freeze and expand, extending out in every direction as they latch onto the stonework, spreading and growing in complex designs, filling the chasm with the soft glow of snowshadow. By the time Satoshi reaches the top of the steps, she has created a tunnel filled with icy braces, arches of frost, spiderwebs of snow: a glacial fortification meant to keep the passage open. But even with Asorial's strength added to her own, Satoshi cannot maintain this forever, not when the ice is being repeatedly cracked and battered with every shake of the earth below. It won't be long until even her stubborn creations give way beneath the unstoppable pressure of collapsing land. She's just hoping the two paladins are topside before then.

Valiana watched on in sheer horror at the scene that unfolded in front of her. The paladin's cerulean eyes were coated in a sort of disbelief as she tried to make sense of the situation. Was this not truly Redovian? No, it must have been. She had felt his aura, she had internalized the warm touch of his presence but moments before.. Yet now all was cool, only a trace of that divinity remained. How could the man she had grown so very fond of allow such an evil magic to touch him? How could he use it? The questions in her mind steered her toward a sort of grief as she contemplated the possibility that something that happened within this prison had changed the man she… loved. The woman's hand came to rest on the cool hilt of her now sheathed blade. Aina Lhach cried out across their mental bond. The weapon, a direct channel to the gods, seemed to compel Valiana to take it up… to smite down this evil. Yet she could not. She stood, frozen in that spot, mental and emotional stability crumbling to pieces as she tried to decide what to do. Then came another crack. The tumble of more stone as it crashed to the cave's floor. Val scanned the area in those next passing moments, internalizing for the first time the sheer magnitude of the destruction unfolding. The rivulets of magma seemed to flow more freely now. The air was growing thicker. Whatever she thought now, she had to get free of these caverns. Whatever had just happened would have to be sorted out once they had gotten themselves and these… children.. to safety. Following hastily on Redovian's trail Val readied what divine power she could muster. With Satoshi holding the exit she would focus on keeping the walls around Redo from caving in and leaving them trapped. The prayer to Arkhen came with a power and confidence that seemed to contradict the paladin's current state. Her aura seemed to flow freely from her very core, pooling in pulsating light at her hands, ready to be cast off in any direction to fortify the crumbling stone. As she followed Redovian's rapid advance she found herself working meticulously, using the divine energy as though it were plates of steel, reinforcing parts of the tunnel as they threatened to crumble, holding the stone in place just long enough to prevent it from crumbling with the tremors before that piece of the bulwark was dispelled in attempt to create another further along the passageway.

(To be Continued)

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