The Gathering Storm (Undead Event Part 1)

Rowan nodded in agreement with Kairi, when the Marshall questioned just how clever their foes might be. “They’re clever, just sloppy. Whatever this great plan is, they’re nearing completion, and our interruption has them desperate trying to deal with it. If Fayla hadn’t stumbled on them, who knows if we’d ever have discovered this plot before it was too late, and that says something about how clever they really are.” Rowan said. Aether said his own piece,
“He may, but we won’t give him the chance if it can be helped. If we can take him by surprise, we might be able to finish this before anyone else gets hurt.” Rowan nodded in agreement. “I also want to take him on.” Rowan turned as Arthur appeared, the Marshall’s young daughter in tow, happy and bouncy as ever. Rowan gave the man a nod and opened his mouth to continue, when there was several shouts at the edge of the village, including one from Bethany. Then the man himself, the one Rowan had spotted at the camp walked into full view. Bethany appeared behind him, hands on her swords following from a distance, full death glare in effect.

Rowan instinctively stepped in front of Kairi, then moved back out of the way after realising what he was doing, instead moving to block the Marshal and her child from the Necromancer’s view. The man stopped, his Asentari trail circling him to join the group. He began to speak, introducing himself as Aristorath, a name Rowan recognized, though he wasn’t sure from where. The man proceeded to deliver a warning to them, speaking down to them like children the entire time. Rowan levelled a cold glare on him. And then with a final word, he bagan to vanish, though not before Bethany pulled a sword and threw it at him. The Blade passed through harmlessly and embedded itself in the wall. “Piss off, ghost.” Rowan turned to Kairi. “I feel like that was an invitation.” He said. “How do you want to proceed?”

Kairi listened as Aether offered his input on what the scout team he was on had found, and she found herself agreeing with a lot of what he said. However, Rowan's earlier input tempered her thoughts, and she stroked her chin thoughtfully as Rowan responded by pointing out that none of this would have been detected at all without his niece's unfortunate encounter in the forest. "It is oddly arrogant, but we musn't take it for granted. Something tells me that they know far more about us than we know about them." She thought about Aether's suggestions on a plan of attack, and she found his insight quite helpful in coming to a possible decision. "We have some talented people here, but we need to leave some sort of presence here, in case of a counterattack. Vala and Nichol will stay, and Tristan will want to too." She looked to Rowan inquiringly. "What about you? Do you want to come with us? Or do you want to stay here with your niece?"

Kairi looked back to Aether and then to Arthur who was approaching on the tail of Katie Raynard. She beamed at the young girl who's inextinguishable spirit was single-handedly lifting this place. "Thank you, my darling. You're the best." Katie grinned happily at her mother as Kairi nodded at Arthur's question. "Of sorts. Aether's idea of two teams seems to be the best. One team should try and create a distraction, making it look like we've taken his bait, while the other team bypasses the front line and aims to sever the head of the beast." Kairi was about to continue, before she noticed the sun dimming, as if time was sped up. She then heard shouts of alarm from the direction of the forest, and she turned to see a figure in elaborate robes with a staff in hand strolling towards them, the light dimming even further as he approached. Bethany was following with her hands on her weapons, but the figure made no effort to attack or harm anyone in his path. Rowan moved in front of Kairi, which surprised her slightly, before moving to shield Marshal Raynard and her child.

The figure stopped a few yards away, and Kairi fixed a neutral gaze on the man. He spoke, and his voice seemed to boom throughout her very skeleton. The figure identified himself as Aristorath, and she didn't need Rowan to confirm that he was the one responsible for everything that had happened so far. Aristorath coolly explained that he was aware of their information-gathering efforts in the forest, and he warned them from pursuing that course of action. He said his Plan had been in motion for a very long time, and he was prepared for them to try and fail to stop it. Bethany threw one of her swords through the figure as he faded away, the weapon passing harmlessly through the figure as he seemed to blow away in a non-existent breeze. Rowan asked her how she wanted to proceed, and she looked to Marshal Raynard, who was trying to soothe her terrified daughter.

"We have to go as soon as possible. For their sakes, and possibly for all our sakes." Kairi looked to Rowan. "He knows we're coming, and he's going to respond. You must stay here and be ready for when he does." Kairi looked to Aether and Arthur, her friends and brothers-in-arms in the Order. "We leave as soon as everyone is ready. Two teams. One for distraction, and one for assassination. I will be on the distraction team, with Hawkins, Ryder, Moxley and Jericho. You two are fast and strong, you will have to take Aristorath out." Kairi then looked to Bethany with a smile. "I know you're not a member of the Order, but I would be eternally grateful if you would give me a hand with some pest control. Which team you go with is your choice though."

Aether agreed with Rowan. Clever, but sloppy, but also arrogant in his mind. But the thought about them knowing more about them..."I certainly hope not for my own sake, but we'll differ on opinions on that. Might know the names and feats, but nothing else." If they did...well, then that was a point against their cleverness. Kairi seemed to have found his own insight helpful for a plan of attack. Mirroring his own thoughts, but knowing the talent here better than him, and listing off the people to stay.

Then things got wierd. No, akin to a powerful Harbinger or Archon making their presence known. An aparation. He stayed quiet throughout the ordeal. But it confirmed in his mind that an attack is coming. Just sooner than he expected. Kairi made her decision on who was doing what. Nodding, he looked at the Marshal. "Want me to write down some ideas to improve defenses around the town? I'm ready to go whenever, but it seems that we have less time than we all thought."

Arthur nodded back at Rowan, before listening to Kairi. That was when Arthur felt a chill run down his spine. Seeing everything dim, he looked where the feeling was originating from, and got his first look at what they were dealing with. Arthur could only stand there, a col sweat appearing on his body, and his eyes showed an emotion that not many had ever seen in them: Fear. He gripped Excalibur, and blade seemed to get hotter. As if the presence of this.....thing angered the blade itself. As if it's very existence was an affront to Excalibur. All this ran through Arthur's head, so he didn't hear what the thing said. It then faded away, and Arthur realized he had been holding his breath. 

Gasping, if only for a second, he greedily put air back into his lungs, while wiping away the sweat. He looked as shaken as he felt. The usual aura around him was gone. He looked at Kairi, when she looked at him. Breathing normally, he nodded, before moving towards his horse. Rummaging through the bag, Arthur pulled out the final piece of his armor. His helmet. Putting it on, he looked back at Aether. "I'm ready when you are, Sir Aether." The helmet had a lion motif, with a mane of golden hair on the top, cascading down. 
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Tristan was resting his back against a wall near the building where Fayla was still being tended to, only to feel a shift in the air. Looking up, he merely whispered "And so it begins."

(OOC: The helmet Arthur has, as I am bad a describing things.)

Kairi asked Rowan what he intended to do. He wanted to go and help, but the danger of an attack on the village while it was undefended made him reconsider. He looked at the people around him. He trusted that they could see this through. "I will stay here. They will attack again, I'm sure of it, and I am confident you will be able to handle this Aristorath." Rowan said. Kairi went on to propose they leave asap, and split the attacking group into two teams. She turned to Bethany and asked her if she would help, despite not being a member of the order. "Scuse you, I think you've forgotten I'm the order's liaison to Edaria, so you can technically order me around. Besides, I'm not about to let you get killed being a distraction, I'm going with you." Bethany said.

Everyone began to move, Rowan turned to begin preparing the village for an impending attack, before moving back to Kairi when she was relatively alone. "Here." He said, pulling his Axe from his hip before he could stop himself. He offered it to Kairi. "Just in case you get disarmed." He said, holding the weapon out to her. "I want that back, so you better not die." He said. He awkwardly slapped her on the shoulder before walking away and shouting orders.


Bethany walked over and joined Kairi after retreiving the sword she'd thrown through the illusionary man. "Bethany Merciallus, reporting for duty Ma'am. Lets go kick some undead ass." She said sheathing her sword. She looked at the four order soldiers who were coming with them. "Try to stay alive, and don't stand infront of me unless you like fire."

Kairi took a deep breath as preparations were made quickly for the immediate departure of the strike teams. Aether scribbled down some notes for Marshal Raynard while Arthur retrieved his helmet from his horse and put it on. Kairi stepped away from Bethany for a moment and began quietly reciting an old Eldari prayer to Na'Sora that she had learned in her younger days in Sunshield Hold. Though she believed in the strength and will of those who were about to accompany her into battle, Kairi had found the prayer to be a source of fortification for herself, and she prayed that the Goddess of the Sun would bestow that same suredness on her companions. When Kairi finished her prayer, she opened her eyes to find Rowan standing nearby, apparently waiting patiently for her. The Eldari profferred his Heanta-made axe that he carried with him. Kairi looked at him curiously. "What's this?" Rowan explained that it was a bit of insurance in case she was disarmed. She smiled warmly and took the weapon, stowing it a spare belt loop. Rowan warned her to stay alive, as he wanted his axe back afterwards. Kairi chuckled appreciatively and nodded. "Well then you had best stay alive too, as I intend to return it to you."

Though they both had many secrets, Kairi had come to appreciate Rowan's stoic and calm nature and had come to depend on him as a kindred spirit. Both of them had seen battle before, though in Rowan's case a lot more, and they both knew what their duties were. As Rowan clapped her on the shoulder with a rare smile and returned to the militia to give orders, Kairi knew in her heart that they would see each other again when all of this was done. Kairi returned to where Bethany and the Order soldiers were waiting. Aether soon approached, followed by Aether. Marshal Raynard then arrived, and gave each of them a somber smile. "Personally, I think you're all crazy. But I also know that we have little choice." Kairi smiled and nodded. "What is your status?" The Marshal gestured to the train of people filing out of the village on foot and horseback.

"We're sending the non-combatants to Macet, a town on the way to Mith Silvanus, though Katie wanted to stay and fight." Kairi chuckled as the Marshal continued. "I've also sent messengers to the capital to tell them what's going on here. The rest of us are implementing Aether's defnesive suggestiongs, and we are ready to fight for our homes and to protect the Fayla." Kairi nodded grimly. "Understood. Assuming Lilian's father was able to get in contact with Mariel Shor, there should be an Eldari presence here soon as well." Kairi offered a handshake to the Marshal, which was taken warmly. "We will speak with you afterwards. May Na'Sora bless you." The Marshal raised an eyebrow at the Knight-Lieutenant. "You say that with remarkable assuredness." Kairi hefted her shield over her shoulder and nodded. "Call it a gut feeling."


Kairi moved through the forest with her companions at her side. Though she couldn't hear or see any sign of the undead creatures or their masters yet, Kairi couldn't help but feel their presence around this place. The stories she had read and heard about the Battle of Serenity Valley were running through her mind as she strode slowly through the forested area that now shielded the entrance to the valley from the Mondolin side. Thousands fought and died for their respective peoples in the single bloodiest battle the continent had seen, and now some of those who fell were being denied their peace. The thought sent an almost inperceptible shiver down her spine as the air took on a colder ambience, as if their very surroundings sensed her unease. Soon, they reached a point in the forest where activity could be heard in the distance. Kairi turned to Aether and Arthur as she hoisted her shiled from her shoulder and mounted it on her forearm brace. "I believe this is the best place to split up. We will buy as much time as we can. Find the puppetmaster, neutralize him and get out. Do what you have to do, but don't take any unnecessary risks. Good luck. We'll see you on the other side."

Aether helped oversee his defensive plans. Even doing some grunt work himself, and making sure everyone knew what he meant. Sometimes things can get lost in translation, so he did help out when he could. The blonde was ready whenever...he always had his weapons with him, since they were in a pocket dimension that he could summon them out of at a drop of a hat. When it was time, he went to the meeting place, soon joined by Arthur. Who called him sir. "No titles please. Until I earn them, alright? If anyone is to call someone sir, it's I calling you and/or the Knight-Lieutenant that."

Off they rode towards the distance. When they reached a point that they could hear activity, Kairi, thought it best to  split up. Nodding at her, Aether wished her good hunting as well while he dismounted. Horses were too loud. Looking at Arthur to hope that he would do the same, the shorter blonde would lead the way to the camp, but not on a road or path. When he first spotted activity, he hid, hoping Arthur would do the same. The army started to pass them. It took a good few minutes, but it seemed like they weren't spotted. Once he was sure there was no one else, he started towards the camp again.

A weird aura could be felt the closer he got to it. And there stood the figure from before...waiting for them. Aether let Arthur do the first strike, assuming the figure didn't have anything to say, and just wanted to get started...

Arthur mounted up with the rest, before they headed out. They got to a good spot, and Kairi said to split up. Arthur dismounted a couple of seconds after Aether, and followed him in. When Aether bunkered down to hide, Arthur followed, though it was a tad bit harder for him, due to his armor. They waited a few minutes, and started to move towards the camp again. Then, there he was. THe figure from before, standing there. Menacingly. 

Arthur drew Excalibur, and, whether the figure spoke or not, moved forward as fast as he could, bringing up his Sun Arrows. Summoning 10 arrows of pure sunlight energy, they shot out at the figure, and Arthur got there a short time after. Swinging his blade directly at the things neck, Arthur was hoping to rend it's head, and end this before it began.

Watchful, ever watchful...

Aristorath stood in perfect silence, waiting for what he knew was coming. A pulse to his magical senses told him that his proximity alarms at the front of the settlement had been triggered, and he felt his troops converge to deal with the threat. Then another pulse, and the second party that had been sent to deal with him directly were known to him. Two figures emerged from the treeline and moved towards him, and the necromancer turned to confront his would-be attackers.

"Exactly as the Great Plan has foretold." The figure in the heavy armor advanced first, drawing his sword and conjuring up a number of light-based projectiles. Aristorath smiled, recognising the insignia the warrior wore, and activated his Energy Barrier. "Show me what resistance the Order of the Sun can offer." Aristorath's barrier stopped the arrows handily, and the mage then raised his staff and blocked the attempted decapitation. His magically enhanced strength allowing him to halt the attack in its tracks with very little effort. With a smile, the necromancer pushed the blade aside and retorted with a sharp jab to the face with his staff, before jumping into a somersault over the knight's head, swinging at his head from above. Then he swung sharply at the knight's head with a couple of staff swings and fired a blast of dark energy at the other fighter, dealing Strong damage if the blast hit.

Rowan watched the party leave, more worried than he would be if he was going. But She... They didn't need him to hold their hands. They were all capable warriors, and if the plan went right, most of the enemies would be here. Still His eyes lingered on Her. He noticed movement beside him, and realised Vala was standing next to him. She moved quiet, just like Fayla when she tried. "I hate this. I should be going with them." Rowan nodded in agreement. "Trust me, I know the feeling." He said. "But someone needs to protect Fayla, and the rest of us the village." Slowly, he looked at Vala, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If things go bad.. Promise me you'll take her and flee..." He said. Vala slapped his hand off. "Fuck that. I'm not about to run away. I've already made plans with Lilian to get Fayla away. Someone needs to buy time if the village falls. So don't fall." Rowan looked her, and let out a snort of laughter. "Stubborn Heanta." Vala smiled slightly, playfully punching his arm. "Stuck up Eldari." Rowan turned back to the forest, as She vanished from view.


The party advanced in silence until they had closed in on the camp Aratris had found. Bethany had remained quiet up until this point, but as they split and moved to become the distraction she started to talk. "So.. How come I didn't get an Axe?" She said to Kairi. "Is that some sort of, best friend axe, cause I though me and Aratris were getting on pretty well. Wait, did Tristan get an axe? No way he likes Tristan more than me." She paused, as zombies started to notice their approach. "Or maybe he likes you, allot more than the rest of us." She said, smashing the first zombie to reach them in the face with the hilt of her weapon. As he dropped she stomped on his head. "And you know what I think? I think you-" A ball of black energy cut her off, and Bethany sidestepped it as the first necromancer reached the scene. "Intruders! sound the alarm!" He screamed. Another joined him and Bethany wound back her arm, launching her Gladius and planting it in his chest.

"Shit! Gregory no!!" Zombies surged forward, and a third Necromancer joined the scene. "Stop Gawking and do something you imbecille!" He ordered the stricken necromancer. Bethany drew Asi and threw it, going for two, but the newcomer deflected it. She looked at Kairi. "Ooh, a challenge." her throat beginning to glow. "I'll clear you a path." She said walking forward. Zombies surged towards her and Bethany let out a cone of flame from her mouth that burned through the dead like dry kindling, leaving a perfect path for Kairi to charge the necromancers.

Kairi nodded to the two men as they headed off to perform their duty. As she and Bethany took their own path, the Asentari began to talk. She asked about the axe that Rowan had given her, which currently rested in a belt loop at her right hip. Bethany began to speculate about Rowan's motives, with her musings becoming more personal. As Kairi began to realize where Bethany's conclusions were going, she felt her cheeks slowly warming up. They encountered a couple of undead sentries, but they were dealt with handily so Bethany continued her musing. But just as the Asentari was about to put an exclamation point on her theories, a ball of dark energy cut her off, zooming past the Asentari and hitting a tree behind them. The tree began to wither and die before their eyes, and Kairi drew her sword quickly.

Bethany managed to score a direct hit with her weapon on one of the necromancers that had moved to confront the intruders, but a second throw with her other weapon was deflected. Bethany told Kairi that she would clear a path, and the Human nodded as the Asentari's throat began to glow. In an instant, a gout of fire emerged from Bethany's mouth and engulfed most of the undead in between them and the necromancers. Kairi used the opportunity to charge through the hole in their lines and she engaged the two necromancers, using her spear to harry them as she approached before switching to sword mode and delivering a flurry of swipes at her targets, all the while moving continuously to keep her advantage.

Arther moved in with magic blazing. Moving around to the right, Aether's back formed sigils that allowed him to fly. And moving up he did. While he wasn't fast enough to catch the necromancer in midair, he did have to move around a powerful dark energy blast, which destroyed part of his scarf/cape. Swinging around to be a little higher up and flying upside down, he summoned his spear and stabbed at the man's head and shoulders. He wasn't particularly fast, but he was strong, so maybe he could break through or even stab and yoink the staff away from the man, it would give Arthur the opportunity to end this quickly. Either way, the spear was his longest reaching weapon, and he couldn't use any of his other powers while he was still in flight.

Arthur ignored to necromancers words, as they would only get in his way. He did grunt, as Excalibur was caught, much too easily. As the thing swung Excalibur aside, Arthur was hit by a jab by the staff he was weilding. The blow collided with Arthur's helmet, pushing it into his face, but otherwise holding firm. Arthur saw the thing jump over him, and Arthur hopped forward, landing in a front roll, and turning, hopefully avoiding whatever Aristorath threw at him. Noticing Aether attack, Arthur drew in magical energy into Excalibur, making the blade glow slightly. He then fired his Solis Undo, and a wave of sunlight energy surged towards the thing, in a crescent shaped wave. Gathering himself, Arthur moved forward again, using Aether to also pepper the necromancer with attacks with Excalibur, hoping to gain ground somewhere with the help of Aether's attacks. He knew he had to keep the attention of Aristorath, as Aether wasn't as heavily armored as him. It was a good thing Arthur could also take a beating.

Aristorath considered himself a refined and enlightened man, but even he had to admit that he had been looking forward to this confrontation. Two of the most powerful warriors the Order of the Sun had to offer. Though there was a part of him that wished there were more of them, he knew that this also meant that his(?) Great Plan would continue. The short staff jab connected, but the man's helmet held true, while the Knight rolled to avoid the aerial strike. The other warrior also avoided disaster, dodging the energy blast with very little room to spare. Aristorath prepared for the next engagement, and it came swiftly.

The young man with the spear took to the air, spinning upside down and using the elevation to attack from an unconventional downward trajectory. Aristorath parried the thrusts deftly, though he noticed a power build-up from the Knight. A crescent wave of light energy burst forth, and Aristorath activated his Dark Mirror, a barrier that repels up to Strong attacks, and dismissed the wave. Then the Knight stepped in and both fighters began to pepper him with strikes, which forced him to parry a fusillade of attacks with increasingly ludicrous speed. He was taxing his magical power to remain untouched, something that would be noticeable to an observant witness as his eyes and visible veins began to glow with power.

Aristorath decided to up the ante, as his opponents were hanging with him so far. Suddenly slamming his staff into the ground, the weapon emitted a shockwave that would deal no damage in itself, but the force would knockback foes to various degrees depending on strength, weight, positioning, etc. He would then jump back himself, and using the space created he would generate more energy from his vast reserves, and diverted it to his musculature. His eyes became pools of green as his veins and muscles began to bulge until he resembled someone who had weight trained all of their life. A green lightning-like aura rippled across his rippling physique, and he shot forward with sudden velocity. He leapt into the air and spun into a windmill-like motion, adirecting a trio of spinning attacks at his airborne foe, before kicking off the ground on landing and shooting towards the Knight. He utlized wide, powerful swings as he attempted to pummel his opponent, his strength and speed now augmented new heights. He then charged his staff with green energy before slamming it into the ground, creating an explosion of raw energy that would deal Average damage in a 10 ft radius.

Kairi used the opening Bethany had created to attack the necromancers, and as the surviving undead tried to swarm around her freind, Bethany charged in and started smashing her way through with her fists. She knocked the teeth out of one zombie's head and snatched the rust mace in his hand, breaking it over another zombie's face. While Kairi engaged the necromancer who seemed to have his shit together, Bethany noticed the other one scoop up Asi and charge towards towards Kairi from the side. The weapon burst into flames in his hands and with a scream he dropped it and tripped on the blade, igniting his clothing. Bethany couldn't help but laugh, but she did wonder how these people could be such a threat when they were such imbeciles. And then she spotted a line of undead, atleast one hundred strong, headed by two necromancers marching from behind the camp towards the village. "Kairi they've sent a force towards the village." She called as she smashed another skull with the rusty mace. "Looks like they knew we'd come."

It was a concern, though the village was in good hands atleast. And it made their job easier. "You're village is doomed!" The remaining necromancer called. "Our forces will lay waste to it, while we lay waste to you!" Bethany grinned at him. "Is that so." She said, and raised her palm. "Kairi, duck!" She said, and fire erupted from her palm. She swept through the zombies and the necromancer, burning the corpses to cinders with ease. She seen the necromancer throw up a shield at the last second, before the fire engulfed him, and she wasn't surprised when he stood back up. It didn't matter much though, because there were only a few stragglers left. "Lets finish him, and go help the others." She said to Kairi, as he snarled in annoyance and fired a blast of dark energy at her before lunging at kairi with his staff.

The necromancer started to parry his attacks, and he could see that the man's eyes and veins were glowing. He had to be taxing his magic abilities, especially after reflecting Arthur's attack. Then with both of them just hammering him, the necromancer was moving faster and faster to counter the strikes. Then the man slammed his staff on the ground, sending out a shockwave. This forced Aether over thirty feet away, but still in the air. The guy backed off as well, giving them more distance.

Then Aristath or whatever the guy's name was started to bulge and gain muscle. That wasn't good. Charging forward to stab the guy in the head, he soon had to say no to that plan and back off to avoid the spinning energy. After avoiding and knocking away the three of them, the man had jumped at Arthur and sent out a green energy blast around him. Moving above the guy, he stopped his wings and switched weapons to Seraphim, his large claymore sword. Bursing into flames immediately, he spun downward, hoping between the weight and momentum, any defense he had would quickly be overmatched, and they at the least would get some major damage done.

Kairi continued her advance as Bethany got to work with running interference for her. The pair of necromancers began to try and retreat from her barrage of strikes, and though Kairi pushed her advance as quick as she could, she was making little headway against them. She distracted them from supporting their troops against Bethany at the very least, and that was enough. Kairi managed to knock down one of the necromancers, sending the other scuttling, when Bethany alerted her to the force that had departed for Calixto. Kairi saw the large contingent in the distance moving away, but she knew that their mission here was vital. She only prayed that the rebuilt defenses at Calixto would hold fast against the tide.

The only silver lining in the present scenario, was that the departing contingent left less opposition in the camp to deal with. A large power build-up that could be felt by everyone present indicated that the other fight was escalating quickly. Kairi then heard Bethany call for her to get down, and she hit the deck in time to avoid a fiery blaze that consumed one of the necromancers she had been facing, while the other one managed to get a magical barrier up. Kairi regained her feet and looked around. Besides the shielded necromancer, there were a few stragglers left around the place. Bethany moved to deal with them, while Kairi confronted the necromancer. He looked rattled, but he had a grim determination in his eye and tone that told Kairi that the man was committed. Nothing but his death would stop him. Kairi heard Bethany's call to finish him, and she moved in. "May Na'Sora forgive me."

Kairi brought both of her implements to bear, barraging the necromancer with a flurry of strikes. The necromancer dealt with them as well as he could, but eventually Kairi knocked the staff from his hands and knocked him to the ground with her shield. She pointed her weapon at the fallen man. "This is your last chance. Please surrender." The man smiled beatifically, removing a crystal from his robes and pierced his own heart with it.
"For the Great Plan." The man began to glow, before he exploded violently in a large fireball. Kairi got her shield up but was blasted off her feet and knocked backwards a couple of yards and landed on her back. The smoke cleared, and Kairi coughed as she tried to get air back into her winded lungs. She tried to stand up, but felt a massive amount of pain in her left leg. She looked down and saw that her left leg was severely burned, and she struggled to put weight on it. When Bethany finished with the stragglers and addressed her, Kairi would sigh with pain and annoyance. "You go ahead and help the others, I'll get there as fast as I can."

Arthur gritted his teeth underneath his helmet, as Aristorath seemingly blocked both his, and Aether's blows. Not letting that get to him too much, Arthur was taken by surprise, when Aristorath plunged his staff into the ground, and a shockwave, pushed arthur back. Managing to stay upright, mostly due to his armor, Arthur looked back at the necromancer. Who was getting bigger, adding muscle to his frame. At this, Arthur felt a vibration in his hands, and was surprised to feel Excalibur get hot. Not burning him, but it was almost as if to ease the young man's worries. Almost in defiance to the monster in front of him. The blade also glowed a dull golden light. 

Arthur turned his attention back to the situation at hand, as he saw the thing rush towards him. Getting Excalibur up, he felt the blows rain down on his, as vibrations again went through his arms. Though, these ones were noticeably worse than the ones that came from Excalibur. Then, Arthur saw the staff glow with green energy, and saw it hit the ground. Expecting a wave of pain over him, he instead felt nothing. He then noticed a dome of golden energy around him. Wait, what? Arthur thought. It took him a few seconds, but he realized that Excalibur had activated Sun's Barrier on it's own. As if it was protecting him. Ignoring that for a second, he saw Aether attack Aristorath. Arthur took the cue, and launched into a series of strikes, as hard and fast as he could, hoping to keep the thing's attention on himself, to give Aether's attack the best chance at hitting.

The young knight seemed to steel himself against what was to come, an admirable gesture. Futile, but admirable nonetheless. Aristorath's blows were punishing the young man's defenses, but he unexpectedly held firm. He was unable to get out of the way of the blast from Aristorath's staff, the force of which sent the other fighter flying backwards through the air. In another unexpected turn, the smoke cleared and the young man was standing tall, a shimmering dome of golden energy protecting him from the explosion. As the barrier dissipated, the other fighter returned to the fray, dropping onto him from above with incredible force. Aristorath got his staff up, but the impact of the fighter's weapon forced him down to a knee, and he looked up to see the large sword sunk about halfway through the staff and nearly bisecting it. He rolled to the side only to be assailed by a barrage of strikes from the knight. Aristorath tried to block, but his staff borke under the pressure and he was forced to fall back into a roll to avoid being killed as a slash caught him across the chest.

Aristorath gripped the two halves of his staff, and his chest had been sliced open. Though the wound was not life-threatening, it still pissed him off that these mortals were able to touch him at all. There was also now a visible pulsating glow from his heart, a sign of how much energy this was costing him, though he seemed not to notice the new weakness. An explosion near the front of the camp indicated that one of his underlings had made the ultimate sacrifice. Good, he thought, maybe he took Thorne and her Asentari friend with him. He hefted the staff pieces and threw them like darts at each of his adversaries, before a set of sharp, bony claws sprouted from each hand at the fingertips. He charged in and swung with reckless abandon, forgoing his normal focus for Ruthless Aggression. He aimed swings for the bodies and face of his foes, a trio of slashes each, before jumping back roughly 10ft and launching a dark energy claw slash at each foe, each dealing Average damage if they hit directly.

Kairi used Bethany's opening and charged the final necromancer, easily overcoming his defenses. However before he could be finished off, he pulled a crystal out. Bethany tensed as he was to fast for anyone to stop him before he jammed it into himself, and proceeded to glow. Bethany realised that this wasn't a transformation, and called out to Kairi in warning, rushing to pull her away. She barely made it half way to them before the man erupted in a plume of smoke and fire, blasting Kairi away. Bethany slid to a stop next to her friend who had ended up on her back. "Kairi! Are you ok?" She realised Kairi's leg was badly burned, flesh seared by the blast. "Oh shit, that looks bad." Bethany said, examining the burn. Kairi told her to go, and said she'd catch up. While she didn't want to leave Kairi, she knew it was the right thing to do. The sooner they dealt with Aristorath, the better. "Alright, but you stay put, I don't want you getting hurt or killed, and you'll only get in the way. We've got this, alright?"

Bethany grabbed her weapons, and after making sure there was no threats to Kairi around, she left towards where the fight was taking place. She approached from the rear as Aristorath tore into his foes with reckless abandon, and when she suspected his focus was the lowest she charged into the frey, throwing a pair of fireballs at his back as he launched his dark claws, hoping to spoil his aim. Then, swords drawn, she moved in engaging him with ferocity as she attacked with a flurry of thrusts and stabs.

Aether slammed down on the necromancer and nearly destroyed the guy's staff with his flaming claymore. Sliding it out of the staff, he tried to bisect Aristorath with a spin strike, only for the man to roll away and be accosted by Arthur once more. Finally, some blood, but the man finished in breaking his staff for a little duel wielding action. Or so he thought. Aether slammed his sword down to crush the piece that was flung at him. Then he had to pole-vault above his own weapon to avoid the first slash. Using his claymore as a shield, he managed to block the next two slashes before the guy went after Arthur with near blinding speed.

The blonde pursued, but was too slow to be any real assistance. Aristorath jumped back and fired another dark energy blast. Electricity surged around Aether as he charged foward, creating an electrical shield around himself. Luckily, the blast wasn't strong enough to bust through the shield, but both abilities took each other out. His flaming sword would still be burning bright in the smoke from the explosion. Out from the dust came a stab towards the man's heart, followed by a wide horizontal swing, a diagonal upwards swing, and then an overhead bash.

Aristorath's attacks failed to find footfall as his foes dodged and repelled his attacks. Neither the Knight nor the other blonde caved under his assault, with the former parrying the claw swings while the latter created a lightning shield to deal with the dark energy wave. Aristorath stepped back, anger reaching boiling point, when a new annoyance joined the fray. A pair of fireballs hit him in the back, searing flesh and clothing alike. He keened forward and roared in pain as the Asentari began assaulting him with a flurry of strikes. He swatted the attacks aside, noting that the Asentari had come alone and without Thorne. It was small consolation as he now had to deal with a third opponent. The Knight emerged from behind and began to press the advantage, while the third mortal used the smoke from the explosions to disguise his approach.

An attempted stab to the heart from Aether was thwarted as Aristorath sidestepped the thrust and worked furiously to hold the line. Though it mattered not if he perished here, the ignominy of succumbing to such pathetic specimens was an insult he was not willing to endure. However, disaster struck very soon after that. Aristorath managed to hold his own against the tide, but an opening in his defenses inevitably appeared. Repelling the latest of the Asentari's attacks, Aristorath overlooked Aether for just a split second and was punished accordingly when the blonde youth connected with an overhead slice from his flaming weapon, cutting cleanly through his arm at the shoulder and severing the limb from the body efficiently. Aristorath roared in pain and gripped the stump. He stepped back and began to glow brightly, veins beganning to build to an overload. Aristorath fell to his knees, and bared his teeth at his opponents with look of pure malice on his face. "You'll pay for that! The Great Plan dictates that if I die... THEN YOU DIE HERE AND NOW WITH ME!!!!" The power build-up continued, with the ground beginning to crack and shake around him as his body began to come apart slowly at the seams. His exposed heart glowed the brightest and kept brightening. His(?) Great Plan, must endure no matter the cost. His path had decreased to a singular course.

With Bethany's arrival, the tides were turned on the necromancer, and they quickly overwhelmed him, Aether landing a deadly blow and removing the Necromancer's arm. But as Bethany had learned moments before with Kairi, these people didn't go out easily. "GET BACK!" She shouted as the man's heart began to glow, but it was likely futile. If the damage the previous necromancer caused by exploding was enough to take Kairi out, then Aristorath himself would probably do allot worse. They would likely all die, unless she acted quickly. Bethany charged forward, sword raised, an armor of stone forming around her. She hit the necromancer at speed, impaling him through the glowing orb on his chest and lifted him up, forcing him away from the others, carrying him until they hit a tree, Asi pinning him to it. She looked him in the eyes and smiled, hoping herself and her powers was enough to shield the others from the blast, and waited to die.

Kairi was still in immense pain from the wounds she had sustained thus far, but she had never been one to wait around and let others fight when she should be there for them. Hoisting herself to her feet, Kairi used Starlight's spear mode as a walking aid and headed for the center of camp to offer what little assistance she could. Through gritted teeth, Kairi managed a brisk spear-assisted jog towards the sounds of battle. When she rounded a large tent, she saw a monstrosity locked in combat with Arthur and Aether, and Bethany was almost upon them as well. Aristorath had apparently transformed himself using a similar means to his underlings, albeit far more powerful. The battle suddenly escalated into and endgame when Aether managed to sever one of the creature's arms, which caused Aristorath to fly into a mindless rage. The creature began to power-up, with his veins and exposed heart starting to pulsate wildly. Kairi had no doubt what Aristorath's final course of action was, and so did Bethany. The Asentari yelled at the others to retreat, but Kairi had already decided her course. Bethany impaled the creature through his heart, and Aristorath began to scream wildly and inconsolably as his heart began to gush gouts of dark energy. Bethany activated a stone-skin ability as the ground began to shake, and Kairi made her move.

As Bethany smiled at her foe, she found that a pair of hands gently clasped hers. Kairi smiled at her friend, praying silently for her safety even as she unleashed her Solar Flare into her face. "Forgive me, but your path does not end here." Kairi then hoisted Bethany up into a press position above her head and, ignoring the searing pain in her leg, threw her at Arthur and Aether, hoping at least one of them had the presence of mind to catch the confused Asentari. She then threw her shield and spear to the ground and grasped Bethany's still-embedded weapon in both hands, before looking over her shoulder at Arthur and Aether. "Now, both of you leave and take Bethany with you!" If either protested, Kairi would add some steel to her voice. "I am giving you both a direct order, now get going!"

Kairi then took a deep breath, and used Bethany's weapon as a handle and hoisted the now-critical Aristorath up off the ground and began running, adrenaline and faith suppressing the pain of her leg. Spotting what she needed at once, Kairi charged towards a deep ditch in the underbrush and with one last desperate feat of strength, she launched herself and her foe down into it. As they descended, seemingly in slow-motion, Kairi activated her Shield of Faith, as faith was all she had left. As the surrounding forest disappeared from view, Aristorath's pulsating form stopped pulsating for a split-second, before enveloping Kairi in light followed by darkness. Aristorath exploded in a final crescendo, the blast ripping the surrounding foliage asunder and igniting its remnants in what would have been a 100 ft radius, before it was stunted greatly by Kairi's maneuver. Kairi herself lay at the base of the ditch she had launched herself into, body and clothing heavily damaged, but she was alive. Only the warm, pulsating yellow light of the axe at her hip gave any clue as to how she survived a blast that should have killed her.


Kairi's first impression of death was that it was bright. It also smelled of burning ashes. That was when she decided, if she was aware of being dead, then she wasn't dead. But her body was unresponsive to her commands, and her vision was a blurry mix of darkness and flickering orange. Kairi Thorne had no idea how she had survived, but the gentle pules of warm energy at her side seemed to have the answer. Kairi's vision darkened as her fatigued and damaged body gave out, but she had survived - and she knew she had a certain tall and handsome Eldari to thank for it.

Aether gathered earth and dust and slammed the bloated cylinder down not far behind Bethany. "Dive behind that when you can, it may not block everything, but every little bit helps..." The amber eyed man turned to leave...only to look down to see a shadow from the moonlight. Turning in time, he caught...Bethany?! Kairi was over there now. And like a good soldier, he ran away, with likely a very miffed and struggling Asentari.

~

After the blast, the wounded were all rounded up, and the healing and dressing began. After the explostion, what remained of the undead became unfocused, and much more easy pickings. Still, Aether did what he could. From creating a grave, to helping move people. Kiari survived, thanks to Rowan. Nichol didn't look out of place at all. Actually, the young lad was seen near Arthur the whole time. Out of the way, but never out of sight. Aether still couldn't help but feel like they needed help...and a much larger assault was going to happen. But he just waited until a meeting was called to discuss their next move...