----------------------------------------------
THE EDGE OF AEPHIX - YZZAYT'S PROMINENCE - LATE AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Narrator: The morning has found Respite's forces at the gates of Prominence. No one wanted a seige, and the air around the city was one of doubt and fear, both of Respite... and the sense in the air of something much grimmer. Defeat, or...? The sense of it is electric, and escorting Xochi to the gate, the Coatl talked down the guards. She wished to speak to the Whisperer, and put an end to this war in a way that Yzzayt would find favorable. Usid's presence with Respite's army lends a further air of uncertainty, and after a debate, the gates opened for the escort to be taken to the throne. Xochi in the lead, along with Nesseth, and a small force of other guards with them.
Nesseth walks alongside Xochi, his crossbow strapped firmly to his back as a sign of good will, rather than in his hands as he would otherwise have it while in presumed hostile territory. As he walks with the coatl, however, he can't help but at least steal curious glances around at the Saurs around the Prominence, the settlement being unlike anything he's seen before during his travels. It doesn't, however, distract him from the task at hand.
Narrator: The Respite squad is led through Yzzayt's Prominence. The outside a collection of wooden and stone buildings, the inside a Saur-made labyrinth painstakingly chiselled out of the stone and furnished with wood from outside. As the Respite Squad is allowed to pass through to The Whisperer's Amphitheatre, the citizenry of Yzzayt's Prominence hide in their houses, staring and quietly mutter amongst themselves.
Narrator: The murmurs travel faster than Respite's people. Soon, the citizenry more brazenly stand out in their equivalent of the streets, the main cave hall. Openly, they stare, most notably at Xochi. Some are fearful, others have an air of wonder, the remainder glaring spite. "W-What are they going to do?" "Yzzayt will protect us, Brother." "Why does the Sister walk openly with them?" "She is like the other. Other said Whisperer is fake. Is this one real Whisperer?" "Bite your tongue, Sister. She is the fake."
Victoria uses the commotion to her advantage, having found a less-direct way in the shadows and corners of the labyrinth. The leopard is going against pretty much everyone's orders, to her knowledge only Annika and Nesseth even know she is anywhere but back at the camp. She's effectively naked, anything but her usual wraps would just get in the way. Quiet, silent, ready to attack should she be needed. She follows the group and the accompanying Saur troupe with silent dedication.
Xochi sighs, looking out with sympathy for these people, but cannot stop her movement forward to their meeting with the Whisperer. None of this is their fault, and she wants to stop and speak to them, but is unsure what that could accomplish at this point, this close to their leader. She idly wonders where Louma was kept, and if things had been different, would it have been her who would have been a 'guest' in this town? She turns her gaze forward, towards their destination, steeling herself for what she fears will be a fruitless gesture, but she must try.
Nesseth continues to scan around as the group enters the amphitheater, his tracking senses kicking in a bit as his eyes adjust to the change in lighting. After several seconds of making sure things are still safe, he looks over at Xochi and whispers. "If anything happens, we'll keep you covered while trying to get back out, okay?"
Narrator: As the Respite Squad move through the cave, the thicker the Saur Guard presence becomes. A few walk ahead of the squad, with many others falling in them, while others remain at their posts amongst the Prominence. Soon, they are at The Whisperer's Amphitheatre. Sitting in his throne in the middle of the Ampitheatre is Xeilzrus. Either side of him is a small legion of his finest guard.
Narrator: Hooded as ever by the unusual and ornate skull he wears, Xeilzrus looks upon the Respite Squad. Hand on his staff, the figurehead of which resembles his appearance remarkably, large diamond in it's mouth. "Yzzayt has been expecting you, child." Xeilzrus greets, his tone harsh and unfriendly.
Xochi nods to Nesseth, then approaches the throne as Xeilzrus addresses her. "Greetings, Whisperer. I am Xochicoatl, and I was chosen to speak for those who wish for peace, both those of Respite, and those of Yzzayt. I hope we can come to an understanding that shall benefit us all, and cease these needless hostilities."
Victoria moves in the shadows as all of the attention is in the considerably tense situation and those of Respite that are visible. She gives Xochi a slightly disbelieving look from her vantage point, then refocuses on measuring out the Saur leader and his guards.
Nesseth lets Xochi take the lead completely this time, knowing this won't be like parlaying with Dyvrisse. He'd already potentially overstepped his bounds during that talk, so to maximize Xochi's chances here, he's making sure he stays as deathly quiet as possible, no matter what's said. He stands a few feet back and to the side, his arms crossed as he continues to cautiously look around at the Saurs.
Narrator: The guards behind the Respite squad form a perimeter loosely around the top edge of the Amphitheatre. Some of the Saur Citizenry find themselves here as well. Brave, faithful, curious. . .And perhaps stupid. Some even push into the Amphitheatre to sit as they normally might, though remain among the upper edges.
Xeilzrus: "Sister Louma-" Xeilzrus practically spits, "Has already spat in the face of Yzzayt, the ever Glorious and Luminous. An act of grave disrespect. What would you offer?"
Xochi hmphs quietly, "I mean no disrespect. What I would offer is Alliance. Peace. We can open trade for goods, knowledge, more. I cannot say why Yzzayt chose to attack us, but perhaps it was to bring us here, now, to unite and share. To forgive our pasts and prevent a bloody future which will give nothing but misery to all. Respite has acted alone so far. But Respite is Not alone. You do not have to be alone either."
Xeilzrus: "Sister Xochicoatl, you dare imply Yzzayt's Will?" Xeilzrus venomously starts, though pauses to take a deep breath in, standing up in a clear display of intimidation. "I will forgive your ignorance. I am aware that Sister Louma made it back to your people, though perhaps she spread as many lies to your people as she did ours. Yzzayt's Will is not up for debate, for he shares it intimately with me. I know why he chose to attack Respite."
Xochi nods, "Of course. I cannot hear Yzzayt's Will." She pauses. "I hear the whispers of those in Respite, those here in Yzzayt's Prominence, who hope for peace. I hear their prayers, their hopes. Their fears. I cannot hear Yzzayt's Will because I hear Yzzayt's people. I can only wonder why Yzzayt is so cruel to ignore them, for Yzzayt must hear the voices the same as I."
Narrator: A small few of the softer, more nervous Saurs in the amphitheatre shift at Xochi's words. They look like they want to speak, though cannot.
Xeilzrus' veiled gaze glares at Xochi. "I will not forgive your ignorance a third time, Sister."
Xochi shakes her head, "You mistake compassion for ignorance. If Yzzayt does not know of it, then I understand why your people are so desperate to have their prayers answered. You call me Sister, and I would be honored to call any amongst your people kin, and help raise them up. But I see through you, and your words of Fear."
Nesseth shifts a little uncomfortably at Xochi's statement, knowing they've likely just stepped over an invisible line in the conversation. He tenses a bit, waiting...
Xeilzrus: "Enough. Those that question Yzzayt are not worthy of his greatest gift." Xeilzrus slams the base of his staff into the ground. The diamond in the jaws of the staff's maw begins to glow, emitting radiant light amongst the Amphitheatre and sparking dramatically with arcs of electricity.
Victoria tenses up, her eyes locked on Xeilzrus now. One wrong move from the Saur, and...
Xochi stands tall, refusing to back down. She raises her voice over the theaterics, knowing it could well mean her death, "The only gift you offer is death. But it will not end well for you, 'Whisperer'."
Xeilzrus: "Death?" Xeilzrus darkly chuckles as the electricity crackles, focusing and forming into Pterosaur-shaped visages before him and his elite guard, with one of the visages considerably taller than the rest in the middle. "No, Ignorant Sister. Life."
Narrator: The electricity takes a contained, shaped form. Familiar forms. Nyzai and her dead Pterosaurs. Life is breathed into the electrical monstrosities, and Nyzai screeches loudly, her distorted voice echoing around the amphitheatre as she lunges at Xochi.
Narrator: The guards in the room immediately raise their weapons. The civilians stare in shock, only the utterly dense or frozen in paralysis remaining behind.
Xochi gasps at the sight of this most evil of magics, "Necromancy?"
Victoria doesn't need any further prompting, springing into pounce directly aimed at Xeilzrus' back, machetes flashing in the lighting illuminating them all. She is near and pouncing upon Xeilzrus, blades aimed at his back. Insane? Possibly. Suicidal? Probably. Annika ever going to forgive the leopard? Debatable. But it's too late to regret now.
Nesseth startles as the shadow-Nyzai screeches and charges down at him and Xochi. Moments later, though, he rushes forward and grabs Xochi to try and tackle her aside from the onrushing specter, forgetting, in his haste, that she's also about thirty feet of Snake...
Xeilzrus is successfully caught off guard by the machetes, letting out a loud cry of pain as they slash through his bone visage and into his back, stumbling forward away from the hit. His glowing diamond reacts quickly and automatically to his injury, letting forth an electrical burst around him that wreathes the leopard in lightning. "Protect me!" He calls out, opting to retreat through the passageway behind his throne.
Narrator: The elite guards are already springing into action the moment Victoria strikes true. Once the electrical burst has gone off, four of them focus on issuing a quick kill to the Leopard, while the remaining two move to guard the door Xeilzrus had fled down.
Narrator: Meanwhile, a flesh-and-blood Pterosaur joins Nyzai's electrical ranks. The one that got away. Together with the rest of his squad, they begin harrying the Respite squad in conjunction with the normal guards.
Narrator: Having put himself directly in harm's way, Nyzai's Electrical Slash instead sinks deep into Nesseth.
Xochi is pushed down, still in some shock at the horror and taboo on display by Xeilzrus. She tumbles to the ground, with Nesseth taking the brunt of Nyzai's assault. Still, her head hits the ground, and she seems to fall unconcious upon the floor of the ampitheatre.
Victoria is thrown off by the lightning as she cries in pain. She loses her grip on her machetes, dropping down. Fighting through the static, she just barely drops on her knees, then on all fours as the Guards close on her. This didn't go as planned. Just like Mean Peak. Doomed to fail, like with Garwin. Just like... she lets down a low growl, a very feral growl as her cloth wraps fall from her body. Leaner, more fluid body.
Nesseth grunts as the electrical phantom slams into his back, his crossbow taking the brunt of the force. Even then, he cries out and aims a wild swing around, spinning as he tries to throw the phantom off of his back. The moment he has an opening, he rapidly unslings his crossbow, takes aim at the phantom and pulls the trigger... only for nothing to happen. The mechanisms on his kit have been fried by the magical shock.
Narrator: The Elite Guards form a box around Victoria, ornate wooden tower shields attempting to pen her in while their spears strike down at her.
Nyzai's talons doesn't remain in Nesseth for long. She pauses to screech at Nesseth like a rabid animal, flaring her wings dramatically. Her wings flap to burst herself forward in a burst of unnatural speed, the electricity itself empowering her movements, raising a leg to kick at Nesseth.
Victoria looks around the box surrounding her, growling as she dodges the spears as she best is able. She lets out a very primal shriek as one grazes her flank, reacting instantly. She jumps up and towards her offender's throat, fangs bared. There is nothing currently left of the Respite Guard, the feral leopard attacking on pure instinct.
Nesseth raises his currently-useless crossbow and blocks the kick, then drops it in favor of his revolver. With a deft flick of his wrist, he aims a shot right at the center of the phantom's body, wanting to at least keep it at bay as he searches blindly around for another weapon with his free hand. He doesn't dare move far from the unconscious Xochi, though.
Narrator: The guard's tower shield is successful in preventing Victoria's attempt on his throat, though it does prevent his counter-attack. He puts the weight of his body into his shield, attempting to rebuff Victoria with a shield bash, despite the vulnerability it would cause him if he failed, having faith in his fellow guards who issue another poke each with their spears.
Narrator: The gunshot deafeningly echoes amongst the closed Amiptheathre's walls. It penetrates a hole in Nyzai's electrical body, causing her to stagger back and let out another primal screech. Instantly, her 9 electrical flyers drop whatever fight they're a part of to fly at Nesseth from all angles in completely unnatural unison, talons flared as they swoop past him.
Narrator: The lone flesh Pterosaur is the only one that doesn't react instantly. Unable to understand Nyzai's screech, he is just as slow as processing the event as everyone else in the room.
Victoria pounces from the chest of her current target and onto another Saur, clawing and biting while attempting to deter her assailants. She does not understand what this fight is or how her hunt ended here, and she wants out, out out... just seems that the only way off and out is through these bigger predators.
Xochi? twitches on the ground, unnoticed amidst the chaos, as a pale blue glow seems to surround her, and her hand reaches out for purchase.
Nesseth 's frills splay open as he eyes the oncoming phantom fliers. His own annoyance and desperation start to reach a higher pitch, and a close enough look at his face shows... an unusually-colored fluid pooling at the corners of his eyes. He blinks to try and clear his vision as he levels his revolver, his elbow braced against his waist, and his eyes tint red as he takes careful aim at as many pterosaurs as he can and fan fires into the mass.
Narrator: Frustrated that their time is being wasted by this lone Leopard and knowing their expertise can be used elsewhere in this fight, the next Elite Guard to receive Victoria's feral rage instead drops his spear, opting to break group tactics. He draws a dagger while briefly holding Victoria at bay with his tower shield. Once ready, he lets go of the shield and kicks it firmly to launch it, and hopefully Victoria, from himself. If successful at knocking Victoria over, he immediately attempts to follow up with a coup de grace, diving down onto her. If unsuccessful at knocking Victoria over, he takes a forward jab at Victoria with his blade, overextending himself.
Narrator: Nesseth is successful in shooting down the four electrical flyers approaching from his front. Each screech in rapid succession, not that they're heard over the echoing gunfire rebounding off the cold stone walls. The five fanned in an arc off to the side and behind Nesseth are ontop of him before the echoes subside, talons taking a swoop. The 'wounded' Pterosaurs, Nyzai included, move together. The four wounded Pterosaurs discharge in a bolt of lightning into Nyzai, repairing the hole in her and making her physically bigger by a foot or so.
Victoria hangs onto the shield for a brief second, before falling back just in time (or as her claws refuse to keep grip). She falls over, the much bigger Saur seemingly falling on top of her. Seeing her opening, the feral leopard gets back on her paws and flips out of the way. Looking at the other three assailants, the much smaller predator does quick math... and starts running through the opening created. This isn't a fight she can win or is willing to find out.
Xochi? 's hand grips a spear, dropped by one of the fallen or fled. She rises back up, hefting the spear like a professionally trained fighter. She hmphs, and her voice sounds odd as she comes up alongside Nesseth, setting the spear in a defensive position. "The weight is terrible compared to a true Snake's spear, but it will do." She nods to Nesseth, smiling with a familiar but strange expression, the faint glow settling in around her, and for a second it seems as if she is someone else entirely, but with a blink that impression disappears. "Stand firm, Nesseth."
Nesseth stows his revolver, having expended all of his bullets, and pulls out his hunting dagger. If he's going down, he's taking as many of these phantoms with him as he can, including Nyzai if he can. He's about to lash out when Xochi's voice causes him to pause. He spares the coatl a confused glance with his red-tinted eyes, then nods as he shifts to cover her flank. The dagger will do until he can pick up something better.
Narrator: The Elite Guard's dagger slams into the ground, sparking as it misses it's intended mark and grinds along the cold stone ground. The other three attempt to fill the gap and stab at Victoria, though it's considerably harder with one of their own having broken rank. They look down at the disgraceful guard. "Fool. Stay in line." One growls. With a displeased growl himself, the guard stands back up, putting away his dagger and retrieving his spear and shield reluctantly. The four then move to join the fight against Respite alongside the other guards, leaving just the remaining two at Xeilzrus' passage.
Xochi? moves with surprisingly agility for her old body, but they say snakes don't lose their abilities to age the way mammals do. With unexpected expert training and reach, she swings the spear around in an arc, fending off the pterosaurs attempting to flank Nesseth, and now putting the two back to back, with Xochi's considerable length coiling defensively, like a giant spring ready to push her forward at a moment's notice.
Victoria runs towards and then past Nesseth and Xochi, the leopard being super-agitated and afraid right now. She jumps past them, no sign of recognition in her steely dark eyes. Past any onlookers, into the cave and who knows where...
Narrator: The electrical flyers all fall to Xochi's sudden attack, deep gashes clipping their torsos. They slide across the Amphitheatre's steps, some tumbling down further, before coming to a stop, screeching in distorted pain. They soon discharge as well into Nyzai, making her bigger yet again. The empowered Nyzai closes in on Nesseth and Xochi.
Nesseth sidesteps on reaction as Victoria speeds past him and Xochi, glad she's still standing, and fully understanding her desire to not fight while without armor of any kind. As he focuses his gaze on Nyzai, he holds his dagger up and ready, letting the phantom take initiative rather than risking charging in himself. "Watch her talons, Xochi!"
Xochi? darts out of the way of the larger Pterosaur, using her spear to keep it's strikes at bay. "Same to you, Nesseth! Get some distance, and grab one of those spears! I'll hold it at bay for the moment!" She twists the spear to try and catch Nyzai's leg. With an Orelan spear it would hook the victim and pull them down with a nasty gash, but this simple spear just causes a nasty strike that would buckle the leg of an ordinary opponent.
Nyzai's feet attempts to kick at Nesseth and Xochi. Despite her increased size, her kicks seem faster than ever, with Nesseth and Xochi only barely able to avoid injury. Xochi's spear takes a few attempts, but eventually lands a couple of strike in. Nyzai screeches again, subjecting the hearing of the cavern's inhabitants to more torment. In an uncharacteristic display, Nyzai flares her wings, though instead of using them to take flight, she instead leans her towering body forwards and swoops her wings down, slashing at Xochi twice with her talons attached to her wings.
Nesseth nods at Xochi and jams his dagger back into its sheathe as he jumps back from Nyzai's assault. He looks around and snatches up a fallen Saur's spear and leather shield, then rejoins Xochi just in time to block one of the two talons with the shield. "Got you covered!"
Xochi? lifts her spear to block the other talon. "Push it back! Together!" She pushes back with her spear, and uses the momentum to swing her weapon into Nyzai's side, trusting that Nesseth will be in sync.
Nesseth braces against the strike and shoves back with the shield, grateful that Nyzai's talons sank into the leather. With the momentum from the shove, he steps forward further and aims a heavy thrust into the phantom's other side.
Narrator: The pair successfully block and repel Nyzai, her talons thrown backwards and Nyzai stumbling slightly. The dual spears sink into her lower abdomen, causing yet another deafening screech. Nyzai powerfully thrusts her wings, wreathing Nesseth, Xochi, and anyone else infront of her with a fierce wind and a shower of electrical arcs, Nyzai using the attack to also retreat several metres. There, Nyzai haunches down onto all fours, lowering her head close to the ground, taking a deep breath in, the electrical energy that makes up her body concentrating in her throat. . .
Nesseth braces against the buffeting wind as he pulls the Saur spear back after his attack. He hesitates for a moment, noticing the weird movement, only to shout as he starts sidestepping upon realizing what's about to happen. "Scatter! Watch that bolt!"
Xochi? pulls back her spear and lifts a wing to shield her face from the sparks at first, but upon hearing Nesseth's warning, she quickly sidewinds, using her considerable length to propel her out of the way.
Narrator: Foreseen, a lightning bolt is unleashes from Nyzai across the room. Nesseth and Xochi are lucky enough to be spared thanks to their quick actions, though several of the Respite and Saur crew alike are not so fortunate. Respite and Saur alike in the main path of the bolt bolt are seriously wounded or dead from the impact, Nyzai's fleshy Pterosaur squadmate among the dead. Secondary targets close by get residual arcs wounding them, though are not incapacitated. Another deafening blast fills the Amphitheatre.
Narrator: As Nyzai recovers from the expenditure, her form dims. The outburst has visually taken from the electrical energy contained within her, weakening her. She grows smaller.
Nesseth does a bit of a sloppy recovery as he dives out of the way of the bolt. Probably more effort than he needed to expend, but better safe than sorry. He stands back up and wastes no time in closing the gap between himself and Nyzai's phantom as it recovers.
Xochi? is more quickly able to recover, and in similar fashion to Nesseth, moves quickly to take advantage of the lull, rushing in to hopefully do as much damage as she can before the undead thing recovers.
Narrator: Nesseth and Xochi are able to make considerable distance on Nyzai before she is fully able to act. Unable stand in time, Nyzai opts to try and bite the oncoming attackers.
Nesseth tries to block the bite, forgetting the shield is leather, and not wood. He manages to avoid the worst of it, but the leather strains and breaks just enough for Nyzai to get a piece of his arm through the shield. His grasp on the shield tightens as a shock runs through his arm, but takes the opportunity to aim another thrust around the shield, in the hopes of returning the favor.
Xochi? pauses to make sure Nesseth isn't trapped in the jaws, she wings around the creature quickly, using her tail and her wings in combination to keep her at distance from its jaws and quickly leap in to strike another blow with her spear.
Nyzai's beak growls and tussles with Nesseth momentarily before Nesseth's spear catches her in the head, where an eye would be if she seemed to have any. She screeches in pain again, rearing back and away from Nesseth, only to catch another spear from Xochi right through her collarbone, piercing her fully. With her loudest, most ear-piercing screech yet, the electricity in her form begins to glow brighter. Her screech is continual, growing in both amount of distortion and pitch, resembling less of a creature and more of some sort of otherworldly entity. Then? She explodes, bathing the Amphitheatre for one last time in a flash of light that engulfs Nesseth and Xochi.
Nesseth squints and cringes against the rising pitch of Nyzai's scream, though he hesitates on pressing his advantage. He doesn't get much of a choice, however, as the spear stays lodged in the phantom's head, and he lifts his shield up in an effort to try and block just as the flash envelops him and Xochi.
Xochi? pulls back as well when Nyzai shrieks, her wings flapping to give her some distance away as she prepares for another attack, only for the flash and the force of the strange explosion to assail her. She drops her spear, pulling her arms up in front of her face to protect her, and falls backward, the explosion enough to push even her considerable length backwards.
Narrator: As Nyzai falls, the fight is finishing up. Many of Respite and Saur alike are wounded, though ultimately Respite are victorious. The only Saurs remaining and fighting to their last are the Elite Guard at Xeilzrus' door. By the time Nesseth and Xochi recover from the blast, they have been overrun and slain.
Nesseth sways in place, having bore a good chunk of the electrical blast. He's still standing, but his armor is smoldering, and sooty in places. After a few moments, he manages to cough and draw a breath again as his body recovers from the hard shock. "Nngh... ugh... Xochi, are you okay...?" He looks over towards the coatl, "We're... not quite done yet. Still got the Whisperer."
Xochi?'s wings are singed by the electricity, but as she slowly recovers her balance, she lowers her tail back down to the ground, and lowers herself along with it. That faint blue glow still surrounds her as she catches her breath, retrieving her spear from the ground. "I am... fine, yes." She glances towards the tunnel. "I am unsure the others are in condition to go... it would just be us, hm?"
Nesseth rolls his shoulders and nods, noting the glow around Xochi. "Yeah... yeah, the others can secure the amphitheater. It'll just be us facing him down." He meets Xochi's gaze, and he notes the stark difference from her usual expressions, "Who...? N-no, never mind... I'll ask later. The Whisperer first."
Xochi? smirks slightly, but nods. "Whisperer first. Let's go."
Nesseth is definitely feeling the injuries from that blast as he stalks towards the door Xeilzrus ran through. He rolls his shoulders again, trying to get the tingling pain out as he enters the passage beyond the doorway and looks around.
Xochi? follows closely behind, such that Nesseth won't trip on her tail, but holds the spear ready as they descend.
Narrator: The passageway at first is as remarkably detailed as the Amiptheatre itself is and is a spacious, pleasant enough space to traverse. The first leg of the corridor ends in Xeilzrus' quarters, furnished with some of the finest things Saur culture has to offer. Additionally, Xeilzrus' dragon-like visage seems to extend to the belongings in his room. Small sculptures, tapestries, as well as carvings made into the walls of the room itself. Xeilzrus, however, is not here. After a brief investigation, another exit to the room would be identified behind a tapestry. A much smaller, less fantastic shaft, ascending at a decently steep slant. Unlike the rest of Yzzayt's Prominence, there is no torchlight here. It is pitch black.
Nesseth finds himself scoffing a bit at the display of finery in the Whisperer's quarters as the two search for where the Saur could have gone. Even though he's hurting a fair bit, his snarky side remains untouched, apparently. "Imagine, all this wealth, and he could have opened trade with Respite. The Saurs would have been comfortable for a long time with what this stuff can probably buy." He shakes his head and looks over at Xochi, "Ah well... did you find a passage yet?"
Xochi? pulls down a tapestry, revealing a passage. She turns her head back and smirks again, "Royalty all think alike, Nesseth. Down here."
Narrator: Following this rough shaft, eventually a soft light emerges. The pair break into a huge cavern, a large amount of diamonds, all eeriely glowing, adorns the entire room. Xeilzrus' himself stands silhouetted amongst the backdrop, on his knees praying to something. His staff is clutched in one hand, the diamond inset into it growing brightly. But the hardest thing to miss? The huge, colossal, monolithic white dragon sleeping atop the pile of diamonds.
Nesseth blinks at the passage, then looks over at Xochi with a bit of a grin as he approaches the passage and steps over the threshold. "Well, then... good call. We shouldn't keep the Whisperer waiting, should we?"
Xochi? nods, brandishing her spear. "No, we shouldn't. He won't be the first Royal Tyrant I've slain."
Nesseth casts Xochi a curious look as the two ascend through the passage. A question clearly dances on the tip of his tongue, but he opts to remain quiet as they draw closer to what sounds like a large, open room. As he steps into the chamber, he ends up stopping, mouth agape and silent as he takes in the sheer scale of everything he's seeing, from the glow of the giant pile of diamonds, to the hulking mass of scales slumbering on top of it, to Xeilzrus himself, somehow seeming larger than he really is as he prays in front of the dragon.
Xochi? follows after, until she too sees the giant beast that Xeilzrus is praying before... "My gods... Yzzayt."
Xeilzrus swivels his head briefly and pauses his prayer, delivered in an unknown language, to look at Nesseth and Xochi. He stands to face them, staff raised, though doesn't make a move just yet. "Yes, Sister." He affirms Xochi's observation.
Nesseth snaps out of his stupor and focuses on Xeilzrus as the Saur turns to face the two. He does, however, cast a glance towards Xochi. "I... by the gods..."
Xochi? raises her spear towards Xeilzrus, "You dabble in the darkest of magics. Whisperer, Dragon, it does not matter to me. You have to stop this. We will stop you."
Xeilzrus sighs deeply. "Dark magic? You are one of the lucky few to bask in Yzzayt's presence, Sister. It shames me to see that still, you refuse to understand." Xeilzrus levels his staff towards the pair. The diamonds in the room, Xeilzrus' included, begin to glow more fiercely. "Goodbye, Sister."
Nesseth braces, but takes the initiative. He levels his shield and charges at Xeilzrus, his spear couched for the most stability, hoping that perhaps he can reach the Saur before he finishes casting whatever magic he's attempting.
Xochi? charges as well, slithering forward as fast as she can push this body to go, intent to follow up on Nesseth's attack and kill Xeilzrus as quickly as they can.
Xeilzrus begins to rapidly shoot bolts of electricity out from his diamond towards the advancing Nesseth and Xochi, flaring his wings as they approach. Once he's in danger of their melee weapons, he takes flight in the cavern. He then shifts the attention of his bolts to Xochi, since Nesseth cannot fly to intercept him.
Xochi? flaps her wings, dodging the magical bolts as she tries to wind her way closer to Xeilzrus, but his cover fire is enough to keep her at a distance. She doesn't yet risk throwing her spear, but tries to get height over Xeilzrus as she flies upwards, hoping to force him downwards closer to Nesseth.
Nesseth manages to dodge several of the bolts and (barely) deflects another with the shield. Two find their mark, but though he screams from the hits, he keeps running, amped up on adrenaline as he is. He aims a vicious thrust at Xeilzrus, and keeps his focus on the Saur as he flies into the air, hit or miss.
Narrator: Nesseth's spear barely misses Xeilzrus' feet just after takeoff. Despite his intimidating size and visage, he is no combatant and is a far cry from Nyzai's flying ability. Xochi is easily able to ascend above Xeilzrus, who does his best to float backwards and away from Xochi as he continues to try and land his shots. When Xochi inevitably successfully closes the distance on Xeilzrus, he defensively brings his arms and legs in close to him, curling up in mid-air and pre-emptively releases another electrical burst like he had done to Victoria.
Nesseth feels perhaps a touch helpless on the floor of the cavern, but as the Whisperer tangles with Xochi, he opts to get a bit bolder. Dropping his shield, he hastily searches through his pouches and extracts the only reload of revolver bullets given to him as part of the marksman award. As he starts to reload the gun, he carefully watches the skirmish, while simultaneously acknowledging the irony of actually having to use a weapon he never thought he'd have to use outside of competition.
Xochi? pushes through the burst as best she can, which is to say, her controlled flight becomes something more akin to a cannonball with thirty feet of snake's worth of momentum backing it up. Her wings lift again as she lets gravity take over, and the lightning plays off of the feathers, burning them here and there, but the faint shimmer of blue seems to form up in their place as she collides with Xeilzrus with all her force to push the Whisperer to the ground.
Xeilzrus' lungs heave as he's hit, his body careening towards the ground and under Xochi. He slams into the ground, coughing, though manages to keep a tight grip on his staff. The diamond glows as expected. Him and his staff evaporate into a vivid arc of electricity, zapping over to the other side of cavern. He reappears at the other end of Yzzayt's massive length, eyes fixated on Nesseth and Xochi, huffing and heaving intensely as he tries to compose himself. He shakily levels his staff at Xochi from across the room, discharging a much more potent, but singular, bolt of lightning at them.
Nesseth managed to finish reloading as Xeilzrus hits the ground. Instead of shooting immediately, he takes two steps before the Saur arcs over to the other side of the cave. The sudden teleportation startles him enough for him to step back again, and he spins to track the Whisperer with his pistol, trying to keep as level and steady as he can.
Xochi? huffs as she hits the ground as well, albiet with a bit more control than Xeilzrus. She has to push herself back up, clutching her spear. She glances at Nesseth, "T-the staff! Shoot the staff!" She pushes herself away to avoid the attack, but it still singes her side before she can get away completely.
Nesseth does his best to sidestep the blast, then steadies himself to aim at the staff, specifically the gem sitting at the top. He squints a bit as he takes a precious few moments to aim, and then pulls the trigger. At the same moment, he prays to... the ancestors, Lizards and Snakes alike, the gods, anyone listening, that his shot finds its mark.
Narrator: Hearing Xochi's direction, Xeilzrus looks to Nesseth. He doesn't quite understand the strange contraption in his hand, knowing only whispers of what Nyzai's surviving scout had told him. He takes a snap shot at Nesseth to try and throw his aim off.
Nesseth takes his time lining up the shot, so that by the time the bullet is on its way, Xeilzrus' second bolt is no longer able to be dodged. He takes the snap shot square, and by the time his senses come back, he finds himself looking up towards the ceiling of the cave as he begins to topple over.
Narrator: The bullet hits the diamond true. It shatters immediately and violently explodes, obliterating most of Xeilzrus' staff in the process and wounding Xeilzrus' side in the process. He cries out in pain, reeling backwards and falling over, clutching his wounded right arm. Despite hurt and having lost, he begins to chuckle darkly. Quietly, slowly at first, then breaking out into a full on maniac laugh.
Xochi? slowly rises back up from the ground, glancing towards Xeilzrus as he breaks into laughter. She sighs, tightening her grip on her spear. "The true sign of madness... Nesseth. Let's finish this."
Nesseth coughs as he manages to regain some control over his motor functions. Slowly, painfully, he summons the remaining reserves of his flagging strength and pushes himself unsteadily to his feet again. "D-don't... don't think I can take another hit like that..." He looks towards Xochi and nods, "...Let's finish this..."
Narrator: Pop. A diamond under Yzzayt, near Xeilzrus, shatters and breaks. Pop. Another. Pop. It starts slow. Pop pop. The Diamonds around it shatter. Pop pop pop.
Xeilzrus: "Madness? You truly. . .Hahaah. Don't understand." Xeilzrus continues to chuckle, electing to push himself up with his one good arm. "Bear witness, children. . ." The chain reaction of diamonds spontaneously shattering picks up. Within seconds, a fast wave of exploding diamonds travels in a wave from Xeilzrus' side of Yzzayt to Xochi and Nesseth's side, up near Yzzayt's head. The cavern itself feels as if it's growling and grumbling, as Yzzayt stirs.
Xochi? pauses in her movement towards Xeilzrus to instead turn her attention up to the dragon. "Nesseth...?"
Nesseth levels his pistol at the laughing Saur. The shattering gems distract him from firing immediately, though, and he redirects his attention towards the dragon's front. A snarl crosses his lips as he snaps his attention back to Xeilzrus and takes a snap shot. "We need to get out of here...!" He starts to backpedal towards the entryway as quickly as his injuries allow him, as he fires a second, better aimed shot, "If it's waking up, we can't stay here...!"
Narrator: Nesseth's revolver shot echoes around the room, followed closely by a soft sound of Xeilzrus' body hitting the floor for the last time.
Narrator: Yzzayt continues to stir. Shifting and grumbling, the Dragon takes a very vocal deep breath in, yawning it out loud enough that it shakes the very mountain itself.
Xochi? nods to Nesseth, "Yes, that would be best. Let's go before the mountain shakes itself apart!" She points back towards the way they came
Nesseth safes his gun and stuffs it back into its holster as he turns and tries to run at whatever pace Xochi sets. It's clear his injuries are hampering his movements, though. "Damn it, if it was just the Whisperer, it'd be fine... What do we do against that?"
Narrator: Yzzayt's White scales begin to crackle luminously as it wakes. Soon, it's eyes shoot open, staring down at the retreating pair just as they near the narrow passageway.
Xochi? glances over her shoulder as she slithers forward as quick as she can manage with Nesseth. "You must pray, Nesseth. That... is all I can offer."
Nesseth casts one more wary glance towards the awakening dragon, momentarily locking eyes with the giant creature. The look is more than enough to spur him on and power through the aches and pains. "...Right, I'm seriously hoping that works. That thing gets loose on Aephix, and the Saurs and Respite get wiped off the map."
Narrator: As Xochi and Nesseth make their way back through the tunnel, to Xeilzrus' chamber, then the Amphitheatre, the mountain continues to shake more and more intensely. Throughout the Prominence, general panic descends.
Nesseth yells at anyone close by to get as far back from the amphitheater as possible, doesn't matter who he's warning, Respite guard or Saur, it doesn't matter right now. "GO! GET TO SAFETY!!"
Xochi? follows, the shaking of the foundations definitely sending a message of its own as they run to find safety, she is doing much the same as Nesseth, shouting out to any who remain in the ampitheater that they would most likely be best found elsewhere. "RUN! FLY! EVERYONE! GO!"
Narrator: Those remaining of the guard, as well as the civilian Saurs, don't exactly trust or understand the Respite crew's instructions. But as the mountain continues to shake, the structures inside and outside begin to collapse, a lone, hulking figure appears.
Dyvrisse: "MOVE! Leave the Prominence!" Dyvrisse's voice booms throughout the cave.
Narrator: A few of the civilians and guards nod to one of their Chosen, starting to run, and soon the evacuation begins to snowball as more and more join the escape effort. Only those with the most steadfast of faith in Yzzayt remain behind, despite Dyvrisse's orders. Outside, a great storm is brewing. Thick, dense cloud cover crosses the sky, appearing to emanate from an epicentre above the mountain itself. Water begins to downpour, winds howl and thunderous lightning strikes rapidly dot the landscape, setting fire to the trees outside the mountain.
Nesseth shouts at any stragglers to try and spur them on as the evacuation continues. Any of the guards that aren't already helping the rest get out continue their own retreats to safety outside of the Prominence, seeking any sturdy, safe shelter beyond the perimeter of the town they can. A particularly sharp rumble makes him turn to look sharply at Xochi, vestiges of panic brewing in his gaze. "When do we start praying?! What do we pray for?!"
Xochi? slips into some bit of meager shelter alongside Nesseth, and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you feel you need to. Whatever is most precious to you. At the very least, you can know that at least something is listening, or I would not be here."
Nesseth props a hand against the wall of the shelter as another tremor rocks the ground beneath them. The question that's been hanging on the tip of his tongue finally spills forth in lieu of anything more immediately relevant. "So... who are you, then? You look like Xochi, and sound like her, but you carry yourself way differently than she does."
Dyvrisse does her best to rally the Saurs, leading them to a place of (relative) safety outside the Prominence, meeting up with Usid and his clan along the way.
Narrator: Neither Respite nor Saur would get particularly far. After only a few short minutes, the entire top of the mountain violently explodes, eliminating all of Yzzayt's Prominence in an instant. Yzzayt flies free, rising up through the thick cloud cover. The Saurs gasp and murmur amongst themselves. Yzzayt, destroying their home? Why?
Xochi? bows her head with another smirk. "Just a spirit, one who's fought a tyrant before. Fitting that this Whisperer's use of Necromancy should be answered by a dead soul returning to fight him. But I could not remain at rest when my daughter needed me one final time."
Nesseth stabilizes himself again as the ground rocks from Yzzayt's flight, but he holds his gaze on Xochi as the tremors settle again. "...You're her dad? Then... if she's a coatl, then you're... the Prince of the Snakes, aren't you?" He dips his head after a moment, "...Is there... anything you want me to tell her when she recovers?"
Xochi? raises her wings to shield Nesseth from some of the debris, then glances back and nods. "Or maybe I'm nothing more then Xochicoatl attempting to cope with... this." He sighs, "I'm glad she yet lives. But I have nothing to tell her that I don't think would bring her more regret. I... am proud of her though. She has grown to be quite a lovely flower, strong and beautiful."
Nesseth lifts an arm to cover his face from the dust billowing out through the remains of the Prominence. After a few seconds, though, he smiles at Xochi. "Then I'll tell her that, if you like. Just reaffirming that pride, you know? I'm sure she'd like to know that."
Xochi? nods, "...thank you, Nesseth. It was good to fight side by side with you." He holds to cover alongside Nesseth, as the chaos around them slowly subsides, the heavy rain still pouring as the remaining defenders of Respite now find themselves staring at the disaster that has befallen the Prominence, and the Saur around them mourning in despair and confusion.
Nesseth dips his head again and offers the Prince a small smile despite the danger of the situation. "And it was an honor fighting alongside you, sir." As the immediate chaos of Yzzayt's departure starts to fade away, he peers out from cover to confirm it's safe to move again. After several seconds of silence, he and 'Xochi' move out to join the rest in observing the destruction wrought by the dragon's emergence.
----------------------------------------------
RESPITE FALLS - STREET - LATE AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Maybelline walks out of the bakery on her way home, having stopped to pick up a few pastries for dessert tonight. Much of the town is feeling 'back to normal', in its way, with the folks returned from the Abyss starting to recover and some even feeling up to getting back to work. The guard presence has increased a little, with the backup sent home to escort the rescued folks, and caravans have started up again, making fresh supplies more readily available.
Maybelline licks at the frosting of one of the cupcakes she bought for herself as a quick snack, savoring the sugary taste with a quiet giggle. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but she's feeling rather good right now. She hears a faint rumble in the west, a distant thunder, and glances up at the clouds.
Narrator: Overhead, the sky seems clear blue, a fairly normal day, but to the west, like a pillar of pure obsidian, a growing thunderhead seems to be gathering off in the distance.
Maybelline squints, watching the clouds curiously. The intensity of the shapes seem to grow, and spread, and more flashes of lightning and thunder, and the storm seems to be rushing towards Respite. Her mind works quickly, and with a gasp, she drops her pastry basket and sprints straight for the generator as fast as she can scamper.
Narrator: The rains have started to fall as Maybelline reaches the generator, and the thunder has only grown louder, with a strange sound with it, like the rushing of winds far overhead.
Maybelline nearly fumbles her keys as she unlocks the Generator room once again, swearing to herself as she only barely remembers to close the door behind her. She has no idea what weather patterns in Respite are, but no storm she's ever seen looks as nasty as the one happening outside. She jumps up on the ladder, climbing to the controls to the secondary systems. The weather shield. She flips a few switches to direct power to it, looking up to the roof as she hears the faint thrum of power, and the loud patter of raindrops upon the roof.
Maybelline does the secondary power check, forcing herself not to rush and do every step. Second to last step... altitude. She takes a deep breath. "Strixshinies don't fail me now." She flicks the switch to unclamp the shield from the roof housing, and the amplifier begins to ascend.
Maybelline counts to an agonizing ten, then clicks the final button. Deployment. She waits, watching the readings. The sound of rain continues, but fainter, the rolling thunder seeming to get louder and louder and -The readings go crazy as lightning strikes the shield. She stares wide-eyed at the amount of power. The shield flickers, and May responds in kind, redirecting more power from the generator into the shield.
Narrator: The storm rages overhead, growing worse and worse, and May does an invisible battle with it, keeping the shield online. At it's height, Respite's entire power is drawn in a brief brown-out and pushed upwards to protect the town.
Maybelline pushes EVERYTHING into the shield, unsure what is happening, but this can't be a normal storm? This much power is insane. As it finally seems to stabilize, she flips the switch to set the shield into a stable mode and quickly rushes to the ladder, sliding down to get a look outside to see just what the hell just happened.
Maybelline pushes open the door again, looking out into the streets. Some people are staring up, others rushing home in a panic. Pools of rainwater lay scattered about the street, and overhead, water and rain strike the shield in a steady pattern. A great, deafening roar burst out from the clouds overhead, and everyone on the street around her covers their ears.
Maybelline looks up in time to spot the massive white shadow emerge from the highest clouds, swooping towards the edge of the barrier, only to pull up at the last second and release a second roar as the massive beast flaps its wings and soars towards the southeast, away from Respite. The rain and thunder subside into a more normal storm as the thing disappears into the distance.
Maybelline shakes, unsure what the hell she just witnessed, causing her to slip down to the street, sitting, shaken. It takes a bit of time before folks around her recover, and help her stand. She manages to pull herself back into the generator room to make sure that everything is running optimally... it's all she can think to do after... that. Whatever that was.
----------------------------------------------
RESPITE BARRACKS - CONCURRENTLY
----------------------------------------------
Louma is poring over a stack of dustier log books at her desk when the sunshine slips from her tail. She notices the chill over her scales before a rather heavy gust of wind invades through the open window and scatters papers from her desk, flipping the pages of her book and interrupting her train of thought. She turns, her annoyed glare shifting to a look of awe as she slithers up to the opening, closing the window and staring at the heavy storm clouds overhead. She doesn't have much time to take it in as the first close peal of thunder sets her to move outside. In her gut, she knows that this storm is well outside of natural, and as she watches lightning arcing over the surface of May's weather shield, the captain looks toward the West. Putting faith in the shield, she flies upward to see past the buildings, though the torrent of rain between Respite and the mountains makes it impossible to see much beyond the walls. Then she hears the roar, gaze snapping toward the clouds with mounting dread. "Not thunder..." She mutters just before Yzzayt's form breaks through the clouds, dives, then pulls away. She doesn't hesitate, diving back toward the barracks, though she enters the three-storey tower attached to the building through it's open walls, sliding past the dumbfounded hawk who's supposed to be manning that alarm bell. Taking the rope in hand, Louma rings the bell, though it's hard pressed to be heard over the thunder. After letting the alarm out, she returns to the ground and addresses the guards who've rushed to see the commotion, issuing sharp orders. They rush off without wasting time on salutes to gather rifles, spears and shields in case the creature returns, and to scatter the word to other guards and citizens. As soon as they've moved, Louma returns to her office to don her armor and spear again, before starting a round to alert her personal contacts around town to stay indoors, including passing by the generator to check on May, and almost as importantly, see how long the shield might hold up. Even though the beast seems to have passed by, the fear it dropped in her will leave Louma on edge for the day, at least.
----------------------------------------------
RESPITE FALLS MARKETPLACE - CONCURRENTLY
----------------------------------------------
Rhask is happily managing the stall again for the afternoon as things seem to be slowly settling back into the rhythm she'd seen when she first arrived some months back. The day's been beautiful, but almost unbearably warm for her. Amidst the babble filling the air, she and just about everyone else misses the initial rumbling coming from the west, but the meaning becomes clear as building storm clouds herald the arrival of some sort of freak storm.
Rhask looks up from under the stall's awning, the large water drops beating a steadily quickening rhythm against the material. She smiles, glad to have some kind of relief from the heat of the day, even as the folks milling about seek shelter from the sudden rainfall.
Rhask hums to herself as she starts to pack away the things on display so they don't get damaged by the rain, only for the quickening rainfall to catch her attention before long. Her soft smile shifts to a slightly concerned frown as she leans out over the counter a bit to get a better look at the bruised and rain-heavy clouds gathering high above. As she watches, the town's weather shield comes into effect and the rainfall suddenly stops, leaving the town perhaps a bit wet, but covered from the worst of the storm, including the sudden lightning strikes.
Rhask glances around in confusion as the town's power suddenly goes out for a short moment, only to flicker back to life as the generator draws all of its power to keep the shield up. Moments later, though, her eyes are drawn skyward again as an alarming roar fills the air.
Rhask's eyes go wide, and she lets out an audible gasp as she catches a look at a giant, white-scaled something flying overhead. As the creature dives at the shield, she reflexively ducks down behind the stall, terrified at the prospect of that thing attacking the town. Thankfully, however, it flies off to the southeast, but the entire incident leaves her heavily shaken.
Rhask remains cowering behind the stall quivering with her arms and tail wrapped tightly around her until a couple of other merchants are able to get their wits about them enough to help her back to her feet. As soon as she's back on her feet, however, she almost immediately leaves the marketplace for the Minnow, nearly forgetting to properly lock up the stall at the same time, and retreats to her room, where she stays for the rest of the day and night, the sheer terror of the moment ensuring she doesn't come out until the next day.
----------------------------------------------
BOQUET ESTATE - CONCURRENTLY
----------------------------------------------
Teis is in her lab, working when the incident happens. Limited windows as there are in the lab, she barely cares when the daylight outside rapidly becomes overcast and dark. The rain pitter-patting on the cold stone roof barely elects so much as a thought from her, though when it begins to downpour, Teis looks up and outside for but a brief moment. "Huh." She hums. Back to work. The lightning does little to deter her as well, but after one particularly strong and close blast takes out the power to her lab, now Teis cares. "My equipment!" She cries out. Soon, The Estate's backup generator kicks in, though she shouldn't be doing any heavy work with it. She grumbles about her predicament - Either stay in here and get bored, or go outside and get absolutely soaked. Then, the land-shaking, primal roar gets her attention. It's only now does she truly appreciate the unusual frequency of the thunder outside. She opens the door and steps out under the porch of the lab, peering out into the. . .Rain? Wasn't it raining? What? She notices the large shield over Respite. While that alone is interesting, the once mythical dragons she learned vaguely in school. . .Well. That's a sight to behold.