Hunters: Part Two

The lands of Atinaw surrounding the capital city.

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Taelian
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:23 pm
Character Sheet: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=47
Plot Notes: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=286
Character Secrets: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=152

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Veldas, 21st of Glade, Year 120

His allies were all dead. Eleanor and Rhylor had fallen, albeit heroically, killing Clara and providing Taelian with the opportunity to kill Yoren. The matron and patron of the Dranoch cell had fallen, but so too had the Remedy's presence in their city. All that was left was an Ebon Knight on the verge of overstepping, now faced with two Cardinals who were entirely unscathed. Erik and Lisa, his foes, were coated in their shadowy armor; at least now he knew for certain that they were both Cardinals.

They began to draw the blood from the bodies of Rhylor and Eleanor, manipulating it by shaping it into spears and launching it at Taelian. He defended himself by slicing through the spears with his Enkindled, flying daggers, using them as a remotely manipulated shield. Another round of weapons came; they drew from the body of their dead father, his black-crimson bile rising from his fallen form, Erik and Lisa's jaws unhinging to form a wretched maw. The blood collected at the front of their maw, before they each drew it into their mouth and began to projectile vomit the black blood towards Taelian.

Not only grotesque, it was also impossible to slice through with his daggers, forcing the Ebon Knight to dodge by bursting into the engulfed cabin. The blood was dispersed by the Shrivenflame, and luckily he could use the cabin as a defensive mechanism, considering his invulnerability to fire. Only... he realized that the Dranoch would likely use that as an opportunity to escape, and they could easily hunt Taelian if he lost track of them. They were natural stealth predators, and even with his ability to peer through the dark he was certain they would surpass his ability to perceive them.

"Ma ahf shea tul zora dwa'fem?" Erik asked his sister. It was a language unrecognizable to Taelian, and the conversation proceeded; they were strategizing with one another. The Siltori continued to lie in wait from within the flame, pondering what he should do. He believed that overstepping was entirely necessary. There would be no other way out of this -- though he did not wish for his overstepping to be severe.

Taelian swung forward with his blade, as Emblem was active; it did not consume any aether, so it was a good place to start. The arc of flame flung towards the two, forcing both of them to move to either side to evade. Taelian's five floating daggers then focused on the isolated Lisa, attempting to rapidly dispatch her. Gallow Warrior was also highly effective with virtually no aethereal drain attached, making it a necessary option at the current moment. The daggers sliced ribbons across her form, rapidly shifting back and forth and rotating around her body like buzzards, preventing the woman from being able to react. Her one defense was the shadowy armor around her, but it did not manage to completely repel the Enkindled blades.
word count: 524
User avatar
Taelian
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:23 pm
Character Sheet: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=47
Plot Notes: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=286
Character Secrets: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=152

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The woman fled, escaping his range. Taelian prevented the daggers from reaching the extent of their range so as to not inform her and Erik of their limitations; he knew that they would capitalize on whatever information they gained. Instead, he sent them towards Erik, who also began to flee to avoid them. The three parties had a sudden level of distance, though from the endeavor he'd managed to wound Lisa across her body, wounds that could not be regenerated from due to the Shrivenflame imbued into the blades. A fact that she commented on shortly after.

"You shit! Why can't I heal...?" she remarked, confused. Dranoch outside of Sil-Elaine had minimal knowledge on the Black Sigil. An asset he was slowly surrendering.

The woman began to wail in her pain. It was intense and draining, forcing her to crouch onto the floor and begin to sob. All across her body were searing injuries, with no reprieve. Dranoch, capable of healing so quickly, often appeared to lose their understanding of pain. Taelian used this opportunity to rise from the burning cabin, the home collapsing around him. His armor was nearly entirely melted, much of his form now exposed. Considering they were wearing simple clothes, the two Dranoch also had much of their garments cindered, colored black by soot.

Taelian drew one of his daggers back into his hand, and then drew his last silver dagger from his pouch. Ard Fuil began to levitate before him, facing towards the sky as the other four daggers circled around it. He drew nearer to Erik and sent out the five manipulated weapons, the four daggers assailing him in a similar way as with his sister, with Ard Fuil contending with his claws. As he was distracted by the crimson-colored claymore, however, the buzzard-like daggers were ripping through him all across his form. Taelian began to prepare another new ability as Erik was cut through, this one far easier to perform than Cleanse considering its similarity to Infernal and Trail. It was a less complex ability, one following the same principles as others. He focused, extending an exhale, again coalescing aether around the shape of his Enkindled dagger. The draconian wings of Infernal formed behind him, expanded outwards and standing at the ready.

Erik prepared to dodge, and escaped the range of Gallow Warrior. Lisa, on the other hand, remained still as she clutched her face and continued to wail. The wings drew back, and then flapped, slowly before the form of the Ebon Knight. Rapidly, fire flushed forward from the draconian wings, Taelian performing Thrash. Fifty feet forward, the fire extended with a width of around ten feet, consuming the grass as it bellowed towards Lisa and consumed her whole. Dragon wings formed behind Taelian again, and Erik prepared to dodge the same ability, keeping a distance and dancing around the field. Taelian's eyes kept trained on the Dranoch, and as a moment of sloppy footwork came, he revealed that the wings were not Thrash but were instead Infernal; Taelian was launched forward at an absurd speed, gathering kinetic energy around him as his momentum grew. He then made impact with Erik, the fire bursting forward before him and shielding him from the backlash of the blast. Erik was scattered across the field, cindered and razed as well as physically dismantled.

Taelian immediately fell onto his knee, heaving like he had before, expelling blood from his body. His nose was bleeding, his face was flushed... he had overstepped, and this was his threshold sickness. But he was alive. Yet again, where everyone else died... he'd managed to keep it together. But beside him, more friends were lost. Since he'd come to Western Turoth, these two souls had been like his family. And Elandria.

He began to cry. It was rare for him; especially since he'd left Riven's side. But he did cry, as it hurt. It hurt to be alone again. It was a feeling he knew all too well, and always better than before. What was next, he wondered? Why should he remain?
word count: 699
User avatar
Taelian
Posts: 455
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:23 pm
Character Sheet: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=47
Plot Notes: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=286
Character Secrets: https://ransera.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=152

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"I'm alive," whispered Eleanor, fallen against the ground. Taelian's eyes immediately lit with confusion, and excitement, as he rose from his defeated position and crawled to her. "I used Exigency," she said. "And one of my Quirks makes me damn hard to kill. Rhylor, though... I don't know. There are major wounds across his back, and he's lost an immense amount of blood. I'll try to seal his wounds shut... hold on."

"Eleanor..." the Ebon Knight frowned. "It's no use; they drew so much out of him with their blood control. He's lost too much, and he doesn't know Exigency like us."

"Trust me, Taelian," she whispered. "I have alchemical salves. I have herbs, and skills as a doctor. He's not dead yet... only very close. There is still a chance." A thought then crossed Taelian's mind: Wylen. He was a skilled Necromancer; it was possible that he could save Rhylor. Melitene was far, but it was not as far as Grimholdt, and Taelian had burnt all of Eleanor's medical supplies. She still had a bloody sword shoved through her chest. There was no way she could make the journey. Wylen was their only chance, even if he was far away. Taelian had another idea.

An incredible pain filled his chest as his muscles tensed; he began to sweat, feeling ill, nearly ready to go unconscious. The reason: he used more aether, calling upon another Marghozad from the Stygian Grave. "Marghozad," he spoke to the being. "Run to Melitene. Say you're Taelian's -- ask to speak to Eloise, tell her that I need... Wylen. I'm... Eleanor, Rhylor, they're going to die. We're in the forest south of the city, near the first mountain trail. She'll know where to find us," he said. Taelian felt his eyelids growing heavy.

The Marghozad quickly ran off in the direction of Melitene, and Taelian was glad he'd called on them there before. It was a fast runner - it wouldn't even be hours before it managed to contact the Umpire, and with Eloise as a skilled Transposer, he imagined she could make it to them in time to save Rhylor's life. As he fell unconscious, he noticed that Eleanor was studiously working to save Rhylor's life, sealing all of his wounds shut with fire and turning him over, feeding him a salve she'd drawn from her pouch. Without Necromancy, though, it wouldn't be enough. Wylen was their only hope, and he was a man that Taelian had never met.

The Ebon Knight fell unconscious. He was so weak and fatigued that he could've well confused it with death.
word count: 464
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Mirage
Posts: 604
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:10 pm

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Taelian

Lores
Sigilic Pyromancy: Thrash
Sigilic Pyromancy: Faking out with Infernal
Sigilic Pyromancy: Like Infernal, Thrash has draconian wings
Sigilic Pyromancy: Thrash begins with a flap
Sigilic Pyromancy: Infernal: Explosive Charge
Blades: Dual Wielding

Loot: N/A

Injuries: Taelin has pushed himself this fight. Muscle fatigue and aches are the least of his concerns. Wherever the melting metal of his armor touched he has a burning red mark that is sensitive to the touch. In addition he has suffered moderate overstepping, a hairs breath away from sever. Pain in his chest radiates and pulses with his heartbeat, and his insides will feel like they are filled with boiling lava for 3 days before starting to ease and finally disappearing after 2 weeks. Finally a line a black veins appear from his Sigil, a texture like coal with lines of red that are hot to the touch. With little to no use of his Pyromancy these lines will fade completely. Any more overexertion may cause them to spread more.

Points 5

Comments:
Now that was exciting! All points can go toward Pyromancy, though after this show upping some of his martial abilities feels appropriate. Will Taelians actions here have a ripple affect? I suppose we will have to wait and see.

Once more great job! I look forward to what happens next!

Question your Reality,
Mirage
word count: 233
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