Nia'Nikta's heart stopped and a great pressure built inside of her as she saw her friend dissolve into mist. Even in her dying moments she was aiding them. Images of her sitting beside the lake side as they talked about the past. Alyra had been kind, wise, and gentle. Alyra spoke with honesty and purpose.
I give to you all, all that I was, so that you might realize all that you might become! You must seek out the Stream of Heroes, on the Isle of Life, and drink from the source!
A heartbeat.
Mist slid down her throat and into her lungs as she breathed in when her heart started beating again at Alyra's words. Those words echoed inside of her repeating over and over again until they were committed to memory.
Power coursed through her veins awakening something deep inside as her eyes glow for a brief moment. Then the sounds of battle and the horrid creatures movement could be heard once again.
"Do not lose hope Baldeck! You bear the strength of a mountain within your heart. Stand fast and Let Alyra's gift strengthen you. Concentrate your strikes where the glitter oozes. It is protecting that area so you have cleaved a weakness into its body. I know you can make it pay for that. Auric, get ready to strike. Antonio, your blade is quick and its favoring your side, and now its open STRIKE NOW!" Power flowed into her words and Antonio saw a possible opening.
"Fowl creature from the depths of the void. You shall not survive this day for even my words will strike at your core.
Alyra's mist flowed into and through Antoino, burning away his illness, his injuries, in fact burning away everything he used to be.
In it's place, he became faster, more fluid. Time seemed to slow down for him, and with Nia's aid he could see an opportunity to... strike!
Decisive Strike_____
for a possible piercing and precision damage.
But unused to this new power, his attack sailed by the monsters in comedic effect.
Aylea's last words echo in Reiko's mind for a mere few seconds, though they feel like an eternity. As he breathes in her essence, he feels her purity, her goodness, bind itself to him from the inside out.
Then the memory surfaces. Reiko, sitting in a small hidden room of the Arcane College. A single candle illuminating a forbidden tome. A spell so ancient, and so dark, that it had been stricken from all known histories and books.
All but one.
Reiko furiously scribbling the spell into his skin, using a dagger soaked in the blood of an innocent girl, sacrificed so that Reiko and his "friends" could learn the darkest of secrets.
As the memory continues, it becomes clearer and clearer to the magus, until it is no longer as if he's watching from the outside in, but finally remembers this happening.
And remembers the spell.
His voice booms over the clearing, deeper, and darker than it has ever been. His eyes are blood red, matching the glowing spell scars on his arms.
YOU WANT SIZE?! YOU WANT BRUTALITY?! COME! LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT TRUE TITAN MAGIC LOOKS LIKE!!
As he speaks, he grows in size, until he towers over the creature. He hefts his now massive katana in one hand and points at the beast.
YOU WILL PAY FOR THE DEATH OF ALYRA. YOU, AND YOUR WICKED CREATORS!!
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It happens in a blur.
One moment, the sparkling, impossible shape feels like unstoppable death, and the next moment, it's sagging to the ground. Slowly, it becomes visible, and it's like a horrible accident - you want to look away, but can't.
It has some remarkably human features, but none of them are right. It has mouths in strange places, and eyes where you'd never expect them, either. It's neither bipedal nor a quadruped, and it's hard to tell exactly what limbs were for locomotion.
For a moment, tentacles attached inexplicably writhe, and then the whole thing starts decomposing before your eyes.
If it stank before, death didn't help.
Blackish ichor blood is spattered for yards around - except on the axe. It feels oddly more vigorous than before.
The only thing left of Alyra is the jewelry she wore - except that she still, somehow, feels present.
Nia'Nikta would gag slightly putting her weapon and shield up. Leaning down and pick up Alyra's jewelry.
"Let us burn and destroy this things body before it seeps into the earth and poison's it." she said looking at them. "I don't have enough oil but we may be able to do something."
Looking at the jewelry in her hand she strokes the pieces. "You are a hero Alyra... your tale will be known."
Auric frowns as Baldek finally connects with the highly questionable axe... why couldn't I have been just a little bit faster... one more hit and that thing never would have tasted this foul creature's blood...
"That was a costly victory," he says with some sadness, "but at least her death was not in vain... she saved this town and put an end to this vile beast."
Cleaning some of the ichor from his armor, he points to the jewelry and adds, "It looks like she left us one more gift... At the risk of being indelicate, perhaps Sakuro or one of you should identify it... I don't think she would have left it if she didn't mean for us to use it..."
"You are indeed being indelicate. Nia said but looks around. "Does no one have a solution to rid us of its body?" She would hold onto the jewelry but if Sakura wanted to identify it now she would let her.
Nia would look back the way it came and then to see if any villagers were in sight.
If so she would call out to them. "You there. Can you go get oil and shovels? I wish to burn away the filth."
Looking back at the group. "We should see where this came from. Find out if there is anything we can find out."
Antonio rolled back defensively when the thing collapsed, then he just stared in horror as the thing became visible, then evaporated.
He got a hold of himself. He carefully wiped his blade clean before sheathing it, and snatching up his crossbow again.
"Thank god we ran into it instead of the Villagers. Can anyone tell where it came from? Can we, or maybe a professional tracker track it back to its lair?"
He looked around.
"Is everyone alright? Where is Alyra? I thought I heard her calling out..."
Nia'Nikta would look at him and nods. "The villagers were running from it when we came to meet it. I can only hope none got hurt before this. Its a spawn of the elder gods that come from the darkness between the stars. An aberration of the worst sort."
Shifting as she would look behind the thing. "I would think that anyone could track the trail of the torn up ground. As for Alyra, that creature killed her and she gave us power. It is why we had that sudden influx of energy."
Reiko towers over his comrades for a moment, his eyes burning with hatred. He finally dispels the magic, though, and shrinks back down to his normal size. As he does so, red lightning crackles all over his body. Once he's fully returned, he speaks to the group.
It seems Alyra's...sacrifice... brought back a most important memory of my past. I believe that in my past, my colleagues and I possessed a tome, containing Titan spells, and probably more. The enlargement spell I just cast on myself is one of the spells in that book. It is carved into my skin, as are likely more spells from that evil source.
He looks down, disdainfully, at his right arm.
The process for scribing Titan magic is... abhorrent. I hope that I do not have many more. I must inspect these scars closer, when I have time. For now, we need to figure out where this abomination came from, and where the "stream of life" Alyra spoke of is located.
He slices the air with his katana, causing the blood to sling into the dirt, and then sheathes it.
Antonio fell to his knees.
"Oh, Alyra. I'm so sorry."
He still felt... energized somehow. It was like he could see the air moving.
He nodded, still marveling at the sensations.
"Alright then.
"First, we make sure everyone is all right with their injuries.
"Next, we burn the thing like Nia said. If I can get help from the village, we should leave that to the sherrif.
"Third, let's follow the trail back."
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A number of the farmers - just coming out after watching the fight from cover - step up to assist with the cleanup. Almost before they get started, they have more to clean up as a couple of them lose their breakfast.
It really can't be moved well, due to size and malleability, but the farmers dig a fire break and try lighting it. It also won't burn. Already, the plant life in the immediate area is browning.
I dunno how, but we'll deal with this mess. Thanks for saving our lives!
Nia'Nikta would look at the farmers and nods. "We are happy to help. We couldn't let something like this into the village. Unfortunately my knowledge on this horror is quite limited. If there is an alchemist in town maybe they could use acid to get rid of the body. "
Looking at the others. "We should track this back to where it came from. Who is good at tracking just incase the trail." SHe looks at the broken trees and such. "Does get faint."
As it was she would start walking along the messy trail they could obviously see.
Reiko looks once more at the monster they slew, a pensive look on his face.
Alyra, we could sorely use your help for the rest if this endeavor.... But I shall do everything in my power to avenge you. You have my word.
He sets to follow Baldek.
Auric follows the others but seems distracted...
something has happened... something has changed... I still don't understand what Goldar is doing, but I sense that my purpose is drawing near...
Nia looks at Sakura. "Sakura, they already tried. It won't catch on fire. Hence why I suggested the acid.'
Looking at Baldek. "Thank you very much Master Baldek."
"I apologize. I knew someone with a name similar to yours and it is a bad habit. Maybe one day I can introduce you. They are as in love with magic as you are. She was one of the few friends I had and I miss her. She is the court mage and has access to the wizard's college in the capital."
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Ok - it's my understanding that you want to track this thing.
The trail is definitely easy enough. Within 20 minutes you're pretty sure it came from up in the mountains NE of the village, but that's also about when you realize it's not going to be an easy trail to follow, after all.
It's going to take some climbing.
I am not the best at climbing, actually. Do we have the supplies we need to make it up there?
Aya, do you have any spells to help us get up there? I've heard of a floating disk spell that can carry people, though I never attempted to study it myself.
Antonio frowned as he looked over the problem.
"Guys, I think we should return to our previous plan and go check out the monastary. We need the whole team with us, and they cannot go with us if we pursue this trail through the mountains."
Sorry I do not know the floating disk spell floating disk spell.
Antonio raised an eyebrow at Baldek.
"I wasn't planning on these things ignoring mountains! You want to face a nest of those things without half your Company? I think not."
Nia'Nikta looks up the mountain trail. "I was hoping this would lead us to some clue as to what brought it here. It seems we will not have that. Let us not risk our necks with this. Our original objective was the Monastery. Let us head back. Maybe we will find clues there to solve at least something about what is going on around here. A lot of questions and very few answers."
Nia looked at the others and then Antonio. "What little I know those things don't travel together and aren't .....birthed together. They destroy anything in their way, including their own. But again, not much is known about those spawn. For good reason. Very few survive facing one. We were the lucky ones."
"I would think he waited to see if this trail could lead us to some clues Baldek. Like I did. Though I am not sure." She nodded to Antonio and turned. "Maybe when we wrap everything up we can have some clue." She would start walking back deep in thought something gnawing at her.
To her Titan magic wasn't blood magic, or the twisted scars that she had seen Reiko show. In all her studies Titan magic had been will and word. Sometimes just will alone. The gods had a right to fear their power. But there had been a peace between the two and then war.
War brought out the best and worst in all. Even in her little group she could see what conflict brought. This would have to go in her journal definitely.
"Sakuro," Nia took great pains to make sure she said the name correctly. "When we get the chance do you want to sit down with me and study what Alyra left behind." She looked at Aya. "You too of course Aya. I am hoping to figure out why these were left behind."
After much thought I have concluded that we should follow the beast's trail to see where it came from. Are there others? Is there some clues to its origin? Did it leave anything behind in its lair?