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Post by Kara on Jan 11, 2023 13:55:36 GMT -5
Kara stumbled forward, pain searing through her body. Sight was becoming difficult… Her senses were aflame. A river of fire and light was coursing through her veins…
And all other sorts of dramatic descriptions of the intense pain she was feeling. Damn it, what is happening?
It was that god, the Archivist. Touching his soul had done something to her. You really have to be careful where you go poking your soul, Kara. At least use… protection… Kara’s thoughts came to an abrupt stop as a new wave of pain overcame her senses, and she collapsed to her knees.
She had long ago lost track of where exactly she was, somewhere near the Oasis, among the trees a little ways away from the Trading Post, maybe. Pain burned through her gut, and she doubled over, planting her hands in the soft sand and letting a scream burst past her clenched teeth.
What is happ- OH.
Light burst from her where she lay, doubled over on all fours. Her eyes lit up with golden energy, the few locks of her raven hair that glowed with her Angelic essence flaring even brighter.
And then, like a pair of flames suddenly fed by a new fuel source, two brilliant wings made of pure golden light burst from her back, each extending to their full six feet of length. [Divine Ascent]
“Yeeeeeeeesssssss!!”
Kara felt her Angelic power flow through her, and suddenly she was strong, she was fast, she was…
...Still limited. This was only a fraction of her power, but damn, did it feel good nonetheless.
(Divine Ascent 1/3)
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jan 11, 2023 17:05:40 GMT -5
It was not hard to track down Kara in the Oasis. Most folk had noticed her earlier outburst and gossip spread quick in the small community.
That, and she just shot out a beacon to let all of fucking Charon know where she was at.
People had definitely took notice of the strange woman down on the ground who suddenly sprouts wings. A mix of confused expressions, hushed whispers, and suspicious looks surround Kara despite her being seemingly too preoccupied with...well whatever was going on to really notice. Not that she would care. She didn't seem to have much of an idea of how to act in public, and being a celestial form another plane put her in a potentially dangerous situation.
Word travels quick in small communities. If there is anyone in town looking to cause trouble, Kara would be an easy target. Though she hadn't made the greatest first impression, she had said a few things that caught his attention. He wanted to know exactly what she seemed to think she knew about Kvasir, and even himself.
He sighs and heads over to Kara, careful not to sneak up on her in case she decided to try and turn him into a glowstick again. Stopping before her, he tucks his hands into his pockets and looks down at her.
"Hey."
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Post by Kara on Jan 12, 2023 1:27:28 GMT -5
Kara slowly raised her head. Oh no. Not this guy. She brushed some sand from her hands, then went to stand up. Her legs, newly revitalized and flowing with power, shoved her off the ground and pushed her into the air.
“Shit!” She hovered there, a few feet off the ground, held aloft by her new wings. “Oookaaaay, Kara. Less effort next time.” She focused her still brilliantly glowing gaze on Zarius.
“Yes?” She sounded a little annoyed. “It’s just, I’m kind of in the middle of something here.”
She gently drifted back to the ground, touching down and flaring her wings out behind her. She turned her head to look at them, and grinned. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”
It seemed touching Kasra’s soul had caused Kara’s own Celestial energy to surge, even if her body had not been ready for it. But now that she was past the… Ah, growing pains, she felt fine. Light, she felt amazing.
She looked at Zarius. The Tiefling stood there, cool as a cucumber, hands in his pockets. Kara furrowed her brow. “You’re immune to my light, aren’t you? How weird. How odd.” She lifted her hand and sent a ball of light bouncing into his face [Purity Bolt]. As expected, it didn’t seem to affect him. She shook her head. “How do you do that?”
Her bemused smile faded as she looked at him. Like before, she could still sense something… Off about him. Something dark.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jan 12, 2023 14:49:38 GMT -5
"I can see that, so can everyone else in the whole of the Oasis."
He doesn't care to not be snarky around this woman. She has more than earned his ire with her behavior this day.
Glancing at the wings she now sports from her back, well, she certainly looked the part of a celestial now. "I suppose."
Zarius gives the woman the most unimpressed look he can possibly muster as the light strikes him only to be reduced to a shower of blue sparks across his skin.[1] He's not sure what she was trying to get at or prove by causing even more of a scene. If anything, she was just reinforcing his suspicions that she might be too stupid to survive on this plane of existence.
The crowd around them scatters a bit, not wanting to get involved in a fight with magic flying through the air. Smart, who knows what this woman would try next now that she could also be airborne.
"Is this just going to be a regular thing with you?" He shakes his head before glancing about. "You have drawn too much attention, let us go somewhere less public."
He turns on his heels and starts heading out to the edge of the oasis, keeping an eye out for a more private space they could talk and also making sure they were not being followed.
Once they're somewhere out of sight of prying eyes, he leans back against the back wall of a building.
"We can talk here."
[1] Elemental Immunity (Light)
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Post by Kara on Jan 15, 2023 2:22:43 GMT -5
“If you keep on speaking to me like I’m the last thing on this plane that you want to see, then yes. It will most probably be a very regular thing.”
I’m hardly one to talk. I’ve hardly been… Friendly with this guy.
There’s a reason for that, of course.
Two reasons, really. Back during that fiasco with Kvasir and Nyr, she had noticed how Zarius twisted everything that happened to paint Kara as the villain. He was a master of deceit, a maestro of manipulation. Light, she wanted to just punch him.
As she reluctantly followed him, her wings fading from view, she considered the second reason she’d been less than besties with the Tiefling. That shadow wrapped around his soul. The stink of something deep and black. Kara narrowed her eyes at his back as they walked, trying to figure it out. But… Nothing. Nothing more than she already felt. It would require something a little more intense to explore his demons. Something akin to what she did with Kvasir, maybe.
Careful, Kara. Kasra was a fellow Celestial. You don’t know what is going on here.
Zarius leaned back against a wall, and Kara looked around for somewhere for her to lounge. Nothing. She just stood there, then felt she should do something with her arms. She crossed them, then changed her mind and placed one hand on her hip, the other hanging limp. She quickly decided this was not the pose she wanted, and crossed her arms again. She glared at Zarius, suspecting that the Tiefling was probably silently mocking her, and finally settled on standing with both hands curled into fists and resting on her hips. A good, strong position.
“Alright, Zari-sus. What’s on your pointy little brain?”
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jan 15, 2023 16:08:19 GMT -5
He stands there and watches the celestial woman try to figure out how she should stand, shifting around like some sort of awkward dancer who forgot half the steps to their routine. It's pretty clear to him that she is still figuring out how to be comfortable in her own skin. The idea that she existed in any other form aside from physical is something beyond his own understanding.
What isn't beyond his understanding is the insults.
"Very mature. I want you to elaborate on what you mentioned earlier about Kvasir. You know, the whole dead celestial thing."
Kvasir was a potential ally, and a valuable one at that. While what insights Kara has on the strange fox man are of interest to him, he wasn't going to necessarily let them get in the way of continuing to do business with the herbalist. At the very least the information could help him avoid making the mistakes Kara had in interacting with Kvasir, and at most he might be able to use that information as leverage if he needed it at any point.
While he's curious about that, he's also curious about what else Kara is able to sense or see. Her reactions to things are strange and her mood seems to swing wildly. There's no consistency with her besides that she seems set on showing the tiefling no respect whatsoever.
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Post by Kara on Jan 17, 2023 10:43:51 GMT -5
Kara didn’t respond right away. An hour ago, she would have given over the information without hesitation, but after talking with Kasra, after realizing that Kvasir was more prisoner than vessel… She suddenly wasn’t so sure it was information she should share.
On the other hand… Maybe this was an opportunity to make a deal with the Tiefling. Information for information. The secrets of a soul for the secrets of a soul. Kara opened her mouth to make an offer, when she saw something flicker in the corner of her eye. A shadow, trying to be stealthy. Another, from the other side.
“What did you say about drawing too much attention?” She asked Zarius casually. She didn’t reach for her spear, not yet. She may have been new to Charon, but she was no stranger to combat. Eons ago,she had fought in a physical body. She had been a master of war. Whether fighting the forces of Darkness or a group of thieves, tactics remained remarkably similar.
Surprise was always your greatest weapon.
She waited until either the shadowy figures made their move, or Zarius made his. She was prepared, ready to grab her spear and spring into action the moment they did. Despite herself, she felt a flicker of excitement. This was what she was quite literally made for, or at least what her body was made for.
Another flicker. That’s at least three, and Kara couldn’t see behind herself, so who knows how many others.
The slightest of smiles graced her face, and she directed it at Zarius.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jan 17, 2023 17:08:18 GMT -5
Zarius glances to the side when the movement catches Kara's attention. Another one, two, three. They were surrounded by at least four if not more. That was annoying. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck.
"We will have to continue this conversation afterwards it seems." He pushes off from the wall and looks at Kara. "Try not to kill anyone. I am not interested in cleaning up after you."
The sound of a crossbow bolt being loaded and clicking into place makes the tiefling's ear twitch and in a flash he snatches the released bolt in mid air before it can pierce into the side of his head.[1]
"Shit!" An ambusher from around the corner of the building ducks back out of sight, having failed to hit their mark.
"You missed, you git." Stepping out into the open from the opposite side is a large half-giant looking individual with another crossbowman behind him. He glowers down at Kara and Zarius with a great axe resting across his shoulders. "Listen up, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Zarius rolls the bolt in-between his fingers. "Do what exactly? You attack us out with provocation, do not make any demands, and then jump right into threats? This is a very poorly executed shakedown." He flicks the bolt into the ground at the half-giant's feet.
The half-giant sneers and lifts the axe off his shoulders and looms over them. "Drop your weapons."
Holding up his hands, the tiefling smirks as he shows he is clearly unarmed. "Easy, big guy. I have no weapon to drop, and I think you will have a hard time convincing the lady to acquiesce."
[1] Deflecting Palm (1/2 per topic)
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Post by Kara on Jan 20, 2023 3:11:04 GMT -5
Zarius had moved with incredible speed, freakin’ catching a bolt in midair. Kara had reacted immediately, reaching back and drawing Light Piercer. Now she gripped it in a slightly forward position, but as Zarius held up his empty hands, she slowly relaxed her stance, and planted the butt of the spear in the sand.
She glanced over the group of thugs before her, assessing them. Four of them had some form of melee weapon, and there was the big guy with the axe, and a crossbowman beside him. Oh, and lets not forget the crossbowman that failed to kill Zarius and is now hiding around the corner.
Seven. It was hardly fair.
“No.” Kara said calmly. “I will not drop my weapon.”
The half-Giant looked amazed. “You what?” Some of the thugs laughed nastily at her. The big one continued. “I don’t think you understand what’s happening here. You’re surrounded. Now put the wea-”
Kara kicked the shaft of her spear, causing the butt to shoot forward, dragging across the earth and kicking up with a spray of sand that blinded the half-Giant, and then Kara kept the moment of the spear moving, spinning it around until the spear-point was facing forward, and before the big guy even stumbled back, she was altering her trajectory slightly, pointing Light Piercer at the crossbowman; Energy coursed through her hands and down the length of the spear, before blasting out of the tip of the blade in burst of golden light [Purity Bolt].
The crossbowman went flying back, hitting a tree with a solid crack, and crumpled to the ground as the half-Giant growled, trying to get the sand out of his eyes. The thugs were frozen for a moment. Still blinded, the half-Giant roared out. “Kill him and take her already, you bloody imbeciles!”
Kara shared a look with Zarius. And then everyone was moving.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jan 22, 2023 0:28:04 GMT -5
"Try not to kill anyone," Zarius says to Kara over his shoulder as he lowers his hands.
He wasn't worried about any guards jumping to conclusions about the situation as the Oasis was pretty far away from Zeinav City and the Sultan's armed forces. Hell, bandits and mercenaries were constantly getting into fight across the desert and few people blinked at a few dusty bodies left in the streets after an argument gone wrong.
No, it wasn't really that he was worried about getting in trouble with any local law enforcement should the self-defense argument not hold any water, it was more that dead bodies were hard to extract information from. He at the very least wanted to know why these fools decided to attack the pair out of the blue. After that they could get turned into holy shish kababs on Kara's spear for all he cared.
The four thugs armed with scimitars and short swords jump into action as their half-giant boss gives the go ahead to attack. Zarius steps to the side to intercept a pair of them also get the attention of the one hiding crossbowman. He trusts Kara to know what to do with that spear of hers. She has magic as well, in theory she should be fine against a few lowly grunts.
This would be a good opportunity to see just what she was capable of. If her weakness was social decorum, then perhaps her strengths-- if she had any-- could be found in her combat prowess. Oh, and he also didn't want to be accidentally speared if it turned out her ability to fight mirrored her ability to act like a normal rational person.
One of the grunts lunges at the tiefling who catches the blade in his bare hand before he hops up and kicks him solidly in the jaw, knocking him back as another grunt rushes him while his back is turned.[1,2] Zarius' ear twitches at the sound of the man's approach and he manages to evade the downward slash of the man's scimitar.[3] Swinging his arm down quickly, he slams his fist into the thug's forearm, knocking the blade out of his grip and sending muscle spasm up the man's arm.[4]
The hiding crossbowman peeks out from around the corner and takes aim at the tiefilng again with a freshly loaded bolt. Zarius' attention snaps to the glint of the metal crossbow bolt catching the light of the sun and he reaches over, grabbing the man he just disarmed and yanking him in front of himself to use as a shield.[5]
"Wait! Wait! Don't shoot me!" The man cries.
The crossbowman gets an annoyed look on their face. "Tch! Get out of the way, you idiot!"
Zarius can't help but chuckle a bit and glances over his shoulder to see how Kara is fairing on her end.
[1] Steel Catch [2] Blow Back (1/2 per topic) [3] Fighters Sense [4] Stunning Blows [5] Iron Grip
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Post by Kara on Jan 24, 2023 14:36:14 GMT -5
Try not to kill anyone? Screw that.
As Zarius engaged with two of the thugs, Kara faced two of her own. She smiled. With a rush of wind, her wings of light burst from her back [Divine Ascent], and she leapt forward, the wings allowing her to go higher, until she was flipping eight feet in the air over one of the thugs, swinging her spear down and striking from above. Light Piercer’s blade sliced easily through the back of the thugs head and out the front of the face, neatly splitting his head in two and sending shower of blood splattering across the sand.
Kara landed on the other side of the toppling body and immediately fell to her knees, spinning and throwing up a cascade of sand as the second thug's blade whistled through the air above her. Using the momentum of her spin, Kara planted the spear into the ground and pushed off, extending her legs as she flew into the air again, both feet thrusting into the thug’s chest. As he flew off his feet, Kara followed, flying after him and reaching back, gripping Light Piercer like a javelin, and then she tossed it down, the thrown spear embedding into the thug’s midsection and dragging him to the ground and pinning him there.
Kara landed next to the spear, the thug’s body slowly sliding down the shaft. She wrinkled her nose in disdain and reached for the weapon before she was suddenly tackled by what felt like a ton of bricks. Or maybe an elephant. She slid in the sand, the weight of the half-Giant on top of her.
“You’re proving to be more trouble than you’re worth, angel bitch.” He growled in her face, hot breath making her recoil in disgust.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Jan 25, 2023 19:26:19 GMT -5
Damn. She really could not listen to any simple instructions could she.
"Fuck this." The crossbowman takes aim at Zarius even though his ally is in the way.
"Wait! Wait!"
Zarius snaps his attention back to them and kicks the one goon forward as the crossbowman fires a bolt right into the man's chest. The man collapses while the crossbowman reloads for another shot at the tiefling. He doesn't wait for him though. The tiefling kicks up a loose rock and chucks it at the crossbowman's weapon, knocking it out of his hands.[1]
"Shit!" The man scrambles to pick up the weapon just as Zarius' runs over and kicks him in the face with the tip of his boot.[2]
"Hey! Demon-spawn!"
Zarius looks over his shoulder at the half-Giant who has Kara pinned underneath his knee. The last standing goon has their crossbow trained on the tiefling from across the space.
"Move a muscle and I'll clip this angel's wings." The half-Giant rests the edge of his axe against Kara's back.
The tieling puts a hand on his hip. "I am pretty sure her wings are just magical and not actually physically attached."
"Shut up! This is your last chance to surrender."
"Surrender and die? I do not think that sounds like a good deal." He glances down at Kara. "Do you really need help or are you good?"
[1] Improvised Weapons [2] Dashing
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Post by Kara on Feb 5, 2023 19:28:08 GMT -5
Damn, the Half-Giant was heavy. Kara could remember a time when she could lift the weight of a full grown Drake with ease, and toss it across the battlefield. But that was long ago, before she was trapped in this sealed off body, her powers locked away.
She gritted her teeth and tried to push off from the ground, but the Half-Giant shifted his weight and dug his knee in deeper. “Oh, I don’t think so, girl.” He snarled.
Kara glanced at Zarius as best she could from the angle she was in, face semi-pressed into the sand. He seemed to be watching, waiting for Kara’s response. Just at the edge of her vision, she could make out a crossbowman with his weapon trained on the Tiefling.
Hmm.
She gritted out a reply to Zarius. “I’m… fine. Wouldn’t want you… to get… shot.” As she finished her sentence, she thrust out her arm and sent a bolt of energy towards the crossbowman [Purity Bolt]. Her position didn’t allow her a lot of room to move however, and the blast went a little wide. She had been aiming for his torso; Instead, the bolt hit the tip of his weapon, sending it flying out of his hands.
As the thug cried out in surprise, Kara didn’t get a chance to see what Zarius would do, as the leader grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled at it, clearly attempting to break it at the elbow. She tensed her muscle, trying to lock her arm straight. She may not have had the Angelic strength she once possessed, but this vessel was built with perfect muscles, and the Half-Giant found himself trying in vain to pull back on her arm.
She ground her teeth harder as the brute tried his hardest to break her arm, shifting slightly to get a better grip on her… She shoved at the ground with her free arm, using the man’s new position to heave him off of her and into the sand. She scrambled to her feet, wings pulling her up and giving her the advantage in speed over the Half-Giant, and managed to get her feet off the ground just as he rolled up to a standing position.
With her wings thrusting her forward through the air, she delivered a flying knee to the big man’s jaw as he rose, sending him tumbling onto his back.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 5, 2023 20:07:02 GMT -5
The tiefling doesn't let Kara's efforts go to waste. He quickly closes the gap between himself and the disarmed crossbowman and swiftly delivers a heavy punch to the gut. The crossbowman doubles over in pain only to get a knee to the face as they cringe. The goon collapses on the ground, landing with a thud in the dirt.
Zarius then turns his attention to the big fella. He was all that was left and even that wasn't saying much since Kara had successfully thrown him off and knocked him back on his ass.
The tiefling scoffs and dusts himself off a bit. "I appreciate the concern, even if it is unneeded." He starts towards the half-giant. "Now, what shall we do with our brutish friend here?"
The half-giant rolls up to sit and holds his face. His lip is busted from the knee to the jaw he took, a solid hit that definitely rattled his brain a bit, but did not quite down him for good. "Bitch, you'll pay for that."
Zarius gets right up in his face. "Pay you say? What possible value do you think your ugly mug has, hm?"
The half-giant scowls and grips his axe before he swings it wide to cleave the tiefling clean in half. At least, he would have if the tiefling hadn't put his hand out, catching the blade in his bare hand.[1]
"Do not be rude."
Zarius uses his free hand to punch the half-giant's fingers wrapped around the haft of his weapon. There's a crunching noise as his finger bones shatter from the impact. The half-giant howls in pain as he releases his grip on the axe which the tiefling promptly tosses aside, out of the half-giant's reach.
[1] Steel Catch
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