[center][img] https://i.imgur.com/P2IyNrh.png [/img] [img] https://i.imgur.com/jhDY9La.png [/img] [h3]Disfigured[/h3][/center] [hr] She couldn't feel anything. No sensations, no pain. She only knew she was awake because she could hear. It was her own labored breathing, a promise of a death with each rattle that settled over her like a cloud. But there was something else too… A woeful hum. Her eyes strained open and she saw the stars above. Ida couldn't remember how they got outside. [i]They[/i]. Twin? Where was her twin? She blinked back the mist of her mind for just a moment and saw Ayre cast in firelight not far away. She was safe but the more Ida looked, the more the picture unfolded. Ida blinked disbelieving and then a whimper escaped her throat, for her sister was not cast in fire's orange glow but she herself was the fire. Unmoving but blinking silent screams, Ayre’s legs were black stumps and her lower torso was alight. She stared at Ida with dull eyes. Her sister was moving her lips but Ida could not understand her sister's message. The smell of burnt flesh attacked her senses, made her throat gag but nothing came up. Ida blinked again or perhaps she passed out, for when her eyes opened, Ayre’s chest was a roaring pyre and the blaze illuminated… [i]it[/i]. The demon cast in the gloom, shape crooked and bent beneath its swirling smoke. A long bone white hand caressed her twin's face. She wanted to scream but no words came. The demon spoke ever sweetly with that poisoned tongue, “Shhh, shhh, it will be alright, let Bael-Davaur save you from this plight. You've a mighty gift, one that can not be let to drift. Bael-Davaur was born before the stars, soon enough this new world will be ours. Your flame will help to sunder tree, and that wretched magnolia you see.” It bent closer to Ayre, her sister’s glazed eyes did not register the peril. “When Bael-Davaur was young, a cruel queen cut out his tongue. Now he speaks with a godling’s voice, and no, it was not that one’s choice.” Bael snickered with wicked glee. “You thought you could escape, but you were not quite in shape. Now you are Bael-Davaur’s little doll, one who can only crawl.” It laughed and the noise grated on Ida’s ears. It was too much and Ida managed to whimper again. Anything to get it away from Ayre and it worked. She caught the demon's attention and that boney hand dropped as it made its way to her on a sickly wind. “She wakes at last, such frost unsurpassed.” Smoke clouded her vision and she wasn't able to see its face or any part of it. “Broken and bent, with jaw now extent.” It said. “Ice can still be mended, it must simply be tended. For Bael-Davaur has you saved, and now you shall be enslaved…!” The demon’s laugh rang hollow and Ida could not feel its hands all about her but she knew that's what it was doing. She knew and hated it. She shut her eyes. This was a nightmare. They escaped. It wasn't real. She didn't break the earth for naught. When she opened her eyes, they would be back up at the tree with Allianthe watching over them. Father would be there and alive and and and- She opened her eyes, witnessed the demon’s long black tongue glide over her face. A sickly smell permeated her senses and her head swam in a blur. She felt sick but could not move. She whimpered again as it spoke, “Tears so sweet, with flesh to eat. The arms are gone, plucked like a swan. Soon you'll recover… My starkissed lover.” She felt her breathing quicken. It was too much. This wasn't a nightmare. It was too terrible. Too real. She had failed utterly and now she'd be… Ida's vision began to fade, despite her terror, despite Ayre’s burning. The hum was so lovely, lovelier than the demon's honeyed speech. She could hear it whispering sweet nothings as it touched her with its oil slick hands. Perhaps it was good she couldn’t feel the violation. Her heart began to beat like thunder, drowning out all other noise. Ayre… Her drooping eyes shot to her sister. Ida only felt a great sorrow for what she had wrought. A light came forth, brighter than all the rest. She heard muffled laughter, rising to a ringing pitch. Her heart was going to explode as that light enveloped all. Ida's eyes shut and oblivion took her. [hr] A bird’s lullaby startled Ayre awake. A morning song of a ruby swallow, her favorite thing to hear upon a warm day. She blinked, furrowing her brow as she looked out at a familiar but unfamiliar sight. Arbor and the World Tree sat looming before her. It was so colorful, all the trees and the flowers with the insects and animals alight with the new day. A chorus of comfort and relief but… She stared at the other tree, one whose trunk she could only scarcely comprehend. Was that new? Someone yawned beside her and Ayre turned her head to see Ida waking. Her long white hair obscured her face as she leaned forward, pale blue horn dazzling in the morning light. What struck her as even stranger, was when Ida moved her hair away from her face, not with a hand of pale white did touch her skin but one of liquid silver. Ayre stared at the hand, puzzled. Was that how her hand had always been? She looked at her own and scrunched her nose at the tanned and unblemished flesh. “What is it?” Ida asked and Ayre looked up and recoiled, eyes going wide. “What…?” Ida began, looking behind her. “What’s the matter?” Ayre opened her mouth to speak but found no words. She lifted her arms and felt herself blinking rapidly. Her mind felt jumbled, and finding the right thought to even explain to herself what was going on was difficult. Ida reached out and grabbed Ayre’s wrist and it was then that Ida’s own eyes grew wide with shock as she stared and stared at that liquid cool hand. And quite suddenly, it clicked with Ayre. They both spoke at the same time- Ayre exclaiming, “You’re touching me!” and Ida wailing, “What happened to my hand?” Ida let go and got to her feet in one lithe movement. But then she stumbled backwards, looking at both her hands of silver. Quite suddenly she pulled off her gray shirt in a panic and threw it on the ground. Standing bare chested now, Ayre could clearly see that both her sister’s arms had been replaced. Where pale flesh had been, now was the formed musculature of metal. Coursing veins of soft green mimicked what once had been. Strangely, or perhaps it was intended, it looked natural despite being metallic. Ayre forced a smile, hoping to show Ida it didn’t look bad at all. Indeed, Ida’s lower half looked unscathed. That was good, right? Instead, Ida began to hyperventilate. Ayre pushed off from the ground and went to her side. “Ida,” She said but her sister wouldn’t look at her. “Ida!” She tried again but her twin was focused on her outstretched arms. “IDA!” Ayre shouted, touching her sister’s shoulder. This seemed to work as Ida’s face contorted with pain and she shrugged Ayre off. “Don’t touch me!” Ida said, tears beginning to stream down her face. “W-W-What happened? Where are my arms? Where are my-” She looked at Ayre. “What else? What else has changed!” She demanded. Ayre was taken aback, she had never seen this side of Ida before. “I… Uhmm-” She didn’t know what to say. ‘Tell me.” Ida pleaded. “Please.” Ayre took a gulp and walked around her sister. The middle of Ida’s back, her spine, was now silver as well, rippling with intricate patterns and goosebumps, almost as if it were actual skin. Veins of the same green pulsed in scrawled beauty. She walked back in front of Ida and said, “The middle of your back and… Your jaw and chin, Ida.” It was the truth, plain as day and why she had initially recoiled. Her sister’s lower jaw and her entire chin were replaced with that metal. More veins stretched down her neck and across her shoulder to her arms and of course her back. Pulsing, beating in tune to her heart. It reminded her of… Ida was trembling. “Ida, oh Ida.’ Ayre gulped and took her sister’s hands within her own. They could touch at least, not that it would matter much to her sibling now. “It doesn’t look bad. The craftsmanship is div-” Ida cut her off, “Doesn’t look bad? Doesn’t look bad! I’m even more of a freak!” “Ida…” Ayre said, her sister beginning to squeeze her hands. “I’ve been disfigured and you say it doesn’t look bad?” Ida fumed, the calm and collected girl vanished. She kept squeezing. “Ida! Plea-” Ayre snapped back. “What else do you have to say!” Ida snapped. “My hands!” Ayre shouted, anger filling her own voice. Ida looked down and let go. Relief washed over Ayre as she rubbed her hands together, massaging the pain. “I’m sorry.” Ida said, falling to her knees. “I’m so sorry.” she cried. Ayre forgot her pain, reaching out a hand to pat her sister on the head but she stopped and knelt down. She took Ida’s shaking hands back within her own and squeezed. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. I’m okay.” Ayre said in a gentle voice. “You didn’t mean to. I’m not mad.” She paused, thinking carefully about what to say next. “We are going to figure this out. Hey, look at me look at me, please.” Ida slowly brought her head up and looked at her sister. Her lips trembled, her eyes were so sad. “You are not a freak. You understand? You never were and you aren’t now, okay? I-I’m so sorry this happened. I don’t even… I don’t even remember.” “We fell.” Ida whispered, she let her head droop a little. There was no sign that she believed any of what Ayre had said. “Yes… We fell and then…” Try as she might to think about what happened, Ayre could not. She remembered what led up to them falling… A part of her stomach dropped when she thought about how she had slain that creature. How Ida had reassured her. How she had erupted to protect her sister. She rubbed her thumbs over her Ida’s. “We’ll get through this and you know why?” Ida did not answer. “Because, Ida, I love you.” Ayre whispered, bringing her sister’s right hand up to her lips for a kiss. The fact she could do that was relieving in itself. “Come on,” She said, standing up and helping Ida to her feet. “We’re outside and that’s not something we should question. The tree Ida, it’s over yonder and look,” Ida’s head lifted to gaze up at the trees. “The goddess has been busy. Two trees. Just like there are two of us. That’s gotta mean something, right? Here, let me get you your shirt.” Ayre let go of Ida’s hand as her sister stared up at the trees. She found her shirt next to the tree they had been laying against. But it wasn’t the shirt that caught her eye but what else leaned against the tree. “Ida!” she gasped and her sister swirled, “Look!” A long staff of deep rich wood, smoothed with gleaming golden leaves and with a deep blue sapphire set at its crown, leaned next to a sheathed sword. Though the blade was hidden, it was already unlike any they had seen before. The hilt was fashioned from what looked like the same wood as the staff. It also was designed with a half crescent guard, made of silver. The pommel held a deep red ruby but the blade… Ayre cautiously picked up the deep black sheath and began to pull at the handle. With a faint ring she pulled the blade free and marveled. The blade glowed a deep burning orange. As if it were fire incarnate. It sung a sweet song in her mind, so fixated she was on it. Indeed, Ayre had never actually held a sword, had only seen them from the smiths at the Divinium Forge and the occasional traveler. Life was sacred after all and Allianthe would disapprove. Ayre quickly sheathed the sword and leaned it back against the tree. She gripped the familiar gem beneath her tunic as she took a step back. Ida meanwhile, went and grabbed the staff. She held it in her new hands, running her left down the grain of the wood. “I can feel…” She murmured before looking at Ayre. “It isn’t going to bite you. Why don’t you take it?” she asked flatly. Ayre gulped. “Well… You know… Swords are…” “I know.” Ida said, her voice softer. “But we can’t leave it here. Better for you to at least carry it, for now. Just until we can put it somewhere safe.” Seeing the logic in that, Ayre nodded, hesitantly walked forward like it was a snake coiled to strike and bent. As soon as her hands wrapped around the hilt, she felt power roll into her. That hadn’t happened before. She rolled her shoulders and unsheathed the blade once more. It wasn’t very heavy and strangely felt right in her hand. She held it high and it burst into flames. This startled Ayre and she dropped it. The blade embedded tip down into the earth at her feet and she actually heard Ida laugh. She spun to her sister, cheeks flushing red. “It s-startled me, that's all.” She stammered. Ida leaned on her staff, the smile on her lips fading with each passing moment. Ayre captured it in her mind and she knew despite their hurts and pains- they were together and they were home. Ayre would help her sister and her sister would help her. There was nothing they wouldn’t be able to overcome. “Come on. Let’s go home.” Ida half whispered, her eyes going distant. Ayre smiled ever so faintly, and picked up the sword once more and sheathed it. Thankfully it didn’t catch fire. Ida began to walk off and it dawned on Ayre then, “Ida!” She snapped. Her pale twin spun around, “What?” Ayre walked up to her. “Your shirt.” She said, handing it to her. “Right.” Her sister said and the two went on. [hider=Summary] Turns out escaping an enemy by falling down into the abyss of the world, isn’t a great idea. After some very enlightening talk by their savior, the girls wake up on the surface with no recollection of what transpired after they fell. Probably for the best. Arbor is close by, with its two trees. And we get to see upgrades, people, upgrades. [/hider] [hider=MP] Sylia 20 Starting -3MP to ‘repair’ Ida with Sylanthite (the combined Divinium alloys of Sylium and Allianthite). Due to the nature of her injuries post fall, Ida needed two new arms, a fixed jaw and a total restructuring of her spine. To do this, Sylia (of course who else) managed to combine the two alloys. Because of this, the surgery was a complete success. Sylanthite boasts the properties of both alloys. Made through the willpower of crafting to aid life. Able to graft upon a mortal’s flesh and function like any limb even down to the sensation of touch. Much like the Syllianth, she will also be able to change her appendages into an assortment of useful tools up to the limits of her imagination. Her vitality and endurance are also much improved, along with the natural durability that comes with Divinium alloys, Ida is stronger. -2MP (Towards the war domain) To create an artifact, War’s Requiem. This staff, carved from the world tree’s roots and interlaced with gold leaves, was created by Sylia as a gift for Ida. Set into its crown is a large deep blue sapphire. Through the staff and from the sapphire, one can focus their innate magical abilities and unleash their powers tenfold. For War is but swift victory when one can overwhelm their opponent outright. -1MP( +1 for Divinium alloy base) To create an artifact, The Hearth Sword. Forged from the Divinium alloy of Anat’aaium, this sword is the first artifact created from the alloy of fire. Its blade is molten fury, capable of burning bright and cutting or rather, melting through objects with ease. [hider=SPOILER, open at your own risk] -4MP to Grant Immortality to Ayre. Befitting her nature as a phoenix, any time she dies, she is reborn in fiery fashion. The problem with such unshackled flame, is that if she burns too bright she’ll immolate, and be reborn depleted for a time. [/hider] 10MP remaining (4/4 for War domain unlock) [/hider]