[center][img]https://images2.imgbox.com/d6/6b/chYbTWGd_o.png[/img]
[color=Red][h2][b][i]Chapter Six-
Gotta Catch 'Em All![/i][/b][/h2]
[h3][i][b]Part Two- Storm Cycle Savagery![/b][/i][/h3][/color]
[color=Red]See, now that's a lot better. Not only is it shorter, its also got that sweet alliteration![/color]
[color=888888]-Kate[/color][/center]

Just after leaving Ayame High and its little chronological crisis behind, Kate had received word of a newly discovered Oros iteration, one hailing from a fairly typical “dark fantasy” world, a land known as Albion (No, not [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/58/50/13y0rR3m_o.jpg][i]that[/i] Albion[/url], or that [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/c6/a7/Q27vu3nG_o.jpeg][i]other[/i] Albion[/url], either. [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/87/8a/6mqXi9IL_o.png][i]This[/i] Albion[/url]). While one might initially assume a trip to such a cold, bleak, windswept and primitive land would be saved for her [i]final[/i] stop, there were a few pieces of information that had quickly convinced Kate to head there without delay. For one thing, her subject, while human, seemed to have a fetish for elves, especially the ones who lived in the primeval Lylmesari Forest. For another, Albion was a sickly, twisted land, one that, perhaps unsurprisingly, given its name, drew a fair bit of inspiration from the myths of Earth’s own British Isles, the origin point for nearly all of the conceptual elements associated with [i]druids[/i]…

Kate didn’t doubt she’d run into her mysterious stalker no matter where among the myriad reality plenums she traveled, but there was a good chance that [i]this[/i] world was the unnerving druid’s native universe. If that was the case, then it might be able to provide her with some much needed information about his abilities and true motivations (in the event she couldn’t get a snapshot of him herself, of course). Thus it was that the plucky photographer now found herself in a world cursed by a vengeful god, seeking quite possibly the most antisocial Oros on her list…

Though one thing that Kate wouldn’t need her camera to tell her was that Lylmesari Forest was a very misleading name. Lylmesari [i]Jungle[/i] would have been far more accurate. The foliage was so thick it blotted out the sun. Only a few hazy rays made it past the overhead leaves. Gold and green silhouettes of plants expanded out as far as the eye could see. Occasionally there would be a vista. A clearing that revealed the marble remains of a once prosperous civilization, only to be taken back by the earth. 

[b][color=f68024]"The [color=f04456]photographer[/color], again."[/color][/b] The druid’s appearance wasn’t nearly as sudden as last time. When she looked to the foliage, she could see a pair of black and yellow eyes looking back at her, right behind a gnarled nose. This was the druid. [b][color=f68024]"I had an idea this would be your next stop."[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“Oh? What makes you say that?”[/color] Kate inquired, even as she innocuously pressed a button on the camera she was holding. She had expected to encounter the druid sooner or later, so his appearance now was hardly surprising.

[b][color=f68024]"Because our previous two encounters were home to an [color=f04456]Oros[/color]. And it makes sense that your next few visits will be to similar locations. It also seems like tragedy follows you wherever you go. Robot takeovers, time magic gone wrong, I only needed to locate the most likely place for a tragedy, limited to where an [color=f04456]Oros[/color] resides. I’m starting to think you’re not quite as nice as I initially suspected."[/color][/b]

When Kate looked at her camera’s readout, it displayed information on the plants that surrounded the druid’s face. Her camera usually didn’t have difficulty determining what subject she was trying to photograph, with the rare exception being if her target was heavily obscured. 

[b][color=f68024]"So I have taken measures to protect myself."[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“What, so you [i]seriously[/i] think [i]I’m[/i] the one responsible for all that crap?”[/color] Kate asked with a look of utter incredulity. [color=Red]“That’s some pretty insane troll logic you’ve got goin’ on,”[/color] she added with a mocking chuckle that was completely devoid of mirth. [color=Red]“I mean, for one thing, that whole ‘time stasis’ junk happened before I even [i]got[/i] there, and [i]you’ve[/i] coincidentally shown up every place I’ve traveled to, so maybe [i]you’re[/i] the one responsible? Speaking of, a pet of mine mysteriously vanished after a bright flash of light back at Ayame High. I don’t suppose you’d happen to [i]know[/i] anything about that, would you?”[/color] the photographer asked pointedly, while fixing the druid with an intense glare. 

[b][color=f68024]"I do believe I mentioned that my appearance is a bad omen. What I’m suggesting is that you, like me, may have the ability to warp the fortune of those around you. Only to a level far beyond mine. It’s something I’ve observed frequenters of Penrose to possess. Maybe you’ve just been unaware of it? Don’t good scoops just seem to happen around you? But as an aside, you are mistaken about my arrival time at the school. I approached you after I found you on the bench."[/color][/b] The druid’s face sunk into the leaves. [b][color=f68024]"In regards to your ‘pet,’ did it look something like this?"[/color][/b] A small picture was pushed between the leaves for Kate to see. It looked like a card for some trading card game.

[center][img]https://images2.imgbox.com/83/b2/9MSOx2bB_o.png[/img][/center]

​​Kate’s eyes went wide when she saw the card.

[color=Red]“Yeah,”[/color] she confirmed, clenching her fists. [color=Red]“And that’s his [i]name[/i], too,”[/color] she added, her voice tinged with barely contained fury. [color=Red]“What the hell did you [i]do[/i] to him?”[/color]

[b][color=f68024]"If you had told me your pet’s name was Gary, I would have told you I had seen them."[/color][/b] The eyes and nose resurfaced from the leaves.  [b][color=f68024]"I enjoy taking pictures of beasts, and that [color=f04456]Gorelion[/color] wasn’t a chance I could pass up. My camera is unique in that its pictures turn into playing cards. Gary must have been extraordinary among [color=f04456]Gorelion[/color] kind to come out as a named card."[/color][/b] The Druid hummed. [b][color=f68024]"He was wrestling with a [color=f04456]Caustic Bovine Lord[/color] when I saw him. I do not think you have anything to worry about. If you miss him this much, he is sure to return to you. But I will keep an eye out."[/color][/b] A finger pushed the card out of the leaves before quickly retreating.  [b][color=f68024]"In the meantime, why don’t you go look for the [color=f04456]Oros[/color] that resides around here? There’s another [color=f04456]Druid[/color] just up ahead. She’s headed towards your mark, so in helping her, you can help yourself."[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“Caustic Bovine Lord, huh?”[/color] Kate asked with a raised eyebrow as she took the card and stuffed it into a jacket pocket. According to what little info Nykannis had provided her with, these “Caustic Bovines” were interdimensional guardians who acted almost like multiversal antibodies, expunging any non-native elements from the reality plenums they held watch over. Yet, in all her travels, Kate had never encountered any such thing, and even now, she couldn’t help but notice that continued to be the case. [color=Red]“Y’know, I was standin’ right behind Gary just before he disappeared, and I gotta say, it looked waaay more like some kinda [i]teleportation[/i] than a monster attack,”[/color] the photographer added. [color=Red]“But if ya think he’s gonna be fine, then I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it,”[/color] she conceded with a shrug. The druid may have been telling the truth or he may have been lying out of his ass, but either way, Kate knew that this was neither the time nor the place to settle matters. That moment would come soon enough, of that she was certain, but for now, she had a job to do, and once again, her enigmatic stalker had “helpful guidance” to offer. [color=Red]“Thanks for the tip, by the way,”[/color] she told the druid as she began walking in the direction he’d indicated. [color=Red]“Guess I’ll be seein’ ya around.”[/color]

The druid’s only response was to slink deeper into the foliage.  Hopefully, the [i]other[/i] druid wouldn’t be so bashful. 

The path before Kate continued. Sometimes there was a wild vine that needed moving, or bugs would fall from overhead, but her trip through the supposedly super dangerous forrest was uneventful thus far. But the path was becoming more overgrown, more claustrophobic. The branches almost seemed like they were trying to grab the photographer and pull her into the darkness. Then she heard a sound up ahead.

She stopped in her tracks. 

Six red eyes were looking back at her. Before long, a large bore-like creature stepped out of the shadows. Its face had no less than twenty tusks, all twisted like a spiral nail. It was too big to fully reveal itself, but the rest of its body was covered in similar tusks. Strange as it was, Kate had taken pictures of far weirder animals. This wouldn’t shake her. It lowered its head to charge, prompting the photographer to ready her whistle in response, but something resembling a coconut fell between the two of them. The boar squealed before retreating from the scene. The next thing to fall out of the trees was Kate’s [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/038/966/393/large/morry-11.jpg?1624557370]mark[/url]. 

[color=34c9cd]"Vicious thing, isn’t it?"[/color] She placed her hands on her hips. [color=34c9cd]"They don’t like that fuzzy fruit very much. I imagine it reminds them of Yorn Criers. The young call for their parents when startled, and they are never far away."[/color] She eyed up Kate with a grin, which slowly soured. [color=34c9cd]"Hey! You’re not an elf! What gives?"[/color]

[color=Red]“Uh, am I supposed to be?”[/color] Kate asked with a puzzled frown as she returned the whistle to her jacket pocket. Considering that she matched Nykannis’s description perfectly, this young lady was obviously this world’s Oros, but the photographer figured a little chat wouldn’t hurt. Especially when such a chat might prove helpful in regard to other matters of personal import. [color=Red]“Say, you seem to know a lot about the critters around here,”[/color] she noted with a grin. [color=Red]“You wouldn’t happen to have heard of [i]Caustic Bovines[/i] by any chance, would ya?”[/color]

Annoyance immediately gave way to confusion. Her eyebrows rose high on her forehead. [color=34c9cd]"Well that’s a mouthful."[/color] She placed a finger on her chin. [color=34c9cd]"A bovine is a type of cow, and caustic, hmmm."[/color] She furrowed her brow in thought. [color=34c9cd]"That’s when something burns, right? Or is sarcastic? Been a while since I’ve looked over a dictionary. Either way, I haven’t seen any burning cows. The bovines I do see usually don’t talk back either."[/color] She grinned. [color=34c9cd]"Interesting clothes. I’ve never seen anything like them, yet you don’t have an accent that I can detect."[/color] 

[color=Red]“Well, it was worth a shot,”[/color] Kate replied with a shrug. [color=Red]“As for the other stuff, let’s just say I’m not exactly from around here,”[/color] she added with a smirk. [color=Red]“But back to the elf thing, why were ya so annoyed I wasn’t one?”[/color]

[color=34c9cd]"Because they have beautiful pointed ears? Because they have an interesting culture? Because  their lineage makes them guardians of the betrayed god? Because each one can call upon their ancestry and fuse their family’s skills into themselves? They just seem like very interesting people, and I’d like to meet one."[/color] She swatted Kate’s shoulder. [color=34c9cd]"If I was you, I’d be upset I wasn’t an elf! But I haven’t totally ruled it out yet. That might just be some elven glamor you’ve cast on yourself."[/color] Her smile made it hard to tell how serious she was being. [color=34c9cd]"If you want to see one, I was told they have a hidden city around here. But I haven’t had much luck finding it."[/color] 

[color=Red][i]Dang… This girl’s elf fetish is somethin’ else…[/i][/color]

[color=Red]“Sorry to disappoint, but this is what I really look like,”[/color] Kate replied once the redhead had finished gushing. [color=Red]“I [i]do[/i] have another form I can take, but that one doesn’t have pointed ears either,”[/color] she added with a chuckle. [color=Red]“As for this hidden city, even if ya [i]do[/i] find it, what makes ya think the elves won’t just kill ya to keep it secret?”[/color]

The woman scoffed. [color=34c9cd]"Pu-lease! If her craziness can have a casual conversation with elves, I’m sure they’d be fine talking with someone who actually [i]respects[/i] elves [i]and[/i] the forest."[/color] Her grin returned, and she extended her hand. [color=34c9cd]"I haven’t spoken with someone for this long in a while. I’m Luana Roycroft: Druid, tracker, and elf admirer!"[/color]

[color=Red][i]Her craziness…?[/i][/color] Kate wondered, before deciding it really wasn’t that important. And if it was, she’d probably learn all about it when she snapped “Luana’s” picture.

[color=Red]“Kate Carson,”[/color] she introduced herself with a smile as she took the offered hand. [color=Red]“Just an ordinary Freelance Photographer, although… ya probably don’t know what that is, huh?”[/color] she added with a chuckle.

[color=34c9cd]”That is correct! Although…"[/color] Luana squinted her eyes. [color=34c9cd]”Photo sounds a little bit like the old world word for ‘light,’ and ‘graphy’ is a suffix that relates to writing or recording something. So if I had to guess, I would say you either keep records of the sun or use light to record history. Am I close?"[/color] 

​​[color=Red]“More the second one than the first,”[/color] Kate replied. [color=Red]“Basically, I use this device here to record an image of whatever I point it at,”[/color] she explained, holding up her camera. [color=Red]“Let me show ya how it works,”[/color] the photographer added, snapping a quick picture of Luana. [color=Red]“See?”[/color] she asked, showing the young woman the display screen on the back of the device. [color=Red]“Where I come from, this kinda stuff is really simple, but I guess around here it seems like magic, huh?”[/color]

[color=34c9cd]”Or alchemy."[/color] Luana leaned in closer. [color=34c9cd]”It’s awfully small, but the speed and detail it captures is quite stunning."[/color]

[color=Red]“You can enlarge it easy enough,”[/color] Kate replied, using her fingers to open up a larger, holographic display. [color=Red]“Ya can even print it out onto a piece of paper, so ya can frame it an’ stuff.”[/color]

[color=34c9cd]”Sounds interesting!"[/color] after looking at the screen a tad longer, she slapped Kate’s shoulder and hopped away. [color=34c9cd]”I bet a picture of an elf would be quite the thing to hang over a fireplace. No! I could have my own picture of me, standing arm and arm with our dagger eared siblings! I suspect you must have come this way to get a picture of something truly spectacular, and that might just be it."[/color] 

[color=Red][i]Actually, I’m pretty sure I already have it, but guess it might be fun to see what all the fuss is about with these elves…[/i][/color]

[color=Red]“Yeah,”[/color] Kate agreed with a nod. [color=Red]“From how you describe ‘em, I’m kinda curious to see one of these elves myself. So, uh, got any clues where that city of theirs might be?”[/color] the photographer inquired. [color=Red]“‘Cause if not, I [i]may[/i] have a few ways to help with that,”[/color] she added with a grin.

[color=34c9cd]”The only clue I have is this spear."[/color] She pointed at it. [color=34c9cd]”I don’t tell just anyone this, but its name is Endless Eclipse, and it was given to me by an elf! And a long time ago the god of the stars would talk to me in dreams through my spear. But it’s been pretty quiet ever since."[/color] She held the blade’s massive head in front of Kate.  [color=34c9cd]”You can divine things with it too, but it has difficulty revealing secrets that nobody knows. The elves do a good job of staying hidden."[/color]

[color=Red]“Endless Eclipse, huh?”[/color] Kate asked. [color=Red]“That’s a pretty badass name. Shame it can’t help with the whole ‘elf thing’, but like I said, I think I might be able to lend ya a hand,”[/color] she added, taking out a locket and inserting it into her camera.

[color=Red][i]Even if my maps can’t find this city on their own, they shouldn’t have [b]any[/b] problem after soakin’ up all the info from my snapshot of that spear…[/i][/color]

[color=Red]“Okay,”[/color] the photographer announced after a moment as she retrieved her locket and activated its holomap. [color=Red]“With any luck, this should give us a rough idea of where to start lookin’.”[/color]

Luana would not be privy to the information that her camera gathered, but the spear had been crafted by the fomorians, which was what many of the elves turned into after the betrayed god was slain. As such, they did not know the location of the last elf city. But that did not mean that the spear was without its uses. The fomorians made it specifically to help track anything, and while Luana had difficulty accessing its strongest powers, the holo map could react to Luana’s desires in its place. The map lit up with several dots, but there was a tight cluster of humanoids much deeper in the forest. 

[color=34c9cd]”Now that looks like magic."[/color] She patted Kate’s shoulder. [color=34c9cd]”Let’s go, but let’s be quiet. No point in attracting the prickle boars again!"[/color] 

[hr]

The forrest was not a bright one, but this deep in even less light made it through the canopy. It was so dim that one might think it was the moon that was illuminating the forest. But the light was too warm, too gold in hue to be from the moon. 

Their travels would eventually lead them to a rock wall. It seemed to reach up towards the sky, taller than any tree. It was too smooth to climb, and felt cold to the touch. 

[color=34c9cd]”The trees are pretty dense this way, but why is there a clearing up to this rock?[/color] Luana lifted her spear. [color=34c9cd]”Alright, my turn!"[/color] She thrust her spear into the cliffside. Rather than chip away stone, it sunk into the surface and revealed a stone arch. It had been a powerful illusion to protect the deepest part of the forest. [color=34c9cd]”We can’t be far now!"[/color] Luana walked ahead. [color=34c9cd]”What do you think the elves are going to be like? Do you think they’re going to attack us, or congratulate us for finding them?"[/color] 

​​[color=Red]“Well, it doesn’t look like they’re particularly keen on visitors,”[/color] Kate noted with a wry smirk as she cautiously followed after Luana. [color=Red]“At least if that enormous illusory wall back there is anything to go by. So, uh, maybe keep your guard up,”[/color] the photographer advised, her own hand keeping a tight grasp on her whistle.

[color=34c9cd]”We aren’t just any visitors though, we’re worthy visitors!"[/color]

[color=Red][i]Yeaaah… You keep tellin’ yourself that…[/i][/color]

Before long, the duo came across the elven village. Even behind an illusionary wall, the homes of the elves were carefully concealed. Living trees had been trained to wrap around the houses before shooting up to the canopy. The street lamps were filled with bioluminescent insects, and the access covers on the ground suggested they had a working sewer system. But the real star of the show were the elves which, really, didn’t look that different than anything else Kate had seen. 

[color=Red][i]Huh,[/i][/color] Kate mentally remarked as she gazed about the village. [color=Red][i]Somehow I was expecting somethin’ a little more… I don’t know… [b]elaborate…?[/b][/i][/color] 

[color=34c9cd]”We did it!"[/color] Her pitch seemed to change as she ran up to what seemed to be a woman going about her business. [color=34c9cd]”You’re an elf!"[/color] Luana looked over her shoulder.  [color=34c9cd]”And you’re an elf too!"[/color] She hugged them together. [color=34c9cd]”Oh wow, so what’s life like? Being yourselves I mean? What’s it feel like to tap into your family’s heritage? I bet it must be cool to have so many past experiences to call upon when the going gets tough!"[/color]

[b]”It’s, um…”[/b]

[color=Red]“Uh, maaaybe we should be a little more respectful of the whole ‘personal space’ thing,”[/color] Kate suggested, holding up two curled fingers to provide air quotes at the appropriate point.

[color=Red][i]Shit… She’s almost as bad as Olivia… Or [b]MDP[/b]…[/i][/color] the photographer noted with a shudder.

But there was something off about the atmosphere. Anyone would be weirded out if a random outsider just started gushing about them, but some of the elves seemed like they were on high alert. A few even drew weapons, but not to deal with Luana or Kate. They were looking past them where they had come from. 

Something was rustling among the trees. Many somethings. Silhouettes of vaguely human beings closed in on the elven city. But the first one to reveal itself was a [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/bb/6b/AO8AHU5w_o.jpg]mage.[/url] Kate had seen enough priests across various reality plenums. She knew this one was tied to religion somehow, but couldn’t pinpoint if he was a regular priest or something more akin to a cultist.

[color=Lime]“Such beauty, such grace.”[/color] The man’s eyes scanned his surroundings. [color=Lime]“I thought I would never get the chance to see it with my own eyes, but here it is, and here you are.”[/color]

Luana slowly took her hands off of the elves she was hugging. [color=34c9cd]”That voice…”[/color] she pointed her spear at the man. [color=34c9cd]”You’re the elf that gave me this spear?”[/color]

He smirked. [color=Lime]“I did give you that spear, but I’m no elf. Well, not anymore.”[/color] He placed a hand on his chest. [color=Lime]“I’m Talus of the Stars, and what you’re holding in your hand is my master’s greatest creation. I wasn’t sure if you would guide us to the elves, but I’m glad I held on to my faith.”[/color]

Luana assumed a combat stance. [color=34c9cd]”You’re a fomorian!”[/color] She grinned. [color=34c9cd]”I’ve been waiting to fight one of you!”[/color]

[color=Lime]“Unfortunate that you will end up fighting [i]for[/i] me instead.”[/color] Talus snapped his fingers, and Luana fell to one knee. She clutched her chest with one hand as her skin turned a dark purple. [color=Lime]“The spear wasn’t the only thing I gave you though. It would be unwise to leave such a powerful artifact in the hands of someone who could resist me. Plans that were made years ago are just now being set into motion...”[/color]

Luana growled as her body went through a metamorphosis. She got bigger, she changed shape. Even her spear changed along with her. The blade broke down into ooze, which was absorbed into her arm. Her clothes were unable to contain her expanding form, but when they ripped away from her body she was no longer human. She had transformed into some massive genderless creature with purple skin. No part of this new being looked like Luana the Druid.

Talus raised his hands above his head. [color=Lime]“There you are, Oros the Savage!”[/color] He pointed at the city. [color=Lime]“Raze it to the ground!”[/color]

Oros the Savage charged deep into the city as more fomorians joined it. What had started as a peaceful evening was going to turn into a battle. 

[color=Red]“Well, fuck,”[/color] Kate noted in a dull deadpan as she snapped a picture of the twisted monstrosity Luana had become. An instant later, and she was darting inside the nearest structure that [i]wasn’t[/i] in the path of “Oros the Savage’s” rampage.

The photographer’s heart raced along with her mind as she struggled to decide what to do. The sane and sensible course of action was obviously to leave as quickly as possible. She had what she’d come for, after all, and like she’d said many times, she was no hero. 

And yet… 

[color=Red]“Oh, fuck it!”[/color]

Taking a deep breath, she blew on her whistle, summoning a gargantuan armored gorelion, which loomed over the structure in which she had taken shelter. 

[color=Red]“Take out those fomorians!”[/color] the photographer instructed, pointing at the hoard of invaders. [color=Red]“Starting with that Talus guy!”[/color]

Of course, that still left “Oros”, but Kate had something in mind for that problem, as much as she hated to admit it.

[color=Red]“Welp,”[/color] she sighed as she watched the monster’s rampage amidst the foliage-covered spires of the elven city. [color=Red]“If this isn’t [i][b]picture perfect[/b][/i],”[/color] she added, clouds of golden smoke swirling around her before dispersing to reveal a drastically changed young woman. [color=Red]“I don’t know what is.”[/color] Remaining in the shadows of her shelter’s entryway, the ballgown-bedecked, golden, rapunzel-esque tressed photographer aimed her ornate camera at a spot just ahead of Oros the Savage and pressed the bejeweled trigger stud.

An instant later, the photographic negative of [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/cd/48/rGMk3kKO_o.png]a towering ice titan[/url] flashed into being. Not wasting a moment, it raised its massive club and swung it at Oros with the intent to bat her (it?) clear out of the city.

[color=Red]“Damn… [i]Really[/i] didn’t wanna use that guy so soon…”[/color] Kate grumbled. [color=Red]“And Twinkles [i]better[/i] not mysteriously vanish, either…”[/color]

It would be difficult to gauge how powerful Oros the Savage was, but it was clear that any fear or reason Luana may have had was no longer with Oros the Savage.. The ice titan had no difficulty batting Oros, but it sunk its claws into the ice club and refused to let go. Thus, the ice titan chucked its weapon into the sky. The bat spun like a propeller as it vanished over the canopy, taking Oros with it. Some would call the affair anticlimactic, but Oros was fighting something well outside their weight class. 

[color=Red][i]Huh. Well, [b]that[/b] worked better than I expected…[/i][/color]

Meanwhile, The fomorians were more interested in simply rushing past Twinkles so that they could take the city. Of course, Talus didn’t have that option as the gorelion’s primary target. Then again, someone who led their army from the front lines was sure to be tough.

He ran his hand down the front of his robe while avoiding Twinkle’s tongue. The tongue smashed the ground with enough force to not only kick up the mossy earth, but blow Talus’s half-parted robe open.  His body was wrapped in bandages below the neck, and there was a cavity in his stomach. He reached inside and pulled out a petrified organ. It was starting to break into sand with his touch alone. Before Twinkle could attack again, the cultist lobbed the fleshy mass at the gorelion. On impact, it blew apart into a cloud of sand. 

[color=Lime]“Revere your new god, beast!”[/color]

Twinkle’s legs buckled. When Talus took a step closer to it, the gorelion slinked back and lowered its neck to the ground. Gorelions weren’t known for their intelligence, but they were aggressive creatures and showing any kind of fear was unheard of. But the display didn’t seem to impress Talus, who simply walked past it on his way towards Kate. 

[color=Lime]“What a beautiful outfit.”[/color] Talus took a knee in front of Kate. [color=Lime]“Why don’t you come with me? You don’t need to share the same fate as these elves. I can see a place by Aigorost’s side for you.”[/color] He extended a hand towards her. [color=Lime]“If you have any questions, I’d be willing to answer all of them once we get back to my campsite.”[/color]

Kate’s eyes widened as Talus seemed to charm her sole remaining gorelion, and then proceeded to address her, personally.

[color=Red][i]So much for going unnoticed…[/i][/color]

[color=Red]“Y’know what? Fine. We can have a little Q&A session,”[/color] Kate replied. [color=Red]“Just as soon as ya call off your attack. Oh, and fyi? I happen to fucking [i]hate[/i] this dress,”[/color] she added.

Talus smirked. [color=Lime]“What an unusual response.”[/color] He stood back up. [color=Lime]“Regardless, I have no intention of calling off this attack. We have spent far too much time plotting for this day, and I long to replace what the fey have taken from us.”[/color] He lifted his hand, and the steel halo floating behind his back turned molten. It broke apart into three molten spheres that glowed brighter than anything else in the forest. [color=Lime]“But I know conviction when I see it. I will not attempt to change your mind. If you will not flee, we will have to fight.”[/color]

[color=Red]“Yeah, I’m not really much of a fighter,”[/color] Kate replied with a shrug. [color=Red]“But that big guy stompin’ all your little followers might wanna throw hands,”[/color] she suggested, pointing behind the mage. A moment later, the ice titan reached out and closed its gargantuan hand around Talus.

[color=Lime]“What followers-”[/color]

Talus disappeared inside the ice giant’s fist. But when it lifted its hand, a thick fog rolled out of the bottom of its fist. Talus was still standing on the ground with his superheated spheres floating at his side. He grit his teeth and waved his hand towards the giant. The spheres of molten metal split over and over again. Before long, they looked like a swarm of golden insects. The giant reached for Talus again, but the custer of molten beads flew into its palm. The giant’s arm was sliced apart from the inside out. Steam shot out of every newly formed crack as the arm crumbled. The swarm didn’t stop until it reached his head, at which point the molten steel exited the giant’s neck, severing its head from its body.The titan’s head spun through the air before shattering against the ground, only moments before the ice giant’s body fell sideways into a housing complex. 

Talus returned his gaze to Kate.

[color=Lime]“What big guy?”[/color]

[url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E7unZEvWQAUK-Vl?format=jpg]A knight covered head to toe in frozen armor[/url] thrust his frigid spear at Talus.  [color=6ecff6]"This one."[/color]

The attack was deflected by Talus’s staff. [color=Lime]“I’m not impressed.”[/color] Before Talus’s molten steel could burn through the knight’s armor, an array of black swords flew out of the air and pinned the blobs to the ground. 

“Neither am I.” Said a [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/dd/25/6eFnm2QL_o.png]pint sized mage[/url]. “I haven’t seen such shoddy magic since, well, ever.” 

Talus grinned. [color=Lime]“Then wait until you see- Ack!”[/color] He stumbled forwards as a sword cut into his back. A [url=https://imgur.com/7D64SU7]tiny squire[/url] happened to be holding that sword. [color=Lime]“My conviction armors me body, boy. You need to hit harder if you’re going to end me.”[/color]

“Where’s Luana!?” The boy demanded. “She might be kind of annoying, but she's still a nice person at heart.” 

Talus only grinned, until the ice knight stabbed him in the shoulder. [color=Lime]“Where the hell did you people come from?”[/color] He clutched his shoulder before retreating deeper into the elven city with the newly arrived. Trailing just behind them were a [url=https://i.imgur.com/JcbkzOc.png]few[/url] other [url=https://imgur.com/ec3o5Ww]knights[/url] that looked to be just as strong as the others. The battle couldn’t last long now that the heroes were here. 

Kate just stood in stunned silence as first her ice titan was annihilated by Talus’s molten spheres, and then what could only be called a group of heroes showed up and forced the villainous mage to retreat.

[color=Red]“Huh. Well, I guess I’ll let [i]them[/i] handle things from here,”[/color] the photographer reflected as she detransformed and prepared to collect Twinkles. 

But Kate wasn’t alone yet. Just as she reached her prone “pet”, she heard an all-too-familiar voice emanate from a nearby patch of foliage, a few branches parting to reveal a pair of yellow eyes. [b][color=f68024]"Another catastrophe. One that couldn’t have happened without your interference.”[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“Fuck you, pal!”[/color] she snapped at the druid. [color=Red]“Luana woulda found this place one way or another, so don’t go blamin’ this on me! Besides, I’ve been [i]plenty[/i] of places that didn’t go straight to shit as soon as I showed up!”[/color] she added, giving the druid an indignant glare, while spreading her arms out and splaying her fingers wide. [color=Red]“Like that time I chatted with that one version of Olivia and her pal outside that pizza place! I know for a fact that, after I left, Olivia and her friends had a fun slumber party, so you can take your ‘herald of doom’ crap and shove it up yer ass!”[/color]

[b][color=f68024]"Maybe. Maybe you’ve grown stronger. Maybe it only happens when you encounter an [color=f04456]Oros[/color]. While I do not know of this ‘Olivia’ you speak of, it might be interesting to visit and see if everything's still fine with her.”[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“Maybe I will,”[/color] Kate retorted. [color=Red]“And maybe [i]Oroses[/i] are the problem, and not me? Ever think of [i]that?[/i]”[/color]

[b][color=f68024]"There’s no doubt the underlings of a horror would cause some trouble. But they really aren’t that dangerous on their own. You might be what pushes them over the edge. Or is it that [color=f04456]camera[/color] you have?”[/color][/b] The druid hummed to itself. [b][color=f68024]"As an experiment, why don’t you drop by the arcade near the Nova Lux Academy. The [color=f04456]Oros[/color] there is an avid gamer. It’s not like you weren’t thinking of continuing your hunt there anyway.”[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“Fine,”[/color] Kate muttered. [color=Red]“And I’ll try not to be creeped out that you just so happen to know all of my travel plans, too,”[/color] she snarked. [color=Red]“But before I do that, I’ve got one more thing to take care of first,”[/color] the photographer added as she hopped atop Twinkles. [color=Red]“See ya in Palmyra, pal!”[/color] she called over her shoulder as she raced off into the forest.

For the life of her, Kate couldn’t figure out exactly [i]why[/i] she was trying to “save” Luana. After all, she had only just met the young woman, and she almost never got involved with local problems. Was the druid’s insane claim that she was somehow responsible for Luana’s current state guilting her into it? No, she refused to even consider such an idiotic notion. Talus would have found and transformed the elf lover whether Kate had been there or not. But, then, what [i]was[/i] compelling her to track down the corrupted redhead? Still, [i]one[/i] thing was for certain. Whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter now, and so, forcefully casting such unimportant thoughts from her mind, Kate sped deeper into the foliage.

The forest was thick, but when you were Twinkles’s size, the trees just sort of parted when you pushed into them hard enough. But Kate wasn’t too far out before she heard something wrestling over head. When she looked up, one of the trees had snapped in half and was about to fall on her. Or at least it might have if the gorelion hadn’t blocked the incoming timber with its tongue. With the obstacle clear, Kate could see a shadow moving along the canopy back towards the elf village. With a grunt, it jumped back into the elf city, and with a grunt, Kate knew Luana had returned for round two. The beast charged into the city, where it would reunite with its old friends. Maybe.

Deftly avoiding the falling branches and tree trunks, Twinkles carried Kate back into the not-so-hidden city. Although she was encased in spiky armor, it did nothing to impede the gorelion’s impressive speed, and soon, Twinkles had brought Kate within shouting distance of Luana.

[color=Red]“Hey, Luana!”[/color] the photographer called. [color=Red]“It’s me, Kate! I don’t know if ya can hear me in there, but is this [i]really[/i] what you wanna be doing?! I know we only just met,”[/color] she continued, relying on Twinkles’s preternatural agility to dodge any potential attacks Luana might be sending their way. [color=Red]“But during that short time, all ya ever talked about was how much ya loved the elves and wanted to see their city! If that was true, then why the heck are ya tryin’ to destroy it right now?! I know that jackass did some crazy shit to ya, but if ya love these elves as much as ya say ya do, then you’ll [i]fight[/i] his stupid brainwashing and KICK ITS FUCKIN’ ASS!!!”[/color]

But once Kate stopped shouting, she could see that the creature had engaged the heroes in a fight. Even in the short time Kate was gone, they had managed to wound it. But they stayed their weapons when Kate finished shouting. 

“L-Luana?!” The boy’s lower lip quivered. “I-Is that really her?” He lowered his sword. “What happened to you?”

[color=6ecff6]"Careful!"[/color] The ice knight raised his spear. [color=6ecff6]"This might be Luana, but it doesn’t seem to have any desire to stop fighting. We need to keep our guard up."[/color]

“Indeed.” The tiny mage agreed. “Just because someone says that’s Luana, that doesn’t mean it’s true, or that we can save them.” She tipped her head up. “But if there’s even the smallest chance it is, and if we can save her, we cannot allow it to slip through our fingers.”

But as the scene changed in front of Kate, the remaining druid shuffled behind her. [b][color=f68024]"How much longer do you plan on dragging this out? She is a [color=f04456]Feind[/color] now. The power of friendship isn’t going to save her. Why don’t you leave this to the heroes and go on your way? You didn’t care this much when the nomads were overrun by Oh-One.”[/color][/b]

[color=Red]“Oh for… I thought [i]you’d[/i] have left already!”[/color] Kate snarled. [color=Red]“And that was completely different!”[/color] she added. [color=Red]“Nomads can handle themselves in a fight, but Luana here got turned into a fuckin’ monster right after her lifelong dream came true! She spent her whole life tryin’ to find this place, and now that slimy fucker’s forcin’ her to destroy it! I might normally like to stay outta things,”[/color] the photographer continued. [color=Red]“But that kinda shit [i]really[/i] pisses me off! Maybe the power of friendship won’t save her,”[/color] she conceded. [color=Red]“But if anything can, I’m the one who can find it!”[/color]

With that, Kate pulled up Oros the Savage’s profile on her camera’s display and searched through the weaknesses and vulnerabilities tab for a way to reverse the transformation, or at the very least, restore Luana’s mind. 

Meanwhile, the fight continued. Every time Kate read a line of text, something happened. Luana threw a punch. One of her friends soared. The mage cast a spell. 

[b][color=f68024]"I see.”[/color][/b] The druid nodded. [b][color=f68024]"I suppose I misjudged you, [color=f04456]Photographer[/color].”[/color][/b] 

Kate was unable to get much data on a cure for Luana. Talus was the only person that might have known the cure, and it was unlikely he was still alive. However, it seemed that the source of Luana’s corruption was the fragments of Endless Eclipse that were embedded in her flesh. If those could be removed…

[color=Red]“Hey!”[/color] Kate called to the assembled heroes. [color=Red]“Her spear is what caused her to change into that thing! It broke apart and the pieces shot into her skin, so if any of ya can remove ‘em, that should change her back!”[/color]

[color=Red][i]I hope…[/i][/color]

“And pray tell, how are we supposed to find [i]those[/i]?” The mage attempted to box Luana inside a cage of dark swords, but she batted them aside. 

[color=6ecff6]"Hold on, Fio. Look at this beast's nails. Don’t they look like fragments of Luana’s spear? "[/color] The ice knight said while pointing. 

The mage nodded. “Very well. I‘ll distract her and the rest of you try to break them off.”

The knights spread out around Luana as she continued to lash out at her surroundings. Fio stood in front of her once ally, arranging her black swords for an attack. But when Luana attacked, The swords flew in front of Fio and acted as a barrier. “Now!” Was all Fio could get out before the fist slammed into her weapon. 

The other four fighters lept into action, each targeting a hand or foot. In a single strike, Luana’s fingers and toes had all been sliced through. Almost instantly, Luana’s form started to deflate like a balloon.

“Is it working? Are you alright Luana?”

She was out of it, and not wearing nearly as much as she was before her body quintupled in size. But she was surrounded by people that only wanted the best for her. Luana would get better. 

[color=Red]“Thank goodness,”[/color] Kate whispered after exhaling in relief. Not wanting to answer any awkward questions, the photographer had Twinkles sprint back into the dense foliage before any of Luana’s friends returned their attention to her. There were plenty more Oroses to photograph, after all, and she’d already remained in this reality plenum a fair bit longer than she’d intended. [color=Red]“All right, next stop, Nova Lux!”[/color]