[center] [h1] Absolution [/h1] [/center] [hr] The dark clouds above the Maelstrom loomed ominously in the air as Kalmar approached the churning water. He had sprinted across the ocean on foot and had now reached his destination. All the while, meteors had continued to fall, and all he could do was hope that those he was leaving behind could hold out until the crisis was stopped. He had expected opposition, but so far there was none. There was nothing stopping him from simply flying up into the black clouds that would take him to Veradax, and that felt odd. Surely a gateway with a set location should have some sort of defense? He stood upon the edge of the whirlpool, and stared up at the clouds for only a few moments, until a meteor struck the water nearby and sent up a colossal torrent of foam and spray. Every moment he wasted was another moment in which Galbar was assailed by meteors, and so he had to act. He flew upward, intent on passing through the gateway. [center][hider=Theme Music] https://youtu.be/xggWJLgN-Es [/hider][/center] The moon loomed overhead as he ventured up, but slowly he began to realize that he was not alone after all. Tiny white motes flooded down through the gateway in droves of thousands. Outwardly, they looked harmless as could be, but his divine senses saw through this disguise and showed their true colors. They were capable of decaying souls. Kalmar shook his head in disgust. Orvus had once claimed he wished to decay every soul in existence, and at the time it had seemed mad, but now? If these weren’t stopped, then such an outcome was entirely possible. He increased his speed. Ever careful to avoid the motes, he sped into the place where all things forgotten go, with a hollow sense of foreboding. The Gateway shot him out above the plains of grey dust, littered with remnants of fledgling societies. Broken stone, torn tents, and the hum of stellar decay fell before him. In the far distance, a beam of light shot up into the air, and upon closer inspection- It was the motes. Where he would find answers, but closer, was a dimly lit fire, settled amidst ruins. Smoothly, he pulled his bow from his shoulder and slid an arrow from his quiver, nocking it in place on the bow’s string. The arrow was well-made, fletched with the feathers of a Gardener and tipped with coldforged ice. Taking care to be aware of his surroundings, he advanced toward the fire. It did not take him long to reach the ruins. It looked vaguely familiar, Azuran in design. Nestled in a small courtyard was the fire, just a piece of burning wood. More alarming were the figures who surrounded it. Perched above in the nooks and crannies of fallen pillars, were what was once gardeners. Now they had hollow, white eyes, their plumage was black and dotted with stars and they stared at him emptily. Surrounding the fire itself, were malnourished forms of the same color, but stood upon two feet. They turned to look at Kalmar as well, their faces and eyes, empty and black, arms outstretched to the flame, as if they were trying to feel something. Their ears… They were pointed. He stopped, and he winced. Then anger filled his stomach, and he breathed deep. With a calmness he did not feel, he raised the bow, drew the string back, and released. The arrow pierced straight through the chest of a gardener, but then Kalmar waved a finger and it changed course to the next one, then the next. They did not fight back, or try to flee and they never stopped staring. Once all the Gardeners had dropped, the arrow then moved on to the humanoid figures, striking them down one by one, before coming to a stop in the chest of the last. There was hardly any recognition for what it had witnessed. [color=orange]“I’m sorry,”[/color] the Hunter whispered, nocking another arrow. Then he took flight and carried on. It was time to find the source. As he flew towards the beam, he noticed dotting across the land, many more figures, but there was no time to waste now and he sped on. Eventually, the beam was only noticeable by the faint white glow touching the sky, as a valley of mountains overtook the view. Conveniently, a passage between the mountains became clear as he approached. He could either fly over, or go through it. Kalmar opted for the former, levitated himself higher, and continued on. He passed over the top of the peak after several moments, the beam becoming visible once more, but it’s source, still a mystery. He pressed on, the quietness a stark reminder of the nature of Spheres. The beam drew closer, and he could see the extent of the motes that were flooding into Galbar, they seemed to be legion, and at last, he found the source. Dipping down into the valley, he could see a black tree crackling with energy, impaled upon it… Was Orvus. It was a gruesome fate. One that Kalmar would not even wish upon his worst enemy, which Orvus had once been. And now it was clear that Orvus was not behind this, for why would anyone, even he, subject themselves to such a thing? Kalmar couldn’t help but feel a shred of sympathy for the god he once wanted dead. He set himself on the rocky ground, and walked forward. Orvus did not move. Nothing appeared to challenge him. He couldn’t help but feel like this was a trap, yet he could see the power being drawn from Orvus, and so he was the key to stopping this crisis. He came to a stop before the tree, and reached for Orvus’s legs, intending to pull the god loose. Before he could touch Orvus, the god’s eyes shot open and he looked down upon the hunter. [color=black]“You…”[/color] he began weakly. [color=black]“Should… Run…”[/color] before he turned his attention behind Kalmar. Almost at the same time, there was the sound of something large landing behind him. Kalmar nodded slowly. Then, with divine speed, he wheeled around and loosed an arrow. The arrow distentagrated before a dark mass of smoke. Staring at him were only scarlet eyes, and then the laughter started. Hollow and empty, and fleeting like the wind. [color=dimgray]“Welcome to Veradax, Kalmar. You once made Orvus a promise. Have you come to complete it?”[/color] it said. Kalmar said nothing. He cast his bow aside, and then, in his now empty hand, a blade of coldforged ice appeared, as he gave the Avatar a grim stare. [color=dimgray]“No answer… Very well.”[/color] the Avatar said, as two blades of Orvium appeared in both of it’s hands. [color=dimgray]“I will get you to scream yet.”[/color] it said, before in an unbelievable burst of speed, was before Kalmar, bringing the blades down. With unnatural speed of his own, Kalmar sidestepped the attack, allowing the twin swords to slam into the barren earth beside him. Before Abraxas could bring the weapons back up, Kalmar then stepped onto the Avatar’s wrist and launched himself upward at Abraxas’s face. The avatar’s aura exploded around him, and from his face, came a beam of red energy right towards Kalmar. The God of the Hunt had no choice but to abandon his attack, darting to the left as he changed course mid-lunge. But the red beam still grazed his shoulder, and pain ripped through him. Still, he did not relent, and instead went for another attack, lunging toward the Avatar’s side. It’s aura did not relent as it twisted to face him, but for some reason, the avatar did not go for a block, instead allowing Kalmar to stab him with the blade, as he laughed. In an instant, his aura constricted itself, before exploding outwards again. Kalmar was flung backward. He willed himself to come to a stop, and then looked at the coldforged blade, which was now nothing more than a hilt with a broken blade. The rest of the sword remained embedded in Abraxas’s chest. He dropped the now useless weapon, pulled a fistful of coldforged arrows from his quiver, and then while veering to the side he began flinging them in a torrent, as if they were darts. Several hit the avatar, and he stopped laughing, before he fired another beam of energy, destroying the rest as he targeted Kalmar again. Kalmar dodged the blow, and then once again surged forward, the Knife of Friendship materializing in his hand as he attempted to plunge it into Abraxas’s chest. The Avatar poised itself to attack the god, but at the last second, dropped both it’s blades and embraced Kalmar as he was stabbed, in a death grip. Despite the blade’s small size, Abraxas would still feel a painful sting, for it had been made to cut gods, and it drank at the Avatar’s ichor hungrily. Then it vanished, and there was another burst of pain next to the first wound. Kalmar was teleporting the knife from hand to hand and thrusting it into the god with blinding speed. Soon, there were dozens of wounds. All the while the Avatar’s aura attacked him, biting into divine flesh with ease. The Avatar finally grunted and let go of the god, then flung itself backwards. It brought a hand to it’s chest, and looked upon it’s shadowy ichor that bled from the wounds. It then looked upon Kalmar intently. Kalmar dropped to the ground, his breathing ragged, but he rose back up to his feet. [color=orange]“What do you think you’ll gain from any of this?”[/color] he asked in a low growl. [color=dimgray]“Absolution.”[/color] the Avatar said, before leaning over placing a hand upon the ground. It looked at Kalmar, and then erupted from the lunar surface towards him like a comet. Another Coldforged blade appeared in Kalmar’s hand, and the God of the Hunt leapt into the air above Abraxas’s head, swinging the sword in the Avatar’s path as it passed. On a dime the avatar shot up to collide with the god, his speed blindingly fast. And collide he did, but not without another sword being rammed into his chest. Then, the Knife of Friendship reappeared in Kalmar’s hand, and the flurry of jabs began anew. But this time the avatar was prepared as it reeled from the new wound, it grabbed both of Kalmar’s arms and then swung him into the ground, his beam of energy whipping after Kalmar. But before the beam could fire, Kalmar focused his Might, and his legs swung up to give the Avatar a mighty kick, with a force that was extraordinary even for a god. The shockwave of the blow kicked up dust and debris, as Abraxas was sent up and into the horizon. With a groan, Kalmar rose to his feet and spat a glob of red ichor onto Veradax’s floor. He shifted his gaze to the tree where Orvus was impaled, and despite his aching bones began to run toward it. He pulled himself up the branches, then there was a flash of steel as the Knife appeared in his hand, and he began sawing through the branches which confined Orvus to the tree. [color=black]“Kalmar…”[/color] Orvus said weakly. [color=black]“Thank… You…”[/color] Kalmar said nothing, and with grim determination continued to saw, until at last the branch was cut and Orvus was falling to the ground. The god fell, but the ground seemed to rise to meet him, and then brought him back down to the soil. He then reached for the tree, but was unable to reach it himself. [color=black]“Kalmar… The… Tree…”[/color] he wheezed. [color=orange]“How do I stop it?”[/color] Kalmar asked, landing next to him. [color=black]“Drag… Me…”[/color] he said weakly. And at those words, Kalmar reached under Orvus’s shoulders and pulled him closer to the tree. The god then placed his hand upon the bark, and it’s hum began to die down, until the last mote left the tree. It then stood eerily silent and Orvus began to heal slightly. [color=black]“It’s… Done…”[/color] he said exhausted. [color=orange]“There’s still Abraxas to deal with,”[/color] Kalmar said. [color=orange]“Can you fight?”[/color] [color=black]“No. Not yet. Just be pre-”[/color] his words were cut off by a loud explosion. He pointed to see a large asteroid colliding with mountain overhead. Chunks of large rock began to fall in the clearing, threatening to crush them both. One such rock nearly landed on them both, but Kalmar caught it, groaning as the weight brought him to one knee. Only when the rest of the rocks had stopped falling did he throw it away. And then the Avatar was on him, sending a punch at his jaw that seemed to cut the very air itself. Kalmar’s head snapped back, and teeth skittered across the ground. [color=orange]“Go!”[/color] he spat toward Orvus, as he rose to his feet and the Knife once again reappeared. Orvus rose to his feet, holding his chest as his wounds began to heal up. The god stood defiantly, but did not run as Abraxas lashed out with his aura at Kalmar directly. Kalmar retreated, leaping back just out of the aura’s range. The bow which he had previously cast aside lay nearby, and it flew to his hand. [color=orange]“Who… are you?”[/color] he coughed as he nocked an arrow. [color=dimgray]“The end.”[/color] it spat, before whipping an arm around to send Orvus flying as it faced Kalmar again. Kalmar loosed the arrow, and just as quickly had another nocked, as he began to release his remaining projectiles at a rapid speed. The first arrow turned to ash before the aura of the avatar, but the second and third hit in the upper chest and this time, it did not shrug off the attacks. It tumbled once, then twice, before using that momentum to rocket itself at Kalmar, a fist raised high to strike him. It was then that Kalmar took notice of an item lying between them, and he rushed forward to meet the attack, only to drop low and slide at the last possible point. Time almost seemed to slow, as his hand closed around one of the orvium blades that Abraxas had discarded, and then thrust it upward to shear through the passing Avatar. There was a terrible silence, before the thing roared in agony as it’s body slid across the lunar surface. It lay still for a moment, before trying to move itself, but there was only an attempt made in vain. Orvus finally sat up from where had been discarded and looked on at his avatar with a sense of relief. Kalmar, however, did not believe the threat was over. Shouldering his bow, and reversing his grip on the sword, he leapt toward the Avatar, intent on plunging the blade through the back of Abraxas’s skull. In the middle of his jump, the avatar did something unexpected. It twisted its head around to see Kalmar, a dark vigil upon it’s smokey face, and in that moment, the sword he had been holding, exploded. Orvus began to yell. Kalmar had no choice but to close his eyes, as his face and arm were assailed by jagged shards of black metal, which cut at his flesh. Only one eye had been blinded, but by the time he opened the other one he was nearly upon the Avatar... and he had no weapon. By that time, the avatar had risen again, and grabbed Kalmar by the throat, slamming him into the ground, over and over again. Deep craters were left in the ground, but each time there was less of a blow. Kalmar attempted to call the Knife back to his right hand, only to realize he no longer had one. Something dark and fast whipped into view, slamming into the avatar. It dropped Kalmar to balance itself, as it turned to face Orvus. But the avatar simply laughed. [color=dimgray]“Please!”[/color] it grumbled as it threw a punch at Orvus, only for the god to catch it. But then Abraxas brought his other hand up, slamming into Orvus’ underside and the God flew a ways with such force, he left a trail of broken rock as he came to a halt. The avatar then turned to face Kalmar again, and he went to pick him up. A familiar glint of metal appeared in Kalmar’s remaining hand, and the Hunter lashed out at the approaching arm. He found his mark, right in the palm of the avatar. The thing recoiled and growled, then began a barrage of stomps and punches down into the crater that Kalmar was in. He did his best to fend them off, cutting and blocking, but he only had so many hands. Then one stomp pinned his wrist. Kalmar attempted to kick the Avatar off of him once more, but could no longer muster the energy. With a yell of frustration, he attempted to sink his remaining teeth into the Avatar’s ankle. His teeth found their mark, and so to did the avatar’s aura, which began to flow into Kalmar. Kalmar continued to resist, biting harder, attempting to pull his hand free, and even resorting to punching with his bleeding stump. He was not sure how long it went on, but as time passed and the pain increased, his efforts became weaker and weaker. The avatar finally shook him free and with a grunt, pinned his arms to his chest as he picked him up and squeezed. He then climbed out of the crater and made his way to the Mar Tree. [color=dimgray]“I will admit… You put up a fight… But in the end… I am inevitable,”[/color] the avatar breathed. [color=dimgray]”And now… You… Will… Die.”[/color] It came to a stop, and then wrenched it’s arm back, before plunging Kalmar forward upon a branch of the Mar Tree. A scream was torn from Kalmar’s lips as the black branch burst through his chest. Even then, Kalmar did not give up, grabbing the branch and attempting to pull himself free, inch by agonizing inch. The avatar then drew in close, headbutting Kalmar before grabbing his throat. [color=dimgray]“Your ichor… Is mine,”[/color] it said, before the avatar opened his mouth, and began to pull Kalmar’s divinity into himself. [hr] The sight of the world before Arae after exiting the Dragon’s Crown left her in a shocked silence. Meteors raining from the sky, and strange white motes that seemed to harbor a dangerous element within them. More importantly, though, was that Arae could sense Orvus’ divine energy within them. Arae’s worst suspicions were starting to become reality. That new entity that had come from him, Abraxas, was most likely the cause. If that was the case, then he had to be stopped. Arae shot towards the direction of the Maelstrom, intending to go there and put a stop to it. With any luck, the other gods would not sit back and let Galbar be destroyed either. When Arae reached the Maelstrom, she found it odd that it seemed strangely calm. She had vague memories of it being fiercer than this when she had gone through it last time, and hoped that it wasn’t a bad sign. But then the storm spoke, and the reason for its calm became clear. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Arae.”[/b][/colour] Two orbs of lightning and a face of cloud appeared before the draconic goddess, a calm in the storm surrounding her as she flew deeper. There were also no motes within the calm. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Do you also seek Orvus to cease this desolation?”[/b][/colour] Arae recognized this divine energy, at least by what her senses were telling her. “[color=6ecff6]Ashalla! Glad to see I’m not the only one here,[/color]” Arae exclaimed with pleased surprise. “[color=6ecff6]But it’s not Orvus that’s doing this, at least not directly. There’s a being called Abraxas that’s using Orvus’ power. I couldn’t find much else about this being, but he’s definitely intent on causing chaos in Galbar. Kalmar’s inside fighting him now; we should aid him as soon as we can.[/color]” [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Kalmar?”[/b][/colour] There was a pause. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Yes, I can taste his trail. If Kalmar is fighting this… Abraxas, then we had better make haste.”[/b][/colour] The wind carried Arae faster. The clouds of the storm grew darker until they were almost pitch black, with flashes of scarlet occasionally illuminating the clouds. They soon reached the centre of the storm, Veradax looming overhead in the eye of the storm. They flew upwards, and suddenly they were no longer gazing up at Veradax, but up at Galbar. Around the two goddesses stretched out an endless plain of grey dust. From the Gateway behind Arae poured out dark clouds. A storm of titanic proportions poured into Galbar, weighed down heavily by water. The storm spoke, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“A being using Orvus’ power - likely an Avatar. This makes sense. Abraxas would share Orvus’ essence, which would explain why I could not sense any other divine trails where Orvus had been wounded.”[/b][/colour] Arae grimaced. Short of another god, an Avatar was about the worst thing a god could face. This would not be easy, but hopefully with three divine beings, they would defeat Abraxas. “[colour=6ecff6]This way,[/colour]” Arae said, following Kalmar’s familial trail. From this direction also flowed a stream of corruptive motes. As the goddesses flew, Arae could spot below the remains of the fallen Vallamir. From the looks of their wounds, it seemed like Kalmar was their slayer. It pained Arae to see them in such a state, but could tell it had to be done. In any case, there was no time for grief right now. She returned her focus on the task ahead and continued onwards. The billowing storm which was Ashalla trailed behind Arae, squalls flitting about her form. There was a rumble, then Ashalla asked, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Are you aware that Orvus had been grievously wounded some time ago?”[/b][/colour] “[color=6ecff6]...Yes,[/color]” Arae said dejectedly. “[color=6ecff6]I did.[/color]” She did not know what to say after that, and any excuse would sound hollow. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Do you think Abraxas inflicted the wounds?”[/b][/colour] Ashalla asked. Arae glanced at Ashalla, then back in front of her before answering, “[color=6ecff6]No. The one who did that was Laurien, Orvus’ daughter. Her attack was most likely what caused Abraxas to be born.[/color]” There was a peal of thunder and the great cloud trembled. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“A [i]mortal[/i] wounded Orvus?!”[/b][/colour] roared Ashalla’s voice like nature’s wrath. “[color=6ecff6]I visited Laurien not too long ago, and found a blade at her side, likely forged with Orvus’ power,[/color]” Arae explained. “[color=6ecff6]I guessed it to be the weapon that wounded him, and cursed it appropriately. Laurien has been given her punishment, and all I can hope for her now is that she finds peace of mind and forgiveness at the end of her journey.[/color]” [colour=lightseagreen][b]“She still lives? I would have destroyed her for such blasphemy.”[/b][/colour] There was a huff. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“No matter. Laurien has been punished for her hubris. Neither she nor another mortal shall underestimate the gods, if your punishment was adequate.”[/b][/colour] Arae was about to say something when a scream pierced the air. Arae’s eyes widened, fearing the worst: that Kalmar had fallen. “[color=6ecff6]The time for discussion is over,[/color]” Arae said, trying to fly even faster. It wasn’t long before they reached the Mar Tree, and what they found only confirmed what she had suspected. Impaled on an orvium branch was Kalmar, mutilated and bleeding. His head was slumped, he did not seem to be awake, and his weakened aura was the only indication that he was even still alive. In front of Kalmar stood an imposing figure of writhing black shadows and crackling scarlet energy, Kalmar’s ichor being sucked into his maw. “[color=6ecff6]No… NO![/color]” Arae exclaimed, her mind consumed by rage as she flew just above Kalmar and Abraxas before dropping down towards them. She opened her mouth and unleashed a stream of fire, directed right at Abraxas. In a flash, the avatar flew backwards and away from the flame. As he did so, his wounds began to close and another laugh ripped through the air. [color=dimgray]"Have you come to die as well?"[/color] A searing white flash engulfed the scene as a bolt of lightning arced from the great storm which was Ashalla to Abraxas with an explosive [i]CRACK[/i]. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Cease, Abraxas,”[/b][/colour] commanded the thunder. Abraxas was flung backwards and grumbled something unintelligible before pulling himself to his feet with a snarl. [color=dimgray]"I was wondering if you would show up, Ashalla,"[/color] and then with a pull of his arms, a great storm of scarlet lightning came to confront her. Ashalla billowed forwards and reached out with a limb of cloud. The desolate lightning arced to her form, but when she seized the storm it twisted and contorted under her will. Then another bolt of bright white lightning struck down at Abraxas, followed by the scarlet electricity of Abraxas’ storm following the new path to earth. The avatar was struck and howled with pain before being flung out of the way and into the side of the mountain walls. Stone and dust rose from the crater. Before it could settle, a beam of red energy struck forth and into the storm that was Ashalla. The beam penetrated deep into her clouds, and while it surely did some harm Ashalla did not express it. Out from the clouds, above the beam, flew a large chunk of ice, hurtling in an arc at Abraxas. With a resounding crack the ice hit, and shattered against the rock wall, its target missed as the Avatar used his speed to dive forward. Then he slammed a fist into the ground and all across the valley floor, small spikes of orvium rose from the ground, then were cast into the storm cloud, where each one exploded. The explosions thundered through the cloud. Rapidly the cloud contracted inwards, retreating from the spikes, and condensed into an enormous globe of water directly above Abraxas. Lightning arced down at the Avatar as Ashalla fell. The lightning hit its mark and the Avatar lit up as he was electrocuted, but he did not fall to his knees. The base of Ashalla froze into a broad icy spike moments before crashing down on Abraxas with her titanic weight. The Avatar was crushed within a blink of an eye. No sound came forth from under Ashalla, but the aura of Desolation exploded forth. Ice was disintegrated around Abraxas, but more spikes of ice shot out within the new void aiming to run the Avatar through. It became a battle of wills, as both pushed themselves harder to avoid the damage the other would cause. While Ashalla battled the avatar Abraxas, Arae had turned her attention to Kalmar. She had pulled away from the fight, her rage dissipated after getting Abraxas away from Kalmar, and was now looking over him with concern. “[color=6ecff6]Kalmar?[/color]” Arae asked as she pulled him off of the Mar Tree, laying him down on the ground. “[color=6ecff6]Kalmar, speak to me. Are you alright?[/color]” She summoned a few flames of the hearth, having them circle Kalmar in an attempt to accelerate his healing. Strong squalls threatened to blow them out, so Arae coiled her body around Kalmar to keep them protected. Kalmar only offered vague, unintelligible mutterings in response. The bleeding stopped, and most of his wounds were sealed. His body, however, remained limp. His arm was still a stump, and his right eye was still blinded. He had lost too much ichor, and his soul was badly damaged. All the hearth flames could do was stop him from declining further. Arae’s healing was too weak, and she knew that. Kalmar would not recover from such a meager attempt, not from this level of damage. Her mind raced furiously as she tried to figure out what to do. She wasn’t sure how long Ashalla could keep Abraxas at bay, and she doubted she herself would fare any better. They would need the aid of another of their siblings. An idea sprang to mind. Orvus! If he was still around, then surely he would aid them. After a cursory look around, Arae managed to spot his familial trail, which led to the sight of his body partially buried in a pile of rocks. He didn’t appear to be moving either, which meant he would need aid as well. Arae looked back at Kalmar, then at the hearth flames that were stabilizing his condition. Arae concentrated, condensing them together and molding a stone pit to place the resulting ball of fire into. Hopefully, it would be enough of a defense from the winds. Arae uncoiled herself and launched herself towards Orvus, flying over to him as quick as she could. Once she had landed, Arae gave him a quick look over and determined that he was not too injured. At the very least, it wasn’t at the critical condition Kalmar was in. Arae swept away the rocks and lifted Orvus up, placing him on her back. Then she proceeded to fly him back to the campfire and placed him nearby, where he could more easily recover. “[color=6ecff6]Orvus, we need you. Please wake up,[/color]” Arae gently urged Orvus as she patted his face a few times, hoping he could hear her. The winds continued to buffet their location, but Arae continued to endure. The flames flickered under the winds as well, but continued to burn. The god’s eyes slowly opened, and Orvus looked about in a daze, his eyes settling upon Abraxas and Ashalla fighting, and then to Arae and finally to Kalmar. A pained look fell across his eyes as he tried to stand, but only managed to sit up. [color=black]“Kalmar... “[/color] he said before looking at Arae, [color=black]“I’m sorry… This is all my fault.”[/color] “[color=6ecff6]...Just recover for now. We can talk about that later.[/color]” Arae said, conflicted. Now that Arae could get a proper examination of Abraxas in relative safety, she could see things about him that were hidden from Spekatha. Abraxas was a malevolent being. He cared naught for the variety of life that filled Galbar, and seemed more interested in causing… well, [i]desolation[/i], the very trait that Orvus rejected from himself. Arae could not say that it wasn’t Orvus’ fault because she wasn’t sure if that was true. “[color=6ecff6]You need to get your strength back so we can subdue Abraxas.[/color]” Orvus shook his head. [color=black]“There will be no subduing this hate, Arae. I have lived long enough to see my evil come full circle and I say… No more. An avatar is but an extension of the god who made it, willingly or not… Remove the god… And what is left? For Kalmar’s sake… For Galbar’s sake… Godhood… Does not suit me.”[/color] he said, standing to his feet. [color=black]“I know what I have to do…”[/color] he said. “[color=6ecff6]Orvus…[/color]” Arae said, wanting to dissuade him from his choice, but knowing that his mind was made up and that there was nothing she could do. Reluctantly, she allowed him to pass. As Orvus approached the two battling divinities, he struggled in the wind of the battle. Abraxas had finally managed to pull himself free from Ashalla, and in a blink he was skyborn, with an Orvium blade in his hand. His eyes glowed like scarlet coals as he watched Ashalla. From behind him came many objects in the far distance. Abraxas then flew at Ashalla, as fast as he could go, over and over again, cutting and slicing her watery form, as shallow as those cuts were. Ashalla shot a lightning bolt at Abraxas, but he outraced the lightning leaders. As Abraxas approached another time, clouds suddenly billowed out from her and shrouded her form. The clouds provided no resistance to Abraxas’ charge, but then suddenly out of the cloud loomed a solid wall of ice directly in Abraxas’ path. He stabbed the wall with the sword, then used his momentum to push off and as he did, looked back and sent from his maw a beam of energy. It did not not hit the wall, but the sword, which then promptly exploded in a great inferno of destruction. The ice shattered, and was promptly absorbed back into the storm. Unbeknownst to the two fighting, Orvus was sent flying back a ways by the explosion and realized he could not get any closer. He sank to his knees, and outstretched his hands on either of his sides. The storm cloud which was Ashalla had expanded considerably around Abraxas, and the Avatar found himself flying through a flurry of sharp and heavy shards of ice. As the avatar was assaulted by the ice, it screamed in pain. It was then that the meteors arrived, pelting Ashalla as they came down in fiery explosions. Most were tinged with orvium. Ashalla looked up at the incoming projectiles, then rapidly contracted and froze into a hard dome of ice flush with the ground. The explosions around her washed over her and debris scattered off her. In those moments when Ashalla had receded, the legion of squalls which had formed from the energies of their battle closed in on Abraxas. The squalls swarmed the avatar, before he quickly exploded into a smoky ball of destruction. Those who were about him were snuffed out of existence, and then the avatar mutated some of the squalls, who then began to attack their brethren while the largest of asteroids hurtled towards Ashalla. Ashalla knew her current defence would not hold up to a direct strike. In an instant she melted and flooded across the lunar surface like torrential rapids, evading the asteroids as they slammed into Veradax, and drawing closer to Abraxas. There was a flash of white in what could have been watery eyes, and a bolt of lightning arced between the squall-storms, Abraxas and the ground. The Avatar flew up instantly, then opened his maw to attack Ashalla, a beam of scarlet searing her form. Meanwhile, between the squabbling of storms, Orvus sighed. A tear, like so long ago, fell upon the lunar surface and in that moment he thrust both his hands into his healing wound, and pulled it open. There was a scream from Abraxas, who then went ballistic and charged towards Orvus. Yet Ashalla would not let the Avatar. Ashalla reared up in front of Abaraxas, an imposing wall of dark clouds and floating hunks of ice. Abraxas tried to force his way through Ashalla to get to Orvus, but lightning crackled at Abraxas nearly continuously and a mighty pseudopod lashed out at Abraxas to engulf him. The Avatar roared defiantly as he was overcome, water pouring into the pseudopod faster than Abraxas’ aura could destroy it. Then Orvus expelled from his body a mass of black and white swirls that shot off instantly into the void. The God, now mortal, fell upon his back and looked up into the sky as Veradax began to calm. Within her pseudopod, Ashalla felt Abraxas’ desolate aura falter. The Avatar thrashed futilely against her divine strength. Two orbs of lightning in the storm stared down at Abraxas, and a voice like thunder decreed [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Cease.”[/b][/colour] The pseudopod froze around Abraxas and crystallised into multiple spikes which skewered Abraxas from all angles with a sickening squelch, spraying out dark ichor. The frozen end of the pseudopod dropped to the ground and shattered, leaving the mutilated corpse to lie in the dust. The ice and water dissipated into the cloud, which was noticeably smaller and lighter than it had been when she arrived on Veradax. Ashalla billowed over to where Orvus lay. Rain fell about Orvus, and the rain asked, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“You sacrificed your divinity. Why?”[/b][/colour] He looked up at Ashalla as his blood flowed again. Weakly he murmured, [color=black]"Ashalla… I am tired of this… I don't… I don't think you… Will ever truly understand… And that's okay..."[/color] Ashalla huffed. Then a pseudopod reached down from the cloud, wrapped around Orvus and picked him up gently. Ice froze around Orvus’ wounds, slowing the flow of blood - not ichor. She carried Orvus over to Arae’s fire and laid him down beside it. [color=black]"Home… Please…"[/color] he said softly. Arae walked over to Orvus, returning to her human form and placing his head on her lap. “[color=6ecff6]Orvus… you fool,[/color]” Arae said, concerned more than ever about his well-being. Arae wasn’t sure how long the ice on his body would hold back the blood, but she couldn’t imagine it would enough to heal him. Arae concentrated, dipping into her reserve pool of energy. She held her hands just above Orvus’ chest, pouring energy into it. The ice began to melt, and the resulting water was pushed out as the wound began to fill itself and close up. Soon, the wound was gone, leaving behind a scar. “[color=6ecff6]There,[/color]” Arae sighed. “[color=6ecff6]You’ll be fine now, Orvus, though I still recommend you rest up and recover properly. I only healed your wound, not your blood loss.[/color]” A look of relief washed over Orvus as he sat up. [color=black]"Thank you, Arae."[/color] he sighed, then looked to Kalmar. [color=black]"What of him? Will he make it?"[/color] “[color=6ecff6]I don’t know,[/color]” Arae sadly shook her head. “[color=6ecff6]It is one thing to heal your wounds and stop the bleeding, but Kalmar’s injuries are something else entirely. They’re beyond my capability to heal. I don’t know if he can recover from this, if it’s even possible at all.[/color]” [color=black]"No…"[/color] he said sadly. [color=black]"This is all my fault. If I had just seen that she was in distress…"[/color] his voice faltered and went silent. [color=black]"We need to get to the Eye."[/color] he finally said. “[color=6ecff6]The Eye?[/color]” Arae blinked. “[color=6ecff6]What will we find there?[/color]” [color=black]"My family… They should still be there, right?"[/color] he asked, looking to Arae. “[color=6ecff6]I suppose we shall find out,[/color]” Arae said, transforming back into her dragon form. “[color=6ecff6]Get on, and put Kalmar on my back as well. We have a long journey ahead of us.[/color]” A pseudopod reached down from the cloud which was Ashalla and wrapped around Kalmar. A thick layer of ice froze around Kalmar, chilling Kalmar’s body. Ashalla picked up the frozen Kalmar and put him on Arae’s back. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“That will preserve him for your journey.”[/b][/colour] Orvus climbed up on Arae’s back, near the front and to where he could steady the Kalmar’s body. Orvus then looked to Ashalla. [color=black]“Thank you, for everything.”[/color] he said forlornly. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“You are welcome, Orvus,”[/b][/colour] said a voice like a river. As Arae took off, flying back towards the Gateway, Ashalla cast her gaze upwards to look upon the blue and green orb which was Galbar. Occasional lines of fire streaked through its atmosphere, and the desperate prayers of terrified mortals rose up to the gods. Although Abraxas was dead, his plans for desolation were not over. [hr] Something else was on its way to Galbar as well. The divine power that was Orvus was in a battle. The white swirls wanted nothing more than to be whole with its other half, but the dark swirls only wanted one thing, and that was freedom. So they struggled, and fought in the depths of space until they tumbled into the great Blue. It was there, at the top of the world, they split into two orbs. One of white, the other of dark. They looked at each other one last time, before going their separate ways. The end… Was only the beginning. [hider=Ye Old Summary] Kalmar goes to Veradax. He finds some Forgotten Elves and Parrots, then kills them. He then goes to the Mar tree and finds Orvus in a tree. Abraxas shows up and they fight and wail on each other. Kalmar eventually yeets Abraxas away so he can get Orvus free and succeeds, allowing Orvus to turn the tree off. Abraxas then comes back and sucker punches Kalmar in the face. They fight again and it looks like Kalmar is going to have the upper hand but Abraxas manages to wound him severely. He then beats him up and Orvus tries to help but gets swatted away. Abraxas then pins Kalmar to the Mar Tree and starts to consume his ichor. Arae and Ashalla show up, they talk for a bit and then hear Kalmar’s scream. Arae uses fireblast, but it isn’t very effective. Then Abraxas and Ashalla fight as Arae tries to heal Kalmar and Orvus. The battle between the two is matched and Orvus decides to do the Sacrifice play. He then gets rid of his divinity and it disappears, allowing Ashalla to end Abraxas for good. They all regroup and Arae heals Orvus, but lacks the power to heal Kalmar. Arae, Orvus and Kalmar then head for the Eye of Desolation. Though Abraxas is dead, his forces still wreak utter havoc upon Galbar. It’s not over yet. [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] [u]Kalmar[/u] [b]Beginning MP:[/b] 1 [b]Beginning FP:[/b] 1 [u]Expenditures[/u] -1MP (discounted to 0 via Hunting portfolio) to mercy-kill the soul-decayed Vallamir and Gardeners. -1MP (discounted to 0 via Cold portfolio) to generate two coldforged swords. -1MP to yeet Abraxas across the horizon. [b]Ending MP:[/b] 0 [b]Ending FP:[/b] 1 [u]Ashalla[/u] 0 MP (Oceans/Storms Discount, Water Enhanced) to bulk up before heading through the Maelstrom. [u]Arae[/u] [b]Beginning MP:[/b] 9 [b]Beginning FP:[/b] 16 -1MP (discounted to 0 via Hearth portfolio) to create a healing campfire. -1MP to heal Orvus’ gaping chest wound. [b]Final MP:[/b] 8 [b]Final FP:[/b] 16 Orvus/Abraxas -1MP(Discounted by Desolation) To create an Orvium blade. It got destroyed. -1MP(Discounted by Desolation) To create an Orvium blade. It got destroyed. [/hider]