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[color=FFC6C6][u]Level[/u]: [b]7[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 39/70[/color] [color=2e2c2c]------[/color] [color=BC8DBF][u]Level[/u]: [b]2[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 42/20[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] ●●●[color=gold]●●[/color][color=gray].[/color] [color=2e2c2c]----------------------------[/color] [color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●●●●●[/color][color=gray].[/color]
[color=lightgray]Word Count: 856 (+4 exp)
[b]Location[/b]: Sandswept Sky[/color]
[hider=Primrose Level Up][b]Black Flame Mastery.[/b] Thanks to her proficiency with dark magic, Primrose gains the following pyromancy spells: [i]Black Flame,[/i] creates a black flame explosion from the palm of the caster's hand. Leaves lingering flames after the initial combustion. [i]Black Fire Orb[/i], hurls a black fireball. Inflicts dark damage, striking targets with weighty force. Explodes on impact, dealing damage to the surrounding area.
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After desperately straining against the press of Red Eye against the gun, the attack team succeeded and drove the beast away. It's sudden withdrawal threw everyone off balance, but it was a lot better than being flung from the train itself. The octopath travelers wasted no time getting back up after they were thrown against their consoles. The rough ride would most likely leave bruises on many of the Seekers, though the turbulence caused them more fatigue and wariness than pain.   

The monster retreated again under the sand, giving everyone a moment to breath. Joker returned from the front of the train with news just as Red Eye began to burst out of the ground again.

[i]A junction?[/i] Primrose chanced a look ahead of the train, refocusing her attention for a moment, but found that the only thing she could see at the moment was more sand. She could guess the options the rail junction might lead them to... back to the wide open desert headed to Parnasse, or swinging back around toward Al Mamoon? If it were between those two choices, then it was obvious which way they should go.

[color=D34C25]"The oasis,"[/color] Primrose said, near breathless as she pulled her eyes back to where red eye resurfaced, launching another assault at them. She recalled Gnorbu mentioning that it was hardly ever visited, and true to his word when they'd pulled into it yesterday there wasn't a soul around other than the Seekers. [color=D34C25]"The water might slow it down."[/color] 
 
She really hoped that would be true. It might have a harder time moving through mud, it might not be able to swim at all if they found a deep enough pool. They could make a last stand there, because the alternative was continuing on over the canyon. She had a vision of the beast destroying the track behind them, sending itself and the train with all of it's harried passengers into the windy depths. 

Pushing the image from her mind Primrose stepped forward to prepare and defend the train. If only she could dance for the vehicle itself, make it faster or harder, but alas. She raised her arms into the air, channeling her magic. Now that the teamwork of Big Band, Sectonia and the latest metallic newcomer had taken care of the explosive pod all that remained was the trilid swarm. Her aim was to take out as many as possible in one shot. In one hand, her dark magic swelled. In the other, the flames of pyromancy licked at the air and grew larger. The magics began to swirl together, generating a great black fire orb. Primrose's body began to glow as well, swelling with power enough to boost her spell once, twice, three times. The orbs size was comically large at this point, and as soon as their comrades in the air were safely back on the train she launched it at where the trilid swarm was thickest. The size of the spell had no effect on it's speed, and once it touched a target the orb exploded in a shower of dark flames that burned every trilid they touched. With a large portion of the attackers reduced to ash, the rest could be picked off.

And with a lack of ranged options, Therion had busied himself with the Railway Gun once more by slamming the panel to turn it as fast as he could. He doubted that the device would be damaged by his pace, and even in his agitated state (his thoughts shuffling between [i]why am I even here, I'm going to die,[/i] and [i]fuck this thing, I refuse to die[/i]) he managed to make sure he wasn't damaging himself either, otherwise he wouldn't have been surprised if his palm came away bloody. 

After what seemed like an agonizingly long amount of time, the cannon completed a 180 and finished turning on it's track. With the barrel pointed in the right direction, Therion called up to the woman in the gun's cockpit. [color=BC8DBF]"Shoot it!"[/color] 

He left her with that bit of redundant advice, breaking away from the gun's control panels and hoping down onto the body of the train while the others were dealing with the aerial bombardment. Somebody had to go tell the driver where to take this thing, and with everyone else preoccupied and his own job completed, Therion figured that task now fell to him. He'd heard Midna's very unhelpful vote of anywhere that was uninhabited, and Primrose's mention of an oasis, and as he moved he heard other suggestions hurled around mostly pertaining to a huge pit in the desert - so that's where they'd be going.

Dagger in hand for protection in case any of the akrid swarm tried dive-bombing him or the conductor, Therion raced to the front of the train. He entered the lead car to find their bird-like driver looking anxious, but to be fair there were plenty of reasons to be. [color=BC8DBF]"Take this thing in whatever direction there's a big pit,"[/color] Therion spoke. The words sounded a bit foolish to his ears, but his tone was coarse and commanding as if he actually had a clue of what he was talking about.