Ithradine

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

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Ether continued to flow into Ciradyl and carry into her voice, forming invisible threads between herself and the rest of the party. The effects would be even more potent if she had her violin with her. This was the first time since the invasion that she had utilized this gift of hers and it was proving to be more straining than she thought. The sight of Galahad's halberd piercing some armor gave her additional determination to keep going. They were finally getting through so she couldn't afford to stop now.

Sand blasted into her from the force of the energy eruption and she was forced to cease her ballad, lifting her hands in front of her face to shield herself. Her eyes managed to catch the airship in the distance as she reacquired the Revenant in her sight. Ciradyl's gaze snapped back towards the airship as the Revenant's head turned and saw the balls of fire and smoke rise from its cannons "INCOMING!" She had only gotten the first half of the word out before the ground around them was struck and collapsed.

Ciradyl fell onto her hands and knees as they reached the bottom, grateful for the intervention of some generous soul. She twisted in place and sat onto the ground, hands propping herself up before her mint eyes widened at the quite large temple in front of them. That was strange enough on its own but the fact this temple had a guardian made it miraculous. The sight of Cid caused her to bounce onto her feet and quickly dust herself off, approaching the others who were talking with him ""We are being pursued, Caretaker, by an unrelenting monster. I fear that we will not be able to take in your wisdom for long." The strain from singing earlier could be heard in the raspy sound of her voice.

She looked up as if to demonstrate to Cid where they were expecting to be attacked from. Ciradyl's eyes squinted as she activated her long range materia and scanned the dark abyss for any signs of movement. Her expression relaxed as she looked back down at Cid, unable to see anything yet. The had a moment to catch their breath it seemed "Do you know where this sickness is coming from?" Ciradyl wanted to ask before anything else.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Mentions:@HereComesTheSnow

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Arton barely ducked underneath a swing that threatened to take his head as the Revenant's new trophy. The monster's blade grazed his pauldron as he narrowly sidestepped the follow-up attack. A sharp metallic ping resonated in his ears as he deflected a thrust off to the side, a fierce vibration shooting up his arm. Arton wasn't sure if he was getting better at reading the Revenant's attacks or if they were too distracted to deliver a concentrated strike. He had to be conservative with blocking with his shield as he could feel the metal groan and flex with each strike block. Distracted or not, he did not seem to be slowing in the slightest.

He thought with it being trapped in the stone fist they would finally be able to deal some meaningful damage. The shockwave of energy came unexpected and he had barely enough time to turn onto his side as he was taken off his feet. The sand did not make it easier to stand back up but Arton did so quickly, sand running down the grooves of his armor. His grip tightened as the Revenant seemed to register the entire party and prepare something, likely that attack that wouldn't killed them earlier. Instead...it vanished? A torrent of cannon fire assailed their position, though inaccurate, and shattered the ground beneath their feet.

Arton groaned as he found himself on his back for the third time, staring up at a distant light in the incredibly deep hole they found themselves in. With a bit of effort, he pulled himself onto his feet and looked up the rest of the party. That fight had been rougher than anything they had gone up against before. As his eyes registered the temple, he couldn't help but feel as though the gods had intervened on their behalf. "I'm still kicking." He replied to Galahad's callout. He felt a flutter of relief as he heard Izayoi's voice, seeing Miina walking away from her.

He walked over to Rudolf, seeing as the rest of the wounded were being taken care off, and began to examine him for injuries. Arton was no healer but he was pretty adept at first aid "Bottom of a deep hole. That gentleman over there made sure we didn't splatter at the bottom." He spoke plainly. Arton was not sure what to make of what he had seen Rudolf become up there. He reminded himself that everyone had their secrets. For now, he would simply be thankful for Rudolf's efforts.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

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Arton rose to his feet in pain, something broken, but even with the dizziness that made it hard to focus he could see Izayoi's form slumped on the ground. Rudolf's startling appearance confused him in the blurriness of his sight, wondering if a second Revenant had joined the fray. That was when he was sure he was hallucinating as a wonderful, captivating, overwhelming voice washed over him and his sight began to clear and the ache in his bones lessened. Arton didn't bother to give Galahad an answer and charged forth towards the monster with renewed determination.

He once more put himself in front of the Revenant for its direct attention, bashing his shield against its limbs trying to interrupt its attacks. The others could handle dealing the killing blow to this freak. He quickly bit his tongue calling it such before fighting on "That all you got?!?" He taunted furiously at the Revenant.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

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The illusion that masked Ciradyl's identity faded as her voice boomed across the rolling desert wastes. Each sweet note projected above the chorus of gunfire and clang of metal. Mint-green eyes hovered over Izayoi as she continued, knowing she should have done this from the start. Perhaps, then, the result wouldn't have been more favorable. Her throat strained against the harsh heat and dryness of the desert, but that was her struggle in this fight. Gusts of wind blew from Ciradyl's direction and kicked up sand into the air as her song began to envelop Team Kirin. Everyone wrapped in its embrace would feel stronger, faster, and reinvigorated as the notes rejuvenated them. However, its effects were directly tired to her performance and would cease immediately should she stop. That was why as she headed into the chorus, she poured her heart into every syllable.

Ciradyl hated the Revenant for the suffering it wreaked on Opsrey, and for the would-be rebels she fed Valheim to gain their influence and trust. She detested the Revenant and Valheim had forced her to such extreme measures to ensure the future of the nation she loved. Most of all, fury coursed through her at the thought it might take away the last precious thing to her. This was all or nothing. They had to eliminate the Revenant here and now.

She positioned herself behind the frontline of the group at a safe distance, continuing her serenade. It was her gift from the gods and it had gone unused for far too long. It was up to the rest of the party to utilize it and bring victory.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

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Ciradyl had not been outside the walls of Kugane since its fall. A convincing double was left in her main estate, Chisaki was given temporary command of her network, and Hien had been informed of the various caches, safehouses, and secret passages she thought would he would need. She bore the same disguise as the raid on the prison, yellow eyes and blue hair that mirrored the sky. The Faye was admittedly distracted as they made their way along the river, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying Osprey's natural beauty. She realized how much she missed taking trips like this into the wilderness.

She had not seen a Blightbeast in person and would have been afraid if not for the other's bravery. Ciradyl found a nice place for herself in the backline with the other ranged fighters but preferred to shoot much farther back. It was this preference that got her talking with Eliane about firearms and their capabilities with particular enthusiasm. She took it upon herself to cook whenever they camped and time permitted, often wandering into the forest or high grass for fresh meat. It became a source of pride making their camp as comfortable as possible.

Ciradyl had shed her previous outfit for one acutely suited for the desert terrain ahead. The situation was amusing to watch, Valheim scrambling to flee from the beasts that had taken so many innocent lives. It was hard to discern which group was the actual monsters. Her demeanor quickly changed as the airships arrived with her attention not on the one picking up its comrades, but the one that lingered behind. A sharp chill raced up her spine as worm was torn apart and replaced with somethin far, far worse.

Izayoi's words barely registered as she caught a full look of the Revenant and questioned her choice to follow Team Kirin. Her mind was not allowed a second to consider it as the Eve assailed it with a torrent of ice. The monstrosity charged directly through and might have blitzed into the rest of them had Arton not threw himself against it. Her hope that he might hold the line vanished in the next few seconds as the Revenant batted himself after he was done playing. It was far too fast for her to get to her preferred distance without being in severe danger. Ciradyl rushed to Izayoi's side and pressed her palm against her back "A gift so that the sun may rise.." Her voice quickly hummed, bastardizng the words of an old folk song. Wind began to swirl around Izayoi's feet as a sensation similar to adrenaline rushed from the area Ciradyl was touching. Ciradyl only hoped it would give her enough speed to do what she does best.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

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The adjustment of his armor became a kind of obsession over the next five days, spending a couple hours each night making small changes here and there that he was convicted would make a difference. Arton's dour demeanor present at the briefing slowly lifted with each passing day, though he was not back to normal. No one had approached him regarding his conversation with Eliane so he could only assume she was keeping the information tight to her chest. He appreciated her discretion but he had no more plans to keep it secret. It was as his master said: "One cannot face the future without first confronting the past.".

Arton had become referring to the mark on his right shoulder simply as the 'Blight Mark', and he quickly grew accustomed to the dull, aching pain it caused against their numerous fights as the blight-beast. A part of him wished he would be able to somehow learn to predict or sense the monsters' movements, but it was nothing more than a painful reminder. He had started to hone in on the lessons he learned from Izayoi, no longer hesitating when danger crashed down on them. The swordsman, however, was normally the one hurt when injuries were sustained by the party. They were never more serious than a quick healing session with Miina couldn't fix.

He stood anxiously waiting to charge into battle as they observed the battle between Valheim and the blight-beasts from a distance. They had found them at last and he was one step closer to finding answers. Arton wore a long cloak underneath layered armor plates that covered his vital areas and outer limbs. He could feel the heat of the desert weaving into the cracks, but his work seemed to be holding up. It would soon be tested in combat as the airships arrived on scene carrying a deadly payload.

Arton followed the wave of magic Eve sent towards the Revenant, using its impact to position him against the goliath and ready his arms against it. His true strength showed as the Katana sliced against his shield yet he stood his ground even as his feet began to dig into the ground. There was no room for him to counterattack. His reactions and speed had gotten better since training with Izayoi but this...this was beyond that. As he waited for his allies to join in, he began to feel as though the strikes were picking up speed and gaining power. Whatever it was, it was testing his ability and looking for weaknesses.

The swordsman had to brace his shield with his other hand at the next strike. Its force came down with enough powerful to drop Arton to one knee and left a distinct dent in the dense shield. He wasn't quite sure if what he heard next was a laugh or a growl, but the next strike sent him backwards into the air as the Revenant swung from his side. He had just managed to position his shield in time but the force of the strike had torn the sword from his hand.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

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Dark bags hung underneath Arton's otherwise cyrstal blue eyes as he stood off to the side. He all but glared towards the map of Osprey as Hien spoke, arms crossed and tucked close his chest. The normally light and playful energy around him had seemingly been replaced by a dark cloud as he barely made eye contact with anyone present at the meeting. The only sleep he had gotten that night was a couple hours where his body physically could not stay awake any longer from exhaustion. He lost count of how many times he had paced wall to wall in his room, fighting the desire to return to the airship's wreckage. It felt as thought he was being torn in two.

The information about a possible Valheim facility did break him out of his mood. A top secret base was bound to have a lot of information, right? His attention turned to Eve as she spoke and he couldn't agree more that something like that had to be destroyed, after he found out what he wanted to know. What was tearing him apart was the fact he couldn't be sure Reisa was Furi. He wasn't sure about a lot after speaking with Eliane last night.

Arton thought about any questions he might have for Hien and it was tough to fight through the fog in his mind to find a reasonable one to ask "Looks like I'm going to have to spend the rest of the day adjusting my armor for the heat." He tried to say casually but a trace of annoyance underlined his words. It was an environment he had not little experience with and not a lot of time to experiment with configurations.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Mentions:@Click This@The Otter

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Esben plucking the bombs from her fingers were the last thing she was expecting "Creative? What are you...There's no time!" She looked over at him with a degree of bewilderment. Her gaze snapped back to Reisa who had just managed to stand up when the bombs exploded around her. Three of the bombs erupted with a thunderous, concussive force around her but the fourth burst into a silvery mist that when it came into contact Reisa began to flash freeze. Ice ran down her forearms, and legs, freezing her to the ground for the moment "At least you can throw straight." Chisa said to Esben, hand reaching for the dagger she put away. She was surprised as Esben came around, wrapped a hand around her waist, and ushered her towards the rest of the group.

The ice that was trapping Reisa's legs had already begun to crack when Eliane fired off her first shot. Reisa did not appear to move out of the way as the barrage saturated the space around her, likely concussed from the earlier bombs. Smoke, dust, and ash swirled around the area and obscured any image of the captain. Gunshots continued to ring out from the rooftops and from down the street, the sounds of battle getting closer by the second. Chisaki did her best to keep pace with Esben as they moved along, but it seemed the damage she did to her leg was worse than she initially thought.

Arton rushed up to Hien one Ciradyl and Esben seemed to have control of Izayoi, supporting the lord and covering his back with his shield as they made a hasty retreat. It took every fiber of his willpower not to rush towards Reisa after the barrage of explosion riddled the space around her "Robin, Rudolf, do you think you can clear a path to the exit?" He called out to the swordswoman, seeing as most of their numbers were currently assisted the injured or unconscious members of their party. His heart ached as they left the prison and wreckage of the airship behind. This was not the time to get wrapped up in sentiment. There would be time to process tonight after they reached safety.

His grip on Hien immediately dropped as two footmen charged at him from a dark alley, putting himself in the way as a sword was thrust forward. The shield on his arm smacked the blade away and made an opening for his own to pierce the upper chest of the assailant. The lifeless body fell onto him which he used to stop the next attacker's strike. He tossed the body aside quick enough that it put his opponent off balance. One swing lopped his forearm off and the following strike struck the throat, ending the threat quickly. Arton resumed guardianship of Hien as they picked up the pace once more.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Mentions:@Psyker Landshark@Click This@The Otter

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Captain Reisa glared down the approaching man, one of the unexpected interlopers from the village. Her brows furrowed at his words, unsure what to make of them. She kept her distance but did not take her eyes off Esben "Flattery shall not spare your life." Her eyes darted towards the rest of the group, cautious of a possible trap. Reisa scoffed "How cute. You are in not in the position you think you are...." She paused briefly "I would ask for you name but I doubt you'd give me the right one." There was a bit of playfulness in her voice.

That was when the first shot struck a plate that hovered over her heart. The force caused her to stumble a little as red energy crackled around the impact and her eyes immediately turned to Eliane. Reisa quickly moved her blade in an attempt to deflect the next shot but it came too soon. A small, ornamental piece of her gauntlet was sheared off. Eliane's next shots would not find as much success as she either deflected them fully or dodged out of the way. Despite the situation, Reisa had no signs she planned on backing down.

Red energy sparked along Reiasa's blade with each strike parried and deflected. There was more than physical resistance preventing from Izayoi's strikes from breaking through. She spit in Izayoi's direction with a sick smile showing how much she was savoring this fight "I am glad we are on the same page." She chuckled as her reinforcement were closing the gap "Your name shall be erased from history after you fall tonight."

Her eyes seem to glow with the same red energy that was beginning to envelop her blade as Hien desperately tried to stop Izayoi. Reisa charged without a word towards the two of them with speed that could only be matched by her opponent. One strike, two graves. A blonde blur leaped from a nearby rooftop and a heavy boot collided with Reisa's side that sent her hurtling back towards the ship. A small yelp of pain came from Chisaki as she stood up from the spot where the captain once was "GO NOW! There's no time!" She quickly glanced at Ciradyl, directing her words towards her just as much as she was to Izayoi and Hien. The Viera ripped twin daggers from her chest rig and got into a ready position, but the leg that had struck Reisa shook.

Chisaki was not the only one who had responded to the battle. The few rooftops not completely collapsed and destroyed were being taking up by a rough group of rebels wielding Valheiminan firearms. Gunshots began to pop from the direction where the reinforcements were coming from. Ciradyl weaved her way through her comrades and the rubble to reach Hien and Izayoi "Someone, take him! I got her!" For the first time, Ciradyl's voice cracked and allowed her emotions to leak through. She placed her hands on Izayoi's face, practically slapping with both hands, and pulled her gaze to the Faye "You're not going to leave me a second time! This is not where your story ends! If you die here, I shall be joining you." She frantically spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ciradyl didn't trust her words to convince the stubborn Mystrel enough to get her to abandon this circle of death. She gripped the wrist of Izayoi with a hold that was tight, but tender, and began pulling her back towards their path of extraction. Looking back at Izayoi her eyes shifted to Chisaki and her lips opened up to say something "If you want us to be okay, get out of here! I'm not as crazy as some old samurai." She said the last part like a joke but her expression was cold. Flashes erupted from a distant rooftop and a bullet cut through the air and struck one of the rebel gunmen.

Chisaki was almost certain that she had at least sprained her leg with that kick "Stop shaking dammit." She muttered under her breath as she remain focused on Reisa in the distance. The gunfight was really starting to kick up but it wouldn't last long. Izayoi...Hien...Ciradyl. They were too important to the freedom of Opsrey to let them die or be captured in a place like this. She glanced back at Hien, lingering on him for a perhaps a moment too long, and returned to her ready stance. There was a future she desperately wanted to be a part of, but she was ready if this was as far as she got. She was just a shinobi after all, a person of a thousand faces and none of them real. As Reisa began to recover, her left hand sheathed her dagger and dug into a leather pouch. Four tiny, black bombs were held between her fingers as she got ready to intervene.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

The front half the Proudclad's fractured hull came crashing down the street away from Team Kirin. Tile was crushed, wood was snapped, and glass shattered as it slowly came to a rest. An inferno engulfed most of the wreck as small, sporadic explosions continued to ravage what little structural integrity was left. Oil that leaked from the metal carcass began to ignite the ground around the wreck. A shrill fire alarm began to blare as the fire was starting to take over the district.

Ciradyl's forces that assisted the infiltration team came out into the open to join Team Kirin, knowing full well that there was little point in trying to salvage their personas. A Mystrel man was the last of the freedom fighters to leave the prison, holding his side as he made his way over to the rest. He never managed to reach them as a jagged piece of the ship smashed his body into the wall of the prison, preceded by loud crack and groaning metal. A sharp edge of the shard was lodged deep into his chest, tears ran down his cheeks as he cut his hand on the edges of the rough slab. Crimson blood seeped from his lips as he desperately tried to catch a breath. His head soon drooped as one hand fell to the ground while the other remained on the shard.

Tall flames highlighted a dark figure emerging from the wreckage of the Proudclad, the orange reflecting off the silver plates not tarnished by ash and debris. Their sword was already drawn and pulsed with a red glow. The design of the armor was unmistakable as she cleared most of the smoke from the wreck. Captain Reisa. A faint trail of blood ran from her hairline down her face. Short, auburn hair paired with a pair of ruby red eyes replaced the helmet she had worn in their first meeting. Her expression was twisted into a snarl as she began to walk forward.

"No, there is no way..." Arton said in a sharp breath full of disbelief, eyes widening at the approaching Reisa.