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Defiance

Dannisus released a heave and nodded to the big green creature, while keeping close as more skeletons began to amass behind them. He didn't thank Corc. There wasn't any time too say much of anything with the horde beginning to amass behind them. "Keep running," He blurted out, suddenly. Dannisus glanced at Fauve, and then back to Corc, before pointing forwards. "Don't stop for anything!" His warning delivered, Dannisus began to pick up his pace, quickly outrunning Fauve and Corc in order to catch up with Lui and Aelih. He felt a little odd, using Corc as a barrier and than promptly abandoning him, but there would be plenty of time to chat once they weren't surrounded by monsters.

He closed the distance quickly, passing Aelih up a little while later and offering his acquaintances a friendly little wave. "Hello again," He chirped, flicking his tail towards the ground. With one thumb, Dannisus pointed back to Corc and Fauve, who were lagging less than 50 yards behind them. Part of him hoped they followed them to safety. That giant green thing seemed awfully friendly, and useful to have around at times like this. "Friends of yours?"

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Nexus was struck, one blow after the other, and lost his footing, even if only for a moment. The blows left small dents along his chest plate, all of which were already beginning to repair themselves. By now, his gauntlet had found new form as well. Nexus flipped through the air and landed on his feet a few meters away. As he landed, he smashed the base of his wrists together in front of him, facing both his palms forwards. This was unlike any attack that Bruce's allies had used, but the sheer amount of energy that began to gather in Nexus' grasp made it clear that it packed enough power to leave more than a dent.

"Arcano-"

It was prisma's technique, it seemed. The energy in his hands continued to gather, however. It was holding it in place, while bracing his body with as much rigidity as he could muster. In a moment, it seemed like the charging attack took on a new property, unfamiliar in nature, but he refrained from firing it just yet.

Defiance

Nadska's rooftops served to be of far more use than Dannisus imagined at first. The compact little district he'd traversed was a godsend. Spotting Lui and Aelih only a few minutes into his northern venture was yet another blessing. Perhaps fate could only be so cruel after all.

Unfortunately, he met a stopgap in his travel. The distance between him and the tavern was split by a main road, and a few grass knolls beyond that. He couldn't possibly jump that far, even with the trees that were peppered throughout town. But Lui and Aelih were within shouting distance now, and he'd made considerable headway on the bulk of the horde. It wouldn't be long before they caught up, so without delay-

"A-"

His tongue turned to cotton when he spotted the massive orc giving chase. Dannisus caught himself and stared blankly at the monstrous creature, before noticing a familiar, rude face following closely by his side. He cringed in part amazement, and part confusion. Most of his doubts about the orc were quickly vanishing. But why were they following so closely behind Lui and Aelih?

"To help?" He mouthed, "Astounding!" His face contorted into an unsure grin, and he peered over the edge of his foothold at the ground below. There were only a few skeletons, and none of them were packed tightly enough to cease his advance. Dannisus took a few steps back, drew his long sword and breathed deeply before charging off of the roof. He landed with a gentle thud against the edge of a patch of grass that lay safely at the foot of an old maple tree, and rolled to his feet before taking off into a sprint.

"ѻٱ!" He howled. The influx of his accent carried farther than one might have expected from a little Myti, but it also served to attract some unwanted attention. Fortunately for Dannisus, there was no way any of those skeletons were going to catch up to him before he got within the protective circle of Corc's smashing range.

He just hoped that the giant green monster didn't harbor a profound dislike for Myti.

Defiance

Dannisus scurried across the town's paths quickly, looking over his shoulder once every few seconds to check the distance between him and the hulking green creature that followed. He was making headway, but there wasn't any way to be sure that he'd stay that far ahead. The Myti made a sharp right turn before getting anywhere near the north gate, heading off the beaten path and between several buildings. The walls were perfect, sporting numerous gaps and holes as a result of wear and tear, no doubt. He jumped from one brick to the next, deftly speeding up the narrow path with a series of well-placed wall kicks until he reached the rooftops with a soundless landing. He didn't stop. The gaps between buildings were easy to clear with a few short hops, and in no time at all, he was completely out of sight, and impossible to pursue any further. At least, that's what he thought.

From the top of the buildings, it was much harder to see anything aside from the church's bell tower, and the outer northern gate. He stopped for a moment, slowing his sprint to a crawl as he took it all in. The sound of skeletons stampeding through the streets was at an all-time high. Not only were they flooding the paths behind the church, but Dannisus spotted the top of the northern gate falling to the ground, moments before it crashed into the ground. From the north now, as well? He turned westward momentarily, but couldn't see anything. "curse it all," he hissed under his breath. What was he to do now? Dannisus's mind was a well-oiled machine, but he was terrible under pressure. Synapses fired chaotically in his head, but he grabbed his hair and tugged viciously downwards with a little 'mya', reorienting himself almost immediately. The church! It was close, and it was fortified. Well, at least, much more than the rest of these civilian buildings. But approaching the venue became more hazardous with each passing moment.

That's where the rumbling originated from.

He peered over the edge of his perch, at the streets below. The skeleton swarm was much thicker than it was further west. If he jumped down there unprepared, he wouldn't be able to react using his usual style of combat. Dannisus was much better suited to confined bouts and duels, not as a soldier on the front line of a disastrous battlefield. His eyes fell upon the church once more. It was too late to turn around now.

The north gate, Dannisus thought as the rumbling grew louder and stronger. He couldn't smell anyone, or anything thing over the overpowered scent of fetid flesh and crushed bones. Tracking Lui and Aelih down in the midst of these skeletons was impossible. The only way he'd find anyone would be through tracking their Mana. But through the thickness of the horde, only large scale spells would tickle his nose. He decided, if only after a brief delay, to make his way north. Dannisus peered over the roof's edge one more time. They horde's thickness had doubled while he thought to himself. That was just great. He took no more time to think, and quickly made his way across whatever rooftops he could, towards the northern gate. There was no safety to be found in the church if that rumbling was to be given any measure of caution. It was a lost cause.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Nexus ignored his approach, diving past his fist, letting only the edge of the ring of swords around Bruce's arm clang against the edge of his faceplate. His first strike hit home, smashing against the center of Bruce's stomach. Straight after, he spun his body clockwise and slammed his left fist against his shoulder, and then swapped again, punching and punching with a fair amount of force behind his blows, until his right hand hit with barely any force behind it. But a loud hissing sounded from his hand. Was it..?

"Wind Cannon Ultimate"

A burst of powerful air expelled from the knuckled on his gauntlet with a familiar force, empowered by Nexus' inherent energy to new heights. It became clear that he was going through the roster of Bruce's allies, pilfering their attacks without using many of his own. Or perhaps it was just that, he did not have any offensive abilities of his own?

Defiance

Not halfway to the edge of Nadska, and Dannisus was torn from his path once again by a series of thumps that shook the earth at his feet. It was subtle. He paused and glared at the ground quietly. 'Earthquake?' Another thump, and then another. His heart began to race. There was a small period of silence, but it did little to curb his worry. His good ear twisted 'round and he buckled backward, putting all his weight on his left foot.

Crash!

Crack!

It was faint. The sound of stone crumbling and wooden supports snapping in two. Screams from the townsfolk rung out, ranging from blood-curdling shrieks to desperate shouting, just loud enough for his ears to pick up. Dannisus spun around, glancing back towards the western gate only for a moment before making a clear decision without a second thought. His Tail whipped the ground violently and he took off into a sprint. 'What the hell? What the hell!?' His feet dug into the path as the intrepid little Myti tore across Nadska's street without delay. He leaned into his run carefully while his blade jostled back and forth without much restraint, occasionally smacking against the base of his tail.

'ץﻉٱค'

Suddenly he dropped forward, slamming his hands against the ground. But rather than sliding clumsily into a tumble, Dannisus pushed backward, propelling himself even faster still and breaking into a four-limbed dash. Part of him didn't get it. *safety was in the opposite direction*, after all. As the clattering of bone and iron grew louder, it dawned on him. He was moving towards something far more imposing than he'd initially thought. What help could he be? Why should he even help these people? With every step, his doubt grew. Turning around now didn't seem like much of an option though. If the town was under attack from one side, who's to say there weren't more attackers lying in wait elsewhere? Dannisus skirted to a halt and flattened his ears as the church bells began to chime. He covered his bad ear with his left hand and took a gander at the horizon. He could see the bell tower from where he stood; the church couldn't have been more than a minute away. Something else held his concern much tighter than the alarm bells, though.

'what is that thumping!?'

Dannisus scanned his surroundings quickly, looking for beasts and civilians alike. He poised himself for combat, keeping his sword hand perched in front of his right shoulder to draw at a moment's notice. The air carried tones of rotted flesh and fresh wounds, blended together into a single maleficent odor. That's when he spotted a whitish blur passing through the marketplace stalls. His pupils widened and the darkness of the night crept away, but he didn't see where it went, or where it came from. His ear twitched. Bones rattled. Something was coming, but he was ready.

One of his feet pivoted in place, and he drew his blade into a circling slash. With a surprising amount of force, his entire body circled round, and the heft of his weapon tore through his assailant's wristbone. The skeleton that darted out at him reeled back as his hand, and his weapon, hit the ground at Dannisus' feet. The Myti stood up straight and hopped backward slightly, grasping his blade with both hands. "Undead!?" He gagged, reaffirming his grip. Without regard for its own safety, the hollow creature rushed him without any weapons, aiming to use its jagged forearm to impale Dannisus. He didn't stand still, shifting his weight to the right, while parrying, the skeleton's harpoon-like arm to the left. He pulled his blade downwards, while pushing the skeleton's arm further away from his body along the entire length of his sword, and sweeping his left foot across its footing. The skeleton's weight was successfully manipulated in the opposite direction of Dannisus' escape, sending it towards the ground. Dannisus let his body's natural momentum pull him back slightly, but quickly stamped his left foot into the ground, and pulled himself into a full clockwise 360 spin. As he turned to face the skeleton again, Dannisus brought his sword into an overhead swing and cleaved the skeleton in two a split second before it hit the ground. As its bones went limp, he let out a sigh of relief and pulling his weapon from the dirt with a hefty tug. A quick look at his surroundings revealed many more skeletons making their way across the town. They didn't seem too numerous at first, certainly nowhere near what his ears were telling him, but it wouldn't be long before the town was overrun.

"COOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRCCCCCC!!!"

...

"What is that?!" Dannisus hissed, turning towards the battle cry behind him. Further down the path, he spotted an armored creature, standing nearly twice his height. It smashed through some of the skeletons that flanked him like it was no big deal and continued towards the center of town. His tail went limp and he took a deep breath before running away from Corc's brutish approach. He'd never seen an Orc before and wasn't too thrilled about coming face to face with Corc the Orc.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Nexus' saw did not disappoint. Much like Jenso's its sheer cutting power was not easily stopped. Although slowed slightly, Bruce's chains were snipped quickly. flinging their tightened lengths away from the point of impact. The armored warrior flicked his hand from side to side, moving the saw back, and then forwards, suddenly gaining full control over its trajectory. It zoomed after the quick moving wall, slicing it horizontally, while Nexus conjured a single greatsword and sliced through the stone vertically, pushing the rocks to either side of him. The saw then shot towards Bruce head-on, expanding immensely and growing in ferocity.

Nexus himself charged forwards and morphed his blade into a pair of gauntlets, littered with a series of small holes along their knuckles. As soon as Bruce reacted, he would move to initiate a series of jabs at close range.

Defiance

Leaving Lui and Aelih behind in the middle of the night didn't sit well with him. But sharing his room with an unstable magical construct with a cursed gem in her head, and a semi-mute elf from God knows where seemed far less preferable. He knew very little about Lui or Aelih after speaking with them for such a short period of time. Though there'd been some comfort in their company, Dannisus wasn't about to trust two complete strangers, even if they weren't human. His mind was much clearer when he was alone anyway, how much work could he get done with Lui prattling on and on? His mouth curled into a subtle grin at the thought. It reminded him of the Nursery, where his little sisters would flock to him with all kinds of silly questions. An aching pang pulsed through his tail and cut his memory short, almost like something had taken hold of it tightly. He shook the thought and pushed his way through the center of town. Hopefully that Inn he'd mentioned was just as nice on the inside as it was at a first glance.

"Շﻉซɼﻉซ?" Dannisus mewled under his breath. He twisted his ears towards a series of roars that bellowed across Nadska one after the other, separated by short intervals of silence. He spun his head towards the noise after the second roar. It was distinctly different from the first, somehow nostalgic. He looked back down the path he'd taken quietly. Those noises were close, and frightening. Could it be those nasty monsters that he'd heard of? If the town was about to fall under attack, Dannisus wasn't going to flop onto his stomach and pass out like a bloated forest mouse. "๓ѻฝչ." He turned back towards where the roars were coming from. "๓ѻฝչ, ץﻉٱค ๓ѻฝչ!" The Myti hissed the profanities to himself over and over and spun in place like a lost cat. What the hell was he going to do? Go investigate? Fine Lui and Aelih to warn them? Run in the opposite direction as quickly as he could? His mind was abuzz with anxiety and peril. Those roars did not come from a few harmless animals.

"МФЩZ!" With a violent pivot, Dannisus began marching down the path before him. A few moments later, he made a sharp left turn and began making his way towards the two freakishly gut wrenching roars. What a brave little Myti he was!

Final Fantasy Reverence [Reboot]

I'm kind of interested, but I have a couple of questions.

Why did the old thread die, and how frequent do you expect posters to be?

A Hero Tale {Complete}

Nexus took a step back and shifted his weight as Bruce approached, aiming to meet his strike directing with Jenso's technique.

"Punch!"

The two abilities collided like comets, crashing against one another with enough strength to vibrate the room itself. Nexus' gauntlet bent and creaked like tin foil, but he did not falter, pushing with as much force as possible against Bruce's strike. In the end, the empowered flame dragon punch flared outwards, and Nexus was blasted away from the exchanged with his right gauntlet mangled by the blast. His flesh however, was unharmed. He landed with a loud clank and stood upright, looking down at his unarmored hand. From where the metal was contorted, its mirrored surface rippled, as if a stone had been cast upon its surface. The rippled spread across his entire body and refracted back and fourth, until they calmed and his armor returned to normal. The damaged metal, partially cutting into his forearm, began to reform slowly, climbing up his arm like an amorphous liquid, and hardening once again. With his hand uncovered, he changed his strategy. "You've broken my armor," Nexus complimented, conjuring a ball of blue flames in his bare hands. The flames began to spin wildly, taking the form of a saw. "Flame saw" He whispered, "But a hit like that will not do you any good. How long can you hold that form, Bruce?" He took no pleasure in his next gestures. He twisted his left, armored hand so that the palm faced forwards, and pulled back his flame saw, as if he was about to chuck it.

"Momentum gate," He shouted, tossing the flame saw in the same moment. It passed through the air, but nothing appeared in its path. Instead, a gate appeared behind Bruce, and several of Nexus' chains sprouted new tendrils that lashed towards him from behind, gaining speed as they passed through the giant rune of energy between them and their target.