Mystics Apprentice

–Yevgeni Malachite– The elf's gaze flickered up toward Aura's somber face, expression softening. "I am doing everything in my power to save him," Yevgeni responded, focusing his attention back on the fey once more. While the bleeding had stopped, he was certain that Helios would still be weakened due to what already was lost, something that he could not replenish with his low-tier healing spells alone. The spriggan was quick to rise, which Yevgeni halted by moving his hands from Helios' neck and, gripping him by the shoulders, attempting to force him back down. "No, you have received enough damage for one day," he smarted off. "There may still be some internal bleeding that I am not detecting. As much as you want Ahriman gone like the next person, you will have to wait it out on the sidelines, lest you receive anymore harm and"–he jerked his head toward Aura, who helped him sit as Yev released him–"break this poor girl's heart." Not that he would know anything about requited love and heartbreaks, though it seemed in poor taste to do to Aura. The elf rose, glancing toward Rabs and Sifrei. Color was drawn from his face, though he seemed otherwise well. "What is your take on this?" he asked Rabiyu. "Forgive me for being blunt, but we are fighting a losing battle. We are getting weaker, while he only rises in power." Yevgeni glanced down at his gloved hands, clenching them tightly into fists before him. "It saddens me to say that this is all because of me. I brought us all here, and made Nergal feel obliged to aid me. Now he's gone, became . . . this"–he gestured toward the false god and shook his head–"why is it when I only try to make things better, things only magnify for the worse? Am I cursed?" --Elia Cabret-- A wide smile radiated upon the raven-haired fairy's face, and she couldn't help but do a fist pump in excitement. "All right, score!" she cried out, just before Ahriman really started to get angry. Her eyes widened as he unleashed his fury upon her, faster than she could possibly defend herself from. Her dear friend Aqua really saved her life, for if it weren't for the protective barrier that she cast, she would have perished on the spot. She threw her arms up in front of her face to defend herself, only to be surprised that she was still alive. The barrier shattered upon all beams falling upon it, sending a flurry of golden shards to float around her like dandelion fluff. Slowly the fairy lowered her arms, looking around for the person who cast the shield. A wave of fear washed over her when she saw Aqua on the ground, seemingly unconscious. "NOOO! AQUA!" Elia screamed, darting over toward her unless Ahriman had another say on the matter. She reached her and dragged the elf onto her lap, placing a dirt-stained hand on Aqua's pallid cheek. "You have to be okay! Stay with us!" She gently rocked her back and forth, stifling back a sob that threatened to well in her chest. So much defeat. So much death. She couldn't take it anymore. Life was just too cruel of a mistress. --Athena Niles--To be Queen The king of Sondon was still down. It was plausible that he had received more than simply a broken nose from the granite faceplant that he'd endured from Ahriman tossing him. Athena bit her lip. It did no good for her to sit alongside her father to watch and wait, not when everyone was getting hurt all around her. She brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. "Goodbye, Father." With that the princess rose, a look of determination contorting her facial features into something menacing. She broke out into a sprint, leaping onto ruined marble structures that had once been buildings until she found a rooftop. Landing on it catlike, she regained her posture and charged forth toward the god, unsheathing her sword and leaping toward Ahriman's back. She attempted to land on him, wrapping her legs around his massive neck as she tried to jab her steel sword at the base of his spine. She may not be fey nor have any magic, but a severed head should still kill a god just as successfully without it. (she will liiiiikely get tossed on her head, too, like her father before her, but it was worth a shot!)

No, I am really glad that you brought this up, and I appreciate it immensely. I do want everyone to feel like they are apart of this story, and my fear is that someone is going to get left out. I have been fearful for Mariel especially, since I know that she joined late and I have not incorporated her into the main story as I would have liked. I was partially trying to help engage Mariel with Alderon a bit, but I know it is not enough. I am sorry for not doing a better job here. Every bit from every character helps immensely, so your contributions indeed mean something! If it helps, all of my attacks have been nullified as well, so you are not alone. I am hoping that the rest of the story rolls out with a bang, and that it is an experience that everyone can look back on fondly and smile. This is a rough patch, admittedly, and I'm looking back and seeing ways that I could've made this better. Speaking up is indeed better than bearing with it silently, so I thank you again for bringing this up. I'm glad that you're hanging in there, and if I can help work on some way to better utilize Mariel's abilities with you, shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do!

I am very sorry; admittedly I thought that this battle was going to end quite a while ago and is lasting a bit longer than I anticipated. I think a huge part of it is because some of us are slow in getting our posts out, dragging things out longer. I will see what I can do. Overall, I was hoping to making this experience more enjoyable for everyone and I think most everyone has been disappointed in some way, shape, or form. It has been a learning experience for me as a host, that is for certain, and I will try to make better on it in the future. Thanks for bearing with me, folks, as well as sharing your feedback. It really means a lot that you both are sticking through this and working with it despite the odds. I'll do what I can to make this right by everyone.

--Yevgeni Malachite – Isopolis His attacks were getting him nowhere with the self-proclaimed god. Like everything else that Yevgeni launched at Ahriman, his magic was negated, only this time it was more costly–no one else could cast powerful magic either. And it didn't seem like it would be returning anytime soon. The elf let out a ragged sigh, the energy expended from his usage of Holy taking its toll on him. From his battle alongside Nergal, followed by the battle against Nergal, and now this, his magic stores were nearly depleted, his energy spent. Stealing a glance at his fellow comrades indicated that everyone else was feeling similar. Would they truly fail at stopping Ahriman? Not long was Yevgeni able to consider this, as Ahriman sent out his beams, one of which was headed in his direction. He quickly threw out a deflective shield made from holy light. The beam bounded against it, and projected back in Ahriman's direction, albeit weaker than when he had been the recipient. There was no time that he could spare to intercept with the others, however. Not even King Alderon, who could not defend himself. It seemed like they were fighting a losing battle, and the elf couldn't help but feel defeated. He noticed the broken spriggan only several feet from himself, whom he skirted over toward and placed a hand on his neck. A green aura encircled his hand and poured forth from his palm, penetrating Helios' wound and slowly spiraling around him. He would not be able to erase the damage that had been done, but he at least hoped to save Helios' life. An attempt to atone for the many that he had already taken. --Elia Cabret, Athena, and Alderon Niles -- Releasing Arrow of Fate-- Elia was alongside Alderon, treating his broken nose when the blast came hurtling down on them. It was fast, and powerful. Elia leapt up and thrust both hands in front of her, amber flames assuming the shape of a clock pouring forth from her palms. The beam stopped, hovering a mere foot from her open hands, responding to her time magic placed upon it. While time was stopped, she grasped Alderon's arm and pulled with all of her might, hoping to get him out of the line of fire while her magic was holding the beam in place. A set of stronger arms aided her, and together they had Alderon several yards away before the blast struck the ground, sending carved marble sky-high to land in a heap around them. Elia glanced over to see the human princess panting hard, auburn locks falling untidily over her shoulder. "Thanks," Elia said. "Without you, I would've been a goner." "No, thank you," Athena insisted. "Without your aid, my father would've been killed. I am truly grateful." The two looked over at the deranged god, wreaking havoc everywhere he trod. He seemed careless now. Reckless. It seemed to matter not what happened to them, so long as they all perished. A tear rolled down Athena's cheek as her gaze turned to the purple mad god. "It's useless; we're done for. There is no way that we can stand up to something of that ferocity." Elia's expression matched Athena's, sans the tear. She took a heavy step forward, single wing drooped at her side. Her raven locks framed her face as she turned her face up to Ahriman. "It's not over yet," she said, all joy and playfulness gone from her voice. Her gaze was hard, as though something within the kind, bubbly fairy snapped. "He has taken too much from us, and we won't let him get away with this. He will pay!" With that, Elia sprung forward, running since her flight had been snatched from her. She ran up a broken pillar, kicked off of a frail wall, and hovered in midair using Stopga. Timing an arrow and taking careful aim toward Ahriman's armpit, she let an arrow fly. This arrow was unlike the others, however. Imbued in it was time magic, haste of sorts, but not of the kind to be smiled upon. If this arrow met its mark, it would induce rapid speed, or in this specific case: rapid decay. It might take minutes, or hours, or even a day, but in time Ahriman would decay inside, and, eventually, disintegrate.

I am going to attempt it right now. But don't wait on me. Feel free to post what you've got going and I'll work with it when I'm able.

That sounds good, though Aqua doesn't have to faint. It is up to you.

That would be fine. So long as it's destructible or has a time limit I'm good with it.

A couple of friendly reminders that I wanted to go over real quick in terms of this final fight: 1. I have noticed a bit of auto-hitting as of late, which I know can be rather hard to avoid with so much going on. Instead of saying that hits land, it would be best to state something along the lines of "assuming the arrow hit its target," or "should this be effective, blank blank happens." You can also go on to explain it would be nigh impossible to avoid, but you cannot declare an attack to actually land on your opponent unless they give the go-ahead. 2. This is the final fight and there are a lot of buffs, which is fine, and I expect everyone to exploit their abilities as much as possible. However, please try to keep your attacks within reason; your abilities alone should not rival the final boss. As such, I would expect the boss to not be invincible and skirt all damage (which so far hasn't happened, but I'm just throwing that out there). For the most part all has been well, and with this new dragon blight in effect I think this will take care of any previous issues, though just try to make sure your attacks aren't coming across as overpowered. 3. I don't think I have seen this happen yet, but since it's been on my mind I wanted to voice it: make sure that you aren't posting twice in one turn. One turn essentially would be you versus the enemy (multiple attacks in the same post are okay, just don't do back-to-back posts before your opponent can respond). Make sure that your opponent responds before attacking again. This may be obvious and go without saying, but like I said I just thought of it and wanted to mention it. Everyone's doing great! I can see the end is nigh. Keep up the great work! And, of course, if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or concerns please feel free to give them voice.

Aqua and Terra will probably always be my favorite pairing. Their interactions are just so cute in BBS, plus they are among the older cast where pairings, to me, are more enjoyable to consider. I do very much enjoy Xion and Roxas, though.

Yevgeni Malachite -- Casting Holy Again the elf's attacks seemed meaningless to Ahriman, who treated them as though they were child's play before moving on to the others. He was tired of being cast aside, he was tired of being useless. With the buff received from Rufus' wish, Yevgeni was going to tap into magics that he hadn't used since the Great War, standing alongside his father during his hour of peril. "Stand aside!" Yevgeni cried out, throwing his arms wide. "Anyone surrounding Ahriman will be in the line of fire!" He tried to warn his fellow comrades, but he wasn't going to wait on those whose ears were deaf from his warning. Helios was the one that he feared for the most, as he was directly pinning Ahriman down, though the spriggan must've known the dangers that awaited him from such a stance. Helios wanted them to give it their all–which was precisely what Yev was going to do. Slamming his palms together, a green aura consumed him, expanding rapidly in diameter. A roar sounded, causing Yevgeni's ears to throb as white light began to emerge before him. It grew and grew, until it eventually was about ten times Ahriman's size. Shoving his hands with great effort, the blond unleashed his spell, sending the holy energy in Ahriman's direction. Its rays of light exuded the most potent of holy magic, purifying whatever it touched and scorching it to nothingness. It roared toward Ahriman, and ultimately Helios, at a rapid pace. Its size would make it massively hard to dodge, and its potency would also make it immensely difficult to block. Alderon Niles -- KO The king was brusquely grabbed by the breastplate and thrown face-first onto the marble stone. His nose cracked, crimson staining the ruined marble below him. His head throbbed, and sadly the human king lost consciousness. Athena Niles -- Joining the fray "Father!" the princess cried as she watched Ahriman toss Alderon like a rag doll. Her father fell with a dull thud, and did not rise again. She could see blood pooling underneath him. She started to move toward him, when Elia, the one-winged fairy, threw an arm out in front of her and shook her head. "I will go see to him," said the fairy. "I cannot do much on the battlefield in my condition anyway. Go do what you can! I will help your father to the best of my ability." Athena was reluctant to leave her father's life in the hands of the small, frail Elia, but she complied. "Thank you," the auburn-haired princess murmured, before darting alongside Aura and Rabiyu to provide whatever support that she could. She arrived moments after the clones' destruction, unsheathing her sword and bearing it in front of her. She wanted to charge up toward Ahriman but thought better of it; Yevgeni's massive ball of light began hurtling toward the god, and there was no way that she wanted to be in the line of fire.

I apologize for not posting for a while. I will admit that my interest has been waning in this RP. I will try to roll a post out soon. I need to figure out what to do with Janus.

Kolm's brows knitted together at Galla's response. She did not seem ungrateful, but rather awkward at best. Perhaps she didn't hate him as much as he had feared previously. At least she didn't have anything witty to retort with. His attention was swiftly brought back to the battle and their current circumstances. Were they winning, or losing? He could not tell which. It looked like a constant battle of tug of war to him; just when they seemed to be on the brink of victory, some adversary would knock them back. He was grateful for the covering that the flaming skull concealed them with; it would shield them from an onslaught, but also give them the element of surprise. Aprameia still had plenty of attention from Henry, though the patricians were being dealt with predominately by Winona and Galla. Perhaps he could lend a hand. Concealed by the shadows, Kolm unwrapped the bandage around his arm, unveiling dozens of thin scars that decorated the flesh from his wrist to his elbow. He murmured an incantation, taking a small knife and drawing its blade into a blend of smooth flesh and old wounds, drops of crimson pouring forth to stain the ground below. In response a surge of magical energy danced at his fingertips; he felt more powerful than he had in months. Or, since the last time he had used blood magic. Leaving the shadows behind, Kolm surged forward, targeting the patrician opposite of that which Galla focused upon. He smacked his palm hard into it, leaving a trace of cold magic in its wake. The frost spread quickly. The patrician howled, reaching out for Kolm but was unable to do so before he found himself an ice sculpture. Pleased with his work and mace in hand, Kolm swung its head into the ice patrician, hoping to cause him to shatter upon impact. (1 felled, if successful) --------- Sunlight filtered through the forest's canopy, casting a light green light to filter onto the young woman's troubled face. Her gaze shifted from Hektor's abruptly upon his question, the girl busying herself by inspecting a bush a few feet away. "My father trained me when I was young," she stated simply. "His skill with a lance far exceeds my own. I remember being a young girl watching him practice with his best friend. I wanted to be as talented as him, though I have a long way to go." Rhiannon laughed softly, wisps of hair playfully falling into her face. It had been so long since she had even thought of such a fond memory, let alone uttering it aloud. Silence about her upbringing, her purpose, had always been difficult to manage; it felt good to reiterate a harmless story about her childhood. "Anyway," she commented, casting a sideways glance at her companion. "I think we've found about as much as we can out here, and it will be getting dark soon. How about we find the others and wrap things up from here? Return to headquarters for the night?" (RTC, anyone?)

The happiest moment in the series, that I can recall off the top of my head, is the end of KH2 when Sora, Riku, and Kairi finally return home. There is a sense of relief and joy, and the trio had been so much over the course of a year(?) to finally be where they were at, and united to boot.

I sort of don't think that he will. Kingdom Hearts has always been about friendship mostly, and I think they will continue to stick with that emphasis. Personally I would prefer it if he didn't have a romantic interest, because it would likely be forced for the sake of Riku having a girlfriend to appease fans, and there is also the question of who it would be. I cringe at the thought of a new character added purely to fill this void, and personally I don't see any of the other cast members making the cut, except for maybe Kairi.

Yevgeni Malachite: Isopolis For a moment the elf stood alongside the wall of ice, relieved as he saw it crumble in flakes resembling snow. The others behind it were safe; their efforts did not end in vain. Behind him, Ahriman was invoking more power–as though he weren't powerful enough as it were. He held his rapier at his side, watching as the monstrosity rose to face them once more. "I refuse to yield!" he cried forth, darting toward Ahriman and attempting to stab his rapier into his chest, in the same location that Soren Monroe stabbed only moments prior. "Raiden, Nergal, Ahriman–whoever you are, I will not recognize you as the overlord of this world, of any world!" Whether he managed to pierce Ahriman, Yevgeni would leap into the air above the false god, snapping his fingers and sending a series of comets to fall upon Ahriman. They ranged in size and diameter, from golf to soccer ball-sized, heat radiating from each one as though it fell from the heavens. Athena: Isopolis The princess did not know what to do when Aura planned to use herself as a human shield. "Wait, Aura, no!" she cried, grasping the girl's shoulders and attempting to pull her away. Too many sacrifices had already been made, some even on her behalf–she wasn't going to stand for another. "You mustn't do this!" Thankfully, Aura's life did not have to be sacrificed. Thanks to the efforts of several, the barrier received enough reinforcement to ensure her safety, as well as those behind the wall. With Eclaire's wishes each party member received a boost in strength, and even Athena felt a surge of energy course through her veins. She withdrew her steel sword from her sheath and looked it over before sizing up Ahriman. He was a god, a transmogrification of two individuals and an all-powerful being, while she was simply a human girl. A girl with only her training, a steel breastplate, and matching sword. Sure, she had been buffed thanks to Eclaire's wish, but what did that really mean for her? Could she do anything to make a difference? "I should help them," Athena said finally, making up her mind. "I have let too many people die for me, when it is I that should die for my people. Everyone is out there risking their lives, and it is only right if I do the same." She turned to face Aura somberly. "Thank you, thank you for everything, but this is something that I must do. I hope that you understand." Alderon Niles: Isopolis Much happened at once. First, he thought that he recognized Arthur's voice, which gave the human king pause. "Sir Arthur?" he questioned, searching for his aura but failing to find it. Next, the heir to the Overworld was attacking him, followed by rescuing him from being impaled by Ahriman himself. The king felt foolish that he'd been stunned into silence for so long, and even more foolish that he wasn't putting his aura-reading to good use. He stood up and brushed himself off. "That will be quite enough," he said brusquely. "I may be blind, but I have my blade, and so long as I draw breath I will continue to use it to put an end to our adversary!" He would have rebuked Arthynn further, but his being puzzled him. He did not seem to be Arthur, and yet he recognized the young man's voice. "Whether you be the crown prince or one of the black knights, it matters not. I request that you put your all into our common enemy here, and bring glory to both worlds!" With that, Alderon surged forward toward Ahriman, this time aiming a swing horizontally to potentially sever his calf from thigh.

Vaude, did you know . . . ?

Hey! I feel like I haven't seen you on in a while; how's it going?

@Vaude, how would you feel if I incorporated some blood magic for Kolm? I am feeling rather limited with his ice elemental magic, and I think it might make things rather interesting. I would stick with the parameters of his abilities in his character sheet, but I was thinking that potency of his spells may be affected. If you have some ideas on how to best incorporate the blood magic I would be very much interested.

It seemed that Henry had things under control with Aprameia. He felt that anything he may do would just get in the element user's way. That was when he noticed Galla . . . and the toll that her necromancy was doing to her very own body. Galla, the woman who first greeted him at Haven, and who he immediately clashed with. It pained and surprised even himself when he stumbled over to her, reached for her hand, and held his other palm over it. A pale-blue aura began to glow under his palm. "If we have a moment free from interruptions," Kolm murmured, "we should be able to get you patched up. Just hang in there. This may not feel the most pleasant." Kolm was, sadly, no stranger when it came to self-infliction to cast more powerful magic. He had grown accustomed to blood magic himself back at home, and relying solely on his ice element was proving to be a challenge here. The raven-haired magic's gaze did not rise to meet Galla's. In fact, it never left her hand. --------- The dragoon girl smiled brightly as Hektor addressed her with politeness, desiring her company while seeking Kingsfoil. "It would be my pleasure," she answered, carefully tucking a lock of stray blonde bangs behind her ear. She followed a short distance behind Hektor, studying the ground as they went, occasionally stopping to examine the plant life underfoot before continuing. "You handled yourself very well back there, if I may say so," Rhiannon commented. "Have you encountered triffids before?"

Happy New Year! I can honestly say that 2018 was a very good year for me and I will be sad to see it go. Here's to 2019 being an even better year for everyone! Also, thank you for the well wishes, everyone. I am feeling much better after a couple of days on a strict BRAT diet (who knew that I was such a brat even still. :P). I hope to continue Overworld soon and proceed to surge forward.

My favorite cover would be KH1's. The background with the heart-shaped moon is gorgeous, and I like how the characters are sort of shadowed in the night.

The Northern ruler was introduced with a bang, not falling short of any fey's notice throughout the great hall–as well as those adjoining it. Shiva turned when Leviathan's presence was announced, returning her dear friend's embrace with almost equal enthusiasm. "Oh, Levi, dear!" she murmured into the Tide Mother's shoulder. "It has been much too long. How have you been? Where is your Asura? Did he make the voyage with you?" There were so many questions that Shiva desired to ask, though there would be plenty of time for this over the Christmas dinner and gift exchange. Whether Shiva pretended not to notice Eclaire's jealousy or simply was oblivious to it was uncertain, though she looked a bit struck when Eclaire wiped away her tear. She bit her lip and smiled, grasping the catgirl's hand tenderly. "It is nothing, don't worry about me." Still holding Eclaire's hand, Shiva gestured toward the dining area with her other free hand. "But how rude of me! Come, let us sit and converse! The meal should be served shortly, though I am certain that refreshments aplenty are available for those desirous of something to tide them over in the meantime." Before she crossed the room's threshold, however, she was stopped by Nergal's appearance. The Queenslayer himself, or would have been such if she were actually slain. Christmas was not a time to hold grudges, however, but rather a time for joy, love, and forgiveness, and as such the queen greeted him warmly, placing a chilly hand on his shoulder and encouraging him to rise. "Nergal, the pleasure is mine. I am happy that you were able to attend this gathering, and I am sure that my brother will be pleased as well. Speaking of which"–a frown furrowed her brow, her gaze sweeping across the great hall–"where is Yevgeni? I have not seen him since this morning when he was chasing off an old hippie pretending to be Santa in our treasury." It was around the time that she spotted Soren, who, instead of instructing to rise, she swooped down toward to kiss on the cheek–a warm, yet not entirely outlandish greeting among fey. "Merry Christmas to you as well, Soren Monroe. Please follow us and come! be comfortable and make yourself at home. There is no need to be so formal on this glorious day." --------- "Merry Christmas!" the sisters greeted in unison for Helios, Ariana lingering on the spot much longer than her energetic sister. "How was the trip up here, Helios? I see that you brought some friends with you." Ari gestured toward his companions before her gaze fell to the tree. "It is so wonderful. After all of those years ago when we ventured to the world below, I never thought that we'd be here, home, celebrating Christmas together once more like old times." The spriggan did not linger at Ariana's side for long, however, the fairy deriving a chuckle as Helios became bedazzled by Aura. It would seem that her dear friend found love--she would have to tease him upon this topic at dinner later that day. ---------- Time seemed to stop as Athena gazed into Arthur's eyes. So blue, so deep, filled with love, compassion, bravery, and promise . . . . A smile gently curved the princess' lips upward as Arthur returned the holiday greeting, color within her cheeks following shortly thereafter after he uttered his sweet words. "Oh, stop," she teased playfully. "You're going to make me shrivel into nothingness out of sheer embarrassment." Her gaze shifted to the bird which landed onto Arthur's shoulder. She had the urge to pet it, but did not want to risk scaring it away. "I think you have a way with animals," she said lightly. "Mayhaps Helios taught you a thing or two?" The queen began ushering everyone into the dining hall, which Athena took notice to. She gently placed a hand on Arthur's arm and nodded in the direction of the great double doors. "Shall we join them?" (I will post for the others soon–I'm going to head to bed for now)

Sorry for the delay in posting, folks; I have been rather sick with a stomach bug. I will see what I can do soonish, or at the very least try to catch up on what I've missed.

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful time with their loved ones this holiday season. I do not think that I myself will be posting in the main RP until after New Years (though I may surprise myself and do so). I am just in need of a little reprieve after the holiday rush. Everyone else is welcome to continue posting in the main RP, though, and I will catch up a bit later. As for the Christmas special, I am thinking to run it until New Years Day or so; does that sound good to everyone? Is that too short of time? Would you folks prefer it to last longer? No problem, though I am sure that there are those who would've enjoyed her companionship, if not her family. In truth I don't think Yevgeni would honestly be much for Christmas in real life (or, at least as real as Overworld is), though I am having fun with making my characters loosen up for the holiday special, haha.

Great choices @Yessie Maltese! I love the look of Super Mario Odyssey.