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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Apr 14, 2018 21:01:49 GMT -5
"Alright, come on..." Swift mumbled to herself as she once again tried to focus her energy into her hand. This time, however, she tried to dig a little deeper inside herself first, searching for something other than yoki. There had to be something fueling these new powers of hers. Otherwise, what was that energy that the carving in the Stone Temple had given her? There was a trick to this. Some way to activate it willingly. She just had to find it.
Then she felt it. A warmth in her stomach, tracing the symbol etched into her belly from the inside out. Not a burning like before, but a powerful heat that slowly consumed her, encompassing her like a firm embrace. Swift closed her eyes and concentrated on this warmth, directing it up her arm, letting it soak into her muscles and bones. This new energy didn't leave her stiff and sore like her yoki. Instead, she felt... stable. Strong. Confident. She suddenly felt more aware of this pure force flowing through her, like had been a part of her all along. Like it wasn't trying to change her, but rather solidify what she already was.
In that moment, she knew exactly what this energy was.
Chi...
"Earth..."
Swift halted the flow, letting the energy settle and fuse with her body.
Just like that, her arm turned to stone.
Her eyes shot open and her ears went erect. For a moment, she simply stared at the stony skin of her arm. Then she lightly pumped a fist and smiled triumphantly. "FRIG YES! Now how about..."
She closed her eyes again. Sure, she was happy to have figured it out, but being made of rock wasn't especially comfortable. Her arm obviously wasn't too flexible in this form. Thus, as she started to manipulate her chi again, Swift focused on not redirecting it, but altering it and softening it. Transform it into something similar, but more malleable. She could sense its resistance to her attempts, but eventually she felt it loosen ever so slightly, the dense energy growing thinner and smoother.
As she did so, her stone arm slowly turned less jagged. Sleeker. Shinier.
When she opened her eyes again, she was pleased to see that her skin now resembled a silvery metal. She experimentally flexed her fingers; her movements were still stiff and slow, but her fingers nonetheless curled inward into a fist like she was bending a spoon.
"Well, now... Let's see what you can do."
Then, in one graceful movement, Swift raised her fist in a high arc and slammed it down on the frozen surface of the lake. A mighty BANG like thunder echoed through the mountains as deep, long cracks snaked across the ice beneath her. She straightened up and repeated this action a few times, not the least bit fazed by the impact, easily separating the ice into chunks.
One more time, Swift stood up, experimentally allowing her yoki to mingle with her chi. Her metal arm gained a yellow aura, practically turning to gold in its light.
She brought her fist down again. When she did, several slabs of ice sprung loose in a spray of frigid water...
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Apr 21, 2018 17:52:30 GMT -5
After waiting through Swift's failed attempt to do... whatever it was she was doing, Evan once again braved the wintery weather and peaked out from her pocket, watching her clench her arm with a fierce amount of concentration. It didn't look like much on the outside, but it was clearly evident that she was trying to channel her new elemental powers. "Uh, Swift...? I, uh... I know you wanna try to figure out that whole business, but maybe now's not the best time for-?"
Of course, Evan promptly put his metaphorical foot in his mouth the moment Swift's arm turned to stone, leaving him in a stunned silence as she continued to experiment with it until the stone turned to metal. As she did so, he suddenly realized what she intended to do and hastily confined himself to the inner lining of her pocket again like a rubber band snapping back into place.
Sure enough, with the little blue blob properly braced for action, Swift punched the surface of the lake with her metallic fist. Over and over, rising and falling, fracturing the thinned, partially melted ice with ease until it finally split open.
The moment it did, a geyser seemed to erupt from below, an enormous burst of water pushing the hole in the ice wide open.
The blue, crystalized slime shot out of the geyser, clattering onto a solid section of ice several feet away.
"OW! OW!!! STINGING!"
Curled up in sharp pain, Evan took no notice of the silver light inside the geyser, the water around it morphing until it perfectly resembled the specter from the rainforest. The figure stared down at Swift, his expression recognizable hollow. Then he nodded and smiled at her; a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.
The specter beckoned Swift towards him, then he and the water surrounding him sunk back into the lake with a mighty splash.
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Post by ColArana on Apr 22, 2018 20:14:19 GMT -5
Ranuen watched as Swift experimented with her abilities. First rock, then steel. Damn, he was a little envious as to the flexibility of Swift's abilities. Then she drew back her fist. ...Yep. Definitely bad idea to be standing so close. Too late now though, as the fist crashed into the ice, splitting it, and spraying Ranuen with a combination of water and shards of ice. "Nice!" He complimented, as she continued pummeling away, until the geyser blasted up. Ranuen actually jumped to the geyser of water, allowing the frigid spray to carry him out of the hole, along with the rest of Evan's body. "I got it! I got it!" He exclaimed, pursuing the flying crystallized slime, and landing near it. His blade ignited again, with a lower intensity flame, which he lowered near the frozen slime, trying to help thaw Evan out. Being careful not to get the burning weapon too close.
"That was awesome Swift!" He added, turning to look over at Swift.... and noticing the specter from the Rainforest. "Oh..."
If that thing was here, then that meant..... "Oh no. Don't tell me you're about to..."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Apr 22, 2018 22:24:32 GMT -5
Swift stood back and watched the geyser with reserved awe but a stern expression, nodding back to the specter within. A silent exchange that she understood what it wanted. Then, when the water receded and Ranuen questioned Swift's intent, she let out a stiff breath and turned to where he had started to thaw Evan's body...
"Regardless of the circumstances surrounding it, that ghost led me to a source of new powers last night. Powers that could be useful in fighting these monsters." She cast a hard glare at the ice. "I may not know what this thing is or why it's bestowed me with elemental energy, but I'm not gonna find out unless I go looking for that knowledge."
Swift then reached into her pocket, pulled out the handful of blue slime she had been carrying and offered it to Ranuen. "I'm not gonna drag you guys into this with me... but I can't just ignore this window of opportunity. I need this. And call me crazy, but... I think it needs me too. So... hopefully I'll be quick this time. For now, Ranuen... please just keep Evan safe and comfortable."
She offered the little blob a genuine look of guilt. "Please don't be mad at me. It's only a matter of time until we both know what's happened to us."
After handing Evan off to Ranuen, Swift turned back around, skated across the ice and gracefully slid into the hole in the surface, looking hardly deterred by the frigid water. She then took a deep breath and focused on her chi again, letting it flow through her body and merge with her skin. As she turned to stone, she started to sink appropriately...
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 4, 2018 18:46:52 GMT -5
Evan flinched slightly when he felt the sudden burst of heat near his other body, but quickly allowed himself to relax. When he transferred his consciousness again, he found his crystalized form still stinging in pain, particularly underneath where he and the icy surface maintained contact. Nonetheless, he was starting to loosen up ever so slightly, as the slime closest to Ranuen's flame quickly started to melt into a more gel-like viscosity. But despite the fleeting comfort he had been offered, Evan had the feeling that until they returned to the city, he still wouldn't be thawed out anytime soon. During his brief time spent in his frozen body, Evan glimpsed the silver water sinking back into the lake. By the time he switched back to his smaller blob form, Swift was handing him off to Ranuen. He had known it was coming, but he still wasn't happy about it. "Swift, you're...? I-I know you said you wanted to follow it again, but you're going underwater with it?? Beneath the ice?? H-How far are you willing to go for this?! You don't know what it wants, how deep this lake is, where it... it... how..." He quickly trailed off, unable to argue any further, let alone bring up his other complaint. Of course Evan was worried about Swift, and of course he wanted to see her personal journey come to fruition, but he was also clearly aggravated that she was diving headlong into this potentially dangerous venture whilst blatantly ignoring everyone's wellbeing. They both knew Ranuen only had so much magic to spare, and bringing up Evan's discomfort was well and truly redundant by that point. Circumstances aside, this was simply NOT the best time to do this. But why bother arguing? By virtue of Swift's stubbornness and his own pushover nature, Evan knew he would lose. With a deep sigh, he slid out of Swift's hand and into Ranuen's. He said nothing as she pleaded for forgiveness and dove into the icy waters. Once she had vanished, Evan took a deep breath and slumped. "I don't know who has worse timing... Swift, Patrick, or the universe..."CRRRAAAAAWWW!!! Even then wobbled and perked up slightly, swiveling around as he surveyed the horizon. "You hear something?" |
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Post by ColArana on May 4, 2018 20:56:40 GMT -5
The freezing cold was proving troublesome to Ranuen's efforts to safely thaw out Evan. It seemed that his slime body lost heat very easily, which meant that stopping or slowing even for a moment was going to cause him to begin to freeze up again. "Are you at least going to be able to move, at this rate?" He asked, continuing his efforts, retrieving Evan and allowing the small slime to sit near his shoulder, in absence of any pockets to store him in. At present Evan and Ranuen both would have to rely on the heat emanating from his weapon. "She'll.... be fine. Maybe she'll get some kind of ice or water powers out of this, huh?" Ranuen suggested, as he continued to heat up Evan's body.
Then Evan commented about hearing something, and Ranuen paused as well. "Hear something?" He intoned quietly. He was still heating Evan's body, but now he began to enhance his sight and hearing, scanning the area. At the same time, he strained with his ears to see if he could catch any sound. To answer your question, I think that's the universe Ranuen noted in his mind.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 5, 2018 19:19:52 GMT -5
Once her entire body had been petrified, allowing her to sink faster than she could've swam down, Swift found herself surprisingly comfortable holding her breath, more so than she ever had before. Good thing, too, because as she continued to drop down into the icy depths, it only started to occur to her then just how deep this lake really was. She had a feeling whatever awaited her down here was something few people –if anyone– had discovered. For all this trouble, it better have been worth it.
It would be. She just kept telling herself that it would be. She didn't drown last time. She could get out of this pool too.
Had her body not been turned to stone, Swift's eyes would've widened significantly as she finally neared the lake bed. In the clear blue water, as she involuntarily spun in her descent, she saw a temple. One not unlike the Stone Temple to the south. Intricate, ancient, dilapidated, mysterious... unnerving... yet strangely, simultaneously welcoming.
She had guessed it was coming, but it was still a sight to behold.
The Frost Temple...
With a simple thought, just moments before she could touch down on the floor, Swift broke her focus on her chi, allowing the energy to recede and her body to return to its natural state. She then quickly started swimming, swooping into the first door to the temple she saw, eyes peeled and breath bated. She knew what she was looking for. It was just a mater of finding it fast.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 5, 2018 19:55:18 GMT -5
As she swam inside the darkened temple, the specter appeared alongside her in a current of water, illuminating the spacious halls with his silver glow. Once he had her attention, he offered Swift a sad smile, a clear offering of encouragement and empathy. Then he opened his mouth and did a sweeping motion with his arms, in and out... in and out...
"Breathe..."
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"Yeah... Maybe..." Evan mumbled, unable to further elaborate on his concerns for Swift. He had so many emotions in that moment. So many that he had no energy to express any of them.
In that present moment, though, he found something else to be concerned about. A bird was flying by overhead. A very large bird by the looks of it. Not an odd sight in and of itself, aside from the fact that from the moment he arrived in the north mountains, Evan couldn't recall seeing any other signs of life. Then again, he spent most of the trip inside Swift's pocket, so what did he know?
Well... he knew he heard something, and it didn't look like there was anything else around to make that noise.
For the time being, Evan simply kept an eye on the bird, watching it circle them from above. No sense in making assumptions quite yet. If anything, he found himself praying he was wrong.
"Save your energy, man..." He eventually spoke up. "In this weather, even if you do thaw me out, I'll probably just freeze again. Might as well save it until we get back to- DUCK!!!"
CRRRAAAAAWWW!!!
Whatever was swooping for Ranuen, wings spread, talons outstretched, it definitely wasn't a duck.
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Post by ColArana on May 13, 2018 6:49:28 GMT -5
Swift was gone now. He couldn't help her any further. All Ranuen could do was focus on the task at hand, and keep trying to help Evan recover. He could clearly read Evan's concern but... well.... There wasn't anything they could do at the moment but wait and hope. Avenger: That's my line!
As Ranuen toiled, Evan finally told him to cool it on thawing him out. Ranuen gave an annoyed sigh. "Just because I need to keep some magic constantly flowing through me to stay at this size, doesn't mean I don't have a lot to spare. This isn't exerting a ton of energy... reall-- Duck!?" Ranuen glanced up and gave a silent curse. He didn't duck. Instead, he used his split second reaction to move firmly in front of Evan's frozen body, attempting a hewing cut at the avian creature that had just struck down at him, attempting to slash it even as its talons raked at him, for a mutual blow. Whether wildlife, or servant of the enemy... Ranuen had been placed as Evan's caretaker by Swift, and he was not going to risk the body they'd just trekked miles into this frozen waste to retrieve get picked up and taken away by this foe. He stood before Evan's body making damn sure that their attacker couldn't get anywhere near it.
Even if he literally had to take such blows with his own body.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on May 31, 2018 20:36:55 GMT -5
Swift blinked in surprise at the specter's instructions, taken aback by them for more reasons than one. First and foremost, she apprehensively did as she was told, praying this thing wasn't trying to drown her again as she released the breath she was holding and sucked in a mouthful of water. To her astonishment, she felt the water evaporate in her mouth, traveling into her lungs as pure, gaseous oxygen and coming back out as bubbles.
Okay, so... this was quite the enchantment this temple had. Certainly would've been useful at the last one, but bygones...
After taking a few seconds to marvel at her ability to breathe, Swift looked ahead as the specter led her down the underwater hallway, gracefully swimming after it. "So you can talk, huh?" she spoke up, her voice only slightly bubbly from her submerged state. "Don't suppose you can tell me who/what you are or why you're giving me these elemental powers?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on May 31, 2018 21:05:25 GMT -5
The specter looked back at Swift sadly, his expression one of borderline regret. He faced forward again with a sigh, the current sweeping it onward. "All I can tell you is that this island's heart is in great danger. It needs a protector."
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The avian creature swiped at Ranuen with its claws, taking a slash to the flank in the process. As it emitted an ear-piercing screech and swerved to avoid the blade, red dust spewed from its wound in place of blood, leaving a misty trail in the air that quickly ascended into the burgundy sky. It landed on the ice a few yards away, skidding across the surface and turning to face the swordsman.
The beast seemed to be a rust-red amalgamation of various animal parts, predominantly birds. Its body resembled that of an eagle, though its wings looked tattered and disproportionately huge, even for a creature already the side of a large dog. Its head had a vulture-like curvature with a crow's beak, as well as two sets of lopsided eyes, one beady like a bird's, one a bit more mammalian, with red irises and black pupils. In keeping with the sporadic canine attributes, its legs and bushy tail were notably doglike, albeit with raptor-like talons the size of daggers.
"Well then...!" Evan shuddered, shriveling up slightly at the sight of the bird creature. "Guess we know what happens after they pupate!"
With a shriek befitting of the unholy mutation of birds of prey it was, the chimera took to the air again, rising above Ranuen and circling around him in preparation of another strike.
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Post by ColArana on May 31, 2018 23:34:13 GMT -5
"Ghrk..." Ranuen felt the bird slash his side as he wounded it in return. Then he saw it. The red dust. You're kidding me... Ranuen threw up his free arm, creating a defensive burst of flame to try to repel the dust. Avoiding having it infect him. Then he looked at the wound he had received. "Ah hell..." He pressed his hand to his wound and a flame burned there. In Ranuen's mind it was not impossible that these creatures could infect you with their wounds, so he had to take a precaution. Even if--
"Sonnuvabitch that hurts!"
--Yeah that. Ranuen burned his own wound until it cauterized, deliberately lowering his normally high resistance to flame, but hopefully destroying any dust that had gotten near the wound. He strode forwards, keeping himself between Evan and the chimera-like beast. "The hell.... you're an ugly bugger aren't you." The creature seemed to react to this by taking to the air. "Alright, let's try this again! Now that I know what you are, you're not taking me by surprise again." These creatures were weak to fire right? Ranuen traced the creature's patterns in the air. Trying to predict its path. Then his sword ignited and he slashed upwards, launching a fireball streaking through the air, trying to anticipate the bird-chimera's circling patterns and hit it out of the sky.
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