In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
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Post by Suna Hoshi Walker on Dec 4, 2020 21:14:33 GMT -5
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Krampus Slayer Event[break] Mission Chain [2/5]
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All missions threads must be completed by January 31st and must have been started no later than December 31st. [mission chain link]
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[attr="class","shadowsHead"]Abominable Snowfight
After fending off the reindeers, it appears as that was only the beginning, as some more ferocious creatures have appeared. Three days after defeating the reindeers, large chunks of snow, and ice have begun to fly into the city from seemingly nowhere. The mages from the Church have erected a protective barrier to keep the town safe for the most part from the flying debris, but have made an urgent request of you to go and stop whoever or whatever is trying to harm the town and its citizens.
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]Details
Maximum Number of Players: Max 4 people
[break]Minimum Word Count: 3,000
[break]Location: Nairn
[break]Special Requirements: Must have completed Reckless Reindeer
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]NPC Information
What NPCs are in this mission? Please fill out the template for any notable NPCs. While those you have to socially interact with during the mission are not required, any enemy that is presented in the mission must be listed here.
[break]Combat Style: More intelligent than the reindeers, the yeti will summon snow forts to protect themselves from enemy attacks, and hurl snow boulders and icicles at enemies in order to fight back.
[break]Additional Information: Stats: Power - 40, Durability - 35, Sensory - 10, Stamina - 20, Control - 20
Suna wrapped her coat tighter around herself as she stepped out of the carriage. The frosty wind was biting, and she could feel it cut through all her layers and right into her bones. They had just gotten back from picking something up from Aries Garse, though it had turned out to be an adventure of its own. They had taken a carriage back, and had decided to stop by Nairn again. However, upon entering town, the elf had noticed that something was different.
"Hans," she tugged on the sleeve of the mercenary, assuming he had gotten off the carriage and was somewhere next to her. "Why is there a magical barrier around the town?"
"Things have gotten more and more strange." Suna turned around to see a middle aged lady by the side of the street, who seemed to have heard her initial question. "First it was the deers, and now there are some ferocious creatures attacking the town."
Suna raised an eyebrow. They have been gone for only a few days, but the situation has worsened? "Really? How?" Why was this winter so eventful? With Aries Garse and now here...there was no correlation between them, was there?
"There have been some snow creatures who have started attacking the town. We don’t know where they’re from, or why." The woman was shaking her head. "The mages from the Church have set the magical barrier around town, as you can see. I know the town has sent out several people to investigate what it is all about, but we haven’t heard back from them yet. Who would want to hurt us? Did the Azure Deers somehow offended or made some enemies?"
The lady was wondering out loud, but now her eyes turned towards the two mages, pleading. "If you can, please help us. We can’t safely get more supplies from the nearby towns until this problem is dealt with, and you know how hard it is to transport food in the winter. The snow and ice those creatures have been throwing are dangerous, but you two seem strong. Please...please, help us."
"We...we’ll see what we can do." Suna said hesitantly, not exactly promising her anything but still giving her some hope. As the woman nodded her thanks and scurried off, the elf turned her head towards Hans. "I know we’re both kind of tired from all that fighting in Aries Garse, but...the people here need our help, too..." Azure eyes searched for their dark counterparts, but after a few moments, a glimmer of playfulness shone from them.
Her heels rose up to a tiptoe, until her lips were barely hovering next to his mouth. "Do you..." she whispered, "Do you need me to charge you back up before we go?"
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
The couple was now returning to Nairn from Aries Garse. What was supposed to be a quick run to retrieve something from that town turned into a whole snow-filled event that the both of them were never going to forget, but in the end, they came out victorious, and Hans was able to get this mysterious item of his but wasn't ready to reveal it just yet. Now, Hans just wanted to relax with his favorite elf after such a hectic day, and judging by this peaceful carriage ride, it looks like things would go smoothly for once.
But of course....Hans was wrong.
Back in Nairn, Hans stepped out of the carriage after Suna and stretched a bit. The merc could feel the chilling bite of the cold against the exposed parts of his flesh, but it didn't do much to him...since the cold never bothered him anyway. Taking notice of how Suna was trying to keep warm, Hans was just about to wrap an arm around the sound mage to help warm her up, but then she called his name and tugged at his sleeve. "Hm?" She then pointed something out that should've been obvious to them from the beginning. "A barrier?" Hans looked up then around, and to his surprise, there is in fact some sort of magical barrier around town. Hans started to focus on his sensory and could sense the strong mana coming from this barrier. "That's...a good question."
Fortunately, they were going to get their answer. A lady who overheard the sound mage had started to speak up, claiming that there were snow creatures attacking the town now, and this barrier was summoned to keep them out of town. Just like with those deer, people were sent out to fend off these monsters....except they haven't been heard from since. Hans crossed his arms and continued to listen to the woman quietly. First Aries, and now here? Did someone piss off the spirit of yuletide or something?
Hans simply nodded in the woman's direction after Suna agreed that they would help out. As the woman left, Hans looked back over to Suna as she spoke. "This is nothing new to me." Hans said, shaking his head a bit. "I'll be alright." The merc was used to taking a lot of jobs, barely getting sleep in due to them...and also his occasional nightmares. Hans was always ready, but he was still a bit concerned about Suna...and a part of him still would not have mind to take at least a few minutes before heading out.
But then the mischievous elf leaned in close to Hans, the merc tilting his head slightly at Suna's...suggestion.
Their lips were now close, nearly brushing against each other. Even though there wasn't anyone else currently around at this spot, the couple were still out in public. Since when did Suna get so bold? Hans wondered briefly, but he was starting to get distracted by those playful blue eyes.
"Hmm, perhaps." the merc said, a small yet equally playful smirk forming on his features. "As long as I can...warm you up in return, Suna." Lips brushed against lips in a hushed tone. But the ever so small gap between the two was closed by the merc leaning in a little more until his lips pressed against her own. Not only their lips, but their bodies were pressed against each other with the dark mage's arms now wrapped around the elf's waist. The merc's eyes closed and the kiss would deepen if allowed to. Hans would start stepping forward as they continued, and if Suna were to start stepping back, she'd find herself back against a tree. Caught up in this...moment, Hans' hands would start to...explore the elf's slender features, going lower...and lower until....
CRASH
What appears to be a large ball of ice and snow came hurdling towards the town, and smashed against the magical barrier, specifically, near where Hans and Suna were....
N O T E S
Important notes here
S P E L L S
Cool spell descriptions here
WC 675 || TOTAL WC 675
TAGSSuna Hoshi Walker ITEMS Cosmic Blessing, Raven's Grasp PERKS List 'em here
As long as the elf was with the dark mage, she has never known boredom. Every time they were together, it seemed like something always happened. Some good, some not so great, but always interesting and exciting. Going from her quiet and lonesome self to this more outgoing personality had been quite the ride, and something that had been shaping her during the past year. All these changes...all because of a certain mercenary.
"Hmm, perhaps. As long as I can...warm you up in return, Suna."
Her eyes glowed at his response. A finger curled, lightly tracing the man’s jaw. It was no surprise to her when the man in question responded to her little teasing action. She knew enough by now that he would grab up on to any passing chance of kissing her. Her hands gripped onto his arms, eyes fluttering close. His lips felt so warm, and as his body enveloped her, she felt warm and safe. Being the greedy man he was, he was soon demanding more, both with his mouth and with his hands, the latter which were straying down past her waist.
Every nerve tingled, and she could feel a ripple of heat going throughout every fiber of her being. She had only meant to give him a quick and chaste brush on the lips, but apparently he did not like those half-kisses...not even he could claim a full one. He was getting so bold, and was pushing her back, until she felt her back against a tree. Tilting her head up, Suna was about to open herself up more to him when...
CRASH!
She yelped and pulled away, startled at the sudden sound of impact. Her face was ablaze with a crimson shade, even though there were no apparent onlookers...at least, she hoped. But her attention quickly shifted to the huge chunk of snow that had hit the magical barrier near them. The invisible protective covering had held, but it did not block how loud and massive it was. Definitely dangerous, if not destructive, if it had actually hit them.
"You’re a dangerous man," Suna slowly pushed him away, but she was smiling. She raised her hand to put a finger against his lips. "A dangerous distraction." But they needed to focus. That one kiss had warmed her up plenty, and now she felt some energy coming back to her. "Let’s go."
Assuming he would follow besides her, Suna would turn to go. It was only a few yards until they stepped outside the magical barrier, and immediately she could feel the difference. She ducked when she sensed a large chunk of snow being hurled their way. It crashed right above her against the barrier, and some of the snow fell on her, dusting her in a layer of white. "Ahh, it’s cold!" She shook her head and brushed off the snow from herself, shivering a little. The forest elf was no seafer, nor was she a winter person.
"Who threw that?" She asked. As soon as the question was voiced, the answer soon presented itself. The ground rumbled, and Suna clenched onto Hans’ arm. "What was that?" Through the light snowfall, there was a dark outline of a giant creature. Her eyes widened as they beheld something right out of story tales and myths.
"A yeti?" She squeaked, both in wonder and in surprise. "A real live yeti?" The snow monster was ambling towards them, and she contemplated running back into the protection of the town. But then she remembered that this was why they were out here.
The yeti had bent over to make a boulder of snow, and with a loud roar, chucked it towards the two mages. This time, the elf ran to the side, and hoped that the mercenary had also escaped from the snowball. To her dismay, she looked up to see yet another one of those giants. Where in the world did these yetis come from? Likely not from their world. She wondered why those creatures have not bothered to attack the town directly. Perhaps the magical force field from those church mages were strong enough to keep them from entering?
Tremolo. As the two attackers approached them, the elf quickly let her aura flow from her outstretched hand and towards the closest enemy. The blue mana formed into a semi-translucent dome around it, attempting to slow it down if the cast was successful. She could see the yeti caught inside her spell slow down, as if momentarily surprised. But then it was her turn to be surprised, when the snow monster roared and formed his own snow form all around itself, as if protecting itself from attacks. These yetis were definitely stronger than those deers. Much smarter, too.
Suna bit down her bottom lip, but let her sound magic unleash anyways. The sound waves bounced within the dome, slowly tearing down the snow fort that the yeti had erected. Suddenly, out of the snow fort and her aura dome, a few sharp icicles came flying out. Suna ducked and dodged, barely avoiding those deadly ice shards. Gritting her teeth, she intensified her sound magic, willing it to bounce faster and strip down the snow fort quicker so she could target the enemy itself. A loud roar from within the dome told her that her magic had hit the yeti now. Whatever caught in the spell was not only attacked by all those ricocheting sound waves, but also slowed.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Hans presumably fighting his own battle against the other yeti. However, she blinked fiercely, willing herself not to get distracted with worry about the mercenary. Her gigantic furry enemy was struggling to get out, but she was not going to let it win, not even if it was hurling all those icicles at her. It roared in fury and tried to stomp its way out, making the ground shake, but the sound mage only focused and intensified her attacks.
She must not get distracted. She must not.
NOTES & STUFF
Battle: Dealt INT + JR (from Tightly Bound) to one SR health yeti, it's not dead yet
- Cast Tremolo, -20 mana - Quick Charger & IC Regen, +30 mana
Elemental Type: Sound & Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation & Restraining Range & Speed: 20m | 20 m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator, Tightly Bound Description: Suna shapes her aura to form a 20m circular dome in a specified area and releases her sound magic within it. As her sound ricochets within the confined area, those caught in the spell will suffer intermediate damage by the bouncing sound waves and will have their speed debuffed by -5 m/s, while she is buffed by +4 Power. This AoE spell may follow the specified target. Restraining magic naturally cuts its targets’ allotted spell usages by half. Following ammo rules, she may form another dome for every 30 Control she has, as long as the spell is sustained.
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
One moment, Hans was nearly giving in to his primal urges, and the next he found himself suddenly pulling away as well at the sound of that loud crash! The merc looked over to the barrier and saw the snow that was sliding off of it. Judging by the angle, that attack would no doubt have struck the both of them. This was a nice little wake-up call that they still had a job to do. "Hm?" Suna had just called her merc a "dangerous man". He turned to face the smiling woman again as she pushed him back a little, but before he could say a word, the sound mage placed a finger against his lips. A "dangerous distraction" she ended up adding in.
The man smirked, chuckling lightly. "Guess I just can't keep my hands off of you." Or lips...
Hans was always someone who remained focus and kept his head clear...until he met Suna. Now he found himself losing that focus from time to time...not that he minded that much in some instances...but it could make things dangerous. If it weren't for that barrier, the couple would most definitely have taken some serious damage, not being able to react in time. Hans needed to find that perfect blend. He needed to regain that lost focus of his, but also still have time for his elf. "Right." But for now...they had a job to do.
At the elf's side, the merc followed her all the way out of the barrier and started to notice the snow that was coming down. Hans looked up at the cloudy sky and rose his palm up a bit to catch some snowflakes. Lowering his hand, the dark mage looked down at the bit of snow he collected and then looked back at the protected town. He didn't recall any snow falling while he was in there. "A strong defensive spell..." the man muttered, admiring the strength of that spell a bit. Hans' defense spells are nothing to scoff at either and definitely surpasses his offensive ones in strength. But his defense spells still have room to grow, and it's something he plans on working harder on, especially since he has people he wants to protect now....the most important one walking right next to him right now.
The merc's attention was brought back forward, however, as he also sensed something heading their way with his mana! Looking up, Hans saw another one of those large chunks of snow heading their way and the dark mage jumped out of the way, in the opposite direction of Suna. Some of the snow landed on him as well, but unlike the sound mage, Hans didn't seem all that bothered by it. "Guess I didn't warm you up enough." he added, teasing her a bit. He then brushed some of the snow off himself and went over to Suna before a loud rumble pulled his attention away from her! As his arm was clenched, Hans only looked forward, scanning the mana signatures that were coming their way. "Don't know...but they're getting closer." Hans added as not one, but two silhouettes came into view, and as they got closer...they were finally in full view.
Two creatures spoken of in legends.....Yetis...
"But...how?" Hans furrowed his eyes at the creatures. Suna seemed a little excited to see them, but this only made Hans more suspicious. "Wait..." But then he realized something. "Their mana..." It's just like what was coming off of those mutated deer, but Hans couldn't further elaborate on it since the creatures were now heading the couple's way, one going after each!
Using ice magic, the yeti that went after Hans summoned multiple ice formed spikes, and chucked them all at the dark mage! "Black Hole!" With his grimoire floating out, Hans faced his palm towards the incoming attack and summoned a black hole which effortlessly absorbed all of the ice spikes. With a gesture of his hand, the merc moved the black hole to the side and unsheathed his greatsword. Hans was now on the offensive and attempted to strike the yeti with an upward slash, but it conjured up a snow wall just in time to save itself. The wall was easily sliced in half but before Hans could try attacking again, the yeti thought fast and grabbed Hans by the wrist, and smacked the sword out of the dark mage's hand, sending it flying away from him! "Shit..." Taking advantage of this, the yeti struck Hans in the face with a snow-coated fist, sending the man flying back onto the ground! "Ngh..." Hans managed to sit up while rubbing his head slowly. These yeti may share similar mana with those deer...but they were far more smarter than them.
The yeti roared and tried rushing at Hans now while he was still down. The creature attempted to step on the merc until...."Corvi Armis." An armor crafted of darkness formed around the man's body with a veil of darkness surrounding it, almost appearing like the feathers of a raven. The yeti's foot came down on Hans, but the armor protected him just in time! Hans then grabbed onto his foe's foot and pushed him off, causing the creature to nearly fall back but it managed to catch himself. The merc quickly rolled back onto his feet, and the yeti tried swinging at him, but Hans deflected the punch with his arm before sneaking a jab into the stomach, making the creature back up and groan before Hans delivered another punch to it! With the yeti now holding its stomach in a bit of pain, Hans' grimoire flipped to another page and darkness was now coating one of his arms. "Chaos Slash." the armored merc swung his dark-coated arm horizontally at the yeti's chest. Hans treated his arm as if it were a sword, and with the magic that was briefly surrounding it...it ended up almost cutting like one as well.
The strike not only left the yeti with a little cut on its chest, but it also sent it flying back some! The yeti groaned once and while holding a hand to its chest now, and managed to keep on its feet despite that! The yeti was now eyeing Hans angrily and the merc looked back at it in return, his emotions, and expressions unreadable under that armored helmet of his....
After landing on the correct page, the user creates a black hole that is fourty meters in size which floats idly beside them and can be controlled up to fifty meters around them. Other spells of the same rank or lower that come into contact with the black hole will be absorbed so long as the user has +5 Durability over the opposing spell. This spell still follows the Defense Creation health and spell clashing rules. An additional black hole can be formed if the user has the required control. (Spell gains +5 Durability)
Using their grimoire, the user forms an armor of darkness around themselves and/or others for defensive purposes. Through the dark feathery smoke surrounding the armor, the user can pull out a sword crafted from darkness for him or for others to use. The sword can be wielded like an ordinary weapon by anyone, but only the conjurer is capable of controlling them with their mana. The amount of armor and swords that can be summoned follows the ammo rules (Defense Buff will decrease to +6 Durability if more than one armor is summoned) (Spell gains +5 Durability)
Name of Spell: Darkness Magic: Chaos Slash Elemental Type: Dark Rank & Spell Type: Junior - Attack Creation Range & Speed: Melee - 10 m/s Mana Cost: 10 (Initial) - 5 (Sustain) Stats Effected: +4 Power (Battle Knight) Applicable Perks: Battle Knight, Quick Shot Description: As the user's grimoire flips to the page of the spell, the blade of the user's sword (or their arm if no weapon is used) with be wrapped in a pitch black aura. The user will then perform a vertical or horizontal slash, striking their target with darkness, dealing some minor cuts and bruises, knocking them back two meters while tearing through flimsy objects/structures or leaving minor cracks on stronger ones. Knock back increases by five meters for every ten power the user gains.
That man. Such cheekiness, but she did not mind it. Not when it was coming from him. Suna would have responded, if the enemies had not advanced upon them. The mercenary saw them as well, and she concentrated on fighting the yeti that was coming after her. She could have just stayed behind the mercenary, but she could not let him do all the work by himself. She had her fight to fight, too. The last thing she wanted was to be a liability to him, or to slow him down.
Pure aura swirled around the elf, her blue eyes glowing with magic. Tremolo was barely keeping it restrained, and she had to be careful for its icicle attacks as well. Its mana had felt strange...strangely similar to those mutated deers. Were they somehow connected? She did not want to hurt such a rare mythical creature, but since it has been aggressive towards Nairn and its inhabitants, there was no choice. It was not like she could try to reason with it and ask why it was attacking the town. She could only fight and hope it did not cause any more damages to the town.
Snow was whipping all around her, both from the force of her spell and from the snowfall. The white flakes seemed to be falling faster and thicker, and the temperature seemed to be dropping even lower than ever. She shivered, but her mind was steady. Her spell was holding, and the bouncing sound waves were doing its job. Through the semi-transparent dome, she could see the yeti erecting its snow fort around itself, but then to be torn down again by her sound magic. It may be imprisoned, but it could still fight back. With a loud and furious roar, and it launched out a few more icicles at the blue-haired mage.
Suna dodged, but one icicle still caught her on her side. It would have hurt, if she was not so cold and if she had not felt a sharper cut before. A cut from an enemy was nothing. A cut from her mentor...now that had hurt, even though it was for training. With a cry, Suna released one final wave of sound magic. The force of that intense wave was almost enough to destroy her own aura dome. Almost. It was a few more moments of her attacks before the yeti finally stopped moving. The cold had immediately numbed the pain by her side, and she barely felt it.
As she waved her aura dome away, she could see the snow monster down on its side, not moving. Frost was already starting to form on its shaggy hide, and she could now fully see her attacker in its full and giant form. "I’m sorry." She whispered, as the body glowed and faded away in a flurry of mana. She watched it disappear with a sigh. A passing breath, a life too soon cut short...that is, if only it was its own life.
Only then did she hear the intense battle going on with Hans and the other yeti. Her head shot towards his direction, and was confused when she saw him fighting with his bare fists. Where was his sword? She looked around, and saw that it was near her. It must have been knocked out of his reach. But then she saw the monster unleash its attacks upon the mercenary, and in horror, saw the foot come down on the man.
"Hans!" She screamed, but the man had cast a defensive spell around himself just in time, saving himself from further harm. Thank goodness. Scrambling closer, the elf quickly hummed a certain pitch for her harp, and immediately drew out a soft and plaintive melody for A Tempo. While her sound magic enveloped Hans and attempted to heal him of any injuries he might have taken, the force of her spell would also knock the yeti back a good distance...as well as the mercenary’s greatsword back towards him.
Furthermore, she also started shaping her aura for her Crescendo ring. If Hans would allow it, he would see the ring around one of his fingers. He had seen it often enough in battle and had even used it before, so he would know what it could do, if he chose to use its special effect.
The injury by her side was also starting to heal, but Suna took no notice of it. She only focused on keeping the aura ring and her healing in effect. If the mercenary moved towards the yeti, so would she, just to keep the healing going on the both of them. But for now, she would not knock the yeti back again, not unless she needed to. The elf had quickly switched from attacking the enemy to supporting a fellow comrade. And honestly? She enjoyed doing the latter much more than the former.
NOTES & STUFF
Battle: Took INT damage, killed the yeti, currently INT healing herself and Hans, and buffing Hans
- Sustained Tremolo, -10 mana - Cast A Tempo, -20 mana - Cast Crescendo, -20 mana - Quick Charger & IC Regen, +30 mana
Elemental Type: Sound & Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation & Restraining Range & Speed: 20m | 20 m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator, Tightly Bound Description: Suna shapes her aura to form a 20m circular dome in a specified area and releases her sound magic within it. As her sound ricochets within the confined area, those caught in the spell will suffer intermediate damage by the bouncing sound waves and will have their speed debuffed by -5 m/s, while she is buffed by +4 Power. This AoE spell may follow the specified target. Restraining magic naturally cuts its targets’ allotted spell usages by half. Following ammo rules, she may form another dome for every 30 Control she has, as long as the spell is sustained.
Elemental Type: Sound Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Healing Range & Speed: 20m | 20 m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: Cleanses allies, knocks back enemies Applicable Perks: Archangel’s Blessing Description: Suna plays a soothing melody on her instrument, enveloping her target(s) with her sound magic in a circular area. Upon contact, her healing spell will attempt to cleanse target(s) of any debuffs, hexes, curses, poisons, or venom. Archangel’s Blessing allows healing on multiple targets without dropping in potency. At the same time, the force of her spell causes enemies to be knocked back by 4 meters. For every 10 Power she has, the knock back range will be increased by 5 meters. Following ammo rules, for every 10 Control she has, she may knock back enemies another time, as long as the spell is sustained.
Elemental Type: Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40m | 20 m/s Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator Description: Suna shapes her pure aura into a silver topaz-set ring that may be worn by herself or the target of choice, increasing the wearer's power stat by +4. If the ring is thrown at an enemy, it will burst in a singular aura explosion and deal intermediate damage to its target. Additional targets are buffed with +2 Power. Apex Predator gives an additional +3 Power stack-able buff caps after 5 attacks or +15. Buffed allies must stay within the spell's range, otherwise the ring will dissipate.
"When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back."
A staredown was currently happening between the armored merc and fierce yeti. The monster made a low growl that could be barely heard due to the increasing snowstorm while Hans remained silent, waiting for the creature to make its move. Unlike the deer that the couple previously encountered, the yeti was smart and did not just blindly rush in. Instead, the beast roared before balling its hands into fists which were now glowing an icy blue! More ice spikes formed around the creature and with a gesture of its hand, it sent them flying at the dark mage....but he simply stood his ground and took the attack. A reckless thing to do but at this point, Hans was aware of how superior his defenses are to this creature's attacks.
The ice spikes broke into pieces once they collided with the dark armor, but that didn't stop the yeti from trying! Getting frustrated, the monster conjured up a giant snowball and chucked it at Hans! The merc could've used the black hole spell he still has lingering...but the merc got a bit cocky, and assumed the snowball would do nothing as well. It hit him, and it did not damage as he predicted...but it still had enough force behind it to knock Hans on his back which he did not put into consideration. "Dammit..." Hans muttered as he started to sit back up. The yeti was now in full charge, however, taking advantage of this to try a more up close strike!
But it was suddenly sent flying back...
Hans watched as the yeti was sent flying, at first not sure what just happened, but then he felt that familiar soothing aura surrounding him. Turning his armored head, Hans looked up see Suna using one of her healing spells. The merc smiled a little under his helmet, but knowing that she wouldn't see it, he went with a little nod instead before getting back to his feet. "Thanks." The merc didn't need to worry, especially when he has her watching his back. Then a roar had burst through the air. Quickly Hans turned his attention back forward and the yeti had returned, angrier than before. The dark mage was about to step forward and he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Looking down, the man saw his sword right there at his feet, most likely having got here from that little knockback. He was definitely lucky to have someone like her by his side....
The merc was now about to pick up his sword...but the yeti took notice of this and used one of its snow spells to launch the blade into the air which Hans was able to barely dodge. The poor sword fell into a tree close by, shaking it up a bit, but unfortunately, it remained up there. So close...but that yeti knew what it was doing which was made more clear by the beastly smirk it made. Hans could easily just use one of his stronger spells to finish this yeti off but oddly....Hans was starting to respect this monster. "You're smart..." Hans said, his tone having a slight metallic echo from the armor. He then noticed the ring that appeared on his finger and looked back at Suna again. It was then that Hans noticed that the other yeti was nowhere to be found. Did she really take care of her opponent that fast!? "Guessing you didn't want to savor your battle." the merc commented in a bit of jest. He was aware that Suna isn't a big fan of fighting and killing, so that's probably why. Secretly...Hans was enjoying the brief hand to hand combat he had with the yeti, and on top of how intelligent it is, it made things all the more clear. Hans wanted to give this yeti a proper battle, go a few rounds with it.
The yeti was now charging at Hans, and the merc did the same! Once close enough, Hans used his momentum to drive his knee into the monster's stomach(1/2 Jr) before it could strike and it hunched over in pain from the impact. Hans then swung his right fist, hitting(1/2 Jr) the yeti in its face with enough force to draw blood...which was blue and quickly froze to ice. Not expecting that, Hans momentarily let his guard down which was enough for the monster to retaliate by clasping its hands together and swinging them upwards, striking Hans against his chin which sent him flying back a bit which only just rattled the man. Hans tried to get back up, but the yeti wasn't going to allow this and started to fire mini icicles from its mouth made through a combination of its blood and his ice magic! The barrage was coming in so fast and heavy that it was almost impossible for Hans to get up! Fortunately, he still has enough room to move one of his arms and used it to slowly move his black hole spell in front of him where it started to absorb the incoming icicles. With eyes widened in surprise, the yeti tried harder with the attack, walking closer as he did so, but it was pointless.
Taking this opportunity, Hans kicked(1/2 Jr) the yeti right off its feet, and the merc immediately rolled back before the creature fell face first from the strike, not wanting to get crushed under its body! Getting back to his feet, Hans was about to bring his armored foot down onto the back of the yeti's head but it managed to bring up a defensive snow barrier around it, blocking what would've been Hans' final strike. The yeti roared and as it did, its snow barrier launched upwards, sending Hans flying back a little as a result but he was able to stay on his feet this time.
Now the yeti was starting to get fed up with Hans and used its ice magic to summon icicles around the merc, but at this point, it should know that this won't work. The yeti was just so angry and wanted to hurt someone.
Then a small family was making their way over....A man, woman, and their son were on their way back to their home in town, unaware of the barrier or the monster attacks. With all this snow they could not see what they were about to walk into...until they saw the huge silhouette. The family froze in fear at the yeti who managed to catch its eyes. It may not be able to hurt Hans or Suna...but it can certainly end this family. Hans caught on quickly to this and rose his brows. "Get out of here!" Hans yelled out but the yeti was already switching its icicles to the family. They were all too scared to move, the boy in his mother's arms while the father stood in front of them. Hans needed to think fast...and his eyes set on the ring he still had on. Hans wanted this battle to last a little more...but not when the safety of others was at risk.
Knowing what this spell of Suna's is capable of, Hans slipped the ring off of his finger and threw it at the yeti's back. As it made impact, the ring exploded leaving a huge bloody and bruised mark! The monster made its final, painful roar before it fell over, a small groan escaping its mouth before taking its final breath...then fading away into the snow. Hans was breathing heavily then sighed in relief at the close call. With the yeti gone, the icicles dissolved and the family was free, all hugging each other happily. T-thank you!" the father said to the mage couple. "Head back to town." The armored merc said as he gave a nod. The family did as he said and ran off. Once they were gone from view, Hans looked back over to Suna as his armor faded into a cloud of darkness, a relieved smile on his face....but it didn't last for long. "My sword!" Hans just realized and ran over to the tree he remembered it landed at. Looking up, Hans was fortunate enough to see that his sword was still intact, and close enough that he didn't need to climb up there to get it.
After getting his sword, Hans inspected it a little more before sliding it back into its sheathe. He then walked over to where Suna was and took a look at some of the blue blood that was left behind on the snowy ground. "Those...yeti. Did you feel their mana?" He asked before looking back at her. "It was like those deer from a few days ago..." There is no doubt that there is something going on around this town...
Something evil was stirring up this Yuletide....But who...or what is responsible?
With all that was going on, Suna barely heard the word of thanks from the mercenary. She only nodded vaguely and continued sustaining her healing spell. There would be time for that later. What they needed to do now was to defeat this yeti. Her hands were still drawing out a slow and beautiful melody from her harp. She coaxed out her healing magic to make everything go A Tempo, to restore the two mages’ body conditions back to how they started in the beginning.
She watched as Hans stooped down to grab his greatsword, but only to have the yeti chuck a snowball at him and knock it far away. Oh, this one was smart, like it actually had a brain. Were the yetis destroying the town by their own accord, or were they under someone else’s influence? She would think it was the latter option, because yetis by nature should be solitary creatures, according to the myths and legends she has read. Some had described it as a man-bear, while others say it is a wild man. Either way, the common theme was that they all lived and survived in snowy regions. As for her, this was the first time she has ever seen one in the flesh, definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity.
But if it was true that they were under some type of power, then she felt nothing but pity for these creatures. They were, after all, just beasts who are somehow possessed or motivated to destruction, and for them to specifically target this town. There must be some meaning behind it. No creatures would just randomly attack a town for no good reason, unless...Nairn has previous bad blood with these yetis that she did not know up. All these ideas whirled around in the elf’s mind, but one thing was certain: they would have to find out who is the mastermind behind all this and properly deal with it. As soon as possible, before they destroy more of the town and hurt innocent lives.
Suna focused her attention back on the fight, healing the dark mage but not doing anything else. Besides her Crescendo ring on his finger, she did not move to do more. This was his fight, after all. But she was glad to see that he was properly covered with his armor this time.
"Guessing you didn't want to savor your battle."
"And miss out on watching you fight?" She shook her head, blue hair flying. "Thank goodness I didn’t miss the show." A little part of her still balked at fighting, despite all the training and experiences she has had in the recent months. It was probably one thing she would never be able to completely let go of, her hesitance to raise a weapon against something. If there was a chance that a situation could be talked out without fighting or bloodshed, she would always prefer to go that route.
Of course, if someone from her side was being hurt from an enemy, she would have no qualms on defending her allies and loved ones. Defending one’s own was one thing. Fighting for a just cause was another. But as for unnecessary killing, she did not see nor understand the point in it, and fervently hoped she would never get used to killing. Ever.
But now she watched as Hans charged towards the yeti, who was doing the same thing. Two strong headed individuals rushed at each other, and snow was flying everywhere. Her man landed two punches on the yeti before it retaliated and knocked him back. Suna bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out his name. She would only be a distraction if she did that, so instead, she focused on intensifying and concentrating her healing magic on the man.
The yeti was fighting back with his icicles, and this time they were firing from its mouth. She had been so caught up with finishing off her yeti, she did not see how it fired its icicles. Not only were they smarter than the deers, these yetis had the wits to know when to attack and when to defend. Very interesting. After all this, she would have to do a bit more research about these legendary beings.
Hans seemed to have absorbed most of those sharp icicles, but he was not out of danger yet. With the snow fort the yeti erected, the mercenary was again sent back flying. She could see and hear how frustrated and angry the snow monster was, with all its wild attacks and loud roars. Those roars can definitely be heard in Nairn, she was sure. At least, that was what she thought. Until she saw a small family walking towards them, seemingly unaware of everything that was going on.
"Get out!" She screamed at the innocent bystanders. She was running now, but then tripped over her own feet in her attempt to get closer to the trio and help them. She landed face down on the snow, and spitting the cold wet sleet from her mouth, quickly scrambled to get up. Was it too late? Were they going to get hurt by the yeti?
There was an aura blast, and Suna did not need to look to know what had happened. The yeti’s final roar shook the air before it fell down into the snow, finally dead. She wiped her face with her arm, getting the last of the snow off her face. She was just relieved that no innocent civilians got hurt. The father was thanking Hans, and she nodded in agreement when the latter told them to go into town, where they would be safe and well protected.
As Hans ran off to grab his sword, she waved off the last of her healing spell, retracting all her sound magic back into her. For now, it seemed like the town was free from imminent danger. She was also glad she got to see her man fight like...well, a man.
"Good job." She brushed off more of the snow that she had gotten from her clumsy fall. "Yes, their mana also felt off." She paused, frowning a little before brightening back up. "Let’s go to the church. I’d guess that the mages there would know something more about all these strange happenings..."
Little did they know how short their respite was going to be.
- fine - (for now)
NOTES & STUFF
Battle: Just healing and watching her man fight. To be continued~
- Sustained A Tempo, -10 mana - Sustained Crescendo, -10 mana - Quick Charger & IC Regen, +30 mana
Elemental Type: Sound Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Healing Range & Speed: 20m | 20 m/s (AoE) Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: Cleanses allies, knocks back enemies Applicable Perks: Archangel’s Blessing Description: Suna plays a soothing melody on her instrument, enveloping her target(s) with her sound magic in a circular area. Upon contact, her healing spell will attempt to cleanse target(s) of any debuffs, hexes, curses, poisons, or venom. Archangel’s Blessing allows healing on multiple targets without dropping in potency. At the same time, the force of her spell causes enemies to be knocked back by 4 meters. For every 10 Power she has, the knock back range will be increased by 5 meters. Following ammo rules, for every 10 Control she has, she may knock back enemies another time, as long as the spell is sustained.
Elemental Type: Pure Aura Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate | Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40m | 20 m/s Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 Power Applicable Perks: Apex Predator Description: Suna shapes her pure aura into a silver topaz-set ring that may be worn by herself or the target of choice, increasing the wearer's power stat by +4. If the ring is thrown at an enemy, it will burst in a singular aura explosion and deal intermediate damage to its target. Additional targets are buffed with +2 Power. Apex Predator gives an additional +3 Power stack-able buff caps after 5 attacks or +15. Buffed allies must stay within the spell's range, otherwise the ring will dissipate.