Ruins of Pictone

[agentaaa]

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Cortosis grinned, as he stepped on a steaming rock, seeing the prize of a charred human corpse under him. gnawing eagerly on the corpse, he idly wondered just what chaos expected him to do here. She found it more entertaining to let him figure it out on his own most of the time, so, save if it suited her to do otherwise, she'd just teleport him somewhere and let him figure it out on his own, regardless of the purpose of the mission. In any case, he's noticed something blue and shiny near here, and since blue and shiny things are almost always of interest to cortosis, he'd taken off after it himself.
Movement nearby sparked his interest. Reapers of exitium. He'd show them for... doing whatever it is they were doing.

[Angusm3]

Hayle withdrew, "this is not your fight, you know you cannot win. My land is my land and your god cannot protect you from what is to come. This is what we are, is this how we live now? You think I'm doing this to bring your guard down, it's instinctual to you." seconds before finishing, he had drawn his pistol and fired three shots within milliseconds of each other near instantaneously toward Efah's Head, Chest and left leg.

[agentaaa]

"Your land is gone. It decayed long ago as anything possessed of life does. Given it fuels the power I command, I'd say It's more truly in my possession... a loan from Exitius, you might say." Efah retorts. Instinctively creating a shroud of shadow as soon as Hayle withdrew, remembering the gunfire from the last time he'd done such an action, he manages to dodge the bullets coming for him, staying inside the shroud of darkness.

[Angusm3]

"Screw this, have your cowardly tactics you rat. I will not give up so easily" he shouts as he fires a hail of bullets into the fog. "I'll smoke you out of your own veil"

[agentaaa]

Efah charges Hayle's side, using the shadows to cloak him as he snuck out of his own veil, As he uses a quick slash at Hayle's gun arm, aiming to break the weapon. "Ironic, coming from you, who turned and ran in Umbra." Efah replies, still expressionless, though his tone betrayed his snide comment.

[Angusm3]

"Ironic how you bring that up, yet you were the one who had to flee from us" he laughed as he drew his gun away quickly, still firing at him until the clip emptied. Then he brought his sword around in a wide swathing arc toward Efah's neck.

[agentaaa]

Efah didn't allow the weapon to finish, stabbing as soon as Hayle felt ready to pull the trigger, and through the gun. "Running? Someone has a high opinion of himself. I merely lost interest, and was certain Abaddon would be enough to finish you. Of course, you merely got past us via the sacrifice of friends and healthy doses of good luck. Fear not, Angus at least will have attained an excellent place in the afterlife, as will you, when this battle is over." Efah says, withdrawing back to a defensive stance after the stab.

[Angusm3]

Hayle holstered the gun, for good he was out of ammunition for it now. He also sheathed Elysium and drew Lifestealer and Novae. One in each clenched fist. "Nobody is dying here today, I do not want to kill you and you know you cannot possibly hope to defeat me." He also took up a defensive stance, "I can stand here all day."

[agentaaa]

"Very well, stand there as long as you wish." Efah said, walking away. "I've long lost interest in this match.". As Efah walked away, he said "You speak of your strength, and yet, I think you were stronger the first time we met. At least then, You had clear motivations to your actions. Now you're simply a wanderer, with no drive or direction, Hayle." Efah told Hayle, striding away.

[Angusm3]

"So you hinder my direction no longer?" he inquired, as he let his guard down slowly. "Thank you, this conflict has been interesting." he said as he continued striding in the direction that Efah had originally intended to block.

[agentaaa]

"There is no longer anything of interest there, after all. Skaer's writings have already been salvaged from the wreckage. His work will help me unlock my own new abilities, I'm sure." Efah said, stopping, as he created a portal made of darkness. "Perhaps we will speak at a later date."

[Angusm3]

"Skaer only had one book..." Hayle said, a quizzical expression smeared all over his face. "And he always kept it on him." he concluded
"Well, since you've lost interest, see ya 'round. Have a good time attacking random old acquaintances that you see." And with that, Hayle walked in the same direction he had been before this whole thing started.

[agentaaa]

"I am aware. that will be enough, reader." Efah said, as a small boy appeared holding what seemed to be a blue, glowing book. it glowed ethereally, and while seeming to be a facsimile of Skaer's own book, was significantly thinner. "did you make a copy of the pages I asked for?" He asked the boy, the kid having a blank expression on his face, almost seeming unconscious. "Yes, master Efah. I've made sure of it. There was no time to copy any data on his spells or the like, however. Only Erebus."

"This is all that is required. Leave with me." Efah said, commanding the boy to follow. "as for you, Hayle, I'm afraid I have better things to do than bother dueling with you at the moment. However, I will be seeing you again soon. In the meantime, I'm certain you have some other old friends to see." Efah said, snapping his fingers, as the work of Exitius' necromancers was seen in all it's horrifying glory.

Still wearing the tatters of their former lives and some even holding the tools of their previous trade, the dead that had enough pieces to still be considered corpses now suddenly stood up, moving towards Hayle. Some didn't even have a full skeleton, limping along with one leg bone, impossibly enough, capable of supporting themselves upon their shin bone. "Greet your former citizens, Hayle, duke of a town long forgotten.

[Wynn]

Within the depths of an old, dark, dank ruin, a black metal form moved. It gathered sprites of energy, slowly healing its wounds. It walked around, seeing by the light of a white orb that followed it around. It stopped and turned, sensing the presence of another. It grabbed a massive curved great sword out of the ground and scanned the darkness for the other entity.
"Ni voth dilon... ([You] are not dead...)"

[agentaaa]

Raal strode forward on his horse, investigating the ruins he found near pictone. He knew the occasional mage came around here, and that since the devestation, there was a small possibility of an undisturbed spellbook being around here - sadly, the only spellbook he'd found gave him a rather useless spell allowing him to create some sort of fruit. A banana, the book had named it, and if he hadn't been told it was a fruit, he'd have assumed otherwise given it's shaping and look. Regardless he did not, and for that matter could not obtain sustenance from food or drink, so it mattered little.

[Wynn]

Raal strode forward on his horse, investigating the ruins he found near pictone. He knew the occasional mage came around here, and that since the devestation, there was a small possibility of an undisturbed spellbook being around here - sadly, the only spellbook he'd found gave him a rather useless spell allowing him to create some sort of fruit. A banana, the book had named it, and if he hadn't been told it was a fruit, he'd have assumed otherwise given it's shaping and look. Regardless he did not, and for that matter could not obtain sustenance from food or drink, so it mattered little.

The knight deep within the ruins began its trek back up to the top of the ruins, sensing Raals presence before Raal knew someone was coming after him. It carried its great sword with one hand while holding a massive flame out for sight in the other. "Aan sizaan tafiir?... Nid... (A lost thief?... No...)" The knight picked up its pace to a jog up stairs and through dark corridors, still holding a flame that lit entire rooms before him.

[agentaaa]

Raal continued to stride forward, only finding rubble and dust as he went, his skeletal deathcharger whinnied, a mere function since it was dead, but one Raal often put to use, as, being a skeletal and magical construct itself, the deathcharger was sensitive to those with power. Scanning around with his own otherworldly senses, however, Raal could not find the creature his horse had "sniffed out.". Worried, he stopped moving for a moment and took time to remember his spells and counter-spells. A quintet of undead pulled themselves from the ground beneath him, holding weapons and armor that they seemed as capable and dexterous with as living warriors, one twirling a blade with one hand.

[Wynn]

Raal continued to stride forward, only finding rubble and dust as he went, his skeletal deathcharger whinnied, a mere function since it was dead, but one Raal often put to use, as, being a skeletal and magical construct itself, the deathcharger was sensitive to those with power. Scanning around with his own otherworldly senses, however, Raal could not find the creature his horse had "sniffed out.". Worried, he stopped moving for a moment and took time to remember his spells and counter-spells. A quintet of undead pulled themselves from the ground beneath him, holding weapons and armor that they seemed as capable and dexterous with as living warriors, one twirling a blade with one hand.

As they prepared to attack, they would vanish in a flash of fiery light. Behind the ash piles stood a surprisingly large knight. He stood at seven feet tall, towering over any normal man. It was obvious that even without the armor he would be a stocky being, with great strength no doubt. It's red cape waved in the wind created from the explosion of the fireball it must have thrown to disintegrate the undead. "Ni dilon... ([You're] not dead...)" It said in a deep, imposing voice. The imposing voice that came from the armored man seemed to echo all around them, as whispers underlined his voice.

[agentaaa]

"who are you, stranger?" Raal asked him, energy glowing from his truncheon, both the energy and the truncheon sensable as formidably powerful. "and what reason have you to trouble a death knight." Raal asked him. In truth, he really would rather not fight this knight, but, on the other hand, he was still smoldering with anger after losing to Ishmael "A mere drunkard!" Raal cursed to himself upon remembering that incident. if talking wouldn't work, Raal'd show that the skills of a death knight would no longer be taken so lightly.

[Wynn]

"who are you, stranger?" Raal asked him, energy glowing from his truncheon, both the energy and the truncheon sensable as formidably powerful. "and what reason have you to trouble a death knight." Raal asked him. In truth, he really would rather not fight this knight, but, on the other hand, he was still smoldering with anger after losing to Ishmael "A mere drunkard!" Raal cursed to himself upon remembering that incident. if talking wouldn't work, Raal'd show that the skills of a death knight would no longer be taken so lightly.

The knight stared at him for a moment, as if contemplating the man's existence. It raised it's sword and pointed it at the man. "Bovul daar daanik dein hin sos ko kopraan (Flee this doomed keep [while] your blood [is] in your body)." The being would speak in a language that Raal would not understand. Whatever it was saying, it must have been speaking in a very ancient language.

[agentaaa]

Raal's aura grew around him. "Speak in a language I can understand!" He yelled in frustration. this was all just too tiring. He'd come here to obtain more power, and yet another obstacle stood in his way instead.

[Wynn]

Raal's aura grew around him. "Speak in a language I can understand!" He yelled in frustration. this was all just too tiring. He'd come here to obtain more power, and yet another obstacle stood in his way instead.

The being's eyes suddenly burst into flame as if angered. Raal would fee the knight's presence invade his mind. His vision would darken as it began to speak again. "ZU DREH NI AAR (I DO NOT SERVE YOU!)" Despite still speaking in its own language, the presence having invaded Raal's mind somehow allowed him to understand what it was saying.

[agentaaa]

"Nor I, you." Raal replied. "For what reason do you interrupt my searching, knight?"

[Wynn]

"Nor I, you." Raal replied. "For what reason do you interrupt my searching, knight?"

The knight kept its sword raised. "Dreh ni whal paal zu, joor (Do not make an enemy of me, mortal)." the Knight replied. "Zu nir, zu nir. (My hunt is my hunt.)" It lowered its sword and stood there for a few moments. "Nahl, dilon, pah osis (Living, dead, all [the] same)."

[agentaaa]

"I hunt as well, but I find it rather difficult to move away when you are in my way - so step aside and thwart my search no longer. I've no intentions of getting in the way of your hunt, after all."

[Wynn]

"I hunt as well, but I find it rather difficult to move away when you are in my way - so step aside and thwart my search no longer. I've no intentions of getting in the way of your hunt, after all."

The being would stare for a moment, then began to speak in Raal's own language, the invading presence leaving his mind. "You talk down to something you do not understand. Blind arrogance birthed from the mind of a joor (mortal)." He spoke calmly, the voice still echoing around them, despite his voice being lowered. "You do not understand that which you meddle with. The one standing before you is merely a vessel for that which brings destruction." It paused, and began walking toward Raal.

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