Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

The march began, and though many remained on foot Alex did not. Her powers were used, once to grant her the wings to fly into the air, the next to give her the clarity needed to spy on the forces that remained earthbound. And that served her well. As everyone approached the mouth of the valley the cloud layer gave the dragoness plenty of opportunity to dip in and out of cover. It let her see her allies take position, all but Ria visibly ready and waiting for the first blow to be struck.

It began with Akorvick. He hovered in view, his massive body the perfect bait, and soon enough Alex could hear her enemy rising. The roars revealed the fullbloods as they rose and took their true form. One was of a similar type to Karthus, that aspect taking form as the shaman that lorded over this army bellowed the elder's name into the ether. The other was strikingly different, a serpent that undulated into the air with a majesty and grace that matched the shimmering scales covering its elongated body. For a moment Alex wondered if that was one of the rarer breeds that hailed from Amazonia, perhaps even a patron of the orc riders that rode atop their massive horses and bore a rather serpentine insignia upon their banner.

But such thoughts would have to wait. As the three massive beasts approached Akorvick turned. It would appear he was preparing to flee, but it brought the trio directly beneath the hovering halfblood and her Mate. And that was all that was needed. With the dragons in place Alex pulled her own power into herself. A flap of the wings let her begin her descent, and as she cleared the cloud she'd used to hide what emerged was the monster that had graced Therion's arena. A typical beast, one that would appear as nothing more than a jade pygmy to the red-brown elder and the aspect directly beside it, but as she fell her wings and limbs tucked close to her body. She made herself as small a profile as possible, those wings only twitching slightly to help guide her increasingly rapid descent, and as she dove like the falcons she'd seen she aimed directly for the back of the red beast.

For a moment she appeared to be doing nothing more than simply body slamming him directly, but just as she was nearing her left claw rose. It curled into a fist, her transformation letting the bony ridges of her knuckles lock together to create a massive hammer that struck out at the last second. And that was what she would become. Even as small as she was compared to her elder the strength she held and the speed she'd gained would combine to create the overwhelming force that would drive her fist into the dragon's neck. The shock of that collision would probably bounce back and leave her very bones ringing at the abuse, but it would be far worse for the creature she struck. And that was what caused her to roar. She knew her prey would suffer a grievous blow, and her pride had to make it known that she was going to conquer this beast and leave him as nothing more than a broken shell.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

Down she plummeted, a jade comet of rage and jagged protrusions, towards her mark. The red-scaled dragon had no time to react to her sudden descent, barely twisting in mid air, and Alex' destructive bony fist smashed into the back of the elder beast's neck with force that would have left a mortal creature as little more than paste. It was no mortal creature she battled now, however, but a dragon, and the bones of the great beast would not break to her whims so easily. The thud of their collision sounded clear across the valley, the barest of metallic notes added as if her transformed shield had delivered the attack in its natural from instead of as her draconic fist.

The two of them descended scores of feet, Alex roaring atop the red, but the thick beast beat its great wings furiously and Alex found herself steadily losing momentum. Slower and slower they spiraled, the beast roaring and thrashing below, and eventually she was forced to relent in her push towards the ground lest she end up thoroughly entangled with it and thus allow it to use its greater natural strength and bulk against her. It stabilized its flight as she spread her own wings and pulled apart from it, and it immediately snapped at her with its jaws, trying to catch one of her trailing legs. Snapping teeth missed handily as Alex darted upwards, too fast for the dragon to catch, and it gave a raging roar and sped after her. The great beast's tail, tipped like her brother's in a bony club covered in spikes, lashed out at her as made to rush past her, but Alex caught it upon her shield claw and bounced it aside without letting the exchange disrupt her momentum, and as it turned again and lashed out with its claws it found her quite able to dart out of the way again. The true dragon let out a roar of enraged frustration, smoke curling upwards from its nostrils as it continued to pursue her.

It was a real fight now, a melee of a most brutal variety. She was clearly faster and more deft on the wing, the winds seeming to favor her every movement and inhibit his own, but she still faced a dragon capable of committing devastating carnage if it managed to get a hold of her. Durable as it was, she would have to wear it down blow by blow until it fell, its living form unable to contain the powerful spirit contained within.

In the meantime, her allies broke into action of their own. Aescila flitted down with the grace of the swooping hawk that Alex had made to emulate with her furious downward charge, shrouded in flickers of twisting ebony and carmine to display the immense power she was exerting to protect herself. The serpentine blue dragon switched courses to meet her, roaring furiously and flame gathering in its maw, but those flames were never launched as an invisible lance of psychic power struck. The creature twisted in midair, its roar faltering as the flames it had been gathering emerged as little more than a spark, and then it began to slowly circle downwards in a jerky imitation of the graceful swimming motion it had used only moments prior. Aescila drew nearer, apparently without fear as the great beast began to descend towards the ground.

Akrovick and Karthus, in the meantime, met with a thunderous crash. Her brother had been without the element of surprise when he turned, the summoned aspect of Karthus roaring furiously after him, but as they collided the smaller dragon proved able to hold his own. He was once more in the form she had seen him in upon entering the valley, the great man-dragon of Ochre, and lashed out at the summoned shadow of a true elder furiously. Powerful as Karthus was, Akorvick's claws raked across the scales of his chest as they hovered feet apart to thrash at one another, rending through armored plating and muscle alike to send great globs of astral blood and flesh spiraling towards the earth below. Karthus lashed out in turn, claws raking across Akorvick's body, but his blows seemed to find no purchase as her older brother rolled with each strike to reduce its power and keep the deadly claws from gathering the force to rip through his scales. Indeed, Akorvick's hide proved proofed against any harm it seemed, as Karthus next struck him with a blow from his tail that shifted the smaller fighter aside but did not smash rib into organ as the elder dragon had clearly intended. Akorvick responded with a vicious blow of his own tail, colliding with one of Karthus' legs and causing bone to splinter and flesh to crumble with terrifying force. Roaring in pain and rage, Karthus opened his maw and made to close it over Akorvick's head - surely a fatal blow if it landed - but that at least her brother managed to avoid entirely as he swept back, though he quickly surged back in to resume the brutal melee that, for now, he seemed to be winning handily.

The attack had not yet begun down on the ground, though surely it would shortly. Already Ria was likely invisible, the Red Crow contingent preparing to unleash an assault of bow fire and boulders upon the orcish troops themselves to cover her before they scattered into the woods. The orcs had reacted to the ambush of the dragons as had been predicted, however, and Alex felt echoes of her own ancestral power surging below as the knights began to take wing to join the skyborn melee. There was another power there, however, a flash of brilliant gold among the rising winged creatures that began to rush towards them far more quickly than was possible under winged flight; apparently one of the orcish knights at least had powers other than those favored by his kin. The newcomers would still take some time to arrive, however, and while they ascended the shaman they had once surrounded would no doubt be an easier target for Dingroria when she finally made to kill that particular threat.

All seemed to be going well for the moment, albeit not perfectly. They were stuck in it now; there would be no retreat while the dragons still flew, leaving Alex to decide how she would ensure that her opponent no longer did so.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

The halfblood's strike was righteous, the impact resounding through the valley and showing just how deadly the impact would be to any lesser mortal unlucky to suffer her wrath. But this was a fullblood. He was far more resilient, and though he shook and fell he righted himself and turned his fury onto her. Claw and tail swiped at her, teeth following soon after in an effort to savage and obliterate the whelp that had dared to assault him, but Alex was not some simple pygmy to be conquered. She shifted. She turned. She pushed, her wings giving her the mobility to stay just outside his reach and bat his claw aside, and as she practically danced just outside his grasp she could hear as well as feel his frustration mounting by the second.

Elsewhere her brother and her Mate had their own beasts to deal with, but Alex couldn't spare them more than a passing glance to see how they fared. The dragon she faced was not some mere threat like so many other beings she had fought, and it would take all her concentration to deal with him. And to get to that end she decided to change tact. The earlier drop had been designed to strike with as much force as she could muster, the attack itself relying on her shield since it was her most effective weapon. But the dragon's hide was strong enough to absorb the hit, and it would continue to do so as the battle progressed.

So why not try getting around it? Following a twist used to keep her just outside her opponent's reach her body turned and let her drop toward him once again. But instead of colliding as she had earlier she passed right beside his body, and in doing so her right claw struck. Her talons swiped at the dragon's neck, the faint glow provided by Celestial Nail giving the slightest of hints that those talons could pass through so much armor like butter. But that same power had proven ineffective against the draconic boon that lay in Ria's armor, and this being an actual living dragon meant that he may just shrug off that attack just as she had. But one would never know unless they tried, and if her sword could pass through even some of his steely hide then it would be the deadliest weapon she held.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

Alex rose and descended again before the greater beast could follow, twisting to strike with the elongated claws that her sword had become. The glowing blades flashed brilliantly as they cut into the draconic hide, slowed by the impossibly tough scales but not stopped. Alex could plainly feel her sword's magic partially negating the protective elements of her trueblood cousin's magic, but ignoring the reinforcement didn't let it pierce the armor itself with much greater ease. Strong as its defenses were, however, Alex's enhanced might let her tear deep rents into the meat of its throat even through the wall of thick scales that tried to impede the progress of her deadly talons.

Her foe twisted in midair, roaring furiously, but as fast as it's attack was Alex was faster. She twisted out of the way of its tail, and fled backwards away from the raking claws and talons and enraged maw, always keeping just out of reach. She led it on a merry chase, but in the meantime she could only barely appreciate the chaos around her. Aes' hold seemed to falter on the dragon she had been guiding down towards the ground, not towards the orcs but well away from them or the mercenaries. It roared and launched at her, jaws opened, but the glowing angel flitted aside without any apparent issue and merely seemed annoyed by the inconvenience.

Akorvick, in the meantime, traded yet more savage blows with Karthus, the two twisted in midair as their wings beat furiously. The two began to descend steadily, globs of real blood joining the ectoplasmic variety as they tore at one another like savage beasts. Karthus' aspect began to shimmer, growing more indistinct as Akorvick's furious blows began to disrupt the conjured body's ability to contain even the fraction of his immense power that had been summoned to the battle in the skies. It was clear at least that her brother was likely to win his bout with the elder's shadow, and though Aes' situation was less certain she seemed most likely to get things back under control.

They soon wouldn't be alone in the skies, however. From below rose the knights in a squadron, rising as they beat conjured wings to bring them up into the sky to aid their draconic allies. Ahead of them, on invisible force instead of wings, rose the glowing orcish warrior, rising faster than even Alex could hope to move in the air. Only Aes was of comparable speed, and with her own dragon to subdue she was too busy to deal with him. The dozen flying warriors behind him would take longer to reach them, and it seemed likely that Alex and Akorvick would both deal with their respective opponents before they could intervene.

Chaos had erupted on the ground in the meantime. The Red Crows had launched their own ambush, unleashing boulders, trees, and a storm of arrows and bolts onto the contingent of archers. The orcs scattered into the woods to escape the deluge of fatal retribution, and there hadn't been enough time to prepare a second ambush on that side, but more than a few lay dead or dying and those behind and in front were thrown into confused disarray. The area around the back of the battle procession had been thrown into total confusion as well, but what exactly was happening there was hard to say from so high up.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Her claws struck out, each blade sinking into unyielding flesh and rending great tears in the fullblood's neck, and as she tore her talons free Alex practically danced just beyond the range of each of his strikes. For a brief moment it felt like a rather dire ballet, her brief pirouette allowing her to wound her partner while his frustration and anger felt like a physical force that seemed to lift and throw her just beyond the dragon's reach, and in that moment Alex found that she was enjoying herself. She wasn't quite sure what that actually said about her, but with claw, teeth, and tail snapping out at her she couldn't give it much thought.

But as preoccupied as she was the sight of the knights taking flight would not be ignored. Especially the one wrapped in its glow. That orc's assent far outpaced their brethren, and in only a few more seconds it would soon join the melee taking place in the skies. There were other things to note, that the other knights employed their own bit of dragonfire, that the Crows had now engaged the archers, and thought it couldn't be seen Ria must have made her attempt on the Shaman, but of all those the glowing knight stood out. It would arrive before the others. It would cut off everyone's escape. It would become the threat that might leave them crushed under an orcish heel, and that led to only one conclusion.

It would need to die.

As strong as she was now Alex felt she could deal with him, but before that she needed to kill the dragon before her. Though his neck was torn there was no telling just how injured the beast was at this point, so she figured why not tear that wound even further? She'd carved through his flesh on a down swing, and now that he was chasing her from above she beat her wings and rose. Her talons swung out once more, their tips looking to score through scale and flesh, and as they did the aimed for the very rends she had just opened. It was a flaw in his natural armor, one she could exploit, and if she could find purchase she would tear through that more delicate muscle and might even manage to strike a rather important artery or vein. That would bring this fight to a quick end, and if Akorvick did manage to dispel Karthas as it looked like he would then that would leave two empowered siblings ready to deal with the knight foolish enough to pull away from the pack.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

Alex could practically feel her full-blood cousin's fury mounting as she danced away, darting this way and that with deft movements of her wings. Blood rained from the sky; draconic blood, but not a drop of it her own as she maintained her distance and aimed her next strike at the same place she'd hit last. Her nail dug into flesh, scraped against bone, all in the search for something vital, and in that moment the dragon tried to strike. It lashed out with both claws and its jaws, not seeking to maim now but to take a hold, to keep Alex from being able to dart away. Deft as she was, trained though she'd been by the best teacher one could ask for in the art of hand to hand combat and wrestling with opponents mightier than herself, Alex knew instinctively that to let him get a firm hold would be to invite disaster. Her claw dug deeper now, pressed in by the dragon's own motions to grasp her, but his claws scraped against her limbs, grasped at any portion they could reach.

It kept her close, and she felt it a moment into their desperate entanglement; a thumping pulse. She could feel his heart, was drawing nearer and nearer as her talon dug through his neck and into his chest. He hadn't yet gained a strong hold upon her, and the nearer to that desperate beat the more he clawed at her, furious roars turning to heated gurgles as she was left splattered in blood instead of dragonfire. Immortal though dragons were, their physical bodies could be slain like those of any other creature, and Alex was so close to that final vital strike... She could feel it inches away from the deadly edge of her one massive claw as it dug through muscle and gristle, slipped down through ribs stronger than any steel forged by mortal men. They began spinning, flipping end over end as he couldn't quite hold her in place to deliver a proper counter but she couldn't quite reach her final target or disentangle herself completely. It would take his final death to free her of this tumultuous dive, and while she tumbled what happened around her was that much harder to see.

Akorvick succeeded in destroying the aspect of Karthus, the projected body exploding in a gout of heatless flame with one final enraged roar that was quickly drowned beneath that of her victorious brother. She caught glimpses of the chaos below, but not enough to know for sure what was happening. Briefly she caught a glimpse of brilliant light, a lance of pure glowing power launching itself at some being that she could not see. The glowing knight came nearer by the moment, his form shrouded in golden light as he shot up like a projectile from a cannon. He would soon join the melee, and seemed to be heading for her as she tangled with the other dragon, though she also spotted Akorvick diving to intercept. Aes was nowhere to be seen, where she'd last been blocked from sight by the bulk of the dragon with which she rolled or simply out of her line of sight.

She fell towards the orcs below, nearer to the ambush of the Red Crows than the command section at the moment, but if she still wished to try to aid Ria she would have to both kill the dragon and see that his corpse fell further towards the cliffs. It would be a difficult maneuver, especially with the ascending knight coming for her, but even if it would make her somewhat less able to maneuver to avoid attack it would likely be worth it is Dingroria was in peril.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

She could feel it. The rush of the elder's heart. The pulse of life sitting just beyond her grasp. The desperation as he tried to gain control of the situation and continued to fail. His efforts left the both of them tumbling over each other, an uncontrolled descent that kept Alex out of his grasp while her talons kept digging deeper and deeper into his flesh, and beyond everything else that happened all around one thing was certain. One more push would end it.

So she did. Alex pressed her attack even deeper, and the moment she struck the dragon's heart she would know. It would be the end of his struggles against her, and that would leave the approaching knight that she had only barely seen during her tumble through the air. She had to ignore him for now. Akorvick was on his way, his massive self rushing to try and intercept the glowing knight before he could strike, and she had to trust he would do so. She had no choice.

She had a purpose in killing this dragon, and now that the deed was done she had a purpose for his body. Her body wrenched with all its might, muscles straining and wings beating furiously to try and gain some control over the her own and the corpse's descent, and no matter what little control she managed she put everything into veering his fall so that it would land as close to the shaman as she could manage. She had no idea what exactly was happening with Ria, but that lance of light striking an unseen foe could not have been good for the oni. She had to have been noticed, and she would need all the distraction she could get if she were to survive.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

The thrashing elder bit at her again, forcing Alex to rear her draconic head back as its jaws snapped over where it had been mere moments earlier. That left them looking into each others' eyes as the wild melee reached its final moments, as Alex made that final push that thrust weight and momentum against the enchanted claw tearing its way into his body. She saw the burning rage, the fury, the stung pride in the dragon's final moments... And then saw the light leave them as its body died, the soul within undamaged as it swept free of the body. Briefly, Alex felt it around her, in the air through which she fell; a dark spectre of burning fury, but without its physical manifestation it could not affect the physical realm. It remained a moment, and then she felt it depart, fleeing away into dimensions beyond her reckoning to recover its energies. She had made an enemy there, that much was certain... But if she had bested it once, in single combat, would the elder truly elect to pursue it even when it did regain a living body?

Now was not the time to worry about. With a wrenching motion requiring every bit of strength she had, Alex sent the dragon's carcass careening down towards the melee taking place on the ground. The beam of light had come from somewhere, and with as much accuracy as she could manage in such hectic circumstances she tried to direct it towards the source. They came apart, the dragon in freefall and Alex beating her wings to allow herself to level out. That left her in an ideal position from which to observe the meeting of her brother and the glowing knight, two entirely mismatched but oddly appropriate opponents; Akorvick in his monstrous draconic form, halfway between man and monster, against the armored mortal warrior who was shrouded in a pure golden glow. Akorvick's tail lashed out as they nearly collided, trying to smash the mortal man down like a fly. The glowing power made one more difficult to strike, and a single attack was nominally the ideal method of attack... But the orc swerved, shifting past the blow in mid air with grace granted by his floating flight, and with a sudden surge of speed shot past Akorvick despite her brother's superior position.

That left him speeding towards Alex, a greatsword clutched in both hands, and as the half-dragon was trying to fight her own momentum he arrived in range to strike just in time to catch her while she was vulnerable. A twist in mid air, to bring her armored fist into his line of attack, but the blow never struck for her body. He swerved again, past her, and for a moment Alex might have thought he had simply missed in an effort avoid her defense or retaliation. Then agony shocked up her shoulder, and another beat of her wing caught momentum from one side and not the other, causing her to spin in mid air and begin to tumble wildly. She saw him above, glowing brightly, and her now severed wing fading back into immaterial as its connection to her power faded. It would not have been a crippling blow to her; the wing was not truly formed of her own flesh, but ectoplasmic matter that she fed her essence into to give it mass and shape, but the pain felt all too real for a few moments.... And instead of reforming another wing as her power should have, she felt it fading.

A glimpse inwards, not at her body but at her spirit, allowed Alex to see that the blow had sent cracks rippling across the shell of power she had conjured to empower herself. The cracks rapidly grew to rents, pieces of her power simply falling away and dissipating into the air, and a moment later she was glowing and her body was shrinking as she followed after the dragon with no means to support her presence up in the air. Seconds later Alex felt herself shift back into her normal humanoid form, her pride's empowered boon intact but the power that had allowed her to call upon the might of her ancestors was gone.... And her pride would do nothing to protect her body should she impact the rapidly approaching ground. She could feel the knight who had caused this behind her, the distance between them growing rapidly but not quite too rapidly; he was following her, and Akorvick was reorienting to chase both down in turn.

Her power was not spent, but she could feel the creeping exhaustion that came from the spending of her essence. What she had left was little, at least within herself, but she could call upon the reserves she kept within her various enchanted items to restore her energies, at least to an extent. Even so, that would leave her facing off with a dangerous opponent at nearly the height of their power, with only the help of her brother.

The moments in which she fell also offered Alex an opportunity to observe the falling of the dead dragon and the events going on down below, to a degree. The rising orcish knights tried to scatter, but the falling beast was upon them before many of them could get out of its way. Those who couldn't move in time were caught below the dragon's bulk when it hit the ground, the thunderous crash of which was audible even as far up as she was and sent men nearby scattering away from it. Almost nothing could have survived being buried under that immense bulk, but whether or not it had hit the shaman had been among those caught in its fall was unclear... Until, a moment later when she felt another call to power, a surge of energy followed shortly by a distant, agonized cry in an all too familiar voice.

Aes was now far off, the dragon she had been supposed to deal with hovering placidly below her. Both were now low to the ground, the dragon rapidly approaching the trees... But on the side opposite the ambush being enacted by the Red Crow group. The orcs were starting to turn and respond to that, proceeding into the trees to hunt their attackers, and the mercenaries would soon be scattering to avoid getting locked into combat and wiped out. The dragons had been dealt with, but the shaman had apparently escaped Dingroria and was in the process of dealing with the oni. Her Mate was at least momentarily out of the fight, and Alex was pained, low on magic, and falling rapidly towards the ground while a dangerous chased after her. The situation was growing dire, but it surely was not yet beyond salvaging if she could react quickly enough.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

She could feel it, the animosity in the elder's rage that lingered even as he passed, but in this moment he could do nothing. They both understood this, so the dragon retreated to some unknown realm while Alex was left to deal with the aftermath, and with one wrenching motion she did. She flung his body as best she could, the dead weight substantial, and as it began to fall it left her with the perfect view of the glowing knight's approach.

Akorvick was there. He rushed to meet this threat head on. They nearly collided, her brother's tail lashing out to swat the orc down like some paltry gnat, but it was for naught. A sudden burst let the knight evade Avorvick, and with a sudden charge the warrior charged toward and past the dragoness. A moment later Alex let out a pained roar, but it soon shrank down to an agonized scream that left her tumbling down to the earth much like the defeated elder.

The shock of the sudden strike gave way to realization that her enhancement had been destroyed, but once she recovered she began pulling her energy together once more. The reserves she held in her rings partially restored her spirit, enough to let her regain some of the strength that had been destroyed, and as new wings sprouted and granted her stability she shouted to her brother. "Grab him!"

The knight that struck her down glowed with immense power, but it was a power she'd seen before. Haedrin had used it, as had Magnus and Ankieseth, and more importantly so had Sir Andrast. Their battle in the arena had taught her one very important lesson concerning that enhancement: it was weak to close quarters combat. If one could close the distance and simply grab the user they couldn't put their overwhelming speed to use, and that fact let Alex defeat the knight easily. If Akorvick simply caught the orc it would leave that bastard exposed, and that would let the two siblings destroy him before they needed to turn and deal with whatever rose to face them.

But as Alex fell it also let her see the aftermath of her little toss. The sudden change in momentum must have caught the approaching knights off guard. They scrambled to rise to safety, but the vast majority utterly failed and were crushed as the dragon's body finally crashed and shook the earth. There was no telling what sort of mayhem she had caused, not until she felt a surge of power that was quickly followed by an all too familiar scream of pain. Ria was having difficulties, and the shaman was only making things worse for the oni. A quick look revealed that Aes was still dealing with her dragon, what the two were doing was completely beyond her at the moment, but even so Alex couldn't prevent herself from giving her Mate a nearly frantic mental poke. Is there anything you can do for Ria? Alex had her own problems at the moment, but if her angel could somehow help the oni survive then maybe the two siblings could come up with some strategy to pull the massive woman to safety before everyone was forced to retreat.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

As she stabilized, Alex was once more privy to the battle without being a fully active participant. The knights below continued to rise, draconic wings beating furiously to bring them higher and higher, closer to interfering in the battle that was now solely between the siblings and the glowing knight. Alex was not entirely wrong in her estimation; the particular expression of power favored speed over strength, and to deny the user the ability to use that speed was to leave them at great disadvantage, especially against one of Akorvick's immense physical power.

And so her brother rose again, to meet the knight, and this time her brother didn't try to strike but to grab. With a powerful beat from his great wings he suddenly surged upwards, both claws extended, and before the knight could put the weapon in his hands to use Akorvick had him. Her brother let out a roar of triumph setting his wings to stabilize, to let him glide while crushing the life from the puny orc who had dared to challenge a true dragonblooded in single combat. The captured knight, his expression hidden by a great helm, stared up at his doom without fear. Placing his sword upon his back, where it seemed to cling magnetically, he suddenly twisted so quickly that his motion was a glowing blur, and suddenly his legs were wrapped around one of Akorvick's arms... And then that arm began to bend, the draconic claws scraping against his armor without piercing it. Shock registered even through Akorvick's mostly inhuman features as his limb was made to bend to the will of his opponent's, drawing the knight's body closer to Akorvick's, close to his shoulder.

The two began to spin suddenly, the physics-defying nature of the knight's power allowing him to exert some control over their path, and Akorvick's wings began to beat furiously to try and stop them.... Until the knight had bent her brother's arm enough to let him reach over and grasp the crook of Akorvick's wing, keeping the limb from moving properly long enough that he could pin it. Akorvick began scraping at the orc knight a bit more fervently, but his claws found no purchase by which to drag the man back down, and the two spun more furiously by the second until they were practically a blur together. With a wrench they toppled, turning over completely to become a half-glowing, spinning projectile rocketing towards the ground... Right towards Alex.

There was no choice but to weave aside, out of the way, but glowing knight and colossal man-dragon parted just before they would have hit Alex together, leaving her dodging only her brother as he was flung in a rapidly spinning tangle of limbs straight towards the ground. The knight hovered over her, glowing imperiously as power sparked and rushed around him, and even through the helmet there was no way he could be doing anything other than grinning smugly at her. Her brother, in the meantime, was a twirling streak heading rapidly towards the ground, but he started beating his wings against the forces working on him. Unfortunately, just as he was sort of leveling out he met the two remaining winged knights, and as he recovered they simply collided with him and all three were soon gathering speed towards the ground once again. Akorvick roared in frustration, already clawing at the two, but whether or not he could take two at once... Even if she wanted to aid him, the glowing knight was above Alex, already reaching for the sword on his back, but how she would respond to her brother's failure to keep what he'd caught was up to her.

Aes, in the meantime, either didn't have a psychic link active between them or didn't have the opportunity to respond. The dragon she had been seeing down towards the ground once more snapped at her, forcing her to weave aside, but by now it was nearly skimming the tops of the trees. Whatever her Mate was trying to do, it must be to happen soon if she was to be able to help Ria before the orcs subdued her.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

No way. No fucking way. That couldn't be real. Even as she saw it Alex couldn't believe the knight managed to overpower Akorvick in a pure test of strength. And what's more the orc managed to fling her brother aside, his trajectory leading him right past her and into the arms of the pair of knights rising to meet the battle raging in the skies. It left the group of them tumbling over each other as they started falling back toward the ground, and the knight that caused it all simply sat smugly above her, an imperious air hanging around him even as he started reaching for the blade on his back.

This bastard was fast. Accurate. Nimble. And he could cut through the power that gave her flight. As much as she hated to admit it the glowing orc was stronger than her. She simply couldn't compete. Maybe if she had fought him fresh, but in this moment she was simply outclassed.

So it was time to tip the odds in her favor. With a rather contemptuous snort in the solitary knight's direction the dragoness dove with as much speed as she could muster. She sped after her brother, her wings tucked tightly even as her sword was sheathed and placed within the carrier on her shield, and once she was within reach of the mass of orcish and draconic limbs she used her free hand to grab one of the winged knights. An instant later she pulled back, her wings beating to give her more momentum while her shield sought to either press against the other knight or slip between bodies to give her a platform to push. Either way it would distract her target, and that would give Akorvick the room he needed to teach these bastards just how foolish they'd been.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

Darting down to join the tangled mass of limbs and wings that was the battle between the two orcs and Akorvick, Alex left her back exposed to the glowing knight who rapidly descended towards her in turn. The smaller half-dragon placed herself between her brother and one of the knights who had his armed pinned and their legs wrapped around one of his. Furiously beating wings buffeted at her, but Alex entered the fray anyway and pried herself between orc and dragon. Muscles tensed, every ounce of force she could exert needed to pull the knight off of Akorvick as they continued to tumble, but the effort was enough. Inch by inch the gap widened even as dizziness threatened, allowing Akorvick to wrench his arm free and leave the orc who had been holding it flailing for a grip. He promptly reached across, grasped the other orcish knight, and ripped them away to fling them aside, issuing a roar of rage as he sent them tumbling wildly through the air much like he himself had been not too long ago.

That left Alex and Akorvick up against one knight who was already partially dislodged, allowing their descent to stabilize and the spinning to stop.... But such also allowed Alex to realize that Akorvick was starting to shrink. Like Alex herself, her brother was apparently reaching the limits of his metaphysical endurance. Soon he would have to reduce the power he put into them or risk passing out in mid air, and with the melee joined his reduction in size and power would only be a further hindrance to the already problematic conflict. The longer they were up here the more danger they were in of the shaman conjuring another dragon or doing something else, and the closer the tumbling bundle of dragons got to the ground and the numerous archers and snipers waiting on it to pepper them with arrows. Draconic armor and magical hide or not, even they could only take so many before the risk of something vital being hit instead became a grim reality.

Even as they stablized, however, Alex felt the wind partially knocked from her body as something collided with them, sending the tangled mass spinning anew. The glowing orcish warrior had joined the melee, catching her around the waist from behind and trying to wrench her awake from Akorvick. His arrival gave the flailing knight the opportunity to reach out and grasp Akorvick's arm again. The other knight who had been flung away would at least take a moment to reorient themselves much as Akorvick had, but it was back to two on two, and if the glowing knight and the remaining one remained it could become three on two all too quickly. The glowing knight was pulling them towards the ground, which was growing closer by the moment, and if they ended up fighting on the ground it would be against an entire army instead of only two or three.

However Alex might respond to their situation now, the orcs were not her only concern. There were no further bursts of magic from below, but a roar of pain and frustration signaled that the oni was having troubles still. Aes, in the meantime, had seemingly had enough of playing mind games. She darted around the snapping maw of the dragon she was supposed to handle, and suddenly it was sheathed in glimmering crimson chains. It roared in frustration, but its glowing bonds moved with it, and it sunk towards the trees... Only to suddenly vanish entirely. One moment it was there, and the next it simply... Wasn't, like it had never been to begin with. There was no sound, no flash of light, no dramatic event to signal its disappearance, but Aescila seemed satisfied and so turned and started flying back towards the majority of the battle.

[Alex! Do you need help!?] Her Mate's voice echoed through the chaotic expanse of her mind, distinct from her own thoughts and crystal clear even though Alex could plainly feel the flurry of emotions running through her own Mate's head. A single ringing note of those emotions was perfectly clear to Alex, for it resonated with a part of her that had been taken from Aescila's newly fused being. It was like a sickening, worrisome nervousness that something wasn't quite right, that the acts she considered doing were somehow wrong. There were no glimpses of the future to accompany them, but one thing Alex would realize quite plainly was that her Mate's hands were still tied even though she was free of the dragon she'd been corralling. Her ability to help, especially in a violent manner, would be limited against the orcs, even those who threatened Alex directly now that the dragons were out of the way. To really cut loose as she could have from the very beginning would be to sully in full the angelic portion of her being that was already at odds with her demonic side, and if she did that it would shatter the careful balance that she had maintained up until that point that left her more like a true angel than a corrupted one.

Despite the risks, however, Alex could ask for aid or demand that she assist the oni. Even without the ability to obliterate them in any case but self defense, Aes had options besides violence that might offer them an advantage that could turn the tide that was increasingly going against them.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

...Probably. That was saying a lot for the dragoness as she struggled to maintain her position. While Akorvick did manage to toss one of the draconic knights aside the other remained, and now the glowing knight had joined the fray. Alex felt him pulling her away, pulling her back from her brother, pulling her down to the ground so the advantage of numbers would overwhelm the two siblings and leave them at the orcs' mercy. Things did not look good...

But Ria needs it more. Though there was no way to be certain the fact that the shaman still lived and that the oni had screamed in both frustration and pain meant her part in this battle was going far worse. The fact that she hadn't heard anything from the shaman during this latest exchange was even more frightening. Some form of magic should have come from him, some response to Ria's persistence. Alex personally could only think of one reason why he would cease, and if that suspicion proved true then someone was about to be consumed.

Help her. Stop that shaman. That fear growing within the warrior was fed into their link. Despite how desperate she may appear Alex was far more anxious over what might be playing out beneath her. But that wasn't all. While that one fear was crossing to Aes another followed right on its heel, one that resonated with the demon-angel's desire to simply let loose. In that instance her Mate was seriously considering allowing herself to be sullied, to lose the aspect of purity that helped keep the angel from being consumed by the demon, and if that purity was lost then she would fall. And it would be a true fall. Aes would be marked as corrupted, and the powers of Heaven would bring their wrath upon her and leave her as nothing more than a scorched husk. It would destroy her. Destroy them. Destroy everything that Alex and Aes were trying to build. It would be a travesty to everything they had done, and Alex needed Aes to understand that such was forbidden.

But even with her concern shouldered elsewhere the dragon had her own problems to deal with. One was currently wrapped around her waist and pulling. That would not do. Her shield arm raise then came down, the edge of her preferred weapon seeking to wedge itself into the crook of the knight's arm and prevent it from gaining any further purchase. In that same instant she used the rest of her body to try and disrupt the other, her efforts focused on keeping him from fighting back in hopes that Akorvick would peel him off and fling him just as he'd done to the other draconic knight. That knight had been turned into a missile aimed to knock the glowing knight out of the sky before it could engage the siblings once more, and though that effort failed Alex chalked that up to the knight's glow. The dragon knights didn't have that boon. A repeat performance should prove far more fruitful, winged knight bashing into winged knight and leaving them both a conjoined mess of armor and limbs that would hopefully crash to the ground, and if those two were preoccupied then that left the final knight facing off against the combined might of the kin of Aureus. The fool would never stand a chance.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

[On it,] Aescila replied, and though Alex felt the mental connection close she could feel through it that her Mate understood fully what was at stake. Frustrating as her inability to contribute in a more permanent sense might be, she wasn't about to risk turning the angelic court against her when her position in it was fairly tenuous at best, even with an archangel vouching for her.

That left Alex and her brother to deal with the two remaining orcish knights, the airborne wrestling match growing more unstable by the moment as they continued to lose altitude. The fight was complicated by how each of the four fighters were connected, one orc between the two dragons and the other grappling only Alex, but while she was dealing with both at once and Akorvick only one the spin of their little tangle was caused by the wild flailing of all four. Alex managed to plant herself against the knight trying to drag her away, leaving him struggling to strengthen his hold enough to put his physics-defying momentum to real use.

That left her other arm free to pin one of the orcish knight's arms, keeping her off-balance while Akorvick twisted and then reached down. His claws, even shrunken as he was forced to reduce his power output to its lowest maintainable levels, gripped her around one shoulder, and then he simply wrenched. She was dragged away, allowing him to leapfrog another arm to grasp the glowing knight 'round the waist, and with that bit of extra leverage he took aim and launched the draconically-endowed orc at their fellow as they were just barely stabilizing. The two collided, but rather than go down in a tangle of limbs as they might have expected the two spun together. One did seem to struggle, flailing and falling as they desperately tried to stabilize, but the other righted themselves with a rush of furious wing beats and reoriented themselves. They sped back towards the tangled pair, aiming to correct the notion that the glowing knight now faced two dragons alone.

The ground was getting closer now, close enough for Alex to make out a few details of the chaos going on between the ants below. Ria appeared, the enchantment on her fading as Aes found herself needing to conserve her remaining energies, and down below she was pinned beneath two orcs while two others stood by, one between her and the other. The oni at least seemed to be making headway in getting out from the tussle, moving wildly as her engorged frame thrashed against the men trying to hold her down, and it was into that mess that Aescila swept. The other nearby orcs, preoccupied with guarding against a theoretical second ambush or rushing into the woods to answer the first, had no time to react as they angel swooped down and, with a sweep of her hand and an effort of energized will, called up a layer of frigid ice that swept across the lot. Those holding Ria down were swept away a few feet, covered in a frigid prison, as were the shaman and his last guard. Aescila landed as Ria got to her feet, but any verbal exchange going on was far too distant for Alex to hear while so high up, and she would shortly have her own problems again as the knight who hadn't been sent tumbling towards the ground came in to help support their superior.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

With Alex practically muscling her way around both of the orcish knights Akorvick was given his chance. With a feat of strength that seemed to defy all reason Alex found herself swept back as her brother surged forward, the momentum pulling him closer to the glowing knight while leaving a hand free to manhandle the remaining knight with wings. This led one draconic orc to collide with the other, both now outside the mess of beating wings and grappling limbs that were the siblings and the final knight, and though one faltered and struggled to keep himself airborne the other proved to be a bit hardier. With a correction that knight was quickly heading back toward the aerial melee, and upon spying that the dragoness let out yet another derisive snort. Damned orcs don't know when to quit...

Problem was they all were losing altitude. That was a boon for the enemy, and though Alex and Akorvick could probably sit and toss the orcs into each other all day they simply didn't have the time. So time for offense. Her free hand swung out, the trajectory actually taking it low before it swept back in, and just before she would connect the gauntlet covering her fist rose. It brought her armored knuckles rushing up to collide with the underside of the knight's helm, and as she struck she kept that fist rising so that it forced the knight's head to snap back. There was no telling how well protected the orc's chin would be, the rather haphazard design of their armor left vulnerable points varying from one set to the next, but even if it was connected the shock would still ring through. It should leave the knight stunned, maybe even tear that helmet off, but if Alex was successful then Akorvick would be free to crush whoever he chose.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

With his head practically under her arm, Alex had only to tilt a bit and shift to start her looping uppercut, and while the stabilized orcish knight latched onto Akorvick's arm to try and contained him both siblings were able to launch a brutal assault upon their primary threat. Alex's fist collided with the orc's helm-covered head, the follow through lacking weight but powered by supernatural strength that just kept on going. The helm proved to have a chin guard, likely a strap to keep it affixed securely with some added plating, and the lower lip of the helmet robbed some force as Alex's gauntleted strike played out some moment too early for it to find full purchase, but the blow was still brutal. A stiffening of his neck muscles and moving with the blow was all that kept it from breaking his neck outright, and it should have scrambled his brains enough to leave him totally at their mercy... But it didn't. He held on, stubbornly, his grip refusing to give enough to grant Alex further advantage.

Even as he stubbornly clung to her side, however, Alex' brother launched his own assault. The colossal half-dragon's tail twirled and then lashed out in an overhead strike. Its mace-like head smashed against the orc knight's back, seeking to crush his spine. Between the two blows he rotated, letting out a pained grunt that became a cough, allowing Alex to feel a wet sputter against her fist as a mist of blood erupted from the breath holes on the front of his helmet. Even then, however, he simply refused stubbornly to let go, and with the other orc knight stabilizing themselves it looked like it would soon be two on three again... But if she and Akorvick could pummel the glowing knight into submission it might be enough to fully turn the tide of the aerial combat in their favor.

Down below, however, there was a flash of light and suddenly Aescila and Dingroria were deep into the woods on the opposite side from which the Red Crow ambush had come. Ria was still big, still stumbling visibly, and her Mate once more touched Alex' mind; [Ria is in bad shape, I have to help her just a little bit more before she can get away. The Shaman is alive, but he's not going to be a problem for a little while yet. Are you okay up there?]

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

...I don't think so. That seemed like an understatement. Though they'd both managed to successfully attack the glowing knight the siblings were unable to deal with him, and now the final errant knight was preparing to join the aerial melee. Three on two felt like woefully long odds for the dragons, and that could be heard in Alex's mental voice.

But we're not down yet. Even with the odds skewing in the orcs' favor the dragoness refused to give in, and once again she started to shift her weight. Following her attack her arm still remained relatively higher than the glowing knight, so she decided to use that position to her advantage. She rose, just enough to get her elbow over the orc's helm, and once she was in position she would send that elbow crashing directly into his face plate. It probably wouldn't do much, but having all the force descend straight on would be just as potentially devastating as her intended hit to the chin. Unless he managed to keep himself focused the knight she be dazed as he should have been only seconds earlier. Just try to hurry.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

[Fast as I can,] Aes replied before going silent, allowing Alex to concentrate on the wild entanglement of limbs that she had found herself entangled in. Raising her elbow to strike another blow against the glowing knight, this time against the top of his head, the draconic orcish knight came rushing back into the melee after recovering from Akorvick's latest toss. They caught Alex' arm near the shoulder and pinned it against up, pulling it backwards so that she was at full extension and tucking in close to the dragon's body from behind. Alex had a moment to feel them against her in a fairly intimate manner, enough to realize that this particular orcish knight was female, but whether or not that mattered to the now dangerously entangled half-dragon was of little consequence now that she was so badly entangled. The glowing knight grabbed one of her legs and forcibly pinned it down as well, pressing her ankle to her ass, and when Akorvick reared his tail up to strike the glowing knight with a roar of frustration the knight who had grabbed Alex from behind caught it slow, keeping it from going far enough to do more than graze its target.

Akorvick's arm was dragged behind his back by the knight on his other side, and though he let out a roar of enraged frustration the hulking dragon was unable to exert his not inconsiderable force towards committing the violence that he so clearly wished to enact. They fell further as they flailed together, descending at a barely controlled pace towards the ground as four sets of wings and one source of gravity defying power all working with no sense of unity tried to keep them from falling so fast that they would end up splattered against the ground when they reached it. They were nearly in bowshot range now, and with another few moments Alex and Akorvick might find themselves falling among the ranks of the orcs.... But before that could happen, Alex spotted the softly glowing form of her Mate taking off and ascending towards them. She was clearly running on fumes, her efforts to do whatever she had done to that dragon having clearly cost her, but on she came anyway to do whatever she could to get Alex and Akorvick out of their bind before they were entirely subdued.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)

Alex had to curse to herself. Her elbow rose, poised to knock the sense out of that stubborn glowing knight, but the last of his winged companions returned and grabbed that arm. It left Alex pinned against the knight's body, and though it let her know that this particular orc was a woman she was far more preoccupied on trying to break free. Unfortunately her brother was no help on that front, and soon enough the pair of them were basically subdued as the entire group struggled to keep themselves from falling too harshly.

But all was not lost just yet. Whatever Aes had done with Ria was now finished, and Alex spotted her Mate rising into the air and rushing to meet this clusterfuck. That meant they had a chance to break free and take control. And none too soon. Alex had noticed the ground forces pulling back a few seconds earlier, so whatever freedom she had to cause havoc in the air was quickly leaving with every passing moment. Even if Aes helped them gain the upper hand lingering was simply begging the archers to shoot at the lot of them and sort the mess once everyone had been brought down.

If they decided to linger it could prove suicidal. "Brother, we need to regroup." So that meant is was time to retreat. There was no telling how Akorvick would take that suggestion. Given the situation he should see the foolishness in trying to fight further. Besides, there was Aes to consider. If she got involved it would be the same as intervening with Ria. She stopped the shaman and his cronies, but though they were rendered completely helpless she simply couldn't let the man be crushed and shattered. It would count as interfering with a mortal race, and that would get her into all kinds of trouble with the angelic courts. And that didn't even mention the risk to her Insight. If that fell... Well, Alex simply wouldn't let it fall. That was why she started struggling for her freedom, and that was why only the barest of flames poured from her mouth. This was the ancient tongue, the language her ancestors used before they adopted the more vocal speech of the lesser races. It was the same tongue she used to call to the Black Dragon, and given how Aureus had taught it to his children it was the safest way to signal their retreat.

There was just one more thing she needed to address. Aes, I think it's time to retreat. We just need to disrupt this group so we can escape. The glowing knight may try to follow us since he's faster than everyone else, but if he does I'll deal with him until we gain some space.

Re: Vengeance or Reconciliation? (Termite)


Rolls

Akorvick merely roared in response to the harsh, guttural tongue sometimes spoken by the most ancient of dragons. A mortal throat couldn't often produce the sounds necessary to speak it, and only in an at least partially transformed state would Alex be able to utter it aloud. Her brother thrashed wildly in the grip of the orcs, gradually breaking some of the firmness of their hold, but it was clear that he was traveling beyond reason or strategy in his bid to inflict pain upon the petty mortals who had dared to think themselves able to best a dragon in combat.

Unfortunately for Alex, her own efforts to scramble free were met with somewhat less spectacular results. She felt her lover's acknowledgement of her suggested strategy, but then pain blossomed in her abdomen as the glowing knight holding tightly to her waist let an arm grasping her free, reared it back, and slammed a gauntleted fist into her stomach. The breath fled Alex as her diaphragm was forced to either contract or splinter beneath the empowered force of that savage blow, her armor and natural toughness providing only a modicum of defense against it. Her head went light as the squabble continued, but she still felt her Mate make her presence known as magic washed over the whole set of entangled dragons and orcs. But then it seemed to warp, the dark magic meant to cause crippling agony coiling around them rather than descending upon them; Aes had pulled back from the magical strike upon seeing Alex hit, the fear that it might knock the half-dragon unconscious entirely and leave her helpless in the grip of the orc causing her to hesitate.

Unfortunately, the knight suddenly released Alex' leg as he felt it too, and while her limb was now free to flail that release came too late for her to make any use of it. He turned, righting himself and coming to hover more or less at height with her as his arm cocked back again. Alex couldn't get her shield up and in the way nearly fast enough, not when the glowing orc had it pinned under his arm, and this time the blow hammered directly into her face, right on her chin. The blow spun her head as agony split her concentration, and the black tunnel of oncoming unconscious was suddenly approaching fast and hard. Vaguely, as her vision was fading and her shaken brain was shutting down to recover from the brutal hit, she felt her powers fading; her wings retracting and the assorted benefits of her Pride fading as the magics splintered. As if from a great distance, perhaps an echo from somewhere far away, Alex heard her brother roar once again, heard an anguished cry from a familiar voice, felt a phantom agony wash across her every nerve for a few moments that barely seemed to touch her in her fading state... And then blackness.


When she woke up, Alex felt a pair of dull aches immediately that instantly caused her to regret returning to the land of the living. Whatever hallucinations or dreams had played out while she was unconscious, the real pain surging through her now was too tactile to be any less unpleasant. One pain pulsed dully from her jaw, and the other seemed to come from inside of her skull while radiating outwards. Memory was slow to return, her neurons firing sluggishly as she forced them to perform their functions, but after a moment the origin of her current pain appeared; the struggle, the glowing knight, the dragons, and the sudden blow that had made it all come to an end for her. But what had happened after...

Alex opened her eyes to find herself lying in a bed. Her armor was lying on a table nearby, but she was still wearing the padding that she normally wore beneath the protective plating. Her sword and shield were lying beside the dismantled maile. It took a few moments, but eventually the fact that this was the room she and Aes had rented - and now performed several acts of debauchery in - at the inn in Ochre. Her vision swam a little as she gazed around, every movement causing her head to ache further, but it didn't take long for the dragoness to realize that she wasn't alone.

Angelle came into view first, sitting on a wicker chair that Alex didn't remember being there with her wings folded behind it. Anowyn was in her arms, the dragon-oni hybrid infant fast asleep but clutching at her older sister's hand nonetheless. Angelle herself was motionless, staring down at Anowyn with a look of miserable worry, and didn't seem to notice immediately that Alex had awoken.

Dingroria was lying on the floor, the massive woman's hands folded behind her head as she reclined. They seemed to be asleep, but it was a restless sort of sleep in which she fidgeted and started regularly. Her armor had also been removed, though she wore a simple tunic and short breaches in dark brown and green respectively rather than her padding. She wore a look of irritable discontent even in her sleep.

There were several other chairs scattered about the room, none big enough to contain the oni, and all but one of them empty. In another wicker chair sat Aescila, and her Mate looked to have wilted in the time that Alex was unconscious. She was leaning forward, wings partially spread behind her, with her elbows resting on her knees. The dark angel's eyes were sunken and hollow, their carmine glow faded to the barest of sparks. Whether that was from how diminished her essence was or her emotional state, who could say, but it was clear even at the barest of glances that her lover needed to feed, and badly, but as yet hadn't done so. She seemed to be concentrating on some point on the floor, and as such didn't notice immediately that Alex had woken up either.