The Price of Trust

[Remus]

--   Far north of the Lycian Divide--

Crystalline flakes of frigid liquid droplets cascaded downwards from the heavens above. The winds bit with a brutal chill that was almost as harsh as the environment it filled with winters breath. A steady blanket of white covered the ground in almost every direction, small patches of deadened iced over mud visible at raised elevations. Amidst the slowly growing dune like drifts of snow however, stood one man clad in entirely dark. With hair as white as the snow he stood atop, and heavy violet and black robes wound upon his person, he gazed down with cruel amber hued eyes; a sly grin upon his face even while he slowly looked to his prize.

A group of humans bound together, mouths gagged and their bodies mostly slack; sitting with their backs to each-other. Six people. Citizens of a small town that'd been trying to scrounge a survival within the mountains of the north. The man's gaze idled on them for but a moment sooner before he lifted one hand, palm facing the sky as the hissing of magic sparked to life within his grip. Though his grim appearance would have made most believe he was skilled in the magics of the void, the brilliant radiant light shining vibrantly from his curled fingers was able to prove otherwise. The energy twisted and burned with pulsating lights before he snapped his wrist and flung it into the sky above the hapless citizens.  A burning brand within the fabrics of reality, it reverberated into the aether itself as he called upon it's power to suspend and permeate such radiance. Its light cast upon the helpless souls around it as it hovered a few feet higher than their inclined heads. A sinister tone murmured into the silence as a villainous monotone began.

"Excellent..first comes light..and then...darkness..."

The man lifted his other hand, clutching into the air as he turned his foul intent upon the woven veil of reality once more. A tremendous pressure began to stifle the air around him while he drank in the intoxicating essence of the nether. Murky black wisps of magic blossomed from the ground around him and began to squirm like sentient tendrils of a probing monstrous cosmic horror; curling around his figure upwards as the shadows began to swirl and gather within his hand. His communion began, as he drew upon the presence of the great tainted void. He could feel it. The rousing of the villagers. In their dreary states, the mounting dread of confusion. Soon..it would turn to fear. Then they would see the light, and plead to it. Hope. They would call forth that which he hoped to ensnare. He would have to act quickly.

The foul summoner kept both magics maintained before slowly calling upon almost every ounce of magical prowess available to him. The tendrils began to form black links, before straightening and lashing forwards. As they climbed, he lifted his palm and swept it in an arc, rending the veil between their world and the nether itself. Calling upon it, he summoned a spirit of the nether to his side. The chains dove into the portal, before running tight and jingling loudly. They began to pull against the opening to the void, dragging something of palpable mass from the interior plain, to the physical one. 

How it struggled! Such powerful fiends, these spirits...yet he persisted. It trashed and flailed, but he would not be denied. The powerful voidsent retracted from the opening in the winter air slowly, body of smoke like magic barely obscuring the solid figure that looked to resemble darkness given form. By this point, the citizens had started to rouse enough that they were entirely horrified. Indeed, they looked to the light above them with expressions of panic, and of terror. A unified pleading attempting to bring them salvation in this moment of helplessness.

A cackling laughter of mad glee filled the air, for as the chains fully retracted the void spirit, He could feel the arrival of his second half. The magics of the aether were perhaps the least subtle to recognize. From the shadows, even the smallest light could illuminate all. That small orb. That single portal like sphere, began to expand. It's burning light casting away all darkness while it took a physical form. A burning pillar of light blasted down before the citizens, roaring with the burning bright white inferno, boisterously announcing the "luminous" one's presence.

Steam idly drifted upwards from around the location where the pillar of light had burnt the freshly laid snow into non-existence. Atop the newly revealed grass, a figure clad in pale robes. Snowy white wings extending fully while a veil of light echoed outwards around him in every direction. Eyes aflame with the energy of the Aether nearly bursting at the seems within; the golden haired angelic being instantly responded to the pleas of the innocent. His hand lifted high into the sky, and a brilliant mass of light formed within his palms. Like a spear of pure energy, it formed outwards while a look of pure disgust etched itself upon youthful features. 

The summoner flashed a devilish grin, and shifted his hand swiftly. A series of chains flew from around the conjurers body, darting towards the angelic being even while black ashen like void chains burst from his extended hand sleeves. His work had to be swift, if he was to join the two. The angel was clearly unprepared for such, for even as he extended his hand to launch the spear he was ensnared by devilishly fast bindings. The weapon which had been constricted purely of holy magic burst into non-existence the moment his focus and poise were broken; struggling furiously with shock and determination as the snowy haired male made to ensnare him. Burning golden eyes leveled with an absolute loathing towards the summoner who laughed once more, and began to draw the angel near.

Oh how he reveled. Yet, even while his plans came to fruition, the smallest of miscalculations transpired.

Free will.

He was but a tiny man. A tiny man, in a large world. His audacity, and what would in mere moments be his final mistake, was simple.

He sought to control that which recognized no true master. His hand extended outwards as he moved to brand the angel, a dark mark pulsing with foul intent; willing the subdued nether spirit to his side so that he could infuse the two. In that instant, the shattering of his tainted construct filled him with a level of dread that could be considered akin to any major sudden revelation. And sudden revelation that implied disastrous consequences.


His hand pressed palm first into the angel. How it wailed. How it snarled. How it squirmed. The chains swirled wildly before twisting and rushing inwards, elder magic of the nether filling the angel by access point of his brand; submitting him to the ground. The summoner however, was unable to focus on this success, for though his palm had continued to press to the angel, it was now in an attempt to scramble away. For too long, had he drawn upon the void. Too long, had he supped upon the energy of that which could not be contained. For the void he'd opened began to hiss wildly as it siphoned every last ounce of nether magic around , within the veil. It would take back, what was it's by right.


The summoner, still chained to the shadowy thrall, struggled as the chains that had been around his body were instantly siphoned into the portal as well. He let out a single shrill piercing shriek of terror before his body snapped out of sight, like a whip that cracked before being tugged behind a corner. The bound angel still struggled madly, but flailed and found within it the strength to at-least...flee. Uncertainty and fear obscured his judgment, and his image flickered twice before he managed to teleport away; body vanishing out of sight as well, instantly and completely.
 
His essence. His soul..it had been tainted. His disappearance had been more of reflex, than anything.

This entire spectacle was seen by the only currently conscious citizen; the others who had lingered between teetering precipice of conscious and unconscious, likely unable to fully comprehend or process what they saw. This man however still felt a twinge of dread..for in the distance, a single figure rose from the ground. It's body rose among broken chains, moving upwards slowly, with unwavering stance. The nether spirit, had been set free. It's hand rose upwards towards the mass of bodies, and twisting tendrils launched forwards-

-- --

This place hadn't been..too bad to navigate. It was desolate, certainly. It was lonely. It was sort of harsh at times. The weather wasn't very friendly. The people less so. That was it really. Everything else was great! Then again, he'd generally only been to one other place, so to him wasn't everywhere great? It was so..new! So cold!

Remus tucked his lapis blue robes around his body while he pressed on-wards. He was at this point, more awake from the nipping blustery cold than anything. His staff was clutched within his hands and he knew at that moment, he should've taken up his mother's offer on those wool-knit gloves! His scruffy blue hair jostled within the wind, and he had to lift his hood to shield himself as his cheeks grew flush from the cruel chilly winds. Blustery indeed. It was at this moment, that he saw an immense pillar of light. It's thunderous roar was great enough and the vibrations which shook the earth mighty enough, that he felt an impending sense of dread. Panic even. His footsteps quickly moved at a climbing rate. Each one crunching the thin layer of snow beneath him while he raced with all urgency he could muster.

What had it been? What had happened? He couldn't rightly tell, but he was now, more than ever wishing that along side those gloves, he'd taken a bit of time each day to practice sprinting. His lungs burned with a horrible flame that irritated him on every inhale. That urgent worry in the forefront of his mind, and perhaps a small surge of adrenaline, were what kept him moving. He crested a slight hill, and by the time he climbed, he saw something that had his heart racing so hard he feared it might burst.

People, bound together. For what purpose? It mattered little beside the threat which neared them. A monster of some sort no doubt. Human looking, but entirely covered in twisting shadows. Slow steps working towards them. Remus went sprinting forwards, racing with all haste as he stumbled somewhat, sliding with skidding fumblings every few steps before lifting a hand. He tried to muster the strength to draw the creatures attention at-least, but his lifted hand summoned naught the magic he desired. He was too panic stricken. To startled. To worried. His mind was a mess with emotion and thought as he panted wildly.

Come on Remus! Focus! If you don't, their going to die! Think of something! Anything! Protect them! PROTECT THEM!


Protect! That was it! He wasn't the best at offensive magics..but he just needed to get it away from them.

Sliding to a half almost atop the helpless villagers, Remus lifted his staff and tried to take that one line of thought. Grasp that two word phrase. Protect them. Like a manta, he repeated it within his mind over and over as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. The ruby stone atop his staff burned brightly before shifting to a blue shade and started emanating waves of energy. Perhaps initially, the shade had not thought to harm him, as he looked to pose no threat. Maybe it just intended to kill them all at once. It's inaction would serve to slow it now though, as Remus projected a barrier around him and the small group of people clustered directly behind him.

The energy surged into a solid dome around the small group and the air swirled around the blue haired boy, whipping up around him before funneling into the gem as the barrier knocked the shade backwards. With a violent hiss, it slid back as it was rejected, before lifting it's hands. Burning white eyes flared to a golden amber hue as it swept it's hands right to left. Dark billowing blasts of magic began to bombard the barrier, hailing fat thick bullets of inky void taint; inflicting severe stress upon the young faithful boy as he winced from the effort to maintain his barrier. He struggled against it, but reknewed with greater effort. Already, his knees felt weak. Sweat trailed down his jawline, and he inaheld sharply through his nose while he tried to maintain the barrier. Had he already thrown himself into a losing fight? Was he already doomed to fail?

No. I'll think of something. I don't know how much more I can hold this. Seconds. Minutes. Hours? It doesn't matter. I must hold this. I must not falter!


His knee's however, were dangerously close to buckling as pulsating crystalline cracks appeared within the dome of his shield.

[Brynhildr]

Protect them

Brynhildr's eyes shot open, her meditation interrupted and forgotten simultaneously. She was already to her feet when the pulse of lightning coursed through every fiber of her body, divine energy pulsing like electricity within and without. She could feel the will attached to those simple words, a thought so strong it had transcended mere desire. It was - intoxicating. Gentle, in its own way, but insistent; nothing like the savage force of true summoning, a battle of will that could only be meekly accepted if one could not muster the power of will, of self, to deny it wholesale. She had been summoned before. She knew the feeling, the overwhelming force of the summoner's willpower overriding her own. It was a force so great it could completely crush an unawakened celestial's very existence, subsuming them entirely into another entity as mere fuel for the fire.

This feeling was... different. The valkyrie stared down at her hands, surrounded in a corona of wispy light, as if they were already drawn between worlds. They were shaking. Not a lot. Not in fear. Not in worry. Not in hesitation. There was no force compelling her to subsume her will to that of another, no pull so great she could not deny its call. Instead, curiously enough, it almost felt as though - ah.

She wanted this? Brynhildr's brow furrowed as she continued to stare mutely, blankly, unable to entirely comprehend the situation on one level and simultaneously understanding it perfectly with every fiber of her existence at the same time. It was certainly new territory for her, and yet oddly familiar, almost eerily so; to know and not know was an experience all its own. And yet - she did know. A few words, not even spoken, not even summoned, and yet to hold such power over her... no, it wasn't that, was it? There was power here, yes, but it was not that of summoning nor sorcery. It was not the power of men or celestials, neither words nor deeds. Summoning could fail. Sorcery was limited by its caster. Men could die. Celestials could fall.

But ideals? Those were eternal. Inviolate. Absolute. She could no more dismiss the very reason for her existence than she could defeat her own shadow. Not that she needed to. Brynhildr could feel the simple concept she had heard resound within her, resonating with her very Song. Intoxicating? No, it was something infinitely more transcendental, a rush that left her breath ragged as she struggled to so much as breath without losing herself in its beauty.

Six great wings erupted, the dim glow exploding into a golden nova of light and sound and Song that rushed through the Aether around her. Once barely as long as her arm, now grown vast enough to encompass her in the blink of an eye, dripping light with every flutter, every palpitation. Another breath, deeper, surer, as Brynhildr centered herself and knelt, one mailed fist impacting the ground that was not ground, her head bowed in silence. There was nothing to be done but to do. There was no regret, no hesitation remaining; only the silent sureness of her will, the resonating of two wills into one for a brief moment in time. Perhaps it was not a proper summoning. Perhaps it would all end in shadow. Perhaps she was a fool. Brynhildr did not know, nor did she care. This was what she had been searching for. Blindly groping in the darkness of ignorance. Waiting within the confines of her own dreams.

Six great wings closed simultaneously, but there was an order to them, the two smallest at the small of her back partially wrapping her form, then the greatest two in the middle wrapping her whole in a sort of strange chrysalis, followed by the final two sweeping down to cover it, reinforce it. But they did not stop, compressing further, crushing -

Nothing. Where she had been, there was but a tiny blink for a moment, so small and subtle you would have to squint to even see it, and then even it was gone. Nothing remained of her existence, her passage, even the sanctuary that she had unconsciously surrounded itself in, destroyed by the burst of Song that rewrote it, dispersed by her light. Only a few golden feathers remained, their brilliance slowly fading as the Light itself seemed to dim in her passing. Heaven had lost an angel.

Protect them!

It was a difficult thing to notice at first, between the brilliant sapphire light of the priest's protective barrier and the all-consuming shadow that crashed against it again and again like unto a great flood of darkness. Given the constant rain of snowflakes from above, it would be even harder to see; what one might notice immediately in simple weather, casually glancing, was far more subtle at first in the present situation. Perhaps it was when the first one touched the shield directly, a shimming golden spark that sizzled and vanished, not so much impacting the barrier as dissipating into it in a sort of strange synergy, a tiny pulse of energy so small that Remus might not even have noticed it.

Perhaps it was the second, or the third, or the tenth; perhaps Remus noticed it before the remaining civilian, perhaps vice versa. No matter the circumstance, the rain of white was married to bronze, tiny golden lights that fluttered down around them and vanished into the tide of shadow and rested on the snow and dripped into the barrier; first mere flecks, then a drizzle, then a rain of golden feathers that seemed to come from nowhere.

There was a strange scent to the air, a smell that sent electricity through the body and raised every hair in its passing. Akin to the passing of lightning, a strange sort of burnt ozone mixed with something else entirely, a fragrance not quite natural. But it was more than simply smell; the sound of song, of Song, not quite discernible and yet impossible to miss; a strange taste of ambrosia that danced upon the tongue. It was as though Fate itself stepped back for a tiny window in time, bending and breaking the border of what was possible. The world cried out for a miracle. But it was such a tiny light in the midst of the darkness, hardly more than a glint amid so much shadow-

PROTECT THEM!

Theme

The tiny spark pulsed but once, a nova of blinding light that expanded without regard to anything in its path; a single note in the harmony of the Chorus that seemed to swallow the Darkness, and then everything exploded into light as enormous golden wings unfurled from nothingness before Remus, the smallest two curling around the priest, protecting but not touching or obscuring, as the greater four slammed into the tide of shadow directly, interposing themselves directly into the stream.

"I AM THE SWORD OF PROMISED VICTORY!"

The vision of sapphire and gold rose, bracing herself against the darkness as it writhed and spewed across her defenses, carving furrows in the earth around them. Her words - her shout rang loud and clear over the din, a clarion call of unbridled force and will that thrummed with Song just beneath the surface, bubbling and humming as if it was trying to escape the bounds of mere words. "THE BLADE THAT CLEAVES EVIL!" Brynhildr felt the sensation struggle to overwhelm her, the sudden pressure of Elibe's atmosphere and the web of pain coursing through her wings, her body, as they struggled against the tide, but no matter what she would not, could not, back down; not if it flayed the flesh from her bones and erased her very Song would she fail.

The shockwaves of force reverberated through her, trying to send her to her knees, pushing her back, but she did not yield an inch. The Valkyrie had no idea of events or what the fighting was about, but she knew why she was fighting - answering the will that had brought her here. Everything else was transient in comparison. She simply trusted in what she knew, embracing the simplicity as a part of herself. Forming in the middle of someone's attack probably hadn't been wise, but the desperation of the will that had brought her here had been palpable, and she had known no other way to aid it.

Every movement was itself a struggle, but as light bloomed brighter yet, Brynhildr forced herself to move nonetheless, grasping for what she knew was there even if it was not yet visible. She could almost reach them. "AND - THE - SHIELD -" There! Her grasping fingers closed, and from nothingness came form, substance; a great shield forged in blue and a blade seemingly forged from light itself, divine weapons as much an extension of herself as her hands and her wings. Even as she spoke, her wings dimmed, reaching their limits, beginning to dissipate in golden light even as they retracted closer to their normal size. "-OF THE OPPRESSED!"

Light bisected darkness in a single diagonal slash as the massive torrent of shadow abruptly halted, whether directly through her attack or from the creature's conscious decision to stop in its wake, she knew not. The breath of Elibe's air thundered in her lungs, magics both divine and foul mingling in profane harmony in the world around them; the horrific furrows in the ground on either side seethed with the detritus of the shadow's passing. But she had gotten there in time.

Too wary to take her eyes off of whatever strange creature had launched such an incredible attack for long, Brynhildr glanced back at Remus, taking in the blue-haired priest, gracing him with a warm and soothing smile as ethereal as it was fleeting. Human. Unharmed... more or less. He didn't look good, though, and he didn't look like much of a fighter either. Her allotted moment spent, the valkyrie turned back to her opponent, though her attention was still split between friend and foe. In truth, all she wanted to do was tune out the world, turn around, and try to learn what manner of man he was - if he really was the one who had summoned her, how he had done it, and most importantly of all, if his will was truly what she had felt. There was even a small part of herself that hoped whatever they were facing would simply flee so she could do exactly that.

But ideals were not born from convenience, but forged in fire and bathed in blood, one's own and that of those who stood in their way. She would pit her truth against the beast's and emerge victorious, no matter the cost. There was no other path for her, nor had there ever been, and she would walk it til its end.

Her blade rose once more, slowly, purposefully, pointing directly at the creature in a gesture of naked defiance, as she adjusted her stance, tightening her grip on her shield. The celestial's voice was measured this time, filled with steel and light, but forever tinged with Song. "I am the valkyrie Brynhildr. Face me or flee." Gone was the warmth and softness of a moment before; there was no mercy to be found, only the simple identification of her form and demands. There would be time for pretty words and insincere flatteries later.

[Remus]

The pulsating essence of his magic was wavering. Remus' barrier seemed to fragment at every seam, and the intense radiant aquamarine dome like bubble turned into a structure resembling cracked glass; every crack glowing with an angry shade of cyan. The young man's body throbbed with the strain and aches of effort as he fought, every last vestige of strength pouring into the mounted defense. The warmth enveloping him almost missed at first, as his concentration to maintain the failing barrier had absorbed almost one hundred percent of his attention. Until he saw the tip of glowing angelic wings which coiled around him. Though his staff inclined higher, and he fought harder, he felt a small portion of his thoughts combing through every possible sense as to what precisely they were. He had no wings, as of the last time he'd looked for them, and knew not what they could be in earnest. Yet when all else faltered, it filled him with some faith even as his body faltered. A loud shattering like hiss echoed and his barrier faded entirely; the healer collapsing briefly moments after her arrival to his knee. However the unholy bolts of nether had briefly ceased.blasting the barrier, for their new target was none other than the angel that appeared; much like the first..yet so very..very different. 

"I AM THE SWORD OF PROMISED VICTORY!"

The barrage fought so furiously. However the light, shone through the darkness.

"THE BLADE THAT CLEAVES EVIL!"

Remus attempted to stand. At first, his legs did not move. They had no strength left while the lack of energy left itself so plainly clear. He simply felt as if he had no strength left with which to move, and yet he could not look away. As if amazed, for all he saw was the burning light of dazzling intensity which cast the golden female into such pale sight; standing against the tides of darkness which blasted against her.

"AND - THE - SHIELD OF THE OPPRESSED!"

The reverberating blast of light and the shock-wave of it all followed with an eerie silence. Unsettling even. Well...silent..safe for the soft panting of the human male that still struggled to recover from his over-exertions of magic. Remus tried to further process it all, but found himself in a state of almost sensory overload. That however did not leave the creature dumbfounded like he himself. 

"I am the valkyrie Brynhildr. Face me or flee"

The ravenous essence of apocalyptic intent which stood before them seemed to gauge this new approach. It's eyes burned. Echoed through out the space around it, a pulse akin to a heartbeat surging and the burning crimson detonating with explosive intensity while it's white pupils swiftly converted to a darker red, as if a molten core to a volatile volcano. The inky black veins of nether probed outwards from it's hands, fingers extending several feet like tree roots into the air, and it's very presence an affront to the sanctity of magic.

Though no mouth rested upon it's lower jaw, the fiend wailed with gut-wrenching horror; filling the healer with a very palpable dread that sank into his gut like an anchor abruptly dropped within a lake. The fiend's body began to squirm and writhe as the increased presence of nether took to altering it's form. One arm grew longer, and it slammed against the ground as it began to grow in height, body staying proportional while limbs extended in length almost double. As if the nether was simply pouring power into it while the host form attempted to compensate. Snow scattered, and ground beneath had turned from frigid light green to chalky ash; the shades very presence one that inspired death itself. Remus knew only fear in that moment. Fear...and yet...faintly...

Shaking though they were, his knees did not buckle. Albeit, when already upon one, it was hard to yield the other. The body simply didn't bend that way. A palm pressed to it, and the faithful man let a smile grace his features while he began to stand. Blue robes shifted, and he tightly wrapped pale digits around his staff. He couldn't really tell if he'd lost his fear or...simply felt it so greatly that the hopelessness allowed him to act as he pleased. As if he knew he would perish, and should simply do what we could. Perhaps it was none of these. Maybe he was simply shell-shocked by the appearance of the shade, then arrival of the winged woman. He did not know...but he did know that these people, were in trouble.

Remus lifted his staff skywards as he collected his strength. What he had left at-least. The barrier had left him particularly drained. He couldn't let that stop him though could he? He wasn't a particularly powerful mage. He couldn't wield the light with such power as the winged savior before him had. He couldn't do much really...but he knew what he could do. Shaky steps became solid, confident ones, while he walked a few steps forward to the females side. Closer to it at-least. Definitively between the shade, and the innocent people. His lungs burned. Each inhale sent his throat aflame, nostrils seeming so insufficient at acquiring all the air his body needed to keep his racing heart from bursting. However he steadied. Each step serving to better ground him once more while he locked his gaze upon the fiend. Lanky arms began to extend, as it hopped backwards almost ten feet. It's palms slid along the ground, murky black tar like puddles of corruption spreading while it lived heavy limbs and pointed it's enlarged palms towards the priest and angel.

The nether hissed, and energy collapsed inwards to form twin sphere's before either palm. Branded red eyes lingered upon the female, while it's mind attempted to confirm. She...was not the marked one. They bore similar appearance, yet she was not he. A whispering voice of unnatural loudness slithered through the air, vitriolic and ruinous words clear as day while  the fiend let it's gaze rest directly upon the Valkyrie.

"You are not our prey...yet you impede our hunt. We shall consume.."

Twin orbs buzzed angrily, the nether energy slow to gather, but the power almost palpable even to Remus, as it charged. His eyes leveled as he began to call once more upon his bodies inner essence. He had another barrier in him, but he wasn't sure if he could maintain it nearly as long. That...wouldn't stop him from trying though. The shining aura that the priest became enveloped in, while no where near as powerful as either of the two beings before him, one that adequately reflected his dedication and intent to help shield the people behind them. If they got past this winged female, they were exposed entirely. He'd sooner die, than see anyone left to suffer such horrible magic. Just the stir in the air it created unsettled him. Remus was filled with so many questions. So many answers he craved...yet they would wait. His body began to respond to the aethher as he called upon his full potential, lifting his palms out to the side and started trying to preemptively prepare his barrier. His staff still tightly clasped in his right hand, he placed his hope almost entirely in this Valkyrie. He knew that he couldn't handle any caliber of blast like the two being charged, on his own.

[Brynhildr]

"You are welcome to try."

Brynhildr's voice was calm but chilly, bordering on dismissive to the creature's threat. While she seemed outwardly unperturbed, though, within was an uncertainty she was not familiar with. She knew of the Nether of course, but had very little experience with it, and as the initial rush of adrenaline from her summoning dimmed, she was left faced with the fact that she had no idea where the hell she was or why she was fighting.

No, that wasn't quite right. She knew why she was fighting: to protect others. She still wasn't sure if the priest was the one who had summoned her, though it did seem likely, but the lack of information did curtail her options. So it would be more accurate to say that she was not certain what sequence of events led to this, or what the beast was talking about. There was admittedly a certain joy to combat that she felt she could lose herself in on its own merits, but to fight to the death for something she did not fully understand rankled with her a bit.

Not that it mattered in the end. She just had to win. There would be time for questions later. Her grip shifted in an instant before Brynhildr imperiously swung her sword downward, taking a step forward as if to meet the creature head on before hefting her shield before her, her wings trailing her movement. The valkyrie would have preferred to use them as a first line of defense against whatever attack the creature was preparing, but despite looking nearly unscathed, she could feel all too well the damage to the countless spirit circuits within, the dull, twinging soreness that suffused them. It was not a fatal injury, and given time they would heal back to an immaculate state - but she did not have time to wait.

...

She didn't know if she could stop the attack by herself. Brynhildr did not allow herself to think about it. It was not a question of possibility, but of doing. It must be - therefore she would make it so.

[Remus]

The twin orbs had been launched. However as they sailed through the air like catapulted projectiles, the malefic orbs of raw tainted nether twisted and conformed into a series of rippling explosions. A thunderous successive series of blasts sundering the air around and towards the angelic figure at a startling speed. Nether magic was usually slow, but this attack had conformed in a way that punched the assault faster in exchange for steadily spreading out and partially diminishing the blast. With each one rushing to the female, Remus felt his spirits drop. He knew not her capabilities. He knew not her strength and durability. What he did know however, was that he couldn't beat this fiend alone. He couldn't save these people alone. They'd need a miracle, in his opinion, to survive this, and that miracle wasn't going to happen if he stood there and let her get hit with such a barrage. 

The priests staff lifted into the air. The fabrics of reality buckled under his will as his magic shifted and augmented the space around the golden haired violent savior. His magic pulsed with vibrant life and solidified into a palpable rippling shield of bright blue energy. The priest hadn't felt that much strain initially. But oh..if only he knew the strain. If only. There was a hanging silence where the clean pristine barrier simply rippled with radiant spiritual power while resembling more of a deep blue glass dome. Then, the thunderous impact of the attack crashing against his defensive spell sent him reeling. It was as if his entire body was seized by mighty hands which shook him up a bit. Sweat began to accumulate upon the sides of his temple, down to his chin while he held his staff with such a tightness that his knuckles bled pale and the lapis haired priest attempted to maintain his spell. The red vibrant cracks of energy threatening to over-load were great, and yet the priests will was greater. He held it. It felt like it was tearing his soul apart to do so, but he held it, With every last ounce of his spiritual power he maintained the attack while it passed over the angelic Valkyrie. Not a moment after though, as the nether infused assault ran itself thin and vanished, leaving a series of twin paths from the nether fiend up to a few feet past the golden light spirit, burned into the ground and visibly having deadened the flora. Then the shattering of his barrier left hi speechless and exhausted as the priest rasped with burning lungs hungrily taking in any air he could. His body ached. His SOUL ached. He couldn't relent though. He couldn't yield. It had to be resolved! These people had to be protected!!

[Brynhildr]

If she were to be... entirely... honest with herself, it was almost disappointing that she had not been allowed to deflect the attack herself. Pragmatically speaking Brynhildr knew full well that she should be grateful to the efforts of the man behind her, that her battered wings ill needed further damage and that while she was durable, she was not invincible - but her pride rose in her throat nonetheless, crying out that she had been able to do nothing in the face of adversity. To be the protected, rather than the protector... it ran counter to her song. To her very existence. She could no more accept it than she could accept that the weak should be left to their fates, or that the strong had no responsibility to those 'lesser' than them.

She could not help but acknowledge the power it took to rend the beast's attack though, to protect her and the priest and those behind them alike. It galled the valkyrie to admit it, but she could... respect it, and the willpower it had taken to maintain, if the man's ragged gasps were any indication of his condition. Power and dedication mingled into one were a powerful force indeed. Perhaps he was the one she had been searching for. Perhaps he could hear her Song as clearly she did. Perhaps not. For now, it did not matter. She would fight, and if he had the courage he would too, and when the dust settled they would see who yet stood.

In the meantime, there were certain obvious tactical disadvantages to leaving a magic user free to cast as they pleased, and so Brynhildr reflexively erupted from the ground on wings of light, a mistake that took no time at all to realize when the agonizing pain cut short her full ascent and removed any possibility of an actual aerial battle. Her wings were whole, but only barely, and even that one flap had cost her more than she would be willing to admit. And yet - she did not have a choice, Brynhildr knew that she was not likely to be able to close with the creature on foot, not with the snow interfering with her footing, and so she had only the air to her name.

Ignore it; embrace it; cherish it - the choice mattered little. The pain was simply a fact. She masked it with a kiai shout as her wings flapped one last time, propelling her forwards and downwards like a golden arrow that struck at the heart of the disease plaguing the snow, the shadowy creature that threatened the innocent, with blade and shield outstretched and ready for action. She could hardly rely on the barrier user to handle the entire fight herself, after all. Golden light radiated from the blade as it arced towards the creature in a guileless descending strike that was no less dangerous for its simplicity, backed by her momentum and strength alike.

[Remus]

There was a hanging silence as the blade came down. A series of tense moments, like the silence before a smith brought his hammer down upon heated steel beneath a solid anvil. Then a brilliant burst of light as if from the permeating energy of her blade and the power of her strike. In actuality, it was the energy within the beast as its body was rent. That shell of nether, that powerful monstrous form of void infused essence, housed holy aether that it had supped upon prior to further enhance its might.The fiend let out a wailing shriek as its limbs lashed out, furiously and violently sweeping both the thinner shorter normal sized arm, and the colossal extended one. A shadowy palm crashed into the ground with thunderous force, long nails puncturing and raking the ground as the beast struggled to remain upon the two appendages that resembled legs. Then a large pulse like wave of force echoed out from it.

As if spurned by a sudden pressure, mist like taint began to spew from the gaping wound within its chest, the cavity still simmering with radiance of holy power the spirit had been using for an inner core. That it would fall apart from a single blow was further proof to the vast amount of energy contained within the meager shell of a physical form. The instability bled further into the fiends form through light like cracks that began to spread along the length of its figure while it turned its attention directly to the angelic figure. Once again it wailed, flailing as it crashed down the lengthy palm a sizable distance away in visible pain and rage, the ground quaking in a short vicinity before it lifted the hand entirely and retracted it in part while trying to bring it crashing down. Speed otherwise shocking had lessened greatly as the wound took its toll.

Remus gazed on, somewhat drearily, as if in a daze. His gaze blurring somewhat as well while he tilted his head and tried to focus. The fearsome fiend fell short of his field of vision however, and his body threatened to give out before he positioned his staff against the ground and pushed off with it. The aspiring healer had to use it to support himself as he dredged up the will (somehow) to combat his bodies protest. The young blue haired man's joints burned in protest. Muscles angrily threatened to knot, and his limbs sported a heaviness of unusual weight born from extreme fatigue. He couldn't even consider himself at his limit, as the blue haired male had exceeded that two attempts ago. What he could see though, was light. A brilliant light that was easy to focus on. From his distance it cast upon him, illuminating his features and giving pale complexion a brighter shade while he felt the faint wind generated from both clash and discharge between the angel and the spirit.

He nearly faltered, stumbling over, but found in him through sheer determination the ability to stand. Remus tried to cognitively collect his thoughts, and yet..he couldn't manage it. The faint frozen crystalline tears from the heavens above idled downwards, flurrying about in the pulsating energies swirling about. The people behind him, either unconscious through fear, or mumbling quietly to themselves. That faint sound of speech though was confirmation. Confirmation that they were alive. That he hadn't failed them. It also further spurred him to stand, for until this beast was gone and those voices continued, he had to. It was all he knew how to do...

[Brynhildr]

As much as she liked to think herself able to carry through any adversity through sheer willpower, Brynhildr's body was not as impregnable as her stubbornness, and the sheer burst of energy mixed with her momentary surprise forced her back from her assault as light burst forth from shadow. It was entirely possible that there was an element of shock at seeing a Netherforged abomination emitting such celestial light, bringing to mind countless questions about the situation she had jumped into, to which she knew not the answer.

Sapphire and gold rose to her defense nonetheless, the warrior's ingrained reflexes bringing up her shield and steeling her resolve despite the moment of confusion. She would learn of this situation later, but for now there was but to fight. To fight and survive, the latter of which was more relevant at the moment as the creature flailed and thrashed about in the throes of agony. But an injured foe was no less dangerous, perhaps the most dangerous of all. The massive arm came crashing into the impenetrable steel of her defense, but the battered celestial was not as durable as her defenses, and the shockwaves of pain it sent through her forced Brynhildr backwards a few shaking steps, cursing her own weakness. It should have been easy to block that. She had taken worse. But intercepting the creature's initial attack had disrupted her very being, leaving her vulnerable to its continuing onslaught.

-To have her return to Elibe marked by the same failure that had nearly claimed her last time.. the irony was palpable. So much for her brash demeanor when conversing with Sigdrifa. But the valkyrie did not intend to fail these people. Herself, maybe. Whatever this strange creature was, it was powerful, and she who should be strong was now weak. Despite its injuries, as she was she could ensure little more than mutually assured destruction. These people, though, would have their chance to flee.

"Priest." Her words came out strong, at least as strong as she could managed, tinged with the entrancing undertone of her Song dancing through every particle. But they were not invincible. The perfect harmony was marred, thrown into subtle discord, as though the instrument from which they issued needed slight adjustments. It spoke of the weakness that she could not show herself. "Take them - and flee while you yet may." Ah, deja vu. She remembered saying something very similar to that the last time her light had been dissipated. It hadn't worked out very well then, and she didn't really expect much better this time. But unlike the burning village that had nearly been her tomb, there were no other warriors to be found here. There was only her, and so she could only force herself to keep moving as long as possible.

Because, after all, she couldn't very well let this monster find more victims. It was quite simple when you looked at it that way. Hefting her sword and shield once more, the angelic warrior struggled to control her ragged breathing as her body continued to fail on her, hazarding a glance back at the humans she had sworn to protect. A little reminder of what was at stake. And he wasn't gone yet? "GO! I shall hold the beast off!"

[Remus]

The blue haired healer refused to leave. The citizens that were coming to were already fleeing. Some abandoning the others, and a few helping those who couldn't walk. Remus however, did not leave. He remained, shaky as ever but still he remained. His arms as if lead, and legs as if butter. His muscles were sore and ached with an unnatural pain, similar to the fatigue that made his mind lethargic. As if he had but to fall unto the ground and close his eyes, and he would be welcomed into a sweet embrace. A soft peace that would prompt this all as but a quickly fading nightmare. How simple it all seemed, from that sluggish notion. The angelic female spoke words he could not comprehend. Not that she spoke in a foreign tongue, but his senses were failing him. He heard but did not understand. Even the blasts of fetid wind that bore fell intent seemed but gentle gales to him in his numb state.

Until the shriek.

Another wail. The loudest yet. The shade's left hand now covered the grotesque wound that bled through the core of its body. Trickling streams of aether bleeding out even as the frantic gestures indicated some sign of struggle. Oh how that wail churned his blood within his veins. His skin crawled. The hairs on his body stood, not from cold of snow...but the chill of fear. The stark contrast of his dulled surroundings and the crisp punctuation of that deathly wail were enough to shock the priest instantly. Rousing him from the near comatose state he had entered. For how very real everything now seemed. Every facet further emphasized while his heart raced madly within his chest. Hammering at his rib-cage even as he became ever more sensitive to the smallest of traces around him. Limbs heaved, fully standing with the staff no longer supporting him as the priest's gaze became assailed by the burning brilliance of a sudden light.

Not of the angel, but the fiend. Like a catastrophic chain of events, the integrity of its body swiftly began to collapse. Beams of light shot through cracks and plumes of the void erupted where ever its limbs met living surface. Withering blades of grass to ashen husk, the fiend wailed one final time. One last piercing scream that etched its existence into the memories of all who heard before a detonating shockwave burst outwards from combative powers of nether and aether forcibly infused. The studies of a mad man collapsing with the beast that his work had produced. The essence of countless shades and celestial beings scattering in fragmented remnants before vanishing into absence. Traces of the host vanished, as the fragile shell it had clung to became fully undone by the wound prior.

Panting, and reveling in the dogged breaths and how they burned his lungs and throat, the priest tried to maintain his stance while gazing about. Words could not find him. Not even thoughts could form as he tried, and failed, to comprehend what horrors had just transpired. His gaze searched, and searched, and searched, until it rest upon the winged female. There it rested, while he continued to struggle towards finding words. At-least one thought formed, after a few moments.

That...was...horrible.

[Brynhildr]

Brynhildr watched in silent awe as the creature disintegrated, light and dark ripping each other apart in a raging pyroclasm of magical fury. She had never seen a thing; the very idea of a being that mixed light and dark together was abhorrent to her, that darkness could itself presume to strangle and hide the light from view. There was a certain vindictive joy to watching the light of the Aether emerge from the creature, tearing through the night to find freedom once more. A joyous moment that not even the creature's eldritch scream could ever hope to sully, nor the final detonation of force and magic that finalized the monster's well deserved fate in the eternal grip of nothingness. There was little enough left of the Song of what had likely once been her kindred to be certain who it had been, but Brynhildr brought her golden sword up before her, ramrod straight, and spoke a quiet prayer in his passing. For who else would? Whether it had been his own failure or circumstances outside his control, it had died alone and surrounded by darkness.

"May you join the Eternal Chorus, brother."

While there was admittedly a slight amount of frustration in the fact that it hadn't been as much of a battle as she had initially hoped, the battered valkyrie was simultaneously forced to admit that it would likely have ended poorly for her and her protectorate, the damage sustained by intercepting the creature's titanic beam of shadow early on and the physical punishment later, she was not in ideal condition to be fighting forever. Even now, she could feel the receding instability of her being as her nature gradually repaired and reasserted the supremacy of Self into one coherent whole; aside from the tiny flecks of light slowly falling from her retracted wings, she did not look nearly as damaged as she actually was, at least not by human standards.

Still, where there was a will, there was a way. Her momentary vigil completed, the angelic warrior turned smartly towards Remus, approaching him with certain steps as she closed the distance between the twain with an appraising look and a quiet smile. Unfortunately, looking good didn't translate to suddenly magically growing a tendency for tact and subtlety, and Bree was... neither of those at the best of times. And yet despite her simple meaning, the infinite Song that comprised her core rang from within every word, tinging them with meaning that she intended but did not understand. "You are brave, human. Most would have fled in the face of such adversity, and yet you stood fast; not from fear, but determination. Why?"

[Remus]

Remus saw it burst into a radiance explosion. Blossoming into twilight before it slowly faded with a quiet lapse into nothingness. The absence of noise and power and blast like detonations of imminent demise quietly registering while the priest found solitude and reprieve in the muted silence. Leaning upon his staff with a weary sigh, and drinking in the sight of the winged woman who approached him. He hadn't quite seen anything like her really. Not knowingly. The woman's radiance actually almost palpable, and her poise, tone and presence so purely awe inspiring. He gave a weary smile as response to her praise, though he felt not worth it from the fact that he'd needed assistance to help protect the villagers prior. Even so, there was a small part of him instinctively that basked in her praise.


He wouldn't have considered himself brave. However the up=beat healer let a tired chuckle pass through parted lips even as he leaned up a bit. An attempt being made to straighten his back some and stand a bit taller. Shockingly, it failed. Though his body did make a soft series of rippling cracks and pops as he realigned his back and stretched out some. His breath fairly visible in small wispy gusts like it was that caused it to jet outwards from every pant, and even seemed like a small stream of steam coming from his mouth when he spoke. As if the exhalation of each word exuded was visible. Crystalline flakes still idly cascaded down around them, sending a small subconsciously generated shiver traversing the length of his spine while the aqua haired healer quietly tried to fully straighten himself at the approach of the divine maiden of battle. Her voice seeming a strong one in contrast to his almost pleasantly meek tone.


Remus replied fast enough to signify that he was speaking directly from his thoughts, and intent. As if he had no intention of processing or even filtering his words first. The man gripped his staff firmly, fingers clutching at it as if to maintain the balance of his bodies weight.


"Ah. Well..I couldn't leave them. If I had, I would always be afraid of what happened to them. I wouldn't know. At-least if I had stayed and been well..killed..I would've known I tried everything in my power. It's um..macabre but I'd rather die with no regrets than live with many. Especially when it comes to other peoples safety."


The priest quietly shifted in place after a moment. As if legitimately uncertain, before he glanced at the golden haired warrior divine once more. Curiosity overwhelming him while he spoke with a quieter tone stained with inquisitiveness.

"Um...are you a goddess?"

It was a fair question. From his perspective he knew not if the creature they'd battled was some eldritch evil or horrible dark god, a demon, or otherwise. He also knew not what she was. If he had know way of knowing, the only way to know was...well...to ask.

[Brynhildr]

Couldn't leave them. Hm. That sounded familiar. Perhaps he was the one who had brought her here. Though Brynhildr thought that there was little question as to what would have happened to those people without her and this human's attempts to protect them - the creature had certainly seemed ready and willing to slaughter them all. Was that this mortal's optimism, she wondered, that he thought it might not have - or a blindness to reality in which he honestly didn't know the inevitable truth of their death?

-Though she supposed it didn't matter that much. He had stayed, fought for them. Stupidity or bravery were but two sides of the same coin, after all; the incident in which she had met Veigue was a stellar example of that fact. After a moment of thought, perusing the priest's face, the celestial nodded slightly, sword and shield disintegrating into golden flecks of light and Song as the need for their existence expired. Brynhildr didn't see how people carried their weaponry around with them everywhere, it sounded like a complete waste of time and effort. Her armor stayed intact, as it ever did. "I see. That is a commendable attitude." Never overly effusive in her praise, the gold and azure celestial left the subject at that.

...It never ceased to amaze and amuse her that the men of Elibe knew so little of celestials, though. At least it had taught her to react less... awkwardly than the first time. "No. I am simply one who would see justice done." It wasn't exactly a secret, not like being a celestial was illegal in Elibe, but as she continued to survey the landscape Brynhildr noted the cowering humans left alive after the fight. "For now, we ought escort the survivors to safety. This cold must be wearing on them." On them. She didn't notice it, much as she hardly noticed the temperature, but the inhumanity in that statement was evident for those with ears to hear it.

[Remus]

Ah. So..she was a...justice...-y..person? Well. She had wings. So, she was different. But she'd helped the innocents Remus had tried to help, and in turn, helped him. She could also wield divine magics. So she could be trusted yeah? Yeah. The aqua haired priest had already started to register the cold once more himself, when she spoke of it. He could feel those biting winter digits embracing his lungs with such a vice grip that it prevented his chest from expanding entirely, forcing his breaths to be a bit more shallow and more frequent in interval. He could see his breath and felt the numbness finally creeping through his digits. He repressed the urge to shiver however, briefly mentally acknowledging that not every individual among them had heavy robes layered around them to obscure their body from the cold winds, and served to keep the warmth contained.

Remus nodded in agreement with her and turned to look at the people still bound. The healer wrapped his large blue robes around himself and turned his gaze towards the ropes that bound the still visibly frightened and struggling innocents. Though some were still unconscious, it wasn't a safe environment. The cold snows were starting to accumulate faster along the already frigid ground. Remus could generate light, but not heat. So his talents were relatively useless in this situation, and if they didn't act, the snow and cold would kill them as brutally as the nether spawned monstrosity. Just slower. He quietly tilted his head to observe and scan what he could see before he rushed over to the people, crouching quietly as some sputtered and stuttered. The lapis robbed man quietly scratched at the thick rope a bit, before turning back to the divine female, focusing no longer on her angelic wings but directly to her. His voice etched with concern.


"I...don't have anything to cut this. Could you use your sword to..?"


He didn't presume to command her though and his tone was hesitant enough to show that. The man pushed up with his staff as he glanced over at her again and lifted himself to stand fully. Gazing around and trying in vane to spot some form of town. He hadn't known there to be any but, at the same time, he hadn't traveled this path often. Actually, he hadn't traveled it ever. So maps could only go so far. To this end he would hopefully be able to question the innocents and figure out where they could lead them to. These people had obviously been taken from somewhere relatively close if they could be brought here safely enough. Which meant they could be returned. At-least...he hoped so. If he was wrong and they couldn't save these people....


No. They'd saved them so far. They'd save them still.

[Brynhildr]

The human priest didn't seem very talkative or observant for that matter, but Byrnhildr did not push the point; he didn't seem in particularly good condition, likely exhausted from his attempts to protect the remaining mortals earlier, and she would not hold it against him. If he was still like this after resting, she was seriously going to slap some sense into him before leaving, though. Regardless, for the time being they had better things to do than stand around in the freezing cold, given that no one looked particularly comfortable right now. Bree looked better, almost unscathed, but within her the harmony of her Song was threatened, jumbled; her wings were still too damaged to fly and she could feel the pain coursing through her.

-But that hadn't stopped her before, and she would hardly lessen herself to allow it to slow her down now. Tramping through the snow with certainty, the celestial shieldmaiden approached Remus's target firmly, watching in brief amusement as he pawed helplessly at the ropes binding them. Chains, perhaps, but ropes? Without a word, Brynhildr knelt down before the bound victims, noting that not all were still conscious and none looked particularly better off for wear, grabbing the rope with both hands and ripping it asunder in one straining movement. It would have been easier to just re-summon the sword to cut it, but dammit she'd JUST let it go and it took energy to bring it back, and she'd feel like a bit of a tool summoning and despawning the stupid thing until they all died from old age.

Besides, it was nice to just be able to do SOMETHING to help. "Relax," the celestial stated firmly but with a gentle tone, smiling lightly at the battered villagers as she placed one hand on the nearest man's shoulder. "You are safe now. We will escort you home." Turning her head back towards Remus, she continued in the same soothing tone. "Are they in your care?" He... DID know where these people were from, didn't he? She had been summoned halfway through the fight, this was all entirely new to her.

[Remus]

Crystalline flakes still fell slowly from the grey skies above. Darkened clouds casting the normally bland color into a darker hue that presented it as a far more ominous thing. Honestly, he would've enjoyed the sky itself if it was just a grey over-cast. Rainy weather back home had always been pleasant. That...wasn't the case with well..frigid ice. The snow laden frigid grass crunched beneath the priests feet as he shifted his weight while the angelic woman spoke up once more.The priest was...unsure of who she spoke to at first. His gaze drifting to the other people stirring as they were cut loose. There was a brief start on his part when she simply tore the rope between her hands like it was naught but paper. Instinctively the priest lifted his hands over his side and quietly rubbed his bicep subconsciously. As if bemoaning his lack of strength.

Remus quietly spoke up, when he realized he was being spoken to. The liberated villagers were now rising, or helping the unconscious ones rise and standing them up. His tone conveyed his uncertainty even as he moved to help an older woman up himself, her elderly hand gripping his shoulder like a vice while her admittedly little weight was put upon him. Lifting with the legs, he rose upwards and helped her up in the process.

"They...are not in my care. I had stumbled upon the chaos you helped me with right as it began. Seeing the monstrosity I had simply come running forwards to help. I myself was just on a pilgrimage of sorts prior and ah...well..as I said. I ran into them in my travels."

He paused for a moment before Remus continued.

"However, I will happily assist them to the next town no matter the destination. It's the least I can do..for not being able help them sooner honestly. "