Roll 255 - 7
____________________


(dragonxp)
Cihas [ - ] = -
>

"I got this"

Isaac backs up while you walk over to the trapdoor yourself and give it a tug, which remains immovable. Taking a few steps back, you aim your bow and fire off a tornado shot at the door, blowing it to smithereens and throwing the fragments all over the place.

What's left is a pitch-black square hole in the ground, without any sign of a ladder. You probably destroyed that, too.

__________


(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Logic says both of you should be dead too.
I wouldn't trust anyone skilled enough to tamper with Lucida to die normally.

...Vattii, you were being followed by a chirop?"

Vattii: "Yes."

He looks over his shoulder.

Vattii: "There she is now."

A chirop approaches, sporting a dark sturdy vest with a sheathed knife on the chest and a pair of goggles sitting on her head.

She stops a moderate distance away from your group, wary of Vattii, and gives a short bow before speaking.

???: "I am a raptor from the Hastae of Magusalto. I was supposed to deliver a message to the military director of Vranhal, but uh..."

A cough.

???: "The Hastae has lost control of Magusalto, and the city has become a stronghold for the beasts that spawned late in the corruption. We ask for assistance, but understand that the disaster has been demanding for everyone.

Reinforcements from the union are heading in from the west, but they may take a while."

Tara: "Vranhal's forces are scattered about the area, and it will take time to re-establish the chain of command."

The chirop gives a nod, as if expecting that answer.

???: "My assignment is to deliver your response when you have it."

Vattii: "I do not think it would be a wild guess to say that the Ultima weapon is Magusalto."

The dragon lowers his head to you.

Vattii: "John, what do you remember concerning Ultima? While I am mostly familiar with the weapon's capabilities, the wielder makes it an unknown enemy."

__________

Roll 255 - 8
____________________


(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Wielder? Far as I know, it's wielding itself.
When I fought it before, I managed to get one good hit in on it. Punched a hole straight into its chest. Nothing but a bunch of grey goo. Certainly not like any lifeform I've ever seen, even Corrupted.
...
Between an Ultima armored dragon, Whirlwind, Torrent, Lucida, and Tara... We still wouldn't stand a chance against Ultima? Just how strong IS it?"

Vattii: "Ultima is indeed spirited after all.

It sounds like when you fought weapon, it was in a weakened state. At full power, it is equivalent to Lucida and Atra combined at full strength. Lucida and Atra are each roughly equivalent to three Disaster weapons. Of course, this varies greatly depending on the specific weapon and the users.

From what has happened, I can only assume that Ultima was prepared to take on the lot of you if it so confidently strolled into Vranhal.

The weapon will also instantly kill anyone who is not wielding a Weapon and using the armor enchantment, just from the sheer amount of chaos that the weapon can radiate, unless if you have a powerful negator with you."

Here, Vattii clicks his wings and looks up in the sky at an angle, but you don't see anything noteworthy in that direction.

Vattii: "Though. I might be able to shift this suit of mine to armor one of you."

Tara: "Atra headed in the direction of Venari to ensure the safety of the Lupus, but she has yet to return. If we can get her back, we will have enough to overpower Ultima."

Vattii: "Yes, Lucida and Atra should be enough. But, how experienced are the wielder and spirit of Lucida? Or is the spirit that feathered creature?"

__________


(Nighthawk)
Kyros Deiimor [ - ] = -
>

"Unfortunately, she escaped, but we disarmed her, as you can see."

You hold up Talon for Koa to see.

"Blizzard says its name is Talon."

Koa: "Hm. I don't believe I've heard of this one before. Anyways, you can probably guess that we were trapped here by those drakes."

The green-robed elementalist standing beside her gives a nod.

Koa: "We were the last ones alive at the tower, us two."

Hakua: "The Magistar's force either made it all the way to Magusalto or died along the way. It's open fields from here, and I didn't see any signs of combat. There are stronger beasts around the city, bigger ones, and stronger casters. They seem to be able to form and agree on tactical decisions, not just berserking animals.

But, I don't know what their intentions are. Surely there's someone coordinating all of them."

Blizzard: "So as far as we know, we have four chirop, me, and a dragon."

Hakua: "I heard reinforcements were arriving from the union. But that was gathered from the last words of half a raptor, so, uh."

__________

Roll 255 - 9
____________________


(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Lucida was scrambled when I used him. Aucupe doesn't seem like a bright girl either.
But the two of them together fight like a demon. Whatever they lack, they make up for it with each other.
Vattii, we'll see how that goes. Among us, we won't have need for it once we retrieve Atra. Maybe we'll meet someone else who could use it though. Or maybe we'll have a giant armored dragon fighting with us."

Hey, Naomi. Can you manifest a body, walk around with me for a bit?

She feels puzzled for a moment, before pulsing you a soft reply.

Naomi: Okay.

You feel your arm holding Whirlwind extending out in front of you, the weapon held vertically with the bottom braced against the ground. The armor covering your body comes off in sections, connected to each other with the strange goo you saw when you pierced through Ultima's armor.

The armor plates combine to form the shape of a person mirroring your position, the guantleted hand right above yours on the halberd. When the suit is complete, a pair of glowing green lights appear in the darkness of the helm.

After several more seconds, more of the "goop" fills the helmet, which forms the shape of a woman's face and turns opaque, but bleached white. The eyes, though, now appear human like, with faded green irises.

Your hand leaves Whirlwind as Naomi shifts around a bit in her armor, rolling her shoulders and shifting her feet a bit, and the two of you start walking at an easy pace through the grassy field, side by side.

The remaining fires in the city look almost beautiful, and there's a soft sound as the woman beside you takes a deep breath of the air and slowly releases it.

Naomi: "It's been a while since I've been able to walk on my own two feet. It'll take a little more time before this form finishes, but..."

She's staring at the ground ahead of her, working her jaw while thinking.

__________

Roll 255 - 10
____________________

(dragonxp)
Cihas [ - ] = -
>

"Why does no one ever use stairs for these kinds of things."

You fire off an ordinary but burning wooden arrow into the hole, and it lights the tunnel as it falls. It hits the bottom rather quickly, and the distance looks safe enough to jump down.

__________


(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"I wish there were more time for relaxing moments like this.
As it is, well, this could be the last time I ever just walk around calmly and enjoy the night."

A peaceful silence falls between the two of you as you both enjoy the cool breeze.

Naomi: "A dinner would be nice..."

You turn your head and look at her, and she looks back at you, a bit confused. And then you're pretty sure her pale white face turns the slightest tint of red.

Naomi: "I mean, er, I haven't eaten in over a hundred years!"

She clears her throat a while looking the other way, and turns to look at the ground in front of her again soon enough.

Naomi: "I didn't eat the last few days before I turned into this, and I can't eat in this form. The food won't go anywhere, and my sense are dulled so it won't taste like anything anyways."

She's looking at the sky now, peering at the stars that are shining through the hazy sky.

Naomi: "Nothing feels the same. I don't feel it when a sword goes in my gut, but the refreshing chill of the morning air isn't there either. I've always thought about all the things I would do after the war ended, things to do before I died, but I died too soon, and now I wonder if I'm living through some sort of hell.

I guess, I'm saying a good meal is among the things you'll regret not having. Among other things."

__________