A Profitable Meeting

The Handura's attack would land on the armored visage of Ghost, destroying the armor making it unable to be used for the rest of combat but it had protected him. In reply it would be hit by a combo attack of earth which would partially burn the attacks reducing the damage to it's body. The next attack on it would be to block the creature's sight but it had no eyes to begin with and sense life more so than see.

It was starting to grow desperate and would go for the greatest source of life, the abomination and the puppet.

The Plant abomination would look at Zion, a look of recognition and terror behind its eyes. Not the look of an abomination but not quite that of a man, something more animalistic but close to humanity. It held understanding at his words but no way or thought to properly respond.

As this moment the hand would fly at the abomination using Jet flames in an attempt to strike it down and absorb it's like force before focusing on the others.

notes:

handura:

Observing the pitiful visage of the abomination with a frown Zion was forced to accept that he could not coax human words from the monster's mouth. He sighed and shook his head softly. "I'm sorry, I'm not skilled enough in life magic to turn you back, let alone keep you alive." His stern countenance as he gave the abomination the truth was broken by a gentle smile. "I could end your suffering now, or I can try to find you someone who can save you." The young doll felt that he should have given Aggripica this choice looking back on things. At the end of the day, these men were all just Klien's pawns.

His sentimental thoughts were interrupted by the clashing of Asad against Handura. Zion turned to face the threat and without hesitation, shouted, "Asad, Shellshock!"

The lion roared and drew in metals from the soil and the air to form a shell of silver around the creature of flame.  At the same time, the golden light of a magic circle lit up on Zion's finger as he swept Deep Blue in Handura's direction forming a dense ball of water in front of him to further trap it. "Sorry, Asad..." The magician apologized as the artifact and the silver shell it had just made were both weakened by the water magic.

The formation of the water sphere was Cornelia's chance. All the magoi she had been gathering was packed into her sling as she unleashed her Tempest Harpoon using her skills as an Aquatic Shooter to accurately target Handura even through the water. The magoi shot would be aimed for Hadura's center mass.

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Magoi: 170/420
Stamina: 240/280

Notes:

Magic Tool:

NPC Abilities and Traits:

The handura would find it's attack on the target of it's master's annoyance, hindered as it was trapped first by metal than by water. By the time that the kitsune's assistant had pierced through the double sphere she would see that the hand abomination was already defeated.

While it was a being brought to like by magic it still followed the laws of the world. The shell of metal had deprived the flames from any outside sources of oxygen and it quickly ate up waht was in the shell before quickly dying out.

The charred bones of a severed hand would litter the ground as that was all that was left for the handura.

Once this was done the magician would be able to turn his attention back to the trapped abomination that looked at him almost pleading. As if to answer his question of help or kill the abomination would raise its hand up to the magician uttering a single word"Motherrrrrrr"

notes:

Water splashed to the ground and Asad tumbled to the floor with it. The magician had not noticed that Cornelia's efforts were overkill so he was appreciative of her efforts. More and more the half-Imuchakk woman proved to be a reliable companion and Zion smiled in her direction for a moment. Cornelia was somewhat exhausted from her last attack and wiped her brow feeling as though she might collapse if she let herself relax at all. Her sharp eyes noticed Zion's grateful gaze and all at once her fatigue seemed to became just a little bit more bearable. She left out a deep breath and made a determined effort to walk towards the silver haired fox slowly.

The sound of the abomination's cry cause Zion to turn back to face it with shock and pity. He almost felt unsure if he had heard correctly. The pained being spoke. Not an answer to his question, but rather a plea for comfort and peace from a source Zion had never himself known. Mother. A plan of action to make an illusion of the figures mother slowly started to form, but it fell apart when he realized he did not know how a mother should act. His mastery over clairvoyance magic was not enough to replicate a reliable clone based of the memories of its rukh. After the transformation, perhaps that information doesn't even exist. He felt at a loss until he glanced up and noticed Zubaidah.

She was no stranger to the art of showmanship and performance. He wondered if the two of them could work together. The kitsune took flight to rush over to his business partner with haste. "How are your acting skills? That thing is crying for its mother and I think we can give her to him if I set the scene and costumes with my illusions." It was a crazy scheme. Imitate the assassin's mother? To what end? Zion wasn't sure if his goal was even extracting information anymore. In the spur of the moment he found himself longing to deliver that which he himself had never been given. A mother's comfort.

If Zubaidah agreed then Zion would then rush back to the abomination with wand in hand where he would cast Seeking Seer placing his hand on the abomination's head. If it stole more of his magoi he would not resist as he sought out memories not of the former man's employer, but deeper. For something more primal and instinctual. A scene from his childhood when his mother was with him. Zion's wand then danced as he created a Perfect Stage for Zubaidah to enter into. As she entered the domain a veil of illusion magic would cover her to make her look like the man's mother had when he was a boy. The surroundings were that of his home town, somewhere his mother had taken him once when he was very young. The rest, was up to the performer.

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Magoi: 110/420
Stamina: 240/280

Spells:

Their intention to give it the illusion of being its mother would have unexpected affects. With the first spell, the abomination's past would be played. With his mind in a broken and animalistic state these memories would be shattered and unorganized.

A woman with hair as dark as night and eyes a pale blue like a diamond was holding onto something reaching out with small, infantile arms.

A man with a cruel smile and a air of intelligence and superiority shouting intelligible words to a tall figure with robed arms and a ring with the star of solomon shining for a moment.

A small wooden house outside of familiar walls with children playing with the woman, the sound of armor and hooves heavy in the air and growing. The smell or crimson iron and smoke thick like soup.

A large workshop with items of various shape and size being crafted while others are having circles carved carefully into them, streets of the city clearly in view from the small windows.

More images would flash, ones of a mother trying to be strong for scared children mixed in with hints at a magicians location and intents.

As these memories would play, vines would slowly wrap around draining magoi from both magician and spearwoman. If they dont try to stop it they will feel something new, not a sense of hunger and hatred for life and to survive but one of warmth, as if being in the embrace of a mother.

If they allow it, the abomination would drain almost all of their remaining magoi, leaving enough for them to live and stay conscious.

buds would spread all over the body of the monster before blossoming into irises that were as dark as the abyss. Then the flowers and vines would die, rotting away as if it was just an empty shell.

In the center of the shell was a being that was new, not the magician but not the abomination. Not human but not plant. Not Life but not Magic. There was now a small toddler made of vines and leaves but with spots of pink flesh hear and there, especially in the face. The black irises decorating its head as the toddler reaches up to them speaking in an innocent voice now 'Mommy!"

The magician's already waning magoi was devoured quickly and yet he did not pull away. He could not. To do so would mean that all this effort would be for nothing. Although he knew not what was beyond this compassionate act he felt that it was the right thing to do. For the sake of living up to his own ideal, Zion persevered until the magoi drain ended on its own. He then fell back towards the ground stopped only by Cornelia's large hands at his shoulders. The woman had quietly reached them during the whole process of transformation the abomination went through. "You alright?" She asked with a furrowed brow. She wasn't sure if breaking the connection between Zion and the abomination would have any negative effects so she could only watch helplessly as the ordeal went on.

Zion gave a weak smile in reply, "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a bit exhausted. Lady Mansur, are yo-" He was just about to ask Zubaidah how she was doing when the childish voice sounded out from the husk of the abomination's remains. Any disappointment towards his inability to save the man was replaced with shock at the sight of the baby-like life form that had gestated from within the abomination. The new creature was something unnatural. It's body a mix of flesh and plant fibers with flowers for hair. It was an uncanny sight to be sure. But it also had an air of innocence in stark contrast to the violent brutishness its precursor form held.

Or was this even the same entity? Zion's mind became muddled as he tried to understand what had happened. His own magic had no formulae that would incite such a transformation. Was it something the lady Mansur had done? He quickly dismissed this as he doubted she had any magic tools that would turn its target into an infant. So then...was this Klien's doing? Thinking back to all the magoi that had been drained by the abomination, all that energy had to go somewhere. As for what it had been used for...But why would Klien include something in formulae on the rings like this? Perhaps it wasn't so simple.

The cries of the child tore him from his thoughts. His illusion had already dissolved and yet the creature was still reaching for Zubaidah and himself crying out for its mother. He cast a sidelong glance full of skepticism at the babe, but felt that he was somewhat responsible for the care of this strange new life. But since it was asking for "mommy" he would wait to see what Zubaidah did. If she chose to take the little sprout in her arms and was willing to watch over it, Zion was happy to let things take their course. Otherwise he would simply have to take on the task himself.

Regardless, it now seemed that the last threat was resolved. Heaving a great sigh of relief, Zion would give a respectful bow to Ghost and Zubaidah as well as their companions. "Thank you both for assisting me in overcoming this attack on my life. I beg your forgiveness that I have nothing with which to repay you both as of right this moment. But it can be considered that I owe you both a favor."