Eligos: Midway [Ayero/Azix KILL VIABLE]

Upon entering the Gate, the Main Hall appears as a burnt wasteland of singed rock and destroyed structures. There are no set paths to the portal on the other end of the wasteland, approximately 200 meters away. All around, the landscape was filled with crumbling structures sinking and bobbing in pools of lava. It would appear as though, at one time or another, there may have been actual buildings, but all that remained now were the scorched stone pillars. In this sea of lava, the only way to the other side would be to find a path across what remained above the line of molten rock. There was no clearly definable path, only several rocky islands that could be crossed by jumping or flight.

If the entrants were especially attentive, they would see movement on the rocky crags and resting atop the pillars. While there was nothing apparently human in the area, creatures of all types had made their home in this hellish environment. These creatures had all adapted to the rough terrain, nearly immune to the battering heat of the lava. No matter which island someone chose to jump to, they were likely to encounter something that did not appreciate being disturbed.

Room Details:

Ayero didn’t know what to expect when she touched the strange glowing gate that served as the entrance of the dungeon, but soon she found herself being pulled by an unseen force. The Fanalis felt as if she couldn’t really gauge how long it lasted, but her brief inter-dimensional travel was forgotten once she felt a tremendous heat fanning against her face.

As Ayero steadied herself, she took quick stock of where she was. The landscape was hellish, looking like a razed city or vicious battlefield. Looking down, Ayero could see that she was hovering above what appeared to be solid stone in a sea of lava. Instinctively she slid Vipsania from its sheath slowly, glancing around with a wary look on her face. Am I alone? The sharp eyes of an archer would dart over towards some of the rocky structured that dotted the molten ocean before narrowing. Perhaps not.

Flicking her gaze upwards to the abyss from which she came, a light frown tilted Ayero’s lips. Where is Azix? He should be finished shortly. She wondered if he had beaten back Lagi and Merrze or if they had managed to best the King Candidate. The thought of traversing the dungeon alone instinctively made her stomach flip, but she quickly smothered the feeling.

Ayero glanced down at Kabu, nearly giving an amused snort when the snake seemed as uninterested as ever. She knew that while he was passive, Kabu was taking in as much information as he could about his surroundings. Tomato seemed far more eager to explore, but stayed closed when Ayero whistled for her.

Her face hardening, Ayero scanned the plane of lava before tilting her carpet left as she began to gradually pick up speed. He’ll catch up.

After touching the gate, Azix felt himself pulled along a stream of Rukh and deposited in a familiar place. He was hovering high above the planet and he could make out the different land forms of the various countries. Beyond that, Azix saw swirling galaxies, twinkling stars, and brilliant colors of trapped gasses. He only had a moment to take in the beautiful sight before he felt a tightness in his chest and was transported into the dungeon.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing Azix noticed was the reddish landscape and crumbling structures. This was the orange magician's third dungeon, the two others being Cimeies and Bifrons. By now, he had come to expect that the inner landscapes of the dungeons were vastly different than the land outside. Cimeies' dungeon best fit this, the dungeon had appeared within a mountain, yet the rooms inside had been filled with swamps and forests. However, Eligos was a lava wasteland, similar to the volcano that the dungeon had appeared in.

Out of habit, Azix had his wand at the ready in his right hand. He searched for his Fanalis partner and caught sight of the tail-end of her carpet heading to the left. Quickly, Azix unraveled his flying carpet from around his waist and hopped on. He followed after her and continued to survey his surroundings. If this dungeon was like the others, they would soon come across their first challenge and Azix was hesitant to meet that in the air. That hesitation was outweighed by letting Ayero face an enemy alone.

As Ayero would fly to the left, she would find her path blocked before she could fly across the lava by an Alpha Lava Beak which immediately used Hell Call to summon six Lava Beaks to its location. As Azix joined her, the Lava Beaks appeared to surround the pair. The Alpha Lava Beak hovered a mere 15 meters in front of Ayero while the other Lava Beaks hovered about 5 meters away from Azix and Ayero, the creatures spaced about 5 meters apart to create a cage of living creatures around the pair of challengers. The creatures would not immediately attack, the Alpha Lava Beak hanging back to assess how much of a threat these two intruders posed.

Combat Details:

Ayero flew cautiously, eyes narrowed and scanning her surroundings for fear of encountering hostile life. The Alpha Lava Beak soon appeared, and Ayero almost sighed in relief. The landscape seemed desolate and torn and the longer she went without encountering something, the more worried she became. The Fanalis woman gripped the hilt of her blade tightly in one hand, crimson gaze watching the creature as it did not immediately attack her.

The beast suddenly let out a piercing cry, and six similar yet smaller creatures appeared, circling around Ayero just as Azix rejoined her. She was glad that Azix had not been far behind her, but wondered what became of Lagi and Merrze. She could hold off on asking him for now though, and instead turned her focus to the lava beasts before them. ”You take the little ones, I’ll go for the leader, alright?”

Should Azix agree, Ayero would direct the carpet upwards for 15 m. While traveling, the Fanalis woman would remove her hand from her blade and instead draw her bow and then shield, slipping Vittoria onto her left arm. Once she reached her desired height, Ayero would swiftly nock an arrow onto her bow and take aim for the Alpha Lava Beak. Ayero’s Red Shot would streak through the heated air, targeting the large creature.

Should the swift arrow not find it's mark, the bird sitting on Ayero's lap would flutter upwards about a meter above her master and fire of two sharp feathers, aiming to take down the Alpha Lava Beak.

[Tomato Ammo: 8/10]

[Stamina: 260/290]

Spoiler:

Flying fifteen meters over the bubbling lava and crumbling structures, Azix furrowed his brow in concern. Even though he was relatively high up, he could feel the heat radiating from the molten rock. From experience, he knew that dungeons were dangerous, but this first room held a different sense of danger. To lose one's balance would spell certain doom. Thankfully, he and Ayero had their magic carpets and didn't have to navigate the room on the ground.

Azix quickly caught up to the Fanalis warrior, finding her hovering fifteen meters away from a large, flying creature. Before he could react, six smaller creatures appeared, creating a ring around the dungeon challengers. Based on previous experience, Azix expected that the creatures wouldn't pose much of a challenge. The creatures found in the other dungeons steadily increased in difficulty the further one traveled. However, he didn't let his guard down, considering what awaited them below if they fell.

Azix grunted in response to Ayero's plan, trusting her judgement. His role was to support the potential King Candidate through the dungeon and at the very least, ensure she made it out alive. After all, he had convinced Ayero that she was worthy and able to conquer a dungeon. Reacting quickly, Azix noted the position of his targets and prepared a spell suitable for dealing with the situation.

With a few hushed commands to the Rukh, a film of magoi formed over Azix's body. He waited enough to ensure that she would be out of range, before releasing the spell to clear the area of Lava Beaks. The film of magoi would rapidly expand outward, in a dome-shape, hitting anything within range with a concussive force before shattering. At the same time, the orange magician remembered how quick the Lava Beaks had moved and prepared a second spell in case any of the creatures avoided his first attack.

Assuming any of the Lava Beaks had survived the strength spell, Azix cast Kage Youshiki. Out of a small, inky, black mass, two shadowy hands appeared, which would be directed to punch any of the remaining Lava Beaks. Drawing on his shadow magic caused a whisper to stir in the back of his mind and Azix winced. 'Shh...not now.' He ignored the reaction as best he could, more concerned with making sure he and Ayero got through this wave of monsters, than the internal effects of the spell.

[320/380]

Spoiler:

The Alpha Lava Beak watched with a cautious look as the red-haired intruder flew upwards, responding to the Red Shot with Spray While the lava did not reach the intruders, it did take out two of the Lava Beaks flying around Azix. The spray of lava blocked the vision of the Alpha Lava Beak, not giving it enough time to react to the feathers shot by Tomato. The two feathers found their mark, causing the Alpha Lava Beak to begin falling, its final attack coming in the form of Final Burst. The explosion took out another of the Lava Beaks.

This left four Lava Beaks to deal with Azix. The two nearest to their fallen comrades began to fly back, trying to figure out where the assault was, flying back to 8 meters, narrowly avoiding the Clear spell, two more of their pack falling under the forceful strike. At seeing their siblings fall, both remaining Lava Beaks would move forward to try and hit Azix with Cannibal, which unfortunately was met with shadow hands in the form of Kage Youshiki. The shadow hands crushed the Lava Beaks in the air, causing them to fall.

The way was now clear for the two contenders to continue on. If they were to look directly forward, they would see, on one of the islands, the body of an unfortunate soul who had not been prepared to handle the challenges of the dungeon. Hulking over the body was what appeared to be a large frog. If the contenders wished to investigate the body, they would need to deal with the frog first. However, if they chose to remain in the air, the Frog was distracted by its meal and would not bother them.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]

Azix watched the final Lava Beak drop into the flowing pool of lava below, before sparing a glance at his partner. He turned around to see that the Alpha Lava Beak was deafeated and Tomato flying above Ayero's head. He flew his carpet alongside hers and gave her an approving nod. "We made quick work of them. Good job."

His gaze shifted to their surroundings and noticed a cluster of islands ahead. A rather large Lava Frog sat on one of the islands, drawing his attention. As Azix looked closer, he noticed the body of an adventurer at its side. The orange magician frowned, the unfortunate soul hadn't even made it out of the first room. It served as a reminder that the danger in the dungeon was very real and that only the strongest survive within. Azix nudged the Fanalis woman and pointed to the body.

"I think we should take a look over there. I'll go in first. Cover me."

Azix waited to see if Ayero agreed before flying towards the Lava Frog. With his free hand, the magician found one of the amulets, worn on a chain around his neck, and gripped it tight. He maneuvered his carpet until he was ten meters in front and above of the Frog before sending a trickle of magoi into his Fiery Pendant. A fifteen meter long whip of fire formed in front of the magician and he willed it to travel in an arc towards the creature's left side. The magician hoped it would cause the beast's attention to focus on the fire leash, if not hit it, allowing Ayero to move in safely.

[300/380]

Spoiler:

Ayero watched carefully, shield raised at the ready to deflect any incoming attacks. Although Azix was dealing with the smaller beasts, the Fanalis woman was keenly aware of the presence of the other monsters, dividing her focus between the Lava Beaks and their leader. Her heart leapt in triumph as Tomato’s feathers struck the bird, but she held up her shield in caution as the Alpha Beak exploded upon its death. Though the blast reached neither her nor Tomato, the lava beast’s parting gift was unexpected.

Now that the big guy had been taken out, Ayero glanced beneath her to see how Azix was faring. She refocused on the fight below in time to see a pair of shadow hands crush the last remaining Lava Beak. Azix was soon beside her on his own carpet, and Ayero gave a nod of agreement as she secured her bow back into its quiver. This place is hostile. It is to be expected, though.

Ayero’s gaze followed Azix’s towards the small rocky islands dead ahead, first noticing the large frog beast that resided there. Upon closer inspection, she could see that the frog was preoccupied by something—a meal courtesy of a dead man. A thread of fear ran though her and she suppressed a shudder, imagining the body belonging to her or Azix. When said companion offered to investigate the deceased, Ayero hesitated with her response. The frog seemed distracted, and there was a chance that they could pass by unharmed. If they approached, perhaps they would end up as an after dinner snack.

”Alright.” Ayero spoke with a firm nod, trusting in their own strength. She flew at a slower speed behind Azix, circling around until she was 10 meters to the frog’s right side as the magician searched for his pendant. Ayero tilted her head next to Tomato’s and clicked softly so as to not disturb the frog. Recognizing the orders, Tomato flew 15 meters up and above the frog.

As Azix launched his fiery attack, Tomato launched two feathers down at the lava beast while Ayero sped forward on her carpet, Gyatso drawn in one hand and Vittoria lifted by the opposing arm. Her eyes were wide, wary of the beast and the potential crossfire from Azix should things go awry. Hopefully the beast would be distracted by Azix’s fiery whip, allowing the swing of Ayero’s blade to slice the beast.

[Tomato Ammo: 6/10]
[Stamina: 260/290]

CD:
-Red Shot [4]

The Lava Frog’s attention was dragged from its meal by Azix’ Fiery Whip. It did not even have a chance to react to the attack and, in a small blaze, the Frog melted away, clearing an area where Azix and Ayero could land. With the Frog gone, they would find a body, burnt and disheveled, with pieces missing from the creatures feeding on it. Lying beside the body, barely attached, was the arm of the man who had died. If they were to search the man, they would find a small pouch. Inside of the pouch was a locket with a drawn picture of a child and a woman tucked safely inside and a few coins.

The pair were now free to continue. If they continued to fly forward about 20 more meters, they would catch sight of the portal to the next area. To the left about 40 meters where another group of Lava Beaks. The pair could choose to confront the birds or simply fly straight to the portal, their magic carpets would be fast enough to outrun the attentions of the creatures.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]

Azix's eye glittered as he observed the Lava Frog ignite as a result of the fire spell. The faint odor of burning flesh filled his nostrils over the sulfuric smell of the room. After seeing the creature's corpse shrivel from the heat, the magician settled his carpet onto the island and searched the man's body. Among the man's possessions, Azix found a small pouch that contained a few coins and a locket. A frown crossed his face when he opened the locket and saw a drawing of what he assumed to be the man's family.

"Was it worth the sacrifice?" He looked off in the distance as he spoke quietly, clutching the locket tightly. There was yet another child who would have to grow up without a father in their life. The thought brought a bitter taste to his mouth and he stiffled the urge to kick the man's barely attached arm into the lava.  

With a sigh, he slid the locket back into the pouch and deposited it in a pocket within the folds of his cloak. Azix climbed onto his carpet and looked to Ayero. "You ready? There should be a gate or door of some sort that will lead us to the next room."

If Ayero was ready, Azix would follow behind her on his carpet, glancing around for the way out. It wouldn't take too long before he'd spot a portal, which he would point out if she didn't notice it first. When they approached the portal, he wouldn't hesitate to touch it, prepared to be transported to the next area and the next challenge.

[300/380]
Cooldowns:
Kage Youshiki: 3
Clear: 3
Fiery Pendant: 6

Ayero’s blade slashed through thin air as Tomato’s feathers struck the rocky ground, both attacks having missed the Lava Frog as Azix’s fire whip made short work of the distracted creature. With the beast gone, the pair was now free to inspect the body that had attracted their attention. While Azix rifled through the corpse, Ayero hovered several feet above on her carpet to keep watch for any other monsters that may appear. She found her vision wandering over to Azix as he pulled the locket from the pouch, the glint of the metal catching her eyes.

The Fanalis squinted so that she could see the details of the drawing, realization hitting her moments after. Her own heart sank a little, knowing that the consequences of this man’s quest for power would weigh heavily on his family. Her gaze darted over to the body, wondering what type of life the man had lead until now. Was he a warrior? Soldier? A simple farmer looking to gain a better life for him and his family?


That could be me or Azix. Ayero knew that the dungeon carried an incredible risk, but she was still worried by the thought of losing her life despite her faith in her own strength. What will happen to Vin? I don’t want to put him through that again…


Swallowing the bitter thought, Ayero turned towards Azix as the magician mounted his carpet. A stern nod was her only reply before she set her sights towards the molten expanse in front of them. Squinting again, the red headed woman pursed her lips as she observed the familiar bird-like creatures fluttering in the distance. ”More lava birds. We should be able to avoid them, if we’re fast.” Grabbing the edge of the carpet, Ayero sped off with Azix in tow.


They quickly approached the gate, Azix pointing the portal out. Ayero slowly sucked in a breath and steeled her nerves, a sudden surge of excitement flooding her system. From what Azix had told her, things would only get more difficult as they progressed into the dungeon. It would do no good to be overtaken by fear at this point, the fallen man’s body serving as a warning to respect the power and danger of the dungeon. Similarly to Azix, the Fanalis woman wouldn’t hesitate to touch the gate.


[260/290]

Eligos watched the progress of the group as they touched the portal to the Midway. They had not made a pointed effort to avoid any fights but had not wasted their energy on seeking on unnecessary fights either. He could appreciate the straightforward approach of the candidate, the fiery red-head and her companion seemed to have a decent amount of determination. He looked forward to their performance throughout the dungeon.

---

The portal from the Main Hall to the Midway would suck the pair through and manifest them at one end of a 30 meter bridge. The bridge spanned a large river of lava, the bubbling, boiling stream of molten rock giving off noxious fumes. At the other end of the bridge would be a wide, open area. This room was seemingly less dangerous to traverse than the Main Hall, no islands to jump across. However, there were steam vents and small lava flows, all giving off billowing clouds of noxious mist.

The mist rose, settling a mere ten meters above the group. If they were to try and fly, they would find themselves coughing and coking on the ash and gas in the mist. It would be best to walk. The bridge was a small 3 meters wide. The entire room held an ominous feel and visibility was reduced to no more than 20 meters. At the end of the bridge, the pair would encounter a reptilian-looking man, almost 2 meters tall, with a hound at his side, guarding access to the rest of the Midway. As soon as the pair came within 12 meters of the Guard and Lava Hound, the Guard would use Crush to send a wave of rocks and stones at the adventurers while the Lava Hound would growl, awaiting his opportunity to strike.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]

Ayero felt a similar sensation being sucked through the portal to the next room as she did when she entered the dungeon. As quickly as it had happened, it was over and the pair found themselves in another room with a similarly themed landscape. Ayero looked down at the sea of boiling below them before assessing their surroundings.


A bridge. Ayero tapped her foot against the rock construct they were standing on, grunting in approval at the solid feel of stone beneath her feet. It felt as if it would hold them, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t weak points along it…or that something wouldn’t come along and knock them off.


The vents below belched up clouds of toxic vapor, the thick smog settling above the pair of adventurers. Ayero wrinkled her nose at the acidic smell, glancing above them and frowning. She would have preferred to fly rather than take their chances on the narrow bridge, but everything about the fog hanging over them seemed deadly. I guess we’ll have to walk. I don’t doubt that we’ll run into something, either. The bridge and the smoke…it seems purposeful.


”It looks like walking is our only option.” Glancing over at Azix, Ayero jerked her head in the direction of the stretching bridge.


As the pair made their way across the bridge, Ayero’s eyes narrowed as she strained to see as far as she could in front of her. Her vision was obscured by the smog and ash. She was on full alert, wary of being suddenly attacked by something cloaked by the ominous mist.


About a third of the way over the bridge, Ayero was able to make out a hazy figure in the fog. She nearly hissed, re-establishing her grip on Gyatso as she slipped Vittoria over her left arm. The Fanalis woman glanced at Azix before continuing forward, her steps cautious and her eyes glued to the figures in front of her. As they covered more distance, the fuzzy silhouettes became clearer. An ugly man-beast and a dog.


Eyes focused forward, Ayero spoke to Azix in a low tone. ”Let’s approach. If they attack, we take them down.” Ayero advanced forward, intently reading the man’s body movements as something about the situation told her that the ugly man and his dog did not want to talk. Her suspicious were proved to be true when the Guard launched a flurry of stones and earth towards her and Azix. Tsk.


Her left hand flew to her chest plate, reaching between her breasts and producing a revolver. Feeding her magoi into the weapon, Ayero activated the magic tool and used Fuego to launch a 15m flame phoenix, the firey construct clashing with the burst of rocks launched from the Guard.


The snake at Ayero’s waist began to stir during the scuffle, his large red eyes focusing on their opponents. As soon as the phoenix died down, Kabu opened his mouth and let out a  hiss, launching four wads of acidic spit, two each aimed for the Guard and two for the Lava Hound.


[245/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 6/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 16/20]

Spoiler:

As Azix stepped out of the portal and into the Midway, he found himself at the foot of a bridge. A river of molten rock traveled beneath the bridge, carrying noxious fumes with it. A thick fog surrounded them, preventing them from seeing beyond the bridge. When Ayero suggested dismounting from their carpets and walking, Azix nodded. Wrapping the carpet around his waist, he followed behind Crimson Fang with his wand at the ready.

Before they made it across the bridge, Ayero appeared to tense for a moment as she tried to make out something in the fog. Cautious, the pair continued across the bridge until they saw a large, hideous man with a wild-looking dog. The orange magician gave Ayero a stiff nod, not wanting to take his eyes off the potential threat ahead, when she suggested they wait to attack. In previous dungeons, not every being that appeared was hostile, so he thought it was good idea to wait to hold back until they knew for sure.

As pleasant as it was to hope for a friendly face, that wasn't the case. When they got close, the hideous man slammed his fist into the ground, launching rocks at the pair of contenders. Ayero was the first to react, producing a weird contraption from between her breasts. A large Phoenix was fired from the magic tool which crashed into the rocks, breaking them apart. With a flick of his wand, Azix muttered to the Rukh, creating a 20 meter sphere of strength magic that would form, centered around the man and his dog, crushing them under a field of increased gravity.

[260/380]
Cooldowns:
Kage Youshiki: 2
Clear: 2
Fiery Pendant: 5

Spoiler:

The Guard grunted as his Crush was destroyed by Fuego. It took nothing for he and the hound to move out of the way of the spit being launched towards them, the projectiles moving slower than he could move. After only a moment, though, the Guard felt something begin to press in on him and he used Guard to prevent the damage from Azix’s Gravity Crush and tried to save his Hound by using Crush again. Unfortunately, the ability did not hold up under the weight of Azix’ spell and the Hound was turned into a puddle of flesh and bone.

With a guttural growl, the Guard ran forward until he was within 5 meters of Ayero and attempted to strike the fiery-haired woman with Slice, his blade coming down with incredible force. His cry of rage reverberated through the area, alerting the other guardians of the dungeon of intruders. If Ayero and Azix had hoped to have the element of surprise, it was gone now.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]

Kabu hissed in mild annoyance as his projectiles were avoided, hoping that he could have been of more use to Ayero and Azix. Thankfully, the magician worked well with his Fanalis partner and produced some sort of gravity spell while Ayero dealt with the incoming rocks.

Ayero braced herself as the Guard lunged towards her, raising Vittoria on her left arm to block his Slice. The bronze shield vibrated with the heavy impact, but fulfilled its purpose in keeping Ayero protected from the enemy strike. As sword met shield, Ayero took this opportunity to lash out at the Guard’s midsection with a slice using Gyatso, hoping that her blade would find the ugly man’s flesh.

[245/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 6/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 16/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]

Azix frowned, while the dog had been defeated by his spell, the Guard managed to survive. Before the orange magician could try again, the Guard rushed forward to attack Ayero. Not wanting to catch his partner in the spell, Azix had to wait for an opening. The opening soon came after the Guard's sword slice struck Crimson Fang's shield. With a flick of his wand, Azix sustained Gravity Crush, angling the sphere so that it would catch the Guard while not quite touching Ayero or Azix in the process. Hopefully, his spell would be successful this time, as the orange magician was already starting to feel fatigued. If Azix had to guess, he had burned through over a third of his magoi reserves and they still had two more rooms to go. They had yet to find the portal to escape this room, either.

[240/380]
Cooldowns:
Kage Youshiki: 1
Clear: 1
Fiery Pendant: 4

Spoiler:

The Guard grunted as his attack met a shield before, suddenly, a crushing force pressed in around him. He was unable to move as Ayero’s slice came for him and the combination of her attack and Azix’ spell sent him the way of his Hound. The way was now clear to continue on beyond the bridge. Above their heads, they would be able to hear other creatures stirring and calling out into the noxious mist, but nothing immediately made itself known.

The pair would be free to wander and examine the surroundings, rocky crags sticking up from the ground and bubbling pools of lava and fumes scattered about. The visibility remained reduced, making it difficult to try and judge if there were any other enemies around and the constant echoing cries would keep the pair on edge. They would make it about another 10 meters before they might notice an odd sound behind them of stone crushing and rolling. If they were to turn around and look, they would find only two round boulders, approximately 1 meter around innocuously resting near a bubbling cauldron of molten stone. If they continued to walk, the rolling sound would come again and if they turned very quickly, they might notice the same two rocks were stationed about five meters from them. This would continue until the pair had traveled about 30 more meters, when a gravelly sounding voice would appear behind them.

“What do you think Tim?”

“Well, Tum, I think she is the most attractive thing to wander into this place in a long time.”

“I agree, Tim, but what is that… thing with her?”

“I don’t know, Tum. Maybe one of them ma-jee-shans? Psh, usless creaturs.”

The two round stones would reveal themselves to be two very round, very talkative stone constructs. The pair would make no effort to attack the adventurers, seemingly happy to chatter to each other as the adventurers walked.

“Tim, do you suppose she would wanna be my rock-wife?”

“Tum, you dolt, she can’t be your wife and mine.”

“Well, now, Tim, why do you get the pretty lady?”

“Because I am the more attractive of us, Tum, of course. But that is only if they survive the bats…”

The banter between the two would be the only warning Azix and Ayero received as, in the mist, loud screeches could be heard, almost immediately followed by a billowing mist that would move to surround the adventurers. Twelve meters directly above them, four Lava Bats were using Billowing Mist to create an inescapable flow of noxious gas around Ayero and Azix. Each of the four bats were pointed in a slightly different direction, each about 6 meters apart from one another, to create a cage of mist that would leave the pair with only a one meter area in the center that was free from the mist. If they took a moment, they would notice the stone constructs were standing in the middle of the mist and were not suffering in the slightest.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]

Ayero grunted as she felt her blade rip through the Guard’s torso, the combination of both her and Azix’s attacks ripping their opponent apart. Once the ugly man had been successfully felled, Ayero turned towards Azix, assessing her partner’s status and arching a brow. ”You alright?”  The woman’s tone was stern as per usual, but the fact that she asked at all meant that she cared for her companion.

Their path now clear, the pair continued deeper into the dungeon. The sound of clattering stones reached Ayero’s ears, causing her to turn around sharply. With a suspicious gaze, the Fanalis scanned the area before facing front, finding nothing out of the ordinary. That was, until an unknown voice sounded from behind them. Startled, Ayero whipped around, blade held at the ready only to witness a pair of…boulders speaking like humans. After she got over her initial shock, she realized that they were talking about her.

Oh. Oh. A scowl began to twist along Ayero’s face, not liking the situation the further it continued. How dare these creatures talk about her while she was standing right there?! She was about to give them a piece of her mind when a chorus of screeches pierced the air.

Tsk. Ayero frowned, glaring at the great pillars of smoke that curled around them. Swinging her right arm in a windmill motion, Ayero attempted to Veer the noxious smoke to the right, away from her and Azix so that the pair would have more room to move. Once the smoke had been cleared, Kabu would aim two spit wads at the two bats closes to them, while Tomato aimed two feathers at the other two bats, one projectile at each.

[215/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]

Spoiler:

Azix exhaled softly and wiped the sweat from his brow once the guard collapsed onto the ground, crushed from the force of the gravity spell. He glanced at Ayero and gave her an encouraging smile when he heard the screech of an animal above them, hidden in the cloud of noxious fumes. Azix peered up, searching for the source of the sound. When he didn't see anything, Azix shrugged and pushed on ahead, keeping his guard up just in case.

As he walked forward, the magician observed his surroundings. While it was hard to see very far in front of them, he was still able to note the barren landscape, broken up by pools of bubbling magma strewn about. Azix groaned, 'A change of scenery would be nice... As nice as that would be, especially to get out of the heat, the magician didn't expect it would change anytime soon.

Azix spun around when he heard a voice, his eyes falling on a pair of rotund stone-creatures. He leveled his wand towards the strange, gravely-sounding creatures with a suspicious glare, but he stopped short of casting a spell. It seemed Tim and Tum were more interested in appreciating Ayero's beauty than causing them harm. Azix started to turn around and ignore them, when they made a comment about 'ma-jee-shans' being useless and began fighting over who would claim the Fanalis.

Azix flashed them an annoyed look and pointed at the one named Tum. "Are either of you fathers? No? Then I'm afraid you won't have a chance, no matter how rock hard your abs are." Shaking his head, Azix turned around and nudged Ayero to continue.

He barely made it three steps when he heard one of them mention surviving something. Azix arched his brow, 'Bats?' Just as the thought crossed his mind, loud screeches erupted above his head. He looked up in time to see the mist falling around him and an icy sensation shot up his spine. 'Shit! Is that poison?'

Thankfully, Ayero was  quicker than him and began spinning her arms, creating a whirlwind of air that pushed back the mist. Taking advantage of the opening she provided him, Azix raised his wand, calculating the number of enemies by their screeches and their relative positions. With a few hushed commands to the Rukh, Azix sustained his Gravity Crush spell, aiming the twenty-five meter diameter sphere at the center of the creatures. It would be wide enough to catch them, assuming they didn't move, but the orange magician was counting on Ayero's pets to back him up.

[220/380]
Cooldowns:
Fiery Pendant: 3

Spoiler:

The Lava Bats were swerving and spinning in the air, waiting to see the reaction of their prey to the Billowing Mist. When Ayero used Veer to blow the mist to the side, there was a cacophony of screeches echoing through the mist.

“Awww, Tum, the bats are angry…”

“Well, Tim, they aren’t used to their dinner being smart.”

“Tum, did you hear what that man said? He said we had rock hard abs!”

“Huehuehue, flattery will get you nowhere, wand-wielder! The Magmama will be ours!”

Kabu and Tomato’s basic attacks were not enough to keep up with the speed of the bats and the creatures ducked around them with impressive aerial acrobatics, but Azix’ Gravity Crush could prove to be problematic. Without thought, all four of the Lava Bats used Hardened Wings to shrug off the crushing pressure. Two of them decided to target Azix, each using Dive to shuttle down, the Bats a mere half a meter apart, trying to trap the magician between their razor-sharp wings. The other two bats used Billowing Mist again, this time centering their attack on the adventurers before also using Dive in a similar technique to their brethren, focusing the edges of their razor-sharp wings on Ayero.

“Tum, they might hurt our wife!”

“Don’t worry Tim, our wife is a smart one, she will figure it out… that man, though, he should be more than meal enough for those greedy bats…”

Tim and Tum watched the battle, hoping their 'wife' would survive the attacks of the bats. They could not care less about Azix being in peril, knowing the man would only try to talk Ayero out of being their companion.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]

Ayero wouldn’t notice that the LavaToms continued to talk about her, though the sound of their voices still registered in the back of her mind. The Fanalis woman was less focused on finding a husband at the moment, her attention geared towards eliminating the hostile bats that had swarmed over her and Azix.

Ayero sustained Veer, windmilling her right arm rapidly while holding her shield up with her left arm. The breeze it generated would be more than enough to blow the noxious smoke away from her and Azix, and the shield served as an obstacle between her and the bats, should they decide to use the smoke as a cover to attack. Once the smog had been cleared, Ayero kept her shield raised, but moved her right arm behind the bronze barrier. She waited until the bats drew closer, mindful of their speed, before lashing out with Pinwheel Blade once they were within striking distance. The red-haired warrior would spin in a circle, blade held up so as to slice through anything it made contact with. Her sword remained raised during this movement in case any more attacks came her way.


[170/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]

CD:
-Veer (5)
-Pinwheel Blade (5)
-Fuego (3)

Spoiler:

The bats that Tim had spoken of dove out of the mist, revealing that Azix's spell had been ineffective. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, the magician flicked his wand toward the two bats heading towards him and whispered hurried commands to the Ruhk. Black and orange Ruhk fluttered around Azix as he cast Lucian's Rage, followed by Bend. A ten meter wide beam of light formed a feet feet above his head which shot towards the bats. A tiny translucent ball traveled behind the beam, which expanded upward until it was ten meters wide, catching the bats within its influence. Inside the sphere, gravity was altered so that anything within would be pulled in two separate directions.

Meanwhile, Azix overheard the Lavatom's discussion, registering it in the back of his mind. 'If they get any bolder, Ayero might have to worry about her virtue. Well, whatever is left.'

[160/380]
Cooldowns:
Fiery Pendant: 2
Bend: 5
Lucian's Rage: 5

Spoiler:

Tim and Tum watched the events unfold before them. As the Lava Bats dove, their Mist was diverted by Ayero’s Veer and by the time they were diving, it was too late to change tactics, their Dive destroyed by her Pinwheel Blade. Azix’s pair of Bats were also unsuccessful, they attack destroyed by Lucian’s Rage. When the magician cast Bend, all four of the  would be caught in the mysterious gravitational forces and their bodies were shredded.

The sound of rocks smashing together could be heard behind them and if they turned, they would find the source to be Tim and Tum clapping with their rocky bodies.

“Our Wife is safe, Tum!”

“I see that, Tim. It looks like that man with her is not totally useless. Perhaps his stones are made of stone, like ours.”

The two LavaToms would roll closer to Ayero, both looking up at her with worshipping eyes, the rest of their odd features twisted into what might be called a smile.

“We must roll, our magma-ficient wife!”

“And not just because you have us all hot and bothered. Hurry before you attract something else.”

“Yeah, we have dibs on wifing you.”

Tim and Tum would begin rolling at an incredibly fast speed. If Ayero and Azix chose to follow them, they would find the pair were leading them to the portal, a dim visage in the distance.

Combat Details:

[PROXY NOTE: Any distances not established by the player will be assumed by Proxy. Please post within 48 hours.]