Eligos: The Necropolis/The Chamber

The Necropolis was a scorching, miserable temperature, the heat pressing in around oppressively. While the other rooms had most certainly been warm, it was nothing compared to the Necropolis. Rivers of molten stone flowed between the remains of what appeared to, at one time, be an incredible city. Crumbling structures lay in ruin and rubble, scattered through the expanse of the Necropolis. The heat was incredible, coming in never-ending waves. Nothing was flying here, in fact nothing was moving here. It looked like there was nothing here. The heat was too much for any beast to try and fly, it was too much to try and sprint, and if anyone were to try and take out their carpets, they would find that the material caught on fire. While it would not harm the material, anyone trying to ride the magic tool would find themselves harmed by the flames. The only option was to trudge across the fiery wasteland.

---

Eligos watched from the safety of his Chamber as Ayero and Azix would move from the Midway to the Necropolis, interested to see how the pair fared in the unfriendly environment. The other adventurers would not be too far behind but Ayero and Azix would have the room to themselves, at least for a bit. Perhaps alone was not quite accurate, as Tim and Tum would appear next to the challengers.

---

The pair of rock constructs were cackling in what could only be giggles, though the sound was like rocks scraping on each other. It seemed Azix’ joke had struck their funny bone… er… stone…

“Gneiss butte, Tum. Hue hue hue.”

“Tim, I think I am starting to warm up to this fella. Think we can wife him, too?”

“But he is a boy, Tum…”

“Oh… well then… are ya sure, Tim?”

“Fairly certain, Tum. But maybe the Guardian is lonely. She will know what to do with them. I hope she lets us keep our wife.”

The pair would begin to roll forward, though even their rolling had seemed to slow and, in their wake, small globs of sticky lava were left behind in a trail, their version of ‘sweat’ as they moved. Even they were not immune to the incredible heat of the room.

Combat Details:

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

As they crossed the portal into the next room, the first thing Ayero would notice was the scorching heat that nearly made her drop Azix. My Ilah… The intense heat caused the woman to break out into a sweat nearly instantly, her first reaction being to remove any excess clothing. The cloth that covered part of her waist came first, partially to help alleviate the feeling of being clothed. ”This is way too hot…” The Fanalis woman would grumble as she used the cloth to tie up her hair, desperate to get the red strands off of the back of her neck where they would only trap more heat.


As she finally took stock of her surroundings, Ayero would feel her stomach begin to twist. Throughout the dungeon she had pushed aside the feeling of dread deep in her stomach, but now it seemed far too strong to ignore. She found herself surprised that she was thankful for the banter of Tim and Tum, the strange rock creatures lightning the mood a little whether they aimed to or not.


Watching the rock men roll off once more, Ayero jerked her head in their direction before looking over at Azix. ”Well...I suppose we should go and meet this “Guardian”. Any idea what she could be?” Ayero shrugged and began following the lava trail, careful to avoid stepping in them as she did so.

[170/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]
[Damage to Ayero: D-tier]
[Damage to Kabu: D-tier]
[Damage to Tomato: D-tier]

CD:
-Veer (3)
-Pinwheel Blade (3)
-Fuego (1)

If the Djinn had wanted to personally crush Azix's dream of getting out of the heat, it had done a good job. When Azix was deposited into the Necropolis, he was met with an unbearable wave of heat that nearly drained his will to continue on. Similar to Ayero, the magician had to take a moment to remove portions of his clothing. First, he removed the items secreted in the hidden pockets of his cloak before tossing it into the lava. After finding pockets in his pants to store the items, Azix pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the lava as well.

By the time he had finished stripping as much as he dared, Azix was covered from head to toe in sweat. For a person who despised bodily fluids, the sensation made him rather queasy. The looming threat of powerful creatures, yet to be seen, was an adequate incentive for him not to dwell on the dripping beads of perspiration. Looking around, Azix was reminded of the ancient crumbling city in Cimeies' Necropolis. Instead of the stench of rotting flesh and disease, rivers of lava ran rampant through the city.

The magician wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Ayero, watching the Lavatoms roll away. "I'm not sure. On the third floor of Cimeies, Garret and I were given a test. Maybe this "Guardian" will do the same. We should still be careful, the enemies should be a lot stronger from now on."

Azix groaned when Ayero followed after the Lavatoms. He didn't find the prospect of walking in such intense heat enjoyable, but it was better than fighting. With a heavy sigh, Azix chased after the Fanalis, wand at the ready.


[160/380]
[D-Tier Damage Taken]
Cooldowns:
Bend: 3
Lucian's Rage: 3

The scorching heat would press in as Ayero and Azix wandered through the crumbling waste, ruins left from what used to be Alma Torran. The rivers of lava had them on a winding path through the ancient buildings. There was no evidence of anything alive, aside from the LavaToms slowly rolling ahead of them. Even the two creatures were relatively quiet with only random grumblings and the creak of stone on stone as they rolled.

The buildings around them were a testament to the great civilization that had once existed here, though it was long abandoned and empty. The ravages of the heat were showing themselves, the ground having no evidence of any type of moisture. It was cracked, the deeper fissures beginning to fill with lava. Dry dust whipped around, sticking to the sweaty bodies of the adventurers. In the distance, about 80 meters ahead, they would see a tall structure, seemingly immune to the ravages of the heat. It was the only building in the whole of the Necropolis that was not slowly falling into disrepair. It would still take a bit of time to reach the building, as running was simply out of the question, but it seemed to be the best hope. As though to support this, the LavaToms began to slowly turn their roll towards the building.

---

When Merrze and Lagi would appear in the Necropolis, their companions, Tem and Tam, would appear beside them. The two seemed eager to have arrived in the Necropolis and to find evidence of their ‘siblings’ left by the small lava trails.

“Why Tam, I do believe Tim and Tum are here!”

“I think you are right, Tem. Let’s see if we can’t find them!”

The two LavaToms would begin rolling, leaving behind sticky lava in their wake, the two construct sweating molten stone from the heat. The beast companions of the pair would not be immune to the heat, either, everything suffering damage from heat exhaustion. It would be too dangerous to risk riding the beasts, lest it further their exhaustion, and running was out of the question.

Combat Details:

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

Please make sure to include all damage taken and ammunition used, along with a magoi/stamina count. There is no refresh by entering the Necropolis.]

After entering the portal Lagi was starting to suffer some excruciating pain from heat exhaustion and the time that it would take for, him to get around to healing his leg. His leg was the main priority for the time being, and it was a good thing that he rode on el drago 's tail as the dragon did the walking for now until his leg was healed. However, it didn't necessarily stop him or orie from receiving some heat exhaustion for the time being. " Huff puff... between this pain and the heat its simply taking too much of a long time. And running is out f the question. however, stopping and frying is out of the question either....." Lagi would say as he groaned in pain for a bit , his leg starting to heal at least a bit at a time. "Merrze.... i'm not mad... i'm just realizing more and more that i might actually die here, and the injury didn't help, and its really starting to piss me off. Ok ..so i am mad, but ill get over it, your djinn is only ahead. For all the pain and the bullshit, make sure that we don't walk out of here empty handed, you need to be the king candidate here. Alright.... J-just..... win... that's it......"

El drago also received some of the heat damage, and was just as injured as Lagi, but he could last a bit more.

Damage- El Drago (B) and D rank heat exhaustion
Temporary damage till heal Lagi (B rank, shattered leg will heal next round) D rank heat exhaustion
Orie- D rank heat exhaustion


250/350

Dragonic parry- 4 posts
Vertigo inducement- 6 posts
Snap shockwave- 6 posts
Angelic bow basic shot- Cleared for use
Lightning god blast- 3
Duality- Post 4

Ammo- 11/15 Ammo left "Lagi"
orie- Full ammo 15/15

OOC- i cant walk with a shattered leg, so if its permitted, i would like to continue riding on the tail before ei can actually walk again.

As Azix wandered alongside the path left behind the Lavatoms, he couldn't help but notice that the heat was taking a toll on his body. With the earlier exertions in the dungeon, the orange magician found that placing one foot in front of the other had become somewhat of a chore. He licked his chapped lips and wished for a refreshing drink of cool water to clear his parched throat. The only thing that kept him moving forward was the knowledge that they were nearing the end of the dungeon and the ever-present threat of danger. Somewhere out there, a hidden enemy could be waiting to strike.

In an attempt to keep his mind off his aching muscles, the magician examined the ancient buildings that they traveled through. He tried to imagine what they would have looked in their full glory, without the crumbly bits and lava flows. He wouldn't have to imagine for long. A tall structure loomed in the distance, untouched from the ravages of time, an alien sight to behold. Azix furrowed his brow and passed a grunt of warning to Ayero, pointing to the building. It was simply too hot to use proper words. With determined steps, he clenched his wand tighter, worried about what could be inside and headed towards the tall structure.

---

[160/380]
[C-Tier Damage Taken]
Cooldowns:
Bend: 2
Lucian's Rage: 2

When she walked into the Necropolis she was overwhelmed by the heat, it felt as if she was going to be cooked alive in the dungeon. She knew it wouldn't help much but she took off some of her leather armor so she could be a little more comfortable but of course it still felt as if she was frying essentially. When the fanalis heard the king speak she simply nodded, it was too hot so she didn't want to speak much right now unless it was absolutely necessary. Since they were going to keep walking forward following the trails and lavaToms they would be getting hotter in a shorter amount of time from exerting energy. She wondered what would await them ahead of this room and if they would be running in to the others soon.

She wiped her brow and looked around at the desolate environment, she wondered if this was anything before it was some sort or ruins. Maybe it was a town or something, while she was curious they did not have much time to waste so she would just continue walked following the trails and seeing where it would end up taking them, maybe they would find the exit soon.

Magoi: 135/250
CoolDowns: Earthen Force- 4 posts
Merrze- D-tier damage
Fluffy- 1 B-tier damage and 1 D-tier damage.

Ayero grunted as the sweat from her forehead ran into her eyes, squinting as she rubbed at her face. The heat in this part of the dungeon was suffocating and she could feel it begin to suck the life out of her. She glanced over at Azix to see how the man was faring, beginning to feel the signs of heat exhaustion herself. Kabu writhed gently around her, the snake not immune to the intense heat and Tomato perched herself on Ayero’s shoulder, the bird overheating as well. Ayero felt a pang of sympathy for her beasts but was proud of their loyalty, sticking with her though the dungeon for as long as they have been.

Desperate to leave this hellish chamber, Ayero narrowed her gaze as she scanned their surroundings, hoping in vain to catch sight of the next portal. We haven’t encountered anything yet… The fact didn’t sit well with the Fanalis warrior, and she tightened her grip on her blade.

She was able to make out a tower in the distance, seemingly untouched by the scorching heat. All she could do was grunt, finding herself too sluggish to waste any unnecessary energy.

[170/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]
[Damage to Ayero: C-tier]
[Damage to Kabu: C-tier]
[Damage to Tomato: C-tier]

CD:
-Veer (2)
-Pinwheel Blade (2)

Tim and Tum continued to roll before suddenly freezing, their stony faces turn upwards as Ayero and Azix approached within 20 meters of the tower. From above, the flapping of strong wings could be heard. Seemingly unaffected by the scorching temperatures, a figure descended to land within 10 meters of Ayero and Azix. The feminine figure would look between the adventurers before looking at Tim and Tum expectantly.

“Guardian, we have guided them to you. They are strong.”

“Fierce, even.”

“Yes, strong and fierce! Even him, with his silly wand…”

The Guardian would raise an eyebrow and the two constructs would roll to the side, knowing better than to interfere with the test of the Guardian. While they could not be killed, she could be a cruel mistress and the two still felt pain. The Guardian seemed to appraise the pair before speaking. Despite her vicious appearance, her voice was soothing, like honey and a cool breeze.

“You two have fared well. This is your test. You may proceed if you are able to land a single strike on me. If you do, you will be allowed access to the tower. In the tower, you will be refreshed from any damage inflicted by the scorching heat of this room. But only those that manage to strike me may gain entrance.”

The words were the only warning the Guardian would give before displaying that she did not intend to be passive in accepting any damage, immediately moving forward and using a basic attack to swing her whip aimed for Ayero’s midsection. The heat of this room was the real test, but that did not mean the adventurers would escape her molten whip.

---

Tam and Tem rolled forward, pausing for a moment as the view of a large tower approached in the distance.

“I say, Tam, we are nearly there!”

“Indeed, Tem. Maybe the Guardian will be kind enough to cook our dinner for us.”

Lagi and Merrze would have to continue at their painfully slow pace, but a glimmer of hope was in the distance, the unscathed tower looming 80 meters ahead. As they trudged, they might come close enough to glimpse the challenge that awaited them.

Combat Details:

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

Please make sure to include all damage taken and ammunition used, along with a magoi/stamina count. There is no refresh by entering the Necropolis.]

After a while, Lagi was able to walk once more, starting to finally feel his leg again but it didn't do anything for the heat exhaustion. " Pfft" I can walk now... but still..." Lagi would say as he jumped down and rubbed his head. This freaking place was the pits, all he could feel is the heat of the place. El drago was pretty much fine for the time being, but the still had to deal with the distance. Though, lagi would give a devilish smirk to the two boulders that claimed hat they were going to be cooked dinner. " I just thought of a pretty cool attack, how about i toss you guys at that guardian over there as a distraction? Sounds fun?" Though El drago would scold Lagi. "Lagi, enough already... were all tired and frustrated try not to take it on people that don't need to be our enemies for once.

"El drago was starting to pant a bit, it was getting to the dragon. "Orie isn't feeling well......" LAgi would say with a frown as they continued to walk.

Damage- El Drago (B) and C rank heat exhaustion
Lagi- C rank heat exhaustion
Orie- C rank heat exhaustion


250/350

Dragonic parry- 3 posts
Vertigo inducement- 5 posts
Snap shockwave- 5 posts
Lightning god blast- 2
Duality- Post 3

Ammo- 11/15 Ammo left "Lagi"
orie- Full ammo 15/15

Azix was thankful when the Lavatoms rolled to a stop, but the relief was only momentary. All of a sudden, a tall figure landed six meters away. This must be the Guardian of the dungeon... He stared at the molten mistress, his fingers clutching the gnarled wood of his wand as he quickly formulated a plan. Thinking she would strike immediately, he was taken aback when she issued a challenge. We only have to hit her? That shouldn't be too hard...

When the Guardian swung her three-tailed whip towards Ayero, Azix went straight to the offensive. Ignoring his exhaustion from the heat, Azix used his Sakeru technique to boost his speed to that of a Fanalis and maneuvered around her to face her back. As he moved into position five meters behind her, Azix freed his hands by putting his wand in between his teeth before going Swiggity-Swooty on the cruel mistress' booty. While his arms extended to slap her rump twice, the magician's hair rapidly grew. Shaped like a spear, the growth of hair shot forward to pierce into her back like a Crazy Horse.

If, at any point, the guardian tried to attack him, the magician was prepared to use his already extending hair to block her attacks with Whiplash.

[70/380] or [40/380]
[C-Tier & D-Tier Damage Taken]
Cooldowns:
Bend: 1
Lucian's Rage: 1

Spoiler:

Ayero was surprised at seeing something humanoid in the dungeon, not having expected to see a creature in the form of a woman. Despite the heat exhaustion, the Fanalis met the fiery Guardian with flames of her own in her eyes, carefully watching the exchange between the rock beasts and the Guardian. She and Azix had already come so far, and she would readily accept any challenge given to her.

When the Guardian spoke, Ayero was slightly taken aback by her pleasant tone but honed in on her words. As she finished speaking, the Fanalis and her partner would be given no time to plan before the Guardian lashed out to strike. Reacting quickly, Ayero would swing her blade, effectively clashing with the Guardian’s whip. As Azix took off with incredible speed, Ayero charged forward with her shield held slightly upwards as if to block any incoming attacks.

I’ve got to watch out for that whip… Ayero eyed the weapon as she fed magoi into her blade. Before the Fanalis woman could retaliate, Kabu spat a wad of poison from his hold on Ayero’s waist towards the Guardian, attempting to Blind the foe. Regardless of whether or not his spit made contact, Ayero would lash out with a Cross Slash toward the Guardian’s waist. Should that strike not hit and cause the allotted damage, he Fanalis woman would follow this attack with a Swift Roll, moving to the side of the Guardian before springing upwards and stabling her blade forward in a Fierce Jab.

[120/290] or [70/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]
[Gyatso Damage: 80/400]
[Damage to Ayero: 1 C-tier, 1 D-tier]
[Damage to Kabu: 1 C-tier, 1 D-tier]
[Damage to Tomato: 1 C-tier, 1 D-tier]

CD:
-Veer (1)
-Pinwheel Blade (1)
-Blind (5)
-Cross Slash (14)
-*Swift Roll (3)
-*Fierce Jab (5)

Spoiler:

Merrze just walked ahead and wiped her brow as she saw the tower ahead, she was glad that they were finally reaching the end. The heat of the room was killer so the fanalis wanted to hurry up and get out, she would try to deal with it but she really didn't want to die by from being cooked alive essentially at least that's how it felt to her. The white haired girl was curious as to what was there and she started to make things out as she approached, it looked like the others had arrived and there was some sort of challenge ahead.

They looked like they were fighting something, she had no idea really what was going on besides that they were fighting. They could always help when they got close enough or she could attack the others so that there was no challenge but if possible she wanted to avoid fighting the others as much as possible, plus even though they could be weak they would have to deal with all three of the people ahead most likely. She was glad El Drago was some what sensible in terms of plan so she agreed with him.

"We leave them alone, depending on what we have to do or what happens as we get closer then we will assist in fighting this thing, just make sure not to be brash."

Magoi:135/250
Earthen Force- 3 posts
Merrze- C-tier damage
Fluffy- B-tier and C-tier damage

The Guardian gave a melodic hiss as metal kissed metal, her blade not reaching Ayero. Part of her attention remained on Azix as the man took off with frightening speed. As he attempted to strike her with Swiggity Swooty and Kabu struck out with Blind, Guardian retaliated with Whirlwind simultaneously clashing with both attacks, the twirling whip also reducing, but not nullifying the effect of Azix’ Crazy Horse. The hair pierced through her back, causing discomfort and making her wince. The man had passed his test.

As Ayero came in with her Cross Slash, the Guardian shot a molten gaze to the woman, using Lash to interfere with the incoming attack. Ayero’s blade would not reach her until the woman rolled to the side and sent a Fierce Jab towards her belly. The way the two adventurers worked together was definitely in their favor, overwhelming how many things the Guardian could pay attention to at once. As the blade slid into her side, the Guardian hissed again. With a growl and a hefty snap of her wings, Ayero and Azix would both be harmlessly knocked back a couple of meters as the Guardian held up her hands to pause the battle.

“You have both passed the challenge. As much as I am enjoying this fight, there are more challengers here and I must reserve some strength for them. Please find your way into the tower. I wish you luck on what lies ahead.”

She would motion behind her to the doors of the tower, Tum and Tim gleefully cackling as they rolled to the doors and held them open for Ayero and Azix. When they entered, they would find the stifling heat of the Necropolis gone, replaced with a refreshingly cool breeze. The room was large, approximately 30 meters across. In the center of the room, they would find a well with icy cold water. If they were to take a drink, they would find themselves revitalized and all of the damage caused by the heat exhaustion would disappear. At the opposite side of the room, the portal would beckon, though it would be best if they rested for a moment before advancing. Tim and Tum would happily join their entertainment in the room, eager to see what would happen next.

Outside, the Guardian would growl and crack her neck. It had been ages since she had fought a pair so well attuned to each other and she hoped the next challengers were even half as organized. She would beckon them forward, waiting until they stood within 5 meters of her to speak, her voice still carrying the soothing, sweet note from her conversations with Ayero and Azix.

“I offer you two the same challenge as those before you. You may proceed if you are able to land a single strike on me. If you do, you will be allowed access to the tower. In the tower, you will be refreshed from any damage inflicted by the scorching heat of this room. But only those that manage to strike me may gain entrance.”

With those words, she would immediately move to strike Fluffy with her whip in a basic attack, her injuries not showing and doing nothing to slow her down. With the number of extra beasts, she was moving to reduce the numbers of potential attacks.

Combat Details:

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

Please make sure to include all damage taken and ammunition used, along with a magoi/stamina count.]

El Drago swung his tail at  the whip at 25 m/s ,protecting fluffy from the intended damage due to his apparent A rank strength as a legend beast clashing with the supposed blow towards his beast companion. As well as the speed that he manages as a mighty dragon, there was also a good chance that he would of made it in time. In addition to that, El drago used Shock throne gatling, his strongest, move in order to provide some agressive offensive measures  that had to be answered  by the guardian. Even with defensive measures of the defensive stance  that  the guardian would take hypothetically in response to the attack. Regardless, the resulting actions of the dragon would of made for a fine distraction,  giving Lagi, Merrze, and fluffy a chance to act. Lagi didn't have enough time or energy to waste, he used bulk up speed in order to swing around to the right side, during the barrage assault of el drago, granting whole bodily movement of his arms and legs at 20 m/s. With the 5 meter distance, lagi would waste no time getting in close. He drew and tossed two kunai's at b rank speed, thrown a the midsection  of the guardian in conjunction of his  20 m./s dash due to bulk up speed gains, but that was nothing more than a distracting ruse in response to his actual attempt. Once lagi closed the distance, he would perform deadly strike a specialized move that he honed through being apart of the unity corp.  if successful, it would count as a strike, and giving a full paralyze to the guardian as well.  With the A rank capabilities of the attempted assault, even if tier breaked, the closeness of an enemy would give orie  a chance to fire off two acid bullets of ammo towards the guardian.

Lagi was hoping that he acted enough so that the real candidate would have a chance to act and get a hit in on the guardian.

Abilities used

Spoiler:

140/350

Ammo- 9/15 Ammo left "Lagi"
orie-ammo 13/15

Damage- El Drago (B) and C+D rank heat exhaustion
Lagi- C + D rank heat exhaustion
Orie- C + D rank heat exhaustion



Dragonic parry- 2 posts
Vertigo inducement- 4 posts
Snap shockwave- 4 posts
Lightning god blast- 1
Duality- Post 2

Oof. Ayero grunted as she was knocked back suddenly, scrambling to her feet as soon as she was able while refocusing on the Guardian. As caught up in the battle as she had been, Ayero was initially surprised to see the lava woman hold up a hand to stop the battle. As she spoke, the Fanalis woman gave another grunt and slid her blade back into its sheath. She slid her gaze over to Azix, checking to ensure that her partner had survived before meeting the Guardian’s eyes. She gave the other woman a brief nod in recognition of her great strength as a warrior before setting her sights on the tower.

A tugging sensation on her hair made her wince as she stepped forward. Twisting her head in confusion, Ayero found the source to be Tomato. The small red bird was huddled on her shoulder, talons digging into her back and nestled into her red hair. The annoyed look on Ayero’s face dropped as she noted how the heat must have been taking a toll on the young bird. A sympathetic frown settled onto her face as she tried to gently wrench the bird from her grip on her back.

”Come on now, it’s over. You did well.” Even though the bird hadn’t fought at this stage, she had been more than willing to help during their other battles in the dungeon. Ayero felt bad for subjecting her beasts to the unbearable heat, but there didn’t seem to be any way around it at this point. Ayero looked down at Tomato as she cradled the red bird in her arms, forcing a small smile on her face as she scratched the bird gently on the head. She reached down to give Kabu a few pats as well, appreciative of the snake’s help.

The Fanalis woman began moving again, giving a quick glance to the rock beasts as they held the doors of the tower open. She exhaled sharply through her nose, unsure of what foes that they would be facing next as they only seemed to be getting stronger. Worry began to creep into the back of her mind. The heat in that room was awful…will it only get worse?

The cool sensation of the tower nearly knocked her down in shock, her body unable to figure out how to process it initially. Inhaling deeply, the cool air filled her lungs and Ayero gave a heavy sigh of contentment. What a pleasant surprise. She really wasn’t lying. Narrowing her gaze, Ayero scanned the room to see if there were any signs of danger. A stone construct about 15 meters away caught her eye. Is that…a well?

Moving cautiously towards the well, Ayero found that her steps were gradually becoming quicker, her body eager to drink something after being subjected to so much cruel heat. Dipping her hand in the well, she nearly went into shock at the cold sensation of the water but lifted her hand to her lips anyway. As the liquid ran down her throat it cooled her body from the inside out and she began to feel her vigor returning. Ayero let out a refreshed sigh as she looked down, snorting with mild amusement when she noticed that Kabu had already begun drinking from the well.

She gingerly placed tomato on the edge of the well, using one hand to keep the bird steady and the other to scoop some water up for her. With an almost maternal gaze and gestures, the woman encourage the young bird to drink from her hand. Soon after ingesting the water, Tomato began to liven up and even began to start chirping happily again.

Leaning her body against the well, Ayero sighed and wiped some of the sweat and grease from her face against her arm. ”What do you say to taking a short rest?” She addressed Azix after clearing her throat. ”We’ve done really well so far. We should take a minute to breathe while we have the chance to.” As she spoke, she reached into her chest plate and produced a small bottle. Uncorking the vial, Ayero downed its contents, feeling the potion restore a good portion of her stamina.


Stamina: [70/290]→[215/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]
[Gyatso Damage: 80/400]
[All damage restored]

CD:
-Blind (4)
-Cross Slash (13)
-Swift Roll (2)
-Fierce Jab (4)

Stamina Potion:

Merrze was amazed by the guardian and was up for the challenge, it seemed like it would be rather exciting, she would want to fight with her with her sword under normal conditions but at the moment all she cared was getting past so she was only going to us the attacks that would be helpful in taking her out or at least landing a hit. It seemed like it would be a difficult task that would use up enough energy but if they all worked together in overwhelming her they would most likely be able to land a hit on the guardian and move on ahead.

The white haired girl would have tried to counter the attack but appreciated her teammate's assistance since he was looking out for her. Since the guardian was capable of human language she wouldn't be able to yell out a plan so they would have to work together based on each others movements. She noticed Lagi going to the right side of the guardian so the fanalis would move to the left of it with her pet till they were 5m away from it so that they were all similar distances apart. The fanalis would fire a stream of slime at it with her glove and would use her other hand to grab her lightning pendant to fire a bolt at it. Simultaneously she would have Fluffy fire two stone pellets at it to try and deal damage. Hopefully their attacks would be enough to land a hit on her.

Magoi:105/250
Ammunition: 5/15
Earthen Force- 2 posts
Merrze- C-tier and D-tier damage
Fluffy- B-tier, C-tier and D-tier damage

items used:

The Guardian fought well against two enemies attacking from two separate fronts, yet Azix and Ayero each managed to land an attack. With a flick of her wings, the Guardian generated a gust of wind that made the magician stumble backwards and halted the fight. The winged lava demon congratulated the pair on completing her challenge and gestured for them to enter the tower.

Azix glanced at his Fanalis partner and flashed an excited grin, as she whispered encouraging words to her beasts. Finally, they could get out of the oppressive heat. Urged by that fact, the magician hobbled into the tower as fast as his weary body would allow him. As soon as he stepped inside, the magician felt a blast of cool air caress his bare skin as his eyes fell upon a well in the middle of the room.

Cautious, the magician approached the well and peered within to find crystal clear water. His fingers tingled from the chill of the icy water as he cupped his hands beneath the surface and drew a drink. He brought his hands to his lips and poured the cool liquid into his mouth. It splashed against his tongue and rushed down his parched throat, sending a shiver through his body. Instantly, he felt some of his exhaustion fade as the effects from the heat waned. With a refreshing gasp, Azix turned to the Fanalis warrior when she asked for a rest. He gave a small nod and watched her drink the contents of a small vial she produced from her breastplate.

"Good idea." Azix muttered as he searched his pockets for a vial similar to the one Ayero had consumed. He found the potion he had purchased so long ago and uncorked it before greedily downing the liquid. It left a foul taste in his mouth, but he found his stamina quickly recovered. With a sour expression on his face, the magician pointed to Crimson Fang. "You have done a great job so far. Your beasts as well. Once we find the portal, the next room we should meet the Djinn. Are you excited?"

Suddenly, the Guardian's words came to mind. There are more challengers here... He had been too fatigued at the time to notice, but who else had made it this far? Was it Lagi and the woman with white hair? Azix frowned as he contemplated on how they would change the situation. How far behind were they? Would they beat the Guardian's challenge as quick as he and Ayero had? If Lagi and his friend had survived this long, how would they react if they were to catch up? There were too many factors to consider and it made the magician feel uneasy. They would need to find the portal quick...

[90/380] => [280/380]
[B-Tier Damage Taken]
[B-Tier Damage Healed from well]
[Stamina Potion Used
Cooldowns:
Sakeru: 3
Swiggity Swooty: 5
Whiplash: 5
Crazy Horse: 7

Spoiler:

The Guardian arched a brow as El Drago’s tail came out to clash with her whip only to follow up with a barrage of lightning cubes. She had not intended to use her block, but Drago’s excessive attack with Shock Throne Gattling required it. He was careless to use such an attack this close to the chamber, but it was his choice, she supposed. Quickly, she wrapped her wings around herself, her Wing Guard protecting her from the assault. Unfortunately, this prevented her from seeing Lagi move behind her to throw knives at her. The knives sliced into her back and made her wince. When he went to use Deadly Strike, she responded with Lash, protecting her from the paralysis. When Orie and Merrze both moved to attack her, Guardian used Whirlwind to deflect the basic attack from Orie while also defending her from the slime and lightning bolt from Merrze. It would, however, leave her open to the stone pellets from Fluffy.

The combined damage proved too much for the Guardian, she had only been able to remain standing this long because she had needed to complete the test. While the pair were not as organized as the previous opponents, their sheer numbers had overwhelmed her. She used her tired wings to throw all of her opponents back, knocking everyone back a few meters and holding up her hand as she stumbled to her knees. Her sweet, melodic voice drifted out, filled with pain as she looked at Merrze and Lagi.

“The way is open to the tower, you may both pass and refresh yourself of the heat.”

Tam and Tem grunted at the loss of their dinner but rolled over to the doors and opened them wide for the adventurers before seeming to take note of the people already inside.

“Tim, Tum!”

“Tam, Tem!”

“Awww, you got the hot one!”

“Yes, but yours looks delicious!”

The four stone constructs rumbled and grumbled together, enjoying their reunion. Merrze and Lagi were welcome to drink from the well in the center of the room, the icy cold water would remove all damage inflicted to their frail bodies from the oppressive heat. The cool, refreshing breeze in the tower would buffer away the heat, preventing any further heat damage. The adventurers were welcome to visit or they could simply refresh themselves and then make their way to the portal glimmering at the opposite side of the room. The portal would lead them to the final room, the Chamber, where the last of the challenges awaited them.

Combat Details:

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

Please make sure to include all damage taken and ammunition used, along with a magoi/stamina count.]

Lagi groaned a bit as he entered the tower and  noticed that Azix and Ayero was inside. he didn't really say anything to them, they were the competition. the first and the foremost thing was that lagi was instinctively trying to take care of the animals first before himself. " Orie, detach." orie popped up from his hands and Lagi flipped her in a cup of the water, Lagi would then proceed to get another for el drago to drink. 'Come on old man. " lagi would say as he poured some in el drago's mouth. After  a sudden gulp, El drago groaned. "I have a few hundred years on me, but i'm  still relevant you know?" afterwards lagi drank some himself and reattached himself with orie and she quickly slithered into his body. " ok, now..... lets.... chat..............." lagi would say with a pretty serious face as he eyed both ayero and azix.

"So ayero, i didn't really get the memo that you was going for this dungeon as well. you being a king candidate leaves reim pretty much set. i mean,  thats the usual purpose for a djinn, either for the people, country, or yourself. So whats your reason? i'm curious...is this about the shrouded isle?" After her answer,  he would look to azix. " I mean , after my djinn was destroyed by the contractor because i didn't want to play the role of bad lagi, believing in friendship and whatnot and helping eachother.  Sounds like crap, but i tried, then a giant fucking green cloud comes out of nowhere with some king candidate desperado, pretty manly looking,  shows up and tells us not to enter. You know who that could be? i mean it cant be you, you ... the guy who made me king of reim, the guys who i would back up whenever you need it. the guy whose life i saved. A guy who i considered as a 'brother' , it cant be you who tried to kill me,  right azix? is this all just a fucking coincidence or should we start fighting?

Though el drago waved his tail in front of lagi, keeping him separated. "Now now, we have no proof of that. You're probably suffering from latent heat exhaustion and its getting to you.  try calming  down and breathing deeply. " el drago was trying to calm his partner and be the voice of reason. ' Greetings Ms. shiba,  and kou ambassador, we came a great  to  ensure that merrze  can reach her destination, while being well protected. i hope you can pardon our intrusion if we are interrupting your conversation.

140/350

Ammo- 9/15 Ammo left "Lagi"
orie-ammo 13/15

Damage- El Drago (B)



Dragonic parry- 1 posts
Vertigo inducement- 3 posts
Snap shockwave- 3 posts
Lightning god blast- cleared for use
Duality- Post 1

Ayero turned her face toward Azix as the man spoke, noting how he downed a similar looking potion to the one she had. A small smile snaked across her face, both fatigue and confidence radiating from her features. ”Thank you for accompanying me, Azix. You’ve been a tremendous help in battle and guiding me though the dungeon.” The Fanalis woman squinted into the distance where the portal was, sucking in a short breath. Each subsequent battle had only increased her adrenaline. ”I’m excited. Impatient, even. We should go on ahead as soon as we are read—“

Ayero’s words came to a halt as another pair of adventurers entered the room, her eyes widening in surprise. ”So, they made it in after all. And what’s more, they’ve made it this far and still seem to be in good condition…they’re something else.” Despite the fact that Merrze and Lagi were their competitors, Ayero couldn’t help but feel a spark of pride at seeing the younger Fanalis woman come this far. Merrze could certainly hold her own as she had proven before, and Ayero felt a sort of kinship with the other Fanalis. But before either of the competitors could speak to each other, the beast tamer King spoke up.

Ayero arched a brow at Lagi’s words, the stoic Fanalis was nearly unable to keep her eyes from rolling into the back of her head. Lagi wanted to have a chat at now, of all times? Right when they were on the cusp of meeting the Djinn? Clearing her throat, Ayero addressed Lagi. ”I’m here to gain the power of the Djinn. If you don’t already have an idea why, then we could talk later, at length about my reasons. Perhaps at the palace? I assume that you’ll be staying there seeing as you are the head of state in Reim.”

After speaking to Lagi, Ayero would turn her head towards Merrze. ”We’ve both put our best into this dungeon. Let’s continue to do so.” With a nod of solidarity towards the white haired Fanalis, Ayero would turn towards Azix and tilt her head towards the other end of the room where the portal lay.

As the pair would approach the portal, Ayero would drop her voice low and move in closer to Azix so that only the pair of them could hear. ”Did you try to kill them?” When they drew closer to the portal, Ayero would reach out to touch it, preparing to be transported to the chamber.

[215/290]
[Tomato Ammo: 4/10]
[Kabu Ammo: 14/20]
[Vittoria Damage: 100/600]
[Gyatso Damage: 80/400]
[All damage restored]

CD:
-Blind (3)
-Cross Slash (12)
-Swift Roll (1)
-Fierce Jab (3)

Merrze walked inside the tower and immediately moved towards the source of water were she dipped her hands in to take a drink and she would have Fluffy drink from it it too. The pain from the heat exhaustion had left her body, it was so refreshing to be hydrated at the moment, the heat had been so killer that she was happy they had a moment to relax for a bit. It would be a good chance to rest for a bit but she was glad that she had made it this far. They were so close to the end, she felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the urge to continue was in her mind.

Even though she was her competition she was happy to see her fellow fanalis, she was one of the few people that Merrze had interacted with when she first came to Reim, she felt close to her as they had fought together on multiple occasions. A smile had occupied the space of the white haired girl's face, she wanted to speak to her but first Lagi had started to speak. He seemed quite enraged, she looked at Aye's partner and noticed it was Azix, she had not spoke with the man too much but he had helped her out twice and they had worked together once so she thought he seemed like a rather good guy. It would make sense for him to have been the man to attack him, but he most likely had his reasons, hopefully he wouldn't try to kill them again though.

"It's good to see you again, as you can tell I've undergone some changes but I can tell you some stuff about that after we finish this all up. As you've probably guessed by now I'm also here for the Djinn, I can say I couldn't have hope for a better opponent for this dungeon. May the better choice win, and Azix it's good to see you again I hope you've been doing well."

The fanalis wanted the djinn but she would not betray what she thought was right, she wouldn't attack the other two to get it unless they had initiated a fight with them first, hopefully Lagi wouldn't stir anything up. If anything she wanted to work together until the end when it was time for them to meet the Djinn, she had never been in a dungeon of course but she wondered how the person who got it would be decided if they both go to the end, would they be issued some sort of challenge, the warrior was curious to find out.

Magoi:105/250
Ammunition: 5/15
Earthen Force- 1 posts
Merrze- healed
Fluffy- B-tier

Azix laughed and dismissed Ayero's appreciate words with a wave of his hand. "You don't need to thank me. That's what allies do for each other." The magician met her gaze with a serious expression on his face. His statement served both as a reminder of the previous times they had fought together and that he saw this as a favor. While Ayero was his friend and he wanted to help her in her quest to obtain strength, he was also hoping to have another King Candidate on his side for the trials that lay in the shadows of the future.

There wasn't much more left to say and Azix began to walk towards the portal when he heard someone enter the room. The magician glanced at the portal with a sigh, before turning to look back at the two who had entered. His expression was blank as he gazed upon both Lagi and the white-haired woman he accompanied. He kept a tight grip on his wand, a precaution in case they decided to attack as he had at the beginning of the dungeon. For all his worry, both Lagi and Merrze displayed no signs of aggression, instead they immediately moved to sip the soothing liquid from the well, giving their beasts the chance to do the same.

As one would expect, Lagi didn't take long before announcing his displeasure at being attacked outside of the dungeon. Azix listened to the El Nagi's words, knowing he owed the man that much. After all, they had supported each other in the past. When Lagi was finished, Azix broke into a grin and walked around El Drago's tail to slap the man on the back playfully. "Kill you? I wouldn't dream of it, brother." The playfulness in Azix's expression faded and his tone grew cold. "That was meant as a warning and I gave you ample time to turn around. I intend to see Ayero wield the power of a Djinn at the end of this dungeon. I didn't want to have to come to blows with a friend to see that happen."

The icy glare melted after a few seconds and Azix chuckled, moving to stand by Ayero once more. "However, I see that Fate wanted both of you to make it to the end of the dungeon. Nor is it my place to decide who receives the Djinn's blessing. That will be decided in the next room. For now, I hope you accept my apologies for acting so rash."

With that, Azix strolled towards the portal, waving Lagi and Merrze to follow. When Ayero whispered in his ear, Azix smirked while shaking his head. "No. Like I said, i tried to warn them away." He replied in a whisper, loud enough for only her to hear. He left unsaid that he used the strongest magic given to him by Cimeies to do so. Following her across the room, Azix touched the portal at the same time Ayero did. 'It is time to see how the final act unfolds...'

[280/380]

Cooldowns:
Sakeru: 2
Swiggity Swooty: 4
Crazy Horse: 6

Azix and Ayero would find themselves sucked into the portal, their bodies moving through the abyss only to appear in a room that was completely unlike the tower they had just left. They would appear between two majestic gates with intricate designs carved into the onyx. At the end of the gates, fires burned brilliantly. The Chamber was not as hot as most of the dungeon, but it still looked like it had literally been carved into a volcano. Glowing lava could be seen through grates in the walls and fires lined a path to the other end of the Chamber. The room was massive, almost 100 meters in each direction, a path carved down the middle, lined in onyx. Along the walls and scattered around the room, piles of gold and items lay in a haphazard organization, the fire bouncing off the shining metals.

At the end of the pitch-black stone path, a massive throne stood with a small table in front of it. On the table floated a large orb and looking into the orb, a figure could be seen watching whatever the orb showed. At the appearance of his guests, Eligos would stand from the throne, skirting around the table with the orb, a horn in one hand and a spear in the other. He was covered in armor that appeared to be made of blackened steel and in the middle of his head was a third eye, glowing red and drawing attention to the horns sprouting from his head.


The Djinn would approach the pair of adventurers who had made it to his Chamber, a small smirk on his face. Within moments, all four of the LavaToms would blink into existence behind Ayero and Azix, the stone constructs immediately rolling forward to greet their creator, babbling and creaking in their special way. Eligos would come to a stop about 10 meters in front of Ayero and Azix, the stone constructs still rolling around him in circles and babbling.

“Your competition is slow.”

---

Merrze and Lagi would find themselves alone in the tower, abandoned by the other pair of adventurers and the LavaToms that had accompanied them thus far. The doors that led from the tower to the Necropolis slammed shut in a finalizing gesture, they had only two options. Remain in this room or touch the portal, but there was no telling how long the tower would remain standing. Even now, the sounds of creaking and crashing rocks could be faintly heard. The room was cramped still, even with Azix and Ayero having moved on. While the room was nearly 30 meters across, between Drago and Fluffy, much of the free space was occupied.

Lagi said nothing, he held in the majority of his feelings before they left the tower. After they left, Lagi rubbed his temples. "I have no idea what possessed you to go and play footsies with them. We were attacked, Azix admitted it. That move took a lot of magoi to break, and if i didn't have anything widespread, i wouldn't have been able to protect you or those Kou guards protecting the dungeon. you think you would've noticed something moving that fast? it was pure luck, i'm admitting that it took a ton of luck on my end, call it like it is merrze, it was an attempt on our lives, and yet you're so calm. ehh... fucking....."

Lagi mumbled to himself as he then entered the portal. El Drago looked at merrze and followed Lagi. "it's time for the final decision Young fanalis, let us hope you are not too late, or else all of this could be in vain. El drago also entered the portal.


140/350

Ammo- 9/15 Ammo left "Lagi"
orie-ammo 13/15

Damage- El Drago (B)



Dragonic parry- free to use
Vertigo inducement- 2 posts
Snap shockwave- 2 posts
Duality- free to use