(Untitled)

[immortal_lion]

Characters: Vincent Valentine, Lilisette, Rishfee.
Progress: Incomplete.
Summary: Yet another nasty emerges within Caedarva Mire.
Location: Deadmist Marsh, Caedarva Mire.
Date: May 24th.
Warnings: bitchiness, lamia, merrow, belly dancing, ickyickyicky, violence, screw the army just throw hellmasker at the undead swarm, transformations,

Comments

[futurefab]

The times Lilisette needed to employ stealth were few and far between, and she often shirked the duty onto someone else. She preferred rushing headlong into a battle without much thought to the outcome. In her mind she'd figure it out as she went, just as she had done with her whole life. But walk through the Mire was a different story entirely. She took the effort to tread carefully and quietly--which wasn't easy to do in heels in a swamp--and she kept herself close to Rishfee. If anyone knew the surroundings, he did; surely it was safer in his shadow.

While she could tell he wasn't thrilled to have company, she still couldn't quite understand why. At one point she had done things on her own, but she had quickly learned that it was better to do them in pairs. With more you had someone to watch your back, someone to catch you if you fell; she never wanted to live alone like she used to, no matter what she might become in the future. If she could ever find another tag-team partner, another family--anything--she would take it.

Maybe, in the end, Rishfee would be happy to have others beside him. She hoped as much. In fact, she would fight for as much.

Briefly she glanced back at Vincent, searching for assurance of his form in the swamp. Whether he caught sight of her or not she smiled, happy to have at least some form of an ally there. Even at night the mist hung heavily in the air, but she wasn't as frightened as she had been before. Now there were others beside her--even if it was begrudged company--and it made her feel nearly invincible.

Rishfee's surprise drew her attention back to him, and she followed the inclination of his head toward the tree. She had to crane her neck to see into its branches, but it was spectacular. Among the trees of the Mire it stood out like a sore thumb, and she wondered briefly how such a thing had even taken root there.

The hands that had been hovering by her daggers fell away as she moved forward, looking up instead of around her. This must have been what Mjrn had spoken of when she told her about the myrrh trees. Even if it was an unlikely place to be, she had come upon one sooner than she had expected.

How fortunate.

[chaos_vessel]

Something about the Mire seemed to make silence a necessity. No matter how many times he visited it, the place seemed to call for an ominous hush, a lack of sound, except for the frequent sounds of battle. No matter how eerie it might be, it was useful- all the better, that they could hear any enemies that might approach. Whether or not the silence was partially due to Rishfee didn't matter. He might feel better leaving Vincent and Lilisette behind, but Vincent much preferred being able to keep an eye on his companion. Being there to do something was better, in his mind, than staying in the camp and waiting.

So he walked with his bow in hand, ready to grab an arrow and fire, or even to take the gun instead, if the opponent managed to be more difficult. He saw Lilisette glance back toward him and smile, and gave a slight nod back at her, before turning his attention back toward the area around them- just in time to hear Rishfee's sound of surprise.

Finally, he broke the silence, walking up to join Rishfee and Lilisette, instead of serving as a rear guard as he had been. "What is it?"

[immortal_lion]

"You wish to know of the Lamiae?" he asked the girl, voice low. "They're vicious demonesses which are notoriously well known for their ability to track. They could put Mithran trackers of the Gha Naboh Matriarchate to shame with their sense of smell and doggedness. Put simply, if you were in Alexandria now, and one managed to catch your smell... you would not be safe. They have multiple classes, though are most known for ranged types. They command the Qutrub, and all of the other ghosts of the mire. Bhoots, Draugars... all of them were once living. But they fell to the Lamia, and were consequently eaten and reanimated to an eternity of servitude -- ended only with the death of the Lamia. You may do what you can - defeat a Draugar or a Bhoot time and time again. Yet it will always rise to serve it's mistress. That is the way of these things. The lamiae are well known for replenishing their armies with fallen soldiers of the empire.

Their sisters, the Merrow... Are well known for their enchanting voices. In fact, they make it sport to use their voices to lead sailors of any form into rocks and death. They do the same with those like us -- wanderers. They sing, and we follow. Any that follow-- try as they might not to-- die. Then they are reanimated by the Merrow from their watery graves, to fight alongside them until the merrow dies herself."

He turned to Vincent as he heard his approach. "I trust you will remember our first visit to the staging point... and the route we took to get there, over that marsh. That tree was not there at that point. It doesn't even look like a treant -- so it can't be anything to do with the mire." he responded, attempting to listen out to the voices of the ghosts of the mire perhaps for confirmation on the matter. This was where he really, really missed his linkpearl in addition.

"The voices of the mire are silent. Hence, they hope we will investigate, and they hope that harm will befall us."

...The voices of the Ephramadian fomor were silent. Probably out of spite. That was what concerned him. It was dusk. They should have been waking, and should have been starting to taunt and to attack. There was nothing for it. Rishfee moved forward, en route to the tree.

[futurefab]

"N-no worse than Corses, I'm sure," she asserted after Rishfee's explanation.

His voice among the silence of the Mire was more disconcerting than his words. She could stand beasts and their blind thirst for blood, but it was men that were often more frightening. A blue mage like Rishfee was the perfect example of such a fact. Lilith's Spitewardens had been the same way--able to think and act for themselves, and more frightening as a result.

Even so, though she was decidedly not afraid of the Lamia as Rishfee described them, she took a step back, toward Vincent. Even if she knew less about him, he was the lesser of the two evils. And, well... it was a brief excuse to edge closer to him.

"It's definitely not a treant," she chimed in, well acquainted with the species. "But--wait."

She hurried forward after the Immortal, if only so he wasn't the only one moving in. Hadn't he just alluded that investigating the tree would bring about harm? Well, no matter. She had been waiting to see one of these for quite some time.

"Mjrn told me about myrrh trees," she said as she neared it, still too hesitant to lay her palm against its trunk. "Isn't this one of them?"

[chaos_vessel]

Not that Rishfee and Vincent weren't similar- though Rishfee showed it more obviously, being a blue mage, and especially toward someone of his own world. He noticed the movement back toward him, and didn't comment on it, though he didn't move any closer, either. He hardly understood why she would think him to be any more comforting than Rishfee. He could be just as macabre, about the locations from his world. And Rishfee had the tendency to talk like this about dangers and horrors from his own world.

"It might be." Vincent commented, examining the tree. "I haven't seen one for myself." Nor did he have any chalice, though he had done his best to keep up-to-date about the various goings-on around Garland and the world, even if he doesn't take part in them. "Even if they are trying to draw us in, there's not much else to do but investigate."

[immortal_lion]

"Exactly." He responded, while making way to the tree, scimitar in hand. In his mind; it was obviously a trap. The mist throughout the mire was even thicker than usual this day; making seeing anything impossible unless you were to squint. But be it a trap; they couldn't do anything but go into it and react. Not tip-toe around and wait for the illusions to take them into it in unsound mind.

He walked upto the tree and then looked up into it's branches, drawing a hand to lightly touch one of the tree's fronds. Then he tilted his head slightly. A sound.. Mournful, sorrowful. Yet decidedly enchanting. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he walked around the enormous tree, tilting his head a little more to try and ascertain which location it was coming from.

"Listen..."

...Without realizing it, he was at the edge of the small island; looking into the water where all of the bodies from long ago still floated, half trapped between rocks, debris, and each other. It was coming... from down there. His eyes were somewhat dreamy, as he hovered a foot above the water.

"...Down."

[futurefab]

After Rishfee's scare tactics, Lilisette had stopped listening to him altogether. Just resting a hand against the tree was enough to feel the age and the power of the wood. It held life within it--some kind of sweet magic--but it was no deadly treant. No, this was beautiful and enchanting; were other creatures as drawn to it as she was?

When she lifted her head to locate her companions, the words she was going to say died on her lips. What was Rishfee doing? That manner of walking... The sound briefly hit her ears, seeping in around the sound of her racing heart. Mellifluous, harmonious, mystifying--Merrows?

"V-Vincent," she called out her warning before she sprang from where she stood. She leaped, ran, grabbed hold of the back of Rishfee's tunic and pulled him back. The sound was affecting her as well, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

"Idiotic Immortal, get a hold of yourself," she growled at him. "You grew up in this Goddess-forsaken land and yet you're the first to be drawn to a Merrow's call? Dolt, imbecile, good-for-nothing Imperial!"

She wanted to make him mad. She wanted to draw his attention away as swiftly as possible. And she needed her own distraction from that infernal noise.

[chaos_vessel]

Thanks to the locket Rishfee had given him, the sound had little effect on Vincent- he wouldn't truly have noticed anything wrong if it weren't for Rishfee's almost sleepy movements. As soon as he realized what was happening, he started forward with Lilisette.

Even as she grabbed Rishfee's tunic and pulled him back, Vincent slid to stepping between the water and the other two, drawing his bow taut and searching for the source of the sound. It was not immediately apparent, but he watched carefully. If the creature couldn't take Rishfee it would either try for someone else... or it would appear to them. Hopefully it would be the latter. The sooner they returned to the staging point, the better.

"Knock him out if you can't stop him." He ordered over his shoulder. With how dire Rishfee's warnings had been, he wasn't about to take any chances. With only two people, fighting one battle might be difficult, but fighting two would be even more so. More than that, he in no way wanted Rishfee to end up killed, even if there was a good chance that he would be revived at the Iifa tree.

[immortal_lion]

Thankfully, the more than slight dislike for the dancer that the Immortal harboured was put to good use. It was Lilisette's hands on him; her presence, her words which broke through the song -- and it resonated with concious thought (He absolutely despised being touched anyway.) enough to break him out of his daze. Enough to see Vincent's position and what was going to happen. He'd seen it before. Lamia were deadly above water-- yet they were lethal underneath.

"Move back!" He shouted, forgetting all about whatever the girl was screaming at him. But it was too late already. An enormous black-skinned lamia rose from the water amidst a torrent of stinking, dirty droplets. He'd never seen the like before -- she was bigger than any lamia he'd ever seen. Even bigger than Medusa. Her face was twisted; teeth pointed; skin scorched and scales even falling off in places -- and her clawed hand went immediately to Vincent's throat. He rushed forward; but he knew what was to happen. He'd seen soldiers attempt to hold onto any comrade which was in the same situation; reflex kicking in to stop a friend from going underneath. Yet in cases like that -- a lamia would not let go. She'd be more happy to save herself the hassle of drowning a victim and instead use the additional weight latched onto a victim to simply tear off his or her head.

...Yet still, he rushed forward, scimitars ready to strike her-- calculating his movements the best he could -- lest she decide to use her catch as a shield.

[futurefab]

Only once Rishfee called out did Lilisette stop yelling at him, and she turned in time to see the lamia reach for Vincent. Rishfee was completely forgotten as her daggers were pulled from where they normally rested. In a situation where her daggers could be lost forever, she normally would not have thrown them, but for Vincent it was a different story. She could stand to lose one of her most valued possessions if it meant saving him.

With Rishfee out of the way, she leaped up to dance. Her movements were rushed but still effective, and with the power of the Violent Flourish in her dagger she sent it sailing. If there was one thing she was sure of it was her aim--she had practiced for years to perfect such a talent since she used it in her shows. The dagger flew past Rishfee, catching the lamia in the upper arm that was not protected by armor.

Her stun effect might have been weakened from such a distance, but she prayed to Altana--if she was still with her--that it would be enough to free the man. Lilisette refused to lose someone else on her watch.

[chaos_vessel]

As soon as the water erupted and the Lamia appeared, Vincent attempted to both loose his arrow and leap back- yet the shot was too hasty, the creature was too close- he had made a mistake, he could see that long before her hang closed around his throat. He would have cursed himself for the mistake if he'd had the attention, or the breath to spare for it.

He could feel the Lamia's claws digging into his neck, but he did his best to ignore it. Instead, he raised his own claw, doing his best to dig the clawed fingers into the lamia's own hand, reaching for Cerberus with the other. He noted Lilisette's dagger slamming into the creature's arm, noted Rishfee approaching with blades drawn, but for the most part disregarded them. He couldn't warn them away when he was busy struggling with the monster.

And yet for all that, he wanted to. He could see bits of black darting at the edges of his vision- perhaps from losing air, but more powerfully, from the monsters inside of him. They wanted to be released, to fight, and he would not be able to hold them off. Perhaps Rishfee would know the signs of an upcoming transformation, from previous battles of theirs. Hopefully, they could cause the Lamia to release him- if not, there was no way that the demons would be held at bay.

[immortal_lion]

The lamia shrieked as the dagger indeed struck true, right into her shoulder. However Lilisette did it he didn't know, but the Flourish stunned her and caused the demonness to stop her attempts to rip Vincent's throat out with her claws.

There was something in the speed of which the situation had become so dire that caused the young Immortal to strike with the best he had almost immediately. When in a slightly more detatched state of mind -- probably after this, if they lived through it -- he'd curse himself for it. He'd took measures to avoid doing anything but scratching the surface of his power around the other.

Savage energies; almost a mist-- surrounded his human form as he closed upon the lamia from the edge of the water, slightly to the side of Vincent -- too close for comfort, he'd chide himself later- as he lept upward; slashing upward; against the lamia's flank. His leap was high, and he moved both scimitars into position as he started to ascend, cleaving the outstretched arm of the creature. The mist intensified and it almost appeared as if he had melted into the mist that rose from the stinking stretch of water itself -- disappearing instantly as he started to cast.

...He was too close to Vincent, he knew it. But thankfully, years of practise and suffering for his art had meant that his aim didn't falter. Three additional slashes to the lamia appeared to come from absolutely nowhere; the creature herself letting go of the other instantly, and the impact of the hits knocking her backward. Before she even hit the water; the mist that had surrounded the blue mage and now her appeared to crackle. then above her head; a sphere of bright light appeared, growing and growing dangerously and then finally exploding-- sending arcs of the purest light down unto her as she finally hit the water. She writhed and she screamed -- the light impaling the water even after she'd sank unto it.

...But something was wrong. Willing away the pain of casting, Rishfee lifted his head from his landing position and looked to the side.

"She's not alone! Get behind the tree!"

An arrow sailed past his head shortly after those words. Two others -- smaller, yet by no means any less intimidating, were approaching, hearing their sister's call.

[futurefab]

Lilisette scoffed when Rishfee told them to get behind the tree. The tree was what was valuable here, not them, but she did take a step back. Even as arrows flew at them she performed a waltz, healing the wounds on Vincent's neck now that he was freed. It would have been easier to deflect arrows with both of her daggers, but that nearly seemed like a lost cause now.

Following her waltz she led right into a samba of haste. It would not affect ranged weapons as the power surged through weapons, but it would help Rishfee do what he had just done again. Even she had to admit that she was impressed at that.

After jumping to avoid an arrow she pulled back, moving through the air as easily as she moved on the ground. Her heart was still beating loudly in her ears, but when she landed she only had to ready her defenses by preparing her Thorned Stance. Afterward she stood and waited, the muscles in her body coiled and ready to move as soon as the others attacked. She still had one good dagger, it would have to be enough.

[chaos_vessel]

Vincent could see the strike that Rishfee made on the Lamia, could tell even from blurred and distracted observation that it was a risky move to pull so close to such a vicious creature. It was also one that Vincent hadn't seen of Rishfee before. He'd rarely showed that sort of power before, not until he'd been struggling with the monsters inside of him some months ago. It might be enough to make him wonder later, when he had the time to be worried.

Instead, he simply pulled back as the Lamia released its grip on his neck, coughing for a few moments before breathing deeply despite the injuries to his throat. Lilisette's healing was welcome, and he spared a moment to send her a quick look of gratitude as he grabbed up his bow from the ground where he had dropped it.

He ducked away from the arrows, cloak whirling as he did, and shot back at them as soon as he could, maintaining the moderate distance between him and them for now.

[immortal_lion]

Battle was a mixture of fortune. More precisely, it was a test of how one percepted fortune. Either fortunately or unfortunately for Lilisette, her missing dagger was returned-- yet came with a rather angry (at this point) lamia. Not expecting the Light skillchain whatsoever, in true monster fashion she'd gone for the one which had damaged her most. Unfortunately, that was Rishfee, thanks to said skillchain. She circled the island with haste -- the deluge of arrows from her sisters at least keeping him busy enough to roll behind the tree -- attentions directed at Vincent.

She rose from the water in a blur, and moments later attacked the Immortal -- forcing him against the trunk of the tree as she bent over him, claws tearing enormous shavings, chips and bark off the thing -- a barrage to the Immortal between her and it. It wasn't pretty. He'd known this technique himself. He'd even learned it in the past. Vincent, should he have seen, would have perhaps recalled him using it as a favourite for the accuracy and multitude of slashes. But this...

...It was much stronger than what he remembered. The blue blood which flew at the attack hissed and fizzed upon the grassland as it landed; bubbling and emitting a vapor. Yet he didn't scream. It was all he could do to attempt to curl; to try and defend what part of him she was going for-- the torso. Disembowelment never really was a favoured way to die.

[futurefab]

While she had been dodging arrows with Vincent, Lilisette didn't miss the black-skinned lamia as it slithered out of the water once again, or the glint of her dagger in its shoulder. Thank Altana it hadn't fallen out in the water; that would have been a nasty swim to take. Whenever there was a break in their assault she leveled a Box Step at the lesser lamiae, building up the affects on the lamia so their defenses slowly dropped. Now that their leader had surfaced, though, she was much more interested in it.

Before she joined Rishfee she performed a Reverse Flourish, and it seemed a good thing. The lamia was bearing down on him, and she had just enough time to beat out a few waltzes, hoping the healing would keep him afloat. What he could really use, though, was the she-serpent finding a new target, and Lilisette was up to the task.

Without even pausing to think, she jumped from behind the lamia, her feet planting onto the tree well above Rishfee's head. As soon as Lilisette wrenched her dagger free of the lamia's shoulder, she turned the blades in her palms to slash an "X" at the beast, smooth beams of light appearing from their wake. As soon as it hit she used the tree as a springboard to jump back over the lamia's head, and as soon as her feet hit the ground she performed her Vivifying Waltz, both to offer Rishfee more healing and prepare another weapon skill. But as soon as she readied her daggers for Whirling Edge the lamia's tail drew back, and just as quickly it slammed into her side.

The petite dancer went flying off of her feet for a few yards, and she only had the faint presence of mind to dig her daggers into the earth to stop herself from falling into the water at the edge of the island. Winded, and with her side riddled with small cuts from the lamia's scales, she could only lay in the mud for a moment, but she did not have much time. When she looked up again the lamia's bow was drawn at her, and she rolled out of the way just as a deluge of arrows came at her, though a couple still hit true in her leg.

What good was a dancer if she could not dance? Lilisette hardly had time to mull over it; no matter how much she hurt, the others were relying on her. She pulled the barbed arrowheads from her skin with a soft cry before she struggled to her feet. She still had the means to dance, but she'd not yet use it until she saw how the others were doing. Best to heal two at once, after all.