Shorlixa/WPSessionTwenty
And here be Session Twenty for this crew of pirates.
Session Twenty
Once more, we return to battle. Though two of the Abyssals are down, one permanently, the situation doesn't look all that positive for the Solars. Orillian's almost dead due to the Dusk having a passionate vendetta against him. Megumi's not that much better and her arrows aren't having an effect on the terrible Dusk. In fact, she's pretty sure she made things worse with that. Ryoujal's all clinched up by a bishie Midnight. Syn's unconscious. Oh wait, she just woke up as she's being pulled along in the waters. The only one who might feel safe is Red. On the other hand, it's night time. He doesn't have anywhere to retreat to presuming everyone else falls in battle.
Megumi lingers around the hatch, hoping to find a way to turn the situation around. Near the tail-end of the ship, the Dusk and Orillian have their reckoning. Some distance away from those two, Ryoujal and the Midnight tussle. And at least a hundred yards away stands the Daybreak with her ghostly minions dragging Syn along in the dark waters.
Orillian coughs out some blood into the water. "I've no memory of who ye are, but I'll not be lettin ye have the day that easy." He springs forward off a floating chunk of warstrider, and heaves a final parting swing of his hammer at the Abyssal - then follows through with the great thrust of momentum towards the airlock and Megumi. Not willing to take the chance of part of the ship falling to the Abyssals, he hurls out the engineering control console in front of him toward the captain.
The Dusk sneers, barely feeling the pain of the passing hammer. "Allow me to remind you." And he swims towards Orillian.
As Syn wakes up, hurting all over again, she notices how she's being pulled through the water by a ghost. And she's surrounded by ghosts and zombies, though in front of them all is the Daybreak. But that's not the interesting part. The interesting part is how the pack of ghosts is connected to the Daybreak by soulsteel wires. Pity she's not sure what they're for. The other interesting part is how she's swimming to the Moonshadow. "You're such an idiot." The Daybreak says, voice carrying clearly even despite the mask upon her face. Then she reaches down to touch the Moonshadow and turns to look at the other Solars, dark essence swirling as the cloak flares into life and she picks the easiest target to hit and fires off a javelin promising pain.
Lady Syn ceases faking dead and tries to roll into the touch meant for the Moonshadow. Weather she makes the connection or not, Syn brings her sword around to try to sever the wires. Doubt they can be for anything good and hey, if she annoys the Daybreak, bonus.
Syn manages to twist in the way and feels some of her wounds fade, although the pain still remains while the javelin hits the most vulnerable target, Ryoujal ironically. Syn then attempts to cut away the soulsteel wires and manages to slice maybe half away. The Daybreak turns to stare and the whip comes back into the picture. "Now you're just annoying."
Lady Syn says, "Well, I'm good at that."
Lady Syn brings her sword back around and flips the Moonshadow into the whip's path. She could perfect against the attack but it would leave her as essenceless as before. This way maybe she'll come out ahead.
The whip snaps forward and Syn just barely manages to defend herself. The Daybreak is just shaking her head. "I did want to keep you, but I guess I shouldn't. Ghosts, consume her." And the ghosts swarm in. While Ryoujal is struggling with the Midnight at one side, he's suddenly hit by a javelin of essence that brings him a lot of pain. The Midnight yelps a little too. "Hey! This is my toy! Go get your own!" He yells at the Daybreak, though his grip on the chain doesn't loosen.
Megumi pulls free her rarely used sword and plunges it against the side of a dormant cannon, scraping a circle around it. "Red, give Ryo some support!" Fighting the Dusk had been a useless gesture, and might actually have harmed Orillian more than it helped him, she was beginning to realize. The situation was desperate, and required unusual measures. Measures of the sort a Zenith specializes in. Stringing her bow, she aims upward, toward the surface of the water untold leagues above, and the sky above that, and the heavens above that. Pulling back with all her might, she closes her eyes and makes her wish. 'Sol Invictus, please accept this gift of ambrosia and weaponry, and listen to the request of your children. A horde of the undead have stolen into Creation and abducted a Lesser Elemental Dragon, rebelling against the very bureaucracy of heaven and earth - the system you yourself put in motion, for the benefit of all. And when we sought to put right this wrong, these dogs of the cemetary ambushed us. Even now they surround us. Please, rouse yourself and lend us the strength to cast these abominations down, rescue your own and quit this field with honor. The power to show your glory and might to these foolish wraiths.' She opens her eyes, now blazing with holy light and righteous anger through her helmet. "AMEN!!!!" She releases the grip on her arrow and lets it slip the bonds of Creation.
Lady Syn says, "Aaaaw, Did I hurt your feelings? Don't worry. I'll hurt more then that soon enough."
The Dusk snarls as Orillian flees and throws caution to the wind, copying Orillian's trick to push himself forward. And his sword is at point too so now his blow will have quite some momentum behind it. "My name is Redbeard." His voice growls. "I was the captain of the Serpent's Blood. You murdered me and my crew in cold blood. Now know the rage of Seven Festering Treacheries."
Lady Syn brings her sword around to try to deflect the nastiest of the ghosts blows but hopes that some light scratches get through.
Orillian holds his hammer under his arm and tries to twist around to grab the blade with his glowing-red gloves.
Orillian desperately hardens his body against the attack, and it actually works. The Dusk snarls in rage at being foiled, but he's still ready to go.
Big Red turns the Lightning ballista on the Day Break and lets it gather it energy. He pours his personal energy into it letting his sand fuse with the lightning. When all is done he lets fly a torrent of sand and lightning at the foul beast.
The lightning flows towards the Daybreak and hits....and another zombie explodes.
Lady Syn drops her sword back. "Well, I'm still here. Let’s see about giving me some breathing room." She spins the blade around to cut into the Daybreak, her cords, the daybreak twice more, the moonshadow once for good measure, and a last stab at the daybreak. The lady pirate becomes a blur of whirling steel in the midst of the ghosts and Abyssals in a last ditch effort to take a few more fiends with her.
Orillian keeps swimming for the airlock, but sees Megumi there and thinks of the vengeance-hungry monster behind him. No, if the captain and the ship still had a chance to get away, he'd draw his old 'captain' down to the depths of the Void first. Or at least around to the other side. So he quickly pushes off the hull in the opposite direction and swings out at the Abyssal again to try and draw him off around the ship.
Ryoujal getting hit by the javelin Ryoujal turns to yell at the daybreak, "I'm not your target dummy," Turning to the Midnight he says, "And I am nobody's toy!" He says channelling all of the essence to burst out of the chains.
The Dusk snarls, completely focused on Orillian and bats away his clumsy hammer. "I'm coming for you. This time, we're going to kill you." "Death to the traitor!" "Death to the murderer!" A terrible swirl of necrotic essence dances around the ghostly blue sword as it swings towards Orillian.
Orillian sighs and swings around to try and block the blow with his hammer, not that he expects much success at this point. "I really don't remember," he protests one last time, hoping to deprive the Dusk of at least a little satisfaction.
Syn swings and more zombies explode around the Daybreak, cut to pieces though Syn is pretty sure she cut into the Daybreak. Something's going on here. Another few cords are severed. And the Moonshadow dies without a sound. The Daybreak just taps her feet on metaphorical land. "I've decided that I really want to kill you." The javelins and whip come flying rapidly towards Syn.
And Ryoujal finally breaks free of the Midnight.
The Dusk snarls. "Then you shall die never knowing why!" The ghostly blue sword swings, the dark essence crackling all round as it plunges deep into Orillian and emerges the other side with his heart. "Taste of the traitor's blood. So sweet..." The sword sighs.
Orillian feels the blade pierce through his being, and then doesn't feel much at all anymore. "Apparently..." he murmurs. His purple-tinged anima starts to fade away, but then coalesces into a burning bolt of solar fire that departs his heart and leaves it a withered, unsatisfying husk for the dead captain. What's left of him in Syn is wrenched free wholesale, speeding along with his Shard to a new, unknown hero, punching free of the Shadowland as if the Underworld were just mist and shadow.
Lady Syn screams as she swats the javelins towards the ghosts then wraps the blade around the whip as she dives past then just trusts her essence to stop the ghosts. "You bastard! He was my friend. He saved my life. I'm going to see that you join him. This I swear to the Sun."
The whip is blocked. The javelin is not as the necromantic essence pushes it through past her defences to add another round of pain and she comes close to following Orillian. Though not quite just yet.
Lady Syn goes down as her haste for vengeance leaves her careless.
As Megumi beseeches the Unconquered Sun for help, golden light filters down even in these dark waters, shining from the place that would be the Underworld, but for now is Creation, even despite the fact it should be night. The Solars feel buoyed up with faith and hope as the light circles round each of them, making them feel much lighter. The zombies hanging on to the ship and causing drag are shaken loose. "The Sun shines upon you my daughter, if but for a while. Use the time well. Weep not for your fallen and focus on the battle at hand." Orillian's body is caressed gently by the light and they see a ghostly image of him being lifted up by the rays of the sun. Then Orillian is gone and only the golden light of the sun remains.
Around them, the Abyssals all recoil visibly from the light, finding it piercing. The zombies and ghosts are in a frenzy. The Dusk tries to swipe at the fading Orillian, but gets nothing more than light. The Midnight is frowning for a change. The Daybreak looks troubled.
Big Red turns the ballista towards the Midnight given he's had no luck hurting the other. Again powers it with his personal essence hoping the shot will aid Ryo in escaping
Megumi turns in shock, watching the Dusk impale... "ORILLIAN!!!!!!!!" Eyes flaming, she shoves off the hatch toward the Dusk, drawing and redrawing arrow after arrow. And suddenly the light of the Sun gives her the power to keep the flow of arrows up
Shocked by the turn of events, the Midnight actually decides to use a charm to save his skin as lightning fizzles towards him.
And the Midnight just manages to do it too, though it's so close, his hair is sizzling with electricity.
And the Dusk was perhaps just a little stupid in letting attacks from the Zenith, of all people, hit him. Arrow after arrow pierces him through the armour though the sword attempts to block a few. "Least I killed the traitor." He growls before sinking to the ground, his heavy armour bringing him down quickly now that he isn't buoying himself up.
Lady Syn charges towards the fallen Dusk, and the ship, grabs Ori's hammer. "A parting gift from one who I owe my life to." And sends it sailing into the dusk's skull. "Stay dead this time, asshole. If he killed you, you deserved it." Then continues towards the ship.
And the hammer smashes the Dusk's skull wide open. Neat little sure kill even if it did mean throwing that orichalcum weapon away.
Ryoujal sees Orillian run through, and turns to the closest outlet of his rage, the Midnight, leaping off the ship at the still reeling abomination, his claws come out to slash rapidly at the Midnight's face.
The Midnight actually smiles as Ryoujal pummels him. "That's the spirit. Let it all out."
The Midnight waits as if expecting some more, then looks disappointed. "That's it?" He looks rather charged up from the supposedly painful attacks too. "Tsk. Guess I should hit...the one coming home!" And the chain twists around into the oncoming Syn just after she finishes smashing the Dusk. The Daybreak, on the other hand, is fumbling around with something within her clothes.
Lady Syn whips her sword around into two zombie fish to send them into the chain. "Oh go use your chain on yourself."
And Syn just manages to avoid being skewered.
Megumi turns and unleashes another high-speed flurry of attacks...at the girl with the hand in her robes. Very suspicious.
Big Red keeps pressing his attack on the Midnight and lets fly another blast from the ballista.
The crazed zhombies begin biting on every single flary light thing. Because flary light things are bad and annoying.
The Daybreak stands there and takes it all.
Megumi tries to jump off a piece of debris and away from the zhombies. Yeah.
Ryoujal doesn't much care about the zombies, giving the closest a few swift kicks in the head as he swims up out of arm reach like a cetacean towards the Midnight.
And the Daybreak continues to fumble.
Ryoujal swims despite the slight bites on his legs to rest on the ship, seeing he can't just wail away at it, he says, "Well I feel these are rather unsportsmanlike weapons," He thrusts his fists at the Midnight, the claws shooting out at him to pierce the bastard's armor.
The Midnight grins and the chain swats the claws to one side. "My my. It seems you're fighting poorly. Perhaps I should...inspire you?" And the Midnight blows through a ton of essence to skewer their good captain.
Megumi fumbles against one of the inept Zhombies and plants a boot in his face, shoving off (and causing him to spin in the water in the opposite direction...) so she somersaults closer to the Abyssals.
Megumi gets skewered by the chain and gets to join Syn in floating in the water. The Midnight has that little grin on his face. And then there were two.
Big Red shakes his head at the direction this fight is taking. He pulls up the ballista on the day break and fires again. Putting some of his own essence into it.
Another zombie explodes, even though anyone still conscious on the battlefield is certain the lightning hit the Daybreak.
And then the Daybreak comes into the picture. "Ivory Razor Forest!" She shouts and the ground and mountains all around them rumble as shards of deadly bone come springing out to pierce the ship and everyone swimming nearby. The Midnight is laughing away shrilly even as the bones pierce him as well.
As Red watches, the little lights that used to be his companions go out like candles. On the field, Megumi and Syn get skewered, completely defenceless against the onslaught of bone shards. The Midnight continues to laugh as he's raised into the air by the skewers and Red might even be able to see his insanely happy face. Ryoujal...well, Ryoujal could survive. For a while. But even as he watches, the sunlight around them is dimming. And the crazed Midnight is ready for more as he continues to laugh. Red should leave now, or be stuck facing two still powerful Abyssals without the ability to retreat back to Creation.
Big Red rushes over to the helm and rams the thruster. Taking his chance at escape while it still exists.
As Meg's vision blurs and fades, blood running down, she reflects with disappointment on how things had gone. She...had failed. Utterly. Failed to accomplish her goals. Failed to save Orillian. 'I'm...sorry, grandfather...' she thinks as she drifts into unconsciousness. The rest...is silence.
Red gets the heck out. Ryoujal is left to fates unknown. And the sunlight that pierced the shadows for a brief moment quietly fades while drawing the souls of those who have fallen away into the light, one last time.
Ryoujal sees his friends, his companions die all about him, he sees the unholy tide of undeath and the insane laughter of the Midnight is all too much. As fast as he can he swims towards the Daybreak aiming to rip her head off, fighting off anything that get close to him. He will not leave his duty unfinished. This was all his fault anyway and he was paying the price for it now.
The Midnight continues laughing as Ryoujal draws blood, not seeming to care at all though the waters around them fill with the thick liquid. It seems that the water is filled with it. "Come Ryoujal. Join me." He lashes out with the chain.
In the meantime, Red flees away back into Creation just before the light fades. He flees as far as he can away from the shadowland. And then, he must decide what to do next.
The Midnight acts against Ryoujal and the chain squeezes tight and then both of them fall limp and float in the water. The Daybreak looks at the whole thing and frowns. "Well, ain't this just a mess?" She comments to her ghostly minions. And the camera pans to the Unconquered Sun speaking with his fallen children. Which surprisingly, doesn't include Ryoujal.
The Unconquered Sun looks at his children, and almost seems a little sad. "Go back into the world my children. May your next life be better than this." And he sends the shards off again.
