Holy High - IC 2 - Open

[Castle Crashers]

She frowned. "How hard would you guess he is to fight?" She asked, looking up to Hyperion's face. She wasn't afraid to fight--that was obvious enough. She seemed more scared for him, for the others...she didn't want to let them get hurt, especially not him.

He winked at her, letting go of her hand, both of them floating on air, as he glowed more strongly, grinning.

Not for me.

He smiled, and dropped to Earth, two hounds atomizing around him.

Now, let's get to work, love.

Set

The destroyed hounds lightly yipped, falling apart, before re-forming from sand, as their master, dodged Patriah's blow, slamming a bladed Halberd into Patriah's throat, dipping down, and pulling down, slamming Patriah's head to dirt.

TRY AGAIN.

Raven

Raven frowned, noticing Xavier's stare. He sneered beneath the mask, and burst apart, into a flock of Albino raven's disappearing into the storm.

"Right." She smiled at him before turning her attention to Set, her red eyes flaring brightly. She huffed and sent swarms of shadows his way, wrapping them tightly around his arms and legs to restrict him. She then sent more to wrap around his canine snout, tying it tightly enough to crack the bone.

[Ranoria]

Ryujin dove, hitting the ground with a roar, and crushed a manju jewel in his hand, water blasting out from it, soaking and weighing down the sand, making it much harder for Set to command, and used his own influence on the water to keep the substance grounded, snarling as his wings flared, the much smaller god of chaos seeming minuscule compared to him.

Shen Lung frowned, seeing the subtle signs that Ryujin was, in fact, getting just a bit tired, likely due to the poison. His shoulders came up just a bit higher when he breathed, trying to get more oxygen, the normally gleaming azure scales were just a shade more dull than usual, and his wings and tail hung a bit lower than their norm.

Not that it was much help against a dragon of those proportions, but it was something.

Otohime saw Set and hid behind Hamiri, "Oh, well, um, you guys have fun with that...I'm going to stay back here and watch..."

Mourir stepped forward, not intimidated by the chaos god, mace slung over his shoulder as black energy crackled around him. He was far enough away that if Set charged, he could fire quite the stream of darkness towards him, especially with Ryujin having stopped the sandstorm, the dragon looming above with a feral snarl, his own massive form blocking Set from reaching the others.


Ryujin, now having weighed down the sand with water, roared and charged, a massive talon sweeping into Set and sending him flying with the force of a tsunami, the smaller god easily tossed around. He dove down then, jaws wide as he prepared to snap him up.

Set roared, fangs scattering, as he was slammed into a series of sand-stone pillar, the water carrying him away. He snarled, and grinned viciously, almost in a canine fashion, leaning, as he wiped the blood form his Jackaled face, energy humming from him. Sand-stone gathered from the stone around him, as his flesh took a stony color.

A massive creature rose from the desert, a goliath of stone, forming around Set, as he laced his massive stone fists together, and slammed them into the dragon's head, before standing tall, his new body, formed from stone, a 400 foot monument of his glory.

Ryujin lost his balance, dazed from the blow, and continued forward, bowling over the titan along with himself, and didn't regain his stability for a moment before he realized that he was, in fact, on top of Set.

He growled, still rocked from the impact, and stood up, bringing his clawed foot down repeatedly, crushing the stone more and more with each smashing blow, bolstered by his own weight, the earth shaking with each one. By the second, the chest was already caving in, crumbling away as cracks spread across the entire body.

[Syrixces]

The massive stone body Set had built for himself, cracked under the barrage of blows coming from Ryujin, but not before reaching up with two massive stony fists, and grabbing the jaws of the dragon lord, cracking them backwards, and sending a massive stone foot into the chest of the dragon, pushing him off the stone humanoid jackal. Set stood up, kicking the dragon in the ribs, and leaned forwards, curbstomping downwards, on Patriah's position.

The massive golem pointed at the ground with a fist, columns of sand erupting forth, smothering his foes, as a pack of sand worms and hounds converged from the distance, the sandstorm thickening to the consistence of concrete. The hounds surrounding his foes, grew in size and ferocity, blades flashing through, not affecting their sandy flesh.

He pulled back on is arm, the ropes of Nyx's darkness, snapping, as he hefted a massive foot, stomping near where she was, a cloud of sand, going up around him.

Hyperion

Hyperion appeared in a blink of light, grabbing her, and teleporting Nyx out of harms way, before teleporting back into the fight, circling Set, blasting his massive stone frame, before snapping his fingers, the outer layer of stone, turning to acid, melting away the stony exterior.

That oughta loosen you up.

Raven

The flock of white birds, traveled upwards, settling on a sand-storm pillar, high above the storm, observing the fight.

Soon.

Soon it would all be over.

[Luminesa]

The massive stone body Set had built for himself, cracked under the barrage of blows coming from Ryujin, but not before reaching up with two massive stony fists, and grabbing the jaws of the dragon lord, cracking them backwards, and sending a massive stone foot into the chest of the dragon, pushing him off the stone humanoid jackal. Set stood up, kicking the dragon in the ribs, and leaned forwards, curbstomping downwards, on Patriah's position.

The massive golem pointed at the ground with a fist, columns of sand erupting forth, smothering his foes, as a pack of sand worms and hounds converged from the distance, the sandstorm thickening to the consistence of concrete. The hounds surrounding his foes, grew in size and ferocity, blades flashing through, not affecting their sandy flesh.

He pulled back on is arm, the ropes of Nyx's darkness, snapping, as he hefted a massive foot, stomping near where she was, a cloud of sand, going up around him.

Hyperion

Hyperion appeared in a blink of light, grabbing her, and teleporting Nyx out of harms way, before teleporting back into the fight, circling Set, blasting his massive stone frame, before snapping his fingers, the outer layer of stone, turning to acid, melting away the stony exterior.

That oughta loosen you up.

Raven

The flock of white birds, traveled upwards, settling on a sand-storm pillar, high above the storm, observing the fight.

Soon.

Soon it would all be over.

Rosalie appeared on a pillar nearby and stood on it, looking toward Raven.

Only it wasn't Rosalie speaking. And she had a mysterious smile on her face, proof that she was not in control.

"Are you the Raven they are all so worried about?" Rosalie/Adam asked him.

[Ranoria]

The massive stone body Set had built for himself, cracked under the barrage of blows coming from Ryujin, but not before reaching up with two massive stony fists, and grabbing the jaws of the dragon lord, cracking them backwards, and sending a massive stone foot into the chest of the dragon, pushing him off the stone humanoid jackal. Set stood up, kicking the dragon in the ribs, and leaned forwards, curbstomping downwards, on Patriah's position.

The massive golem pointed at the ground with a fist, columns of sand erupting forth, smothering his foes, as a pack of sand worms and hounds converged from the distance, the sandstorm thickening to the consistence of concrete. The hounds surrounding his foes, grew in size and ferocity, blades flashing through, not affecting their sandy flesh.

He pulled back on is arm, the ropes of Nyx's darkness, snapping, as he hefted a massive foot, stomping near where she was, a cloud of sand, going up around him.

Hyperion

Hyperion appeared in a blink of light, grabbing her, and teleporting Nyx out of harms way, before teleporting back into the fight, circling Set, blasting his massive stone frame, before snapping his fingers, the outer layer of stone, turning to acid, melting away the stony exterior.

That oughta loosen you up.

Raven

The flock of white birds, traveled upwards, settling on a sand-storm pillar, high above the storm, observing the fight.

Soon.

Soon it would all be over.

Ryujin roared, but the sound came out very, very wrong, his jaw hanging slack, sharp pain jolting through his body each time he moved. Of course, that only made him even more infuriated.

He tried adjusting the jaw, and eventually resorted to using the water within it to snap it shut, controlling it that way through the pain. It was certainly a first, at least in his dragon form.

Shen Lung sighed, "Looks like they're going to need some help on this one." He changed to his own dragon form, towering even over Ryujin, and growled, his softer, fish-like scales a dull purple as clouds gathered overhead. "Fun fact. Sandstone is an extremely powerful conductor of electricity, especially when it's saturated by water. Ryujin, do your thing."

Much as he hated listening to his imperial counterpart, he snarled, then dove towards Set, jaws clamping, now by his influence over water, down on his shoulder and snapping the limb clean off, the bite wounds going very deep into the giant's frame, before leaping back, depositing a manju jewel in one of the holes, water surging out of it. Ryujin didn't allow it to exit the wound though, so instead it soaked into the surrounding sandstone, saturating it before leaking out as the sand couldn't hold any more.

Then the Chinese dragon roared, the clouds now rendering the area black, as lightning surged down, smashing into Set, much too fast for him to avoid, of course, and coursing through his body, the water and sandstone making it a conductor, over and over as bolt after bolt seared down, smashing against the stone.

Mourir, having seen that the sand around Set was soaked as well, had formed a small energy shield below him to keep the lightning from leaving the stone form.

[Syrixces]

The massive stone body Set had built for himself, cracked under the barrage of blows coming from Ryujin, but not before reaching up with two massive stony fists, and grabbing the jaws of the dragon lord, cracking them backwards, and sending a massive stone foot into the chest of the dragon, pushing him off the stone humanoid jackal. Set stood up, kicking the dragon in the ribs, and leaned forwards, curbstomping downwards, on Patriah's position.

The massive golem pointed at the ground with a fist, columns of sand erupting forth, smothering his foes, as a pack of sand worms and hounds converged from the distance, the sandstorm thickening to the consistence of concrete. The hounds surrounding his foes, grew in size and ferocity, blades flashing through, not affecting their sandy flesh.

He pulled back on is arm, the ropes of Nyx's darkness, snapping, as he hefted a massive foot, stomping near where she was, a cloud of sand, going up around him.

Hyperion

Hyperion appeared in a blink of light, grabbing her, and teleporting Nyx out of harms way, before teleporting back into the fight, circling Set, blasting his massive stone frame, before snapping his fingers, the outer layer of stone, turning to acid, melting away the stony exterior.

That oughta loosen you up.

Raven

The flock of white birds, traveled upwards, settling on a sand-storm pillar, high above the storm, observing the fight.

Soon.

Soon it would all be over.

Rosalie appeared on a pillar nearby and stood on it, looking toward Raven.

Only it wasn't Rosalie speaking. And she had a mysterious smile on her face, proof that she was not in control.

"Are you the Raven they are all so worried about?" Rosalie/Adam asked him.

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?

The massive stone body Set had built for himself, cracked under the barrage of blows coming from Ryujin, but not before reaching up with two massive stony fists, and grabbing the jaws of the dragon lord, cracking them backwards, and sending a massive stone foot into the chest of the dragon, pushing him off the stone humanoid jackal. Set stood up, kicking the dragon in the ribs, and leaned forwards, curbstomping downwards, on Patriah's position.

The massive golem pointed at the ground with a fist, columns of sand erupting forth, smothering his foes, as a pack of sand worms and hounds converged from the distance, the sandstorm thickening to the consistence of concrete. The hounds surrounding his foes, grew in size and ferocity, blades flashing through, not affecting their sandy flesh.

He pulled back on is arm, the ropes of Nyx's darkness, snapping, as he hefted a massive foot, stomping near where she was, a cloud of sand, going up around him.

Hyperion

Hyperion appeared in a blink of light, grabbing her, and teleporting Nyx out of harms way, before teleporting back into the fight, circling Set, blasting his massive stone frame, before snapping his fingers, the outer layer of stone, turning to acid, melting away the stony exterior.

That oughta loosen you up.

Raven

The flock of white birds, traveled upwards, settling on a sand-storm pillar, high above the storm, observing the fight.

Soon.

Soon it would all be over.

Ryujin roared, but the sound came out very, very wrong, his jaw hanging slack, sharp pain jolting through his body each time he moved. Of course, that only made him even more infuriated.

He tried adjusting the jaw, and eventually resorted to using the water within it to snap it shut, controlling it that way through the pain. It was certainly a first, at least in his dragon form.

Shen Lung sighed, "Looks like they're going to need some help on this one." He changed to his own dragon form, towering even over Ryujin, and growled, his softer, fish-like scales a dull purple as clouds gathered overhead. "Fun fact. Sandstone is an extremely powerful conductor of electricity, especially when it's saturated by water. Ryujin, do your thing."

Much as he hated listening to his imperial counterpart, he snarled, then dove towards Set, jaws clamping, now by his influence over water, down on his shoulder and snapping the limb clean off, the bite wounds going very deep into the giant's frame, before leaping back, depositing a manju jewel in one of the holes, water surging out of it. Ryujin didn't allow it to exit the wound though, so instead it soaked into the surrounding sandstone, saturating it before leaking out as the sand couldn't hold any more.

Then the Chinese dragon roared, the clouds now rendering the area black, as lightning surged down, smashing into Set, much too fast for him to avoid, of course, and coursing through his body, the water and sandstone making it a conductor, over and over as bolt after bolt seared down, smashing against the stone.

Mourir, having seen that the sand around Set was soaked as well, had formed a small energy shield below him to keep the lightning from leaving the stone form.

Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

[Castle Crashers]

Rosalie appeared on a pillar nearby and stood on it, looking toward Raven.

Only it wasn't Rosalie speaking. And she had a mysterious smile on her face, proof that she was not in control.

"Are you the Raven they are all so worried about?" Rosalie/Adam asked him.

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?

Ryujin roared, but the sound came out very, very wrong, his jaw hanging slack, sharp pain jolting through his body each time he moved. Of course, that only made him even more infuriated.

He tried adjusting the jaw, and eventually resorted to using the water within it to snap it shut, controlling it that way through the pain. It was certainly a first, at least in his dragon form.

Shen Lung sighed, "Looks like they're going to need some help on this one." He changed to his own dragon form, towering even over Ryujin, and growled, his softer, fish-like scales a dull purple as clouds gathered overhead. "Fun fact. Sandstone is an extremely powerful conductor of electricity, especially when it's saturated by water. Ryujin, do your thing."

Much as he hated listening to his imperial counterpart, he snarled, then dove towards Set, jaws clamping, now by his influence over water, down on his shoulder and snapping the limb clean off, the bite wounds going very deep into the giant's frame, before leaping back, depositing a manju jewel in one of the holes, water surging out of it. Ryujin didn't allow it to exit the wound though, so instead it soaked into the surrounding sandstone, saturating it before leaking out as the sand couldn't hold any more.

Then the Chinese dragon roared, the clouds now rendering the area black, as lightning surged down, smashing into Set, much too fast for him to avoid, of course, and coursing through his body, the water and sandstone making it a conductor, over and over as bolt after bolt seared down, smashing against the stone.

Mourir, having seen that the sand around Set was soaked as well, had formed a small energy shield below him to keep the lightning from leaving the stone form.

Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

She laughed at this. "Maybe one day...I mean, I'm sure it isn't impossible for you...y'know, with the whole chemical composition stuff or whatever." She took a moment to cough, spitting out sand and fine debris from the sandstorm. Sure, she was a goddess of night, but even sand was able to infiltrate her ventilation system. It kinda sucked, but it wasn't like it was harming her. Just...uncomfortable. She'd probably be cleaning sand out of her hair and her ears for weeks. Ugh.

[Ranoria]

Rosalie appeared on a pillar nearby and stood on it, looking toward Raven.

Only it wasn't Rosalie speaking. And she had a mysterious smile on her face, proof that she was not in control.

"Are you the Raven they are all so worried about?" Rosalie/Adam asked him.

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?

Ryujin roared, but the sound came out very, very wrong, his jaw hanging slack, sharp pain jolting through his body each time he moved. Of course, that only made him even more infuriated.

He tried adjusting the jaw, and eventually resorted to using the water within it to snap it shut, controlling it that way through the pain. It was certainly a first, at least in his dragon form.

Shen Lung sighed, "Looks like they're going to need some help on this one." He changed to his own dragon form, towering even over Ryujin, and growled, his softer, fish-like scales a dull purple as clouds gathered overhead. "Fun fact. Sandstone is an extremely powerful conductor of electricity, especially when it's saturated by water. Ryujin, do your thing."

Much as he hated listening to his imperial counterpart, he snarled, then dove towards Set, jaws clamping, now by his influence over water, down on his shoulder and snapping the limb clean off, the bite wounds going very deep into the giant's frame, before leaping back, depositing a manju jewel in one of the holes, water surging out of it. Ryujin didn't allow it to exit the wound though, so instead it soaked into the surrounding sandstone, saturating it before leaking out as the sand couldn't hold any more.

Then the Chinese dragon roared, the clouds now rendering the area black, as lightning surged down, smashing into Set, much too fast for him to avoid, of course, and coursing through his body, the water and sandstone making it a conductor, over and over as bolt after bolt seared down, smashing against the stone.

Mourir, having seen that the sand around Set was soaked as well, had formed a small energy shield below him to keep the lightning from leaving the stone form.

Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

Ryujin panted, taking a thundering step back to steady himself, and groaned, his scales having grown even more dull than before and his jaw hanging slack, revealing the numerous, massive, sixteen foot long fangs that lined his maw. Aphophis's venom still pumped through his veins, but his resistance was keeping it at bay, at least for now. His eyes flickered down to Xavier, "Can you remove the poison? And possibly fix my jaw, while you're at it?" Due to the fact that a dragon's snout was incapable of producing words, his broken jaw didn't impede speech at all, voice being projected, more or less, from his skull.

Shen Lung shrunk down, right next to Hyperion, "Yeah, you do, it's a wonderful thing, and I heard girls love dragons. I mean, that's not what the maidens say when our western cousins steal them out of villages, but hey, I'm not from Europe." While resting an arm on the titan's shoulder, he gave Nyx a wink, then frowned when she coughed.

"What's wrong? Are you getting sick?" He could have easily removed the sand, had he known about it.

[Syrixces]

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?



Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

She laughed at this. "Maybe one day...I mean, I'm sure it isn't impossible for you...y'know, with the whole chemical composition stuff or whatever." She took a moment to cough, spitting out sand and fine debris from the sandstorm. Sure, she was a goddess of night, but even sand was able to infiltrate her ventilation system. It kinda sucked, but it wasn't like it was harming her. Just...uncomfortable. She'd probably be cleaning sand out of her hair and her ears for weeks. Ugh.

Hyperion grinned, thinking for a minute, before snapping his fingers, the sand in her hair instantly chemically unraveling into oxygen, disappearing, in the meanwhile, a light figure of Anakin Skywalker appeared behind him, almost jokingly, as he grinned, chuckling lightly.

I'll have you know, I'm resisting every urge for a Star Wars joke right now.

[Castle Crashers]

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?



Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

Ryujin panted, taking a thundering step back to steady himself, and groaned, his scales having grown even more dull than before and his jaw hanging slack, revealing the numerous, massive, sixteen foot long fangs that lined his maw. Aphophis's venom still pumped through his veins, but his resistance was keeping it at bay, at least for now. His eyes flickered down to Xavier, "Can you remove the poison? And possibly fix my jaw, while you're at it?" Due to the fact that a dragon's snout was incapable of producing words, his broken jaw didn't impede speech at all, voice being projected, more or less, from his skull.

Shen Lung shrunk down, right next to Hyperion, "Yeah, you do, it's a wonderful thing, and I heard girls love dragons. I mean, that's not what the maidens say when our western cousins steal them out of villages, but hey, I'm not from Europe." While resting an arm on the titan's shoulder, he gave Nyx a wink, then frowned when she coughed.

"What's wrong? Are you getting sick?" He could have easily removed the sand, had he known about it.

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...

She laughed at this. "Maybe one day...I mean, I'm sure it isn't impossible for you...y'know, with the whole chemical composition stuff or whatever." She took a moment to cough, spitting out sand and fine debris from the sandstorm. Sure, she was a goddess of night, but even sand was able to infiltrate her ventilation system. It kinda sucked, but it wasn't like it was harming her. Just...uncomfortable. She'd probably be cleaning sand out of her hair and her ears for weeks. Ugh.

Hyperion grinned, thinking for a minute, before snapping his fingers, the sand in her hair instantly chemically unraveling into oxygen, disappearing, in the meanwhile, a light figure of Anakin Skywalker appeared behind him, almost jokingly, as he grinned, chuckling lightly.

I'll have you know, I'm resisting every urge for a Star Wars joke right now.

She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

[Luminesa]

Rosalie appeared on a pillar nearby and stood on it, looking toward Raven.

Only it wasn't Rosalie speaking. And she had a mysterious smile on her face, proof that she was not in control.

"Are you the Raven they are all so worried about?" Rosalie/Adam asked him.

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?

Ryujin roared, but the sound came out very, very wrong, his jaw hanging slack, sharp pain jolting through his body each time he moved. Of course, that only made him even more infuriated.

He tried adjusting the jaw, and eventually resorted to using the water within it to snap it shut, controlling it that way through the pain. It was certainly a first, at least in his dragon form.

Shen Lung sighed, "Looks like they're going to need some help on this one." He changed to his own dragon form, towering even over Ryujin, and growled, his softer, fish-like scales a dull purple as clouds gathered overhead. "Fun fact. Sandstone is an extremely powerful conductor of electricity, especially when it's saturated by water. Ryujin, do your thing."

Much as he hated listening to his imperial counterpart, he snarled, then dove towards Set, jaws clamping, now by his influence over water, down on his shoulder and snapping the limb clean off, the bite wounds going very deep into the giant's frame, before leaping back, depositing a manju jewel in one of the holes, water surging out of it. Ryujin didn't allow it to exit the wound though, so instead it soaked into the surrounding sandstone, saturating it before leaking out as the sand couldn't hold any more.

Then the Chinese dragon roared, the clouds now rendering the area black, as lightning surged down, smashing into Set, much too fast for him to avoid, of course, and coursing through his body, the water and sandstone making it a conductor, over and over as bolt after bolt seared down, smashing against the stone.

Mourir, having seen that the sand around Set was soaked as well, had formed a small energy shield below him to keep the lightning from leaving the stone form.

Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

"Adam would be my name. But sweet little Rosalie let me borrow her for a few minutes, so I could speak to you. Are you really the God of this universe?" she/he asked, still smiling.

Meanwhile, far below, Patriah was cheering. "YES! WOOOOOO! TWO DOWN ALREADY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THIS IS CAKE!!!"

Joaquin was laughing alongside him, for once. This opponent, for all his hugeness, had been incredibly easy to beat. "I guess things got too rocky for hi-OW!"

Hamiri had knocked him over the head, for making that pun. However, she became more anxious when she saw Lux suddenly running around, searching through the sandstorm. "...Lux?...Lux, what's the matter?"

Lux turned and looked at her fearfully. "Thana...he is missing..." he panted.

"WHAT?!" Patriah blurted, confused. "You mean he got lost in the sandstorm?!"

"But Thana's not clumsy like that..." Hamiri muttered.

"No, he's not," Xavier answered, as he walked over, "and Ianar is gone, too."

"Both of them ran off? Why?!" Joaquin demanded.

Xavier looked over at Set, who was now crumpled on the ground. "...I don't know..." But now I know for certain it had something to do with Raven...

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana's portal opened silently, in Thanakron's throne room, and Ianar stepped out behind him. As they landed in the cold, haunted room, the former turned to the latter and whispered, "I know we said we would ask Tharizdun, but trust me. This might work better. Now, follow my lead and be very careful..." He then tapped his scythe on the ground, making an echo through the room in order to awaken Thanakron.

[Ranoria]

Ryujin panted, taking a thundering step back to steady himself, and groaned, his scales having grown even more dull than before and his jaw hanging slack, revealing the numerous, massive, sixteen foot long fangs that lined his maw. Aphophis's venom still pumped through his veins, but his resistance was keeping it at bay, at least for now. His eyes flickered down to Xavier, "Can you remove the poison? And possibly fix my jaw, while you're at it?" Due to the fact that a dragon's snout was incapable of producing words, his broken jaw didn't impede speech at all, voice being projected, more or less, from his skull.

Shen Lung shrunk down, right next to Hyperion, "Yeah, you do, it's a wonderful thing, and I heard girls love dragons. I mean, that's not what the maidens say when our western cousins steal them out of villages, but hey, I'm not from Europe." While resting an arm on the titan's shoulder, he gave Nyx a wink, then frowned when she coughed.

"What's wrong? Are you getting sick?" He could have easily removed the sand, had he known about it.

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...

Hyperion grinned, thinking for a minute, before snapping his fingers, the sand in her hair instantly chemically unraveling into oxygen, disappearing, in the meanwhile, a light figure of Anakin Skywalker appeared behind him, almost jokingly, as he grinned, chuckling lightly.

I'll have you know, I'm resisting every urge for a Star Wars joke right now.

She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

When he saw that Hyperion had solved the problem, he nodded, "And that's that. Now," he stepped back, then placed a palm on the ground, "Ryu's not looking too good, so pardon me for a moment." The wind around them swirled, the sand swirling away in a gale as it went into the air, a deep, circular trench of fresh water revealing itself beneath the surface. He grinned at this, "There we go, water for everyone."

[Syrixces]

Ryujin panted, taking a thundering step back to steady himself, and groaned, his scales having grown even more dull than before and his jaw hanging slack, revealing the numerous, massive, sixteen foot long fangs that lined his maw. Aphophis's venom still pumped through his veins, but his resistance was keeping it at bay, at least for now. His eyes flickered down to Xavier, "Can you remove the poison? And possibly fix my jaw, while you're at it?" Due to the fact that a dragon's snout was incapable of producing words, his broken jaw didn't impede speech at all, voice being projected, more or less, from his skull.

Shen Lung shrunk down, right next to Hyperion, "Yeah, you do, it's a wonderful thing, and I heard girls love dragons. I mean, that's not what the maidens say when our western cousins steal them out of villages, but hey, I'm not from Europe." While resting an arm on the titan's shoulder, he gave Nyx a wink, then frowned when she coughed.

"What's wrong? Are you getting sick?" He could have easily removed the sand, had he known about it.

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...

Hyperion grinned, thinking for a minute, before snapping his fingers, the sand in her hair instantly chemically unraveling into oxygen, disappearing, in the meanwhile, a light figure of Anakin Skywalker appeared behind him, almost jokingly, as he grinned, chuckling lightly.

I'll have you know, I'm resisting every urge for a Star Wars joke right now.

She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling lightly, as the Anakin light mirage behind him mimed the scene from the movie, one awful frame at a time. He grinned, his pure white from glowing softly, as he realized the irony of the joke.

And we wouldn't want that, would we? Seems I have enough troubles with exploding and popping, thank you very much. Plus, how could I ever want to leave such a beautiful girl?

He smiled, sitting down crossed legged, floating lightly in the air, a grin spread out over his face, as the others went about around them.

I remember a time when we hated each other. Now I don't want to leave your side.

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...



She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

When he saw that Hyperion had solved the problem, he nodded, "And that's that. Now," he stepped back, then placed a palm on the ground, "Ryu's not looking too good, so pardon me for a moment." The wind around them swirled, the sand swirling away in a gale as it went into the air, a deep, circular trench of fresh water revealing itself beneath the surface. He grinned at this, "There we go, water for everyone."

Thanatos leaned down, taking a sip from the pool.

Thank you. And don't worry, he'll live. His names not in my book. Yet.

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?



Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

"Adam would be my name. But sweet little Rosalie let me borrow her for a few minutes, so I could speak to you. Are you really the God of this universe?" she/he asked, still smiling.

Meanwhile, far below, Patriah was cheering. "YES! WOOOOOO! TWO DOWN ALREADY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THIS IS CAKE!!!"

Joaquin was laughing alongside him, for once. This opponent, for all his hugeness, had been incredibly easy to beat. "I guess things got too rocky for hi-OW!"

Hamiri had knocked him over the head, for making that pun. However, she became more anxious when she saw Lux suddenly running around, searching through the sandstorm. "...Lux?...Lux, what's the matter?"

Lux turned and looked at her fearfully. "Thana...he is missing..." he panted.

"WHAT?!" Patriah blurted, confused. "You mean he got lost in the sandstorm?!"

"But Thana's not clumsy like that..." Hamiri muttered.

"No, he's not," Xavier answered, as he walked over, "and Ianar is gone, too."

"Both of them ran off? Why?!" Joaquin demanded.

Xavier looked over at Set, who was now crumpled on the ground. "...I don't know..." But now I know for certain it had something to do with Raven...

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana's portal opened silently, in Thanakron's throne room, and Ianar stepped out behind him. As they landed in the cold, haunted room, the former turned to the latter and whispered, "I know we said we would ask Tharizdun, but trust me. This might work better. Now, follow my lead and be very careful..." He then tapped his scythe on the ground, making an echo through the room in order to awaken Thanakron.

Raven's robes flapped in the wind, as he grinned beneath his bird's skull mask, sneering in his self disposed delight.

Fools.

Of course I am. Or well, I used to be. Have you not been listening? I've gone over this, at least a dozen times.

Thanakron

The throne before them, was crafted from the dead oak of a lost world tree, withered and black, barely keeping the universe together. The palace itself, was cut directly into a mountain of the blackest obsidian, the entire structure angular and dark. The throne itself though, composed of bone, was empty.

Behind them, came a series of creaks, as the 12 foot, thin frame of Thanakron leaned down, grabbing Thana by the skull.

FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A GUARDIAN MAGE OF DEATH, I WILL FORGIVE THIS FIRST TRANSGRESSION. BUT YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION, BEFORE I USED YOUR SKULL AS A CHALICE.

[Ranoria]

Ryujin panted, taking a thundering step back to steady himself, and groaned, his scales having grown even more dull than before and his jaw hanging slack, revealing the numerous, massive, sixteen foot long fangs that lined his maw. Aphophis's venom still pumped through his veins, but his resistance was keeping it at bay, at least for now. His eyes flickered down to Xavier, "Can you remove the poison? And possibly fix my jaw, while you're at it?" Due to the fact that a dragon's snout was incapable of producing words, his broken jaw didn't impede speech at all, voice being projected, more or less, from his skull.

Shen Lung shrunk down, right next to Hyperion, "Yeah, you do, it's a wonderful thing, and I heard girls love dragons. I mean, that's not what the maidens say when our western cousins steal them out of villages, but hey, I'm not from Europe." While resting an arm on the titan's shoulder, he gave Nyx a wink, then frowned when she coughed.

"What's wrong? Are you getting sick?" He could have easily removed the sand, had he known about it.

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...

Hyperion grinned, thinking for a minute, before snapping his fingers, the sand in her hair instantly chemically unraveling into oxygen, disappearing, in the meanwhile, a light figure of Anakin Skywalker appeared behind him, almost jokingly, as he grinned, chuckling lightly.

I'll have you know, I'm resisting every urge for a Star Wars joke right now.

She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling lightly, as the Anakin light mirage behind him mimed the scene from the movie, one awful frame at a time. He grinned, his pure white from glowing softly, as he realized the irony of the joke.

And we wouldn't want that, would we? Seems I have enough troubles with exploding and popping, thank you very much. Plus, how could I ever want to leave such a beautiful girl?

He smiled, sitting down crossed legged, floating lightly in the air, a grin spread out over his face, as the others went about around them.

I remember a time when we hated each other. Now I don't want to leave your side.

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...



She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

When he saw that Hyperion had solved the problem, he nodded, "And that's that. Now," he stepped back, then placed a palm on the ground, "Ryu's not looking too good, so pardon me for a moment." The wind around them swirled, the sand swirling away in a gale as it went into the air, a deep, circular trench of fresh water revealing itself beneath the surface. He grinned at this, "There we go, water for everyone."

Thanatos leaned down, taking a sip from the pool.

Thank you. And don't worry, he'll live. His names not in my book. Yet.

The flock of birds fluttered upwards, fluttering in a storm of feathers, and reappearing, formed as the solid figure of Raven, floating on air beside Rosalie / Adam, thumbing the bird's skull mask covering his face.

Yes. I suppose I am. Now, who's on the air right now? Am I speaking to Rosalie? Or is this you, Adam?



Electricity coursed through the giant, as the monolithic creature pulsed, crumbling away, until falling to dust, with a final yelp. Immediately, the various and hounds fell into dust, and the and-storm passed away, the landscape clearing.

Hyperion landed softly beside Nyx, grinning, up at the massive dragons.

I'm not often jealous, but damn, even I want a dragon form.

"Adam would be my name. But sweet little Rosalie let me borrow her for a few minutes, so I could speak to you. Are you really the God of this universe?" she/he asked, still smiling.

Meanwhile, far below, Patriah was cheering. "YES! WOOOOOO! TWO DOWN ALREADY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THIS IS CAKE!!!"

Joaquin was laughing alongside him, for once. This opponent, for all his hugeness, had been incredibly easy to beat. "I guess things got too rocky for hi-OW!"

Hamiri had knocked him over the head, for making that pun. However, she became more anxious when she saw Lux suddenly running around, searching through the sandstorm. "...Lux?...Lux, what's the matter?"

Lux turned and looked at her fearfully. "Thana...he is missing..." he panted.

"WHAT?!" Patriah blurted, confused. "You mean he got lost in the sandstorm?!"

"But Thana's not clumsy like that..." Hamiri muttered.

"No, he's not," Xavier answered, as he walked over, "and Ianar is gone, too."

"Both of them ran off? Why?!" Joaquin demanded.

Xavier looked over at Set, who was now crumpled on the ground. "...I don't know..." But now I know for certain it had something to do with Raven...

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana's portal opened silently, in Thanakron's throne room, and Ianar stepped out behind him. As they landed in the cold, haunted room, the former turned to the latter and whispered, "I know we said we would ask Tharizdun, but trust me. This might work better. Now, follow my lead and be very careful..." He then tapped his scythe on the ground, making an echo through the room in order to awaken Thanakron.

Raven's robes flapped in the wind, as he grinned beneath his bird's skull mask, sneering in his self disposed delight.

Fools.

Of course I am. Or well, I used to be. Have you not been listening? I've gone over this, at least a dozen times.

Thanakron

The throne before them, was crafted from the dead oak of a lost world tree, withered and black, barely keeping the universe together. The palace itself, was cut directly into a mountain of the blackest obsidian, the entire structure angular and dark. The throne itself though, composed of bone, was empty.

Behind them, came a series of creaks, as the 12 foot, thin frame of Thanakron leaned down, grabbing Thana by the skull.

FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A GUARDIAN MAGE OF DEATH, I WILL FORGIVE THIS FIRST TRANSGRESSION. BUT YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION, BEFORE I USED YOUR SKULL AS A CHALICE. [/spoiler][/quote]
Ryujin glanced over, snorting, "This poison is miserable..." It wasn't going to kill him, but he was certainly not enjoying himself as he snaked down, laying in the water, only his head protruding from the small river. "That's a little better..."

Shen Lung laughed, "Yet? Do you know when he will die? Or if he will, at all?" He was genuinely curious, eyes lightning up, "Or, for that matter, when I will die?"

Mourir certainly didn't, but he was a lower death god, a servant compared to Thanatos.

[Luminesa]

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...



She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling lightly, as the Anakin light mirage behind him mimed the scene from the movie, one awful frame at a time. He grinned, his pure white from glowing softly, as he realized the irony of the joke.

And we wouldn't want that, would we? Seems I have enough troubles with exploding and popping, thank you very much. Plus, how could I ever want to leave such a beautiful girl?

He smiled, sitting down crossed legged, floating lightly in the air, a grin spread out over his face, as the others went about around them.

I remember a time when we hated each other. Now I don't want to leave your side.

When he saw that Hyperion had solved the problem, he nodded, "And that's that. Now," he stepped back, then placed a palm on the ground, "Ryu's not looking too good, so pardon me for a moment." The wind around them swirled, the sand swirling away in a gale as it went into the air, a deep, circular trench of fresh water revealing itself beneath the surface. He grinned at this, "There we go, water for everyone."

Thanatos leaned down, taking a sip from the pool.

Thank you. And don't worry, he'll live. His names not in my book. Yet.

"Adam would be my name. But sweet little Rosalie let me borrow her for a few minutes, so I could speak to you. Are you really the God of this universe?" she/he asked, still smiling.

Meanwhile, far below, Patriah was cheering. "YES! WOOOOOO! TWO DOWN ALREADY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THIS IS CAKE!!!"

Joaquin was laughing alongside him, for once. This opponent, for all his hugeness, had been incredibly easy to beat. "I guess things got too rocky for hi-OW!"

Hamiri had knocked him over the head, for making that pun. However, she became more anxious when she saw Lux suddenly running around, searching through the sandstorm. "...Lux?...Lux, what's the matter?"

Lux turned and looked at her fearfully. "Thana...he is missing..." he panted.

"WHAT?!" Patriah blurted, confused. "You mean he got lost in the sandstorm?!"

"But Thana's not clumsy like that..." Hamiri muttered.

"No, he's not," Xavier answered, as he walked over, "and Ianar is gone, too."

"Both of them ran off? Why?!" Joaquin demanded.

Xavier looked over at Set, who was now crumpled on the ground. "...I don't know..." But now I know for certain it had something to do with Raven...

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana's portal opened silently, in Thanakron's throne room, and Ianar stepped out behind him. As they landed in the cold, haunted room, the former turned to the latter and whispered, "I know we said we would ask Tharizdun, but trust me. This might work better. Now, follow my lead and be very careful..." He then tapped his scythe on the ground, making an echo through the room in order to awaken Thanakron.

Raven's robes flapped in the wind, as he grinned beneath his bird's skull mask, sneering in his self disposed delight.

Fools.

Of course I am. Or well, I used to be. Have you not been listening? I've gone over this, at least a dozen times.

Thanakron

The throne before them, was crafted from the dead oak of a lost world tree, withered and black, barely keeping the universe together. The palace itself, was cut directly into a mountain of the blackest obsidian, the entire structure angular and dark. The throne itself though, composed of bone, was empty.

Behind them, came a series of creaks, as the 12 foot, thin frame of Thanakron leaned down, grabbing Thana by the skull.

FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A GUARDIAN MAGE OF DEATH, I WILL FORGIVE THIS FIRST TRANSGRESSION. BUT YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION, BEFORE I USED YOUR SKULL AS A CHALICE.

MARS

"Forgive me for not recognizing you before. I have not personally acquainted myself with anyone here, particularly not you. You're rather odd-looking to be God, aren't you?" she/he asked.

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana was not frightened by Thanakron's actions. He had expected slightly worse, and was relieved to see he was not looking to fight yet. "My apologies, Thanakron. We have come here, because we have a significant concern that we think you may know more about than us. Please, if you would be gracious as to put me down, I might be able to explain better," he requested.

[Castle Crashers]

She shook her head. "Just a little sand is all..." She said, coughing once more. It would only take an hour or so for the particles to cycle back out of her system, but for now...it made her throat feel scratchy and sore, her teeth gritty and unclean, and probably the worst--she was awfully thirsty. Sand would do that to a person, she guessed. Sometimes she hated her mortal needs...



She smiled, obviously relieved to have the sand gone from her dark long hair. "Don't...someone might have the nerve to kill you for it...no matter how good it might be..."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling lightly, as the Anakin light mirage behind him mimed the scene from the movie, one awful frame at a time. He grinned, his pure white from glowing softly, as he realized the irony of the joke.

And we wouldn't want that, would we? Seems I have enough troubles with exploding and popping, thank you very much. Plus, how could I ever want to leave such a beautiful girl?

He smiled, sitting down crossed legged, floating lightly in the air, a grin spread out over his face, as the others went about around them.

I remember a time when we hated each other. Now I don't want to leave your side.

She blushed slightly from hearing his words. "Well...I only hated you because I was raised to...I actually envied you and the others back when we were little...simply because I wasn't strong enough to go out in the sun..." She shrugged. "But you're right-- I never want to leave your side ever again either..."

[Theocretes]

Ianar had dissapeared in the fray as well, nobody had seen him slip away
I found the one time my invisibility came to use!

[Luminesa]

Ianar had dissapeared in the fray as well, nobody had seen him slip away
I found the one time my invisibility came to use!

As Thana was held by Thanakron, he turned and eyed Ianar gravely, as if to tell him, Don't do anything brash. Follow my lead.

[Syrixces]

Hyperion

Hyperion grinned and kissed her cheek softly, his bright form, dimming in her prescence, as atoms, photons and solar wind hummed and fizzed around and through him, his body, float of the ground lightly.

And I used to be afraid of you. The darkness terrified me.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closed, smiling weakly.

But I had no real reason to be afraid, did I?

Thanatos

Thanatos shook his head, turning to Mourir and the rest, still in his reaper's form, bone mask covering the majority of his face.

No. I can only know when the book lists them. Until then, that knowledge rests with God, and the fates.

Raven

Raven continued floating on air, robes and hood flapping in the dry desert wind, as he stared back, grinning, unblinking under the bird's skull mask.

I guess you could say that? But who are you to judge? I've traveled the multi-verse, seen thousands of Gods. You've seen but one other than myself. I look this way, because it's the form I chose.

Thanakron

Thanakron chuckled lightly, a thin, screeching sound, like that of nails on a chalkboard, as he leered forward, his massive, skeletal frame, walking like a man on stilts, massive black scythe in hand, the black obsidian cavern around them, descending deeper into his kingdom, carrying Thana by the skull, before throwing him against a wall, and leaning backwards on the scythe.

YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT MY LEASURE, MAGE. NO MORE. NOW, SPEAK. BEFORE I RUN THIN ON MY WILL TO LISTEN.

[Luminesa]

Hyperion

Hyperion grinned and kissed her cheek softly, his bright form, dimming in her prescence, as atoms, photons and solar wind hummed and fizzed around and through him, his body, float of the ground lightly.

And I used to be afraid of you. The darkness terrified me.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closed, smiling weakly.

But I had no real reason to be afraid, did I?

Thanatos

Thanatos shook his head, turning to Mourir and the rest, still in his reaper's form, bone mask covering the majority of his face.

No. I can only know when the book lists them. Until then, that knowledge rests with God, and the fates.

Raven

Raven continued floating on air, robes and hood flapping in the dry desert wind, as he stared back, grinning, unblinking under the bird's skull mask.

I guess you could say that? But who are you to judge? I've traveled the multi-verse, seen thousands of Gods. You've seen but one other than myself. I look this way, because it's the form I chose.

Thanakron

Thanakron chuckled lightly, a thin, screeching sound, like that of nails on a chalkboard, as he leered forward, his massive, skeletal frame, walking like a man on stilts, massive black scythe in hand, the black obsidian cavern around them, descending deeper into his kingdom, carrying Thana by the skull, before throwing him against a wall, and leaning backwards on the scythe.

YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT MY LEASURE, MAGE. NO MORE. NOW, SPEAK. BEFORE I RUN THIN ON MY WILL TO LISTEN.

MARS

Adam smiled thoughtfully, and he replied, "I have had no reason to, until now. And I also choose to take this form. Though it is moreso I took her and used her as my form, but I can also change form at will, if I please..." He then looked down at the other deities, who were all arguing now about what to do about Thana. "You are quite content with separating yourself from your flock, aren't you, Raven?"

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana's back hit the wall hard, and while he grit his teeth, he still managed to land in a crouch, though painfully. He slowly stood back up, and then he began to carefully explain himself. "I came to you in order to request your assistance. Please, what do you know about the god who calls himself Raven?"

[Ranoria]

Hyperion

Hyperion grinned and kissed her cheek softly, his bright form, dimming in her prescence, as atoms, photons and solar wind hummed and fizzed around and through him, his body, float of the ground lightly.

And I used to be afraid of you. The darkness terrified me.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closed, smiling weakly.

But I had no real reason to be afraid, did I?

Thanatos

Thanatos shook his head, turning to Mourir and the rest, still in his reaper's form, bone mask covering the majority of his face.

No. I can only know when the book lists them. Until then, that knowledge rests with God, and the fates.

Raven

Raven continued floating on air, robes and hood flapping in the dry desert wind, as he stared back, grinning, unblinking under the bird's skull mask.

I guess you could say that? But who are you to judge? I've traveled the multi-verse, seen thousands of Gods. You've seen but one other than myself. I look this way, because it's the form I chose.

Thanakron

Thanakron chuckled lightly, a thin, screeching sound, like that of nails on a chalkboard, as he leered forward, his massive, skeletal frame, walking like a man on stilts, massive black scythe in hand, the black obsidian cavern around them, descending deeper into his kingdom, carrying Thana by the skull, before throwing him against a wall, and leaning backwards on the scythe.

YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT MY LEASURE, MAGE. NO MORE. NOW, SPEAK. BEFORE I RUN THIN ON MY WILL TO LISTEN.

Mourir nodded, "Interesting." He had nothing else to say, really, and so didn't respond beyond that, while Ryujin continued to sleep in the small river Shen had formed, fighting off Aphophis's poison as he waited to move on.

The other dragon was sleeping on a cloud that hovered a meter or so above the ground, snoring rather loudly, and then the cloud blew away when Ryujin snorted in his slumber, wind bowing out of his nostrils. Shen Lung grunted, then shook his head and frowned, looking over to Raven, "When are we going to deal with the other gods? I'm done waiting around."

[Luminesa]

Hyperion

Hyperion grinned and kissed her cheek softly, his bright form, dimming in her prescence, as atoms, photons and solar wind hummed and fizzed around and through him, his body, float of the ground lightly.

And I used to be afraid of you. The darkness terrified me.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closed, smiling weakly.

But I had no real reason to be afraid, did I?

Thanatos

Thanatos shook his head, turning to Mourir and the rest, still in his reaper's form, bone mask covering the majority of his face.

No. I can only know when the book lists them. Until then, that knowledge rests with God, and the fates.

Raven

Raven continued floating on air, robes and hood flapping in the dry desert wind, as he stared back, grinning, unblinking under the bird's skull mask.

I guess you could say that? But who are you to judge? I've traveled the multi-verse, seen thousands of Gods. You've seen but one other than myself. I look this way, because it's the form I chose.

Thanakron

Thanakron chuckled lightly, a thin, screeching sound, like that of nails on a chalkboard, as he leered forward, his massive, skeletal frame, walking like a man on stilts, massive black scythe in hand, the black obsidian cavern around them, descending deeper into his kingdom, carrying Thana by the skull, before throwing him against a wall, and leaning backwards on the scythe.

YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT MY LEASURE, MAGE. NO MORE. NOW, SPEAK. BEFORE I RUN THIN ON MY WILL TO LISTEN.

Mourir nodded, "Interesting." He had nothing else to say, really, and so didn't respond beyond that, while Ryujin continued to sleep in the small river Shen had formed, fighting off Aphophis's poison as he waited to move on.

The other dragon was sleeping on a cloud that hovered a meter or so above the ground, snoring rather loudly, and then the cloud blew away when Ryujin snorted in his slumber, wind bowing out of his nostrils. Shen Lung grunted, then shook his head and frowned, looking over to Raven, "When are we going to deal with the other gods? I'm done waiting around."

Lux flew over to his side, and stood next to him, ankle-deep in the cold water. He then put a hand on the wound and used his light to heal it. "You are going to be okay, Ryujin...please just stay still..." he whispered. Though they had their fights in the past, Lux still cared about the dragon, who he saw as a teammate and, ultimately, a friend.

Meanwhile, a few yards away, Xavier argued with Patriah over what to do.

"You mean you really think it had something to do with Raven?"

"Yes. Thana and Ianar are probably doing something to learn more about Raven. And honestly, I don't blame them," he said.

"He would tell us if he was going to do something like that, though..." Patriah insisted.

"He doesn't have to. I don't know what he's doing or why, but whatever it is, he didn't want any of us to know," Xavier replied.

"He could have at least given us a heads-up that he was leaving," Joaquin muttered.

Patriah grit his teeth and stared at the ground. Whatever Thana was planning, it had to be dangerous, if he wasn't telling anyone. But why did he take Ianar and not me?...Why didn't he tell me...that he was planning something? He knew he had to trust his former Master, but he still couldn't help but fear he was getting himself in over his head, and that if he had just been allowed to help with whatever it was, at least he wouldn't be alone in it...

[Ranoria]

Mourir nodded, "Interesting." He had nothing else to say, really, and so didn't respond beyond that, while Ryujin continued to sleep in the small river Shen had formed, fighting off Aphophis's poison as he waited to move on.

The other dragon was sleeping on a cloud that hovered a meter or so above the ground, snoring rather loudly, and then the cloud blew away when Ryujin snorted in his slumber, wind bowing out of his nostrils. Shen Lung grunted, then shook his head and frowned, looking over to Raven, "When are we going to deal with the other gods? I'm done waiting around."

Lux flew over to his side, and stood next to him, ankle-deep in the cold water. He then put a hand on the wound and used his light to heal it. "You are going to be okay, Ryujin...please just stay still..." he whispered. Though they had their fights in the past, Lux still cared about the dragon, who he saw as a teammate and, ultimately, a friend.

Meanwhile, a few yards away, Xavier argued with Patriah over what to do.

"You mean you really think it had something to do with Raven?"

"Yes. Thana and Ianar are probably doing something to learn more about Raven. And honestly, I don't blame them," he said.

"He would tell us if he was going to do something like that, though..." Patriah insisted.

"He doesn't have to. I don't know what he's doing or why, but whatever it is, he didn't want any of us to know," Xavier replied.

"He could have at least given us a heads-up that he was leaving," Joaquin muttered.

Patriah grit his teeth and stared at the ground. Whatever Thana was planning, it had to be dangerous, if he wasn't telling anyone. But why did he take Ianar and not me?...Why didn't he tell me...that he was planning something? He knew he had to trust his former Master, but he still couldn't help but fear he was getting himself in over his head, and that if he had just been allowed to help with whatever it was, at least he wouldn't be alone in it...

He opened one eye, iris dull around the slitted pupil, and grunted his thanks before drifting back into his sleep.

Shen Lung, meanwhile, came next to Xavier and Patriah, arms crossed, "Raven certainly has his secrets, but you have no reason to place your trust so far away from him. He has given you no reason to believe he's going to stab us in the back, and honestly, I feel that he's on our side."

[Syrixces]

Hyperion

Hyperion grinned and kissed her cheek softly, his bright form, dimming in her prescence, as atoms, photons and solar wind hummed and fizzed around and through him, his body, float of the ground lightly.

And I used to be afraid of you. The darkness terrified me.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closed, smiling weakly.

But I had no real reason to be afraid, did I?

Thanatos

Thanatos shook his head, turning to Mourir and the rest, still in his reaper's form, bone mask covering the majority of his face.

No. I can only know when the book lists them. Until then, that knowledge rests with God, and the fates.

Raven

Raven continued floating on air, robes and hood flapping in the dry desert wind, as he stared back, grinning, unblinking under the bird's skull mask.

I guess you could say that? But who are you to judge? I've traveled the multi-verse, seen thousands of Gods. You've seen but one other than myself. I look this way, because it's the form I chose.

Thanakron

Thanakron chuckled lightly, a thin, screeching sound, like that of nails on a chalkboard, as he leered forward, his massive, skeletal frame, walking like a man on stilts, massive black scythe in hand, the black obsidian cavern around them, descending deeper into his kingdom, carrying Thana by the skull, before throwing him against a wall, and leaning backwards on the scythe.

YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT MY LEASURE, MAGE. NO MORE. NOW, SPEAK. BEFORE I RUN THIN ON MY WILL TO LISTEN.

MARS

Adam smiled thoughtfully, and he replied, "I have had no reason to, until now. And I also choose to take this form. Though it is moreso I took her and used her as my form, but I can also change form at will, if I please..." He then looked down at the other deities, who were all arguing now about what to do about Thana. "You are quite content with separating yourself from your flock, aren't you, Raven?"

THANAKRON'S PALACE

Thana's back hit the wall hard, and while he grit his teeth, he still managed to land in a crouch, though painfully. He slowly stood back up, and then he began to carefully explain himself. "I came to you in order to request your assistance. Please, what do you know about the god who calls himself Raven?"

Raven grinned beneath the mask, floating on the air, before snapping his fingers, returning both he, and Adam / Rosalie to the ground, several hundred feet below them, teleporting them in an instant.

I'm an observing God. That's how I got myself in this mess in the first place. Never was one for intervention. Plus, I'm here just for their assistance. No need on getting emotionally attached, especially when I'm sending them home soon enough.

He then turned to face Shen, grinning, as he teleported the dragon to their location on the ground, robs and hood flapping in the wind, while his mask stayed firm.

Quetzalcoatl is directly west of here. Once Ryujin has healed, we'll move directly there. Good?

Thanakron

Thanakron crouched, chuckling to himself, a chilling howl, that screeched through the cavern, causing the black walls to shimmer, and the bones of the long dead to shiver.

He stood up slowly, leaning on his massive scythe, before turning away, holding his massive skeletal arms aloft, looking down into the darkness.

RAVEN WAS GOD. WAS. NEGLECTFUL. ARROGANT. WRATHFUL. HE TOOK MY PLACE. MY HOME. MY LITTLE KINGDOM OF SOLITUDE IN THE DARKNESS. SO WE ROSE UP. AND WE TOOK HIM. BANISHED HIM, FOR WE COULD NOT TRULY KILL HIM. I'M GUESSING THIS IS THE SAME TALE YOU WERE FED, HMMMM?

Thanakron's voice cracked, eerily shattering the deathly quiet, as in one swift motion, he crouched, and turned back, slamming Thana's throat to the wall, leaning in, cold =, dark smelling breath hissing from his skeletal lips, as a fissure appeared, cracking along his skull for a face.

YOU WERE MY FRIEND. MY FRIEND. MY FRIEND.

Thanakron screamed, roaring, and picked up Thana by the throat, throwing him into the opposite wall, close to the exit of the cavernous obsidian cave like palace.

LEAVE MY HOME, MAGE OF DEATH. AND DO NOT RETURN.

And with that, the mighty Death personification, disappeared into the darkness.

[Castle Crashers]

Hyperion

Hyperion grinned and kissed her cheek softly, his bright form, dimming in her prescence, as atoms, photons and solar wind hummed and fizzed around and through him, his body, float of the ground lightly.

And I used to be afraid of you. The darkness terrified me.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closed, smiling weakly.

But I had no real reason to be afraid, did I?

Thanatos

Thanatos shook his head, turning to Mourir and the rest, still in his reaper's form, bone mask covering the majority of his face.

No. I can only know when the book lists them. Until then, that knowledge rests with God, and the fates.

Raven

Raven continued floating on air, robes and hood flapping in the dry desert wind, as he stared back, grinning, unblinking under the bird's skull mask.

I guess you could say that? But who are you to judge? I've traveled the multi-verse, seen thousands of Gods. You've seen but one other than myself. I look this way, because it's the form I chose.

Thanakron

Thanakron chuckled lightly, a thin, screeching sound, like that of nails on a chalkboard, as he leered forward, his massive, skeletal frame, walking like a man on stilts, massive black scythe in hand, the black obsidian cavern around them, descending deeper into his kingdom, carrying Thana by the skull, before throwing him against a wall, and leaning backwards on the scythe.

YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF AT MY LEASURE, MAGE. NO MORE. NOW, SPEAK. BEFORE I RUN THIN ON MY WILL TO LISTEN.

She smiled warmly, leaning against him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Sure you did...I wasn't the nicest person..." She frowned. "I scared off a lot of people...I let people use the shade of my night to benefit themselves with their crimes and sins...that evil just bled right into me..." She shrugged. "But...I think that evil is gone now. Hopefully."