"The mist knows my name. It howled it for years... but it was only asking for help." ~ Senna (Too many skins) The Redeemer
2nd Birthday chapter!
Pictures tomorrow.
This is the first time I'm writing a close to proper Kaiju battle with two characters that look somewhat human. I hope I'm conveying the scale pretty well.
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"....Where am.... I?" Joraal held his shield and looked at his surroundings. His head throbbed as he gained control over his form after all these years. He flexed his free hand and slowly moved it. He tried to move his legs but they didn't listen. He leaned forward but his legs did not move.
BANG
He landed face first into the ground killing all those near him. Using his hand, he pushed himself up and slid his legs under himself into a sitting position. The gem on the shield glowed a little brighter than previously as the blood of those who died just because they were in the proximity, was absorbed.
His eyes took in his surroundings, "What... is this place....? Why am I here?" His legs bent and he rose to his feet once more.
"Why do I feel this way?" Something was slipping through him... as if it was being sucked out. It was slow and the overall amount was miniscule but it was still being sucked out. Not liking the feeling he focused on where the something was slipping through.
The structure under him.
They were sapping him. Sapping him off his magic.
A sudden switch flipped. Rage coursed through him.
"ARRGHHH!" He roared. Shockwaves emanating from his helmet.
BANG
He stomped his feet trying to destroy the things under him. Nothing took HIS magic away from him.
Clouds of dust rose from under him.
But the loss of magic never stopped.
Petricite.
The word appeared on his mind. A memory. One from his host.
His.... host....
It was a child.
The anger in his body dissipated.
His host was an innocent child.
His free hand came up to his helmet as he staggered. He had taken over an innocent child. One who hadn't seen the world. One who wouldn't grow to experience life.
What had he done?
Joraal was a protector. The Aegis of Eternity. The only title he actually cared for. The line of defense between his people and complete demise.
The last thing between the end of all things and life. That was who Joraal was.
He protected.
He protected.
He protected.
HE PROTECTED.
All bodily movement stopped as his decent into madness began.
"ICATHIA!!!!!!" He roared. "WHERE IS ICATHIA?"
He would continue to protect.
Raising his shield, he prepared to slam it into the ground. The deaths of the surrounding creatures would get him closer to summoning his sword. Icathia was not here. But it called to him. The land itself called. As if it was waiting for its children to return home.
WHOOOSH
His head swung as he recognized the energy. Another Darkin.
His kin.
No not his kin.
Enemy.
He turned to face the enemy that would approach soon.
The shield rose as he prepared to block an incoming attack.
BANG
The enemy Darkin appeared, slamming its own shield into his. The impact of the shields were overwhelmingly in favor of the attacking Darkin and with the fact that he wasn't in complete control of his body... Joraal was sent flying out of the city and into a forest of white trees.
"Sending him into the trees? That is your plan?" Caalyx spoke.
Gregori let out a breath, vapor leaving his mouth as he did. "It is where your other half is. If things do go bad.... I can just complete you."
Caalyx chuckled. "You are improving."
"No. I'm thinking like a Hastur again." Gregori denied. "The years had dulled my thinking. Not anymore. Losing is not an option. I can only win and I will use every trick in the book to do so."
"No honor?" Caalyx provoked.
Gregori leaped in the direction he had sent the Darkin, "Honor is something only the living concern themselves with."
Caalyx seemed proud, "Good. There is only one outcome for this fight then."
As they slammed into the trees and ground, Gregori instantly felt a heavy weight fall upon him.
It was a sort of pressure. Not to his magic but to his very being.
"This... is curious..." Caalyx muttered.
Gregori observed his surroundings, "The forest. It is reacting. Trying to suppress me." He looked at Joraal who was struggling to get to his feet. "Both of us."
"Even battlefield." Caalyx pointed out. "Go ahead."
Finally, Gregori took in his enemy.
Joraal stood a little taller than him. His torso covered in this white golden armor that was a single piece in its entirety, covering even his head. The helmet had a T-shaped opening with two horns covered but the same armor that extended sideways from the back of his head. The helmet did not reveal the face behind it, shrouding it in darkness. His right arm held the Darkin weapon. It was thicker, muscular and stronger than the other arm.
But the true strength lie in his legs. Lines of gold ran through them, strengthening portions that would require it.
They lacked any armor but they were designed to withstand impact. The shield took the brunt of the damage but the legs? They were made to dissipate the incoming force.
"Caaaaaaaaaallllyyyxxxx." A long drawl escaped Joraal's lips.
Gregori pointed the spear at him, "Surrender Joraal. Give up the child. There is still a chance we can save his life from the corruption."
"Do.....Do you see?" Joraal muttered.
"See what?"
Joraal's shield rose, covering his head. A whisper sounded behind the shield. It was melancholic. "The voiiiiiid."
"Gregori you are losing valuable time." Caalyx sounded urgent. "Joraal has lost himself. Being one of the most responsible among us, his change into the Darkin form and then the eventual loss of his reason for existing, not to mention left without a host for all these years... Joraal has lost his sanity."
"Like your brother." Gregori gripped his spear tighter.
Caalyx did not reply but Gregori felt his acknowledgement.
BANG
Gregori flew at Joraal and slammed him with his shield. This time Joraal did not budge. The ground beneath them cracked and trees were uprooted.
"I held the line..... I HELD IT!" Joraal bellowed. Pushing his shield forward, he sent Gregori backward. Immediately he rushed him with his shield and bashed him with it.
Witnessing the rush, Gregori raised his shield up hurriedly, barely raising it up in time as the attack landed.
"You cannot damage him." Caalyx advised. "Pry the shield off."
Gregori swung his shield to the right, knocking Joraal off balance. His spear shot upward into the helmet.
Joraal's armor groaned at the impact as Gregori's spear pushed his head backward even as his body was moving to the right.
Sliding his hand over the spear, Gregori switched to a reverse grip and swung himself in place between Joraal and his shield. Dropping his shield he placed his hand on Joraal's shield and began to pry it off.
"NO!" Joraal yelled as he struggled to push himself into a better position. But his armor's sturdy nature worked against him as he couldn't move with Caalyx firmly lodged in between the helmet's opening.
Gregori felt the shield slowly separate from the body.
Suddenly, he lost balance as his spear slid downward and he fell backward.
Joraal had jumped. The strong legs sending him high into the sky. "I will not fall. I CANNOT FALL!"
Gregori looked up and watched as Joraal came hurtling down at him shield posed in his direction. The red spines that extended out of the shield glowed an angry red.
"Dodge it Gregori." Caalyx warned. "You cannot take that."
"Is the pressure not affecting him?" Gregori wondered aloud. "How did he jump that?" But despite his questions, he rolled to the side and jumped up off the ground.
BOOOOMMMMMMM
The impact was nearly catastrophic as the ground around them sunk and trees went flying everywhere.
Gregori avoided any damage as he had jumped up as the attack landed on the ground.
"Second time's the charm!" Caalyx encouraged with an enthusiastic voice.
Gregori grunted. "Third time's the charm."
"Definitely the second if you want the child alive." Caalyx instantly replied.
Gregori squinted, trying to spot Joraal through the dust cloud surrounding them.
"IT NEVER EEEENDS!" Joraal came charging through the dust cloud. Gregori slid to the right, narrowly avoiding the shield bash.
Gregori huffed as the toll of the transformation started to hit him, but he readied his spear once more. The shield flew to his arm.
Joraal raised his shield in front of him once again.
The two charged at each other.
"I. EAT. MAAAGICCC!"
Gregori's eyes widened as the sun above them was covered by a shadow.
In a split second decision, Gregori pivoted to the side leaping to safety.
BOOOOOOM
A cloud of dust rose again as Gregori observed the third party. One who was the same size as them.
One that currently stood over Joraal.
The new entrant had massive wings that were curled around itself protectively. White with gold outlines. But it had a stone like quality. Petricite. This wasn't a living creature.
No.
It was a statue.
The wings slowly unfurled revealing the statue behind.
One he has extremely familiar with.
The white and gold statue he had walked past so many times. The statue under which he had poured out his heart, his worries and countless tears.
Galio.