Defeat SwollenMan

Link to Approval

Mission Details:

Lonely, mountainous settlements... always seemed like the potpourri of a series of social messes. If it wasn't cultists, it was kidnapping. If it wasn't kidnapping, it was some other vice that most of the law keepers were too out of the way to do anything about. And the onus was on her, or any other mage willing to do something about it, to step into the scene and solve the crime.

Belladonna almost instantly hated Shirotsume the moment she laid eyes on it. It was a little town, but she could see that there were some large buildings... no doubt belonging to some rich feudal lord who probably took advantage of his people. Anything that reminded her of the circumstances she grew up in always left a bitter taste in her mouth. Be that as it may, she always wanted to give everyone she came across the benefit of doubt. People often considered her strange for a dark mage, but there was a reason she was in a dark guild. There were some things the legal guilds couldn't do, things that many lawless and evil people liked to hide beneath. She was dark, so that meant that she could flush such devils out without facing sanction from her guild. And if her 'family' did not sanction her, she gave no damn what anyone else thought.

She was here to investigate the rumors of some thing called the Swollen Man. People whispered it was some sort of deity that some worshiped. Whatever it was, it seemed evil, and it had to go. Belladonna was just here to find out if the rumors were true, if children were being kidnapped for the Swollen Man to feed on, and what else was myth and what was true. And if what she had heard was accurate, she was going to bring judgment on them. Terrible judgment. Hopefully, there would be some other reason for this, and the absence of some over-sized, overweight blob of a cannibal would make the mission flow much quicker. Knowing the world for what it was, and Earthland and all its inherent madness, the blob probably existed.

There was supposed to be another mage with her on this mission. Frankly, Belladonna did not know whether to be pleased, or to be worried that she was being paired with a legal guild mage. They did tend to feel very righteous about their position, and considered dark mages to be scum of the earth. Frankly, in her opinion, many dark mages did very little to change the convictions of others about them. Unnecessary murder, theft and other vices, for no other purpose than to watch the world burn. Belladonna thought it was a very shallow, empty way of thought. She was aware that in the future, she might be feared just as much as the next evil S-ranked mage, but at least, she would have a legit reason. Sacrifice was always necessary...

Sitting beneath the shade of a spreading tree, Belladonna waited for the mage she would be partnered with to show up. She passed the time trying to guess what he would look like, how he would behave and if they would get along fine.

They would get along fine... provided he wasn't spending his time trying to arrest her or something.

Nathaniel had never been to Shirotsume although the village sitting comfortably at the base of the mountain of Hokabe was an interesting destination for him having lived in the Mountain Village for most of his teenage years up to his twenties. Today, he was here for a job that involved a malevolent being something that Nat eagerly took up at the mention of evil because of course this was the sole purpose of his personal crusade, a crusade that he took up as he witnessed suffering from his family home. This was also a crusade he had been trying to get people to participate but thankfully with his acceptance into Dies Irae, it felt like his crusade had become a formal thing seeing as the guild shared his views in the active extermination of evil much like his intentions now.

Nat however will not be taking this mission alone he had heard that for this particular mission, a mage from somewhere he know not would be joining him. Seeing as the job taken was a neutral job, it could be anyone. It could be a guildless mage or one of the independent guilds to which he just prayed it wasn't Fairy Tail. He never considered the fact that the person he could be working with is a dark mage from a dark guild. Dies Irae has been known for rooting out evil and he didn't think not a single dark mage would come near them. But alas, he would just have to get there and see for himself who he or she was.

Not much came into Nat's mind about the job. Truthfully, he knew not how to approach these "ghost stories" about a being kidnapping children. He didn't even know if he was able to cut it down but despite all that he was eager to try and perhaps they need to think of a plan as they go or maybe his partner already had a plan seeing as whoever the person was arrived here first presumably because the person was ready. In any case, Nat shall unleash his full furry upon the creature in question, if it was indeed true since illusions are a high possibility as well in this land of magic.

Nearing the village, Nat saw a beautiful woman sitting in the shade of a tree nearby and perhaps this was the mage he was going to be with. He approached her casually walking towards the mage who, as he got closer seemed to possess all the right curves in the right places truly a beauty. However, Nat wasn't distracted with the physical appearance of his partner as he would be more interested in the capabilities she possessed for Nat held what's inside a person in a higher regard than their physical appearance. Yet one cannot deny that physical appearances are a huge factor, especially for man like Nat. Being only a few meters away now from the lady, Nat spoke kindly "Hi I'm Nathaniel from Dies Irae. You must be the mage I'll be working with today, nice to meet you." extending his had to her for a shake.

Post WC: 524
Nat's Total: 524

Despite her Right Eye of the Mind, Belladonna was vaguely aware of the person approaching her, until he spoke. She looked up at him, tilting her head ever so slightly, then she stood up and smiled at him, taking his hand daintily, after which she let go a second later. He was easily taller than she was, by more than a foot,with blond hair and blue eyes. He had a "kind" face and a "heroic" build, in her opinion, and if she was going to make any assumption about him, it would be that he was one who could fit the role of "defender of the innocent". If his actions were concordant with this line of thought, he was someone she could admire in secret. But she was getting ahead of herself. "Belladonna Black, at your service, Nathaniel. Pleased to meet you too."

In her mind, she was screaming as loud as she could. Dies Irae?! Of all the guilds for her to be paired with! She was aware of their actions, and their zero tolerance policy for dark mages and all those considered evil. Honestly, she really couldn't consider herself evil, and even believed that in the worst case scenario, she was a necessary evil. Dies Irae was a legal guild, so it was almost certain that they couldn't go to any lengths to pursue justice. She could. That was her advantage, being a dark mage. Be that as it may, she was not sure that this Nathaniel would give her a hug if she told him what guild she was from, and say cheerfully, "I don't care what guild you're from; your heart is all that matters." Yeah right.

She would not tell him anything about her guild. If he recognized the symbol of Errings Rising, well, she hoped he would be reasonable enough to team up with her and see this mission to the end. He probably would, because should he not do so, it would be a loss for both of them, and every mage loved to improve their reputation. Anyway, the sooner they immersed themselves in the activity at hand, the less time anyone would have to entertain thoughts of her arrest.

"Shall we?"

She turned and headed towards the mountains. There was little need to question anyone in the village, since the mission details told her everything she needed to know. The highlands held all the answers, so whatever time was spent in the village would only be a waste. "Do you mind if we compare notes, as we walk?" she asked conversationally. "There's the Swollen Man, who we're supposed to get rid of, right? And he already has a cult following. Looks like we're up against some sort of illusion magic, or the real deal: there's some cannibal out there, whom people sacrifice victims to."

Once they had got into the mountains, she paused, her brow creasing slightly. Up ahead, she sensed the presence of people. Small, waifish... children. And they were moving quickly. "Hmm... company already..." she muttered. As if on cue, a youngster rounded a rocky corner and came into plain sight, running for all he was worth. After him, tumbling snarling and screaming, followed four children, well adolescents, to be more precise, wild-looking, dirty, haggard and disheveled. Their reason for chasing down the teen was anybody's guess, but it was obvious they didn't want to ask for directions.

The two exchanged a rather short moment of pleasantries that would be considered simple and to the point for Nathaniel. The beautiful woman's name was Belladonna Black and it held a certain elegance to it much like the woman now standing right in front of her. She really is impressive so far in Nat's eyes. "Would you mind if I called you Bella instead?" he asked her politely as they made their way into the mountains.

As they walked, Nathaniel never heard what guild she came from and he hasn't been suspicious of her origins. Surely a person who is undertaking this honorable mission despite its Neutral status can't possibly be from a Dark Guild right? Independent would surely be out of the question now since she didn't say her guild leading Nat to believe that she is guildless firmly making him no longer pry deeper into it.

Not long after having traveled a few meters from their meeting place, Bella offered to compare notes with Nat to which he had very little of. He had little concern of the origins of their enemy the fact that they were doing evil deeds was enough to get him out here and take action. Besides, illusion or not Nat's light magic can only do so much as heal and deal a little damage to any being. However, Bella's mention of a cult following gave Nat a few ideas. "Well I don't have much to go on but it appears these cultists are our way in. If this Swollen Man is elusive, let's make him come to us instead." he replied.

Nat was walking beside Bella and slightly behind her watching their rear and sides. The mountains were a perfect place for an ambush from their cultist friends. He worried greatly for her not wanting for her to be in danger because she was really nice and the world need more people like her. He's been with a a lot of nice people in his life recently ever since he joined Dies Irae. Sivvy being a prominent person in his memory. He has yet to meet others within their guild such as the one called Ms. West and he was excited to meet her too. Suddenly she stopped walking prompting Nat to stop too.

It appears people are on their way right now. And there a young lad appeared from the corner chased by 4 other people almost his age for reasons unknown. Nat quickly came in front, being between the one lad and his pursuers getting them to stop too. Surprised at how quick someone came to the one's defense. However, Nat looked at them plainly they were only children confused and afraid, not necessarily evil. He rummaged through his pack to take out slices of cheesecakes in transparent plastic containers. Nat had always carried cheesecakes with him as a snack for the road but it looks like these children could use it more than him.

Being at awe at the desserts in front of them they almost went limp as they were trying to reach out for them to eat. And eat they did, happily at that too. The children were completely pacified for now and this might be a good time to question the young man being chased earlier, turning to him and asked "Why were they after you?"

Post WC: 559
Nat's total: 1,083
@Digit your turn :)

She had nodded when Nathaniel had asked if he could call her "Bella", for she didn't mind diminutives and nicknames, as long as they were polite and sounded... acceptable (of course, the latter was entirely up to her opinion). He had suggested that the two of them somehow lure the Swollen Man to them. Frankly, it was a very good idea; many a hunter had used such a technique to bait and draw out elusive prey. It would most likely entail them trying to gain the trust of the cultists one way or another, and while Belladonna didn't mind much, she was not sure if Nathaniel, being a legal mage, might be up for whatever tests the Swollen Man minions might require them to accomplish. She was about to answer, when the children came chasing.

Frowning slightly, a hand moved secretly beneath her jacket, ready to cast an Imprecation towards the oncoming frenzied group, when Nathaniel stepped forward and offered food. Food! That was quite surprising, and had the children not reacted to the gesture immediately and positively, Belladonna would have seriously questioned his line of action. She was grateful that she had kept her mouth long enough to see the outcome, but her heart was burdened to an extent within her. Looking at them as they wolfed down the desserts hungrily, Belladonna felt a bit guilty. They may have acted like animals, but they were just children, and she shouldn't have wanted to attack them. Did this mean she was actually an evil person? Was rolling with a wrong crowd starting to get to her sense of right and wrong? She let her hand drop slowly, considering the fact that it was not wise to be so eager to always mete out judgment, though she was sure that Nathaniel and herself would soon come face to face with those to whom bitter justice was deserved. And they would get it, by her hand.

As Nathaniel questioned the teenager, she turned to give the knight-looking mage an appraising look. It was one thing to graciously give out food to hungry children, but for the love of Earth, why was he carrying that large amount of cheesecakes? The teenager helped himself to one of the desserts, but with less ferocity than the children had demonstrated. Obviously, he was hungry, but in much better condition than the kids.

"I dunno, kind sir, but I think it was to eat me," he replied between mouthfuls. Belladonna noted with mild amusement that he had put the mages between the children and himself. "I went out looking for some of them, my little brother included, but all I saw was this group."

By now, most of them were through, and regaining their sanity which had fled due to hunger and other sights which they would not speak of, the children began whimpering for home. "Wait!" the teenage boy suddenly said, looking at the two mages carefully. "You guys don't look like the average person, so you must be mages. Have you come to help us?"

The children gathered round them, eyes entreating, grasping at their clothing. "That depends," Belladonna replied, "on whether it's some Swollen Man you're talking about."

At the mention of that name, most of the children shrank back, fear evident on their faces. In fact, some looked like they were about to take off. "We're here to kill him," she concluded simply, opting for the fewest words, before fear made anyone of them irrational again.

"Can you do it?" the teenager asked.

"That's why we're here, right?" Belladonna answered with a mild shrug. The children searched their faces, emotions mixed with hope and fear. Then the teenager said, "Well, you're on the right path. Straight up into those mountains. Please, be careful. I haven't seen the... thing they worship, but there are many of them out there. And I think they've captured my brother."

Belladonna nodded. "We'll take it from here. You lead the children back to their families. And keep hope alive."

She turned to Nathaniel when the youngsters were on their way home. "Cheesecakes?! Are you serious?" she questioned, unable to hide her bemusement. "How did you know we were going to encounter hungry kids."

"Daresay the stuff looked tasty, though," she said, as an afterthought.

OOC:

Nat sat down while they listened to the teenager's story who was happily eating his slice of cheesecake. The teenager had explained why he was being chased and what brought him to the mountains in the first place. Bella was talking to the young lad as well, but sometimes he can't help but stare at her face as they listened in. He wondered why Bella's first course of action was to be at the ready. Perhaps it was to defend the fleeing civilian and thought it admirable if that were the case. All too few would try to take a stand right away when need be despite their odds. Yes the pursuers were just hungry children, but Nat knows what hunger can do to an individual. Logic flies out the door and one is reduced to base instincts, making people do things they thought they weren't capable before and this applies even more to children. Nat of course was just lucky to be packing cheesecake, and a lot of it, all the time as a road snack. His most favorite food in the world also happens to be one of the things he does best and the children seemed to enjoy it, turning into innocent little civilians the moment they had their full.

Now in a more civilized state, Nat ushered them to make for their village once more, telling them to follow the path from where they came which the children happily followed. The teenager followed behind them after he had been released by Bella from their questions and intense exchange of words. Nat simply looked on to them when Bella said that they will kill the Swollen Man. It was at this point that Nat wanted to add that all those who follow this creature would share the same fate but they're children. They don't need to hear that, and smiled as Bella mentioned hope to them when talking about bringing back their families.

Indeed hope is a word that is something the innocent needed to hear, hope is what drives most of us into the service of good and Nat's respect had further risen towards his new found partner. With the little detour taken care of, Bella and Nat continued on their trek which was reinforced by the directions of the teen.

It was at this moment that Bella wondered what was Nat's deal with cheesecakes. Asking him why he had them and if he knew if they were going to encounter kids. Nat simply chuckled because he gets this a lot. They keep getting surprised he has cheesecakes in his inventory but you really can't blame the guy for loving them so much. "What? I love cheesecakes, I make them myself. Hahaha. And no, I didn't know about the kids, that was just a lucky break because I always carry slices with me as a road snack." he cheerfully replied as their trek went on.

Noticing Bella thinking about the cheesecake, Nat turned around and looked on towards the beautiful mage smiling at her kindly. He slowly reached in to his bag, and pulled out his last slice of cheesecake. The slice he was saving as it was his best, it was a classic. A simple cheesecake that had blueberry pieces  and syrup on top of course Nat made this for himself but he would be more than willing to let Bella have it "Here, try it for yourself." he said, happily offering it to her.

Post WC: 580
Nat's Total: 1,663

@Digit I finally replied~

Belladonna seemed hesitant at first, then accepted the slice of cheesecake with an appreciative smile. "Why, thank you, Nathaniel," she said gratefully, before nibbling at the cake. She paused, a contemplative frown on her face, as her tongue sampled the mixture of tastes offered by the creamy dessert. Eventually, she turned to Nathaniel, her erstwhile almost inscrutable facial expression slowly breaking into an impressed smile.

"Even if I was going to be very modest, this is by far one of the best pastries I've tasted in a long time," she commented approvingly. "I can see why you have a taste for them. If you can generally cook as well as you bake these, then you're a flipping good cook."

The cheesecake was delightful to Belladonna's soul, for not only had it been prepared with a certain finesse, but she was naturally a fan of sweet foods. She was not exaggerating, nor was she trying to patronize him; the only thing that kept her from pestering him about the secret recipe he used to bake the stuff was the fact that she didn't really consider herself to be a chef or baker, even in the making. Perhaps she might take up cooking, or baking as a recreational pastime; after all, she had heard some say that creating recipes had a soothing effect on the psyche, or at least, gave one a sense of power as a creator. Sadly, she was not in the mountains to eat cakes... but at least, she could still enjoy the snack as they headed into harm's way.

And speaking of harm, it was waiting for them. Not long up into the mountains, as the two mages walked, Belladonna sensed the presence of people up ahead. These ones were more than the feral children, and her Right Eye of the Mind informed her that they had nothing good planned for anyone who passed that way, as far as intentions were concerned. As Belladonna had been nibbling at the cheesecake in her hand, there was still some left by the time she sensed the people ahead, so, not wanting to waste the remaining piece in almost inevitable combat, she crammed the rest into her mouth, and gestured towards where the people were likely waiting in ambush.

She noticed that two people had left the company and had headed their way. They were moving slowly, carefully, and from their furtive actions, they were most likely scouts. No doubt they would check on the mages' location, then return to inform their friends, who would plan an attack for them. And they just might find themselves surprised.

"Heads up, Nathaniel; we've got company again. And this time, these ones seem more coordinated. I suppose they are likely members of this 'Swollen Man' cult that everyone has been so terrified of. Now there's good news and bad news."

She paused and glanced around her. The two mages were in a small wood that grew further up the mountain, and all the trees would provide a source of cover for stalkers. However, they could also be used to the advantage of the mages, provided they played their cards right. She continued, her voice low enough for only him to hear.

"The good news is, we're already aware of their presence. So, we can act like we don't know what they're up to, and surprise them when they attack, or, take the fight to them, lasers blazing. The bad news is, there are ten of them I can count. The numbers are somewhat against us, and I don't suppose these ones will be civil enough to invite us for a chat. Still, let's not act like we're onto them, until we come up with a plan, so that we may still have the advantage of surprise on our side."

Her head swiveled to look at him, as they continued further into the woods. "Having said all this, what do you think our next course of action should be?"

Nat handed the glorious cheesecake to Bella and watched her eat it. His eyes followed the utensil she used to take a piece and eat it. He was always so happy and excited whenever people ate his creations eagerly awaiting their response, negative or positive, to further his craft along the way. It was always an anxious moment, like that moment where one would take a test and await the result just mere moments after taking it. The smile she had on her face was a great indicator that she liked it and it made Nat smile too, a breath of relief leaving him bowing courteously as a humble response.

He listened on to what Bella had to say regarding the experience Bell had while eating the cake basically to complement the splendid job he had made in making a delicious piece of art. It made him chuckle and said "Hey thanks, Bella. Although I just bake for now, I'm not really a cook. But you really think I have what it takes?" happily, every pause ending with a smile for he greatly appreciated what she said.

They moved on after the brief and wonderful interlude, a moment of innocence and peace. The kind that reminds Nat every now and then why he does what he does as they continued on deeper into the mountains, the feeling of danger growing with every step, yet declining with every look at his partner, a woman having a nice time eating cake. However, as Nat known, these moments do not last especially since he was still aware they are approaching the belly of the beast. And so it came to be that he noticed Bella's expression had changed she even stopped nibbling at her cake and he didn't know why. He stopped a few inches in front of her and asked what was wrong but she gave no reply.

She suddenly crammed it all up inside her mouth that astounded Nat and also confused him. Why would Bella do that he thought, but he believed he knew why when she gestured to a location ahead of them. He of course turned his head towards the direction, narrowing his eyes as he gazed upon it. Nat still doesn't know what's going on but if his partner has been forced to go on readied state, and be free of possible distractions there must be something amiss. And so Bella relayed what she had sensed, nodding in agreement as to what was ahead.

He followed her to the trees, hiding their presence from their targets, his back was against the trunk, taking but a few glimpses at their targets. Indeed they look to be cultists but they don't look to be serious cultists. Grunts maybe? Neophytes? Whatever they may be, Nat was confident they can take them.

He pulled his head back and looked at Bella, nodding at her while he had a smirk on his face "Let's go, we can take them." he whispered "Perhaps we can use our spells for large groups can be utilized here. Follow my lead." he continued as he held out his fist in front of it opening it slowly at the same time a slice of cheesecake was forming from thin air. He gobbled the delicious blueberry cheesecake treat making an aura of blue surround him, a sign of increased magic power.

After that, Nat climbed up the tree he was hiding behind to try and get a jump on them. Wasting no time, he quickly jumped out towards them, landing in the middle of the group whilst he cast a spell making him shine in furious light that their opponents did not pay attention to. And Nat really thought why would they? It was just a light show... or so they thought.

For when Nat raised his hand, making a yellow crown appear above his head, everyone around Nat were struck with flames not knowing where it came from making them flinch. Another movement was made by Nat this time his right hand was surrounded by golden fiery light that he hurled at the farthest opponent and as this happened everyone around Nat were struck with flames, the second one making most of them be on their knees in pain and suffering. They were almost done for at this point it was a matter of cleaning them up, making sure no one escapes and prevent them from alerting anyone else in whatever way.

Post WC: 761
Nat's Total: 2,424
@Digit Sorry this took a while.

Belladonna responded to Nathaniel with a nod of her own. By this time, the two mages had crept to where the ten cultists were gathered. They didn't look too powerful, but Belladonna knew that it was not wise to judge a person based on outward appearances alone. Still, they looked like they could be easily overcome, something that Nathaniel also believed. He asked her to follow his lead, and she did so, interested in seeing just what he would do to take out the cultists. Most likely a demonstration of his magic, she assumed, but she was always on ground just in case one of them tried to get away from the fight and alert the other cultists, wherever they might be.

The next two things that Nat did were nothing sort of very amusing to Belladonna. First, he summoned a cheesecake. Perhaps that would explain why he had a bag full of cheesecakes in the first place. Maybe they were connected to his magic, and he would most likely eat them to gain some positive effects, or throw them at an opponent... though the latter sounded a little vaudevillian. As was natural to her, Belladonna found herself asking many mental questions, but the two foremost questions went along the lines of: "does he cook his cheesecakes and stash them somewhere, to be retrieved when required?" and "was the cheesecake I was eating a magical cheesecake?"

The second thing he did was to climb a tree. "Ooh... this is going to be dramatic," she thought, rather amused and interested in seeing just what he was going to pull off. Perhaps it would be some sort of area attack, where he would drop into their midst like a blazing comet, strike the ground, and send everyone flying. Drawing closer to the cultists, she remained hidden, waiting expectantly for Nat to make his move.

Quite frankly, she expected his entrance to be... colorful, and she was not disappointed. It was like a light show at first, which was quickly followed by a pyrotechnic event. His magic seemed to fit him somehow, the golden flames and lights and crown making him look like some sort of paragon of justice and good. Belladonna considered that like himself, her magic rather accentuated her quite accurately, too. Most people that witnessed it saw her as mysterious, dangerous and somewhat unnerving. And she liked it that way.

Deciding it was the right time to show herself, Belladonna walked out from behind the trees into the full view of the cultists, though most of them were too busy struggling with their pain to pay her much heed. And that was exactly what she wanted, to perform an act that would ensure that not one of them escaped to tell anybody anything.

"58th Malediction Curse: Imperio!" she murmured darkly, as she clicked her fingers for added effect. The cultists seemed to shudder as one man, as all of them turned in her direction, their eyes full of shock, horror and dread. For a second, the expression stayed frozen on their faces, then it gave way to a dull indifference that was mildly unsettling, for anyone that looked into the cultists' eyes would not see any hint of recognition... just blankness.

Belladonna smiled and located a stump of wood, which she sat down on. "I believe at this point, we can all be as civilized as society expects us to be. So, all I want from you is to answer all our questions. That won't be too hard, would it?"

"No, mistress," they chorused together.

"Splendid!" she said, smiling. "Everyone, take a seat." They obeyed without a word.

"Okay. I want to know what you know about the Swollen Man, and what sort of resistance we should expect."

One of the cultists began speaking in a droll tone devoid of emotion: "None of us has seen the Swollen Man. He has only been seen by his most loyal enforcers, who are mages much like yourselves. We are just seeking his favor, and are expected to do deeds of loyalty to earn his blessing."

Belladonna frowned. "Deeds of loyalty... such as?"

"Bringing the Swollen Man food. He feasts on the bodies and souls of the living, and seems to have a taste for the young."

"And what were you doing here?" she asked further.

"We were developing strategies on how to capture people from the nearby village," he replied. "The Swollen Man would appear to us when we sacrificed them, and we would obtain his favor."

Belladonna rose to her feet, her expression cold and angry, but she said nothing. "We are sorry if we have offended you, mistress," one of the cultists said, and they all hung their heads. "Please, forgive us."

"Do you want to ask them any questions?" Belladonna asked Nat, ignoring the cultists, "before I do away with them, that is?"

Their enemies were about to retaliate from the beating and burning they had endured from the relatively weak mage but at the moment their weapons were high up in the air, and Nathaniel was once again prepared to cast another spell. His bent his knees lowering his stand right arm stretched out behind him and slightly bent. His hand closed to a fist and engulfed in the same holy spell he had cast moments ago. The look on his face showed that he was more than ready, eager, loving the beginning of round two. But the enemies' movements froze and Nat's head snapped left and right glancing all around him, his instincts telling him that this is indeed spell work, but whose? Knowing that there were only them and these people around, Nat quickly lowered his guard and stance, standing up right once more.

Bella had emerged from the bushes, revealing that this was her doing. Everyone of them seemed to be subjugated to her will. They seemed to have lost themselves completely by the enveloping dark.  It was a horrific sight indeed but Nat did not shy away from it for it was used on the Guilty and if this was her means, so be it. He didn't care what magic one used and how they came to be in possession of such skill, only that it was used to mete justice or not.

As Bella took her seat on the stump, Nat was focused on the men who were under their service, for the time being. He was eager to know what they had to say. He was actually beginning to be afraid what she can do with the spell, even going so far as to repeatedly tell himself that at least she's a good person, that she had morals.

Her line of questioning was usual and to be expected for two mages that were looking for something hidden. What was unusual however was their reasons for doing these things, reasons that were stomach churning and outright enraging. They were doing this of their own free will that they were doing it to appease an entity they know nothing about instead of trying to help. He could not fathom the thought of men worshiping something so evil and they seem to have enjoyed themselves with it too, calling them "Deeds of Loyalty". Why, they even have plans on how to capture innocents, and they were children for that matter. Children. His thoughts were suddenly filled with the images of the little ones they had rescued a few moments ago, their eyes filled with horror and now he knew why. His breathing had become strained as rage built up inside him. He would grab hold of his sword Ashbringer's hilt shakily while they continue to declare their heresy. Nathaniel could barely keep his rage for these men in check, but there was a question yet to be asked.

He approached the nearest cultist and starred down at him taking a deep breath before uttering words that hinted at his rage as they escaped him. "Just one..." he said sternly. "Where do we go from here to these mages they spoke of?" he continued. After the cultist would speak under Bella's command he would quickly remember every word he said and would turn to face the direction of the mages to walk towards it and command Bella coldly. "Now kill them all. Painfully."

Post WC: 573
Nat's Total: 2,997
@Digit Replied

Belladonna noticed the rage written all over Nathaniel's features. She had actually expected the Light mage to show revulsion at what the cultists had said and done, but his anger was intense. Perhaps a form of righteous anger at evil and injustice, an anger that would demand judgment on the wicked. It would seem that Nathaniel and herself were not very different from each other. They both hated to see evil and wickedness prey on the innocent and oppressed, and they both would see to it that retribution was meted out swiftly. Their only difference, in her opinion, was the side of the law they stood on. Prior to this time, Belladonna had been slightly bothered that Nathaniel would find her methods of judgment to be extreme, but it seemed that her fears were hardly grounded.

The cultist to whom Nathaniel addressed his question pointed further into the woods. "When you follow the trail, you will get to the other end of the forest. The mountain climbs steeper at this point, but further on, you will find the 'Halls of the Swollen'. It is like a house built into the mountain side. You cannot miss it. The Swollen Man has magic enforcers, like was said. They alone know how to find him."

Belladonna followed Nathaniel with her eyes as he headed towards the direction to which the spellbound cultists had pointed them. She had half expected him to use the sword he gripped tightly to decapitate one or two... or perhaps even all of them, but he did not. "Looks like Nathaniel has a strong sense of self control; I can't say I wouldn't have unleashed bloody fury against them..." What Belladonna found chillingly sweet was the way he approved of their execution. However, she had another idea, one perhaps more macabre than just putting them to death.

"You lot are worse than animals," she said to the cultists, as she raised a hand. Black balls ominously coalesced around her, swirling about like a band of angry wraiths. Then she pointed at them. "And so, you shall suffer a fate similar to that of animals." The black orbs streaked away from her, each one finding a target and drawing a black formula at their feet. "You hunted and preyed on the weak, because you thought you were strong. Here is my judgment: become prey yourselves. Hexa Bestia!"

In an instant, the ten cultists were engulfed by a shadowy, otherworldly energy. Eventually, the seals and the energy signatures faded away, leaving ten short-legged goats in their wake. "Now, be off with you!"

The goats fled into the woods, and Belladonna joined Nathaniel at the edge of the clearing. "That business is done. Now, let's find the Halls of the Swollen, and beat the answers out of those mages."

The path described by the cultist meandered through the rest of the woods, and broke out on a rocky trail that pushed further up the mountain. "Those mage enforcers are likely going to quite stronger than the cultists we met back there. I expect they'll put up a good fight. So, do we have a plan? Are we infiltrating their base, or do we just barge our way in like we did with the cultists? I'm of the opinion that if we do so, the results might be less palatable. I could get us in unnoticed, but I'd like to know your plans."

While Nat headed towards the direction given out by the followers of the Swollen Man, he heard Bella cast a spell on them, as a fate worse than death. An action that was somewhat annoying to the crusader for he believed that evil must not exist, despite its form. And when Bella had made her way to his side as they continued on the trail, he voiced out his concern. "I'd rather you killed them just like I asked. It's not about a fate deserve, it's about evil ceasing to exist." but Nat on the other hand thought he was being too harsh on the woman as he said those words coldly. After all, she was just trying to do her part. So as an effort to put her mind at ease, Nat stopped and looked at Bella with an approving face. "Still, being as goats in these mountains full of monsters, I think it won't be long before they find themselves in the belly of the beast, literally. Thus ending their existence. So... good job." he said, trying to put a smile on his face afterwards.

Coming up on the rocky trail as they were further up the mountain, Bella had asked Nathaniel how they should go about their next obstacle, stating valid points that indeed they might have been reckless in their first encounter with the Swollen Man’s faction. Their next challenge being mages would certainly make things harder for them as he pondered on their next move while looking down the path.

Fortunately, they came upon a crossroad, and although he had not been here before, Nat went with his gut instinct that they should take the left side, which luckily led to a ledge overlooking another camp, bigger than the one they had seen with the now goat men. From there, Nat was able to count six mages in total and more children in cages, being prepared to be the Swollen Man’s next meal sickening as that might have been that would urge Nat to spring into action right there and then. But he was not confident that the two of them can take 6 mages especially with 4 guarding the path towards their base of operations. No, a plan must be hatched and so he sneaked back away from the ledge and whispered to his ally ”Alright, I guess dropping in surprisingly won’t cut it this time, what are your plans for getting in unnoticed? However, full disclosure, I also want these mages to cease to exist.”

Post WC: 432
Nat’s Total: 3,429
@Digit

Belladonna glanced sideways at Nathaniel as he seemed to have an issue as to how she had disposed of the Swollen Man cultists. Ironically, she had expected him to be bothered about her interest in killing them. He obviously wanted her to cut them down on the spot or something, but it really didn't make any difference either way. The cultists had been turned into goats, and there was nothing, save some other powerful magic, that would transform them back at all.

"As far as their evil is concerned, they are not going to ever influence anyone with such evil anymore... unless you believe there is a way by which goats can manifest some form of malice beyond eyeing predators with spite. My Hexa Bestia is irrevocable, except I will it, and I do not. So, don't worry, judging by the nature of these woods, their evil will certainly cease to exist latest by tomorrow nightfall." Her lips twitched in a slightly mischievous smirk. "I appreciate that you like my work, anyhow, but I can't help but wonder... you're one of the good guys, right? I was half expecting you to disapprove of their execution."

Further venturing along the path brought them to a crossroads, and Nathaniel's choice of going left proved accurate, as the duo soon found themselves high above an encampment. Her sharpened senses were not needed to inform her that this was where they were going; the cages with children trapped inside was a giveaway, not to mention the cultists that stood about. There were six of them, and if the cultists-turned-goats were anything to go by, these ones would pack a stronger punch. Still, careful planning could easily land them in a trap.

"I suggest we divide and conquer," Belladonna replied. "They have the numbers to their advantage, but if we take them out two at a time, then we should have the advantage. I have some 'crowd-controlling' spells at my disposal, but I hate to be taken by surprise, a feat more likely with a larger number of foes."

She watched the camp and for a while, listened intently. Then she smiled slowly, as her eyes met his. "I don't know if you can hear that, but these cultists don't seem very chummy towards each other. Looks like they don't like each other very much. We could use that to our advantage."

She thought for a bit, her heightened senses picking out their bickering over whom the Swollen Man would bless for the most devotion. "Here's my plan," she finally said. "I will attempt to act as a lost wandering soul, in order to draw them out. I'm almost completely certain that not all of them will follow me. Whatever happens, I shall lead them into the woods, where you can spring a trap of your choosing. I don't advocate fighting them in the camp, as I should not like to risk any injury to those children."

After waiting for Nathaniel's reply, she returned to the crossroads, and took the path straight, which led to the gates of the encampment. Before getting there, she found some small twigs and  worked them into her hair, disheveling it and giving herself the appearance of a tired, panicking damsel in distress. Then she approached, a look of hope mingled with weariness on her face. The four cultists guarding the entrance looked up as she came, obviously pleased to find a stranger in these parts.

"Thank goodness! Human civilization. I was worried that those evil men would..." her voice broke as she saw the cages with children inside. As 'realization' hit her, her eyes slowly widened, and she recoiled in horror. One of the mages stepped forward, a spell forming on his extended hand. As he released a bright blue bolt of energy, Belladonna shrieked and stumbled, the bolt missing her by an inch. Regaining herself, she fled screaming back the way she came, towards the woods.

"Heh; the lass runs fast," the cultist who fired the bolt said. "Hunting her down will be more fun," he continued, as he followed her. Another of the cultists followed him, muttering something about how he would not allow him to take all the credit for capturing this one. The other cultists made no move to follow, obviously doubting the need to be involved in this matter.

As she ran, she allowed herself a smile. Two were separated from the group. This plan was going down nicely.

Nathaniel thought of what Bella suggested carefully and simply nodded and reply before she immediately took off to lure in the unsuspecting evil men to face death or whatever judgement they deemed necessary to impose upon them, just so they will cease. Indeed it was unlike “one of the good guys” to desire the death or the cessation of existence but Nat was not simply one of the good guys. No, he is above all a crusader, an inquisitor. He may be a “good guy” but that doesn’t necessarily translates to being a “nice guy”. Any method was acceptable as long as it gets the job done and only the wicked are harmed, not a single innocent must be injured. This reaffirms that Bella’s divide and conquer plan’s viability.

He could see how easily she was able to lure out two of the mages out while he followed behind them silently waiting for the perfect time to grab one and kill him. His moment came when he noticed them make for the same mountain path and had a plan to wait behind a boulder ahead of them and wait for an opportunity which presented itself when one of the cultists stopped his pursuit when he noticed his boot straps were undone while his companion went ahead with his pursuit not really caring for the one that came with him. This was his chance but the target was nowhere near his hiding spot he had to wait for him to get close and when he did, he grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pinned him down to the ground while covering his mouth.

Naturally, he tried to fight back squirming and wriggling for his life not really paying attention to almost anything so when the cultists tried to fire a spell at Nat it missed and struck a rock nearby creating an explosion upon impact. It alerted two more mages to investigate, wondering why they would need to cast a powerful spell just to subdue a helpless woman.

Nat had the idea of cutting all of the enemy’s arms off before he could fire any more spells. Then he proceeded to continuously stab the cultist on multiple areas of his body. It was a difficult task at first because his opponent was squirming, trying to get out but as more stab wounds filled his body, the less he squirmed until he was lifeless on the ground. Nat stood up after that and found himself awkwardly staring down the two mages who had come to investigate. They could see him covered in blood while his sword Ashbringer was still dripping the same substance.

They requipped their weapons and charged at him while Nat held his weapon with two hands and stood his ground. They both went for a downward slash that Nat blocked easily with how long his sword’s blade was feeling the force of them still trying to put it down he slid them off to his side that placed him in a wind up position to deliver a strong horizontal slash that sent both of them back with cuts on their torsos after which Nat returned to his readied state.

He was then forced into the offensive when one of them fired a flare, signalling for help. He dashed forward his sword held upright on his right side while they awaited his arrival. He made a diagonal sweep down overwhelming their defenses with the attack’s force and while both of them were staggered he plunged the sword deep into the chest of one of them and headbutted the other knocking him down.

While the impaled cultist was gasping for air Nat withdrew his blade and slashed him once more in an upward motion sending him off the ground only to return to it lying down a few seconds after.

Nat immediately shifted his attention to the other cultist holding his weapon in reverse he was about to stab him with it but it was deflected. This one was a better fighter than the last one Nat noted while he stood up.

Not giving it a moment to catch his breath, Nat charged once more crushing the cultist’s weak defenses and block as he only held his weapon with one hand but he was quick enough to block all of them.

Seeing his enemy losing his stamina quickly, Nat continued his charge until he was able to force him to the edge of the mountain path. Every strike he made he made a step forward, closing the distance between them until he was about inches away from him. They crossed swords one last time, until Nat shoved him off the cliff with his shoulder, sending him falling to his death.

Nat noted how tiring that battle was but there was no time to rest. The last two cultists have arrived and they had already summoned their beasts to attack Nat. Panting, Nat held his weapon at the ready once more. Trying to buy himself time until Bella comes back.

Post WC: 841
Nat’s Total: 4,270
Thread Total: 8,901
@Digit

Belladonna sensed that one of the mages had slowed down to do something else, while the other followed her in hot pursuit. He raised his hand and fired another spell, and this time, Belladonna dodged and thrust an arm outwards behind her, shooting a shard of poison which caught him in the neck. The Venom Shock dissolved instantly, causing the mage to stop in his tracks and grasp at his neck, choking. Belladonna charged him, noticing a dagger in a sheath at his waist, which she snatched out and plunged into his throat. Without wasting another moment, she retrieved the dagger and shoved the blade between his third and fourth rib on his right, then pirouetted round him to stab him in the left side, and finally in the back. He dropped to the ground, gurgling and twitching, as his life left him.

She could sense a skirmish up ahead, and she realized that two of the other mages had found Nathaniel, and were doing battle with him. She quickened her pace to return to help him, but he was quick and effective in dispatching his assailants. And the last two remained, who decided to attack from a distance, using summoned monsters. Summoners usually were not very versed in close quarter combat, which was why they preferred long distance battles. Belladonna decided not to come out and face them directly, but instead chose to launch her assault before they were aware of her existence.

Black tendrils sprang out of the ground between Nathaniel and the beasts of the summoning cultists, wrapping the summoned creatures in a tight death grip. As the summoners stared in shock, other tendrils snaked out towards them and bound the summoners themselves. The next few moments were spent with the otherworldly tendrils banging both summoner and summoned against each other, against rock and road, before finally flinging the four of them with a savage ferocity over the edge of the cliff.

As their limp bodies fell into the depths, Belladonna emerged from her hiding, the blood and grime on her body dissolving away till there was nothing left, like she had never even been in a single fight today. "Looks like that's the last of them," she said, dusting her hands against each other. "Now, let's kill that Swollen Man thing and be done with this." She paused and looked around at the blood and gore left in Nathaniel's wake with a raised eyebrow. "Good work, though kind of messy... but good work," she eventually said, with a nod.

Returning to the camp, the first thing she did was to free the captives. She found the eldest of the children, and instructed him to lead the others back to the village. "The cultists in the woods who probably brought you here are taken care of, so you've got nothing to fear. Just follow the path, and you'll get back to the village."

The boy looked at her with concern. "Aren't you leaving, too? The Swollen Man always comes at twilight, and it's almost time."

She smiled at him. "Perfect. You'd best be off with your friends, then."

Some time after the children had hurried out of the encampment, a fog slowly began to creep about the ground, as the daylight slowly faded.It was serendipitous; by this time, the children would have been close to the village. Far, towards the other end of the encampment, where a sort of shrine stood, the fog began to gather together and coalesce, until it took the form of a massive, egg shaped man. He wore a black and white pinstripe suit, and stood with his face away from them. When he turned, however, the two mages would notice that there was nothing, just a blank stretch of skin.

The Swollen Man had arrived.

Nat simply nodded when Bella commented on his handiwork. He couldn't care less how it was done and only that it was done. Yet, he had better wipe some of the blood off so as to create at least a soothing sight for the children to see when Bella freed them from their cages and scurried off to safety, giving them a smile and a nod when they worried for the pair’s safety. The crusader had an air of confidence about him he was ready to take on the challenge the Swollen Man posed against them. His gaze fixed at the altar as the fog raised around them. It was thick to be sure and things from afar were becoming hard to see but it did not faze the mage. He was determined to end this plague, even in the cover of darkness because Nathaniel knew that in these moments, the light will shine brighter.

He held out his hand that held a glow of bright light, creeping the fog back and regaining some of their vision that enabled him to catch a glimpse of the Swollen Man. The grotesque figure vanished instantly though, demonstrating its ability to teleport appearing right behind Nat ready to take a bite out of him.

Thankfully just in the nick of time, he was able to surround himself in a barrier that shielded him from the attack. The sharp pointy teeth found themselves stopped by a yellow magic as well as the owner of these vicious mandibles engulfed in flame that did not seem to faze the creature because it was tough enough to withstand simple fire. But being in striking distance, Nat held his sword close to his chest sticking outward towards their enemy’s mouth in an attempt to stab him, however his attack was quickly deflected by tentacles that appeared just below the Swollen Man’s body.

Now these limbs started thrashing about and making Nat need to get away, create some distance and fire his spell called Blessed Smite. The distance created gave him time to gaze upon their enemy even further and he saw that this beast had no eyes. It was entirely an alien creature, malevolent, and dangerously intelligent, it needed to be put down. Yet he could not help but feel that something is gazing back at him because he noticed the Swollen Man take precautions in its next approach. Perhaps it could sense the ferocity in his eyes somehow, that he was not afraid and that he was just another strike on Nat’s steadily growing list of evil whose existence he had ended. He was nothing to him.

Seemingly outraged, the Swollen Man charged and Nat did the same. His enemy’s tentacles aimed at him for a thrusting attack that Nat simply bobbed and weaved to but not without getting hit a few times, though they were not enough to thwart his advance. The tentacles tried to circle back for another assault but Nat was close enough to drive Ashbringer into it and force it down to the ground. He tried to hold it down while avoiding getting his head bitten off by it perhaps as a reaction to the Pain it was feeling through Nat’s Guilty Word spell. The Swollen Man secreted some kind of spell that he did not see but Nat felt a chilling frightening feeling about him, his mind started to grow doubts but his resolve was still strong as he held the hilt of his weapon and slowly plunged it deeper into it.

”Bella, finish this beast off. End its existence!” he called out while exerting so much effort to keep their query pinned down and easy to target. They needed to end it quickly because Nat felt his strength fading by the minute and Bella might soon be affected as well.

Post WC: 642
Nat’s Total: 4,912
Thread Total: 10,177
@Digit

The appearance of the Swollen Man made Belladonna realize the purpose of the clingy fog. She found out that it was more difficult to pinpoint his location, but her Right Eye of the Mind still gave her a rather good idea of where he was. He was fast, and seemed to have some sort of teleportation ability, as in the blink of an eye, he had appeared behind Nathaniel. Fortunately for Nat and herself, and not as fortunate for the Swollen Man, the swordsman was prepared. From what she could tell, Nathaniel used some sort of magic spell to shield himself from the Swollen Man's attack, and the shield also seemed to attack the bloated creature with flames. However, its reaction to the flames, which was negligible, hinted that this thing was no pushover.

Belladonna always preferred to study her enemies before she took decisive action against them, and Nathaniel was giving her the opportunity to do so. She noted the tentacles that the Swollen Man sprouted, identifying them as his basic form of prehension. That was expected, since with his size, his arms and legs, which were quite small in comparison, would do a very poor job of holding down prey. She bid her time, taking advantage of the fact that two people were facing off against one. At some point in time, the Swollen Man would be open to attack, and like a venomous serpent, she would strike.

The opportunity presented itself when Nathaniel managed to pin the creature to the ground with his sword. His reckless gambit had paid off. Reckless, because he stood the risk of getting bitten by its gaping... could that even be called a mouth? Oddly, the creature showed no pain, but struggled to free itself. Now was her time. She pointed right at the Swollen Man, and fired a black bullet from her finger the next time it opened its gaping maw. The Swollen Man recoiled, the effects of the Bite of Orochi kicking in immediately, and then it belched out a strange, thick emanation, just as Belladonna approached it to inflict more damage on it. Obviously, this creature was capable of strategic thinking, as it released the aura only when Belladonna was within striking range. Instinctively, Belladonna thrust out an arm, and as her finger connected with the gas, she realized what it was.

"Nathaniel! Watch out for that gas!" she warned.

Allowing a second extra to waste would permit the aura to spread and engulf more of the battle field, and it would seriously hinder their chances at winning. Belladonna quickly took a very deep breath with her mouth, channeling all the spreading poison into her body as she inhaled deeply. She felt a burning sensation, all over her body, but she knew that if Nathaniel had been exposed to it, he would have suffered much worse. Her eyes began to water, and her vision blurred.

"A blinding poison? No wonder this Swollen Man has been hitherto very difficult to defeat. But I have the advantage. Poison is my forte, after all..."

She closed her eyes, still holding her breath, then exhaled violently.

"Venom Demon's Exorcist's Rage!!!"

She didn't fear having to hit Nathaniel with her spell, because the Swollen Man was hideously huge, and so he made for a very easy target, when he wasn't moving. The force of the attack dragged the Swollen Man along the ground, sending him into the wall of the encampment, with Nathaniel still on him, though it was likely that Nathaniel would eventually be displaced off the massive creature. Judging by what she had seen earlier, she supposed that the Swollen Man would not be defeated by that attack, but she had carefully chosen the techniques she had utilized against him. Both magics would slow him down considerably, allowing both Nathaniel and herself to keep up with him. That being the case, now was the time to start her own offensive.

As Belladonna's body purged itself of the poisons, she slowly clenched her fingers, as her hair darkened rapidly. Blood red glowing runes etched themselves on the skin of her arms, and drew two lines down her face, like bloody tears that glowed. She opened her eyes as her skin settled on a chalk-white, eyes filled with a dark vengeance and malice.

"The Child called you Nathaniel, if I am not mistaken," she said, as she fixed her gaze on Nathaniel. The smug calm that characterized Belladonna was gone, and in its place was yet a calm, but a cold, aloof calm. "The creature seems to like weakening its opponents from a distance. So, we strike it down from a distance. And when we see an opening, we go for the heart."

With those words, she threw back her head and screamed. Or at least, that was what it looked like. No sound was heard, though Nathaniel could say he more like 'felt' the cry, rather than heard it. A mass of black skulls, leaving thick smoke in their wake, spiraled from around her body in an outward fashion, before homing in on the Swollen Man, who found it a lot more difficult to move. They gnawed their way into his body, causing a psychic pain that can only be defined by the victim.

The woman that seemed to be a different person other than Belladonna raised a white hand, and instantly, razor sharp bones burst out of the ground around her, and began expanding outwards at an alarming pace. They vanished as the got close to Nathaniel, but sprouted beyond him and continued their onslaught, moving straight for the Swollen Man, whose limbs got mercilessly skewered by the bones. Still, her hand remained raised, and the bones continued spreading outwards, until they had covered a very large area of ground. Moving among these spikes would be sheer folly, as they had covered virtually every inch of space that called itself the ground. She turned back to look at Nathaniel.

"Don't let these poisonous shards restrict you from doing whatever you want. Most of the Child's magicks can tell the difference between her allies and foes, and she considers you an ally. So, fear not. If you jump among them, you shall not be harmed."

While those words sounded almost like a joke, Nathaniel would find out that she was quite right: wherever he stepped, the bones dissolved, allowing his feet to step about without harm. The Swollen Man was not so lucky, though.

Nathaniel grabbed the Swollen Man as tight as he could despite his shaking hands. The fear gas the creature emanated in its defense was starting to have a great effect on him, doubts and existential questions filled his mind making him wonder if he was doing the right thing such thoughts filled his mind distracting him from the task at hand drifting away from reality until he heard a gunshot nearby bringing him back to the present as his eyes widened in attention but his grip did not improve. Nathaniel snapped his head towards the direction where the sound came from and saw that his partner Bella had aimed it at something below him. He had forgotten all about the Swollen Man they were fighting and just wondered what he was stabbing right after, bearing witness once more the horror that they were up against. In shock, he let go of his weapon right after the bullet struck it and sent it to the wall that made him end up on the ground.

Slowly he got up and was completely puzzled like a lost child that he was not able to react from Bella’s warning regarding the poison gas making it harder for the crusader. Stricken by fear and now poisoned, Nat was barely holding on to his sanity with the myriad of things he is feeling all at the same time. He thought that maybe this was his end and looked back at all he had accomplished so far… nothing.

Contemplating on the thought that he had done nothing in his self proclaimed “crusade” while he was coughing due to the poison gas. He knew he wasn’t destined for greatness but he couldn’t take the fact that he hasn’t done anything at all. This isn’t the end, then? he thought to himself trying to convince himself that he still has more to live for.

However, his search for his lost confidence and purpose in life was interrupted by a call from a woman who shared the same voice as Bella, but not the same tone. He looked at her in curiosity, seeing as the woman he had been with all this time change right now and she seemed to be attacking with poisonous spines he was shocked to see the development of the situation and braced for the attack because he knew he couldn’t move away fast enough, not in the condition he was in.

Thankfully, the attack was not meant for him as the spines didn’t touch him on their way to their intended target, The Swollen Man. And by having the chance to take a second look at their opponent, he was filled with purpose once again, realizing that this but a test much like many more he would face in his quest, his crusade. The ferocity was evident in his eyes once more as he clenched his fists and recast his crown and light once more ready to charge but not recklessly.

He could see the Swollen Man be easily distracted by “Bella’s” attack, desperately avoiding them despite his size that he did not see Nat charge at him with golden flames on his hands striking him with them setting him ablaze once more with his spells making it step back even further as it burned. He also remembered the poison still present within Nat that is being an inconvenience to him and thought it appropriate vengeance if he would show this creature that such tricks meant nothing to him by healing himself right in its face. Of course he did not know if it was capable of comprehending reasoning and being set ablaze by being too close to Nathaniel while he used his healing spell did not help either, but at least the enemy was almost done for being barraged by spells like that ever since the battle started it was beginning to just stand still and catch its breath or at least that’s what it looked liked to Nat, he wasn’t even sure if this thing has lungs.

But it did not matter, Nat could see the end, the end of his weapon to be exact. Hyped up by another brilliant plan Nat thought of upon seeing Ashbringer, Nat leapt towards his weapon and used his Smite spell to thrust the weapon further into the devilish creature, again setting him on fire upon cast.

He hurled the magic spell straight to the sword’s hilt, creating a force to push the weapon forward and the surrounding skin of the monster to erupt in pain. After which there was a clear hole right in the middle of the Swollen Man for all to see before it went down to the ground with a thud, finally able to catch his breath and look at his companion who he still can’t believe is Bella. ”So. I guess it’s over now.” he said trying to initiate a conversation.

Post WC: 824
Nat’s Total:5,736
Thread WC: 12,083
@Digit

The "Black Witch", as Belladonna liked to refer to her partial Take Over form, watched the Swollen Man as he began avoiding the Stinging Nettles. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly; she was admittedly impressed that despite his size, he could so easily avoid and move about the battlefield, but she was not pleased about it. He was an enemy, and the Black Witch cared for a very few things apart from retribution. She raised a hand as she followed him with her eyes and finger, preparing to cast another spell at him that would make him an easier target for her Nettles, or that would throw him onto the poisonous spines.

Then Nathaniel appeared, back in the battle, with a renewed vigor.

Her extended arm slowly dropping, the vengeful spirit-human hybrid decided to sit this part of the fight out, seeing that the Light mage seemed to have everything under control. He had seemed very disoriented and out of place some moments before, and the Black Witch reasoned that Belladonna would have probably tried to cure him of the poisons that had entered his body. Belladonna had tried to absorb all the fumes, but gas, being such an unruly and difficult to tame thing, had still managed to get past her and envenomate Nathaniel. The poisons were not wearing him down, as the Swollen Man would have expected, and the Black witch was of the opinion that if she cast any spell, it might just get in the way. No, there was a better idea: since the Swollen Man had hitherto been a pain in the side, she would just monitor the battle, and attack only when he seemed to have an advantage and least expected it.

The golden flames characteristic of Nathaniel's magic were unleashed against the Swollen Man when he was busy trying to avoid the Stinging Nettles. Once more, this time as the Black Witch, she wondered about the golden crown that floated above his head, but perhaps owing to her darker nature at this point, she wondered whether such a divine looking magic would attain more infernal characteristics, should Nathaniel's alignment change. Of course, she did not plan on trying to lure him into darkness; it was merely a philosophical line of thought.

Between the Stinging Nettles and Nathaniel's renewed assault, the Swollen Man was unable to defend itself. As she studied the turn of the battle tide, she noticed a light bathe Nathaniel, and he looked much healthier than before. Closer observation would reveal that the ashen look of a poisoned fellow had disappeared with the coming of the light. He had obviously used a healing spell on himself, which also served to eradicate the poisons from his body. From all that she had seen about his magic, it seemed mostly invested in light, fire and offense, with perhaps a few beneficial spells and hardly any solid defense, though she would call this speculation, as she had not seen the full extent of his abilities.

The sword of Nathaniel was still stuck in the Swollen Man's body, which Nathaniel also soon noticed. He chose to use this in his next line of attack, forcing the blade further into the monster's body, while setting it on fire all over again. Then with a final surge of power, he blasted a hole clean through the Swollen Man's body, freeing his blade from the creature at the same time. The Swollen Man stopped movement instantly, then dropped to the earth with a heavy thud. The Black Witch looked from the body of the fallen Swollen Man, to the triumphant Nathaniel, an eyebrow lifted as she studied him appraisingly, before decided that she was satisfied with his work. Yet, there was one thing left to do, in response to his question.

She walked over to the body of the Swollen Man, looked down at it for a moment, then extended her hand over it. Corrosive energy radiated out of the extended arm and onto the body, eating away at the flesh until all that was left were bones and pale green ashes. Then she looked at Nathaniel once again, and nodded.

"Yes. It is over now."

Not one interested in human conversation as much as the Child was, the Black Witch receded away, having cast her judgment on another soul deserving of it. The blood-red runes faded away, the black color of her hair bled away into the wind as her hair softly fell back onto her shoulders, her eyes regained their normal color, and her skin color resumed its healthy complexion. She reached down and picked up the large skull of the Swollen Man.

"Very good job, Nathaniel," she said to the knight, as she cradled the skull in her arms. "For a while, I thought you were overwhelmed, but I see I had nothing to worry about. The Swollen Man is dead, the children are safe, the cult is broken, so everyone should be happy, right?"

Her eyes drifted across the empty courtyard, and she slowly began to walk towards the cages, as if lost in thought. "We should destroy this place, I think. Destroy it and raze it to the ground, so that no one will ever use this place for such heinous sacrifices ever again..." She stopped speaking for a while, as her eyes came to rest on the Swollen Man's bones. Then she patted the skull in her arms. "This one will make a very fine trophy."

Belladonna waited for Nathaniel to make his choice, and do whatever he wanted with the place. When all that was done, she clenched her empty fist, and opened it to reveal a small black ball, about the size of a baseball. "You might want to steer clear out of the radius of this one; it packs a very wicked punch," she said to Nathaniel, gesturing to the ball which she placed in the center of the encampment. If she had done her calculations correctly, the encampment was not that large, and so her Oblivion Bomb could easily extend beyond its borders... which was her plan: leave a crater and little else.

She ensured that Nathaniel and herself had gone beyond the blast radius of the Oblivion Bomb, while returning to the village, before she clicked her fingers. There was an explosive roar far behind, as a shock wave shook the trees of the forest, dislodged dead leaves and branches, and kicked up dust around them. She looked back and saw a thick plume of dust rising above the tree line. The cultist encampment of the Swollen Man had been destroyed.

"That's that. I'll leave the socializing and other human interactions to you, Nathaniel, if you don't mind. I think you have a natural gift for it that surpasses my own."

Standing above the remains of their defeated for, Nathaniel’s magic slowly faded away seemingly being deactivated, as there was no need for it any longer. Still, there was faint traces of poison in his system that were bearable and not lethal, nothing his healing magic can deal with later on. He watched as the body of the Swollen Man slowly decay and fade away, leaving some of its bones exposed,then the woman’s features slowly dissipated reverting to the appearance Nat had came to know confirming that this was indeed the work of her magic, Take Over from the looks of it but he had never seen magic change a person’s personality though. She came over to grab the Swollen Man’s skull for herself for reasons unclear to him. He wondered why a proper lady - an impression he had from her - would want a skull of a dark entity that had been wanting them dead ever since their meeting. He began to wonder if there was more than meets the eye, if she had a hidden agenda though he felt bad for thinking of such things because she did help take down this evil and had shown to be an appropriate and efficient ally on and off of battle.

Bella replied to Nat in the manner he was used to or rather in the manner she did when they first met. Observing how temporary the effect of the Take Over had got him to think and remind himself that he must keep an open mind about such things, especially in this world that they live in. ”You were just as impressive, Bella. The magic you wield is peculiar.” he kindly replied as he too gazed upon what was left in the place and found a piece of metal covered by the Swollen Man’s remains that seems to bond with it. Interested with the material, he picked it up intent on studying it sort of an attempt to understand what is evil so he could better eradicate it.

Afterwards, his gaze too roamed through the encampment that they had fought on relieved that the people imprisoned was not harmed in the heated battle that had ended a little while ago. He approached each cage to unlock them with the key he had found in one of the tents in the area. A bit irresponsible in his opinion to leave it just lying around - a testament to the cultists’ overconfidence it seems - but fortunate for them that they could easily unlock these cages and all the crying children rushed in to hug Nathaniel. He hadn’t really been around this many children before and quite frankly he did not know what to do. All he knows is that they should stop crying now because the dangers had past. Confused on what to do next, he looked towards Bella and thought maybe she should handle this but upon seeing that she looks to be uninterested at all, being more dead set on blowing the place up and stating that the skull was indeed her trophy. She made no mention of the children at this point, a sign that taking care of them does fall to him. Naturally he would have just presented them with cheesecakes but he had ran out, he couldn’t even muster the strength to conjure up a whole cheesecake for these kids having used up most of it in the battle. ”Uh. Yeah I think we should. Uhm...” he replied, pausing a bit as he looked at the children ”You’re all going to be fine kids. We’ll take you back to your families. So why don’t we head on over there and let big sister Bella clean this place up.” he said as happily as he could in an effort to ease the children down while he pointed to the path they came from which could be a safe distance for what Bella had in mind.

After Bella was done planting a small black ball that she claimed to have devastating capabilities, he led their group back to the village thankful of the uneventful walk down. He didn’t even see the people that Bella turned into goats earlier. What he did see however, were the summoned creatures from the mages earlier who apparently fell to their deaths, as their bodies slowly faded into ethernano because the magic that kept them alive was slowly fading away, and Nat made sure to cover the innocent ones’ eyes from the horrid scene.

Reaching the mouth the village, an explosion in the distance was heard even from their location, proof of the bomb Bella had set up earlier to be very destructive indeed. On the village grounds however were the parents of the children they had rescued and immediately the kids rushed in for their parents, having seemingly blocked everything off around them, focused only on the fact that their loved ones are back in their arms. ”I guess no words are necessary now.” he whispered to Bella.

In the crowd of the reunited families, the head of the village came forth expressing her thanks for the rescue and handed their jewels reward to each of them afterwards. Nat bowed to her in response and turned to Bella after putting the reward to his pack. ”I guess that’s it then. I really enjoyed working with you Bella. Until next time?”

Post WC: 910
Nat's Total: 6,646
Thread Total: 14,126
@Digit