Kalama had not uttered more than a few words during the entire journey and had instead put her focus into preparing herself for what was to come. The job sounded ominous and the fair haired mage already knew that there would no doubt be trouble. It was obvious to her and so she had done her utmost to close herself off as much as possible emotionally, trying to suppress the feelings of anxiety and doubt that seemed to be her constant companions. There was no place for them here and by continuing to think about the task at hand and the danger that both Aoi and herself would face, her self destructive thoughts were being pushed further and further into the recesses of her mind. They would not stop her from doing what must be done, not today, when there was a chance that the pair of cursed mages could finally perhaps find some answers. The thought of being able to begin to unravel the mystery of their curses had hardened her resolve and she was already in battle mode, as it were. Cold and ruthless.
Dressed in her garish new uniform, the mage was somewhat bemused by it although it honestly did not feel as bad as she thought it would be. She would not go as far as to say that she was completely comfortable with the outfit and it made certain features of hers stick out a little more then she would have liked but overall, the blonde was alright with it. On her hip rested her ice blade, Ventum Arctica, a weapon that she had discovered during the pair's earlier travels. It had gotten her out of a sticky spot or two in the past and it was a useful tool in her arsenal. There would be use for it today, for that, she was certain. Her first job as a member of the guild and one that she was determined to complete without any issues. She owed a debt to Dies Irae for being able to see past her own insecurities and lack of self worth and for that, she was truly grateful, even if she was almost unable to express it verbally. The golden eyed woman knew that she should have spent more time trying to get to know her fellow guild members but her longing for solitude was a difficult habit to break.
Her thoughts and gaze would occasionally drift towards her friend as they travelled, her usually vocal companion being surprisingly quiet. Normally, that would be a cause for celebration for the lunar mage but it was rather concerning in truth. This was not going to be a social call and she sincerely hoped that her brunette friend would be in the right state of mind to do what must be done. In a way, Kalama actually missed Aoi’s usual peppiness as it always had such a profound effect on her deep down. Without Aoi’s upbeat personality, the tall blonde would more than likely have given in to her anxiety long ago, a fact that they both probably knew deep down.
The Cursed Lands was precisely as described, a desolate and foul place that stank of depravity and death, resulting in the taller mage having to shake her head to keep the memories of that fateful day out of her mind. Their village had been in a similar state as the curse had begun to infect it and the stench was equally as disgusting. Could this be how their village looked now? A desolate place where only the skeletons of those who had been unable to escape remained? The thought caused her to briefly close her eyes but after a moment or two, she clenched her fist and reopened them, regaining her equilibrium.
A terrifying scream would cut through the atmosphere, followed by another, in the opposite direction and with a simple nod to her friend, the pair would split up, heading for the sources of the ear splitting screeches. Kalama was slightly uncertain as to whether it was wise for them to do so but the situation called for it and had simply responded as needed. Her pace was swift and by tapping slightly into one of her magics, she began to channel magical energy into her legs, increasing her speed and causing her to race across the land. The place was bereft of anything for the most part but as the minutes wore on, she eventually came across a rather sickening sight.
A shadowy creature, that looked something like a grim reaper, seemed to be feeding on a group of helpless victims who were screaming mindlessly, spreadeagled on the floor. Each one had a horrible looking black tendril impaling through them, glowing an insidious black colour. The being was tall, easily a good nine or ten feet and as it detected the woman as she approached, it would turn around and grin, revealing two rows of jagged teeth.
“Oh? What’s this? Another victim for me to feed on, hmm?” Cackling insanely, it would leave the people alone and head towards Kalama instead, “Yes, I can sense a great deal of fear in you, hidden beneath that cold exterior. I can see it in your eyes, your stance and you absolutely reek of it. So, woman. Let’s have a look inside that head of yours and find out what you truly fear.”
Kalama did not move a muscle and simply stared up at the creature, her tone bereft of emotion, “You will not have a look inside anything of mine and you can drop this stupid act of yours. I have no interest in your giggling or pranks nor do I wish to exchange words with you. By feeding on the weak, you have only shown your cowardice and by doing so, I will do what is necessary by removing you from this world. That is the fate that you have signed yourself up for by harming those unable to defend themselves.”
“Well, that’s not very nice, is it?” the scarecrow laughed, almost howling with mirth, “In that case, I will simply beat you down first and then have my way with you.”
Before he could utter another word, a burst of moonlight erupted around Kalama, forcing the scarecrow to take a few hesitant steps back. The woman would become enveloped in an armour made of pure moonlight, while a blade of the same material would form in her right hand. There was no further warning and her left hand would draw her icy blade, dual wielding the blades with grace, one of pure ice and the other of lunar energy.
Charging forward with a barrage of blade strikes, Kalama would try and overwhelm her large foe, spinning and dancing around the target, forcing the beast to summon a scythe in order to defend himself. He would continue to grin and laugh as they fought, the sound of their bladed combat being heard throughout the area. The mage, however, would not be disheartened and unleashed a flurry of blows that peppered his defences, forcing him to take a few steps back due to the ferocity of her strikes. Her speed still amplified, she was able to out speed him and she managed to score the first successful hit, battering his scythe away and slashing him with her blade of ice, causing him to screech and briefly vanish.
Reappearing a short distance away, he would chuckle and glance down at himself, revealing a frostbite covered cut that would slowly start to eat away at his health. “You’re not bad, woman but not good enough. You may have some fancy powers but I wield the darkness itself, a darkness that your attacks could never hope to penetrate.” With a howl, he unleashed a blast of dark magic that tore towards the mage at high speed, which the mage attempted to defend from by summoning a bubble of force energy around her. The blast of energy struck her defences with great impact, as the woman tried to negate the effect of the attack. The attack was strong and Kalama found her hand slowly starting to be pushed backwards by the strength of it. Gritting her teeth, she would summon as much of her magical strength as possible and manage to negate the spell, causing it to vanish into nothing. Enraged, the monster would unleash a volley of dark tendrils in the mage’s direction.
She was ready, however and began swatting away at them with her blades, spinning them around almost like a pair of saw blades in order to knock the attacks away. Raising both blades, she would then slam both blades down together, unleashing a wave of moonlight from one and ice from the other, which travelled at a speed that he was just unable to evade, striking him directly and hurling the abomination backwards, before crashing to the ground. Yet, he was still laughing and even though he was clearly in bad shape, the creature would get up again, his shadowy body clearly showing the signs of the damage caused. “Impressive. You are clearly skilled but I wonder if you truly realise just who you are facing. You see, I recognise that lunar magic of yours. It's cursed magic, just like mine. You were in the village too, weren't you? You were struck by the curse but escaped before it fully consumed you, meaning you are left in a state of limbo, neither truly human nor truly cursed. I think that’s why you’re so suppressed, woman.”
Kalama froze inside, struck completely cold by his words, her firm gaze briefly looking away from him, “I was there, yes. I saw the horrors of that day and will live with them for the rest of my life. I remember every face, every feeling and every second of that horrible encounter. We were all deceived by the elders of the village and now we must all pay the price for their greed. Yet, I cannot just leave you to abuse the innocent in order to feed yourself. The needs of the many come first.”
“Then both them and you will die,” the shadowy figure answered, before turning around and unleashing his full power on the helpless innocents, draining them with even more fervour than before.
Without a moment’s thought, Kalama would throw both of her blades, striking him in the back with the pair of them, causing him to howl with pain as her weapons did their work. Staggering around, he would scream and shout, before tumbling face first on the ground, twitching with pain. The mage then quickly used her magic in order to teleport to his side, before withdrawing her blades and rolling him onto his back. He was still alive and as his gaze met hers, he began to shrink in size although his features still remained shadowy, before taking one final breath and passing away. Her unfortunate task done, she would then dismiss her magic and place her ice blade on her hip. Looking over his body for a few moments, she would finally say to it, “I am sorry but this is the way that it must be. I do not know if there is a cure to this curse so all I can do is keep looking while using my powers to protect as many as I can.” Shrugging off the thanks of the innocents as they came towards her, she would then turn away, before a mighty quaking of the ground and an echoing shout caused her to snap back to reality.
“Aoi,” she uttered, before taking off once again, sprinting as swiftly as she could in order to locate her friend. The bond that they shared was so strong that it was almost as if they could detect each other from no matter the distance and so the blonde haired mage used that in order to find her friend. Her mind was numb after her own battle and she was still coming to terms with the effects. She had chosen the needs of strangers over those of her own villagers and yet, she was somehow content with that. It had been the right decision to make and as she tore across the lands, she could not help but feel….yes, feel, as though she had done the right thing.
She was unsure as to how long she had been running for but finally she came across what looked like a battlefield. There were bodies of at least three monster-like creatures but the only one that mattered to her was the brunette haired figure that was lying motionlessly on the ground. Beside her in a moment, Kalama would briefly tap into her magical powers, before releasing them upon Aoi, restoring some of her health and helping to stabalise her condition. Her gaze would briefly turn to what looked like pieces of meat and the realisation dawned on her as to what had happened. Her friend had lost control again, allowing the monster to emerge and with a sigh, the blonde woman would gather up her friend's weapons, before scooping up her unconscious friend and making her exit.
The job had been a success but at what cost?
(2209/2000 Words)
Dressed in her garish new uniform, the mage was somewhat bemused by it although it honestly did not feel as bad as she thought it would be. She would not go as far as to say that she was completely comfortable with the outfit and it made certain features of hers stick out a little more then she would have liked but overall, the blonde was alright with it. On her hip rested her ice blade, Ventum Arctica, a weapon that she had discovered during the pair's earlier travels. It had gotten her out of a sticky spot or two in the past and it was a useful tool in her arsenal. There would be use for it today, for that, she was certain. Her first job as a member of the guild and one that she was determined to complete without any issues. She owed a debt to Dies Irae for being able to see past her own insecurities and lack of self worth and for that, she was truly grateful, even if she was almost unable to express it verbally. The golden eyed woman knew that she should have spent more time trying to get to know her fellow guild members but her longing for solitude was a difficult habit to break.
Her thoughts and gaze would occasionally drift towards her friend as they travelled, her usually vocal companion being surprisingly quiet. Normally, that would be a cause for celebration for the lunar mage but it was rather concerning in truth. This was not going to be a social call and she sincerely hoped that her brunette friend would be in the right state of mind to do what must be done. In a way, Kalama actually missed Aoi’s usual peppiness as it always had such a profound effect on her deep down. Without Aoi’s upbeat personality, the tall blonde would more than likely have given in to her anxiety long ago, a fact that they both probably knew deep down.
The Cursed Lands was precisely as described, a desolate and foul place that stank of depravity and death, resulting in the taller mage having to shake her head to keep the memories of that fateful day out of her mind. Their village had been in a similar state as the curse had begun to infect it and the stench was equally as disgusting. Could this be how their village looked now? A desolate place where only the skeletons of those who had been unable to escape remained? The thought caused her to briefly close her eyes but after a moment or two, she clenched her fist and reopened them, regaining her equilibrium.
A terrifying scream would cut through the atmosphere, followed by another, in the opposite direction and with a simple nod to her friend, the pair would split up, heading for the sources of the ear splitting screeches. Kalama was slightly uncertain as to whether it was wise for them to do so but the situation called for it and had simply responded as needed. Her pace was swift and by tapping slightly into one of her magics, she began to channel magical energy into her legs, increasing her speed and causing her to race across the land. The place was bereft of anything for the most part but as the minutes wore on, she eventually came across a rather sickening sight.
A shadowy creature, that looked something like a grim reaper, seemed to be feeding on a group of helpless victims who were screaming mindlessly, spreadeagled on the floor. Each one had a horrible looking black tendril impaling through them, glowing an insidious black colour. The being was tall, easily a good nine or ten feet and as it detected the woman as she approached, it would turn around and grin, revealing two rows of jagged teeth.
“Oh? What’s this? Another victim for me to feed on, hmm?” Cackling insanely, it would leave the people alone and head towards Kalama instead, “Yes, I can sense a great deal of fear in you, hidden beneath that cold exterior. I can see it in your eyes, your stance and you absolutely reek of it. So, woman. Let’s have a look inside that head of yours and find out what you truly fear.”
Kalama did not move a muscle and simply stared up at the creature, her tone bereft of emotion, “You will not have a look inside anything of mine and you can drop this stupid act of yours. I have no interest in your giggling or pranks nor do I wish to exchange words with you. By feeding on the weak, you have only shown your cowardice and by doing so, I will do what is necessary by removing you from this world. That is the fate that you have signed yourself up for by harming those unable to defend themselves.”
“Well, that’s not very nice, is it?” the scarecrow laughed, almost howling with mirth, “In that case, I will simply beat you down first and then have my way with you.”
Before he could utter another word, a burst of moonlight erupted around Kalama, forcing the scarecrow to take a few hesitant steps back. The woman would become enveloped in an armour made of pure moonlight, while a blade of the same material would form in her right hand. There was no further warning and her left hand would draw her icy blade, dual wielding the blades with grace, one of pure ice and the other of lunar energy.
Charging forward with a barrage of blade strikes, Kalama would try and overwhelm her large foe, spinning and dancing around the target, forcing the beast to summon a scythe in order to defend himself. He would continue to grin and laugh as they fought, the sound of their bladed combat being heard throughout the area. The mage, however, would not be disheartened and unleashed a flurry of blows that peppered his defences, forcing him to take a few steps back due to the ferocity of her strikes. Her speed still amplified, she was able to out speed him and she managed to score the first successful hit, battering his scythe away and slashing him with her blade of ice, causing him to screech and briefly vanish.
Reappearing a short distance away, he would chuckle and glance down at himself, revealing a frostbite covered cut that would slowly start to eat away at his health. “You’re not bad, woman but not good enough. You may have some fancy powers but I wield the darkness itself, a darkness that your attacks could never hope to penetrate.” With a howl, he unleashed a blast of dark magic that tore towards the mage at high speed, which the mage attempted to defend from by summoning a bubble of force energy around her. The blast of energy struck her defences with great impact, as the woman tried to negate the effect of the attack. The attack was strong and Kalama found her hand slowly starting to be pushed backwards by the strength of it. Gritting her teeth, she would summon as much of her magical strength as possible and manage to negate the spell, causing it to vanish into nothing. Enraged, the monster would unleash a volley of dark tendrils in the mage’s direction.
She was ready, however and began swatting away at them with her blades, spinning them around almost like a pair of saw blades in order to knock the attacks away. Raising both blades, she would then slam both blades down together, unleashing a wave of moonlight from one and ice from the other, which travelled at a speed that he was just unable to evade, striking him directly and hurling the abomination backwards, before crashing to the ground. Yet, he was still laughing and even though he was clearly in bad shape, the creature would get up again, his shadowy body clearly showing the signs of the damage caused. “Impressive. You are clearly skilled but I wonder if you truly realise just who you are facing. You see, I recognise that lunar magic of yours. It's cursed magic, just like mine. You were in the village too, weren't you? You were struck by the curse but escaped before it fully consumed you, meaning you are left in a state of limbo, neither truly human nor truly cursed. I think that’s why you’re so suppressed, woman.”
Kalama froze inside, struck completely cold by his words, her firm gaze briefly looking away from him, “I was there, yes. I saw the horrors of that day and will live with them for the rest of my life. I remember every face, every feeling and every second of that horrible encounter. We were all deceived by the elders of the village and now we must all pay the price for their greed. Yet, I cannot just leave you to abuse the innocent in order to feed yourself. The needs of the many come first.”
“Then both them and you will die,” the shadowy figure answered, before turning around and unleashing his full power on the helpless innocents, draining them with even more fervour than before.
Without a moment’s thought, Kalama would throw both of her blades, striking him in the back with the pair of them, causing him to howl with pain as her weapons did their work. Staggering around, he would scream and shout, before tumbling face first on the ground, twitching with pain. The mage then quickly used her magic in order to teleport to his side, before withdrawing her blades and rolling him onto his back. He was still alive and as his gaze met hers, he began to shrink in size although his features still remained shadowy, before taking one final breath and passing away. Her unfortunate task done, she would then dismiss her magic and place her ice blade on her hip. Looking over his body for a few moments, she would finally say to it, “I am sorry but this is the way that it must be. I do not know if there is a cure to this curse so all I can do is keep looking while using my powers to protect as many as I can.” Shrugging off the thanks of the innocents as they came towards her, she would then turn away, before a mighty quaking of the ground and an echoing shout caused her to snap back to reality.
“Aoi,” she uttered, before taking off once again, sprinting as swiftly as she could in order to locate her friend. The bond that they shared was so strong that it was almost as if they could detect each other from no matter the distance and so the blonde haired mage used that in order to find her friend. Her mind was numb after her own battle and she was still coming to terms with the effects. She had chosen the needs of strangers over those of her own villagers and yet, she was somehow content with that. It had been the right decision to make and as she tore across the lands, she could not help but feel….yes, feel, as though she had done the right thing.
She was unsure as to how long she had been running for but finally she came across what looked like a battlefield. There were bodies of at least three monster-like creatures but the only one that mattered to her was the brunette haired figure that was lying motionlessly on the ground. Beside her in a moment, Kalama would briefly tap into her magical powers, before releasing them upon Aoi, restoring some of her health and helping to stabalise her condition. Her gaze would briefly turn to what looked like pieces of meat and the realisation dawned on her as to what had happened. Her friend had lost control again, allowing the monster to emerge and with a sigh, the blonde woman would gather up her friend's weapons, before scooping up her unconscious friend and making her exit.
The job had been a success but at what cost?
(2209/2000 Words)
