"I am thou... Thou art I..."

"I am thou... Thou art I..."  

The holy castle was a place of great reverence, respect, and faith for many in Fiore. In any other condition, it would have been a place of solemn peace and reflection. A sanctuary body and soul. But few people really knew the 'cost' of such peace or were dazzled by its brilliant white purity prevented one from seeing the ugly truth...


Temperance, a fledgling Umbra Witch, was asked to scout and keep an eye out on the holy castle within the ranges of Fiore. However, upon her mission, she, Hex, and her newest companion Medeia were spotted and pulled into Purgatorio... the middle dimension ground between Paradisio, Inferno, and the Human world. The battleground beyond the awareness of regular people. What turned out to be a simple research mission, turned into a battle for their lives.

Explosions went off along the castle, space twisting, and parts of time freezing. In Purgatorio, the rules of physics and time didn't really apply. Anything could happen if you were to get lost in their, even if it existed alongside the regular world!

"MRREEOOOWW!!" Hex cried as she carried Temperance, the little Exceed black cat using her wings to fly and avoid the around as the angels chased them. "Why can't any of these 'flockers' be the tasty canary kind instead of giant killer pigeons!"

Hot on their heels, down the winding royal hallway was a series of white, winged humanoid features that looked like doves, with white and golden armoring and wings on their backs. Each of them had spears of some kind, made of holy light and charged at them with uncharacteristic violence to them. There were four of them, among a larger number of Angels that continued to hunt them down elsewhere in the castle.

In all the chaos, Temperance still was in her 'civilian' attire.  Her jeans, vest, long-sleeved shirt and glasses as Hex flew her around. There was no time as she and her friends were immediately pulled into Purgatorio by someone else. Before long, angels came right out and attacked them. So much for a covert mission.

As Hex flew them down the oversized hallway, Temperance twisted to allow her to aim and threw out her Tarot cards, creating a series of fiery-tarot cards. The Suite of Wands that burst into flames as they flew and caught a couple of the angels, causing them to fall back due to their burning wings or bodies.

Even with her magic, they were in the thicket of angel territory. But more than that-- the holy castle was not just some sanctum and the respected church in reality-- it was closer to Paradiso than anyone should be. So much for thinking they would be safe while not causing trouble.

"You okay, Medeia?" Lina called out as they flew, hoping she would be okay as they both ran/flew and also fought off their feathery fan club.

WC: 493

“I will live,” replied the witch, easily keeping up with Hex, her large purple wings beating in a relaxed fashion. The Errings Rising mage appeared unflappable on the outside although inside she was anything but. Her mind was a bit of a mess, polluted by thoughts that should not be there during such a trying time. She should be furious with her kin for daring to strike at her once again but that was not what she felt. No, her mind kept sending up images of a certain blonde woman and they felt like a knife being plunged into her heart. The fallen angel wished they would just leave her alone but the intelligent part of her mind knew that it was all a part of the process, a process that she wished that she had never started in the first place. Love? How had she been so stupid as to have been taken in by such a ridiculous emotion? She was an angel of lust, not love and forgetting that had been the cause of the pain that now flooded her body. What was worse? She had allowed herself to become a part of that blimbo’s harem and even submitted herself to indignities that she never would have, had she been in her right mind. The elder witch was furious with herself.

Shaking her head, she would pull herself out of her introspection and return to the task at hand, coming out of autopilot as it were. Spinning around so that she was briefly facing the wave of enemies coming towards her, Medeia would unleash a storm of sand, which burst from her hands and littered the entire in front of her with it. The vicious storm would cut through the elegant looking gear that their foes were wearing and sent howls of pain as their bodies were set upon by the biting sand. It would not be a pretty sight and Medeia took grim pleasure in hearing every scream. They deserved nothing less and as her tortuous attack continued to shred through them, she would add a second attack in the form of a sand tornado,  which oddly enough came from the ceiling downwards due to the strangeness of the world they were now in. Locked away inside their sandy prison, the angelic beings would be left to their fate.

Spinning around so that she was facing the right direction once more, the raven haired woman would say in a deadpan tone of voice, “Nothing like the sound of dying angels to get one pumped.” The stealthy approach might have been shot to pieces but Medeia did not mind all that much. The screams of their foes had started to awaken the somewhat dormant sensation of wishing death upon her angelic kin. She was returning to her normal self and for the moment at least, she would channel her personal feelings into ripping every single being who stood her against her and her friends to shreds. None of them would survive. Not a single one.

(508 Words)

The sudden roar of sand was far more widespread and definitely gave them space. Temperance had only seen bits of Medeia's magic in the past. But now with full angels in the assault on them, and with her in a particularly bad mood due to a breakup, she was savage upon the angels with odd sand magic. Her magic was far wide-reaching and stronger as it blasted into the angels, wings and all that obscured the hallway behind them. The sand slashed into them, even peeling some of their stone skin off to reveal their ugly selves under it by mere exposure.

She kept up with her own two wings, spawned by magic much like Hex's Aera magic. Her comment about how she loved to kill angels made Selina smirk a bit. "Wow... You take to being an Umbra Witch so much, its almost scary..." she joked to her, seeing that same 'sadistic' quality a few witches had.

"Aye..." Hex meowed in reply as they sped forward.

They were still stuck in the heart of the winding church and castle. Due to the winding and confusing rules of Purgatorio, the halls, stairs, rooms were almost like a maze. Even the windows opened to courtyards and places-- but if they went skyward, it would only make them easy pickings for the white-winged freaks flocking from heavenward.

Suddenly more came as the wall behind them smashed apart! They had lost the rest of the flying pigeons, but soon was met with something else... Shooting out from the smoke and wall came the winding body of a snake! This 'snake' was in fact another angel of a higher rank than the others. Its more 'red, fleshy' body was revealed but covered by a variety of plates and armor with angelic attributes to it, covering its lengthy body. Halos surrounded its serpentine body, and wings of feathers and light gave it to flight as it flew after them. Parts that it didnt' cover, was the snapping jaws that it had to try and eat them whole.

"Another day in the life, eh?" Selina sighed as she saw the incoming serpent fly towards them, this one moving far faster than they were. With another flick of her cards, this time she used her deck itself to conjure an elemental burst. With the strikes of her cards-- black flashes came as the cards were coated with a powerful darkness enchantment. The black cards struck the beast, and it cried out on its assault.

Sadly, it only made it chase them faster, snapping its jaws just a few meters away from their heels.

"MRREEOW! I got too many lives left to be snake's dinner like some mouse!!" Hex meowed as she flew faster.

WC: 459
TWC: 952

It seemed that her angelic kin were becoming more obsessed with experimentation as she would hardly call the serpent-like creature that was now chasing them to be anything close to angelic. Still, there were many groups of angels among the heavens and Medeia had come to realise that the ones opposing the Umbra Witches were not the raven haired woman’s clan. Still, that made no real difference. They were still angels and what was equally important, the nemesis of Selina’s and soon to be her own coven. No creature that descended from the heavens would survive in her presence, well, besides her precious maid but Armina was a special case, a companion that had been with her since before her imprisonment. An incredibly long time ago.

As the serpent closed in on them, Medeia would form a purple coloured bow and unleash a powerful shot towards the creature. The arrow would fly true and strike the creature, causing it to screech with pain, having already been struck by Selina’s cards. It seemed to be a sturdy beast though and so the angel unleashed a second shot, knocking it backwards and giving the fleeing witches a little bit of space. “Hmm, quite a tanky creature,” she mused, unused to foes being able to take multiple attacks from her at this point. She was still not at her most destructive just yet but her powers were closing in on that point. It had been a frustratingly slow process and no doubt her father had placed limiters on her but they had been broken after his death and now there was nothing stopping her from scaling the path to power. He was residing in hell, while she was climbing onwards.

The creature was still not giving up and as it flew in to try and devour her, Medeia would disperse her bow and grasp the sickle attached to her back. The gemstones on the weapon would glow, fuelling its melee strikes with her formidable magic power. Swinging mightily, she would cleave the head of the beast off with a single enormous strike, causing its body to flail around briefly before falling away, joining its brethren. Once it was done, she would return her weapon to her back although the spell would last for a significant amount of time, should she need it again.

With their latest foe defeated, Medeia would swiftly catch up with Selina and Hex, feeling more amused by the situation than fearful. She was feeling more like herself by the moment and with an almost casual tone, Medeia would turn her head towards her companions, “I am not going to lie. These are the strangest looking angels that I have ever met. You must tell me more about them when we have completed our mission.” She was certain that they would escape from this maze of a castle and the raven haired woman was at complete ease with the situation. They were not going to die today although in truth, death was an impossibility for the fallen angel anyway.

(510 Words)
(1018 Thread WC)

Temperance's power was significant, but not for large scale combat like the situation was right now. And if it wasn't just her imagination, something about this holy castle in Purgatorio was limiting her magic. She felt it was taxing her magic more than often, even with her magic being a form of Holder-magic via her cards. As her cards did the damage, it was Medeia who delivered the final blow as a swift dart of speed led her right next to the snake-- and where she severed its head with a swing of a scythe! Temperance looked in mild awe to see the fallen angel do that as she quickly caught up, more to enjoy herself rather than them flying for their lives.

As Medeia returned to them, having made quick work of the monster snake now collapsed in pieces behind them, she commented regarding those stranger creatures. Hex gave a grumpy cat look. "I'm figuring you got stuff to tell us, Former Miss Angel! How could you not know these monsters weren't angels to begin with!" Hex replied.

Temperance had to admit, these angels been around forever so how does one not know if they never have seen one? Regardless, now was not the time. These were, in fact, angels, and ones under the allegiance of the Lumen Sages-- much like how many Umbra Witches were contracted to demons. Whether this was a deliberate attack by a Lumen Sage, or the angels sensed her and decided to try and 'cleanse' her, they were hell-bent on seeing them dead. However, it seemed they didn't anticipate Medeia-- or perhaps wanted to kill her just as bad if not more.

"Listen we can discuss all t his later at my hideout but for now we got bitter fish to fry." Temperance said, "And try not to make it look so easy. You're bruising my pride here--"

"Um-- TEMPY!!" Hex meowed in alarm using Temperance's 'pet name'.

She looked forward and saw it-- the large blocked end to the hallway before them, with no way out. The door was huge, but no time to really open it. With Hex still flying full charge, Temperance gritted her teeth and pulled out another card. The Emperor.

With a strong flick of her arm, she threw the card into the wall before them. The card soon lodged in, then sparked with violent magic. KA-BOOOM! The wall soon erupted with a blast of fire, lightning and chunks of marble stone. As they flew right for it, Temperance used another card, this time right within her own grasp. The Wheel of Fortune

"Witch-Time!!" she cried, causing the card's magic to release. With a sudden pulse of magic, the very air seemed to calm and silence. Medeia would be unaffected, as would Hex and herself for that matter, as Temperance had frozen time in the immediate area. On targets like angels or other living people, it would slow them down. On non-living things, it froze them in time with ease.

With the smashed wall now frozen in time, Temperance and Medeia easily could fly, jump and weave through the rocks frozen in the air. With the last rock, Temperance let Hex let her go and jump off the last one, reaching the other side of the new room before them.

The leap from the rock landed Temperance in the middle of a large, spacious room. A cathedral chapel connected to the holy castle-- naturally. It was designed like a gothic church, almost similar to the one the Umbra Witches hid in for their own home. However, the gloss and shine ot the place was overly gaudy by nature. It was painfully bright for indoors and the soft waft of light and feathers drifted through the air.

Hex soon floated beside her as would Medeia as it was where they could be safely, while the time-stopped wall behind them continued to linger. There was no other way out of the room from where they came, but the bright light from the windows made it clear they could get out of the chapel stained glass. "That's our way out I think. " she said as she pointed to the windows.

Temperance moved to get closer-- but soon it stopped as a sudden swell of magic flared nearby.

Holy fire came bombarding them from above-- stopping Temperance mid-run as she was thrown backward. She landed flat on her butt, the shock of the magic having singled her a bit. The blast also had cracked her glasses, adding to the damage as well.

"Selina! Are you okay?" Hex meowed as she flew over her, concerned.

Despite the damage, Temperance looked up to the source of the attack. In the front of the chapel, standing on the dias which supported a large angelic statue-- was a man. The man was dressed head to toe in white, with golden accessories and armors tugging the white robes. He almost looked like a paladin by classification, save for the large scythe object he carried in his hand. Ironic, for a holy man to wield a scythe-like that. He wore a hood, covering his face, but his skin and features revealed he was a dark-skinned human, with a tattoo mark on his face. His very aura exuded a 'holy' feel to him.

Temperance scoffed at the sight of him, recognizing him clearly. "You..."

"Hello, child. " the man said to Temperance, "Imagine my surprise to learn of such souls have wandered into the holy castle. But this is but only a sign of god's fortune. The angels grew restless to your presence... or perhaps not the witch's, but YOURS? " he asked, now looking to Medeia. "One who has discarded god's love. I pity you, fallen angel..."

Despite he was human, he was powerful. Temperance knew that just by looking at him.

"Of course. I should have known..." Temperance grumbled as she pushed herself up, despite the sting to her limbs. "You're a Lumen Sage."

Hex hesitated at the sound of that. "R-really? He is a REAL Lumen Sage?" the Exceed cat meowed. "The Umbra Witch's sworn enemies?"

As the man stood there, poised but unmoving, the light of the stained glass windows began to grow brighter, as if either to add to his holy appearance or to indicate something was coming...

WC: 1056
TWC: 2008

“Looks like just another angelic idiot to me,” Medeia commented, clearly unimpressed by the male standing in front of them. She did not recall him off hand and it seemed to emphasise the point that he was from another clan to hers. Unfortunately. He still seemed to speak with the same holier than thou attitude that all those who followed the path of self righteousness did. He had spoken of the so-called god’s love but the angel had learned long ago that blind faith was the sign of a fool. Heavenly figures were no greater than those of the earth and frankly, the only thing that angels and god’s had which could be considered advanced were their ego’s.

Turning her gaze towards the holy figure, she would fold her arms across her chest, “I would pity you in return for being such a gullible fool but I would rather just end you. Do you have any idea how many times I have heard the same garbage? It was my kin who turned their backs upon me, not the other way around and because of that treachery, I will not stop until every single angel is rotting in hell and as I am sure that you are already aware of. I have already sent quite a few there. The throne of my sect remains empty and it will stay that way until I decide to reclaim it for myself….or burn it down. Whichever I decide. You tied yourself to god but I have broken free from his chains and am much stronger for it.”

Smiling confidently, she would tilt her head towards her companions and speak again, “You asked me why I did not recognise those creatures? Well, there is your answer. We angels do not all belong to one sect. We all have different duties to perform and rarely interact with those from another sect. The fool standing before us now comes from a sect whose sole goal is to protect god, by any means necessary. Even if it means creating abominations like the ones we faced in order to do so. They are beyond fanatical, complete lunatics. I am not surprised that they would end up being the nemesis of the Umbra Witches. They think of anyone who does not share their beliefs to be the enemy.”

Medeia did not strike him but it was difficult not to assume that combat would probably be the way forward. Every instinct in her body was telling her to attack but she would wait for the moment and instead tap into her secondary magic, beginning to chant in an old ancient language. As she spoke, a pool of blood would emerge beside her and from it would spawn a vampiric looking creature. Cackling with glee, it would then travel towards the fallen angel, surrounding her form and becoming almost like a second skin, shielding her from harm, as well as increasing her magical power greatly. Once she was protected, Medeia would then infuse herself with a pair of blood spells, increasing her own strength and defences further. Her efforts were meant to show one thing, that when combat began, there would be no mercy.

(531 Words)
(1551 Total WC)

Medeia was quick to respond to the words of the stoic-seeming Lumen sage. Temperance didn't know the man, but recognized all the traits. The hood, the white and golden clothing, and even she could identify the 'holy weapon' he held. Even as a scythe, it radiated with heavenly light. She was quiet for the moment and tried to work up her magic to transform into her true attire-- but something was wrong. Her magic was somehow weaker now. She was stuck-- whether it was from the robed **** or the chapel itself, it was restricting her. Had she not had magic stored in her cards prior to the trapping in Purgatorio, she would have had less to work with.

Medeia clearly had a deep history with the realm of heaven and the angels. But it seemed she was CLEARLY not of the same sphere or order of angels the Lumen Sages did. But it wasn't clear if she knew what the Lumen Sages were. She would have to discuss that with her later.

The man in the hood regarded Medeia with neutral interest, his face hidden naturally. "It saddens me to hear a former denizen of heaven speak such. But alas, you have made your bed and must lay in it as you see fit..." he said and raised a hand.

The light from the stain glass windows brightened-- and from it appeared new shapes. The light became so bright, matter formed from the windows-- and took shape as two new 'angels'. Each one more intimidating and freaky than the last ones. One was a massive 'bird' like angel with its body as an 'upside-down' face with talons coming out from its head. As it flapped its wings, it also had two dragon heads-- each one separate that growled and snapped about.

The second one was an odd shaped one. A warrior that looked like a paladin, adorn in golden and white armor. however, it was 'headless' and its head was placed upon the sword that wielded it. Making it even look more disturbing.

Both of them were fierce-looking, intimidating, and not at all what one would call angelic.

As this happened, Medeia's magic began to take effect. Temperance was not a fan of vampires, but soon felt it vanish as a powerful magic soon protected her. A strange sensation that came from the sudden magic Medeia placed upon her. Temperance didn't really like vampire magic but she took whatever help she could so long as it didn't turn her into one.

"Now... let us not resort to such things yet. After all, I came with an offer to the young woman." the robed man spoke. "Child of the Umbra Witch. Your blood is theirs, but your soul is yet unbound. I am well aware that you have not sworn your soul to the demons of Inferno. There is yet hope for you, my child," he said and extended a hand, as if to offer it to her. "Accept the radiance of god's love and leave the shadows. To stay on the path you will only lead to damnation. Come and serve our cause. However, know to do otherwise will only lead to you cleansed by the angels who persue you."

He LOVED to talk, that one. Temperance glared at the robed man as Hex levitated next to her with her wings still out as her paws were folded in front of her. "So be either your slave, or your snack? Lovely options," Hex replied in her sassy tone to the Lumen Sage.

A snort of humor escaped Temperance, as she adjusted her glasses-- despite the crack. "Took the words right out of my mouth, kitty," she replied lovingly as she looked up to the Lumen Sage and his two super-powered angels. "Listen up, and listen good. It's true I didn't form a pack with the demons of Inferno as my clan has. I choose a path different from that. But I am still an Umbra Witch and dedicated to the charge they hold. " She glared at him from behind her broken glasses. "So I'm not buying what you're selling. "

The man frowned at this, but not for the reason Temperance denying him. "Umbra witch, there is no other path. Light and Darkness are eternal. Just as the power of light rules t his space, so to does it rule destiny. There is no other path. You dance on a dagger's edge, but eventually you will fall to one or another. To be swallowed by the darkness you are cursed with at birth, or to be seared by the light of heaven. " he explained, pointing at her with accusation. "Do not fool yourself! Your fate is sealed. Salvation or damnation! There is no other choice but the judgment of these facts! Will you accept this, or reject this?" he demanded.

All the while, the two large angels began to grow restless but didn't charge. They obeyed the Lumen Sage and it seemed, they awaited Temperance's words.

But the fact faced Temperance, and she gritted her teeth at this.

WC: 854

“How naive,” Medeia eventually said, cutting through the sage’s babble like a hot knife through butter. “Do you honestly believe that light and darkness are the only paths that one can follow? Your mind has been warped so strongly by the one you worship that you are unable to think for yourself any longer. You are a puppet of god, made to dance and perform in whatever way he wishes. Your view is that of a child, one who has not yet lived long enough to see beyond that. No one is bound to a life of either light or darkness unless they themselves do the binding and lack the courage to strive for something greater.”

Moving over to stand beside Temperance, the witch would briefly stroke Hex between the ears, before speaking to her companions. “Do not let this fool delude you into believing his lies. The only path that you should follow is your own, one which goes beyond the foolish sentiment of light and darkness. A live well lived is one that experiences both but is not ruled by either. You are as much of an Umbra Witch as any of the others, regardless of whether you chose to make a pact with a demon or not. That is your choice to make and one that I know the others will fully accept. This Sage in front of you could never make such a choice. So blinded by faith and notions of destiny that he is unable to do anything for himself. Our fates and destiny are determined by our choices, not by following the rules set down by those who seek to frighten and weaken us.”

It was a lesson that the fallen angel had learned the hard way. There was a time where she had blindly followed the king of her sect, as all the angels in her group had. Yet, there had always been that spark of defiance within her that had caused her to ask why. She had a stubborn streak inside her that only grew over the centuries and realised that what she had been taught had all been false. Rather than follow blindly, she would rebel in her own way, behaving in her own unique manner. Filled with a passion for life that her fellow angels never had, she began to express herself through passion and pleasure, living her life as she saw fit. That was what caused her to be cast out in the end. She refused to follow the doctrine of the angels and that was where the moniker, “Fallen Angel,” had stemmed from. Was the name accurate? Maybe. Or perhaps she was the only angel to truly learn the truth of the world.

Briefly, she would walk behind Temperance and fondly wrap her arms around the girl’s shoulders, whispering into her ear. “Shut out his lies and look inside yourself. Find that inner spark that drives you and bring it to the surface. Do that and you will find the strength to overcome anything and will be able to walk the path that you so desperately wish to follow.”

(522 Words)
(2073 Thread WC)

Temperance felt the weight of it. Whether it was the Lunen Sage's magic or angels suppressing her's or a truth she knew. She did fear that she had to make a choice at some point. She as a child never liked to sell her soul-- to anyone in the end. No matter the benefit. Even some of the witches questioned her for not following in their path. Was it wrong... for her to seek one for herself? A road less traveled?

It was then Medeia's words shot true. The doubt cleared from her mind as she made it clear light and darkness were hardly the only roads. Her defiance was one that was strong, and as she patted Hex and even whispered to her, Temperance remembered her resolve. She knew this already and it was the reason she sought different magic than her Umbra Sisters. Even despite that, her 'aunts' supported her choice and never thought less of her. The only one who felt shame about that was her in the end. And that had to go.

The choices of light and darkness... were mere illusions.

"Fool! I seek to free her from your lies. And the lives of her so-called brethren. I shall now let the words of a foul betrayer lead this lamb astray! " he said grimly, the angels behind him starting to grow restless. He extended a hand once more to Temperance. "Your fate is already sealed. This is the destiny that you--"

"Shut the fuck up..." Temperance spoke aloud.

The sheer vulgarness of her voice and the deep tone was very out of character of her as she rose to her feet. Even Hex backed up a bit, surprised by her language. Medeia's words rekindled that spark in her and made her never more feel more sure of her decision. "The fate of light and darkness? Destiny... you really are full of shit. Hehehe..." she couldn't help but laugh at it. "You have the nerve to tell me of MY fate? My soul is my own, but I am still an Umbra Witch-- and damn proud of it! You know NOTHING about me, or my choices!!"

"Mreow!!" Hex meowed with glee. "You tell him, Temperance!"

Slowly, Temperance rose up and reached for her cracked glasses. She took them off, revealing her furious, defiant green eyes as she stared daggers at the Lumen Sage. "Heaven and Hell can tear each other apart for all I care! No one, especially YOU tell me what my future is! I am beyond either of you. That is why..." she stepped forward, defiant in every word. "I am called "TEMPERANCE!!" "

"It's about time. I do hate to be kept waiting."

A sudden shock went through her body as her head throbbed! Her eyes suddenly changed-- becoming a scary image of yellow pupils in her eyes. "Ugh... ahhh!" Temperance cried and grabbed her head. She felt like she was having a splitting headache at the worst possible time. Her legs weakened as she fell to them, her head throbbing with pain. Her grip to her head forced her to cause her cards to spread out on the ground before her in a washing mess.

"The path to freedom is not one paved by the ones who walked before you or those who insist you follow. Be they saint or sinner, none shall hold sway over your life. To walk the road not taken makes all the difference, little one.   " the mysterious voice spoke. It came from inside Temperance's head. Though of being of fallen angel origin-- and the voice to spark it, Medeia could hear it too. The voice spoke to Temperance but was causing her as much pain as it did encourage her. She was straining from the headache, her left hand on the floor to grip something, her right on her head to ease the pain. Hex however fluttered around, concerned by her friend's pain. "Now, will you steal back your future from those who claim to dictate it?"

The pain eased as her seizing eased. Her grip soon tightened on one of her cards-- gripping none other than the Temperance card she was so named for. "You even have to ask?Yes... I will... Irene," she spoke, a name that just came to her. She then rose her head up definatly-- and in that instance, a flash of white flames coated the upper part of her face. "The Future is mine, and no one else's!" The flames faded-- revealing in its place a golden and black oriental mascarade mask that covered her face. The elegant mask was shaped with intricate weavings of golden material, like strands of wind. While forming the space for the eyes, the weaving design soon ended with two ends-- forming golden wings and strands of wind at the end-- making an elegant and flashy mascarade mask. Her 'yellow eyes' peered through the mask with resolve.

"Yes... I am thou, thou art I... " the voice spoke as Temperance once more returned to her feet. She soon reached for the mask that covered her face-- but it was stuck, as if glued to her very skin and face. She soon pulled, feeling the pain on her face as she tried. "The path to defy fate may be lonely, but it belongs to you and you alone. Walk it with pride, no matter what get's in your way!"

Unable to bear both the mental strain and the mask that clouded her face, she grasped the mask from the opposite side as tight as she could. With a cry of pain, she pulled the mask as hard as she could in the opposite direction, ripping it from her face! Blood flashed as her mask seem to take her skin with it, leaving her face bloody--- before suddenly the same white blaze reappeared. This time, it consumed her, creating a mighty flash of magic that even made the angel's light shameful. The 'spark' Medeia had urged, now roared and became a blaze, as Selina was engulfed by it with her cry-- even making the Lumen Sage flinch by the light.

As the flare of blue-white fire began to die down-- they could see it. Something bright and elegant hovered in the air above her. The phantom-like creature was a woman, adorn in a bright green, grey, and violet skin, with flowers in a hat she wore that hid half of her face. She wore a late period fancy dress, but clearly didn't look human in the least. She looked poised, but calm as she floated there among the powerful blaze. Further, Temperance was in front of her, looking worn out but soon rose up. Her clothing had changed-- becoming her usual black and orange witch's robes she loved so much. Her 'default' costume. The spirit of her role as "Temperance". She looked up, a defiant grin now on her face.

"Wha... What is this?" The Lumen Sage gasped, taken aback by the sudden emergence of this 'hidden power'.

"Besides your worst nightmare?" Temperance joked, taking slow steps forward. "The truth of my own heart. If you wanna chain yourself to false fates and stupid rules, go ahead. But I won't let you hold me back." The smile on her face was almost like that of madness-- but only cause she never felt more alive now. "Let's go, IRENE ADLER!" she declared, intending to fight!

WC: 1236
TWC: 4098

Standing behind Temperance at this point, having backed up when the girl’s powers had begun to blossom, Medeia smiled softly at the sight before her. It felt so nostalgic for the witch, to see another cast aside the shackles of fate and destiny and to truly understand what living actually meant. It was clear to the fallen angel that her fellow witch had completely understood her words and that brought a sense of pride, as well as joy to the raven haired woman’s heart. Her young companion had opened up a whole new level of power to be harnessed and Medeia could not have been happier for her. She had heard the words of the summon and could not have agreed more with her words. Yet, her attention was fully on Temperance as she stated her desire to fight. It was the only answer for one who truly desired to live for themselves.

“There is nothing more beautiful than a mage discovering their true strength,” she mused aloud, her voice far too light to be heard over the din before her but perhaps loud enough for Hex to hear her. There was a special sense of pleasure that came from seeing those that she took under her wing grow and no matter how many times it happened, the feeling never dimmed. Medeia had never seen herself as a teacher before joining Errings Rising but as she had begun to mingle and find her place within the guild, it had dawned on her just what her role was. She was an elder, whose role it was to pass down her knowledge and experiences to those who were lost or sought it. Even those she kidnapped ended up learning something from her, which as warped as that thought was, kind of cemented the fact.

Medeia made no movement against the Sage, knowing that the fight was one that Temperance would desire to face alone and simply remained where she was until she was needed. It was a matter of pride and growth, which the ancient angel could appreciate. For the moment, she would simply watch and listen, intrigued by how the situation would play out. She had no idea of the strength of this male in front of them although judging from what she had heard, he was at least more formidable than the fodder that they had been destroying so far. It was difficult to tell and the fact that his minions were so warped only added to the uncertainty. Yet, she was confident in Temperance’s new found strength and was rather eager to see just how far her new powers would take her. If things turned ill then the angel would step in and teach the Sage another lesson. A far more simple one. That all those who crossed her and those that she considered to be her friends would be destroyed. There would be no toying with him, as she may have done with a female opponent. No, death was the only result. No more, no less.

(509 Words)
(2582 Thread WC)

The power Temperance awoken was something neither divine nor demonic. Light or darkness-- but something made possible by nothing but sheer willpower. Whether Medeia could understand its source or not, but it came from within Temperance. Something there all the time kindled out. it was a power that dwelled in all humans it seemed and took shape in response to Temperance's will of rebellion. Behind her, like an aura-- was the form it took. Irene Adler-- the known female antagonist to Sherlock Holmes, who was infamous for outsmarting him, and for being a popular thief. A woman of class and mystery-- well suited for Temperance.

The Lumen Sage was surprised, but didn't lose his composure as he raised a hand. "Strike them down, " he spoke grimly, urging the angels to act. The giant head with the two dragons finally made its' move! As the head let out an angry roar, the two dragon heads released a blast of fire from their mouths to char them.

However, the moment it happened, the flames were pushed aside-- both by Medeia's magic charm-- but Irene's own power. She created a magical force field-- repelling the attacks against her and leaving Temperance, Medeia and Hex unharmed.

The flames had set fire to parts of the church, leaving the benches ablaze. But soon they began to float. "Get em-- Irene Adler!" Temperance cried.

With a flick of the woman's hand-- the floating pieces of debris suddenly flew forward and crashed into both of the angels. The angels were stunned by the attack, not seeing it coming as the objects flew.

Whatever this 'emanation' of will or soul-- this form seemed to govern the power of 'psychokinesis'. The summoned creature literally could move things with the power of the mind, or influence it.

However, in that instance-- the summon vanished in a similar blaze of power. That same blaze returned to Temperance-- taking the shape of the newly created mask upon her face.

The angels, however, were still furious as the large one with the sword now charged-- intending to cut them to pieces.

WC: 350

Chuckling as the angels lost control, Medeia would suddenly become immersed in a purple light, briefly masking her form as her final magic took control. It lasted only for a few moments but when the light faded, the angel looked rather different, her hair and eyes would become a bright purple colour, her ears became pointed and her wings would change slightly, giving her a more regal appearance. This was Medeia as she was when among the heavens, when her angelic nature came to the surface and she could fight with her full might. Beating her wings a few times, the angel would then take off and leap into the fray, leaving the sword wielding angel to Temperance, which she went for the two headed dragon like one.

There was always a rush whenever she took on this particular form and as the purples haired angel launched her sickle at the dragon-like bring in a way similar to a boomerang, she could already feel the passion of battle begin to awaken inside her. Oh, she was in control of course but she would be lying if the sensation was unpleasant. A chance for her to cut loose properly and take out her personal frustrations on something that could take more than a single hit from her.

The draconic angel managed to swerve her attack and opened its mouth to unleash a burst of flame, however, it lacked the foresight to realise the effect of Medeia’a attack and was struck as the sickle came flying back to its owner. The strike knocked its flame attack off target and the fire simply burst through another window of the castle. Still, it was formidable enough and as Medeia flew in close quarters to battle the creature, she was rather impressed by the beings skills. It had a significant amount of physical strength and was no slouch in the magical department either, resulting in a decent scrap. Each hit she scored on the being only spurred her onwards and as the fight continued, her power seemed to grow, enough that she was able to get the upper hand on the beast. Her sickle strikes were mighty and once she started unleashing her magical abilities into the mix, her foe began to struggle a little.

“Come on, dragon,” The angel cackled, “You are not finished yet.”

Swooping underneath an almighty blast of flame, she would then open her mouth and unleash a powerful roar of her own, combining all of her elements into a single blast. The force was enough to make the ground shake and launched her foe into the castle wall. In anger, the beast would growl and get back up, one of its heads clearly showing the damage from Medeia’s powerful blow. It did not give up though and charged at the witch, forcing her to swiftly turn to sand, before reappearing before the beast and striking it powerfully across its back.

“Your dragon certainly has more courage than you do,” She quipped, her gaze briefly turning towards the Sage.

Her gaze would then turn to Temperance, “Show them just how powerful the human soul is, my dear.”

(527 Words)
(3109 Thread WC)

Temperance was indeed impressed by Medeia's attacks against the dragon-headed angel. That one was of a high rank, but then again, she kept forgetting she was a fallen angel herself. And boasted enough power to probably make many of the angels her playthings. She really was a best fit among the Umbra Witches.

However, she didn't have time to focus on her attention to the dragon attack. Least for her, she was drawn to the attention of the other angel-- the headless angel whose head was the base of its long sword. It charged for her, its sword thrusting forward as it flew towards her. Hex gave a soft meow as she flew away-- to get clear, but Temperance stood her ground. Even without her new summon ally right there-- the bound on her magic was broken by the sudden power of her Persona's awakening. With a mere thought, magical light surrounded her.

Right as the sword would strike-- the light faded, to reveal Temperance now different. Her newest form was adorn in her crimson-red Victorian duelist attire so red it was glamorous, adorn with a stylish hat-- more important, she also wielded her special rapier--the Crimson Courage Rapier. Despite the sheer size difference of the sword that towered above most statues and just as thick-- her seemingly flimsy rapier had met the blade, holding it from crossing her boundary. She glared at the angel and sage with determination, no longer ashamed of her path.

"My path forward starts by cutting my way through you," she declared, and flicked her rapier-- giving mild distance between her and the head-sword of the giant angelic goliath. With her elegant grace, she flipped forward, landing on the edge of the blade itself. Despite its sharp edge, she ran right up it-- making her way to the main body that held it.

"MRRRAAA! STOP CLIMBING ME!!!" The head on the sword spoke. Furious, the main body lifted the sword upward-- attempting to dislodge Temperance from it. The movement of the sword sent her flying upward overhead, an elegant flip as she did so. As she did, one of her cards appeared, now glowing with a black aura-- and the image of a raven and skull. The Death Arcana.

"Teloc Upaah (Wings of Death)!!" she cried in Enochian-- and as a result, her clothing suddenly vanished in a stream of tarot cards that obscured parts of her body. As her magic caused her clothing to vanish-- the cards also gave form to a sudden, black energy form in the shape of a massive raven! The raven let out a shrill caw and flew forward-- black and orange energy clashing inside it as it flew into the enemy angel beast.

The raven exploded with a massive blast of black energy that went out in all directions, causing the structure to tremble and parts of the unbroken windows to shatter. Even the Lumen Sage from where he was on guard as the blast-wave of darkness grazed him. He took guard through the shadow and smoke--

-- but was soon surprised as Temperance charged forward. Fully clothed again from the brief summon, she raised with her rapier to strike. Surprised by the sudden attack, he drew his scythe and attempted to strike. The attack would of connected-- but Temperance was quick and quickly moved to get in closer to him-- outside the range of scythe's blade reach. She struck with the rapier--catching the polearm part of it to keep him from swinging it.

She was now up close to him, able to almost see his full profile under his hood-- and the gleam of a seeming artificial eye hidden there. Her gaze was fierce as she looked from behind her newly formed mask-- the sign of her awakening to her Persona.

"A curious power. But you don't stand a chance. Your fate is sealed the moment you came into my reach," the Lumen Sage explained, trying to overpower her block.

She glared from behind her mask-- but then heard another voice. This one, not the same as Irene Adler's.

I am thou, thou art I...Heehee! I think I'll be your mask... You'll play with me, won't you?

Temperance glared as the voice resonated with her mask. "Persona... change!" she called out, causing her mask to suddenly appear as blue flames upon her face. The Sage looked in shock as she was able to push his scythe away and jump clear. "Alice!"

The mask vanished in a blaze of blue flame-- to appear before her moments later in the form of a little blue dressed girl with blonde hair. She appeared polite, angelic, and even innocent in appearance.

The sage growled as he drew his scythe once more, this time to strike the phantasmal girl. Futile and Foolish!" he roared and struck---

--- only then the image of the girl vanished. It made contact, but she seemed to be elsewhere, as her very appearance was the form of a mirage that fooled the sage. Surprised-- he soon heard another chuckle. The same girl was once again to the side, looking at the Sage. This time, a wicked grin showed on her face.


"Hehehe--- HAHAHAA!!" she laughed, shaking her head and hair about with a dance-- before a violent white light erupted around her, quickly blasting into the Lumen Sage!

The sage was knocked clear, crashing into the nearby statue from the non-elemental force that just blasted into him. The moment the attack ended, Alice gave a curtsey with her skirt-- before she vanished from view. In turn, Temperance's mask returned upon her face, the source from where Alice and her other Persona had come from.

WC: 950

Even though she was in the midst of her own battle, Medeia could feel the magical power of her fellow witch increasing. Her potential was unlocking and to be in Temperance’s company as she did so was a joy for the angel. Still, having knocked the dragon down, she afforded herself a glance at her companion, her eyebrows rising as her mentee briefly had the look of an old fashioned duellist. It was certainly an elegant look and Medeia could not help but admire how well it suited Temperance. Up until now, the angel had been a little standoffish when it came to becoming closer to her fellow witch, partly because of her not wishing to ruin her own chances of joining the coven and partly because of her failed relationship with Jen. Was getting involved with another mentee truly a wise idea? However, seeing Temperance fight with such grace appealed to the witch and Medeia found herself discarding her doubts and worries. She could not deny her true nature, a lesson that ironically enough she had just taught to Temperance and so she relaxed. A smile would cross her features as she shouted across the din of battle, “You had better be wearing that lovely duellist outfit when this is all said and done, Temperance.”

She might have said more but a roar from behind caused her to spin back around. The draconic angel was still alive and although breathing a little heavier, it still seemed eager to fight. With a chuckle, Medeia would unleash a mighty blast of sand from her hand which would force her foe backwards, sending it hurtling into the angel statue that was by the dias, causing it to crack due to the impact. She would then begin to chant in the old language of the vampires again, causing the odd looking vampiric spirit to appear from behind her, before wrapping itself around the witch’s form. There was always a slightly different twist whenever she used this spell on herself and the shield would look as though it was a female, her arms wrapped around Medeia’s frame. Her hair and eyes would be crimson in colour, alongside her robes. It was an intimate embrace and an identical smile formed across both Medeia and the shielding woman’s face. The angel’s formidable magical power would increase further, as would her defences. This spell was the pinnacle of Medeia’s defensive magic and would be more than enough to handle what her enemy could throw at her.

She was uncertain as if the angel would get up again but it did, even though there was now a massive burn like mark across its chest from the impact of Medeia’s attack. The angel would then summon a purple coloured whip into her hand, wielding it in her left hand, her sickle in her right. Angered beyond measure, the dragon would take off again, hurling itself towards the mage at full speed but it was just too slow and as she sidestepped the creature, Medeia would lash out with her whip, which managed to not only make contact but wrap itself around one of the beasts necks. Her chuckle becoming a full on laugh, she would start to pull with all of her might, trying to pull the dragon’s head off of its body. The beast would fight and struggle with all of its might, eventually freeing itself but it left itself open to another attack, resulting in Medeia hurling her sickle once more like a boomerang, resulting in her mythical weapon catching the dragon in the side of the same head.

It was a sturdy creature but the elder witch was relentless, catching her sickle as it returned to her, before firing a bolt of golden energy that forced the angel to turn rock solid like a statue.

Amused, she would watch as the now solid dragon would fall from the sky, hitting the floor hard. Could it survive that? She would have to wait and see.

(669 Words)
(3778 Thread WC)

Temperance was calm, but behind her mask, she was surprised. She didn't really understand what "Personas" were, but they were shockingly powerful that even the angels couldn't really suppress them. Even now, she felt her magic power expand further with their aid. And of course, the nature of the summons was odd. They seemed to appear briefly for a few tasks-- then return to the mask on her face. Where they true creatures, or projections from her own heart and mind?

The brief moment of thought and the shock the Sage had smashed into the statue-- was a dangerous moment as the smoke behind Temperance parted to reveal the large sword-wielding angel once again. The headless creature groaned as it raised its sword again to come at her.

"Oh, you're not dead yet?" she said with a tired sigh as she glanced behind her shoulder at it.

At that moment she turned-- casting something to the side. The sword-wielding angel roared and brought the sword down on top of her, crushing the platform and the statue's base. THe hasty action of the angel worked against the Sage too, causing debris to blast in his direction too.

However, the swish of her arm was a mere toss of one of her cards towards where Medeia was. In that instant after impact-- Temperance reappeared beside her, teleporting to where "The Magician" card landed. As she landed from her teleport, her clothing shifted again-- the flash of light that returned her to her original black and orange umbra witch outfit.

Now beside Medeia, she too saw the ragged look of the dragon-headed angel. Parts of its body was covered in gold from her magic, and clear signs the dragon angel had suffered damage. However, only the heads were immobile as its 'face' remained movable-- but the cracks on its face began to crumble. They finally saw it, the facade fade to reveal behind the broken parts the fleshy body of the angel-- the bone, spikes and a gross eye that darted and glared towards them. From the other side of the chapel-- the sword-wielding angel could be seen rising up. With its sword with its head crying out in fury, parts of its body revealed parts that almost seemed mechanical-- with broken parts in his chest that one could only see as 'eyes'.

"Well, ain't this a pretty picture," Temperance said as she turned to Medeia. "We need to get out of here now-- or else more angels will show up."

While it could have been the sound of the shaking structure, Temperance could have sworn she heard the flap and cry of other angelic animals heading their way from the hallway. However, with the Sage incapacitated for the moment, it was their time to get out.

Temperance looked up to the reliefs near the ceiling, spotting a black-pointed object. "Hex-- We're leaving! Let's go!" she cried out to the black Exceed cat.

Having been hidden behind one of the gargoyles carvings on the ceilings, the cat peeked out from hiding. "It's about time-- mreow!! " she meowed and made her black wings appear. With a swift dive from her perch, the cat flew towards the nearest smashed window-- their only way out.

Not willing to fight that giant sword-wielding angel in close combat, she tossed another Tarot Card towards the broken window. The moment it landed, Temperance's form shimmered and vanished with a soft flash. She reappeared right where she had tossed the card, now crouched low, vertical to the surface she threw the card to. Just as Hex flew out, she jumped out of the window-- reaching the 'outside' of the castle and Purgatorio's world.

WC: 616

The fallen angel was somewhat reluctant to leave the castle due to the amount of fun that she was having fighting her angelic kin but she followed Temperance’s lead regardless. Medeia would cast her own sand teleportation spell in time with her mentee’s, resulting in them appearing together when the spells faded. She had no doubt that that would not be the last time that they would come up against the sages and that was part of the reason why she was willing to disengage. A message had already been sent to their little band and hopefully wisened them up a little as to just who they were facing. Speaking of research, Medeia would need to do some herself in order to learn more of their foes particular cult. She knew only bits and pieces but perhaps Armina, her loyal maid and fellow angel, would know more. After all, she had spent far longer in the heavens than Medeia and had been more traditional. Well, until the pair met each other anyway. Once that had happened, Armina had joyfully followed Medeia and had done so ever since.

Following Temperance out of the window, Medeia was rather baffled by the world around them. Seemingly stuck between the realms of the heavens and the earth, they were both everywhere and nowhere at the same time. What a curious place but as insatiable as her curiosity was, the angel would be quite relieved when they were able to return home. This mission had become an absolute disaster in terms of completing goals although Medeia mused that seeing Temperance discovering her new magic was more than a fitting resolution. For now, they just had to survive until they could find their way back.

Now that they had a moment to themselves, Medeia would revert to type and chuckle, one arm draping around her mentee’s waist. Her standoffishness well and truly gone, “I must say that you performed admirably in there, my dear. Once we escape this place and return home, we will have to celebrate your new found power.” She had always been that way. Either she would take a liking to someone or she did not. There was so little middle ground with her. Being considered indifferent by her was the same as being disliked and the angel treated those who fell into that category dreadfully. Yet for those special few who she did appreciate, well, they had to be careful too for it was so easy for her interest to become an obsession.

(422 Words)
(4200 Thread WC)

(B Rank Freeform: 2500/2500
C Rank Freeform: 1000/1000
D Rank Freeform: 500/500)

The Lumen Sage recovered from the crashed statue to look as Temperance, Medeia and Hex flew out the window. At that moment, he knew they had slipped the net the angels crafted inside the holy castle.

The moment they were outside the window, they could see the warped-- a landscape of Purgatorio and Paradiso mixed-- shining in blinding golden light and radiances. It was 'disgustingly' unrealistic and pure. However, with them outside the castle, there was no magic keeping them in place. As they flew, Temperance took out a card. The Trinity it was called, showing a picture of 3 tonrei of different accented shapes, representing heaven, hell and earth. The trinity of realities. The moment she threw the card forward, it warped space in front of them-- opening a portal before them.

"Go!" Temperance cried as they flew through the portal and back to the real world...

... the rift of the portal had opened in a nearby city square, which was less active today, which overlooked the castle itself in the mortal world. The portal opened briefly as the three came tumbling out. The shift caused them to literally come tumbling out, as Temperance fell forward with Medeia and Hex -- hitting the ground with a thud.

"Ow..." Selina grumbled as she pushed herself up, realizing she was under Medeia's body. Oddly, in that very act of entry and exit, her clothing changed-- into her more casual, nerdy attire. Glasses and all. "That stung. I hate the portal out of Purgatorio..."

"Mrrrro! Get-omphff-of-mreee!" The cat-like cry came from Hex as she was the first one out and ended up pressed into the ground below the two other girls.

"Oh-- Sorry, Hex!" Temperance said as she stood up. She picked up the cat quickly into her arms, finding the black cat Exceed with her fur messed up, her whiskers out-arranged, and her witch's hat flattened a little. The cat hated it when her hat got messed up. However, she didn't complain as the witch coddled her in her arms.

Luckily, they were out. "Let's get clear of here just in case. Last thing we want is those feathered freaks to pull us into Purgatorio or whatever again... " she said and urged them away from the square and the holy castle.

WC: 383