Evolution

It was quite the hole that had been made and as Medeia hovered over it, her slayer senses cutting through the gloom, she mused to herself as to whether Maria would be returning to continue the fight. It was possible but the dark being was well aware that this locale had been chosen by her foe and the witch would have been foolish not to expect that there was some advantage here that the primordial wished to exploit. Despite what Armina had been stating, Medeia at this point did not believe that Maria was mad at all, now that she had some understanding of what was occurring here. The blonde had done an excellent job at acting though and the dark haired woman made a mental note to compliment her when the time came. Maria was shrewd which made her dangerous and that was partly why the angel did not immediately jump down after her, deciding instead to take a moment to regain her composure.

She would summon a brief shower of blood that would burst from her person, healing her of her wounds and allowing her to restore some of her lost health over time. A simple healing spell but hers generally were, given that her gifts tended to lean more towards offence and crowd control. Still, she was no slouch in the support department and the wound in her shoulder soon enough began to close up and heal, leaving a tingling feeling once it had done. The Warlord would have to use a more powerful defensive spell next time although there was probably only one which could handle the most powerful abilities. It was one of her ultimate abilities but not one that Medeia actually enjoyed using, due to the simple fact that it turned her fights into even easier affairs, as hardly anything could penetrate through its immense defence and effects. She could be hit by a meteor and shrug it off, such was its potency. Still, if the legal mage pushed her far enough then perhaps she would not have a choice.

“Mistress? Could you please get me out of here now? I must admit that being in this pose for so long is starting to hurt my back.” Armina complained from her spot, still bound but having at least freed a limb or two by this stage. She did not look quite as confident as she once had, having been so close to the immense explosion that had come from the clashing of the two far more powerful mages spells. The fire in her eyes had dimmed a little and she almost looked frightened, which was somewhat of a surprise to the dark haired witch.

Floating over to her closest ally, Medeia would cast a small fireball that would set fire to the remaining wood, burning through the restraints and leaving her maid unharmed. It had only taken a few moments but the Warlord would not give her maid any time to stretch, as she was beside her in a second, drawing a cloth and wiping away the saliva and tears from her guards face. It was quite a sweet act in truth, one that the angel probably would not have done had Maria been there to see. “I do not want to hear any complaints from you. She defeated you and by doing so, it gave her the right to do with you what she wished. I must confess that I am a little disappointed to hear that she caught you off guard so easily though. You must be more careful, my dear Armina, not all legal mages play fair.”

The maid looked briefly miffed but it was an expression that did not last when looking Medeia in the eyes. It quickly faded away and she gently performed a maidly curtsy in response. “I will continue to train until I can split anyone in two.” Armina would then retrieve her axe from the wall that it had been placed against and after swinging it one or twice to get the tension out of her aching limbs, she would bow her head towards her Mistress. “Ready when you are, Mistress, I am quite ready to dish out a bit of damage myself. I cannot believe that she put her tongue all over me like a child eating an ice cream.”

Medeia smiled slightly, her gaze turning mischievous. “I am surprised to hear that you are complaining considering what we get up to some nights. Surely being handled by Maria is not all that different?”

Armina’s cheeks darked to a degree that she did not think was possible at that point. “It is not the same! Her hands are not as gentle and soft as yours! Not to mention her choice of bindings!”

Medeia simply gave her maid one of those looks, her smile turning slightly smug. A trademark look which could frustrate and embarrass in equal measure  “Alright then. I think we have given our beautiful foe enough of a rest. Shall we delve deeper and chase after our quarry?”

Heading towards the hole, the witch would stop, her slayer senses picking up on something unusual about the ruin. It stemmed from the pit before them and Medeia’s eyebrow rose with interest. There was something odd indeed down there and she could feel it, almost like a gentle voice at the edges of her mind. It was curious indeed and the angel felt just a tad weak for a moment or two. Was she and her maid about to jump into some kind of elaborate trap set by her opponent or was this something else? Either way, there seemed to not be any other option if they were going to claim the beautiful blonde that day and so the angel descended into the pit, her maid following close behind, their angelic wings flapping as necessary to keep their speed under control.

It was a rather short descent in truth and soon enough, the two landed gently on the floor below where they would come across the delightful blonde, hopefully still full of vigour. Armina looked as though she was ready to hack Maria to pieces but there was a slightly different gaze that was coming from the dark haired witch. She was suspicious and more than a tad amused by the whole event at this point. “So, are we going to resume hostilities now or do you have another scheme in mind?” She asked with genuine curiosity. “There is most definitely something unusual about this place and I cannot help but wonder whether it has anything to do with this scheme of yours. I must also congratulate you for being able to wound me. My poor shoulder was left with a rather nasty gash.”

(1129 Words)
(9669 TWC)

Medeia did not attempt to immediately swoop down and continue the fight, a thing that Maria was actually grateful for. The goddess was sure that Medeia was trying to play it safe while fighting her, which was another thing that suggested to her that despite the difference in power between the two, the dark angel was respectfully cautious of Maria’s power. Contrary to what anyone else might think, Maria was convinced that Medeia’s prudence did not stem out of a fear of the blonde mage, but years of experience in combat. The best warriors were careful fighters, especially when they faced a foe who was not like an open book or so far below them that nothing the foe did would yield even the slightest effect against them. And if Nita was either unaware or too modest to do any trumpet blowing about her capabilities, Maria knew that the girl was deceptively strong. Hopefully, by the end of today, Nita would not only be stronger, but would also come to fully embrace the power that she possessed. For if one did not absolutely accept their power, it would be difficult, nay, impossible, to be able to use such a power to the best of one’s abilities. In any case, that Medeia was not attacking meant that Maria had a little bit of time to recover herself. Even if her magical reserves had been reduced, she could at least get rid of her wounds and the pain that currently wracked her body.

The ornate jeweled ring on her finger began to glow softly, and Maria was bathed in a soft green glow temporarily. Even though the healing spell was not normally expected to heal the amount of damage which the goddess had accrued during her fight with Medeia, the fact that the Ring of Cura passively increased her prowess at healing twofold meant that using lesser ranked spells, Maria could mend considerable damage done to her, at much less magical energy cost than would normally be expected. The goddess breathed in more deeply, her ragged breaths evening out into a more regular pattern as she leaned on her spear. It was very likely that Medeia’s summoned tentacle had likely dislocated some ribs, but even that was fading. Soon all that remained were scratches and mild bruises. The fatigue she presently felt, however, could not be unfortunately wished away, and some places felt rather sore still. Maria was convinced that her torso would hurt for a few days after this, healing or no.

”What is below us, Maria?” Nita asked, curious about the faint magical ‘song’ that seemed to resonate upward and outward from the deep below them. ”As I said before, a catalyst,” Maria answered. ”I do not like to repeat myself, and I suspect that I will sooner or later have to tell your bestie out there what I suspect is below us. When that happens, you may listen to your heart’s content. But let me ask a question of my own: have you yet figured out what it is I may be trying to do? Armina, like yourself, did think I was mad, but you’re your conclusion of my insanity simply you being lazy? I would very much like to think it was. I would be quite horrified and not a little bit ashamed if it was discovered that you are just about as smart as that bloodthirsty maid. It seems Medeia has started to guess at my intention, and if I think she is guessing at what I suspect, then she is correct. So, shall I be impressed by your deductive skills as I am at Medeia’s, or are you as brick-brained as her maid?”

Nita fell silent and said nothing. But the connection between Pergrandian girl and Primordial goddess was enough for Maria to suspect that Nita had realized what her intentions were. ”I still think you should have told me what you were planning,” the Pergrandian finally said. ”And be responded to with the same amount of ennui and lack of interest in anything which you’ve been showing for the past days? Certainly not!” came the reply. ”Think about it, if you received news tomorrow that the war had resumed, and you were much needed on the battlefield, what would you have done, in your present miserable condition? And if you must know, it is in times such as this that your inactivity may result in many lives lost and possibly the difference between victory and defeat. Yes, you may not be as strong as Medeia, but don’t sell yourself too short, love. Why do you think Desiree was so willing to make you an Ace? Aside the fact that she trusts you, you must have realized by now that you’re the strongest mage in Luminous Rose, and let me inform you of something you may not have realized: you are probably one of the top fifty strongest people in Ishgar. Is this how someone who is supposed to be a stellar role model should act, dragging her feet in the face of personal loss? I know it hurts to have lost someone, but tears are for when there is no more fighting to be done. If this cannot be done, then you must continue to fight even as the tears roll down your cheeks, because whether you are aware of this or not, so much depends on you, child.”

Nita listened silently again until Maria was finished, and then simply answered, ”I understand.” But even though it was just a simple answer, Maria could sense the resolve behind those words. ”That’s how it’s supposed to be,” the goddess gushed happily. ”I’m so proud of you. Well, since we seem to be now on the same page, I shall explain to you exactly how I intend to go about my plan. Do you remember how I became inadvertently bound to you?” Of course, that was a rhetoric question; how could Nita forget? ”The group of glyphs on your back are a reminder of this, but more than that, they are the words of the curse I had intended to use to turn you into a semi-living mockery. Very few people are able to understand the words, which have served as a sort of seal, binding me to you. I intend to push you to physical and magical exertion, and then it is very likely that the seal will weaken. At this point, I shall fully merge my soul with yours. You know that we are two different minds with an amalgamated soul in a single body. Just like Medeia did with Priya, I aim for complete synergy: one soul, one mind, one body. And you will still be in charge. There will be some changes, I’m sure, but they will not have any bearing on your actual persona. But we shall need a strong energy source to help catalyze this reaction, which is where the strange thing below us will factor in. To assuage your curiosity, it is very likely a lacrima.”

At the sound of Medeia’s voice, Maria looked up, still leaning on her spear. ”Oh, did I actually manage to damage you?” the goddess asked in mild surprise, especially as she could not perceive any injuries on the dark angel. Also, Armina was free, which would probably make a few extra complications in an already difficult battle. ”Well, yay me! To answer your question, I see no reason for us to stop rolling around, slapping ourselves and pulling our hair. As to whether I have another scheme planned, no, it’s just a single one at present. If things get very exciting, then I may introduce a new plan. But for now, we’ll just have to be content with bringing down the ruins on our heads. That being said, I’m certain you asked about my having any new tricks up my sleeve because you have no doubt sensed the pulsing of some magical artifact far below us. Its pulsing is so exquisite, almost feels musical. I’m sure you’re a woman of refined tastes like myself, though I’d be actually surprised if lovely Armina could actually sense the stateliness of whatever is below us, seeing as she is quite the boor, despite her beautiful appearance,” the goddess finished with a mocking smile. Maria had simply said that to get a rise out of the angelic maid, nothing more. She waited quietly for a bit, expecting that the mouthy maid would have a retort for her.

Well, it was time to get things moving. The goddess straightened herself, releasing her spear and shield, which began rotating around her like a couple of moons around a larger planet, as she held herself regally, her back straight and her posture proud. ”I have noticed that you seem to enjoy stories, Medeia dear. Since that is the case, I shall tell you another one, but first, you will have to pass a test. I’m quite certain that it shouldn’t be anything difficult for you, being a Warlord of Fiore and all that.” The goddess closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. Then suddenly, she opened her eyes, but they were no longer the heterochromatic blue and green that Nita was known for. They were orbs of light, gleaming in the gloom of the ruined temple. Her hair began to slowly rise, as though there was a wind blowing upward from beneath her, and a strange magical aura began to twist round her, shifting colors and constitution as erratically as the journey of a thunderbolt. At some point the aura seemed solid, looking as though it was wrapping a cloak of wood around her, and then the wood burst into flames of a myriad of colors, before twisting into pitch darkness, which suddenly got punctuated by motes of light. The light suddenly would weave itself into beautiful threads of plasma, and then everything would seem to slow down, speed up or stop momentarily, before winking out of existence, although the emptiness that surrounded Maria seemed to even have a presence of its own. She had entered God Force.

Slowly, Maria lifted her hand, holding it outwards at Armina and Medeia, her fingers outstretched. ”This is my test. Relativity God Finale: Hyperion!” A strange pulse shot out in all directions from the goddess, with herself standing in the center of it. As it moved, it colored the world in what seemed to be negative colors. The pulse spread out at an incredibly fast rate, and then everything within its area simply vanished. Maria was sure that if Medeia and Armina were hit by this spell, they would not vanish like everything else, but they would most certainly take damage of a rather serious level. Aside the fact that this spell was incredibly dangerous, as far as damage was concerned, the prelude to the spell upped the caster’s sheer destructive power, and the fact that she was in God Force simply made the damage all the more ridiculous. Teleporting from such a spell as this would be difficult, as Maria had made it omnidirectional, in order to avoid a simple case of Medeia just vanishing and appearing behind her. However, Maria had not allowed the spell to achieve its full dimensions, as she was not interested in destroying a large portion of the Ancient Ruins. By itself, the spell spanned a kilometer in radius, and that was without considering the fact that Nita’s spells were normally more far-reaching in range, thanks to her adeptness at the use of magic, and one or two baubles she had on her person. This was her strongest spell, save one other, which only vied with it in strength and did not exceed its power. Still, Maria was sure that Medeia would be able to counter it. She had seen something in Cedar that she had not even imagined possible. The dark angel’s strongest spells seemed to surpass what seemed to be the normal limits of magic. So Maria simply wanted to see how she would react to this power, little else.

What had been a large, dilapidated structure was now nothing but a large empty crater, although the chasm that led deeper into the earth broke the contour of what would otherwise have been a smooth hemisphere.


WC: 2051
TWC: 11720

@Medeia

There was a growl of annoyance from the maid as Maria insulted her and for a moment, it looked as though she was going to attack the blonde then and there but Medeia’s hand stretched out to block her path, forcing Armina to come to a stop. Irritated but unwilling to go against her Mistresses wishes, the maid would manage to get a grip on herself although that did not mean that she was not going to respond at all. “You are one to talk. There is nothing refined about you whatsoever and to compare yourself to my Mistress in that way is an insult to her. You are as refined as a stripper in one of those filthy whorehouses.” The jibe from the blonde had definitely made its mark though and the maid followed up her rebuttal by smacking her axe against the ground in annoyance. The weapon was as durable as her and took no damage, with the purple haired guard actually taking a little pleasure out of the action. It felt great to be free of Maria’s bindings at last and she was looking forward to getting back into the spirit of things, preferably by cracking her axe over her foe's head although she knew that was unlikely, given the woman’s strength and Medeia’s fondness for the legal mage. All she could do was dream and fantasise, she supposed.

“What did I tell you about talking to her in such a way, my dear Armina?” Medeia warned gently, her gaze briefly turning towards her maid. “I will not hear any of that kind of talk. Besides, if a woman desires to use her body in order to earn a living then who are we to judge? Behave yourself, my delightful maid, or you might find yourself wrapped up again before you know it.” She knew that it would probably not put Armina off, given how much the maid adored being bound but that was part of the point. Honestly, Medeia was not overly annoyed by her maid and was both egging on and chiding her at the same time, knowing that it would simply confuse her beautiful companion. The witch adored playing her like a fiddle, as she did with everyone else she met. Life on Fiore was as much of a game now to the Warlord as it had been when she and Priya had first joined forces; she had simply mastered the rules by this point.

The witch would then turn her gaze towards the large pit, where she could hear the rather sweet melody that was stemming from it. With her senses, it was easy to pick up on and she did raise a curious eyebrow. “I must confess that it does rather sound like the voice of a lovely singer that I know, one who is a member of Nita’s guild, come to think of it. I can feel its pulse run through this place, as well as through me, an intriguing sensation and by no means an unpleasant one. There is quite obviously something down there and it appears obvious to me that you brought us to it for a reason. You have managed to arouse my interest, my dear and I am rather eager to hear about this marvellous device but I suppose that will have to wait until after our encounter is over, unless you wish to tell me about it beforehand."

Maria then mentioned that she wished to tell another story, which Medeia assumed would perhaps satiate her curiosity about the pulsing item but to no one’s great surprise, the legal mage seemed to want to test her own powers once again against the witches. The dark haired woman instinctively stepped in front of her maid, much to the surprise of Armina, who was about to complain until she felt the magical power start to build inside their opponent. This was no ordinary spell and the purple haired woman began to quiver as she felt the strength of the spell that was being cast. Armina was a brave soul but there were some abilities that could overawe even her bold spirit and just this once, she dropped her axe and clung to Medeia, her arms wrapped around her Mistresses waist from behind.

Yet, Maria was not the only one who was building up magical power and the maid glanced up to see that Medeia was starting to glow with a familiar holy light. She knew what this was and her expression turned to one of awe as Medeia’s form began to change. This was the ultimate spell when it came to Takeover, the pinnacle of the type and only the witch had mastered it to this extent, unrivalled and unmatched. Never had the angel found anyone who could withstand the ability that stemmed from the form she was about to take and if she had anything to say about it, that would always be the case. Without turning to look at her maid, she would speak, her voice thrumming with power. “I will not allow you to be struck by this. Stay behind me, Armina, I will protect you.”

She would then take a breath and declare, her voice clear and firm. “Priya, Goddess Of The Angels.”

The entire area around her shimmered with golden light as her Takeover spell came into effect, giving off an angelic radiance that anyone within miles of her could feel. This was power and as Medeia bathed in it for a few moments, while her opponent finished channelling and unleashed her own potent ability, a smile crossed her features. Her eyes, now a brilliant blue, blazed with magical strength and could turn a weak willed mortal into nothing with just a glance. It was so rare that she cast this spell and even more so that she showed it to the same foe twice. Yet, Maria had earned that privilege and the Guild Mistress took a great deal of pride in that. She had been right to take an interest in both her and Nita, all those months ago, having been continually amused and impressed by the duo since then. In a way, the two were following in her footsteps, attempting to find the balance that she and Priya had found with one another. Despite the fact that they were supposed to be rivals, deep down, Medeia hoped that they would achieve that same sense of symbiosis. It was a sensation that only one who had gone through it could truly understand and had brought such joy to the angel’s life.

Maria’s spell was beyond what the vast majority of mages could deal when it came to damage and Medeia could sense that from the moment it was released. She could not move due to Armina being behind her and so there was only one solution. The Warlord would have to tap into her greatest defensive ability, one that could negate the most powerful of abilities. Raising her hand, she would state, her voice strong and commanding. “Aura Of The Queen!” A magical film of holy magic would surround her body at that point, which clashed with the incredibly damaging spell that Maria had cast. It was a mighty battle between offence and defence but Medeia remained firm and used the spell’s negation ability on it, resulting in the protection of both herself and her clinging maid. The area around her though would not be safe though and the damage done to the floor that they were on was massive, resulting in pretty much the entirety of the ruin to be little more than a crater. The destructive force of her opponent was impressive indeed and against anyone else, Maria would have no doubt been victorious. As it was, Medeia would remain, her now multicoloured wings keeping her aloft, her maid clinging desperately still to her.

For a few moments, there was utter silence after the titanic meeting of spells, before Medeia would speak, her Takeover naturally deepening her voice. “Now that is what I call a spell. Your magical power is staggering, my dear and you can consider me impressed. There are few in this world who can push me into having to use this delightful form but of course you already know that, considering our last encounter.” She would start to move toward the legal mage at that point, as Armina finally regained her composure and detached from the Warlord, looking completely and utterly stunned from what she had just witnessed. “Let it be known that I do respect the power that your vessel holds and I always have, it is simply Nita’s lack of resolve that is wanting. I believe now that I understand what you wish to happen here and I am all for it. You wish to follow the path that Priya and myself took, yes? To combine your minds and souls together to become something greater than the sum of your parts?”

She would then flex her gorgeous wings, causing them to dazzle for a moment, before adding. “I believe that you also promised me another tale, should I pass your test. Well, I am all ears, my dear. By all means, regale me.”

(1537 Words)
(13257 TWC)

One of the things Maria loved about the Relativity God Finale: Hyperion spell was the fact for all its insane power and destructiveness, it did not make a single sound. Silent was the preparation of the spell, and silent its execution. Other powerful spells which she had seen, or could cast, could be relatively silent in their own rights, but their interactions with the environment did made sufficient noise. Stone, for example, was not quiet when it shattered, and an explosion ripping through the air often tended to make a great roar. This spell, however, simply deleted whatever was unfortunate to be found within its confines, producing not a single sound in the process. Many beings of stronger constituency and energies could resist being deleted, but this did not prevent their bodies from taking a rather incredible amount of damage, even as they struggled against the power of the void. In the end, few things, if any, ever remained, and although Maria had never used this spell against anyone as of yet, aside the very person she had used it against once before, the goddess was quite certain that using this spell was expected to be just as its name implied: a spell only used in the last stage of a long and bitter battle, when all that remained was either victory or defeat, separated by a thin line.

And yet, the reason Maria had used this spell was because she was confident that her opponent could defend against it. For she remembered the last time they had crossed paths in Cedar; she had done this, and Medeia had been able to negate her spell. One thing was certain though, and it gave the goddess a little sense of pride: to counter her spell, Medeia had to resort to activating her own most powerful ability, which transformed the already powerful angel into a being of even greater might and stateliness. It was certain that to use this ability meant that Medeia understood that the threat posed by her opponent was sufficient to hold nothing back in making a defense, or the dark angel was probably enraged enough to want to crush her opponent to the uttermost. Maria was sure that the former was the case, and she watched with a slight smile on her face, as the dark angel’s shield weathered the spell of annihilation cast by the blonde mage. And the spell was gone almost as soon as it had been cast, but Medeia, and Armina, whom she had protected, remained intact and undamaged. The purple haired angel did seem more quiet and reserved now, as though she was still taking into account the full power of what she had just witnessed, even as Medeia announced to Maria that she was impressed by the spell that had just been cast. The slight smile on Maria’s face increased into a wider, yet still close-lipped one, and the goddess gave a graceful curtsy. ”Your words do me great honor, milady,” she replied happily, as she returned to her standing position. ”And just as you have passed my test, and I am known to keep my word, you shall hear this story.

First, I shall confess that you are right. Ever since you had made mention to Nita that you and Priya had once been separate entities, but are now one and the same, I began to wonder if there wasn’t a way by which I could have the same thing happen with myself and my darling host. But I was also quite sure that it was not going to be the way you mentioned having done it. I have a feeling that Nita would not even dare to try such a thing. Not that I myself would have cared to do it in that specific manner,” Maria finished a bit hastily, her cheeks slightly coloring at the thought. ”That being said, I decided to consider why you did it the way you did, and I made an interesting realization. As expected of the title your not so adoring Fiorean devotees have given you, and a thing you so brazenly admit to, you are a being of lust. So that would have to be the way for you to do it. I, for my part, am a goddess of the cycles of fate. Creation, preservation and destruction; these are my domains. And I’m sure you will agree with me that these domains are quite expansive, and as such, my rule is over an aspect of each of these domains. Desire is my aspect of Creation; Wisdom is my aspect of Preservation, and Strife is my aspect of Destruction. As a result, I have cyclical themes which come in threes. For example, the magics Nita wields are a reflection of this theme: her first God Slayer magic is said to have been created by a young god, and has themes of creation, using void, light and time, as well as the weaving of fabrics to reflect the power of creation. Her next magic, which is drawn from something I shall not go into now, has a repertoire of shields and healing and seems to be more inclined towards boosting her defense, highlighting preservation. And her last God Slayer magic draws on the powers of the night and witchcraft, and is quite dangerous, fitting well the theme of destruction. Or even consider Nita herself. Appearance-wise, she is the maiden: young, nubile and carefree. Personality-wise, she is the mother: compassionate, caring and always going out of her way to defend others. And then, there I am, filling the third part of the cycle, the matriarch: stately, stable and calculating. So if I wanted to get to a point where there could be perfect synergy between us, I realized I had to find an avenue which would be fitting with my triadic theme. And so I came up with such.”

The goddess turned her gaze to the darkness below them. ”Have you ever heard of the story of Sovanthu?” she asked, her eyes looking at some nondescript point in the darkness. ”I would not think you had, seeing as the stories revolving around Sovanthu are quite ancient and not well-known. But if you want to know more about Sovanthu, and how this fits in with this location and my intention to make a perfect union with Nita, then prepare for my second test.” So saying, she grabbed both spear and shield which had been still rotating around her, and using her floral fairy wings, the blonde mage leaped off the platform on which she stood, her arm drawn back to strike at Medeia with her spear. But just before she came within range, the goddess suddenly winked out of existence, appearing instead behind the guild mistress as instantaneously as she had vanished. A side effect of her most recently cast spell was the ability to teleport ever so often as long as she remained within the confines of the spell’s range. Using this effect as a means of generating an avenue for a surprise attack, Maria attempted to drive her wielded spear between the shoulders of the angel. A tactic unlikely to work, but all the same, she was interested in seeing what Medeia’s response would be to this.


WC: 1213
TWC: 14470

@Medeia

Again, Medeia gave Maria all the time that she required in order to tell her tale, making no effort to interrupt or interfere with the telling. It was an intriguing story, one that the angel readily and meticulously stripped of all useful information. There was a great deal for her to take from it, not only about what the primordial’s goal truly was but also an insight into Nita’s powers. The Warlord briefly mused whether it was wise for the blonde to go into depth regarding that particular topic but pushed the thought aside after a moment or two. The relationship that the three shared had always been one where there had been sprinklings of truth, expressed from both sides and so Medeia was not overly surprised to hear Maria speak so openly about her and her hosts' gifts. The Guild Mistress would store the knowledge in the back of her mind for the time being, until she had the time to write it all down later in one of her many, many journals. Her curiosity was most definitely aroused by what she was hearing though and she gleefully fed on the information given to her.

The only real reaction was early on, as Maria referred to Medeia’s own form of bonding with Priya, resulting in a smile crossing the angel’s features. It had been an experience that the angel would certainly never forget and judging from the memories that the latter had of the event, her angelic partner certainly never would either. The ability to see such an event from both sides was incredibly strange but that only made the memory more powerful and set fire to the deep set lust that was always lurking within her frame. Unlike Maria and Nita, there had been no discussion, no give and take, there had just been that instant attraction that drew the dark haired witch to the angel and vice versa. They were meant to be together and that was the one thought that forced every other out. It had been a glorious encounter and one that had changed the lives of both beings forever. Before meeting Priya, Medeia had simply been an archaeologist, who had murdered a poor and innocent woman just to steal her lacrima but from the moment that her lips had touched Priya’s, she became something else. The road since then had not always been easy but she had thrived, as she knew that the blonde before her would, once they had found their own form of symbiosis.

She would have answered in the negative when Maria posed a question to her but before the angel had the chance to do so, the blonde woman would vanish from her sight. The angel’s senses were incredibly sharp at this point though and she knew exactly where her opponent was going to reemerge. While in her most powerful form, Medeia truly felt invincible and as her heavenly senses alerted her of Maria’s reappearance, the angel would turn 180 degrees, in order to face the incoming spear, which had been heading towards her majestic wings. From the front though, it would be heading for the upper chest or throat. Without any hesitation or fear, she would simply gently knock away Maria’s spear with the back of her left hand, her defensive ability taking the form of a film of magical energy that surrounded her frame. It would be active for as long as the Takeover was and considering the duration of both, that would be quite some time. The witch had no doubts that she could defend herself from anything that Maria could throw at this stage but she had no intention of forgoing the tests that the blonde desired to put her through.

The Warlord could have counter-attacked and given the close range, Maria would have had to respond quickly but Medeia was curious about the individual that had been mentioned and so refrained from doing so for now. It was difficult not to return to her usual self at this point, given the immense amount of power that was flooding through her body. The control necessary to keep it in check was great but that was precisely what Medeia adored about it. Control was what she desired most and to be in complete command of a situation was as stimulating to her as the strongest narcotic, with the side effect being that she tended not to take her opponents seriously, an effect that was even more likely to occur when in her holy form.

“I confess that I have never heard of Sovanthu although I am most definitely interested to learn, my dear.” The witch admitted, returning to the question that Maria had posed to her previously. Her tone of voice was rather calm for the moment, as though the serenity of her current form had somewhat eroded her anger.

Her left hand would then lightly grasp the blonde’s spear that she had just knocked aside and tried to pull Maria in towards her. If she was successful then her right would attempt to wrap around her delightful rival’s waist. The anger might have dimmed but the lust remained for the time being. “Before you speak of this entity though, I believe that you owe me for Armina’s capture. I freely admit that I am not as cross as I was, now that I know the reason for it but the fact remains that you have a debt to pay and before I go along with this any further, I wish to be paid in full.” It was obvious that she was not talking about jewels and the look in her dazzling blue orbs would be all the evidence that Maria would need. After a moment, she would add. “In fact, now that I think about it, you still owe me for Cedar too. You teleported away before granting me that kiss which I so sweetly asked for…”

She briefly glanced at the hole, before looking back at Maria and referring back to one of their earlier topics for a moment. “A Wizard Saint always pays their debts, after all.”

(1023 Words)
(15493 TWC)

Although many would say that telling an opponent of one’s abilities was not the wisest thing to do, Maria knew for a fact that whatsoever capabilities she had were spells and abilities that the dark angel had already seen, or such as would not even make a difference when the Primordial goddess found herself fighting against Medeia. Maria was no fool; she had considered whether it would be wise or foolish to tell her nemesis about the powers Nita had at her disposal. And she had realized that, for the most part, even if Medeia did not have an idea of what the Pergrandian girl was capable of, the Errings Rising guild mistress could not be put to the worse by Nita’s present abilities. In the event that Nita grew to be as strong as Medeia, it would simply be the same as two opponents who were masters of the sword, and had had a long history of fighting each other. Each one would know what the other one was roughly capable of, as well as their fighting styles. But it would be how one responded to the other in the flow of battle, the unexpected turns and split second decisions, that would result in a victory or a loss. In any case, she had simply told Medeia the overview of her powers; she had not been too particular, which really didn’t matter, as Medeia would have either guessed or been in the process of guessing what the blonde girl was capable of, given enough meetings.

As expected, Maria’s spear attack was not sufficient to catch the dark angel unawares, as the raven haired Warlord turned to meet the goddess’s attack, and swatted the approaching spear out of the way. If Maria ever wanted to stand a chance against the dark angel, she would need to be able to fight Medeia on equal footing when the latter was in this strange and incredible state. As far as things went, Nita’s strongest state, the God Force, was not enough to handle this particular mode in which the dark angel presently found herself. Did it have a weakness, like the God Force, which required a constant levy on its user’s mana pool to remain active? If so, was it possible to be able to stay long enough in battle to be able to determine this? From the way Medeia wielded her power, it was going to be rather difficult to resist the dark angel for so long. If the Warlord was angry and eager to end a battle when she transformed, chances were, speaking from experience, that she would execute just one or two techniques, and the battle would be over in the space of, at the very most, a couple of minutes. It simply meant that if Medeia was to be defeated, she would have to be prevented from using her transformation, and even without it, fighting the dark mage was difficult enough. Maria knew, as far as skill went, that she could boast of being savvier than the dark angel at weapon play. But what was the point of perfect technique and fancy moves, when you could not land a hit? Maria suspected that this was why Medeia had not bothered to master a fighting style: because she did not exactly need one.

While the dark mage seemed to be calmer than she had been when she had arrived, Maria was not willing to assume that she was totally mollified. Even if she was, being the Warlord of Lust, she would be unwilling to simply allow the blonde to carry on her business and leave, without attempting her own designs on the unwilling light mage. Still, the grabbing of the shaft of her spear was unexpected, and Maria found herself pulled suddenly towards the raven haired witch. A strong, unyielding had wrapped around her waist, and the goddess could not help her cheeks flushing slightly, as she found herself pressed against her opponent. That subjection to human emotions was the most unwelcome thing she had derived from her incomplete amalgamation with Nita. Her wide eyes narrowed into a defiant frown, as Medeia spoke of owing her, and the goddess scoffed. ”Let me go this instant! I owe you nothing!!” she retorted heatedly, her expression a flushed glare of offended outrage. ”You demanded a kiss, but I never agreed to give it to you. Besides, if you want to accuse me of owing you because I captured Armina, then Armina owes me because she attacked someone under my protection. Both in the case of Cedar and today, tensions flared because your maid seems both unwilling and unable to keep from dealing grievous bodily harm to others. Really, you spoil her too much.” The goddess tried to pull away from Medeia’s grip, but was unsuccessful, resulting in her squirming uncomfortably.

”Well, I’m not a Wizard Saint, am I?” Maria said in reply to the last statement of the dark angel. ”Besides, as I said earlier, I have no debts that I owe you. If there is anyone I owe anything, it would be Nita. I did make her a promise some time ago, one that I have not yet kept.” Her annoyed expression mellowed a little, as she gazed into the glowing blue eyes of the dark angel. ”But let it not be said that I am unreasonable.” So saying, she quickly leaned forward and planted a rather chaste kiss on Medeia’s cheek. Then she pulled away and tried once more to free herself, although she had realized by now that if she was going to hope to be free of the dark angel’s literal clutches, it would not be as a result of herself forcing herself free from the Errings Rising mage. ”You have had your kiss, and now I would rather be set free to continue my story, as it is a little bit… difficult to explain anything in my present position. You do want me to continue my story about Sovanthu, do you not?” the goddess asked in a coaxing tone, gently trying once again to push the dark angel’s shapely form away from her own.


WC: 1027
TWC: 16520

@Medeia

There was an amused reaction from the angel as Maria attempted to argue her way out of the situation, her currently blue eyes twinkling as she watched the beautiful blonde. Medeia was having none of it and the words spoken would appear to have little effect on the witch at all. “Considering that your intention was always to capture Armina, in order to draw me here, I find it difficult to believe that you would not have knocked her out anyway, regardless of what she had happened to be doing at the time. You knew that she would be there and I confess that I am still pondering just how that happened to be the case. I can count on one hand the number of people that we contacted about this mission, meaning that one of them must have provided the information to you. It saddens me that I have a spy among my web of allies but believe me when I tell you that I will find out who it was.” It was the most logical explanation and while Medeia was rather annoyed by the fact, she had to admit that finding the rat would be an entertaining endeavor. “Spin it however you like but the truth is that you have twice now put your hands upon my dearest maid and there is a price that has to be paid for that.”

Laughing briefly, she would then add. “I suppose you are right though when it comes to her. Armina practically has free reign to do whatever she wishes and there are very few lines that she is forbidden to cross but that just makes things more entertaining, yes? I am afraid that if you expect me to put a leash on her then you are going to be disappointed. She is my herald as well as my maid and will continue to be so until the end of time. Slicing those that she sees fit with that delightful axe of hers.” Of course, the purple haired woman was also a trap, so to speak, a ploy in order to prod the Warlord’s anger into life, one that had never failed to work. After having spent so much time being harassed by her fellow angels, it was only fair that Armina had been rewarded with her complete and utter freedom. Anyone who had a problem with that would have to face the might of the Warlord herself.

Speaking of the maid, she still looked a tad uncomfortable, seemingly out of sorts and retrieving her weapon that had been knocked away during the clash of spells with an almost absent mindedness. An unusual state for her and one that she attempted to draw herself out of by swinging her axe around a few times, trying to give her psyche a bit of a reboot. It was so rare that she encountered such magical power, unless it was her Mistresses and to see someone else wield such power was rather unnerving to the guard. Yes, she knew that both herself and Medeia had been undamage but still, it had been quite an eye opening experience for her. Soon enough, a smile returned to her face as she got herself going and would add to the conversation. “Now and forever, Mistress, there are always more weaklings who need to be smited and sent to Hell. I just hope that the next time we go out on an adventure, I can avoid ending up at the blonde’s mercy. It is becoming a bit of a recurring theme now and I would hate to go 0-3 down against her.”

Eventually, Nita conceded to the angel’s request and gave her what she asked for although Medeia had to smile when it was a peck on the cheek. It was what she had expected in truth and further amused the dark haired angel. “I will consider that to be a down payment but believe me when I say this, my dear, I will be claiming the rest later, either from you or lovely Nita.” The lust never dimmed from her gaze and there would be little doubt that she meant what she said, even though it was said in quite a humorous way. Sooner or later, she would have the legal mage in her arms properly and hopefully once again taste the beautiful lips with her own, as she had in Talonia. For the time being though, she was just about willing to let the matter settle and after spending just a few more seconds with the gorgeous woman close to her, Medeia would release her and allow the Luminous Rose member to move away.

“Now that is dealt with, by all means continue with the next story that you wished to regale me with. As I stated previously, I have never heard of Sovanthu and simply not knowing is enough to arouse my curiosity. Tell me about this individual as I cannot wait to learn of him.” Her interest was genuine and as she regally flapped her wings and stretched, her form briefly giving off a dazzling holy light as it did so, she returned to her listening mode, so to speak. Maria always told such lovely stories and the dark mage was certain that this would turn out to be another.

She could not help but briefly gaze upon the dark crater once more though, still hearing the almost song-like pulse that it was giving off. Just what was down there and what role did it have in Maria’s plan to fuse with Nita? There were still unanswered questions and the dark haired witch’s lust for knowledge had yet to be satiated completely. The Guild Mistress was slightly cautious of it too, as the effect that it was giving off was almost hypnotic in nature, as if it was trying to bait the dark mage inside. Curious indeed and in a way, similar to some of her own spells, ones that could ensnare the senses and take control.

(1004 Words)
(17524 TWC)

Maria shrugged when Medeia spoke of it not mattering what Armina did, as the goddess had already had plans for the angelic maid. ”While that may be incorrect, I have the feeling that our responses are different concerning those against whom we have not so friendly motives,” the goddess replied. ”If you wanted to kidnap someone for whatever reason, you would probably just go and abduct them. I would rather not, even if I wanted to, unless I was given a cogent enough reason for it. You may think such a way of thinking foolish, but you must realize that if Armina had not decided to attempt to slaughter anyone, she would have very likely not had to have herself strung up by me. Why, if I had expected her to be cordial, I would have asked her to have tea with me. I’m sure she wouldn’t have agreed anyway. That being said, I concede that you have a right to demand recompense for laying hands on Armina today, because I had already had designs concerning her on my mind, but in Cedar, that was not the case, and still you came for payback.” Even though that wouldn’t change anything, those words were proof that the Cedar incident had not yet healed in Maria’s mind. ”As for finding whoever had been helpful enough to let slip your positions, I can only commiserate with them when you do. But if anything, try not to be too hard on them. I can be quite… ah, charming in many figurative, as well as literal, ways, when I want something.”

Of course, Maria never expected that the dark angel would put her maid under any restrictions, as Armina’s rampages in the end were either beneficial to the Errings Rising guild mistress, or she was simply indifferent to her companion’s bloodthirsty tendencies. In the end, this entertainment that Medeia spoke of was at the expense of living, breathing people, a thing that Nita, and thus by extension, Maria, could not allow. ”How sad,” came the sarcastic reply, ”and here was I hoping that we could come to some sort of understanding of one another and be friends.” It seemed that Armina, who had been quiet for a bit, had recovered her wits, and spoke of those that needed being sent to the underworld, although she concluded with a hopeful statement that she would not have to be defeated by Maria again, as it seemed that this was the outcome whenever the maid clashed with the goddess. Maria, for her part, was quite unwilling to have any changes in the scoresheet so far, and had no intention of slacking while Armina was trying to get stronger. It was a bit amusing, but maybe a bit commendable, to see that the maid, despite acknowledging her defeats, refused to come out and admit that Maria was stronger than she was. ”Well, if you want another session of having your massive rear tanned,” the goddess answered with a mildly expression, using the maid’s expression, ”just call my number, and I’ll come running, honey.”

While Medeia accepted Maria’s cheek kiss, the Warlord expressed that it was not enough, and she would still be claiming what she considered to be her due, in time. Hopefully, that would not be, if Maria had anything to say about it. Fortunately, the goddess was allowed to go, and she immediately placed a bit of distance between herself and the dark angel, before doing anything else. The expression in Medeia’s eyes was unsettling, to say the least. In any case, the time for story telling had come once more, and as Maria had expected, her opponent confirmed that she had not heard of this Sovanthu. ”I am not surprised, seeing as Sovanthu is a name heard in very few stories. And, if anything, Sovanthu was more likely a ‘she’, than a ‘he’, at least, as far as the stories portrayed. I came across this old, partly forgotten book once in an ancient library, and learned of the story I shall now tell you. Many ages ago, millennia, perhaps, there dwelt a very wise being named Sovanthu. She was often depicted as a lunar goddess or some sort of divine bird, mostly an owl, as that avian symbolizes wisdom in a good number of cultures. In any case, Sovanthu, associated with the moon and wisdom, is said to have initially been content to watch our planet, eager to learn all sorts of things by observation alone. Eventually, having come to the height of her knowledge and power, the esoteric being sought to impart some amount of her wisdom on the mortals below, sending select people feathers which invoked great feats of genius in those who received them. I cannot say if this process was literal or metaphorical, nor do I think it relevant.

Eventually, Sovanthu decided to willingly depart from existence, which seems to be a recurring theme amongst divine beings. Which is why theomachies are always known to occur. The younger gods oust the older ones and take over, or most, if not all of them die, and their domains are obtained by new hands; an example probably being your own case with the sect you eradicated. In the case of divinities that do not seem to be bound by such fates, even immortality does not grant them immunity from the weight of years, and even after a while, they grow tired of their existence, if they do not realize that the end of their turn has come. Well, this happened with Sovanthu, and it is said she plucked out her eyes. One of those eyes became the moon, and the other was shrunken down into a much, much smaller size, and dropped to the earth beneath, where it seems to have been lost to time. There were cults to Sovanthu that revered this being, and though they were few, they did leave their mark in history. I followed one of the trails of these cults to realize that where we now stand was a temple to Sovanthu. Whatever lies at the bottom of the chasm below us, we can simply guess its identity, but one thing I discovered is that while the cult felt this gift of Sovanthu was not to be hoarded, they created a test to weed out the worthy from those who were not. I am not sure of the details of the test, but I did read somewhere that there is a spell cast on the area far below us, that will pick apart the minds of the unworthy. All the same, I do not fear a test set up by mortals. Now, I could have easily gone down there, claimed whatever secrets lie below for myself, and left, without needing to lick Armina’s delightful face, but where’s the fun in all that?”

What Maria was not telling Medeia, she informed her host. ”I’m sure you would have guessed by now, Nita darling, that just like Sovanthu, I feel like I have come to the end of my own sojourn in the universe. Don’t feel sorry for me, it’s a phase like every other. You, however, will be stepping into my position, and for this, you need a few necessary things. First is a power source, and there below us is a lacrima that I feel will serve just fine. Next, we need some degree of weakening of our bond. The spell you can feel, which seems like some sort of song, works to destroy the mind, by luring those who sense it to go down below, and then destroying their minds. While I am sure we can resist it, there will be some strain on our bond, and the rune seal on your back will automatically activated to keep us bound to each other, as that is its purpose. Finally, I need for us to have a near-death occasion. This is what I want Medeia for. While I could ask her to do it, and she seems unscrupulous enough to agree, she will probably say I owe her, and I don’t want to leave you any debts to pay off. This final physical strain of nearly dying will make the seal that binds us unstable, and with that temporal freedom, I am going to will myself to be completely absorbed into your soul, using one of your magics, and the lacrima as catalysts to do so. And what better choice for this? If indeed what is below us is Sovanthu’s eye, it is practically the opposite of your Night Stone and will make a good replacement for the magic you will lose. Fire against ice, wood against feathers, darkness against moonlight, and enchantments against gravity. Thus you shall sacrifice one of your magics, the Relativity God Slayer magic, and gain a new one, along with absolute synergy with me. Do you remember when I promised you after the Cedar incident that I would make it up to you? Well, this is my final gift to you, dear child. Are you ready?”

”No.”

”Good.”

With a mischievous smile, Maria would wave at Medeia and Armina, before suddenly dropping headlong into the darkness beneath. If the two angels chose to give chase, they would discover a whole new set of ruins at the bottom of an extremely long fall, almost unbelievably deep into the earth. Being both powerful beings, they would feel the tug of some strange magic trying to gnaw at their minds, but would be able to resist it. Maria would be nowhere to be found. And yet, some distance away, would be an elaborate pedestal, with a multifaceted, yet almost round crystalline stone almost the size of a small fist floating silently in the gloom, its light being the only illumination in the darkness.


WC: 1636
TWC: 19160

@Medeia

There was some further amusement to be gained from Maria’s words regarding how she would have liked to resolve the situation when it came to capturing her maid but she did not honestly believe them. Considering the mood that the primordial had been in, the Warlord was under the impression that she would have abducted Armina by any means necessary, regardless of the purple haired woman’s response. The thought of her axe wielder actually agreeing to tea with the legal mage only added to the amusement as it was rather unlikely to say the least that she would have agreed to that. The guard already held a grudge with the blonde, even before today’s events and had been uttering curse words under her breath about her ever since Cedar. Medeia also detected just the slightest hint of regret in the legal mages' words in regards to that particular meeting, which was rather intriguing for the witch to discover, yet, she still had to credit Maria for being so bold, despite her the damage done.

Armina scowled at the blonde and answered for herself. “We can be friends once I have had you at my mercy for a change. Why should Mistress have all the fun? You had better make sure that she does not manage to get a hold of you as I swear that I am not going to be as gentle as she will be. I will make sure to take a few pictures though to send back to your guild. I am certain that they will definitely want to see what you get up to in your spare time.” Her expression darkened further at the jibe regarding her rear and she was spat back rather quickly. “You have no right to talk about anyone’s rear being massive, I bet you cause an earthquake whenever you sit down.” It was hardly the most mature insult but at this stage, Armina was honestly running on fumes. The encounter as a whole had taken rather a lot out of her and unlike her Mistress, the maid did not have Medeia’s immense amount of stamina. Still, she was never going to let that stop her from getting involved as much as possible, her desire to impress the dark haired woman was always there although even that wish was secondary to the one involving spanking Maria until she begged for mercy. One day she would get her chance though, one day soon.

When Maria began to speak of Sovanthu, Medeia hushed her maid with a hand and allowed the primordial the chance to tell it, as eager as ever to learn. It was quite the story too and the dark haired Guild Mistress could understand the reasoning behind the deity wishing to end their existence. There were many who referred to immortality as a curse rather than a blessing, a sentiment that the angel could not help but sometimes believe, in her rare moments of doubt. As the blonde continued to speak, particularly about what happened to the supposed eyes of the goddess, Medeia’s gaze would once more turn to the crater, the realisation of the source of the pull hitting her like a tonne of bricks. So that was the sensation that she felt pulling at her mind and soul, that sweet music that wished to control her. This eye of Sovanthu was an artefact of great power and the powerful blue eyes of the angel briefly dazzled with greed and want. Clearly, this item had something to do with the fusion that Maria wished for herself and Nita but the dark mage might just have other plans for it.

Before either angel could respond, the legal mage suddenly jumped into the crater head first, leaving the two dark mages in her wake, much to the bemusement of both. It was a rather reckless move and even if Maria did not fear the traps that were supposedly down there, it was rather risky and as Medeia pondered the possibilities, she turned to her maid. “I believe that this might be the time for you to retreat, my dear, I can sense that you are struggling to contain yourself and I have no desire to see you lose your composure down there. I do not know what awaits and I would rather spare you from any further pain. You have been through enough and I will face this alone.”

Armina looked as though she was about to argue but after a few moments, simply nodded her head in response. “I understand, Mistress, I do not wish to make things more difficult for you down there and as much as I hate to say it, the events of today have rattled me. That blonde bitch is stronger than me and I hate her so much for it right now but deep down I know that if we are forced to fight her down there, I will lose control and get in the way. Go down there and teach her a lesson, Mistress, I will wait for you back at the camp. I would wait here but the sound from down there is starting to drive me mad.”

Pleased that her maid understood the situation, the Warlord would take Armina’s hand and draw her in close, the lips of the dark mage capturing those of her guards. The purple haired woman would melt into the kiss and for a few seconds, time seemed to freeze in place, before they reluctantly parted. The relationship between Medeia and her maid was one that had existed for so long that neither of them could remember a time where they had not at least been friends. Armina had been tasked with guarding Priya during their time among the heavens and their relationship had only blossomed from there. In fact, it was their relationship which had been one of the key issues behind the turmoil in the first place although neither angel regretted the choices that they had made.

With a final nod, the Warlord would release Armina’s hand, turn and leap into the darkness, her holy form doing its best to light her way as she descended.down into the depths of the world. The unusual magic would attempt to deceive her, tick her, play around with her mind but such was the angel’s strength that she was able to fight it off without any major problems. It reminded her somewhat of the time that she had saved one of her guild mates by diving into the pits of hell, travelling through the nine circles as she did so. That had been a rather enlightening experience too and as the mage continued to fight off the gnawing thoughts impulses that were trying to draw her attention, a laugh would escape her lips. The nerve of this place to try and beat her at her own game.

The drop would come to a sudden halt and the Guild Mistress was just about able to level off and come to a safe landing, finding herself within another ruin. On another day, she might just have spent some time exploring them but there was no time for that today and using her aura, as well as her slayer senses to guide her, the dark mage would move swiftly through the eerie terrain, unafraid as to what awaited her, even with the gnawing on her mind becoming stronger over time. Eventually, she would find herself reaching what would seem to be the source of the magic, a stone that the Warlord naturally assumed was a lacrima.

Yet, as pleased as she was to reach the item, there was one question that she could not help but utter. “Where are you, Maria?”

(1288 Words)
(20448 TWC)

The descent into the darkness of the chasm ended when Maria sensed the rapidly approaching earth, and did a flip to land on her own two feet. Even though the place was almost pitch-black and sunless, Maria’s keen sense allowed her to navigate as if the place was well-lit. She could sense the form of crumbled buildings resting here in the black obscurity of an age long forgotten, as well as numerous bones which lined the cavern floor. Apparently, in their bid to claim the lacrima in here for their own, those who had learned of it, and had come here, had had their minds unmade by the mental spell trap that lingered in this place, their bodies following not long after. Maria could feel the spell pushing at her mind, but it was something she could resist comfortably.

The buildings, or what remained of them, seemed to increase in complexity, as Maria moved in the near-complete darkness among the bones and dilapidated structures. How long these things had lain here was anyone’s guess, but this had certainly been an ancient place, built in an age and time probably forgotten by all but the oldest history books. As the goddess traced the origin of the spell, she thought she could see a pale light in the distance, glowing softly. She had found the lacrima. But she was not going to attempt to claim it yet. Most likely, the elaborate platform over which the stone floated was the source of this mind-altering spell. If she had more time and less urgency, she would have attempted to study the platform. But she was sure that Medeia was following, and the last leg of her plan was here.

Aware of the fact that Medeia loved accumulating powerful artifacts, the goddess suspected that the dark angel would very much want to get her hands on the lacrima. That was not to be allowed, though Maria had known that Medeia would have been less likely to enter the chasm, if she did not have sufficient incentive for it. And soon, she sensed the dark angel approaching the platform over which sat the mildly glowing lacrima. Concealed by a large column of some long forgotten section of the arch that joined the wall and roof of some temple, the goddess waited until the Warlord spoke out, asking where she was.

In response, a bright but spectral-looking light would appear, as Maria showed herself, walking to stand on the platform beside the glowing stone as she radiated obviously with the power of a spell being primed. This spell cost a lot of mana to cast, and was her other strongest spell, and while she was sure that Medeia would probably not have any issues with defending against it, this was necessary for the goddess to push herself to her magical limits. The next thing she would do would be to try to push Medeia to attempt an attack on her, thus forcing her to her physical limits, as the goddess had to admit she was already almost exhausted. It was in this moment of physical, mental and spiritual weakness that she would be able to perform the amalgamation she had spent so much time planning for. ”For all your apparent power and knowledge, you are so easily deceived. All the stories I told had merely been to draw you here, into this trap,” there was really no trap, but Maria needed to be sure that she annoyed Medeia enough to attack her, ”and you so foolishly came. I know you are immortal, and as such I cannot permanently kill you, but know that between now and the time you spend in returning back to this plane, you can be sure that I will be taking very good care of Armina. And I have a feeling that even you might be shocked at the things I am going to do to her. What you said she endured before you rescued her will be pleasurable in comparison. Now, disappear. Night God Endgame: Araphel!”

Holding out her hands, the goddess released the spell, just before she switched consciousness with Nita, the Pergrandian girl being in charge of her own body once more. Maria needed to be certain that Medeia would respond savagely, and thus she had threatened the dark angel’s maid, something she really never would do, but chose to say, as she knew such threats targeted against Armina infuriated Medeia to no end. ”This is technically goodbye, Nita love, but then again, it isn’t, as you will become me, and I will become you. Don’t worry, you’ll still be the dominant one, but you might experience a few changes. Wait for Medeia’s counteroffensive, and make sure you grab the lacrima as soon as you get hit. The rest will be up to me. Be a good girl, and don’t allow Medeia to keep bullying you when next you meet. Fare well.”

And now in charge of her own body once more, Nita gritted her teeth, and released her spell in all directions, just to make sure that if Medeia decided to teleport, that might not be effective at escaping the spell.


WC: 862
TWC: 21310

@Medeia

To say that Maria’s latest outburst annoyed the Warlord was understatement and as soon as she mentioned her maid, Medeia’s irritation swiftly changed to rage. She had thought that they had come to an accord regarding her aiding the blonde with her fusion but it appeared that the blonde was still adamant in pushing the witch beyond her emotional limits. The words spoken were out of character for the primordial and the Guild Mistress briefly mused that it might all have been simply hot air and nothing more, yet, regardless of whether that was the case or not, there was only one answer to such unpleasant rhetoric. Just how much truth there was in Maria’s words did not matter now and considering the amount of magical power that was building up within her rival, Medeia raised her hand up once again in order to defend herself from whatever was coming her way. No doubt it would be a powerful spell, one that would be able to defeat most mages that it was cast upon. The thought somewhat excited the dark haired woman if she was honest and as she waited for the spell, a small smile crossed her features.

A wave of immense energy soon began to travel at great speed towards her, seeming to combine a number of Maria’s slayer elements. It was mighty indeed and as it struck Medeia’s aura, there was again another clash of offence versus defence, with the witch once more forced into having to eventually negate the attack, at the cost of a significant amount of MP. It would regenerate over time of course and she had more than enough to spare but even for her, stopping such powerful abilities did take a slight toll on the dark mages reserves. Still, it had to be done, as Medeia was unwilling to take the spell on directly and felt that teleporting away was probably rather foolish given the scope of Maria’s spell. She would underestimate the blonde that much, especially as it seemed that she was using her final gambit. In a way, Medeia could not help but feel just a little saddened, if this was to be the end for the primordial. There would be a significant change between her and Nita once the fusion took place and the communication between both entities would cease. That was how it had been with the witch and Priya.

The damage done to the area around them again was mighty though and the ruins were soon shaking, cracks forming along them due to the sheer power of the spell. Medeia, however, would remain as she had been before the spell had cast, albeit perhaps a little weary due to having to negate two immense spells in such a short space of time. Her opponent had certainly proved her strength though and as the anger built up inside the angelic being, raising her hands skyward to return the favour, she would utter a few simple words, before casting her most damaging spell. “Farewell, Maria, I hope that you and Nita find the symbiosis that you seek.”

Taking a breath, she would then say, her voice radiating with holy energy. “Divine Judgement!”

The entire ruin would then start to shine with a dazzling light, ploughing through the above levels of the ruin and lighting up the area that surrounded the two powerful mages. Its range was enormous, its speed swift and should Maria not be able to evade the spell then she would feel the intense burning sensation that came from the ability. Medeia could count on one hand the individuals that she knew could survive her strongest spell and to the blonde’s credit, she was one of them. It was the only spell in Medeia’s arsenal that could trump Maria’s strongest spells and once the light had delivered its wrath, it would shimmer away to nothing, leaving only destruction in its wake. There was nothing else that the witch could cast that would equal the power of her Divine Judgement but if that was not enough to trigger the transformation within the blonde woman then nothing would.

Once the spell was done, Medeia would simply wait, still hovering in the same spot that she had been before, awaiting the outcome.

(712 Words)
(22022 TWC)

As expected, Medeia was able to comfortably negate the spell which had been fired at her. Maria was not bothered. It was what happened next, what came after, that she was interested in. But now the goddess was in the backseat, watching as Nita silently finished her release of the spell. Although Medeia had nullified what portions of the spell had assailed her, the rest of the subterranean ruins were not so lucky, and soon the place began to shake, as the structural integrity of the ruins seemed to be compromised by such a powerful spell.

Silently still, the blonde Pergranti watched as Medeia raised her hands, and said a farewell to the Primordial goddess, before summoning the same spell that had ultimately been the original catalyst of Maria’s desire to achieve proper synergy with Nita. In retrospect, it did seem fitting that the spell that had been used to destroy Cedar due to the sheer inability of Maria to defend against it with any ability or spell she possessed would be the same one to bring about this dangerous but hopefully upgrading event. As Medeia called out the name of her spell, Frightened of what would follow, but trusting Maria for the last time, Nita steeled herself and awaited the coming disaster.

The first time Medeia had used it against Maria, the latter had at least mitigated some of the damage by casting the strongest shield spell she had in her arsenal. Even though it had shattered her shield, it had not done as much damage as would have been had if there was no shield. Today, there was no shield. But if Maria had said this was the thing to do, then Nita would just have to do it. As Medeia called the words of the frightening spell, Nita quickly reached out and grabbed the floating lacrima nearby. It felt ice-cold, and yet not altogether unpleasant. She could feel the power from the stone seeping into her hand, just moments before the destruction from above came.

And it did. As the beam of light enveloped the Pergranti, her body convulsed in pain she hadn’t thought possible to feel. It was so painful, she couldn’t even try to scream. Yet, she did not die. Gripping the lacrima as if her life depended on it, she bore the pain, while Maria went to work. With the physical pain, magical exhaustion, and mental strain caused by the enchantment in the chasm, Maria momentarily broke free from the powerful seal that had bound her to Nita. But breaking free like that would be naturally detrimental, if not altogether fatal, for the both of them. If Maria had wanted to kill Nita, she would have simply broken free and allowed the both of them to die. But as she had promised, this would be her last gift to the Pergranti girl.

The first time they had bonded, it had been unwilling for both parties. This time, it was the opposite. As the goddess freed herself, she instantly plunged herself into Nita’s own soul, using the power from the lacrima, Nita’s mana, and her own divine abilities. And the two souls fused seamlessly to become one. Maria existed no more, but then again, that was not correct, for Maria was now Nita. And the stone in her hand, used as a facilitator for this impressive venture, was absorbed by the blonde Pergranti, becoming a part of her as well. Immediately, the rocks shattered by the two powerful spells which had been cast before began to whirl round at frightening speeds, as a strange gravity well seemed to appear with Nita in the center of it. But just before the rocks touched her, she was pulled into the Interdimensional stream, leaving behind in the now silent, pitch-black chasm, a huge spherical rock which remained hovering in the air for a second or two, before crashing into the earth, its mass causing the ground around for close to a mile to rumble. And Nita peacefully floated in the space between worlds, a human with a divine soul, dreaming of things only gods could dream.


WC: 688
TWC: 22710