Note to Readers:
Venom Dust red gem on floor w/c turns to poison
"Jarade's Mix" Venom dust in liquid form – very potent and very deadly. Has an acid effect against anything metallic. Assassin Guild's secondary source of income due to fact it is for making special armor piercing arrows.
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RAGNAROK ONLINE FANFIC
TRANSGRESSIONS OF FATEBy: RAGNAR (that really is my name)
Chapter 21: Empty DawnJarade snapped Rage's blades out. Their metal radiated a bright yellow glow as the magic from the cards began to spread within the pair.
He can feel the steel hardening the same time he felt himself becoming more powerful with every second that passes. His heartbeat accelerated as he anticipated the battle.
"Michelle, you can find the way out of the city through the culverts. There are signboards that will lead the way. Use the batch I gave you if you get blocked by bars." Jarade's voice was steady even while the footsteps became louder.
He heard the Acolyte unhook her club and buckler. "I can't leave you, Jarade. You've helped me through all thisâ I just can't let you be taken by these monsters."
In spite of himself, Jarade smiled. After a short moment of silence, he said, "Watch my back."
They were in a walled alley; at least that would give them an advantage of only defending one side.
The footsteps stopped.
He felt the ground shake as only one set of feet began to move towards them. The cobblestones shook at every impact from the enormous creature that was approaching them.
An incredibly large hammer emerged from the corner they were watching, followed by a pair of bull's horns. The monster's red skin glistened with sweat while its hot breath steamed on the night air.
As soon as the majorus noticed them, it charged towards them at full speed. The hammer was raised and ready to strike at them.
Jarade's feet moved as soon as the monster brought down its weapon. He could sense time slowing down as he pushed rage up against the hammer. He could see every excruciating moment as the katar went closer to the hammerhead. He could feel every crack that spread through the enemy's weapon as Rage slammed against it.
Before the hammer was completely shattered, Jarade turned around on his heel to bring his left blade through the majorus' belly. Red skin rippled from the impact of his blow.
Blood, muscle, and sinew flew across the air as pulled out the blade and ran the monster through again, this time, with the right arm. He then sent a left uppercut that ripped through the majorus' ribcage.
The monster roared in pain as he dropped the hammer and fell to the ground. Blood spreading on the floor as the monster gave out its last breath.
"JARADE LOOK OUT!!!"
Jarade heard Michelle shout out before he even noticed the arrows floating in midair – right in front of his face. A cold sweat dripped down his cheek as he realized that he was just a split second away from having his brain turned to a pincushion. Lucky for him, the Acolyte's Pneuma spell saved him from that fate.
He didn't have time to thank her, however, when all the monsters in the alley charged. The night was filled with the din of screams, roars, and the rattle of metal as the monsters ran towards them in wild abandon.
His mind raced as he tossed Michelle a rag to cover her mouth and nose with. He did the same with himself.
Jarade then quickly fished out one of the remaining red gems from his pocket and threw it at the ground in front of the enemy. The rock stood up on one of its pointed ends and began to spin.
The red gem slowly disintegrated as it spun itself into a red cloud of venom.
When the monsters were a few feet in front of them, the ones that were not undead began to drop down on the floor. Their hands clutched their throats as the Venom Dust settled on their inner tissues.
The undead monsters were just slowed down, or at least, those with some part of them that was still not rotted away.
At first, the victim would feel their throats burning as the dust ate away anything organic. Next, they will find themselves paralyzed from the neck down when the venom reaches their spinal cords.
The third effect to occur would be that the victim will feel extreme and absolute pain blossoming from their heads as their capillaries on the cranium implodes on them, the pain usually results in temporary blindness for some.
Jarade was waiting for the third effect so that he can execute his next move.
He rammed his right blade into the face of a charging skeleton before the thing could even bring down its sword. His left blade blocked a blow from a zombie before he kicked it back to the now slow mob of monsters.
Michelle cast another Pneuma spell to block even more arrows that was heading his way.
Suddenly, he heard a nearby monster scream aloud. It was the moment he was waiting for.
"COME ON YOU SONS OF BITCHES! TAKE ME ON!!!" Jarade screamed out loud as he dashed into the milling mass of monsters, while at the same time, pushing Michelle down the manhole.
She would be safe down there and he hoped that she would go on without him.
He can feel his body heating up as his excitement grew.
He found himself grinning maniacally as his muscles tensed in avid expectation of battle.
With Rage in his arms, he hewed a path through the undead. The night air filled with the spray of blood and bone as the wrist blades sliced and stabbed everything that went his way.
Arrows rained from the sky as he fought his way to the spot where the dust infected the most monsters. One of those arrows pierced his left leg as he jumped to a zerom that was under the epileptic phase of the dust's effect.
He grabbed the monster by the neck and lifted it a few good feet above the ground. The arrows kept on coming down while the undead slowly closed in on him.
Jarade slammed his right arm straight into the dwarf's gut. The katar's blade disappearing into the creature's body. He could feel the zerom twitch and spasm from the spell that he cast from the its insides.
He then threw the zerom right into the center of the approaching undead.
It would take time for the Splasher to take its course, all he had to do now was to stall the undead so that Michelle can get out alive.
Jarade grated his blades together the same way he would grate a spoon and fork. Sparks fell to the ground from the friction that he created. Rage began to emanate a bright red aura from what he was doing.
Activating the Doppelganger card exacted a price on the user. That price was the reason why he had to push Michelle down the culverts – the same reason he invoked the Venom Splasher.
The demon's essence that was trapped in the card created a berserk effect on whoever wielded it. Any violent impulse that went through that person's brain would no longer have any restriction. As a result, he might end up killing everyone and everything in sight.
True, the Doppelganger card can turn a lone soldier into a juggernaut, but that soldier can also become a double-edged sword. And with the other two cards placed on Rage, the gods alone can figure out what he is capable of.
He had to throw Michelle down just so he won't be able to hurt her. The Venom Splasher was insurance that he won't chase after her.
The card's magic spread across his body. Jarade can feel his face twitch uncontrollably as the Doppelganger's essence wrestled with his soul. A growl escaped his throat as he hunched over.
-Flash-
His feet left the ground before he even fully thought about doing so.
-Flash-
He found himself impaling a zombie and a skeleton with his katars.
-Flash-
He ran up an almost-skeletal majorus' back and landed on top of the monster's head. Jarade then slammed his right blade three times on the creature's skull, forming a triangular hole. As soon as his fist pulled back, he retracted his blade and drove his arm right through the hole.
With one smooth motion, he yanked out the undead majorus' skull. Rotted brains and congealed blood splashed across his Assassin's uniform as Jarade pummeled the monster's head.
-Flash-
Every monster and undead that tried to get near him found themselves explode in a shower of blood and gore.
"Dance with me."
The words escaped his lips. He didn't know what they meant. At the moment, he didn't care.
Rage sliced through the belly of a zombie as he gave it a right hook.
"Grant me peace."
-Flash-
"Dance with me."
Jarade jammed a red gem down another undead majorus' gaping throat. The monster's carcass began to shake violently before exploding into a display of scattering flesh, bones, and rotting insides.
"Grant me death."
-Flash-
Unbelievably, he found himself being pushed back into the chaos. He almost tripped at the spastic form of the zerom that he infected with the Splasher.
"Dance with me!"
A zombie exploded from the impact of Jarade's right arm.
"Grant my wish!"
The song slowly made sense to him. The words began to embrace his very being.
Jarade roared with all his might towards the night sky.
"AND I WILL DANCE WITH MY LAST BREATH!!!"
He saw a brief glimpse of something black before the world around him exploded.
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For the tenth time, Michelle tried to reach the bottom rung of the ladder that lead up to the alley.
The ladder was broken at the lower parts, leaving her stuck at the bottom of the culverts.
Suddenly, she heard Jarade shout out, "AND I WILL DANCE WITH MY LAST BREATH!!!"
Michelle felt the all-too-familiar and icy twinge of dread as the ground shook.
Above her, she can see a purple wave of energy run across the air, followed by the screams of a hundred monsters.
Michelle backed away from the ladder. She heard of the Assassin's Venom Splasher before, but she never knew it was capable of this.
JaradeâMichelle fought back tears as she gave a short prayer for her friend's soul.
Her footsteps splashed across the grimy water as she headed towards the Pronteran culverts.
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Baphomet lay in the King's Chamber in Glast Heim's Great Hall. That he actually survived his amputation was no surprise to him.
However, that was but a small comfort. The Fateless Assassin has taken away his arms.
What he would give for a chance to return the favor!
Suddenly, a portal opened before him.
So you are Baphomet, Lord of the Demons?
Under normal circumstances, he would have run over and grabbed whoever it was by the neck and crushed him.
A Wizard with a flaming skull for a head emerged from the portal. The fires coming from his uniform, however, were as cold as ice to Baphomet.
Baphomet stood up quickly, "WHO ARE YOU?! AND HOW DARE YOU COME TO MY DOMAIN!"
The Wizard actually had to audacity to laughâ laugh!!!
"Domain? Bah! From the looks of things, you are but a poor crippled beggar!"
That last comment enraged Baphomet to the point that he charged. His goat horns glinting from the light of the Wizard's fire.
Baphomet then found himself slammed against the wall, the Wizard was only looking at him the same way the Assassin looked at him when his arms were cut off.
"Listen well demon, I am here to strike a deal with you."
"DEAL?"
"I will grant you your arms back and even more power, that is, if you grant me but one thing in return."
"WHAT WOULD THAT BE?"
The Wizard waved his hand in a dismissive manner, "I only wish for your services, Baphomet, and I only wish for them but just this once. After that, you are free to go, arms and all."
It took him only a few seconds to consider. "Very well, Wizard, what is it you wish of me?"
Baphomet roared as pain erupted from the stumps of his severed limbs. He can feel bone ripping through the scar tissue as his arm began to grow back. His back arched while eyes bulged out from the pain.
Glast Heim was filled with Baphomet's screams, while at the same time, an underlying layer of laughter can be heard.