So, because I forgot to make the previous upload here I have another ready to go! I think I uploaded the last update to the phorums when they were still a thing, but forgot to upload it here. Better late than never! I recommend listening to Final Fantasy XV - Ignis Apocalyptus beginning at the *. Enjoy!
Raul stared at her sister, and then down to her wrist. The wrist that Illipia gripped painfully tight. Her interference had caused the Celestial to miss her shot; the bolt went forking through the sky instead of into the hut as planned.
Illipia's mind was a swirl of confusion, anger, and panic. Confusion from Raul's words before. Anger towards her sister's actions. And panic from the realization that she had performed the worst action in front of Raul.
She interfered.
Raul looked at her again, the ghost of a sneer tugging at her lips. "And what… dear sister… are you doing?"
Illipia felt her hysteria give way to her anger. "I may ask the same of you, Raul. What do you think you are doing?"
"Carrying out Mother's orders." Raul's sneer was getting wider.
"There must be a mistake, Raul. Our Goddess would never ask for us to attack her followers."
Raul's free hand began to move towards Illipia's grip. "They aren't her followers, yet. But they will be."
Illipia tightened it. "Not if you kill them! The dead worship no one!"
Raul's hand found her grip. "Better dead than a non-believer, Mother said." She started to pry Illipia's hand off her wrist. "I agree."
Illipia tried to maintain her grip, but Raul's hand was strong."That can't be what she said, Raul! It can't be! She wouldn't want this… senseless murder."
Raul nearly freed her wrist from Illipia's hand. "Murder? You call my judgment… murder?" Raul never liked anyone making less of her judgment. No one.
Illipia was undeterred. "What else would it be but murder? These people have committed no fault against you or our Goddess."
Illipia's hand was finally pried off Raul's wrist and her sneer almost split her face. "You know… I never said this to anyone, but…" Raul now began to crush Illipia's hand. When did she become so strong? Or had she become weak? It hurt. "I've always hated you…"
"Raul…?"
"Always… Always hated you. You were the first, and what did you do? Spread the loving message of our Goddess to the people? You know how many followers you got? None. No one listens to words. No one. So guess what? Mother created us three to clean up your damn mess… She created us to succeed where you failed. And what do I get out of it?" Her face contorted with glee and fury, sending chills up Illipia's spine. "Nothing. Not a word of praise. No loving touch. Just another mission. Another judgement to pass. But you… she supports you. She gives you compliments."
"Raul, I-" Illipia tried to tell her that she never knew the difference in treatment, that she never realized Raul felt that way, but her sister's tightening grip cut her off.
"And you know what's so funny about that?" She was chuckling now. "She doesn't love you either! She… She doesn't love anyone! What she gives you, those words of comfort? Lies. Nothing but lies. Lies to convince you to keep doing what you were created to do. She doesn't do that with me. Or Dryad. Or Oryed. No. She doesn't lie to us to make us feel better. Only you; Her useless, spoiled, first creation."
Illipia couldn't even begin to form a retort. This couldn't be true. Her Goddess, Ishmael loved her creations as though they were her own children! That was what she told her! That was what she told everyone!
The bones in Illipia's hands began to break. She now tried to wrest Raul's hand open. "It's stupid, isn't it? That I hate you over that our Mother lies to you? Yeah, it is. But you know what?" Lightning crackled in her fist. "I'm not the brightest star in the heavens. So I guess that works just… fine." Illipia conjured a barrier just in time to stop the punctuating surge of lightning aimed at her chest. The force of the attack drove them apart at last.
Illipia's healing magic immediately kicked in and she felt her ruined hand mend itself perfectly. Lightning sparked from all around Raul now. She always had her concerns about the Celestial. Unlike Oryed who would gladly give you a fight if you wanted it, Raul always wanted to fight, to cause violence. She would instigate, prodding her victims into combat. She would pass judgment just to pass the time.
She was dangerous.
Illipia always knew this but denied the truth. Now, she accepted it. Illipia felt a pang of pity for her sister. But it quickly faded. Raul could not be permitted to run unchecked. She had to be stopped.
To hell that she cared about these mortal people! To hell that she thinks of one as her friend! To hell that she loved this world!
*All that mattered to Illipia, the Celestial, now, was that Raul, her sister, had to be stopped. "Raul… I cannot accept this. Even if it is by our Goddess' command…" Two blades of El, one in each hand, sprang into existence.
Raul laughed. "You're going to actually raise your hand against me, sister?! Oh thank the El! I've always wanted this!" A spear of lightning formed in her hand. Her sneer was ever-present on her face.
"You are a threat to these people and their land. I will see to it that you bring no more harm to them, Raul!"
"Quit your monologuing, Illipia! I've waited so long for this moment! I won't wait another second!" She charged forward and their clash sent bolts of lightning streaking through the sky. The people of Xin would remember this day that heaven fell.
But not just because of the storm...
Haan returned to the valley empty-handed. The guards swiftly brought him before The Emperor to explain himself. "... We witnessed Drabaki's fall, Haan. Why have you returned without its divine blood?" He glowered at the warrior from his throne.
Haan prostrated himself before him. "Forgive me, My Emperor. The serpent still breathed when I tried to collect it. It…" He thought on its words. On how love was given, not demanded. "It spoke of you. That we would love you, with or without its blood."
The Emperor leaned forward, his gaze burning with rising fury. "Whether or not I'm loved has no bearing on my command. You were to hunt and kill Drabaki, then bring its blood to me. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. And you failed, Haan."
Failed. How that word stung. Failing was not a frequent visitor for the warrior, yet here it was. And it weighed heavily on his pride. "My Emperor!" He lifted his head. "Drabaki loves us all still! It loves you still! Please, abandon this madness. The serpent barely lives just outside the valley! If we hurry we can-"
The Emperor rose from his seat, furious. "You do not command me, Haan!" His angry outburst forced Haan's head down again. "If you will not do as I command, I shall find another. Begone!"
And so, Haan left the palace in shame. His pride trampled, his honor soiled, and alone. Illipia, his final and most trusted companion, was gone. Vanished without a trace after Drabaki's fall. He spent some time searching for her after he left the serpent in the storm, but he found no trace of his friend.
He wandered the streets of Xin, thinking on his time with the priestess. When he first met her, she was reserved, hiding power behind a guise of naivete. But as he peeled that away, he realized that her guise was not entirely false; she was confused, conflicted. She struggled with something she had never experienced, and he could not begin to imagine what that was. But he saw how troubled it made her. How she held back tears or laughter.
In a way, she reminded him of how he once was. As a child with no parents, he quickly learned to look after himself. But to do so demanded he be strong. So he trained diligently, both in body and mind. It was this training that took his smile and tears. He could not smile or cry because he saw them as a sign of weakness, that he was not strong. He had to be strong, so he did not smile or cry, no matter how happy or sad or hurt he was.
Then he met Chunhua. As the village potter's daughter, she would often visit him to fix his cracked pottery. They rarely spoke initially, but she took to attempting to make him laugh. Surely as a man, you can laugh, she said. And so she tried everything, from terrible jokes to arriving at his doorstep wearing a funny mask. None of these even made him crack a smile.
But he began to see a change come over him. He began to look forward to her visits, to see her smile. Perhaps he was going soft. Perhaps his will was weak. Perhaps, deep down, he wanted to laugh.
Perhaps he was alone.
And one day, after a week of hellish training, he laughed. And cried. All at once. His strong mask cracked and years of pain and solitude came rushing out. And she never left his side as he cried through the night. It was then she told him that strength was like the trunk of a small tree. Malleable, but unbroken. The wind may bend it, but it would not break. One had to smile, to laugh, to cry in the face of life, but not give in.
He learned that strength came not from being a wall, shutting out all. It came from allowing those outside to see your weakness and push forward, with or without them. So when he saw how Illipia despaired, he was reminded of what he once struggled with. He wanted to help her as Chunhua did for him.
And they had grown closer because of it. They never had what some would call a heart-to-heart, where they would each express their deepest secrets and hold neither in contempt for it. But for people like them, ones who carry masks, there was no need to. They found comfort in each other's presence alone because they both understood that when it truly mattered, they would be there to support each other.
But now, with Illipia's disappearance, Haan began to doubt. Was he wrong? Had he failed to understand the priestess as well? How else did he fail?
A flash of lightning above snapped him out of his stupor. The storm was beginning to pick up again, and he could see lightning flashing in the clouds above as the rain-soaked his face.
"Young man, please take this," a voice called to him. He turned to see an old woman selling accessories holding an umbrella for him to take.
He took it gladly. "Thank you." He swept his gaze across her wares. They were very well made. "Did you craft these yourself?"
She nodded. "Yes. My mother taught me how to blow and stain glass and my father taught me the art of ceramics. I can guarantee their quality."
"It certainly seems so," he chuckled. His gaze locked onto a hairpin near the top of a rack. It looked awfully familiar. "Excuse me, is that… Eun, by any chance?" he asked, gesturing to the accessory.
"Hm? Ah yes! One of my finest works if do say so myself." The merchant plucked the hairpin up and held it out to him. "I spent many days and nights watching her when she stayed here in the valley. I must have scrapped enough ceramic to make a banquet set for Our Emperor trying to get this right. And all of it was from memory."
"Very impressive." He took it in his hands and turned it over. The ceramic glistened white and a small, yellow lotus flower was embedded on the head. The needle was long and pristine, suitable for holding long hair. Chunhua would love this. "How much?"
"Hm…" She scrutinized his face and cracked a grin. "It must be for a special someone. I can tell. How's fifty thousand gold?"
A hefty price for one of his meager wealth, but any price to see Chunhua smile and make him forget his troubles was worth paying. "Very well." He dug in his pouch and withdrew the necessary gold and deposited it in the woman's hand. "Thank you."
"And thank you, young man."
He tried to hand back the umbrella, but she held up a hand. "Keep it. Something tells me you need it far more than I do."
He smiled, thinking about the journey back home. The journey he would have to now make alone. "You are too kind. Tha-"
A terrible roar shook the valley and cut him off. He spun towards it, his free hand readying his spear, and froze. On the south end of the valley, beyond which Drabaki lay, stood a massive creature. But he knew this giant. When did she get so big? And when did she look so… terrifying?
The lady behind him saw it, too. Stunned, she barely managed, "Is that… Eun? By the El… What has happ-"
The monstrous fox roared again and a ball of swirling, black and orange energy formed at her mouth. Chills ran up Haan's spine. What was she doing? She looked angry. No. Furious. Wrathful.
"DEsPiCabLE HumaNs! DiIiIiiiiiEEEeEE!" Her roar shattered windows and the ball of energy was flung into the nearest neighborhood.
And annihilated it in an angry, orange blaze.
The focus combat demanded was liberating. All of Illipia's worries about Haan, her mission, Raul's mission, were pushed into a dark corner of her mind so that it was clear. Clear to parry, dodge, clash, and strike.
She danced through the air, spinning past bolts of lightning that flew from Raul's hands, conjured knives and spears of El to fling in return, and dove at her sister to clash with her blades. She knew Raul's preferences in combat; she was aggressively dogged in her pursuits and disliked being on the defensive. She was fond of throwing her spears of lightning, which would fly from her hands as quick as a bolt, making them difficult to evade.
Most deadly, however, was if Raul ever managed to impale her. As her weapons were made from the fury of the storms themselves, to be impaled by one of Raul's lightning spears would see the weapon call forth another bolt to send deadly energy throughout the victim's body and, in all likeliness, blow a hole clean through them. Fatal for any mortal and even her sisters.
This is why when Raul slipped under one of her attacks and ran her through with one of her spears, her sneer widened. The bolt ripped through Illipia and a cauterized hole was torn open in her stomach, and electricity racked her body with agonizing pain. She even blacked out and fell from the sky.
But it was Raul's overconfidence that she failed to confirm Illipia's passing. Moments later, Illipia's pendant glowed and her body was engulfed in warm light. Only instants later, she awakened and the hole, the ravaged organs, all of it, was healed.
She took the opportunity to generate a great lance of El and launched it at the unsuspecting Raul. The weapon soared through the clouds and Raul caught the motion out of her periphery just in time to pull her head out its path. But the spear still cut through her circlet and made a shallow wound on her temple as it passed by.
Unlike her, Raul was not gifted in the art of healing. She was certainly talented in combat, but her abilities in mending wounds were virtually non-existent. The price of power to control the elements, Illipia supposed. Illipia hoped she would be able to outlast Raul's onslaught and wear her down.
Hoped. Even with her unmatched ability to heal fatal wounds, she still felt the pain, and the massive amount of healing needed to keep her alive required a copious amount of mana, and therefore El. If she ran low on her store of internal El, she would begin to fade and ultimately die. She approximated that she could afford to take a fatal injury three more times before her El would become exhausted.
Then she would truly die.
Raul flew into a rage. Never had she been injured before, and the sight of her own blood infuriated her to no end. She attacked Illipia even more aggressively than before. Openings were scarce and Illipia was starting to become overpowered by her sister.
Illipia cursed that her Goddess had blessed Raul with martial prowess. While she could hold her own against her sister, Raul was created to destroy. To fight. A sharper sword than she. But she had to try, if not for the sake of the people of Xin then at least for the one friend she had ever known.
Eun had attacked the valley, empowered by Drabaki's blood. As the storm above grew in strength, the fox lay waste to the city, block by burning block. She smashed homes, temples, people, and burned the rest with angry El.
The Xuanze rallied to defend their home, and the Emperor himself took to the field. Haan ran to join them. Many warriors attempted to fight the vulpine titan, and some citizens attempted to appease her with offerings. All failed. She killed them all.
If Eun was not stopped, Xin would be destroyed. The Emperor looked to Haan and scoffed. Haan knew why. If he had done as was commanded, the Emperor would have the power to fight back Eun now. But as he was now, he was a mere mortal man.
The Emperor commanded the Xuanze to erect a barrier of energy to slow Eun's advance, and it seemed to work. But the Xuanze were quickly losing strength against Eun's relentless attacks.
The Emperor looked to Haan. "Consider this an opportunity to redeem yourself for your failure, Haan. Defeat Eun, and perhaps I will consider restoring your honor."
Haan had to merely glance at Eun to know he could not defeat her. Not as she was now. She was as powerful as Drabaki was when he fought the serpent. And he had the assistance of Illipia to see him through that fight alive.
Now, he was alone. The Emperor was asking him to die. He felt the hairpin stuck on his belt. He could not afford to die here. He had to live and return to Chunhua, to his life.
He wanted… to find his friend, wherever she was. But to do any of that, Eun had to be stopped.
But she could not be overpowered. No. She had to be stripped of her power.
She had to be sealed.
Haan knelt before the Emperor. "My Emperor, I have a suggestion if you would hear it." Haan was aware that the Emperor held him in contempt, but he hoped that the gravity of the situation would persuade him to listen.
The Emperor glowered at the warrior. "... Speak swiftly lest I change my mind, Haan."
Haan bowed his head. "Thank you, My Emperor. We cannot defeat Eun as she is. Perhaps we can seal her away. The Xuanze are skilled in the art of exorcism and separation, are they not?"
"They are indeed. However, a vessel will be required to seal Eun in. It cannot be any simple pot. It must be cherished. Loved…" His eyes fell on the hairpin on Haan's waist. He pointed to it. "That looks quite nice, Haan. Perhaps you planned on gifting it to someone?"
Haan paled, but didn't refuse to answer. "... Yes. I wanted to give it to my beloved back home."
"Then I command you, Haan, to plunge that accessory into Eun's head when the ritual is complete. Her spirit will be bound to it and her physical form will die. Do this, and perhaps your honor will be returned. Perhaps…"
Haan wanted to refuse. But if he did, the Emperor would simply have his guards take it.
"As you command… My Emperor…"
Raul was at the end of her patience with Illipia. She was well aware that her sister possessed the means to heal grievous injuries, but she did not know that she could mend herself quickly enough to avoid death from a fatality. Even Oryed and Dryad would die instantly upon being impaled through the abdomen and then shot full of deadly lightning. If the injury itself was not fatal, the internal damage caused by the lightning would end them on the spot.
It seemed that Illipia could repair such damage swiftly enough to avoid death from such an attack. This was frustrating at the very least for the violent Celestial, to see her great power mitigated by such… cheap tricks.
But she could see the pain on Illipia's face. How her jaw clenched, how her breathing rapidly escalated, how her brows furrowed. She was in agony. Raul sneered; for all her sister's great talents in healing, she could not overcome pain.
And she was good at administering pain. She sidestepped a swipe from her sister's blade and conjured a small knife of lightning in her hand. She felt a giddy sensation well up from inside her as she drove the small blade into Illipia's thigh and tore the blade through her leg, her sister screaming in agony the whole time. She went for an arm next, locking it into a hold and snapping it at the elbow, embedding the knife into Illipia's shoulder just for the hell of it. She wrapped up her torture session with a lightning empowered chop to Illipia's good wrist, severing the hand.
Then she backed off, twirling confidently through the air. "I'll give you a moment to sort yourself out, Sister," she taunted, summoning another spear and resting it on her shoulder. She watched as Illipia's catalyst, her pendant, shined and engulfed her in a warm light. Once it faded, her arm was set, her leg mended, and her hand returned. But her breaths were still rapid and shallow, her face contorted in agony. She brought her weapons to the ready again.
Raul rolled her eyes. "How long do you plan on keeping this up, Illipia? How many times am I going to have to run you through, dismember you, and kill you before you give up?"
"As many times as I need to endure to put an end to this madness…" Illipia managed.
Raul rolled her eyes dramatically. "Dear El, that is so cliche it makes me want to gag. You're going to die, you know? You can't defeat me, Ilipia! You know it! I know it! So hurry up and keel over so I can get back to my judgment!" She did not bother asking for her sister to concede. She was having far too much fun torturing her. Centuries of resentment, hatred and false appearances fueled the wrath in her, and cried in joyous anger at the opportunity to end Illipia.
She charged forward again, a manic smile splitting her face as she and her sister clashed again and again. Again Raul cut her. Again she stabbed her. Again Ilipia's blessing healed her.
Again. And again. And again.
And still, under the excruciating pain, Raul could still see a glimmer in Ilipia's azure eyes. A spark of life. Of defiance.
And she hated it.
She would see this spark smothered and the light of this defiant life destroyed...
Screams erupted below and away from Eun as she rampaged across the valley and the sky split with bolts of lightning. Xin warriors rose to challenge her, but were no match for her powerful wrath. Civilians ran to her with offerings of food, drink, and gold, hoping to appease her. Their lives proved more valuable than any offering they carried. Her roars uprooted trees and flattened homes, her claws crushed stone and gashed the earth, and her breath ignited flesh.
How Drabaki would despair to see her like this, she thought. But her love would not go unavenged. After everything it had done for man, after it had protected them, enlightened them, loved them, man sought its death. The Emperor sought its blood to fuel selfish ambitions. How could she not be furious at this betrayal? How?!
Barriers of energy were erected before her, cutting off a direct route to the palace. The Xuanze had taken to the field. Her burning gaze looked through the orange shields and saw them. The Emperor and that man - the one who brought down her love - were with them. Fury exploded from her chest and she channeled it into a sphere in front of her. The burning energy was flung into the barriers and dug into them. The Xuanze braced from the impact but were able to channel enough of their energy to deflect the bomb into the mountainside. A small feeling of pride welled up within her at this; she taught them well. But it was swiftly squelched by her anger.
As much as she wanted to kill the man who brought low her love first, The Emperor was the true traitor. She would slaughter him then the man, set the valley ablaze, and then leave the rest behind to die in the ruins. It would be fitting retribution for the murder of her love.
So she roared and threw herself at the barriers, hungry for the blood of Xin's hope and strength.
Haan steeled himself for his most harrowing undertaking yet. A part of him reassured the warrior; if he could bring down Drabaki, Eun would be a simple matter. Another part of him refuted; Drabaki desired not to fight, Eun was eager to slaughter. But perhaps the biggest part of him was terrified. Terrified of Eun. Terrified by the thought of failing again.
Terrified of being alone.
He looked to the stormy sky above. The clouds seemed to heave and twist like a furious monster. Arcs of lightning carved gashes through the air and the thunder thudded like the elements themselves were engaged in combat. It was truly a day of ruin, like the Great Disaster told in legends. The land was aflame and sky might well have been falling. Truly a ruinous day.
But he thought also on his friend, Illipia. Where had she gone? Was she alright? Was their silent companionship an illusion he fabricated and believed? Why did she leave him alone now of all times?
He wanted to see her. To speak with her. To learn the truth behind the mask he knew she wore. To remove his before her. To stand shoulder to shoulder against whatever may threaten his home.
But now it fell to him alone to bring this disaster to an end. He drew his sword, readied his spear, and turned his gaze to the titanic Eun. She was assaulting the barriers erected by the Xuanze in a reckless fury. Blow after blow the barrier held, but the Xuanze were quickly growing exhausted. Some had broken ranks with the others to form the ritual site to seal away Eun, leaving fewer to tend to the dangerous task of holding back the rampaging beast.
Due to The Emperor's presence before her, Eun did not concern herself with the minute details of fewer Xuanze. She continued to attack the barrier again and again. The Xuanze that remained were hard-pressed to withstand her assault, but they knew they could not afford to fail here. To fail would see their Emperor slaughtered by the monster. Xin would follow not far behind.
Haan would have only a single opportunity to seal away the monstrous fox. He knew The Emperor would instruct the Xuanze to avoid assisting him out of contempt, so he was figuratively alone in this endeavor. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He would not draw the hairpin until the last possible moment. Eun herself had taught his people the art of energy manipulation and exorcism. She would see through their plot if she caught sight of an item that was not a weapon being thrust at her.
Behind him, The Emperor shouted words of encouragement to his defenders, empowering them with his own El to keep them standing. Haan could feel his glowering gaze linger on him for a moment. The warrior found it unlikely that The Emperor would restore his honor if he succeeded in sealing away Eun. But he had to try for the sake of the scraps of pride he had left. For his neighbors in Fahrmann. For the people of Xin.
For Chunhua.
He opened his eyes and beheld dim glimmers of El energy shining from five hidden corners in the city. Eun did not notice them, or perhaps she did not care. It mattered not. The Emperor himself intended to complete the ritual after Haan advanced. This would give the Xin warrior a very small window to perform the final piece of the ritual: piercing Eun's head with the hairpin. But this would afford Eun just as much time to react.
And he hoped it would be enough for him, and not enough for her.
Illipia blinked away the spots in her vision as she ducked under her sister's spear. Her hands spasmed, denying her the opportunity to counterattack and she was forced to retreat. But Raul was relentless, chasing her down with a sadistic grin on her face. Illipia dodged again, blocked again, retreated again, was struck again. But no more was she able to press any sort of offense on her sister.
The agony of mortal wounds clouded her mind and slowed her movements. To conserve her El, she no longer mended the minor scrapes and bruises Raul managed to slip in under her guard. She was grateful for the pain, as it masked the panic that was beginning to overtake her.
Illipia knew she was losing. If - which was beginning to look more and more like when - she fell, Raul would be free to terrorize the people of Xin. Perhaps if she held off Raul long enough, Haan may give The Emperor Drabaki's blood and empower him to protect them from the disaster unfolding in the sky. She glanced downwards for a moment and felt her thoughts freeze.
The valley was burning. Spots of angry orange spat black smoke and columns of furious flames erupted around the valley. Raul couldn't have done this, she was up here with her. Could it be Oryed?
Her eyes caught a glimpse of a giant, white beast before Raul's taunt reached her ears. "By all means, look away from me, sister…" Illipia spun around and deflected a thrust aimed at her head just in time and locked their conjured weapons together. Raul peered over her shoulder at the burning valley below. She laughed, "Well, look at that! Someone else is doing my job for me! They better save me a piece of the action!"
Illipia grit her teeth. "You will not touch them, Raul!" How her voice shook from the pain racking her body. But that sight was just what the Celestial needed to push the agony into a corner of her mind.
She now thought of the men she traveled with: Xiang Zhen. Chandragupta. Takeshi. Haan. These men faced their every trial with fear in their hearts, yet without hesitation. Even as death was inevitable for Takeshi, he still charged at those wicked men for their sake.
Death was foreign to her, a Celestial. It was why she hated seeing it take someone she had grown fond of. But the fear of death pushed these men to perform the great. The incredible. Even if their own lives would be the price.
She was scared. So scared. Of what would happen after she fell. Of what would happen to Haan. To Chunhua.
Of death.
And if she was afraid…
Colored spheres of El sprang into existence behind Illipia and rocketed towards Raul. The angry Celestial let out a surprised cry and kicked away from her sister, evading and swatting away the orbs. "The darkness is this, Illipia!? Holding out on me!?"
If she was afraid…
Illipia soared high above Raul while she was distracted. Her sister still fought off the orbs, seemingly oblivious to her sister's absence.
If she was afraid…
Illipia watched from the clouds above for the perfect moment. Raul in time turned away from her, and Illipia dove like a raptor, daggers of El brandished. Just when she was nearly upon her, Raul spun around with a condescending grin on her face.
Her spear of lightning pierced Illipia's abdomen, stopping her charge cold. The orbs fizzled and sputtered out of existence. "That was a cute trick, sister. But not a good one." She did not call the lightning to strike her sister. Illipa was right above her, so the bolt would strike her as well. But the wound was mortal enough. Raul moved to throw Illipia off. "Now hurry and heal up so I can kill you agai-"
She stopped, her gaze locked with the unexpected: Illipia's very alive stare. Her face contorted in agony, and a healing light was shining around the spear. She was healing the wound around the spear to keep it in her. She was finally inside Raul's reach.
If she was afraid...
Illipia raised her two daggers above her head, El concentrating behind the hilts. Raul struggled to lose her off the spear. "Are you crazy, Illipia!? Do you want to die!?"
She must be brave.
The El at Illipia's hands roared like rockets and propelled her attack towards Raul's chest, Illipia roaring with every emotion she had experienced in this beautiful land. Raul brought up her free arm to block Illipia's wrists, causing the El thrusters to send the two into a breakneck dive.
The two sisters rocketed towards the ground, shouting the whole way. And when they collided with the ground, Raul's arm snapped and Illipia's daggers pierced her heart. The Celestial cried in pain briefly and in a death-induced spasm called down the lightning. The bolt pierced Illipia's chest and flung her off her sister and onto the ground some distance away.
Her pendant, dim now, glowed again and loosed healing light on her. But Illipia had not the strength to pick herself up from the ground. She looked to her dead sister, watching her slowly disintegrate into a flurry of blue lights.
She set her head on the ground and muttered an apology to her sister. For as violent and merciless as she was, Raul was still a sister to her. Darkness took her consciousness, but an unseen, firm hand plucked it from the shadows of sleep and dragged it to the heavens...
Haan waited for a lull in the monstrous Eun's attack before he made his move. The moment her claw impacted the barrier in front of him, he pushed off from where he stood and leapt forward. Sprinting faster than he had ever done before, he passed through the barrier and ducked into a nearby alley.
"YooOOoUUUuu… YOOOUUUUU…!" Eun's angry roar shook the walls around him as he continued his run. He caught a glimpse of a growing shadow beneath him and willed his legs to carry him faster. Rolling away at the last moment, Eun's great paw came crashing down on the alley and propelled the Xin warrior into the open street. He rolled to his feet and kept running.
He could feel her burning glare on him as he sprinted for another alley. Not a moment too soon either, as one of her tails crashed into the street, flattening stalls and homes. For her to suddenly turn the direction of her fury to him alone sat ill in his mind for a moment, but he threw the thought into a distant corner of his mind as he continued to sprint towards, using the buildings as cover.
He suddenly felt the air bristle his skin and an orange glow illuminated the air above him. Using his spear, he vaulted forward and up over a wall. An explosion rocked the homes behind him and reduced them to rubble, the shockwave throwing him further forward. He rolled upon landing and continued to run at the monstrous fox.
Her attention was truly on him alone now, and her furious stare burned into his mind. He was nearly within leaping distance of her now. She snarled, drawing back a giant claw. Haan leaped forward and seemed to intend to meet the attack head-on. The claw came crashing down, and the moment the Xin warrior felt the wall of air before it tickle his hair he kicked.
Not the claw, but the air. Concentrating El into the soles of his feet, he was able to create a temporary footing in the air, allowing him to barely dodge the massive claw. He did not bother taking in Eun's surprised expression as he stabbed his spear into her outstretched arm and used it to pull him onto the limb. He continued to run up the monstrous fox's arm towards her head.
Heat rose beneath him and he sprang forward at her face as angry, orange energy enveloped her body. Suddenly, the energy condensed into a sphere in her now opened mouth, and he knew then that he had made a mistake. He was going to die here, incinerated by the wrath of the lover of a god he felled. Perhaps this was his divine punishment for his hubris.
He took a moment to silently apologize to Chunhua for the suffering that would follow. He apologized to the people of Xin for bringing this disaster upon them. And he apologized to Illipia for not being a better friend and wished the best for her from the bottom of his heart.
Then nothing greeted him…
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