[19th August 2010]
[Entrance to the Tower of Fate, Salem]
Doctor Fate blazed with power of Order to my eyes, just as his opposite Klarion across the way did for the Element of Chaos, and what was even better the very air around the Tower itself was being flooded by the element as well. Which was nice, very nice indeed, I found as I pushed myself back to my feet the weariness fading away as I drew in some of the ambient power to myself. Something of a indirect buff to Lawful life-forms perhaps?
But whatever the case it was useful to me at least as the energy served to bolster the circles of protection beneath our feet. A golden gloved hand motioned in the direction of the injured Chaos Primordial, an ankh shape forming instantly as we watched, before it emitted a beam of concentrated arcane might. Across from us the flames of crimson chaos roiled and roared before they rose in a shell to protect their master, who roared at Fate with an uncanny tone of voice that definitely wasn't human.
"NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER!" it snarled nonsensically as the golden beam smashed into the flaming shell that erupted around the Primordial that was waving its now misshapen arms like a small child denied a toy he wanted "YOU'll PAY FOR THIS NABU! GONNA TAKE YOUR HEAD AND I'LL..."
I felt the flash of teleportation as much as saw it as Doctor Fate apparently vanished from behind us, and then reappeared behind the position of the raging Chaos Primordial in a golden ankh doorway. Idly a small part of my mind wondered if that was just a rule he had to follow, or just something the Elemental Lord had created thanks to the influences of its human hosts. I managed to push that thinking away though as another beam of golden arcane energy flashed out, just as the first one had ended its rainbow dance against the shield of the Lord of Chaos who turned too...
...turned too late it seemed as this second golden beam slammed into the Primordial's body like a sledgehammer. It all happen in a few scant seconds but here was the Lord of Chaos been driven face first into the asphalt. Then rolled backwards with such power as to gouge a small trench into the ground of the car-park as the elemental such was the power of the golden beam of magic. Well...this...this was going a bit better than I'd expected really. Red flames roared out from the freshly dug trench, pushing away the Order based magic a moment as the even less human looking Primordial jumped...then teleported...
"Behin..." myself and Zatara began to say as the chaos energy materialised once again. Only to get slammed downwards by a golden Ankh from above as the gold and blue clad of Order raised a both hands without even looking behind him at where the red coloured portal had opened and savagely clawed hands began to reach through...
Still even as the battered creature slammed back down into the destroyed gound, and his 'allies' began to shake themselves from their momentary stupor like ourselves, a great beam of roaring red flame slammed out towards the Lord of Order, impacting a shimmering and shining shield of Order. I shook myself as it blazed off the fire off a sphere, and made sure to provide whatever information I could, as Doctor Fate fly to the side now and retaliated. Loud and firm I shouted towards the flying being as I reloaded my pistol while the others targeted the hovering forms of Faust and the Demon Pit Lord.
"THE CAT IS HIS FAMILIAR FATE! IT SHOULD BE NEARBY!"
"Now that he's handling that problem I reckon' we better get down to keepin' these other two chucklefucks off that beat-down goldies giving to the chaos fella over there..." Constantine shouted to all of as he reloaded the shotgun in his hands with more of the 'blessed' shells we'd created "...so Giovanni if you and the merry band of kiddies here could hold down Felix, me and John-boy here will try do something about Karkull the ugly insect demon in the mean time!"
"I don't like this plan" I muttered to him after motioning to rest of my Team to we were doing this, as I followed his lead to ensure that he didn't decide that 'summon bigger evil fish!' was his backup plan. Because that seemed to be his go to Plan B in most cases I'd found.
Behind us, within the protective circle we'd just exited, I could hear Zatara doing something similar in terms of planning on the fly as magic filled the air of the battered and broken car-park. Faust unleashing lightning in the direction of Doctor Fate and Klarion as more curses and swearing in the 'language' of that crazy realm filled the air. Dodged and blocked by Fate before Zatara entered the fray with a blast of mystic power that I avoided looking at as our own target hovered in the sky and drawing powers to itself along with its surviving flying imp-dog-wolf minions. John mumbled something at me as he rummaged around in his trenchcoat for something, I assume in one of the pockets of holding therein. Giving him those had been such a good, and bad, idea...
"Plan? Ain't got that far yet mate! Just that'd we'd distract the ugly old Lord of the Pit over there and wing it from there...ahhh...there we go..."
"I hate you John, you know that right?" I managed to muttered as he pressed something unto his hand, one of the enchanted rings as best I could guess. Still he wasn't listening to me as he moved the shotgun back into both hands as the demon noticed out exit from the defensive barrier. It roared loudly and began to turn towards us twisted and almost broken seeming limbs flailing.
"...flyin' time. Can't talk mate, fightin time!" he gave me a thumbs up before hovering into the air as the flight spell took effect "...try not ta die kay? Gemma and the others be all mad at me and the loik if that happened..." and then he flew upwards as the green sickly lightning lashed out in our direction. I jumped and rolled to the side, still managing to find my voice as I silently triggered the shield spell I'd prepared. My shout likely filled the car-park, but fuck him the...
"I fuckin' hate you, you English prick!"
Crackwhomph! Crackwhomph!
The sounds of the shotgun in action echoed out from above me as I came out of the roll, the area where we'd been a moment ago smoking slightly where the demonic magic had impacted. Training; it was a life saver along with another lifetime's instincts. Up in the air above me said English Prick was letting loose as the dodging form of the demon lord, though one of evil flying minions fell out of the sky like a dead bird thanks its head been blown off. Then...then it was time for John to dodge frantically all sickly lightning lashed out at him, while his flying was pretty dreadful still at least he'd gotten the hang of the shield spell...
'Think later, call down fiery death now' I reminded myself drawing from the other side of my magical heritage, feeling the righteous rage rise up inside of me and pouring in the divine wrath into the coming blow. For a brief moment I ignored the battles behind me as the Chaos Primordial and its cat desperately tried to avoid golden coloured beam spam, and Zatara and my more ranged skilled teammates forced the sorcerer Faust to block with his wasteful magic purple shields. Power pulsed through me and the clouds in the heavens above crackled and rumbled orange and gold and red in the dark night sky. I waited; the power held at the ready, hand tracking as the twisted limbed demon came out of flying dodge and...now...
"Flame Strike"
A pillar of divinely empowered might descended faster than my eye could immediately track; white and red and gold the pillar of flame slammed into the demonic creature with all the force I could muster. Driving it downwards into the ground with the force of the blow, I kept the fires burning in that pillar as long as I could. Those few precious seconds passing by like an eternity, before releasing the power and sucking in a breath through the mask. While the demonic being seemed dazed, and in pain judging by the roar, it rose unsteadily on its many limbs and began to crawl back up despite areas of its flesh still burning from the blow. A voice from above shouted out as something, several somethings in face, was flung downwards...
"Here! Let me put out that nasty auld fire fer ya fine fella you!"
Aaaaaaieeeeeeeeeeee
'Well that's painful on the ears' I groaned mentally at the ear splitting and unnatural shrieking that the demon unleashed as the water balloons full of holy water exploded and soaked his very much not good aligned demonic flesh. I'm pretty sure he'd preferred the flames as I called out a flaming blade of magic into my right hand and stoneskin on myself as I charged in at the unholy creature. Lash out with the blade, dodge back and to the side at the attempt to counter, then repeat as shotgun blasts from above along with the odd 'holy water balloon' prevented the creature from taking flight again...or directing its green coloured lightning at us...
I grinned within the mask as the haste spell took effect as I dodged the latest attacks and my blood began to boil at this battle with a creature such as this. Above me Constantine was flinging metal rods into the ground around myself and the creature as we fought, I could see the plan but for now there was only the joy and rage and movement of the battle. Fiery blade and burning hands holding the abomination at bay as the protections already in place from the circles weakened itself powers and resolve against me. Even the very air so close to a Citadel of Order battered at the foolish creature as I unleashed a Grease spell upon it, afore setting it aflame with my...
"CLEAR! READY TO RUMBLE ERE' MATE!" the voice of my ranged support shouted as I dodged left from a lashing claw. When had my armour become torn and stained? I rolled backwards out of the mystic circle as above chanting, in Latin at that, filled the air and the metal spikes sticking into the ground around the creature began to glow with an eerie light. Within the forming barrier the befuddled demon jerked forward towards me, claws outstretched and horrid visage wide with snarling teeth...
Only to slam head first into an invisible wall before the very force of its charge at me caused it to tumble backwards rather comically despite the situation. I panted for breath within the mask as the creature was confined for the moment. Releasing the flaming blade from existence and reaching into my pockets to prepare a stronger spell if need be, or if the demon frantically clawing and hammering at its new found mystic prison managed to break free. Constantine descended beside me as I caught my breath and glanced about the ruined car-park. Oh, we were winning, or had won maybe...that was awesome...
It seemed the Lord of Order had driven off the Lord of Chaos during the time I'd gotten rather distracted by my own fight, and now there were besieging Faust within his increasingly desperately raised mystic shields. With both Zatara and Doctor bombarding him with their arcane power his situation was looking desperate, and it seemed the second he realised that help would not be arriving from his demonic summons. Well, normally I'd be annoyed at a foe managing to escape despite our now overwhelming advantage, or at myself for not casting a Dimensional Anchor, but right now I was bone tired and had a barely contained demon to banish...
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