The Legion Immortalis: The Bulwark of Heaven (Part 3)

[Cameron]

Sig is just recovering from his successful attack on Fenwick when he suddenly feels a wave of confusion wash over him. He glances around, suddenly unsure of his footing or his surroundings.

Ach... magic. I HATE magic...

He was going to do SOMETHING. That much was sure. But by the Father if he could remember what it was. He glances back at Fenwick and simply decides to lash out at him again with his axe, but in his addled state he swings high and wide and loses his grip on his axe, which buries itself into the side of a nearby fence post and sticks. Anyone paying attention will notice that a length of solid looking chain runs from the handle of the axe back to the gauntlet on Sig's weapon hand.

Sig swiftly shakes off the confusion, trying to regain his bearings and get back into the fight.

[Kitharsis]

It worked!  Faile cheers in Sembas's mind as she lifts higher into the sky. 

Sembas grins as he realizes his attack was going to hit its mark.  His grin quickly and painfully fades as strange runes appear on Bran's armor and lightening arcs down the shaft of his spear.  Instinctively he drops the weapon, and before he can react a heavy boot sends him flying several yards backwards.

Separated from his main weapon and lying on his back staring at the sky, Sembas realizes that mortal or not, Bran was quite an opponent.  Enchanted armor to top it all off...

Unexpected...  Faile mutters.

He gives a groan as he rolls to a crouch and faces Bran.  His Hunter's Knife is unsheathed and he rolls it between his fingers by the hilt as he considers his situation.  A Hunter's Knife was no match for a broadsword and shield, but perhaps Sembas could use his dexterity and athletics to outmanuever the bulkier weapon.

Making a decision, he grasps his Hunter's Knife with his thumb on the bottom of the hilt, the blade sticking out from the bottom of his hand.  He mutters a few words as he circles around Bran (WISDOM SPELL - StoneFall).  He wasn't using the full effect of the enchantment, just enough to give Faile a bit more heft than usual.

Sembas continues circling, waiting for Bran to make a move.  He is relying on his quick senses to dodge away from the man's attack (DEXTERITY - dodge).

[Depheir Kogthar]

Sig had enough time to attack Fenwick before Confusion bolt reached him. He knocked Fenwick to the ground with his powerful shout and struck his head with the flat of the axe. Soon after, Sig was affected with Confusion, but its effect was very short. Sig swiftly regained his bearings and got back into the fight.

"Fenwick is still on the ground", Depheir thought. "I will need something to keep Sig at range."
And then, he had an idea. He began to channel his energy in order to create a living being from it. (Intelligence:Spellcasting - SUMMON ELEMENTAL)

If he will end the casting of the spell, it will exhaust him and he will only avaliable to cast up to three spells before leaving himself out of energy and he will have to spend some time to regenerate it. In addition, element, from which Depheir creates his minion, is picked completely randomly.

[john greymore]

A force akin to a punch knocked Fenwick off his feet, dazing him. Before he is allowed to recover, he barely realises Sig about to punish him for his naive, drastic action, his Axe raised and aimed for his head. Fenwick quickly starts to cast a protective barrier...

But the words die out as Sig SLAMS the Axe straight into his skull. He nearly pukes from that, but quickly swallows the bitter bile and sees Sig raising his arms high again.

He was prepared to strike again. This time, disorientated, Fenwick raises his arm to block the incoming attack...

...Which never comes! For some awkward reason, he seemed unsure of himself, or at the very least not sure whether his attack would hit. This strange behaviour disarms even Fenwick, but in the space of time, the ringing and pain from the previous attack would be dampened.

Sig strikes, but the attack is such that the axe flies off and gets stuck on the Fence.

Seeing Sig disarming himself, Fenwick notices a chain leading up to the gauntlet, seemingly attached. As Depheir casts another spell, Fenwick seizes the opportunity and, with adrenaline coursing through his body, he grabs the chain and tugs at it, hoping to get Sig off and possibly slam him onto the fence. At the same time, he uses the chance to get himself back onto his two feet, aware of any sudden attacks that Sig might pull off.

[Faidth]

@Depheir:

   Depheir’s spell goes off without a hitch, and though he finds himself quite exhausted, he has also gained the services of an eager elemental who is willing to do his bidding. The earth below Depheir’s feet begins to shake, and puffs of dirt and chunks of rock begin to swirl around him like a tornado. They coalesce to form a rather large earth elemental, who looks down upon his new master expectantly with clear, quartz eyes.

         
@Fenwick:

   Fenwick’s ears are still ringing terribly, and dark, crimson rivulets of blood pour from the fresh wound in his skull, making him sick to his stomach and uneasy on his feet. His adrenaline is enough to allow him to pursue Sig’s chained axe, but as he attempts to yank upon the chain, he quickly realizes he simply is not strong enough to impede the progress of the Chosen of Alviss. Sig’s grip upon his weapon, and thus the taut chain, are firm and immovable. Sig’s Constitution, coupled with his Strength, allow him to easily resist Fenwick’s feeble attempts to move him.


@Sig:
   
   The daze that had clouded Sig’s mind quickly lifts, and the Chosen of Alviss once again finds himself in charge of his mental faculties.

[Depheir Kogthar]

Depheir watches as his spell provides him a worthy companion. An earth elemental. Perfect for what he intended to do.

But he realizes that he used most of his magical energy. That means he has to fight in a close combat for quite a while.

He looks at his summoned minion.
"Your current mission is to fight against that one, who is heavily built and wields an axe. Your master commands it!"
Elemental makes a gesture of respect and comes closer to Sig.

Meanwhile, he decides to fight with the other opponent.
"Let's see how my spell works against an enchanted armor.", he says, while invoking his Arcane Master spell at the same time.

He unsheathes his swords, which begin to glow with a strange, white light and runs up to Bran, in order to strike.
If the enchantments placed upon Bran's armor will not absorb the effect of the spell, Depheir's strikes will, at least partially, pierce through it.

[Cameron]

Sig shakes his head one last time, and feels the last of the unnatural confusion leave him. With his sense of purpose renewed, Sig regains his bearings and sets to finding out what has become of his axe. He follows the chain strapped to his gauntlet for just this purpose and quickly discovers Fenwick attempting to pull on it. Glancing behind Fenwick, Sig can clearly see the head of the axe buried deep in a fence post at the edge of the ring. VERY deep. A sharp tug from this angle would be more likely to rip the fence post from the ground then free the blade...

Sig grins craftily as he sees his next move.

With his left hand, Sig slings his lute back into it's custom sling on his back. At the same time, Sig wraps the chain around his right gauntlet once and grasps it with his right hand. He then grabs the chain further down with his now free left hand. Putting all of his strength into the maneuver, Sig yanks the chain as hard as he can. The chain quickly breaks free of Fenwick's grasp. Behind Fenwick, the fence post that the axe is buried in rips itself from the ground and comes flying towards Sig. (Weapon Proficiency: IMPROVISED FIGHTING)

Fenwick is caught right between Sig and the oncomming post and if he fails to notice and move, he will be struck in the back full force by the flying chunk of wood and steel.

[john greymore]

Tugging upon the chain, the lack of any slack allows Fenwick to realise that there was no way he could move Sig at all. Not disheartened in the least however, he managed to pull himself up to his feet. His head suddenly spins, and, still facing Sig, it seemed as if the world was tilting back and forth as if on a see-saw. Fortunately, Sig was, for the time being, still stuck.

Or at least it was until he stood up. Within the fog of uncertainty, he saw Sig wrapping his chain around his gauntlet, eventually with him tugging it...

Whatever it was, either his axe or that fence would come flying towards him for punishment.

His footsteps still unsteady, he quickly attempts to tumble out of the way. Reminiscient of his earlier fight (except this time for real), he attempts to get some distance away from the blessed Child of something-or-another before he can recover. As he does so, he becomes aware of just how bad the wound upon his skull is, and attempts to heal himself despite the circumstances. (Wisdom: Spiritual Magic--Lifesaver)

Not too far off, he hears Depheir speaking a few words of what seemed like a command, then he hears something akin to the unsheathing of swords...

[Faidth]

@Sembas and Depheir:


   Bran, his sword trained on Sembas, watches as Depheir joins the fray. The mage, his swords flashing in the bright sunlight, charges towards him. Instinctively, Bran whips his sword around in his hand and plunges the point into the ground before him as he shouts a resounding battlecry.

   An enormous shockwave of intense energy sweeps around the young man and explodes outward. Sembas, being prepared for any movement on Bran’s part, is unable to completely dodge out of the way, but his Dexterity allows him to brace himself for the blow, thus avoiding any major damage. He is pushed back forcefully, but his feet are steady beneath him and he merely slides towards the fence post and out of the range of Bran.

   Depheir, who had been solely focused on attacking, is not so lucky. The force of the cry violently knocks him off his feet and he finds himself slammed into the fence posts. He finds himself bruised and he is moving a bit painfully, but his natural ability to dodge allows him to avoid the bulk of the damage.

   However, a huge spray of dirt and large chunks of rock follow in the wake of the young man’s war cry. Faile, quick on her wings, is able to navigate safely from harm’s way, but Sembas and Depheir will have to act quickly to avoid the projectiles that are flying towards them.



@Sig:


   Anything is a weapon in the Chosen of Alviss’s hands. Sig uses his immense Strength to hurl the fencepost, even though his axe is still heavily embedded within.  Sig’s attack is successful, but any joy he could have found at this victory is dampened by the heavy, approaching footsteps of a lumbering earth elemental.



@Fenwick:


   Fenwick casts Lifesaver, and the spell is enough to retard any more blood from seeping out of the painful wound upon his skull. The spot is still a bit tender, but the majority of the pain has been quelled.

   Unfortunately, Fenwick was correct in assuming that the Chosen of Alviss would attempt to use that fencepost against him. The post slams against the center of Fenwick’s back, sending splinters of wood skittering in all directions. The mage crashes to the ground in a twisted heap, his body heavily injured. Luckily, his Lifesaver spell was still in the process of working its magic, and it dulls at least a bit of his pain, though his movements will likely be hindered for some time.

[Kitharsis]

Sembas had practice dodging fast objects.  Faile is quite speedy and he has gotten quite good at dodging her attacks during their training.  But now there was a multitude of chunks of dirt and rocks careening towards him.  No doubt he could dodge a great deal of them, but there were just too many to deal with.

Faile is still prepared to utilize the stonefall buff Sembas has cast on her, but the falconer needed some help with defense right now.  She focuses on the bond and creates a barrier around Sembas (WISDOM SPELL: Project Shield).  The barrier should deflect any rocks or clumps of dirt that Sembas fails to dodge.

Instead of falling back to dodge the spray of dirt and rocks, Sembas charges forward.  He attempts to dodge any large rocks or clumps of dirt (DEXTERITY: dodge) but allows any smaller pieces to hopefully bounce off of his shield.

Hoping that Bran wasn't expecting him to run straight through the debris, he charges right at the man.  Rearing back, Sembas throws his knife at the armor clad youth.  It flies through the air horizontally, aimed for his midsection.

Sembas takes the moment of hopefully distracting Bran with his knife to dive on top of his spear.  He tries to snatch it up and roll away unscathed, relying on his (STRENGTH) athletics ability to carry him through the small acrobatic act.

[Depheir Kogthar]

Depheir charged on Bran. Foolish act, because Bran noticed him and, instinctively whipped his sword around in his hand and plunged the point into the ground before him as he shouted a resounding battlecry.
 
Enormous shockwave knocks Depheir down, who finds himself slammed in the fence post.
He stands up slowly and he notices that he is bruised. He is moving a bit painfully.

Then there was multitude of chunks of dirt and rocks careening towards him. Too many to avoid all of them.

"I would cast now Arcane Shield, if I wouldn't have such lack of energy."

He focuses on avoiding any large rocks that try to attack him (DEXTERITY - Dodge) and, meanwhile, comes closer to his opponent, with his swords in his hands.

[john greymore]

The fencepost slams into his back with a 'poof!'... or a 'thud!'... or a 'boom!'... Or just a mixture of all three. 'Thoom'.

It is funny what danger can do to someone's head, even when they're immortal. Granted, he had just recently become immortal, so his mortal side could be toying around with him, but he had somehow hoped that the fencepost would simply go through him instead of onto-him-with-a-resounding-thoom.

Alas, danger also has a funny way of pulling you back. Danger did this by bruising (hopefully only bruising) his back and pushing him right onto the ground, forcing him to eat some of the grass beneath.

At least it wasn't sand.

Fenwick stood up, but fails miserably! His spell had stopped the bleeding, and it had made Sig's attack dull somewhat, but the worst wasn't over. His head was thumping, or 'thooming' as it was, in regular time. Thoom. Thoom. Thoom.

But in the corner of his eye, he finally recognises the spell that Depheir had cast. The summoned being would cover him while he lay recovering.

And yet he knew it wouldn't last. Sig was strong. Strong enough to destroy this thing AND use Fenwick's spine as a toothpick.

Ah, there was one thing in his favor: himself. Sig had bigger things to take care of, and Fenwick would be left alone. With this advantage (he hoped it was true) in mind, he readies a spell for the elemental, waiting for Sig to strike before casting. (Wisdom: spiritual magic--Protective Barrier)

He couldn't see how big it was from here, and he hoped the spell was big enough for it. Otherwise, he had no control exaclty which part of it would be affected.

He would be used as toothpick otherwise... hmm... a thought fleetingly flew by: what would happen if an Ageless was disembodied?

[Cameron]

Sig grins as he rips his axe out of the fence post and lets the cracked and battered post fall to the ground. Seeing Fenwick still on the ground and the Elemental approaching, Sig decides on his next course of action. He bows his head, almost in prayer, as he allows the axe to fall to the ground where it embeds itself into the soft earth.

"Father, grant me thy steady hands and dexterous fingers as I bestow upon thee a melody fit for thy grand halls!"

With a flourish, Sig unslings his lute with one hand while taking a deep swig of some liquid from a skin on his hip with the other. He then extends the skin in the direction of Bran, almost as if toasting him, before dropping it back to his belt and grasping the lute with both hands. Bran feels a presence wash over him, and the sounds around him become dull and muted.

Sig raises his hand high, preparing to play a tune.

"Now, everyone! TIME TO DANCE!"

Sig begins to play a lively melody. Everyone within earshot feels the uncontrollable urge to start dancing. As Sig increases the tempo of his impossibly catchy melody, the urge to dance increases to the point where it is irresistible. The only person nearby who does not feel this urge is Bran. To him, the song sounds muted, and has no effect. This leaves him with the perfect opportunity to wreak havoc on any poor fool on the battlefield too busy dancing to defend themselves. (Wisdom: Spiritual Magic - DANCE)

Sig continues to play, extending the duration of the effect. He shouts to Bran.

"I do believe now would be a fantastic time to do some head-bashing, lad!"

[Faidth]

        The Chosen of Alviss takes his lute in hand, and the spirited tune that follows affects nearly everyone who hears it. It charms their minds with its bouncy notes, soothes their hearts with its cheerful melody and invigorates their bodies to motion, thus compelling each to dance.

   Despite the fact that they have little control over their actions, everyone affected by this spell is filled with an unbridled sense of happiness, and they cannot help but to experience joy at these moments of levity.

   Bran looks around the field incredulously, surprised and a bit amused by what he is seeing unfold before him.  His elder brothers, Dennan and Corvus have linked arms and are spinning around in gleeful, bouncing steps. It had been many days since Corvus had returned from the frontlines and had since carried with him a very heavy heart. Bran cannot help but to smile at seeing the towheaded young man rejoice in gladness as the music overtakes him.

   Archer shakes her head in disbelief as she watches Besnik hop from fencepost to fencepost as he dances a merry, falcon jig.

   Down the path a bit, Blood and Muse are in the process of returning from Hestia’s infirmary. Muse’s face erupts in a look of unadulterated glee and she begins to whirl and spin, her arms stretched out to her sides, and her feet a blur of motion as she dances to and fro.

   Blood’s eyes widen as she scans the horizon for the source of this madness. Her gaze locks on the form of a man of diminutive stature. As Sig continues his ballad, Blood’s eyes narrow in irritation. She starts forward to put a stop to this insanity, but finds that her hips are swaying in such a way that they are keeping time with the downbeats. She catches sight of her superior officer, Fury, and gives her a look of desperation. However, the General merely responds with an expression of amusement and begins to tap her foot to the rhythm, though it seems more a matter of choice than compulsion. Blood growls in irritation and crosses her arms over her chest, indignant at the subtle intrusion Alviss’s child has made upon her subconscious.

   Sembas finds that he is unable to resist the alluring ballad as it reaches his ears and softly creeps over the entirety of his body. Faile, by some miraculous chance has been equally affected by the spell, and lands upon her master’s shoulder. She hops to and fro, landing upon his shoulder, bouncing to his head, and emerging on the opposite shoulder.

   Depheir, also affected by the spell, turns into a whirling dervish. His swords are extended to either side of him and his feet cross and uncross as he happily dances across the battlefield.

   Fenwick, too, is affected by the spell, and as the music reaches his ears, he is compelled to engage in the joyous dance that the All-Father has leveled upon the fray.

   
   Sig cries out to Bran. "I do believe now would be a fantastic time to do some head-bashing, lad!"

   Bran is instantly spurred to action and his eyes focus on the Elemental that is making its way towards Sig. Bran quickly closes the distance between himself and the creature, throwing himself in the Elemental’s path so that it cannot continue to pursue Sig. Bran holds his sword high above his head, and an earsplitting cry erupts from his lungs. So powerful is the shout of war that the ground beneath the Elemental begins to shake violently. As Bran roars, bits of dirt, chunks of rock, and pieces of minerals begin to fly from the Elemental as its form is stripped back down into its material components. Each particle that composes the elemental falls to the ground where it is quickly absorbed by the earth.

[john greymore]

Fenwick continues to lay down on the ground, prepared to cast his spell, aware of any move that Sig makes...

...He sees him take out his lute... and play it.

The melodies reach his ear and immediately, the adrenaline that coursed through his veins burn out. He is overwhelmed by a sense of joy as he gets onto his feet, the will of the all-father permeating his mind.

He is a young boy again as his feet sweep the floor and kicks out at the air, his hands holding up his robes from the ground so as to ensure he doesn't trip himself. A gigantic smile has crossed over his lips, teeth visible to all. Fenwick's eyes too, shine brightly as they reflect the light of the sun.

If one were to look into them, however, they'd realise that Fenwick was not mentally in the arena. There is a tinge of tragic hope as he remembers all the times he has gathered around the bonfire with the village, the silent longing within him breaking free and overtaking all his sensory faculties.

Bran roars as he charges the elemental, causing Fenwick to respond by giving a cheerful roar of his own, although he continues dancing to Sig's tune and the memories of his childhood.

[Depheir Kogthar]

Depheir successfully avoided the rocks resulting of the Bran's attack. He came closer to him, with his swords ready to strike.

Then he heared Sig's shout.

"Now, everyone! TIME TO DANCE!"

He turned his head on Sig and saw that he takes his lute in hand and begins to play a lively melody.

"What's that supposed to be? Some sort of trick or...", Depheir thought and soon after, he received his answer.

Cheerful melody fills his ears. He is overwhelmed by a sense of joy. Song invigorates him into motion and he begins to dance.

As the tempo increases, he feels more happy and joyful. He begins to spin, with his swords in hands. His feet cross and uncross as he happily dances across the battlefield.

Then, he hears Bran's roar. Depheir feels it was nearly the same roar as previous, it resulted similarly, but he doesn't care.

He allows the happiness of melody to fill his mind.

[Kitharsis]

"But...  I don't know how to dance..."  He says, as he tugs the hood tighter over his head.

The woman's laugh matches the cheerfulness of the music.  "Been stopming around in the mountains with your old man for too long, you little devil.  Come on now!  Its easy, just follow me!"  She grabs his hand and yanks him away from the tree he was leaning on.  His face burnt, and he was glad his hood was covering his red cheeks.  She spun and twisted around him, grinning and laughing at his sudden clumsiness.

She finally stops, allowing him a moment to stop his head from spinning.  His hood had fallen down as they were dancing and the hint of a smile was creeping up on his lips. 

"Mrs. Maria?"  A girl shyly inquires behind her.

"Yes dear?"

"Can I dance with Sembas too?"

The older woman laughs and nods.  The girl wastes no time to grab Sembas's hand and drag him closer to the fire where everyone else was dancing.

His head never stops spinning that night, but he never stopped dancing either.  All the way until the sun came up.  He falls asleep in the back of the cart all the way home the next day...



Faile was doing something reminiscent of a riverdance over his left shoulder.  Squawking with the beat, she flaps her wings and bounces in the air, sometimes rolling over Sembas's head during her gleeful trip.

He could see that girl's face from that night in his mind, feel her hand in his as they spun around the fire.  The falconer laughs as he kicks up dirt with lis legs and spins with his missing partner.  His spear has been tossed aside as he laughs and cavorts like a fool in the middle of the ring.

[Cameron]

Sig laughs out loud as he continues to play. He watches Bran dispatch the Elemental with ease while the rest of the group dances merrily. He glances at Fenwick, who appears to be slowing down. Sig shouts to Bran and gestures towards Fenwick.

"Oy, Bran! Might want to have a go at this one next. He's coming out of it!"

[Faidth]

   Bran nods in understanding and rushes towards Fenwick, who is beginning to dispel the effects of Sig’s musical incantation.

   The young man quickly closes the gap between him and the caster, and holds his sword high as he prepares to strike. However, his arm is frozen in the air as he watches Fenwick prance about gleefully.

   Bran frowns, hesitation presiding over his countenance. With doubt in his heart and a sense of guilt in his mind, he looks back at Sig. “Master Sig… This seems… wrong. He can’t even really defend himself.” He gestures to Fenwick with his broadsword. “I mean… look at him! He’s so happy! It’s like striking a child!”

   “Bran.” His mother calls out to him gently, and it can be noted that when she addresses her children much of her gruff demeanor is disregarded, being replaced with affection for her sons. “I am very proud that you are so virtuous, and it is important to stick to your convictions… But sometimes, we must cast aside our own feelings in order to attend to the greater good. Were he a Forsaken and you hesitated, he would have killed you already.”

   Bran nods, a look of resignation upon his face. It is an unpleasant lesson for a young one to learn, but he understands her words as truth. The hesitation falls away like leaves in autumn, and the young man gazes at the childlike Fenwick with determination in his eyes.

   Bran lunges forward with his broadsword and the point punctures the neck of Fenwick’s garment. With one, quick, fluid motion, Bran lifts up his blade, the point still skewering part of Fenwick’s clothing. He lets out a cry as he hefts the mage over his head with his blade and slams the dancing fool on his back, discarding his opponent as if he were a ragdoll.

   Fenwick’s head slams against the ground, and his vision explodes in an eruption of colors and lights as he finds himself quite addled again. Just as Fenwick begins to come to, he notices the General’s son standing over him. Bran, his expression devoid of emotion, strikes downward with his shield, slamming the center into mage’s skull, and rendering him unconscious.
   

[john greymore]

The music within wavered but just a little. Yet it was enough to destabalise his mental world.

"This seems... wrong................. defend.........-self................so happy......striking......child'

What was that? It seemed to come from the... campfire. Fenwick's dancing slows a little as he frowns, intently trying to make sense of what was going on.

His father comes forth, stands infront of him. He is silent and turns around as if checking to see if he had heard something right. He turns back, but the fire behind him blinds Fenwick. He's unsure whether his father was sad or...

Then his father's hands jabs upwards! It rips through Fenwick's garment and, in surprise, he looks down... only to see that his father's hand wasn't a hand anymore, it was the tip of a sword!! Fenwick manages a gasp before his father, with surprising strength, flings him right over his shoulder. Everything slows down as Fenwick realises that he was going to be thrown INTO the fire!!! he was going to burn!!! 'No father! No!' He tries to scream, but his lips seem to refuse to mouth the words. No sound came out as he lands, but the force is such that the night sky flashes into a bright blue, accompanied by what seemed to be lightning.

He groans, trying to open his eyes, but it was so bright... just a bit more time to sleep... He did, after all, dance throughout all of last night...

But something within him tickles and nudges him to wake anyway. He would normally have ignored it, but it seemed particularly strong today. He opens his eyes reluctantly.

He almost wishes he hasn't as he sees Bran standing over him. He is sparred the image though, for Bran places his shield between himself and his victim, before quickly bringing it down, smack into his skull.

Stunned, time seems to freeze as he registers the shield leaving his skull, before he is unconscious, his body spread out like an eagle.