Quest Breaks Over, Time to Get Serious. (Sira, Tia)

[Phoenix]

Even though the girls felt as if they were doing nothing, their accidental teamwork was confusing the Lavak. Sentient as it may be, there was little enough going on up there that it was quickly getting overwhelmed. Much like any creature that survived on speed and brawn, even the Djed enhanced creature could be beaten.

Sira's first bolt, though lacking the power of Priskil herself, drove the Lavak away. As soon as the beam of light exploded into the darkened cavern, the monster stopped dead in it's tracks for a handful of chimes before it managed to start moving; and even then, it only managed to weave drunkenly back and forth. It seemed as though Sira's beam had blinded the creature, but the weaving eventually slowed and the Lavak immediately shifted course and headed back around the lake, away from Sira. Tia's bolt into the water and the resulting rainbow gave it pause before shifting its course once more. It didn't head back towards Sira, nor did it go anywhere near the portion of the lake where Tia's lancet of light had landed. The creature seemed to remember where the attacks were coming from and was doing it's best to avoid it.

Though the women didn't feel as if they were doing anything right at all, their attempts were slowly but surely wearing the creature down. In fact, if it had been a dog, the Lavak would have been scampering away with its tail between its legs. The monstrous rock creature wasn't built for long drawn out fights. It was made for quick, surprise attacks and instant death.

Keep going The silvery voice was echoing around the cavern now, rather than within each of the women's heads. With enough light, enough confusion, the women could surely herd the creature into the water.

OOCDon't be afraid to kill it! I'm giving permission

[Sira]

When Tiaue'a beam changed the creature's direction once more, Sira began to pick up on the pattern. They couldn't hurt it, but the creature was stupid, and would not go in the same direction that one of the bolts came from twice. All they had to do was cut off any escape by attacking from every direction other than the lake, then it would be forced to retreat straight into the water. ..all that was assuming that the creature didn't kill them first. When Tiaue'a shouted, Sira reacted, running around the creature to cut if off once more. Sira focused on the bubble of light around her, willed it to lance out again. Now that she had figured out how to do it, it wasn't difficult anymore. She just hoped she wouldn't run out of light before the creature was destroyed. How many lances could she fire? The beam of light shot out, hitting the creature dead on once more. And once again the lavak turned away from the light. Sira shot off another beam just to make sure, before moving again. "We have to push it toward the water. If we cut off its escape, maybe it will go in!" If they could beat the lavak, maybe they would survive. If the two wind eagles could work together, maybe they would survive. Sira and Tiaue'a both had their differences, but if there was one thing Sira was certain about, it was that neither of them wanted to see Wind Reach destroyed, and neither of them wanted to die. All they had to do was use their goddess given powers to heard a massive lava monster into a giant underground lake without being burned to death or crushed by a caving in cavern, find a way out, and make it back to the city in one piece. Piece of cake... "We just have to work together, and we can beat this thing!" OOCSo, if you want to finish it off in your post, feel free to control Sira a bit and say that she works with you.

[Tiaue'a]

The rainbow light changed Tiaue`a’s whole perspective on this gifted power from Priskil. There was simply something divine that gave her lancet the power her own lacked. Still, its power against the Lavak was worthy. Observing the light told Ti`ue a bit about the Lavak, its fears, its weaknesses. Such a dark life must be regrettable. The guardians of Wind Reach would gladly put it out of its misery. Sira’s leadership abilities shined in this tense moment. Ti`ue tried to reciprocate the gesture the best she could, directing Sira to cover her side. “To the middle,” Ti`ue shouted. Together they could cut it off entirely and prepare for that final push. Tiaue`a retreated back to her side more and fired a lance to counter each of Sira’s. Quickly the Lavak turned from each shot of light, but to little effect. Soon the Lavak was totally dazed in place. It was clear their plan was working; Priskil’s powers had saved them and perhaps Wind Reach. The kelvic pair had finally pinned the creature down. Their lancets ceased to fire in alternating patterns, but synchronized as one. Each illuminating pulse bombarded the Lavak’s diamond hide to the final push. In the moments before it came to an end, Ti`ue had calmed down. The energy had become second nature, and it gave her time to wonder where they were. As the beams of light pierced the dark air, the shadow of the cave was pushed back to reveal strange walls. There was space enough to let Ti`ue’s nerves stay calm, but they were definitely lost. The realization that they might not get out of here started to settle upon her, or would Priskil show them mercy once more? A final thought came to Ti`ue before the Lavak plunged deep into the lake. The Lavak’s pain had been set on by water, its own body emitting some great heat as if from the Tomb itself. When the water touched it, it steamed and she had heard thunderous crackling and roars. Ti`ue thought it, but hoped the Lavak wouldn’t explode in this final moment. Then again, Ivak didn’t kill them when he broke free. What were the chances one of his minions would, especially with Priskil at their sides? Her eagle pride had returned, and in a way Ti`ue felt invincible and triumphant, ignorant of what journeys might lay ahead of her. The Lavak finally gave way from its position, unable to hold on any longer. The monstrous behemoth slipped back and fell in, its fate sealed. Now, Lhex turned his gaze to the heroines of the day.

[Phoenix]

Whether the Lvak was terribly stupid or too smart for its own good, it was hard to tell. The grinding, stone-on-stone shriek that filled the chamber, as those spears of light shattered the darkness and drove the beast to the water corral that awaited it in the center of the cavern, was like nothing the women had ever heard. Was it screaming in fright or bellowing in anger? With the Lavak dialect non-existent up until this point, it was impossible to know. Either way, the terrible creature turned away from each hard jet of light that went flying into its path.

The two Kelvic women would find that their lancets didn’t have the longest of ranges, forcing them to move in closer towards each other in order to reach the Lavak as it fled, the bubble surrounding each diminishing in size with each bolt they threw. By the time Sira and Tia were standing together along the back wall of the cavern, the Lavak between them and the lake, their bubbles were almost nonexistent.

If the Lavak knew its end was near, it didn’t show; though its actions were already frantic, the stony-shriek still echoing throughout the cave, it stood facing the two women up until the point when their final lance of light struck it directly in the chest; only then, mili-ticks before impact, the creature seemed to know what was going on. The surge forward it attempted only ended up aiding in the momentum with which it was flown backwards, meeting the beam of light with a greater speed than before. Arcing back into the air, the remainder of Sira and Tai’s bubbles shattering into an explosion of sparks around them and the Lavak both, the creature met its demise in a flash of glory; the sparks illuminated the deep, ruby red glow beneath its diamond husk. For a moment, it was beautiful.

Hitting the water with a loud gurgle rather than a splash, the monster that had turned a bad day worse for the women sunk quickly beneath the surface with only a large ripple to mark its passing, the water level of the lake raising just enough that the water lapped up onto dry stone. It was the silence that was the most startling, sudden after being surrounded by perpetual noise and fear since Syna’s light broke that morning. But it was over. They had defeated the djed-warped creature. Together, Tia’ue and Sira could breathe a sigh of relief, for at least they had stopped one monster that day…

Tia’s idle thought in the heat of the moment, forgotten now that the danger had passed, proved more accurate than she could have guessed. Lingering as they watched their foe sink, their eyes covered in brilliant spots from where their light shields had exploded, neither noticed the increased lapping of the water as it overflowed its natural bed until it was too late.

From within the depths of the lake, the Lavak exploded. Warped from it’s natural form, the creature was expelled from where it had lain dormant under tons of stone beneath Wind Reach when the volcano erupted, infused with such intense heat that its own body had turned into a diamond. Now, however, it was cooling rapidly, cracks appearing on the outer surface, water leaking in to extinguish its inner core until the now fragile husk couldn’t withstand the pressure anymore.

It took only a tick for the Lavak to explode into millions of pieces, shards of diamond and hardened lava that had flowed restlessly within exploded from the surface of the lake, the force of it sending a wave surging towards the women and knocking them off their feet as the debris continued upwards and directly into the ceiling of the carven.

The power of the water threw Sira and Tia together against the wall, neither of them faring well as their heads collided with stone, their unconscious bodies swept back down and into the lake as the water retreated again. Neither of them heart the rumbling or feel the shaking of the entire cave, but perhaps it was for the best. They were safe within the water when the ceiling collapsed, tons of stone and dust and even more water raining down and filling the empty space below.

Whatever they may have dreamed as they floated, it was the warmth that woke both women, and the light. Gentle words guided them from the inky blackness, a whisper of heat stringing throughout their bodies once they began to stir. Tia and Sira both would awake, laying side by side on their backs, staring up into the face of the goddess that cradled both their heads in her lab, Sira’s left hand and Tia’s right in each of her own.

“It is your power of will and determination that allowed you to succeed, my children.” The voice warmed them further, the sound of it a soft caress that, for the moment, wiped away their concerns. “I did not enjoy asking you to do such a thing, but it had to be done. For the sake of your people.”

Tilting her head as she regarded each woman in turn, Priskil smiled softly. “On the very day that the heart of your mountain explodes, expelling something far worse than molten stone, you had hope and determination in the face of what seemed like an impossible adversary. For this, my children, I bless you.” There was a fierce burning in each of the women’s hands that were held by the Goddess, the pain of it blinding them both and sending them back into the darkness that welcomed then with open arms.

When Sira and Tia awoke again, they were alone, the debris filled cavern looking much more dark and dreary without the goddess to light it for them. Above where the Lavak exploded, the ceiling was naught but a gaping hole, the rock that had fallen partially filling one side of the cavern and the lake itself. However, whether it be by coincidence or divine help, the debris seemed to form a stairway to the level above. When their strengths returned and the women once again walked into the unknown, they would find themselves in a familiar place at last; a small cave that held (or used to) a small pond in The Underground Forest. Perhaps fifteen chimes of walk would bring them to the entrance of the forest and back into their city… or what was left of it.

OOCGood job Wrap up here, as extensively as you'd like. I'll grade and award after your posts are complete. I'll award the knowledge (or lack thereof) of what was going on while they were trapped in my award.

[Sira]

"We did it," Sira exclaimed as her bubble burst and the monster was drove into the lake. "Tiaue'a, we did it!" Her cheer would be short lived, however, as the water began to churn and the Lavak exploded, creating a wave that swept both the kelvics off their feet. Sira's arms flailed as she tried to keep her head above water, but it was to no avail. The wave was moving too fast, and there was nothing Sira could do to stop herself from slamming into the wall. The pain resonated throughout her entire body over the course of an instant, and then everything went black. Sira was swept away into the water, and in reality, she should have drowned. Her unconscious mind didn't know any better not to try to breathe in the water, but luckily, Priskil decided it wasn't time for her to go yet. If Sira dreamed during the blackout she did not remember it, the only thing she knew was that she was drawn back by the warmth, and that warmth turned out to be the goddess Priskil. Sira didn't say anything as the goddess spoke, she didn't know what to say. She was just glad to be alive, glad that they had defeated the monster before it reached the city. It wasn't something she would have been able to do without Priskil, or Tiaue'a's help. Sira turned her head, seeing the other kelvic next to her, and offered her a smile before her hand burned in pain. It was hot and searing, and it overcame her, but at the same time it was not a bad pain. When she awoke the pain was gone, or at least the pain in her hand, but the mark was still there. Sira sat and stared at it for some time, finding it all hard to believe, but eventually she did stir. She tried to find Tiaue'a in the debris, though if she couldn't she would continue on without her in hopes that the other kelvic had already made it out. The stairway formed by the cave in was their only hope, and Sira wearily climbed to the top before pausing as a moment of recognition came over her. "We are.. in the Underground Forest, I think." Sira didn't know if Tiaue'a had been there before, or if she had ever walked the halls of Wind Reach as a human. She'd never seen her before, not in human form anyway, so it was unlikely that the wind eagle knew the way out. But Sira did.. vaguely. She hadn't been to the forest often, mostly during her bendi tasks, but she remembered which direction would lead them to the city. When they finally made it out, some fifteen chimes later, they still had to navigate their way through all the destruction. Sira was glad to see that Ivak had not completely wiped out the Inarta, but it would be some time before their city was fully functional again, and she didn't know what the death toll would be. Pausing, she turned to her kelvic companion. "Thank you.. for your help down there. I wouldn't have survived without you. ..I have to go find Addy now, and my daughter. Good luck.. I'll see you around, I guess." And with that being said, Sira went on her way. She really was grateful to Tiaue'a, but she had to find her lover and daughter. Now that the danger to the city was out of the way, finding her family was all that mattered to her. She did find them eventually, though it took some time, and in the end they discovered that two of them were missing. Sai and Catabasis were gone; probably dead. Natalie was missing, but they found her eventually. And so many more had died, wind eagles and Inarta both. It would be a long time before the city recovered, though the pain of those lost and the memories might never heal. Sira would try her best to move on, and she had Priskil to thank most of all for returning her to her family.

[Tiaue'a]

Grinning wide, Ti`ue turned to Sira to share in her jubilation. Ti`ue had only felt relief herself in this victory. She knew they should have both died with those far above them outside. Why Priskil had helped them was still a mystery to her. Ti`ue was actually quite scared to return to the surface. Only Sira knew about this secret, but she didn’t know if she could trust her. She knew she’d be going out into a new world, and didn’t have the heart to face it. Ti`ue was swept away alongside Sira as swiftly as the stone shattered and the wave washed over them. Perhaps they had celebrated too soon. The initial force overwhelmed her, and her body soon became the play thing of the lake’s twirling in the flowing grasp. She seemed to have awakened in the lake; she felt the coolness of the water, that weightless liquid touch slowing her movements. She was looking down into the darkness, the light from behind her barely penetrating its depths. There was something thunderous behind her, a distraction to this darkness. It beckoned to her, and for the moments to come she felt drawn to it, physically so even. Slowly she felt herself sinking, the pressure growing, something reaching out to take her. She wasn’t afraid of it either, just cautious and curious. The thunder above died down and light filled these bottom depths. The thing retreated back into shadow, and Ti`ue was retrieved by the warmth yet again this day. Tiaue`a blinked, soon finding it necessary to shield her eyes from the light of the Goddess Priskil. Still, she tried to peek through and catch a good look at the face of the Goddess. Ti`ue wondered what this divinity looked like, what she shared in common with the Inarta and wind eagles to show such passion? Was she so human? What face would she think of in prayer and thanks for the mercy she had received this day? Priskil’s words, although flattering, seemed trivial in the might of her own power. It wasn’t until after the burning came Ti`ue realized what it was Priskil found worth saving. Somehow it seemed the Goddess had her own agenda in this tragedy. Ti`ue tried to imagine what hope Priskil found in her. She knew Sira’s valor existed in excess, but not her. It became too much and Ti`ue slipped back away in to some other stasis of darkness before she would later awake. Waking, Ti`ue found herself in an unfamiliar element and swam to some ledge or another. Grasping onto the rocky steps, she pulled herself closer and inward until she had a finer grip. She climbed out lost and confused, but felt the need to wander nearer the exit. The marking was already having its way with her, giving her direction. She stopped in pause looking back into darkness. She stopped not knowing where to go. Sira’s voice, and the faint glow of her palm, gave her away. Ti`ue couldn’t explain it, but she knew something was different about Sira too, sensed it even. Ti`ue had not been here before, and frankly it began to freak her out a bit. It was strangely quiet considering what had just happened. Just happened? Ti`ue had no idea how long they had been away from the city. She let Sira lead the way, following the faint glow and sensation of where she was. They eventually came to exit, and Sira said her thanks and good-bye. Ti`ue could do little more than wish her well. She found the kelvic’s informal tone strange. After all that was happening, she was still on task. Sira was a great leader, or would become one in time. Ti`ue hesitated to exit the cave, now remembering what that thunderous roar was. Everything that she knew or loved or hated, it was gone or she thought as much. She was terrified to go back out into the ash and fire. She began to tense up when the flare of her palm began to sooth her. She calmed down, stopped grinding her teeth and took a firm look at the exit. She could thank Priskil for giving her some direction later. Tiaue`a stepped out into the light with new hope.

[Phoenix]

Sira

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Flying	5
Acrobatics	3
Observation	5
Investigation	5
Wilderness Survival	3
Land Navigation	2
Running	3
Unarmed	5
Leadership	5

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Djed Storm, Spring 512
•	Rising to defend Wind Reach
•	Trying to reinforce Ivak’s Prison
•	Defending against a forgotten danger
•	Ivak Escapes
•	Watching Fellow Wind Eagles Fall
•	Losing All Your Loved Ones
•	Changed by the Djed
•	Forced to work with Tiaue’a
•	Exploration: Trapped in a cave by Wild Djed
•	Lavak (Incomplete)
•	Fighting Ivaks Emotional Control
•	Praying: Prayer Answered
•	Priskil: Praying for Help
•	Almost-death via Diamond Lavak
•	Tiaue’a: Wind Eagle Kelvic!
•	Priskil: Light Shield
•	Lavak: Killed by water
•	Lavak: Language (unknown)
•	Marked by Priskil
•	Saving the City, and no one was there to see it

Tiaue'a

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Flying	5
Acrobatics	3
Observation	5
Investigation	5
Wilderness Survival	3
Land Navigation	2
Running	3
Unarmed	5
Leadership	5

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Djed Storm, Spring 512
•	Rising to defend Wind Reach
•	Trying to reinforce Ivak’s Prison
•	Defending against a forgotten danger
•	Ivak Escapes
•	Watching Fellow Wind Eagles Fall
•	Kelvic: Forced to Transform
•	Changed by the Djed
•	Angry at the World
•	Exploration: Trapped in a cave by Wild Djed
•	Lavak (Incomplete)
•	Fighting Ivaks Emotional Control
•	Prayer: Not as useless as it seems
•	Almost-death via Diamond Lavak
•	Priskil: Light Shield
•	Lavak: Killed by Water
•	Lavak: Language (unknown)
•	Marked by Priskil
•	Saving the City, and no one was there to see it

The Order of the Phoenix

Well, well, well. We finish at last! Great job you two, it was really enjoyable. I am sorry it took so long but... well, y'know, epic things take a while. This was a very important quest and I hope you're proud

The Spoils:

Sira: Being a Kelvic and therefore not having a static form, the Djed that mutated the rest of the Wind Eagles effected Sira differently. In direct sunlight, Sira's feathers seem to take on a blue-ish tinge, and because the Wild Djed forced you out of her natural form, whenever Sira shifts back into her human form there is the chance that she will become the weird thingShe would find that her skin remained the same dark blues. The Transformation is not complete, however, and instead of hair, long, dark feathers cover her head. They mimic the looks of hair, but it's not quite the same. that landed after Ivak escaped. Natalie, having run away with Sairque in this thread, has also suffered some changes. Since Natalie is Sira's daughter and not Sairque, the effects will be listed here instead. Because she was exposed to such a large amount of Djed when so young and still growing in both Kelvic and human ways, Natalie's size increased tenfold thanks to the proximity of Catabasis when the Djed caught them. Instead of being a normal sized Kestrel, Natalie is instead about half the size of Sira; not large enough to carry an adult on her back, but able to keep up with other Wind Eagles for short periods of time.

Sira has also been awarded a First Gnosis Mark of Priskil, on her left hand.

Tia: Being a Kelvic and therefore not having a static form, the Djed that mutated the rest of the Wind Eagles effected Tia differently. Because the Wild Djed not only forced her out of her natural form but because it was so resisted and the first time she had changed to human in a long time, Tia will find herself randomly shifting back into human shape for unexplained reasons and in random times: This includes if she is flying. The shift back into Wind Eagle form, however, can be done as swiftly as Tia is able. Sometimes, after shifting from human back to Wind Eagle, Tia's feathers change colors for around a bell.

Tia has also been awarded a First Gnosis Mark of Priskil, on her right hand.

Both: Both women would, later, find a large, fist-sized, burnt, red-diamond chunk of the Lavak in their respective living spaces.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.