Completed Chaotic Inferno (Annalisa)

[Soshakuakamamushi]

An Artifact of great power sought upon by the Viper.

The assault on the Undead Isle by the Serpentine forces of Eyktol, led by Queen Soshakuakamamushi, the Master Reimancer and daughter of Ivak.

Annalisa Marin, Master Wizard and daughter of Rhysol, lay wait without fear.

A duel of fates shall enact...

80th of Winter 513 A.V, 1st of Bell, Elements Sanctum

"There it isss, my Queen, the Elementsss Sssanctum," A male Viper in Dhani form bowed in respect as he gestured to the simple thick iron door, his body wearing elaborate plate armor specifically created for the Queen's elite guards. Another male Viper stood beside him, halberd ready should any undead was foolish enough to strike them. It was unlikely as the Sahovan forces were busy engaging the Dhani horde above, but in this horror island, one could never be too careful. Intelligence spoke of the "Elements Sanctum", a laboratory owned by the master reimancer of Sahova. Surely it would hold some of the most rare reimantic artifacts in Mizahar.

"Hmph... I sssee~ Well, let'sss sssee what'sss inssside," A haughty female voice echoed in the caverns as the aforementioned Queen opened her lips, a small girl with pale skin, long jet black hair tied into twin ponytails, and scarlet reptilian eyes. This girl was the Queen of the Viper Dhani, in human form, wearing a simple black robe tied by a red sash. In a quick glance, the girl looked weak and harmless but one should never judge a book by its cover, especially regarding sorceresses. Queen Aka was a master reimancer and decent acrobat in her own right, especially regarding flames. Symbolizing her fiery nature and raging ambition, she gained the nickname of "Crimson Coils" for one good reason, this particular queen was immune to the flames she wielded. A mark of twinning flames on her left shoulder blade, touched by the God of Flames and emotional upheaval, Ivak.

At her gesture, the two elite guards took their stations beside her, one on her left and one on her right. Aka raised an eyebrow at the seemingly simple door, such a flimsy entrance was unfit for the residence of a Master, perhaps these Sahovans rotted their brains too much. Nevertheless, it would be destroyed, the Queen held raised her right hand as she closed her eyes and let her res flow quickly to her palms, then oozing out from her eye-shaped scar in the form of reddish mist. With ease, she willed the res to gather in the form of a large ball floating in front of her. "Boysss, get ready!" A tick after that, the ball launched forward with great speed while its surface transformed into a form of extremely hot liquid substance known as lava... then it reached its target.

The iron door's temperature rose to dangerous levels as lava coated it, it soon succumbed to heat as the door literally melted, making way for the Dhani. At a brush of her hair, Aka's res turned the lava into harmless puffs of air then she absorbed what remained of her res. At last, one of Sahova many secrets shall be hers! A gesture was all that it took for her guards to dash forward, heavy steel halberds raised and ready, with their Queen sprinting between them. Soon, they entered the infamous Elements Sanctum.

"Ssso, anyone in charge? Ha! Sssurrender and maybe, I'll let you live~" An arrogant flick of hair and searching slitted eyes, the Queen offered her generous ultimatum to whoever owned the place.

[Annalisa Marin]

The Elements Sanctum was as quiet as the grave, the massive cavernous structure wide and lit by the soft glow of Sahovan magelight. Intricate Glyphs adorned the walls and floor, wards and scroll sigils alike that danced through the room like works of arcane artistry. Very little had changed about the Sanctum from its changing hands from the Mad Master of Reimancy to the Chaotic Sorceress. Very little except for the wall of purple flames near the far wall across from the entrance.

Behind the wall of flames was a shadowy silhouette, one of a figure seated and unmoving from the rather dramatic entrance. Aside from the shadow there was no sign of life in the massive lab, no golems waiting in the wings to attack, no Apprentices arrayed out to defend their master. It was all still but for the flickering of flaming wall, and the figure beyond it. Such a massive lab, and yet it appeared so very empty.

"I trust you are aware that most normal people knock before entering another's domain? That was a rather good door as well, you have no idea how long it will take to replace do you? Though I suspect manners are not something to expect from a Sub-Human." A voice echoed through the Sanctum, its tone smooth like thick honey but possessing an undercurrent of frost.

The figure stood from behind the flames and started walking towards the wall of fire, which slowly started to reduce in size until they vanished completely. Forward stepped a very tall dark haired woman, adorned in the red robes of a master with a ring that looked to be wrought of pure obsidian on her right ring finger. Artfully intricate Glyphs twists down her fingers and down her hand, sigils of power adorning her very body. Narrow grey eyes were fixed firmly upon the intruders to her domain, her strides slow and rather menacing. A slight smirk seemed to play on her pale lips, one that looked amused more than anything else.

She stopped her advance in the center of the Sanctum, placing her hands in her voluminous sleeves regally. Master Wizard Annalisa Marin looked her intruders up and down, amusement more than anything crossing her mind. This was the threat the Council had warned against, what the Citadel had found itself unprepared to deal with? She was hardly impressed, though it appeared that at least one of them was a reimancer. Anna scratched her chin idly, translucent purple res forming on the bottoms of her feet and moving to snake across the ground.

The res made contact with a pathway Glyph and was sped along it towards the entrance, moving past her guests and to where the door had once existed. Anna flicked her right hand out, willing a combination of attraction and transmutation to occur. A wall of earth rose up where the door had once existed, blocking escape for the intruders.

"Surrender? Oh, but I do so love guests in the Elements Sanctum, even uninvited ones such as yourselves. Not many people have the gall to break down the door of Mistress Annalisa Marin. Tell you what, Sub-Human wench, how about you surrender and you and I can get better acquainted in the Dungeons? I think you'd look so very pretty with Djed Shackles around your little wrists." The Sorceress replied, purple res already forming on her hands at a seemingly unreal speed.

Two large shimmering disks of purple razor sharp ice formed next to her hands and with a twitch of her fingers they were sent out spinning towards her guest and her cadre. Already purple gaseous res was radiating from her body threateningly, combat being prepared for. The actions barely seemed to register to the tall woman, who seemed rather at ease with this whole affair. They'd either live or they wouldn't, they were threats to the Citadel and thus threats to her home. Rhysol still had need of Sahova, so Anna needed to keep it standing and safe for the moment.

"Oh, do be careful not to all die. The Council will want some of you for interrogation, no doubt Qiao would be less than pleased if you all died." The tall woman said, her words sounding almost like an after thought. It was as though she had already dismissed any kind of threat they might have posed to her or the Citadel.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

OOCI found Anna's combat theme in your CS and it's just perfect for the scene!

The Elements Sanctum turned out to be a large cave much like the gathering hall of a Dhani nest, Aka's scarlet slitted eyes adjusted to the purplish light decorating the massive cavern-like room. The whole Sanctum was empty except for arcane drawings on the floor and walls, the mesmerizing purple wall of flame, and... the silhouette of a seating figure behind the aforementioned firewall. Oh, that must be the boss! The Queen Viper grinned as she flexed her fingers and took daring steps towards the figure, undeterred by the menacing flame wall. Why would she? Flames were the very extension of her body, at a flick of her hand, she could turn them into a weapon, a shield, an armor, anything she desired. The duo of elite guards followed closely behind their queen, determined to defend her with their very lives.

Her assumption was correct as a deep female voice echoed in the cavern, her tone possessed no amount of fear, almost calm and soothing, but clearly held malice within them. The voice's sarcastic remark along with its deluded view of human superiority brought a hissing giggle from Aka's lips, the Viper merely brought her right hand to her hip as she brushed one of her ponytails behind her back with her left hand, "Sssehehehehe! Funny, aren't ya? If that'sss the bessst 'door' you could afford, I bet you are sssome kind of a poor bitch, oh sssorry, humansss are lower than a bitch, they are like insssects, crussshed beneath our ssscales!" She taunted the figure, assuming she was a human. After all, only one of those insects could be proud of their flawed heritage.

Her taunt seemed to work as the figure revealed herself, leaving the puny protection of her firewall, the purple flames snuffed out, just like how this woman would be once Aka's done with her. The woman was very tall, much taller than the Viper in human form, long dark hair, dull grey eyes with womanly facial features, she wore some kind of intricate robe complete with jeweller and tattoos, not ordinary tattoos, Aka could recognize them as Glyphs of arcane power. "Hmph, ssso you finally ssshow yourssself, I don't care who you are," The Viper stepped forward, her hips swaying in an arrogant motion much like a Mistress to her insignificant slave, "Kisss my feet, beg for your life, insssect!"

Her threat had no visible effect for the woman responded by swiftly exhuming what appeared to be her res, purplish in color. The res quickly slithered across the ground like serpents, passing the Dhani, and conjured a wall of stone where the melted door once stood. She then so arrogantly introduced herself as 'Annalisa Marin', a fact Aka didn't bother to care, but... the Viper had to admit, her display of magical prowess was impressive, only experienced reimancers could do what she did, Aka knew by personal experience. When this 'Annalisa' threatened to capture her, a Queen of a Dhani Nest, and shackled her, Aka felt her patience wearing dangerously thin, especially since the woman added the word 'little'. She was not a little girl, she was a genuine adult Dhani, this insect mocked her just because she had tall womanly figure, smart, very smart. Aka idly wondered if this human could read her memories and found out about her insecurities.


"Why you..." The Queen clenched her fists as gaseous reddish res flowed out from palms, gathering into large twin spheres each floating beside her shoulders. The Viper's slitted eyes narrowed as she felt caution rising within her, her instincts telling her that this particular opponent could not be underestimated, no matter what race she was. Still, a part of Aka's mind became excited, finally, a worthy opponent, a fellow Reimancer capable of facing her on equal terms, this woman better walked the talk. Her guards stood beside her, hissing and ready to charge. The moment when Annalisa launched her icy strike, the battle was adjoined.

Aka's eyes widened as her small body slightly hunched down, like an angry cobra, and the twin spheres beside her ignited with the inner layer transmuting into stones, creating two flaming boulders. The spheres then quickly charged forward, crashing onto Annalisa's ice, heat, cold, and force mixing as the elements cancelled each other out. "Boysss, go back," She gestured for her elite guards to stand back and watch the entrance, this woman was hers. The guards obeyed without questions and slithered away from the two master reimancers.

"Amusssing, insssect..." The Viper grinned, res quickly slithering out from her palms and back, "Let me ssshow you, the power of Dhani Queen Aka! Far mightier than you and your walking corpssse friendsss!! Sssahahahahaha!!" She flexed her legs and suddenly dashed to the right, fully exploiting her inherent Dhani agility and acrobatic prowess, she would be circling Anna in a random pattern, aiming to confuse the Reimancer. As she ran, her gaseous res formed into the shape of four thick cobras, surrounding Annalisa. At their Mistress' command, the serpents all ignited into flames and charged at the human, one from her front, two from her sides, and one from behind, upon contact, the serpents would explode, producing shockwave and heat.

"Buuuuurn to asshesss!!"

[Annalisa Marin]

OOCGaha! I rather liked that one as well, though I've been listening to a different song for this little battle.

Music! :

Anna let the insults pass without comment, knowing that this girl would either prove to be a very good reimancer or she would be very dead. As the woman watched her conjure res her eyebrows rose by a fraction, genuinely impressed by the apparent skill her new opponent displayed. As the Dhani met her spells Anna’s smirk evolved into something positively predatory, it had been far too long since last she had met an opponent worthy of fighting. Maelstrom had been that last, her battle with the Mad Master of Reimancy having threatened to tear the Citadel itself asunder. Now she was being given a playmate for a bit to toy with.

The Sorceress noted with some irritation that her opponent was fairly quick and mobile, spinning about her with incredible speed and agility. Already the Viper was summoning further res and shaping it so Anna responded in kind with her purple gaseous res, moving it outwards to form a circular wall around her. The tall woman made a spinning motion with her left arm over her head, willing the gas to take on an attractive force to the air around it and start to pick up speed. Her hair and robes whipped up around her as the cyclone was born, a barrier that would easily batter aside the flaming snakes.

As the spell was born Anna allowed liquid res to seep into the ground, wiling a combination of attraction and transmutation to occur. She stomped on the ground; four arm sized earthen spikes tearing themselves from the ground. Anna moved them into the cyclone, her face a mask of purest concentration as she maintained control of the two spells. The spikes span quickly and at an unreal speed as they were moved along in the cyclone, kept inside and controlled. Once they reached their highest speed Anna would give a twitch of her finger, sending the spikes at her one at a time at a high speed. Gaseous res radiated from her body as she held the spell, ready for a follow up spell when needed.

The thrill of casting was washing over her mind but Anna did not feel the drain normally associated with it and at the moment found that she didn’t care. It had been far too long since last she had been permitted to let loose and she intended to enjoy every single second of it. It was almost a pity this Viper was an enemy, Anna allowed a tiny pang of regret to cross her heart that she was an enemy and wasted her time opposing Alahea. She could have possibly made for a very potent commander for the new Alahean Empire, yet instead she led an army of Sub-Human. A pity.

“I’ve faced dangers far older and more potent than a little Sub-Human wench playing at games of power. I was not bested by them and I shall not be bested by you. Surrender now and I might intercede on your behalf to the Council, I need a pretty little slave girl to warm my bed.” Anna taunted over the gale of the cyclone.

The Sorceress willed the majority of the cyclone to die down and split some of her gaseous res into two parts, one in front and the other near one of the far walls of the cavern. Anna hopped just a little bit and willed the res in front of her to transmute to compressed air, blowing her backwards towards the cavern wall. The cloud of res near the wall transmuted to air a little bit before she reached it, providing a cushion that stopped her from slamming into the wall. The tall woman stumbled a bit, attempting to get her bearing. That little maneuver tended to be just a little bit disorienting, though useful when one needed to gain distance between then and an opponent.

A smirk crossed her lips as her arms sheathed themselves in thick purple res, primal ecstasy bubbling in her mind from all of this casting. It had indeed been far too long since last she had gotten a decent spar; hopefully this Aka was as good as she appeared to be otherwise things might end far too quickly when the fighting really started. Her superior smirk was still firmly upon her face, her mind pondering one little detail about her Sub-Human opponent that rather irritated her.

“You know, for one who claims we humans as being ‘insects’ it seems you spend a fair deal of time attempting vainly to emulate our forms. Typical Sub-Humans, always envying your natural betters.” Anna quipped, her tone bearing much false sweetness to it. Perhaps she might be able to goad her opponent into making mistakes through anger.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

OOCOho! Dragon Age! I completely agree with ye!

The looks on both of the combatant's face clearly showed their hunger for excitement, both of them craving thrilling joy of facing one's equal, indeed, it had been so long. Aka could feel her gnosis flaming as euphoria built inside her mind, the normally cold-blooded Dhani became warm ever since that fateful day, the day where Ivak gave her purpose in the deep jungles of Falyndar, decades had passed and the Viper returned to her home in the deserts of Eyktol; she was taken in a new nest of Vipers, rose through the ranks, became Queen, and through fire and flames, finally united all Vipers in Eyktol under one banner, under the leadership of the Crimson scales.

Of course, her ambition lay beyond just Eyktol, Queen Aka recalled the lores told by her long-dead Nuit master, Galbern, about the magical fortress of Sahova, how the wizards lived, its various chambers, and one... caught her interest, the Elements Sanctum, where the greatest of Reimancers set foot. The young Dhani girl was awed back then, promising to herself that she would one day visit the Sanctum, to learn its secrets... but now, the young girl, though very similar in physical appearance, was replaced by a proud and powerful Dhani queen, bent on subjugating the whole isle under her rule. She had planned this siege for years, building the nest, gathering information, allying the nest with Pressorah of Ahnatep, and waited until just the perfect moment.

In an attack at this magnitude, the Queen herself participated, the Serpentine race sailed for the undead island, a long and harsh voyage, but the children of Siku were mighty, nothing could stop them, whether in Zinrah or in Sahova, her flames shall burn all that opposed her. In this moment, she had this reimancer as an opponent, one of those insects, deluded and foolish. The Dhani Queen merely scoffed at her foe's attempt to boast her experience, dangers far older than the Dhani? A Dhani required one century to mature, they were the most long-lived race in Mizahar, excluding the immortals such as the walking corpses and the horned men. Aka's simple robe and long hair swayed fiercely in the cyclone created by Anna, her slitted eyes keeping watch of the earthen spikes, one strike from then and her small body would be in pieces. Her flaming serpents didn't work and her opponent escalated from being a nuisance to a genuine threat, that was it, no more holding back.

Aka prepared herself as gaseous res flowed out from her shoulders, surrounding the Viper in a sphere of res, she willed the res to manipulate the flow of air around her, deflecting them away, making her unaffected by the cyclone, then her legs flexed as she concentrated at the spikes, her small form making her a harder target to hit. The first spike was launched and time seemed to slow down as the Viper rolled away to the left, sharp earthen projectile narrowly missing her, she quickly recovered herself and found another spike homing at her. A smirk spawned at the corner of her lips as Aka launched herself diagonally upwards in a high jump, the earthen spike just under her legs, she landed with a roll to quickly recover, the sphere of res around her kept her safe from the cyclone's wrath. It wasn't over, two more spikes to go, as another spike targeted the Dhani, the Viper hunched down, brought up her right hand and slammed the ground, quickly seeping her res into it. The res obeyed its Mistress' will and uprooted a thick wall of stone in front of her, shielding Aka from the spike. The elements clashed, Aka could feel the force even through her wall, what a worthy opponent. She stood up and planted her right foot behind her as she made a pushing motion, sending the stone wall launching forward, clashing it with the final earthen spike, the wall crumbled but it had done its purpose.

Aka's right eye twitched as Anna spoke that one word, "Oho... I don't know, but I have the feeling you are jussst bluffing, you are actually terrified right now, ssso much for all that height, sssehehehe!" How quaint, Anna offered servitude to a Queen, her mind must be rotten beyond salvation, "Hilariousss, hahahaha! I'm pleasssed, I changed my mind, I'll spare you and keep YOU asss my ssslave inssstead!! I'll ssstrip you off that fancy robe, put collar on your neck, and manaclesss on your wrisssts and anklesss!! You'll be my own personal living doll, insssect!" The Dhani Queen stood proud as she watched her opponent flying backward with a force of air. Some of her haughty attitude was quickly replaced with rage as Anna chastised Aka about her humanoid form, the arrogance of this insect knew no bounds, what made her think the shape of a creature with two arms standing on two legs was exclusive to humans? Utter stupidity. "Pfft," Aka brought her right hand to her hip as venom coated her words, "Stupid insssect, I bet you think Akalaks, Konti, Eypharian, Symenestra, and those bronze monkeys called 'Myrians' are 'emulating' humans as well," The Viper gave a shrug with her left shoulder, like an exasperated mentor to her idiotic apprentice, "Looksss like I have to burn sssome sssense into that dung-layered brain of yoursss!!"

Music #2! :

The Viper altered her stance as her feet firmly planted on the ground, slightly spread apart. Bursts of hot steam pouring out from her pores all over her body, a trait she picked up from her near-death overgiving experience, along with enormous amount of res, both in liquid and gas form. The res surrounded their mistress, from every direction, Aka's form looked reddish through the thick layer of res around her. "Sssaaaaah!!" With a hissing scream, the Viper ignited her res, creating a blazing inferno around her form, akin to a gigantic bonfire. Her clothes started to catch fire and burn away, but she didn't care, flames could never harm her. She raised her right hand upwards, her palms in a clawing motion, her raging fiery child then flew up, merging into one in a mesmerizing ritual of fire. "Sssahahahahaha!" The casting euphoria only fueled her further, after a few moments, it was as if Syna herself was floating in the middle of the Elements Sanctum, a gigantic raging sphere of fire, held by thick amount of res in its core.

"Now then, daaaance!!" Without further ado, Aka pointed to Anna with her right index finger and as if on cue, the sun quaked with anger and sent numerous smaller fireballs and flaming serpents at the Master wizard. She didn't stop there, while her Syna was barraging Anna, Aka flowed a thick concentration of res to the tips of her right index and middle finger, ominous crackles of electricity echoed as the Viper pulled at her djed, sending streams of res at high speed, as they flew, Aka would transmute them into lightning. Explosions and thunder filled the room and the Sanctum itself shuddered at the two Reimancer's might.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna was pleased her opponent was still standing; to end this fight so quickly after it had begun would have been criminal beyond all possible belief. No doubt this was a blessing granted to by the Defiler, another chance to prove herself worthy in his eyes as a vessel for his divine essence. It was one of the many things that separated her from Aka, her flesh having been forever branded with the blood of Rhysol himself. She belonged only to him, to that master whose power knew no limits and whose further ascension was so very close at hand.

The rise of the new Alahean Empire had already seized Sylira firmly in its grasp, but while armies marched and raised and conquered in the name of the lost empire Anna plotted something far greater. There was power buried deep in Sahova, divine power that Rhysol desired to add to his own already considerable influence. That was why Sahova needed to remain standing, why she could not afford to let it fall into the hands of these snakes, so she could seize that power and give it unto Rhysol. To elevate him beyond the other gods, to make him the God of the Gods.

“Oh, but of course they do. It is only natural to develop towards perfection after all; I can’t exactly blame them for that. But enough of this foreplay; show me some actual skill.” The woman replied, her purple res gathering as a liquid across her body.

Then the serpent actually did something that cause Anna to view her with incredulous eyes, she burned herself with her own flames. She was wreathed in them, only when her clothes began to burn away her flesh remained unmarred by the hungry flames in an almost impossibility. If nothing else it was telling her that fire could not be utilized here, that she would simply shrug it off as though it were nothing. It was a setback, but Anna had hardly gotten to where she was today by being a subpar reimancer who could only toss around flames. Or by just being a reimancer.

The Sorceress recovered from her astonishment and willed her res to seep into the ground on either side of her, the casting euphoria aided by the rush of adrenalin surging through her veins. The flames were fast approaching, but while her opponent toyed with Ivak’s flames Anna would allow the arms of Semele to hold her in their embrace. She willed a combination of attraction and transmutation to occur in both spots of the ground, gesturing up lightly with her hands. The ground rumbled and shook slightly as two massive stone hands sprung forth from the bonds of the earth.

Their fingers moved in tune with her own, the res still present within them and their overall shape granting the mimicry of actually being hands to them. She moved one to shield her body, cupping it in front of her protectively as the flames met the barrier, the other hovering nearby ready for use. The flames broke upon it like water on rock, searing it and blackening its surface but doing little harm besides. The lightning that followed however was far more potent as it exploded into the stone construct and utterly destroyed it. It had done its job, now it was time to respond to her opponent in a similar fashion.

Anna willed the remaining hand to speed toward her opponent with its fingers stretched wide, idly using attraction upon the air to give it a further boost of speed. She intended to use it to grab and restrain her opponent, crushing her if the need presented itself. Of course due to her opponent’s agility this might prove more difficult than she would have preferred, however as long as she kept the Viper occupied to some degree it was time she could use in her favor. The other hand being destroyed freed up some of her concentration, which was immediately devoted to generating more res in preparation for more spells. The drain had still yet to settle upon the tall woman, but she was hardly questioning it at the moment as she was embroiled in heated battle.

“It amazes me; truly, that you had the gall to come here Miss Aka, was it? That you possessed the arrogance to enter into my domain and expect to try to impress me as you currently have. Have you never wondered why I am so feared and respected by those who were practicing magic before my ancestors ancestor were born? It’s not merely because I am a reimancer, not merely because the elements bend to my whims and commands. Rather, magic itself bends to my whims.” Anna stated, her tone almost patronizing.

“Look around you, snake queen, notice the Glyphs arrayed throughout this chamber? Surely you did not think them merely for show, surely you must know that they hold more power than either you or I ever could. Let me give you a demonstration.” Anna said, her gaze falling upon the pair of Dhani guards.

“Products of air and wind, release thy selves.” Anna stated loudly, a simple phrase.

Speeding from either side of them, the guards would find shards of ice rocketing towards them from the walls as each wave had exited the Glyphs upon the walls with compressed air giving them further speed. If they didn’t react with all due haste these guards would quickly find themselves shredded into bloody chunks upon the floor. Anna for her part laughed loud and uproariously at the sight, maintaining control of the hand if it still remained.

“You see, you little Dhani whore, you are in my domain now. My kingdom, my empire, my little slice of the mortal realm. I am unto a goddess here; the power to warp the rules of magic is mine to command. The very structure of this Sanctum is a weapon leveled against you, one that heeds my words. I could have killed you when you first entered with but a string of phrases, just as I can now. Beg for your worthless life before the eyes of Rhysol and I might yet show mercy.” The Chaon declared, the res in wrapped around her being sent towards her opponent.

The air around it crackled malevolently as a trio of large lightning bolts were sent arcing towards her opponent. Anna moaned in ecstasy, the heat of casting washing her mind to take away all the horrors her eyes had seen upon the island. She was in love with this moment and never, ever wanted it to end.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Ahahahaha! Buuuurn!" The Viper's mini-sun kept launching firebolts and flaming serpents at her opponent even as Anna conjured giant stone hands, sturdy or not, flames would consume them sooner or later, such was the nature of fire, an all consuming force, all shall return to ashes under its might. Aka's brows slightly furrowed, her lightning strike missed its intended target... no, rather than missing, it was blocked by one of those damned hands, the thunder destroyed it at least, but still, her opponent was left mostly unharmed.

"Tch..." A smart opponent indeed, the insect didn't let her remaining stone hand to stay put, sending it off to Aka at high speed, an annoying move but nothing she couldn't handle. The Viper stopped her barrage of flames, she needed full concentration to evade the hand charging at her, the sun stayed put as a result, waiting for its Mistress' further orders. The hand was approaching fast, Aka hunched down, the soles of her feet coated in liquid res, then she jumped up while simultaneously transmuting the res into a blast of air, boosting her leap. The Viper's heart beat fast as the stone hand dangerously passed under her airborne form, she made a roll in the air and positioned herself for a proper landing. Her land was rougher than before, due to the height, but a common man would break his bones so one could say her Viper heritage and fluidness played a great part. The Viper quickly stood back up, her scarlet slitted eyes glaring at Anna, she was about to raise her hand and continued her sun's barrage when the woman spoke.

She ignored the robed woman's words at first, it was merely an empty boast, claiming magic itself bending to her will, what a deluded fool, it was to be expected of an insect, they had severe delusions of their puny race's glory. The woman's next words however, made the Viper paused, her slits looked to the left and right and true to her words, the walls, floors, and even the ceilings were adorned by glyphs, they looked far complex compared to what she could make, Aka had some knowledge in the art of Glyphing, but never truly delve in it. Her eyes suddenly widened and a blast of gaseous res, quickly shaping into protective sphere spawned around her, thinking Anna was targeting her with the Glyphs, but the surprised hisses told otherwise, it was her guards. She looked behind her and found two of her most trusted warriors, impaled and gored by shards of ice, one of them had his body cut apart in pieces, while the other one managed to stay intact, he still lived, but soon succumbed to Dira after a few ticks.

"What? No..." She stood there, lips slightly openned in agape, she shouldn't bring them here in the first place. Dhani were known for their ferocity and utter disregard of life, but among their own kin, they treated each other with some semblance of respect, especially since Aka was the Queen and she appreciated her warriors' loyalty. Her attachment to guards proved to be her undoing as she realized too late, three lightning bolts were speeding to her, the Viper didn't have enough time to properly defend herself, she couldn't dodge lightning, Aka managed to create an incomplete protective stone wall out of her res, the flawed shield immediately crumbled as three lightnings struck it, sending the Dhani Queen flinging backwards due to the force, "Aaaaaaaah!" she screamed, the pain was unbearable, she might be immune to fire, but thunder was different altogether. The Viper was airborne for a couple of ticks before falling unceremoniously on the ground back-first.

Her vision was blurred and filled with black spots and her muscles felt like mush, she couldn't believe it, one little slip-up and it costed her everything, she felt something coming up and put her right hand to her mouth, removing it only to find fresh blood splotches on it, this was bad, very bad. It couldn't end like this, no, she wouldn't accept it! Falling in this undead island, she would be the laughing stock of the Dhani race. Her slitted eyes looked up, her sun still shining brightly, that was it, there was a way she could win. With what remained of her strength, Aka howled with defiance, sending her whole sun directly at Anna, like a meteor crashing from outer space, the angry sphere was fast even for its size, then... it exploded. The Sanctum itself turned white as bright light filled the room, combined with enormous amount of shockwave and heat, mainly located near Anna's location. The Viper watched, if her foe somehow survived that, she had no other plans. Curse these glyphs... curse them!!

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna grinned with savage glee as her opponent was distracted by her little display of power, leaving her completely unprepared to face force of three lightning bolts. To her credit, and the Sorceress was indeed willing to give credit where it was due, Aka managed to get an incomplete earthen barrier up at the last moment. It probably saved her from complete and utter electrocution, but the sight of her squirming on the ground gave Anna no small amount of pleasure. She drew more res, covering her body in the warm liquid as she prepared to press her advantage. The little snake had done well to amuse her, she had earned a quick death or a life of slavery. No reason to drag it out any longer than necessary as the Council no doubt would be expecting her sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately her opponent decided to play a last ditch card, and sent down the large sun of fire at her. Anna's eyes widened by fractions as she desperately thought of a way to avoid death or serious injury. The hands trick was good, but it wouldn't protect her from that kind of power, not in this lifetime. She needed much thicker protection, something unexpected and bold. Anna's eyes fell to the ground beneath her feet and a smirk found its way to her lips.

The res she had gathered, all of it was focused on this one singular point in time and this one ditch effort to escape a fiery demise. The purple liquid seeped into the ground deeply, a transmutation to air occurring and Anna finding the ground beneath her feet no longer existing. She landed in the pit she had just created with a grunt, falling to her knees as she layered res overtop of her and transmuted the majority of it above her. This essentially buried her in stone, only the small section she kneeled in being empty. It looked rather like she was holding up the section above her, trying to prevent it from crushing her. Really she kind of was, controlling the res within as she did to hold it up above her.

An explosion rocked the world above her, reverberating through the stone above her, forcing the ton of rock held above her head downwards a little. Her muscles strained and already she could feel her supply of air growing thinner with each heavy breath she took. It was so dark, so petching dark and she felt so very small in this tiny little cubby she had crafted for herself to hide it. Still she managed to hold the stone up above her head, gritting her teeth as she did. With the danger past more res seeped from her fingers and toes, some going into the stone above her and others into the ground below her.

On the surface, had Aka not seen Anna’s little ploy before the sun hit, it might appear as though she had been completely vaporized by the intensity of the heat. Wicked scorch marks adorned the area around where she had stood, the ground scarred by fire more intense than anything. However the ground where she had once stood would vanish in a large tuft of air as Anna willed a transmutation of the stone above her. A stomp sent her moving upwards, her feet cuffed and secured to the stone. She literally floated out on a fragment of rock, kept afloat and stable by attractive forces.

The tall woman made a glared down at her opponent as she brought the platform of stone down to the ground, the cuffs around her legs cracking as she stepped down to the center of the Sanctum once more. She gestured widely with her arms, sweat coating her skin and matting her hair down but otherwise she looked fine. She suspected she might be a bit bruised from that ordeal but other than that she felt whole. More purple res generated as a cloud, ringing around her protectively as a smirk creased her features.

”Well, that was fun. Are you ready for round two, or have you finally decided to accept my generous offer, m’dear? I have all the time in existence to toy with you, your majesty, though I wonder how long your forces will wait for you until they have to leave. Sahovan golems don’t tire; I’d wager your Sub-Humans do however.” Anna said, her tone as sweet as it had been before.

Her eyes raked the Viper up and down, appraising her form with much approval. She might simply be a little Sub-Human wench, but she was certainly an attractive one and a prize well befitting a victor of this little duel. It would be a shame if she fought to the end; Rhysol had very little use for corpses after all, though he certainly had uses for political prisoners. All she needed to do was to convince the Dhani to give in, that there was more to be gained in siding with the new Alahean Empire.

”Think about it, Queen Aka, you know this only ends one way and it’s not going to be favorable to your people. Sahova has been arming itself for centuries for a battle against an enemy that was far more large, disciplined, and long lasting than you. However you can still save your people, you can prevent them meeting the same ends as your guards. Surrender to me here, tell them to lay down arms, and I will ensure that the Council lets them go and grants you mercy. Will you sacrifice them all? Would you feed them to the flames so easily for the sake of personal ambition?” Anna suggested, her tone smooth and reasonable.

Her distraction at the deaths of her guards indicated the Dhani queen valued her people, so that was the spot Anna needed to hit. Not just saving her own skin, but the lives of her people in a battle they could not possibly hope to win. Pity that she wasn’t a hypnotist like Daren dearest had been, had being the operative word there. If Aka still wanted a fight, then Anna would be more than happy to oblige her.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

Aka let a small savage grin curled at the corner of her lips, though her body was in tremendous pain, casting euphoria combined with the magnificent display of her own power somewhat mitigated the pain. Through her blurring vision, she watched as her opponent literally disappeared, consumed by the raging Syna she birthed from pieces of her own Djed. The Dhani Queen then went silent, but a giggle escaped her lips, then two... then three, until a full blown hissing cackle echoed in the scarred Sanctum, it felt so good, to utterly vanquish an enemy until nothing was left of their form, not even a single strand of hair.

That petching insect thought she was so mighty, 'magic bending to her will'? Utter bullshyke, all of these glyphs she drawn were meaningless in the end, fire burned everything. The Dhani Queen brought up her right hand to her mouth, coughing and spitting blood, she was wounded, but victorious, the loss of her two elite guards had been great, considering her opponent however, their deaths were not in vain. She slowly shifted into a sitting position, her back leaning against the Sanctum's wall, a few chimes of rest should be good, the Dhani sighed as she began to close her eyes... that was when an unexpected blast of air, followed by the sounds of shifting earth echoed in her eardrums, Aka's eyes shot open and her body froze, "Impossible..."

Unbelievable, utterly and absurdly unbelievable, that damned insect survived, she literally rose up from the ground, riding on a floating boulder. For the moment, Aka lost her royal Queen-like presence, replaced by the young Dhani girl she was many decades ago, she looked upon Anna as if she was Galbern when he first demonstrated the power of Reimancy to Aka, but in this particular case, another emotion joined the fray, it was fear. She was amazed and horrified at the same time, her opponent somehow survived an explosion that could decimate an entire fang of Myrians and sent a jungle blazing, and Anna was not pleased, that much was obvious. "Kih..." The Queen gritted her teeth as she straightened her back, trying to appear strong, but the bruises marring her pale skin and the single blood trail trailing down from her lips to her chin betrayed her efforts. In their position, Anna looked even taller and more menacing to the small Viper.

"..." She didn't answer verbally when the wizard began her gloating, and as much as Aka hated it, the logical part of her mind agreed with the human, without her leadership, the Viper army would crumble, especially if they found out that their queen had been defeated, even a military genius couldn't win a war with broken troops. For the first time since they met, Aka willingly turned her gaze away from Anna, looking to her left, her left hand lay limp at her side while her right clutched at ther stomach.

"I..." Her lips trembled despite her efforts, some semblance of pride still held fast, refusing to give in to this insect of a wizard. This could not be, her plan was fool-proof, everything should be going as planned, her victory here would show Sahova the prowess of Dhani, Anna's defeat would be the turning point in this war, but no... she screwed up again. First, it had been her absence and inability to protect her slaughtered nest, second, her foolish blunder resulting in the death of Galbern, the Nuit who so kindly took her in, and now, her ambition would cost hundreds of her warriors to die in a foreign land, fighting against something technically dead. It was her fault, there was no justifying it, she was the one who planned this expedition, she was the one who brought two guards to the Sanctum, and she was the one who failed her people by losing a critical duel through being distracted.

"No... I..." She wanted to plow on, fight until the end, fires blazing, but that would cost the deaths of her people, her decision here weighed between serving her own pride or acting as a proper queen and did what was right. In the end, the latter overpowered the former, she had caused too many deaths, she would not do so again, her soul be damned if another soul had to die. "Promissse?" She slowly turned her head back, looking up at Anna, her reluctance to cooperate was clear as day, the only thing keeping her from going all out was her people's safety, "You'll let them go? Promissse m-!" Her scream was interrupted by a cough of blood, she hissed in annoyance, glaring at Anna with newfound anger, but it quickly subsided, "I... I underssstand... let them go, it'sss over," She lay her head back to the wall, closing her slitted eyes, "I'll tell them to lay down... after that, you can kill me..." She didn't care, as long as her people were safe.

[Annalisa Marin]

OOCWell, you did say I should do some stuff with Aka. Hope you like the extra layering of sinister evil. Honestly, I feel a little sorry for the poor little Dhani.

Anna watched Aka carefully as she considered the dilemma she was facing, the deaths of her people being upon her hands if she continued. It appeared to the Chaon that she had indeed struck the right nerve, dangling the fate her those who trusted her to rule over her head. It was up to the Viper now, either Sahova would crush them all or there was this thin thread of hope that they may indeed survive. The Sorceress was prepared for either eventuality, fight or surrender though the latter was far more preferred. The dark haired woman kept her gaze steady upon the Dhani queen, grey eyes as hard as ice.

A slow smile curved its way on her lips and it certainly was not a kind smile, Aka's words sealing the deal as it were. The tall woman felt some relief go through her mind, pleased that this battle had not come down to a final showdown. In all honesty, even with her Glyphs Aka proved to be a very dangerous Djed manipulator that Anna was not sure she could defeat unscathed. Maelstrom had been much the same, though it appeared she was going to avoid that kind of fight thankfully enough.

"You have my word as a Master of Sahova and as the Citadel's Chief Reimancer that I will convince the Council to let your people flee. Now then, I suppose we should get you-" Anna said, being interrupted by an explosion near the entrance to the Sanctum.

Grey eyes flicked in the direction, preparing for another fight but lowering her guard slightly when she noted three familiar robed figures. The blond haired woman at the forefront of the trio had black res sheathing her hands, blue eyes searching the Sanctum for enemies. She noticed the Mistress of the Sanctum, and gave a quick barking order for the other two to guard the entrance. As she drew closer one would notice the ring on her left hand, marking her as a Master Apprentice.

She fell to one knee to Anna who promptly raised an eyebrow at the young pulser woman, one of amusement more than anything else. The Master Apprentice flicked her eyes to the fallen Dhani queen in seeming inquiry, but rose when bidden by Anna. The black res on her hands retracted back within her body, the Sorceress following suit with her purple res.

"Mistress Marin, it is good to see you unharmed and well. I see the invaders did not get the best of you." She greeted.

"You as well, Silvia, though I see you have seen battle recently. You could also say I got the best of the Sub-Humans. Now report." Anna responded, an amused smile being sent to the incapacitated Dhani queen.

"As you say, Mistress. As you ordered we kept to squads of three and swept through the Caverns, halting the Dhani where we were able and collapsing tunnels here and there to slow them. I fear they did manage to slip past us further and make it to lab 15." The woman reported.

Anna gazed at the Master Apprentice, surprise widening her grey eyes at the words. Lab 15, the center for golem crafting for the whole of Sahova. If the Dhani had made it that far... things might very well become a little more tricky than previously expected. The odds were still very much in the favor of Sahova, especially now with the Dhani queen as prisoner. However the damage the Sub-Humans could cause would be... unfortunate to clean up.

"What of Kromby and Filch?" Anna inquired.

"Sadly, the masters were killed before we arrived though the defense golems managed to soften the Dhani up enough for us to deal with them. Wizard Cid was wounded, but still lives fortunately. We have managed to clear the Caverns of the snakes, but the fate of the Citadel above lies unknown. Shall we prepare for a counter attack now that we have regrouped, Mistress?" Silvia asked.

Anna cursed softly, she was none to fond of either Kromby or Filch personally however they had been genius' of their craft. To lose both would be a massive blow to the Citadel when all was said and done. Golem production would be severely hampered by this, no doubt about it. She had to give the Dhani credit, they had known just where to hit the Citadel where it had hurt most. An angry glare fell upon Aka, held in place for a good few ticks before cutting from her to the Master Apprentice.

"Well, we might have hit a spot of luck. This lovely little Sub-Human is Queen Aka, the leader of this little army. I have just attained her surrender, isn't that right..." Anna said, lifting her foot and kicking the serpent away from the wall so she might be splayed on the ground.

Silvia regarded the queen with slightly raised eyebrows for a moment, before a smirk of her own fell into place. Anna jerked her head in a certain direction, to a cavern wall adorned with an odd series of Glyphs upon it. The Master Apprentice seemed to get the silent message and bowed from the waist down, moving to the wall. She touched a certain Glyph and the wall crumbled away, revealing a cave of sorts which she entered.

Anna for her part loomed over Aka, kneeling down at the queen's side and gazing into the leader's eyes with her own. There was something behind them, not cruelty or malevolence but an unfamiliar emotion. It only flickered over her face for about a tick before the false sweetness returns. The tall woman traced a finger lightly over her stomach, admiring the creature's slim form.

"You might think I have death in store for you, little Sub-Human, though I assure you that is not the case. I'll speak for your army, but you? Oh no, you are all mine from this point onwards. You'll spend your days laying on your back in my bed, or curled up next to my lap begging for my favor and approval. If I am an insect, you will be the pet of that insect. I'll have you licking at my feet like the lower form of life you are, Sub-Human. I own you now, slave, get used to it." Anna said, pressing hard into the injured part of her side.

Silvia returned, bearing three devices in her arms. Two heavily ornate pairs of silver shackles that were heavily Glyphed, and a simple golden collar connected to a chain and bearing Glyphs along the inside. Anna then calmly punched Aka in the gut, still smiling sweetly down at her as she clutched her jaw in her hand and forced her eyes upon the shackles.

"Do you like the new jewelry, your majesty? They were a gift from Lector Qiao, Djed Shackles. You seen within ticks of being attached to your body, they will render you completely and totally unable to use personal magic of any kind. As long as one of them is on you, you'll never be a personal wizard again. You should feel honored really, I was saving them for a special occasion." Anna said as Silvia would begin to apply the shackles, once her task was done she handed Anna the collar. The tall woman ran her fingers across its golden surface fondly, smiling a strange smile.

"This collar is a rather interesting creation of my own actually, a spark of genius. It contains a decent amount of lightning reimancy in the Glyphs. You see, if it is removed in anyway from the wearer without the key specially designed for it being used it will explode and either kill or render you completely brain dead. So if you were thinking of using your little snake tricks to escape I'd think again." Anna said, the collar snapping into place with a cold and metallic snap.

Anna took hold of the chain connecting the collar to it and jerked it harshly, standing as she did. She flicked her eyes to Silvia, who had watched the whole thing with some amusement of her own. Then again, she had just watched friends and fellow apprentices be cut down by Aka's people so some justified feelings where expected.

"Silvia, do be a dear and help my new slave to her feet. I suspect she is still reeling a little from her Mistress disciplining her." Anna said, ready to end this whole thing decisively.

Silvia would assist Aka in getting to her feet, obviously not caring a bit for possible discomfort she might be causing the Viper. She'd offer some support here or there, but occasionally she simply would let her stumble with an amused smirk. The blonde leaned in to whisper in the captive's ear, a cruel smile playing at her lips.

"You know, Mistress Marin's last slave was such a beautiful little thing, in fact she looked a lot like you. Occasionally, when she was busy she'd let me toy with her and you wouldn't believe how loud I could make her scream my name. Maybe... she'll let me play with you as well." The tall human said, giggling slightly as she forced Aka along toward the entrance to the Sanctum.