[SE] something that will mean everything

Alys picked her was through the Burrows, Sascha tagging along beside. The seer had tried to convince the ursur to stay at the surface, where things were cooler, but her companion had staunchly refused. With everything going on, she wasn't about to let Alys out of her sight. Especially not when they were somewhere that still had the touch of the Void about it. They'd met up with Maea before descending into the tunnels and heading for Frey's Breath. It had been Alys's idea to get out of the Greatwood for a day or two, if only because she was sick and tired of the trees turning her around. "I don't know how you stand it," she was saying good-naturedly to Maea. "If I got lost as often as I do in the Greatwood, I think I'd go mad. Does the forest treat you nicer since you've been there longer?" alys glasse

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

"Only a bit. I still get lost in the middle of the village some days." Maea scratched the side of her nose with a nail, thinking back on her relation with the forest. It was a dangerous topic, too close to cause of her dour expression and serious mood, but then again everything reminded her of Liam these days. His absence chafed against the tender spot in her chest that had grown accustomed to his presence, leaving her feeling more alone than ever before she met him. Dwelling on it wouldn't do anything though; Alys was in the same boat, and far worse off. She'd lost her partner, whereas Liam... whatever he was to her, it certainly wasn't so easily defined.

"Might be because I've been a vagabond for so long, but I actually don't mind getting lost. It's not like I have anything to be late for, and I get to see places I'd never have gone to on my own." Nor did it become repetitive, like the visits to this hot spring. She'd lost count of how many times she'd passed by already, mainly in search of flowers that never showed. As they entered the cavern now, it was to find it empty of visitors. Someone had forgotten a towel by the water's edge, a pile of leftovers from some picknick had been rudely discarded in a nook by the cave mouth - and as she scowled at the evidence of people's lacking reverence for sacred spaces, an unpleasant aura made her shift uneasily.

"You feel that..?"

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

There was an ache in Maea that hadn't been there before. It was something that chafed and bruised, and yet Alys struggled to define exactly what it was. She knew that someone important to Maea had been infected, but she didn't truly know the extent of their relationship - nor, she suspected, did her friend. But asking about it, given the Ancient's dour mood, seemed like a bad idea, even if she could explain how she knew the things she did. And she wasn't inclined to share her ability to read emotions, if only because she didn't want people to be uncomfortable around her. As they arrived at the hot springs, Alys looked around at the mess, wrinkling her nose at the lack of respect. About to resign herself to cleaning up, she stiffened when Maea did, feeling a shift of energy that had her casting her gaze about suddenly, searching for the source. "Yeah," she said, readying her magic as Sascha growled at her side. "Where's it coming from?" alys glasse

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

Unaware that her efforts to keep up a nice facade were entirely pointless, it was perhaps for the best that Alys kept her abilities to herself. It was one thing to occasionally share her emotions with someone like Remi, and another entirely to know she was broadcasting to anyone who happened to be close enough. She still felt the woman's searching gaze on her from time to time - but since she didn't ask, Maea didn't share. Not at this time, when she'd much rather be distracted from the pain.

Unfortunately, it seemed she was about to get her prayers answered in the worst of ways. "I dont know. I think..." Making sure to keep her back guarded, Maea turned slowly and scanned the vast cavern for a hint of black, or purple, or sinister intent. Shii ranged out away from them to scout, and in the faint glow of its light Maea suddenly spotted a shade of black darker than the shadows. "There! By the stalagmite – "

It lay utterly still, so well camouflaged that it looked as one with the lava rocks. As Shii's light fell upon it, the Shadow Serpent flicked out a forked tongue and hissed, a dry menacing sound that had the hair of the back of her neck stand on edge. Without thinking twice about it, Maea reached for her weapons, unhooking a chakram from the belt - that thing could not be allowed to remain. Not here, where so many came to rest and let their guard down.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

Alys stared into the shadows, her hands raised before her to direct whatever magic she called upon next. Sascha snarled just as Maea called out, and Alys whirled to search for the source of the hissing that suddenly filled the cavern, its sound low and malevolent. The creature was illuminated a brief moment later: a huge form, a forked tongue - a Shadow Serpent. And from the look of it, it was ready to make them its lunch. Swallowing back a traumatized gasp - no time for the myriad feelings that surfaced - she mentally ordered Sascha out of the way. The little ursur came to stand behind Alys even as the seer cast a complex illusion, creating duplicates of both herself and Maea, perfect down to the last detail. "I can distract it!" she called out, her voice even bouncing twice off the stone walls. "But don't let your guard down!" alys glasse

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

"Alright! Stay behind me - " In a swift motion, she sent the throwing discs spinning towards the serpent. A moment later, fire erupted from the ground before her feet as she advanced towards the beast, sooty with volcanic ash and brimstone scattering as though she'd summoned it straight from the earth's core.

An enraged hiss was followed by a sudden strike towards Maea as daggers and flame lashed the scaled hide. She managed to deflect the strike with an arm thanks to her armor, but knew such luck wouldn't last long. The thing was huge, thicker than her entire waist, and already it curled back up for a second strike. The illusions didn't seem to confuse it much, though she couldn't figure out why.

---

Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

Alys did as she was told, holding her illusions steady as Maea took the lead. Her duplicates copied the Ancient's movements, even down to throwing discs at the Shadow Serpent. But it didn't seem to be working the way it should, and the seer wasn't sure why. "My illusions aren't working!" she called to Maea, scurrying to stay behind the Ancient as the woman deflected a strike. "Let me try air!" It wasn't advanced magic - she hadn't strengthened it properly, as it was a newer element to master - but it was something she knew to be effective against the Void. She called upon her air, shoving a lance of it at the Serpent, aiming for its head. If she could blind it, maybe that would buy them some time. alys glasse

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

Air slashed through the space and sliced into the serpents hide. Like razors the aerial blades cut deeper than her chakram had, and despite the purple blood that now began to stain the ground Maea felt confident that it wouldn't take much more before the creature couldn't retaliate further.
"It's working! One more time – ! "

For her own part, the ancient raised a wrist to her mouth and sank sharp teeth into the skin, drawing blood. Not holding back, it was mastered Bloodbane that struck at the shadow serpent, and if the pained hiss it emitted was any indication, it struck home. A double edged blade, the dark magic surging in her blood darkened Maea's scleras - but for now she remained in control of it, readying herself for the final charge.

---

Bloodbane (Ancient): Can injure themselves for mastered damage to weaken others at a 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

Alys's blades of air sliced towards the Serpent, striking true and drawing forth violet blood to spill upon the ground. At the sound of the snake's enraged hiss, the seer grinned. It sounded weaker than it had a moment before. What they were doing was working. One more time, came the call, and Alys was already readying herself, summoning another bout of air to thrust towards the Serpent. She was unaware of Maea's efforts beside her until she glanced over to find that the Ancient was bleeding, dark magic bounding forth to strike at the Void creature in the wake of her injury. Alys's eyes widened at the sight, but she shook it off quickly - there was still a battle to be won, after all. This time, she sent blade after blade of air towards the Serpent. She wouldn't let up until its corpse stained the ground purple. alys glasse

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

Wounded and weakening swiftly under the aerial assault, the serpent thrashed on the ground, striking one more time - aiming for Alys this time. Still reeling from the pain inflicted upon herself, Maea was slow to react and swore when it shot right past her.

Darting off to collect her blades, the chakram flew one more time, and sliced sizzling gashes in the snake's skin. One hit the spine just as the Fateweaver landed a clean blow to the belly, and with a heavy thud the coils slumped to the ground. Twitching slightly, still writhing long after the animal had passed away.

"You okay?" Maea turned to check on the seer, slightly out of breath but far more concerned about her friend than herself. She was bleeding a bit, but that was nothing - nothing at all compared to the void venom and the effects it had on a mind.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

The serpent struck - not for Maea, this time, but for Alys. Reacting out of instinct more than anything else, the seer spun away, narrowly avoiding the beast's fangs, and forced a blast of air at it as it passed. Her slicing, aerial blade connected with its belly just as Maea's chakram slashed into it, and the Serpent fell, unmoving, to the floor of the cavern. "I'm fine," Alys said, though she was shaking as adrenaline coursed through her system with nowhere to go. Needing something to do, Alys held out a hand. "I can heal you, if you'd like." From behind her Sascha approached, trembling just as much, if not more, than her bonded. Her last encounter with a Void beast had ended in death, after all, and she wasn't quite over the experience. alys glasse

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

The relief upon seeing Alys whole and hale nearly staggered the pale woman. Slipping over to sit down on a rock, she smiled gratefully at the offer, but declined it after a moment of consideration.
"I appreciate the offer, but it's alright. I need to get better acquainted with the magic..." A moment later she steeled herself against the pain and sank her teeth into her arm once again. This time, it was short lived however, as all the power welling up was turned on herself. Aches, pains and bruises disappeared, flesh knitted together and before long, the smear of drying blood was all that remained to prove she'd ever been hurt.

"I suppose we should deal with that," she grumbled some time later, when the rush of adrenaline had faded and no other monsters appeared from the shadows. "Nasty thing - I don't like how close it is to the hot springs." Not even rising to her feet, it took but a glance and a thought to conjure a ball of flame around the shadow serpent. Blazing hot and bright, it began to devour the tainted creature, all while filling the cavern with sooty smoke andba stench of burning flesh.

---

Bloodboon (Ancient): Can injure themselves for mastered damage, healing themselves or others at 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

Alys watched with a morbid sense of curiosity as Maea sank her teeth into her own flesh, tearing open a wound that healed nearly as quickly as it had been made. Despite the rather macabre sight, the seer had to admit to some fascination with the process. So the Ancient could harm and heal through self-inflicted injuries. Was that an ability that all Ancients possessed, or was Maea unique in that regard? But it seemed rude to ask, so Alys simply let it go, glancing around the cavern as her friend lit the shadow serpent on fire. The pair sat there long enough for the creature to dissolve into smoke and ash before they moved on, heading deeper into Frey's Breath to continue their search for lilies. fin alys glasse