Jazmel was the last to step through the gate. Fashioned out of the mountain heart when he stepped into another gate and another world. He was caught off guard at the beauty of it. they were in a trial gate. A fountain gate, he could tell from the daunting platform that was lower than his gaze.
Where he had found himself standing, he was on a higher platform. He wasn’t alone either, Jazmel stood with all his party.
“Jazmel.” Sadé said quietly, and he knew why. Not only was it another fountain gate, but it was also clearly being opened up. Someone had excavated the fountain completely and they had fashioned a dark Mana altar. It was disgusting and Jazmel could almost smell the stench of the darkness.
DING!
THE PRIMORDIAL FROR HAS BEEN IMPRISONED HERE!
…
DARK ACOLYTES ARE TRYING TO FREE HIM
STOP THE FREEING OF THE PRIMORDIAL OF CHAOS AND CACOPHONY!
…
STOP THE RITUAL!
FREE THE PRISONERS!
As the system shared its notes with Jazmel. He knew that his friends had seen the same thing, he couldn’t see the prisoners. But he knew that Tera Nema and her friends were present here, the swan had burst into a ball of light. When they stepped through the darkness. He had reached the destination.
“Katie and Bannerman, free the prisoners. The rest of us are going to stop the acolytes. Meet back in the middle.” Jazmel stated and Bannerman broke away with Katie hot on his heels.
“We draw their attention; we stop the ritual and when Tera Nema and her friends are free. We push them back and get rid of them all. We cannot free the primordial until we understand them more.” Jazmel explained, Sadé and Patton readied themselves. Drinking potions and preparing their weapons.
Jazmel drew Nozarashi his first sword and his favoured one. It was his weakest in truth, but it was keen enough to remain powerful and strong in his hands. He hadn't gotten quite so used to the others, but this one fit him well. He put Daishinkan into his belt for safe keeping though.
“We are moving now.” Jazmel muttered, keeping his voice quiet and low.
He sprinted from his platform and as he neared the edge, he crouched down and burst forward in a great leap, like a spring. He leapt through the thick air of the fountain. He landed with a crash, cracking the stone floor with his mass.
“Who are you?” an acolyte yelled wary of Jazmel.
Raven’s cleaving descent!
Jazmel answered him with his sword, the keen edge of Nozarashi carving through the throat of the acolyte.
Blackened flame!
He heard and a searing shot of flame flashed past him, the flames flickered black as night. He had dodged it, but still it flashed over his shoulder. Searing his ear, neck, and shoulder. He spun low and coiled, his attacker hadn't expected him to move as fast. Stumbling back, the acolyte tried to use another skill, but Jazmel moved faster. Far faster than the acolyte, his sword sheered through the mouth. Removing the top of the acolytes head with deft skill.
DING!
X2 TIER III PRIMORDIAL ACOLYTE KILLED!
+2 STATS POINTS
+3 STATS POINTS
EXP ACCRUED!
The next group rushed forward but Sadé had reached him by then. She turned them into kindle, her fox fire clearly gone up a tier.
Another stray group had been duelling with Patton. He was making short work of them, he used his Mana swords, and they hung in the air around him, he propelled them through the air. Killing those who were far from his actual steel blade. then he danced in among them, one real blade and four made out of Mana.
The groups of acolytes had built themselves around skills and long-range spells. They were not prepared for the close range fighting that Jazmel and the others seemed to prefer.
DING!
STOP THE LEAD ACOLYTE!
THE RITUAL IS ALMOST COMPLETE!
The system announced and Jazmel looked around.
As the system had announced, a single acolyte was standing atop the altar. Littered about him were bodies. Strewn all around and lifeless. He clutched a small woman who had been battered and bruised. Jazmel sprinted towards him, the altar was further back and closer to the fountain.
“You are too late!” the last acolyte yelled and savagely with a dagger covered in blood. He dragged it across the girls throat. She stared at Jazmel, their eyes locked and he watched hopelessly as she died. her life’s blood drained into the altar; a basin carved into the stone.
“FROR RU LATH! AH TANA LUAH!” the acolyte shouted and Jazmel stared in horror as the blood in the basin began to burn, swirling and twirling into a tempest. But just as it began, it stuttered and diminished. Patton had acted before the others. Casting his Mana blades he waved his hand, and the Mana blades tore through the air, glittering with Mana and power. They pierced the acolyte and three to the chest and one through the throat. Blood spurted from his mouth, his hood fell back and Jazmel could see he was a young man. But that didn’t stop him just yet, he was dead. They all knew it and Jazmel watched as he swayed on his feet, the Mana blades thick and damaging. They dispersed, disappearing but the damage had been done. The acolyte smiled at them, as blood pooled from his mouth and various wounds. He stepped back and fell into the basin and the blood whirlwind seemed to consume him.
DING!
YOU HAVE STOPPED THE RITUAL!
…
…
REWARDS TO FOLLOW!
…
Jazmel was watching the blood tempest, and it wasn’t diminishing. In fact it was growing and something in him told him that this was not a good sign.
ERROR!
WARNING!
THOUGH THE RITUAL WAS STOPPED, THE DOORWAY WAS OPEN FOR TOO LONG!
A FRAGMENT OF FROR’S POWER HAS BROKEN FREE!
DEFEAT THE FRAGMENT OF THE PRIMORDIAL!
The system roared, an announcement and as Jazmel and Patton stood, the blood whirlwind became a swirling gate. Out of it stepped a man, or the shadow of a man. His skin greyed and aging. He looked middle aged, but as Jazmel knew that the primordial were all from ages past. He knew this man was much more in years.
The man was as tall as Jazmel. His hair was a russet brown, nearly red. A thick beard clung to his face and his skin was pale, or it had been in his life. now it was greyed and looked to be devoid of warmth. He wore thick plate armour, Jazmel could tell it was thick and strong. But he could also see that Fror moved as if the armour weighed nothing.
“You fools.” The primordial ghost uttered, his voice thick with time and prominence.
He opened his eyes and Jazmel was startled, they were just like his. Ghost blue and piercing, he clearly could see the Mana of others.
“I am chaos, and I am cacophony!” –
He was cut off when a barrage of Mana blades struck him. slamming into him, none pierced him, but it was enough to make him stumble.
“We have to stop him!” Patton howled and Jazmel shook the lull from his bones. Patton was right, he couldn’t stop and stagger in wonder.
Great rumbling dragon!
He slammed his spectral dragon into the primordial and he huffed, struck again but no damage. Not even a scrape of his skin. Jazmel was perplexed, but he didn’t falter. He banged his vambraces together, the sound bouncing around them like cymbals clashing. His armour formed around him, flexible and posturing.
Great rumbling dragon!
DING!
DRACONIC SKILLS ARE AMPLIFIED!
The second dragon formed from Mana was far more complex, curling horns spiralled from its head like a crown. It didn’t stop and roared as it fluttered through the sky like a writhing snake. It slammed into Fror and Jazmel watched as the man’s shoulders bounced. Shaking with fury, he thought. But it was worse than that, the primordial was laughing. He threw his head back and laughed a raucous roar.
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“Dragons? I slaughtered thousands of them in my youth! I am chaos, did you not hear me?” he yelled, suddenly serious and angered.
Thunderous lament!
He roared, his skill forming in great jagged arcs of Mana imbued lightning. They crashed about, tearing up everything in its radius. The fountain broke, crashing to the ground.
DING!
THE FOUNTAIN GUARDIAN HAS AWOKEN!
A beast appeared, roaring. It leapt from the ceiling where it crawled down. It reminded Jazmel of a giant gecko, riddled with spikes. Fror saw it and caught it by the throat, with a smile and insanity dancing in his eyes. He ripped its head from its neck.
The thunder was still dancing around the fountain platform. But it was reduced in strength, Sadé appeared. Her thunder crown burning above her head and all six of her tails unveiled.
Thunderfire!
Thunderfire!
Thunderfire!
She cast her skills towards Fror, he blocked that strike and he looked at her with interest and disdain.
Sunder!
Jazmel slashed through the air, a downward strike. Carving through the stone like shorn paper. The strike forced Fror to block it with his own vambrace. A slash appeared in the armour and Fror looked at it and then looked at Jazmel with hate.
“You think you know power? I will show you power!” Fror roared.
Chaotic entropy!!
The very air seemed to radiate chaos Mana. Jazmel’s vision blurred, and he thought it was something to do with his senses. But no it was worse than that. No the primordial had blurred the fabric of reality with chaos and now it was affecting everything.
Shock!
Patton bellowed and Mana waves burst from his outstretched hands. Aimed at Fror, nothing happened to him. Jazmel watched as the chaos and the Mana mixed and combusted. Clearly opposite of one another.
“You think you can use Mana against me? Primordial bathed in Mana, we use it to push pass the limits of monarch!” Fror yelled, laughter on his lips and madness in his eyes. His words made Jazmel wonder if primordial was the next tier beyond monarch. But now wasn’t the time for stray thoughts.
Shock!
Patton cast again.
Thunderfire!
Sadé cast this time from the side and her bolt of thunder and flame struck Fror full in the chest. He almost bore the entire brunt of it. But the shock AOE skill Patton had used, amplified her strike. It imploded on his chest and then imploded again from the extra Mana in the air. Fror cried out in pain and his face was blackened from the excess explosion.
Inferno!
A word was called from behind Jazmel and with relief. He watched as a torrent of arcane fire burned the expanse and struck out at the primordial.
“Give me the important parts.” Tera Nema said as she appeared beside him. banged up, but her Mana was full, and her eyes were fierce.
“Bad guy, need to kill him.” Jazmel said and she nodded.
Penance!
He heard and grace appeared, clutching her sword, she had been stripped of her armour. But she clearly had found her sword. Rushing to help, she hadn't gotten her armour back. The strike was monstrous, Tera Nema’s party had clearly grown in strength. Fror didn’t evade the strike, but he pulled up a shield of chaos and arcane Mana. Though it took the brunt of it, the slash got through and struck him.
Wand warfare!
Tera Nema yelled, casting bolts of Mana from her wand.
“Get him!” she snarled and Jazmel darted forward, he heard steps behind him. figuring it to be Patton or grace, one of the other sword users.
Eviscerate!
He commanded and his sword careened with Mana. The plate armour was very dented, he could see the weakened parts. But it hadn't broken yet, nor had it fallen away. But Jazmel was not worried about that.
Raven’s cleaving descent!
Fire blade!
High guard, slammed down into a smashing strike. Black Mana enveloped his blade. Fror blocked it with his right arm and was about to punch Jazmel. Full in the chest, had it not been for Patton who was beside him and using his skill of fire Mana wrapped around his own sword. he stabbed into the side of Fror, gaining small purchase between the gaps of his armour. He burned him from the inside and Fror howled with fury like pain.
______________________
Patton was fighting alongside his friends, but he was shocked. He had heard of the fountain gates, and though he had missed the fight with the dread heretic. He was almost enamoured with how powerful Jazmel was.
They were fighting a primordial, a being of unsurmountable power. Yet here they were facing off against a small fragment of its being and they were surviving.
Penance!
The tall girl with the great sword, used her skill again. a powerful skill filled with pure light Mana. He could see her beleaguered and breathless, the cost was heavy. But she was doing her best to continue to support them.
Eviscerate!
Jazmel used his sword again, slashing and slicing. Cutting and carving wherever he could on the primordial. He didn’t even seem gassed, nor running low on his Mana. Jazmel seemed to move endlessly, and Patton was proud to be his friend, but proud to fight beside him.
Sunder!
Eviscerate!
Sunder!
Three skills, three scars across the plate armour of the primordial shadow. He howled in pain, being restricted by so many attacks from so many people.
“You will not slay me!” Fror roared.
Withered whip!
The rusty chain Katie used struck Fror full in the face. He cried out and Patton could see his plate armour had cracked, shards of it fell away. Revealing a stomach of tight rigid abs.
“You drew but a thimble of blood!” he sneered, punching at Jazmel who dodged.
Accost!
The girl with the great sword mumbled. She waved her sword about her, and shards of light Mana appeared and accosted Fror. Striking him repeatedly and knocking him back. Causing him to wave his hands about himself, trying to knock the blades from the air.
Thunderfire!
Arcanum!
Sadé and Tera Nema struck Fror repeatedly. But Jazmel wasn’t even dodging, he was simply in a trance guiding his sword. or guided by his sword. The primordial was stricken, he was struggling beneath the onslaught. All the different attacks were overwhelming him.
Shock!
Patton yelled and Mana lightning burst around them all. Wreathing the primordial in agony.
“I will not fall; I cannot fall to you children.” Fror was riled up now, cuts and wounds had begun to form across his body. He was in pain from the constant attacks and his oppressive demeanour was wilting. He clasped his hands together and Patton felt the tug of Mana from his own core. As all the ambient Mana began to lurch towards the space between Fror’s hands.
Dreadening wrath!
Mana burst from his hand, popping in a shockwave. It knocked them all back and Jazmel who was at the forefront. Bore the main brunt of the strike. He had guarded with his sword, but the sword was not able to bear it. the blade broke, half of the blade remained and as Jazmel stared in horror. Fror took the moment to kick him full in the chest. Jazmel collided with the girl, and they fell in a huddle.
Mana blade!
Fire blade!
Mana blade!
Patton yelled, raising his Mana blades around him, and striking at Fror repeatedly. His physical blade was covered in flame, and he stabbed at Fror again. but Fror was waiting for him, ready this time. He caught his hand and broke his wrist.
Patton cried out in pain. Howling from the pain of it.
Chain spike!
Katie leapt forward, using her chains to latch onto Fror and restrict him. but he wouldn’t let go of Patton. He raised his clenched fist like a hammer and smashed it down on Patton. Patton raised a Mana shield, just pure Mana covered himself in the form of a tower shield. Fror laughed and raised his hand again. crashing into the tower shield again, and again, denting it and breaking through.
Wolf hunt!
Bannerman leapt up, aiming to stop the primordial, but after one clawed strike. Fror caught Bannerman in the face with the top of his head. knocking Patton’s friend aside, all this time; he was still holding onto to the broken wrist of Patton. The pain lancing up his limb like white flames.
“You will die here.” he said to Patton, and something in his heart told him. Fror meant his words.
______________________
Jazmel groaned.
DING!
STATUS CONDITION!
BRUISED RIB CAGE (minor)
He had landed on grace and as he got up, he saw she had been knocked unconscious. But Jazmel wasn’t about to leave her there.
“Leave her with us!” he heard and looking back, he saw Myn and Morwen coming over to where they were laid. He rose up, clutching his broken sword in hand. He stepped past the girls, and he noticed their glances. He couldn’t read their facial expressions, but he could see they were watching him intensely.
He leapt back into the fray, drawing Daishinkan he jabbed Nozarashi into his belt and fought with his other sword.
Eviscerate!
Sunder
Sunder!
He struck three times, but Fror took each strike. After each strike, Jazmel could tell that Fror was struggling now. Though he was a primordial, he was the shadow of one. He after all was a fragment, a powerful one at that.
He was trying to bludgeon Patton to death, but he couldn’t. Patton was covering his body with a tower shield. Made completely of Mana, his other arm was grasped by Fror and from the way it was bent. Jazmel could tell it was broken, the wrist was fractured at least.
“Let him go!” Jazmel called out and Fror sneered.
“No!”
Thunderous lament!
He cast the skill again, but Jazmel simply rushed in. He was hit and he almost bit through his tongue with pain, but he urged himself on. Willing himself forward and to strike the primordial.
DING!
WARNING!
HEALTH IS BELOW 50%
The system chimed and Jazmel felt blood wet his lips, but he didn’t care. His friend was in danger. He crashed into Fror, trying to knock Patton out of his hands. Fror crashed his clenched fist down onto Patton again, but this time the Mana shield broke apart, disappearing.
He raised his fist again like a mallet, but Jazmel didn’t let him get his strike in.
Great rumbling dragon!
The dragon leapt from his sword and with his armour it was amplified. In such close proximity the dragon blasted Fror and Mana burst in brilliant light as it smashed into the primordial. He stumbled again but raised his hand to strike them. Jazmel dropped Daishinkan in the scuffle and raised both his own hands to stop Fror’s strike falling on him and Patton.
“You incessant gnat!” the primordial shouted, filled with anger.
He changed his strike, letting Mana form around his free hand like a dagger, he punched towards Jazmel and tried to stab through him. Jazmel dodged and felt the air whistle as the Mana blade slashed past him. Fror raised his hand again to stab him, Jazmel couldn’t dart out of the way, it would strike Patton instead. Time seemed to slow down and as Fror punched his hand forward to pierce through Jazmel. Jazmel drew the half blade of Nozarashi. He tried to stab into the stomach, but Fror blocked him, vambrace against vambrace. He had let go of Patton now.
Jazmel pulled his blade black and Fror’s arm slipped, the one with Mana was coming towards Jazmel in a slow but unerring way.
Mana blade!
Jazmel heard like a whisper behind him, and he watched as Mana formed the rest of his blade. the broken haft repaired with Mana for a moment. He dodged under the strike of the Mana blade around the fist of Fror. But with the Mana blade he pierced through the plate armour and stabbed the primordial through the heart.
He twisted his blade and Fror’s breath caught in his throat.
“How could the likes of you kill me?” he whispered and then Jazmel slashed down, cutting the primordial’s heart in half.
The primordial died, his body turning to ash and dispersing on a wind that had not blown beforehand. Jazmel turned to look at everyone and he saw Sadé and Katie, he couldn’t hear them. time was still moving slow for him; adrenalin was thrumming in his ears.
“…” Sadé spoke but he couldn’t hear her.
“What did you say?” he said, and she spoke again, her lips moving but he couldn’t hear her. He was in shock from the fight, he had very nearly died, and adrenaline was rushing about his body.
“…” She said but he shook his head. so instead she pointed.
He looked to where she was pointing and his heart broke, the colour drained from his face. There lay Patton, a hole the size of a fist punched through his heart. A small smile lay across his lips, his eyes staring off into the distance.
He was dead.
Patton, one of his first friends was dead.