A nasty essence howls through their skin, worst a dark-like mist can be seen crawling out from the cave unpleasant to the eye. A little step further through the entrance, malicious barriers render their mind and body, unable to let them pass. The streams of water spewing out from the cave were unlikely normal however, Amaragnum had already seen this type of corruption. It may look like clear normal water but what it holds is a blight not powerful to instantly decay crops rather slow and unnoticed. And only a high priest and priestesses can sense the rot. Knowing why this is the result of the stain crops from the village he turns at the stillmage.
With zero knowledge, Akatosh asks Amaragnum for help or advice. "A physical barrier ehh…" Says Amaragnum, "It seems you're in luck, if it would be a boundary barrier, we would have a hard time dealing with such magic. A powerful priest can break such as this but there are other ways in dealing with this type of forbidden magic."
"What do you suggest then." Akatosh reply.
"Judging by its level I can say… I need to borrow your body."
"You what!?" Akatosh doubt.
"Do you want to end this quickly or not. No worries I shall use half of your body."
"Fine." Akatosh hesitated.
"Good... however, being a low entity on my current power that I can't even possibly force my way in… I suggest you must open yourself up."
"Ain't this more complicated."
"This is just simple if you let me do the work," Amaragnum said, and once Akatosh blink they find themselves in a different dimension where only both of them are the ones staying.
Facing each other. "Welcome!" Amaragnum said in his shadow form, a murky black-flames like. While Akatosh stays in his human appearance and in between them is a barrier consisting of a rainbow color twisting, resonating.
"What now?" Akatosh asks, unsure if he can truly trust this stillmage.
"You just have to let me pass. See this color thing you just have to deteriorate through imagination." Amaragnum said.
"I can but I don't blame you if being eaten again." Akatosh smiles, intimidating Amaragnum.
Once Akatosh weakens the barrier, he returns to his body but is different. "So this is what it feels to have a body!" Akatosh exclaim and with a tone of a dark voice.
Chifya who nearly transforms in helps if she can withstand the barrier, right away saw a dark aura discharging from his right side. She was paralyzed by the evil presence coming out from Akatosh and once again she remembers his first rampage.
"FLESH AND BONES!" Akatosh laughs, confused if it was Akatosh's voice or the stillmage. Ignoring Chifya, Akatosh easily treads towards the obstacle, and with a single touch, the invisible force crumbles. Upon shattering the barrier, a wail of screams violently exits the cave. Upon entering the cave, out of sight Chifya fell to her knees panting and sweating.
Not being afraid of what enemies he encounters, they slowly march their way smiling, excited for carnage. Without holding back from the first wave of enemies, the stillmage unleashes its true power. Materializing a tiny burning sphere levitating from his palm. And when he clenched the flaming-orb the huddled monsters burst into flames which then quickly turns to ashes and staggering the cave.
Following their first attack, Akatosh unleashes the whip decimating the gargoyles. Casting magic using his right arm, while to his left is a sword that can slice flesh like it was just a jelly and a whip attached to his claw-gauntlet ripping his opponents.
Two souls into one body sharing each other's chord, both of them frenzy themselves on the open cavern full of possessed creatures and monsters summoned from the nether world. Akatosh for the first time had never felt this sensation before. The feeling when you cast a fireball, the feeling when you conjure dozens of black arrows excruciating mobs in a single strike. Even though he wasn't doing the magic thing, Akatosh felt it. He fervor the sensation of what it feels like to be a mage.
As they were constantly grinding, blasting unknown magic. A large demonic-ogre rams Akatosh's body. However, Amaragnum was quick in casting powerful alteration magic stiffening their flesh to dragon scale. When the demonic-ogre sandwich them to the rough wall, the whip had already snaked itself from the ogre's whole body.
"'Tis but a scratch!" They simultaneously said, stabbing the ogre's throat adding up Amaragnum unleashes powerful magic. "Decay!" He grins.
The moment he places his hand on the ogre's forehead, its flesh turns to withering soil easily for the whip to shatter. There were no magic circles, no incantation this is what a legendary stillmage is. For thousands of years imprisoned now Amaragnum finally let loose and with a body to amplifies his power, his knowledge, his wisdom there is no stopping these two megalomaniacs.
Outside where Chifya is she can feel the earth tremble as dark and chaotic energy rips her druid senses. Quickly finding her resolves, transmuting to one of her druid gifts, eyes turn purple glowing in the dark, instantly her long silky hair shifted from black to silver-moon. Wolf-ears appear on her head, popping out from her hair. Not only did she slightly gain the appearance of a wolf but also raises her attributes five times than her normal trait.
Forcefully drilling their way in, and just a few steps away, literally they burst the door open. And from within is a gnome in an outrage panic. "Stay back!" The gnome mage shout, casting magic to defend himself. "I said stay back or—"
"Or what?!" They said, slowly marching towards the gnome.
"I warned you!" The gnome says, and with a swift slam of his hand, the room slowly changes. Once they are in a cave, full of rocks, tools, apparatus, now they are in an icy-hell open blizzard and the gnome is nowhere to be found-- vanished.
"Illusion ehh…" Amaragnum said, shaping a blue ball of energy from his arms, and once he burst the compressed energy, "I see… so this is not the work of that gnome." Amaragnum continues trying to break the illusion.
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Frostbite slowly grovels the frail skin, the conceit they were is as reality as itself. And the only thing that can defend themselves from the intense nature is the blazing whip and Amaragnum's fire magic, which encloses Akatosh's body from the severe snowstorm.
Amaragnum wasn't done, comparing his past experience to this present day, it was no more than a walk in the park. Once he senses the gnome busy maneuvering his hand invocating magic circles, casting a spell. Amaragnum together with Akatosh they conjure tremendous electricity discharging from their hands. With both hands barely compressing the blistering magic some of it was leaking and like lighting it serrated the ground carving the place.
"Adios." Slamming the concentrated energy from the snowy ground. The lightning rapidly directs to the gnome in mere seconds, so fast that it travels faster than the shockwave hurling the layers of snow. They didn't hastily run towards the gnome, rather marching slowly sighting a bunch of lightning erasing the gnome's protection.
They watch as the gnome struggles to maintain the barriers. Hearing the crackling roar of thunder but when they are a few yards away, the gnome's barrier shatters from the battering waves of lightning. Inflicting massive damage, the gnome was hurled ten meters. "Matron… g-give me power…" It calls for Shastra the queen of illusion and desire and for somehow Shastra didn't answer her servant’s plead, for she had lost interest.
His flesh is cooked, nerves are shut down paralyzing the gnome. While he Lays in wait and unable to regenerate the gnome still breath, waiting for Akatosh to decide his final fate.
"H-have mercy…" Pleads the gnome’s name Laneth.
Akatosh pauses for a moment gaping down the dying gnome. But when he saw Laneth's face, all he saw is pure wickedness, he saw nothing but a thirst for sacrifice and power. Uncoerced, Akatosh plunged the gnome's heart dispelling the illusion.
After they easily dealt with the gnome and his abominations, Amaragnum again forcefully tries to seizure Akatosh's body. However, Akatosh was prepared to sort for holy water while he struggles to dominate Amaragnum.
"Screw you!" Akatosh shout unable to control the whip.
"Hahaha… ain't this a surprise, what secrets are you hiding in this body of yours." Amaragnum laughs using Akatosh's right hand to cast a spell.
Anticipating the stillmage's magic, Akatosh using his claw-gauntlet slams his right hand piercing his flesh and disabling the stillmage's casting. Once he'd manage to procure holy water, Akatosh forcefully gulps the entire liquid. Truth to be known, he wasn't sure if it can purge his body but for a few seconds, the stillmage exist in his steaming body.
Swallowing the holy water is like drinking hot water cursing through his stomach. It was an excruciating pain such as his inside is being roasted. "Now I know why holy water is for external use." He groans, sitting on a chair in a deranged position.
And when Chifya arrives checking for Akatosh, a voice of a woman called. "Mortal… I see you've defeated my servant and my pets, no matter he proved his delicacy."
Chifya looks back and forth, to compass the voice. "Who are you?" Shastra questions Akatosh while in the state of recovering.
"A human." Reply Akatosh.
"Then I suspect you are one of the causes here—"
"Two of one to be fact." Akatosh interrupts. "Speak your intent and make it simple."
Shastra chuckles in an intriguing tone. "A daring tongue, no mortals have this kind of word with a Deedra before. But I see fit as you to be my champion, a loyal subject to my ranks."
"You are one to ask such a thing with an indefinite price. So I must do the same."
The Deedra couldn't help but laughs imbues if she were mistreated in her statues or chuckles in amusement. "And what would that be--" Before she could finish her sentence Chifya found her shrine, her channel to spoke with mortals.
A deformed mirror twisted in the spiral shape of obsidian. Upon shattering the object, Chifya severs their conversation. "What are you doing I was just asking if she's willing to be my gir--" By the time Akatosh could follow a word, a cold slap Chifya gave him.
"Do you even know what you're doing, the consequences of having a covenant with a Deedra!" Chifya exclaimed, grabbing his shredded vest.
Akatosh affixes his eyes to the woman, He couldn't believe what stood in front of him. An incredibly beautiful she-wolf and with her is a fomented stern atmosphere. After Akatosh saw Chifya, he merely smiles despite the pain and blood he bargains for accepting a power not his own. He thought it would be best to go for looting rather than argue with her like a childish person he was.
And so Akatosh calmly pushes her hands, going through the gnome's corpse. Using only his left arm, all he found was a mask broken but holds a secret. And the only thing why he kept it, was the design. A very enticing mask where half of it was shattered, a mask made out of scale, scale from a shadow dragon. Cracks and fractures can be seen like it was now a fragile object. Surprisingly, the mask is as hard as an elven-steel.
Once she saw Akatosh in his solemn face resembling a lonely man unacceptable to a companion. "Tsk…" Neglecting to face him, she expressed not in disapproval to him but to her relevance.
After he inspects the mask, Akatosh quickly tries it. And when the mask touches his face, he felt protected when a swirl of energy unseen to the eye begins to form. He felt it, he knows it, he no longer needs to wear a helmet, no longer need to defend his exposed fragile head.
He smiles, putting the mask in his void bag. "You can have this place as your evidence. Only don't involve me or my name to what happened here." He says to Chifya's remorse face, who didn't even do a thing or two.
"Will you?" He implores.
"Fine!" A frustrated tone Chifya utters.
Apart from the holy water that renders his strength, the consecutive battle and little rest worsening his health. Chifya could see him staggering to walk for that she kept her pace with him and when they descend the slope Akatosh scramble to the ground. That's when Chifya quickly catches him, grasping his body.
"It's okay I can walk." Akatosh insist, which forced Chifya to use her sleeping potion constraining him to slumber.
"Just not a temple…" Akatosh request before slowly closing his eyes.
She then carries him and with her superhuman abilities, she was able to bring him to the nearest treatment house. There was no temple in this faraway village though, she could have taken him to some priest but when Akatosh says otherwise she really did keep her word.
After hours of treatment. "His wounds are healed; he just needs a day or two of rest." The doctor said, surprised at how a man would brutally inject himself with all kinds of injuries and potions without fearing the outcome.
"Thank you kindly I'll repay you--" Chifya bows and with her is his items.
"No need, your help was nobler to these people living in his village." The doctor interrupts.
"No…" Chifya calmly shakes her head, "You should be thanking him…" Gazing her eyes towards Akatosh.
"I see," The doctor understood her words and eyes, "Then I'll let you know when he's fully recovered."
She returns to the inn and once she reports her quest, she carefully places Akatosh's possession in their room. She was surprised, normally Akatosh always carries a medium bag, now he carries a belt pouch. What she didn't realize was, she became more interested in him in way of uncovering his mysteries or perhaps the other way around.
By the time after the dawn brought light to the land, "By the order of the adventurer's guild and the council of Endregar. Under the name of Council lord Eskandor Alvatras, I hereby call for Chifya, a member of the adventurers' guild to appear to the council. Failure to do so in three days, the laws of policies between the council of Endregar and the adventurers' guild will be implemented." Cries the messenger of Endregar and with him are three bodyguards. A third-rate Endregar knight and a bald mage.
Their presence silences the inn; some adventurers are murmuring as to why there were no little details to be told. Even the guild receptionists are in solitary faces-- helpless. However, Chifya freely gave herself to them appearing before they leave the place. Remembering why Akatosh constantly ask not to envelop him in this guild affairs, now she knew why. Not knowing the connection, Akatosh clearly tangled himself with a dragon.
The inn was left dreary but how can they when they are just under the kingdoms' government and laws. All they could do is watch as Chifya faded to their doorstep.