Rising Crescendo
The shadow howled, its essence sliced open and bleeding into the world, and a gilded key dropped from its depths. It made a solid klink on the ground as it rolled and bounced, ending at the metal boots of her heavy armor. Tesin picked up the boss key to the fifth avenue of the Rambling Road, and Melody sighed in relief.
Melody: "That's it, right? Not an illusion, or some kind of trick?"
Tesin tossed the key back to her partner, and her blade condensed back into its solar mote. They were out of danger, for now.
Tesin: "You tell me."
Tesin let her scan it, although her gut told her it was the real thing. Not that her gut had ever satisfied Melody... Tesin supposed that no one became the head of the Black Yakuta without some quirks.
They'd spent over a month on the Road since their entrapment in Night, as they were regularly forced to retreat. Whereas the fourth avenue had been weak enough to survive on her own, the fifth was a step up in power, and the Road itself was never meant to be challenged by one person. A door to a higher avenue was a death sentence, and if they couldn't find an alternate key, they were forced to quit the Road for the day. Or in events such as three days past, when Tesin had fled to aid Illana before the barrier overwhelmed her.
That had raised many questions, and Carrot had been slow to answer. His admissions the night prior still weighed heavily on her mind... Once the Scythe was hers, he would have some serious explaining to do.
Melody: "All clear."
Tesin: "Ready?"
Melody: "On your mark." Tesin took back the key, and turned it in the boss door. The lurching in her stomach had become all too familiar, as they were pulled into the final room on the fifth avenue. A place only one other team had ever been... The ones had who died after the sixth avenue, at the hands of the Spirit of the Well. It was a subterranean cave, faintly lit by faraway sunlight, the stone of the ground worn down by many passings. The ceiling was high above them, and wide enough to fit a small starship. Melody dispersed a few wyrdlights, but they added no further detail. It was cold. Tesin tucked her chin slightly, and whispered to the amulet on her chest. Tesin: "B? Where are we?" The emerald set into the golden necklace flared to life, lit from behind by low flame, and a voice emanated from the center. B: "Somewhere stored inside the Road. A moment caught in space and time."
Tesin: "Specifically?"
B: "I am forbidden from aiding you on the Road, my Queen. As you well know." Tesin scoffed. She'd earned the amulet after the final trial on the fourth avenue -- some nasty Homunculus with a taste for mortal flesh -- but the spirit inside was all but useless... At least in their current endeavors. She was also forbidden from sharing her name or identity, going only by "B" or "Binder". Melody: "I sense something... We're not alone anymore." They both stiffened. Tesin focused on her Solarion senses, and her blade manifested in her hand. Proof that they were about to be in mortal danger... Melody began to whisper the beginnings of a spell. Then a white dragon dove into its cave, and the world was a flurry of breath and wings. Tesin swung with her blade, slicing away scales as a foot latched around her, and the dragon snarled as lightning arced up its leg. Still, they were unable to stop the thing from tearing them out of the chamber, and thrusting them out into the light. They were at least three miles above sea level, at the top of a mountain that cleaved sharply on one side. It was a straight drop to the bottom, where pebble-size boulders bathed in frothy seawater. The Wings of Night flared to life behind her, and Melody clasped onto her gauntlet as she fell past. The dragon was hundreds of feet away, arcing sharply for a return pass. She watched as it corrected its own flight, having expected them to keep falling, giving Melody time to cast a flying spell. Melody: "Plan?"
Tesin: "Kill it." Melody nodded, and Tesin attuned to the photonic mysteries of the universe. Pyric flame infused her, pushing away at the cold, and the dragon responded in kind, spitting its icy breath as it came hurtling past. Melody shouted a quick warding spell, but the freezing mist still hurt like a bitch, chilling her skin even beneath the armor. Tesin took the opportunity for a dive, flying perpendicular to its path, and clipped the edge of a wing. Melody: "Look out!" There was a ringing sound, and the world went dark. The Wings kept her afloat, as whatever spell the dragon had loosed bounced around in her skull. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Move. She opened her eyes just in time to catch the dragon's gaze -- only five feet from her face -- as the wyrm bit into her armor, and carried her far away. She saw Melody struggling to keep up, hurling another lightning bolt, but it fell short, discharged uselessly into the winter air. The beast's teeth pierced into her armor, puncturing into flesh, and she felt blood pool at the bottom of her boots. Tesin lifted her arm to swing, and realized her blade was gone... In the back of her head, Shalema mocked her for a lack of focus. It took all of her will to summon the weapon, and she fired the laser turret on her shoulder for good measure, but the dragon barely stirred. It was waiting for something, and she didn't want to find out what. Melody: "Tesin!" Melody phased onto the wyrm's back, arms alight with eldritch power, and that power flooded into her. Strength surged in her sword arm, and her blade took on an arcane glow. She smiled, recognizing the boon from Abelina's playbook, and thrust her blade straight down. It sliced effortlessly into the dragon's eye, cutting through a barrier of magical protection. Right as it opened its jaws, and released a second sub-zero breath. Melody called out, but Tesin couldn't hear it. She felt the Wings freeze and then shatter, having taken too much damage in the fray. The dragon fell with her, blood streaming from its skull, but its remaining eye was still very much alive. White mist built around its teeth. The brand of Pharasma pulsed over her heart. Melody appeared in front of Tesin as the dragon released its breath, and a horde of her shadow men erupted in front of them. Tesin instinctually wrapped her arm around Melody's waist, keeping their falling bodies close. The shadows died instantly, not designed to take such damage, and the dragon burst through the chaos, its wings now folded down on both sides. The dragon came at them like a hammer blow from the gods. And so the Land was mine to bend... Tesin: "Shut up." The Wings flared behind her. Tesin narrowly corrected their course, pulling Melody's legs from the creature's maw just in time, and lanced her sword into its side. There was a terrible scream, as her blade rent it from head to toe, and steaming blood fountained into the air, covering both her and Melody in its heat. They watched as it continued to fall, drifting slowly after it, until it crashed into the rocks in the sea, and filled the ocean with its ichor. By the time they reached the base of the mountain, three chests were arrayed on the cliffside, with the Sixth Avenue Key resting in the lock of the middle. Melody: "Next time--"
Tesin: "--better plan." They locked eyes, standing over their spoils. If they laughed, the Dreamer would not say, for dragon was his favorite meal, and thus his eyes were averted... But he did hear laughter, and that was enough. He let it filter through the Haze, and the vision fades...
Tesin: "Ready?"
Melody: "On your mark." Tesin took back the key, and turned it in the boss door. The lurching in her stomach had become all too familiar, as they were pulled into the final room on the fifth avenue. A place only one other team had ever been... The ones had who died after the sixth avenue, at the hands of the Spirit of the Well. It was a subterranean cave, faintly lit by faraway sunlight, the stone of the ground worn down by many passings. The ceiling was high above them, and wide enough to fit a small starship. Melody dispersed a few wyrdlights, but they added no further detail. It was cold. Tesin tucked her chin slightly, and whispered to the amulet on her chest. Tesin: "B? Where are we?" The emerald set into the golden necklace flared to life, lit from behind by low flame, and a voice emanated from the center. B: "Somewhere stored inside the Road. A moment caught in space and time."
Tesin: "Specifically?"
B: "I am forbidden from aiding you on the Road, my Queen. As you well know." Tesin scoffed. She'd earned the amulet after the final trial on the fourth avenue -- some nasty Homunculus with a taste for mortal flesh -- but the spirit inside was all but useless... At least in their current endeavors. She was also forbidden from sharing her name or identity, going only by "B" or "Binder". Melody: "I sense something... We're not alone anymore." They both stiffened. Tesin focused on her Solarion senses, and her blade manifested in her hand. Proof that they were about to be in mortal danger... Melody began to whisper the beginnings of a spell. Then a white dragon dove into its cave, and the world was a flurry of breath and wings. Tesin swung with her blade, slicing away scales as a foot latched around her, and the dragon snarled as lightning arced up its leg. Still, they were unable to stop the thing from tearing them out of the chamber, and thrusting them out into the light. They were at least three miles above sea level, at the top of a mountain that cleaved sharply on one side. It was a straight drop to the bottom, where pebble-size boulders bathed in frothy seawater. The Wings of Night flared to life behind her, and Melody clasped onto her gauntlet as she fell past. The dragon was hundreds of feet away, arcing sharply for a return pass. She watched as it corrected its own flight, having expected them to keep falling, giving Melody time to cast a flying spell. Melody: "Plan?"
Tesin: "Kill it." Melody nodded, and Tesin attuned to the photonic mysteries of the universe. Pyric flame infused her, pushing away at the cold, and the dragon responded in kind, spitting its icy breath as it came hurtling past. Melody shouted a quick warding spell, but the freezing mist still hurt like a bitch, chilling her skin even beneath the armor. Tesin took the opportunity for a dive, flying perpendicular to its path, and clipped the edge of a wing. Melody: "Look out!" There was a ringing sound, and the world went dark. The Wings kept her afloat, as whatever spell the dragon had loosed bounced around in her skull. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Move. She opened her eyes just in time to catch the dragon's gaze -- only five feet from her face -- as the wyrm bit into her armor, and carried her far away. She saw Melody struggling to keep up, hurling another lightning bolt, but it fell short, discharged uselessly into the winter air. The beast's teeth pierced into her armor, puncturing into flesh, and she felt blood pool at the bottom of her boots. Tesin lifted her arm to swing, and realized her blade was gone... In the back of her head, Shalema mocked her for a lack of focus. It took all of her will to summon the weapon, and she fired the laser turret on her shoulder for good measure, but the dragon barely stirred. It was waiting for something, and she didn't want to find out what. Melody: "Tesin!" Melody phased onto the wyrm's back, arms alight with eldritch power, and that power flooded into her. Strength surged in her sword arm, and her blade took on an arcane glow. She smiled, recognizing the boon from Abelina's playbook, and thrust her blade straight down. It sliced effortlessly into the dragon's eye, cutting through a barrier of magical protection. Right as it opened its jaws, and released a second sub-zero breath. Melody called out, but Tesin couldn't hear it. She felt the Wings freeze and then shatter, having taken too much damage in the fray. The dragon fell with her, blood streaming from its skull, but its remaining eye was still very much alive. White mist built around its teeth. The brand of Pharasma pulsed over her heart. Melody appeared in front of Tesin as the dragon released its breath, and a horde of her shadow men erupted in front of them. Tesin instinctually wrapped her arm around Melody's waist, keeping their falling bodies close. The shadows died instantly, not designed to take such damage, and the dragon burst through the chaos, its wings now folded down on both sides. The dragon came at them like a hammer blow from the gods. And so the Land was mine to bend... Tesin: "Shut up." The Wings flared behind her. Tesin narrowly corrected their course, pulling Melody's legs from the creature's maw just in time, and lanced her sword into its side. There was a terrible scream, as her blade rent it from head to toe, and steaming blood fountained into the air, covering both her and Melody in its heat. They watched as it continued to fall, drifting slowly after it, until it crashed into the rocks in the sea, and filled the ocean with its ichor. By the time they reached the base of the mountain, three chests were arrayed on the cliffside, with the Sixth Avenue Key resting in the lock of the middle. Melody: "Next time--"
Tesin: "--better plan." They locked eyes, standing over their spoils. If they laughed, the Dreamer would not say, for dragon was his favorite meal, and thus his eyes were averted... But he did hear laughter, and that was enough. He let it filter through the Haze, and the vision fades...
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