While the moth is distracted is my chance. I'm angling to try and get behind her and stab my spear into her back, using it to hold on while I infuse the earth motes to act as loadstones and slow her down. Once I do that I'll rip the spear out, using the trick I did with the bok where I turned the spearhead before pulling out and then slash at one of her wings, viciously aiming to cripple her flight abilities. From there I'm just concentrating on making my way back to the ground.

You fall on the moth like the Dragoons ofFinal Fantasy.  Driving the spearhead deep into her body. You add the earth motes to her but they react violently with the wind in her, burning her insides. You Pull the spear out at a different angle and slash off one of her wings. You jump off as Leona chops off the wings on her other side with her halberd. She finished the moth off with a chop that cuts her in half.

The moth dissolves into a furry cocoon coffin.

Well that was quick. I didn't even get a chance to fuse.

Huh, that it was... Sorry you didn't get to come out Hermes

"How are you faring Leona? Want to press on or rest quickly? We should press on, figure out what's down here and rescue Smith, and then look to lug the coffin upstairs and purify it com sunrise.... That coffin is gross and furry though."

Do I sense any strong dark essence from through the next door or is that gone with the moths defeat?

The Dark Essence is centered on the cocoon coffin.

Leona replies
"I'm fine. You did most of the work by yourself. Let's check out the next room."

You enter the next room. It is a small natural cave with luminescence fungus. It is almost unearthly beautiful and you can feel the mixture of essence saturating the area.

Smith is on the floor unconscious with the black cat next to him licking his face and meowing.

There is a broken stone slab on the floor with arcane symbols carved into it. It looks like it use to fit into a slot in the cave wall.

Leona rushes up to Smith and starts working on waking him up. After a bit he comes to and sits up.
He says
"Uggg... Leona... is that you? It is!
You made it back safely! So you've defeated the Vampire Lord?"

I'm assuming that's the same black cat that led us down here. Do I see any essence associated with it? I'm skeptical, based on the mural disappearing right after it passed.

I will let Leona do the talking here, at least to start. She's the one with the strong connection to Smith and I simply enjoy seeing the reunion, smiling as I look on. After they finish talking I'll offer,
"If you are in need of healing Smith I would be happy to heal you, should you want."

It is the same black cat that lead you down here. It seems ordinary to your senses.  It looks like an ordinary kitten.

Leona says
"Yes, We got him along with the Queen of the Immortals Hel... But My mother Mani, The Moon beauty was lost..."

Smith Says
"I'm sorry..."

Leona Asks
"What are you doing here Smith? What happened in this City?"

He says
"Well. That a look at this"

He points to the broken stone.

Leona asks.
"Was it some sort of seal?"

Smith Replies
"After the Count had gone, it seemed the Undeadening had come to an end. But then there started to be signs of movement from the Undead, as if they were seekin' something... Cheyenne, a descendant of the Guards of this city, gave a warning. He said the Undead were tryin' to break their seal, see. I dunno what the seal was, but..."

Leona comments
"Perhaps it was Duneyrr's seal...? And that Vampire... There are still things we don't get in this city..."

At this point the cat starts rubbing on Leona's legs and purring.

Leona Asks
"Is this your cat?"

Smith answers
"That is Nero. My Granddaughter's cat.  He came all this way... For a cat, he's got some nerve, eh?"

The conversation stalls out at this point and you ask your question.

Smith replies
"I'm just a bit bruised up. I should be fine if you want to save your essence."

I smile at the cat, I've always been fond of them and it's impressive to see one follow Smith all this way. Just glad my suspicions were unfounded.

"Let's get back to town then first, I'd like to rest until sunrise and take care of purifying the coffin first thing in the morning. She was a fool to underestimate us so much."

I'll examine the broken seal quickly before heading out, just curious to see how it was broken, if I can tell. Otherwise going to carry the coffin out with Leonas help and start heading back to town. If all goes well, we'll purify the coffin come morning.

The seal looks like it has been shattered in half. By something with a lot of power.

Leona says
"I know a good place to set up the pile driver."

You both carry it out of the Cathedral with minimum resistance. Leona takes you to a plasa north of the main street in the town. She performs the ritual to burn the magic circle into the ground. You place the cocoon coffin in the center of the circle.

Leona says
"There. That sould hold the Immortal there until we purify it in the morning. We should still stay out and keep an eye on it though."

"That makes sense to me."

I'll find a position to stand guard and start watching for any that come close. I'm drawing in motes from the earth below me and the open air, to replenish those I spent so that I have a full charge again when we activate the solar piledriver. Having seen how effective my earth motes were on her I plan to use create a scattershot of earth shards to push her back anytime she tries to prevent us from finishing the purification ritual.

Leona says
"We'll take watchs. Wake me up when you get tired."
She sets up a sleeping bag and goes to sleep.

After an hour and a half, you sense an even bigger soul force than the Immortal had. But it is weird. The flame seems to be made of Martial Arts and Speed.

Then you feel a flame comparable to your own made of Wood.

Then Lita and Kyotsu walk into the plaza.
Lita seems happy to see you.

I smile and wave at Kyotsu and Lita as they approach. "Sorry for not seeking you both out earlier, we encountered an immortal earlier, and are just waiting till sunrise to purify it.

We also found this spear" and I heft the spear " and managed to get to Master Smith in time. I also... can read spiritual energy naturally now. I felt both of your considerable soul's approaching before you arrived.... speaking of which, I've not sensed a mixture like yours yet Kyotsu, raw speed and martial arts, but the speed isn't wind that I would naturally associate with it. That and my furies developed a way to rapidly absorb elements... I think that catches you both up mostly. I'm very glad to see you both safe." and I give a warm smile.

Kyotsu smiles slightly and says
"That's because there are only a few things faster tham me. And wind isn't one of them. Magnus's souls don't use elements like you would. They are generally more abstract. There is Ink-Tails his curiosity and desire to learn made manifest. And Tamamo no Mai, The Sun Fox. Who's flame is Entelecheia, bringing those it touches closer to their full potential. "

Lita Comments
"Magnus sounds strange. Michael are you ok after your mission?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:02, Sat 22 Apr 2017.

I nod when Kyotsu explains. It makes sense, different versers would define themselves, and thus their souls based on different principles.

I chuckle when Lita says Magnus is strange,
"I may be wrong, but I'm starting to think all versers are quite strange Lita. Myself included. I'm perfectly fine though, I don't believe any of our enemies managed to land a hit."
I spin around, arms up to show that I'm not concealing any bruises or gaping wounds.
"See, not a scratch."

Lita checks you out for injuries.

Kyotsu comments
"Indeed, most versers come off as strange to most mortals. Magnus put it as 'You try maintaining the values of humanity when nothing can kill you permanently.' It got to the point that Magnus simply can not feel fear. And he only vaguely remembers what it was like for other people."

Lita look at Kyotsu oddly
"How can one not feel fear?"

Kyotsu says
"Simple, one stops feeling fear when one doesn't care if they die."

Lita is a bit stunned at that.

Kyotsu says.
"You indicated that you wanted to learn supernatural martial arts. After you purify that immortal tomorrow, I'll start teaching you and your friends. "

"That's why it's so crucially important for verser's to maintain connection to others. They help ground us. Without that influence, I can see how easily one might start to drift, without connections to others, all there is to fear from death is the pain. And I imagine that given enough time one can learn to ignore pain. But like I said, friendship keeps versers grounded, or that is my opinion.

I look forward to beginning training. Thank you Kyotsu."

Kyotsu says
"Magnus would agree with you. He tried maintaining companions in the world he visited. Some followed him into the Multiverse. But they always left him to follow their own path. Without an influence to moderate him, his experiments with magic grew grander and grander in scale. Until I couldn't support him in his aims.

I believe you will use my teachings for the good of all."

"I didn't know it was possible for one to travel with a verser without being bonded to their soul. How does that work?

And I always try to leverage my abilities to make the world a better place."

"If one is willing to follow a verser into the unknown even past dead. Then there is a chance to follow the verser to their next world when the verser dies. Becoming a verser themselves. It's rare and unreliable though. Magnus couldn't make sense of why some followed him into eternity while others did not."

Lita seems to have mixed feelings about that information

Kyotsu smiles brightly when you tell him that you always use your abilities to make the world a better place.

"Thank you. That fulfills a core part of my being by teaching you. To use my power to make the world a better place..."

"That is... not something I expected. Thank you for letting me know Kyotsu."

I avoid talking about it more. Based on what Leona told me, I know what has Lita having mixed feelings, and I don't know a way to make her feel any better about them. I couldn't ask someone to follow me, to give up their lives... This is building to an awfully awkward conversation.

"It is a noble purpose Kyotsu, I am happy to be able to help."
I smile, glad to be on a different topic that what happens when a verser dies.

I don't have much that I want to accomplish before morning and the purification. Other than at some point I'll want to wake Leona and get a bit of sleep myself.

Kyotsu Replies to your thanks for the info about versers.
"No Problem."

Lita goes to bed and Kyotsu disappears after a while.

Eventually you get tired and switch out with Leona.

Morning comes. And you Start the Purification Ritual with Leona.

White Duneyrr screams out
"It's Hot!"
and an image of her moth form appears.

The Ritual isn't particularly hard. White Duneyrr uses the snow white balls of energy and her ice breath. But you keep her off the Solar Piles. Her and her cocoon coffin dissolve into nothing.

At this point Selene, Lita and Kyotsu show up.
Kyotsu says
"So all of you want to learn my martial arts?"

The others nod and he continues.
"Then from now on you will address me as Sifu. Follow me. There is a forest northwest of town that we shall use as a training ground."

He starts walking northwest Expecting all of you to follow. I assume that you do so.

You are in an old growth forest. the trees are easily a hundred feet tall and there is no undergrowth.

"As I said before. I can teach many Terrestrial and Celestial Styles. Most of you are limited  to learning Terrestrial Styles. Michael could learn the Celestial Styles but it would be a good idea for him to practice Moving his essence in a set pattern needed for Supernatural Martial Arts.

Therefore the first style I'll teach you is Terrible Assent Driven Beast Style.
In the Old World the Far East was a forest bigger than you can imagine. There Exists a great and terrible creature there that this style seeks to emulate. Many dangerous animals live in the vast jungle: crushing behemoths and mighty predators that can take this creature’s life in moments, despite its own size and strength. Of necessity, then, the creature learned to ascend trees in spite of the difficulty presented by its bulk and its shape. In such locations, it could escape its predators, and from such heights, it could descend with precipitous speed upon its prey. Should this creature still exist, it would represent vast agility and strength in a single beast.

The first thing I need to do is to test your Athletics and Agility. Try to touch me."

He is standing there Smiling. His tails are waving about in a playful manner.

I also nod when he asks if we want to learn.

--------

I begin a low burn of wind motes when he mentions testing our agility and athletics, and step forward. "If it pleases, I will test first, Sifu." and with this I bow and sprint towards him. I shift to a full burn as soon as the process of dodging and weaving starts, and do my best to touch Sifu. I will also use solar essence to perfect my movement and also to analyze Sifu's patterns. I'm not going to get him through raw speed, but perhaps if I anticipate his next move I'll have a shot.

"Come at me then Micheal."

You blur as you come forward. But Kyotsu is just out of reach each time you lunge in. His eyebrows arch a bit when you burn solar essence. But he still has that playful smile.
This continues for a while with you trying to maneuver him into a position so that you can anticipate his next move. This concludes with a feign that you predicted the dodge for. allowing you to touch the tip of one of his tails. But he is smiling like he knew that you where going to do that.

The others take their turns. And they don't do as well as you. You would think that Lita did a pretty good show and Leona and Selene are just behind her in their performance.

"Good. You know enough to start with your Athletics. Let's see your Martial Arts. Attack me as hard as you can. Let's see how you fight without weapons."

His stance is simply relaxed he doesn't seem to be in a fighting stance at all.

I would have been recharging while the others did their test, if that's ok? He's trying to gauge our limits so I'm trying to show my limits and that entails near constant furycrafting.

Might as well keep the same order, I'll step forward and start using earth motes to enhance my strength, water motes to align myself with the patterns of the currents and stay fluid, wind to enhance my speed, fire to stoke my own passions and desire to succeed and push me just a little harder, and solar to keep my technical performance as perfect as possible. I don't use all the elements at once often, due to the massive consumption of motes associated with it, but like I said, he wanted to see our limits and this is what I believe to be my current limit.

With all that, I'll assume an aggressive stance and dart in, starting with a crescent kick into dropping to the side and trying a legsweep. I'll follow this up with a forward roll into a grapple.

It hurts using Both Earth and Wind; and Fire and Water together. But you push on past your physical limits. all that together allows you to nearly hit him. Your crescent kick was just a centimeter away from his face. He lifts his leg over your sweep. He smirks when you go for a grapple. You grab his shoulders as he grabs yours.
"Magnus taught you a bit before. Didn't he? I can see echos of Magnus's style in yours."

I stop using the motes as soon as the demonstration finishes, feeling the burn from using opposite elements, but knowing that when needed I will use all that I have access to again.

"He did, for a brief period of time. Like everything it has shifted to reflect my experiences."

I sit down after letting go of his shoulder, ready to watch the others.