"Hopefully it goes to a painful place," Elizabeth said in an ancient tongue. She seemed to brighten and stretch outward as if flexing her soul to test bonds no longer there.

The last time Kirby felt this uncertain was some Fifteen years ago or more. In that time Kirby had found himself plucked out of his native country and in a world that was strange to him. Though prepared for the experience over the preceding weeks Kirby found himself immobile.

Uncertain.

He stood staring up at the unnerving monument to newness some thirty yards, and 17 steps, away. Safety was closer. Five feet behind him, it's rear passenger door still open, idled the relative protection of an Army staff car.  He need only turn and re-enter the vehicle and the horror of Robinson High School would vanish, if even for the day. It had been this way for three days already and the car had won.

At 14 Kirby was a scared boy whose only crimes seemed to be failure to repair a fence before sundown, unexplainable cricket skill, and the sin of being born to a decorated US Army officer he would never meet. For those sins he was shipped away from the only home he had ever known to America. His current home was a spartan bedroom in an equally spartan military quarters on expansive, mostly concrete encrusted, peninsula  on Tampa Bay, Florida. Cold as they were, those confines where preferable in that moment to the perils that lay ahead.

Ahead of him lay hundreds of denim and backpack wearing strangers. While none of them looked at him he knew they were laughing at him, the new foreign-born trespasser in their midst. They purposefully spoke too fast for him to understand, he was sure, and each chuckle or snort was almost certainly the result of some joke from which he was the punch line. The feeling has a paralizing effect. Why couldn't he just go home to his schools in Guyana? They could teach him about America there.

He turned to go, again, but something caught his eye before he could move. He saw it, them actually, again for a moment before they turned and entered the school.  His fear was replaced by a quickening of his pulse, an excitement. He knew his life wouldn't be complete if he didn't follow. So, headless of his earlier fears he bounded up the steps and into the school.

What had got him out of his torpor and into action? The same thing that motivates 14 year old boys all over the world - a pair of exquisite breasts rapped in a tight t-shirt that he just had to see again before he died.

...

A brief memory flashed through Kirby's mind that was so unexpected in this place, at this moment, that it succeeded in breaking his un characteristic stasis. Kirby allowed himself to land and ran, wordlessly, to be at his grandmothers side.

A sigh of relief escaped Xuan's lips as he straightened and allowed the Song to stop. He allowed himself to relax, but only a little. They hadn't checked on the storm yet, so there could be danger crouching around the next corner, set to leap upon them as soon as they dropped their guard. For the Captain's sake, he hoped that wasn't so.

Casting his eyes about the room, they landed on the slumped body with the hood. As he moved toward it, he pat Orlando on the shoulder and validated, "Amazing work, my friend. Keep an eye out? Just in case we are not yet done."

As he finished his short walk, he nodded to Max as if to say "well done" and stood over the body with his staff still secure in his grip. A glance up to the top of what used to be stairs, he imagined a floating spirit, a ball of energy maybe, doing...doing what? It was beyond him. So his attention landed back on their newest member of the team, and he couldn't help but wonder. If he took his blade to the ancient boy's neck, would he be eliminating a future threat? Would it create an even greater one? Would it make an enemy from one that could be a great ally? If there was ever an opportunity, this would be it.

A decision needed to be made. A choice. Since they had met, this decision had been at war with him internally, and he was tired of this particular battle. At this point, after everything, he would need to either give Aeviternus his full trust, or...not.

The blade of his staff stuck firmly into the floor as he relaxed his grip, and the length of it rested on his shoulder as he turned to assume a protective position over his teammate's empty body. Catching sight of Kirby, he asked him, "Will she be alright?"

     "She has a fever, probably a blood infection at this point, I've seen it a few times. The filthy creatures sicken the body. On a couple of occasions, I've had to heal the body to help them recover. In the beginning, before I could magically heal...I wasn't as successful as I had hoped to be." Orlando said gravely. With Kirby's help they brought his grandmother back to bed, Orlando said a small prayer and placed holy wax on Elizabeth Gray's forehead, he turned and blessed a pitcher of water, sticking his crystal cross inside, then proceeded to pour it over her body. The process took quick moments. Leaving kirby next to his grandmother he left to check on Elsi.

     He found her being cared for in another room with the Bostonian at her side. "Will she be ok?" He feared for her safety only in the fact that her help was needed in healing Elizabeth. Lightning crashed and thundered above the roof, that was odd, most of the time wind and rain where in hurricanes, not lightning, the storm now flooded his ears. He hadn't heard it before, maybe it was getting stronger.

Max was still in a defensive state of mind from the demonic physic attack. He knew the storm had not passed. JonKea and the negative elemental fury which continued to roar outside the battered Smith commune must be attended too.

Max acknowledged John in his passing and his positive conveyance. "Tsunami, I'm going outside to help aid Jonkea if I can. I think it best if you and Ace, once he's back in this dimension, aid us as well." Max smiled at John in a fatherly way.

Max turned and headed out the front door.

The storm blow a harsh gail wind.  Inviting to any storm chaser. Max's cloths were drenched within seconds of entering the elemental fury. He had to squint his eyes to focus on JonKea. He could see  JonKea was struggling to temper the evil storm. Max could feel the battle he was fighting and was ready to aid JonKae.  He saw shapes within the storms tides, but he couldn't discern what they were.

Max focused the last bit of physic energy towards JonKea. Raising his hands towards the heavens Max concentrated on JonKea's storm fighting energies. He shouted above the storms ramparts. "For the glory of Shakti, bring an end to this evil storm."

Max's string energies flowed to Jonkea as a river flowed to the sea. He beheld this moment in awe. Though he'd used this ability many times in his life. He'd never seen the string energies flow so clearly in absolute beauty. It was a true wonder to witness. Max thought this anomaly had  something to do with the negative energies of the storm. Like polar opposites of a magnet. Both pushing away from each other.

Max smiled at JonKea as he spoke. "You will defeat this storm. JonKae know that Elizabeth and Elsi have been saved and are being cared for. Gain courage and inner strength from this fact. We're overcomers. Now do what you must to win this fight!" The string energies continued to flow from Max to Jonkae.

Glancing around at the worlds about him, Aeviternus took in the information with the weight of consequence.  Which could be more costly?  Entering into a realm he'd not seen before and possibly getting lost within it or returning to help the incredible cadre of dedicated men on the world he was already familiar with.  Certain that Orlando was to be credited for both the tornado that swept away the demon and the gateway, there was a solid chance he'd have another opportunity to experiment, possibly when things weren't so dire.

If a time like that ever exists again.

But there was something ever so much more pressing upon the mind of the wandering soul.  A name he'd not heard in millennia, a resemblance to somebody he'd seen just weeks ago but prior to that... eons.  The doubt pervaded while the hope pressed him toward her, his anchor firmly in his hand...

Just like she'd told him.

Looking expectantly at her, Aeviternus couldn't quite seem to find the words to engage.

Acknowledging Max with a nod, Xuan turned back to Aeviternus and nudged him with a toe, wondering if he'd even feel it.

"If you can hear me, and are not locked out of that body, Max thinks you could be of some help outside. Unless you still have work to do on the spirit plane."

Unsure of what he could do, Xuan exited the house anyway to gauge the storm and his ability to affect it. Power almost completely drained, and still tired, he allowed the torrent to hit him face on, not flinching from the heavy rain and harsh winds. Max was in the middle of belting out encouragement to Kirby's grandfather, some of the words too hard for Xuan to understand through the wind, but the meaning was clear enough. He was drenched already, and soon Xuan would be too, which didn't bother him in the slightest. It was water after all, and almost enough to create a new lake on Kirby's family land.

Water. Of course. What was it that Poseidon said? "Use the water as a friend. Feel it as an extension of your body, then as thought…"  Now was as good a time to try it as ever. There seemed enough to give it a shot.

Closing his eyes, Xuan tilted his head up to the sky and held his free hand out, palm up. As the water hit him from one angle, then the next, he took it all in, then tried to reach out further to sense more of it. The water was indeed his friend, and its use here a result of another power using the wind to push it around. Perhaps it wanted to be gentler, or elsewhere altogether. Stretching out with his mind, his first test was to gentle the rain around himself and Max. Dave called the water a 'She'. Would she listen?

The storm had increased in intensity, covering the sun completely, the Madya had grown as dark as night, an unnatural shunning of light;  the men leaving the house to go outside were confronted by it's thickness. They could see JonKae, he seemed to be struggling with something ahead of him in the darkness. He seemed frantic.







This message was last edited by the GM at 16:21, Sun 05 Jan 2014.

In reply to Aeviternus (msg # 87):

      Elizabeth moved fluidly over to Aeviternus and grabbed his hands, tentatively, she looked in his face for recognition. Her warmth  and features held joy...a longing emotion washed over both souls. Her features changed growing younger than her own personal thoughts, smoothly her face looked to Aeviternus like his mothers, so many years ago. Her touch allowed his locked away memories to help guide her, to show him the face that he remembered. A dark haired beauty with firery green eyes shown to Aeviternus and he knew, this was the face of his mother, with whom he had thought died, more than 2000 years ago. He quickly realized that the body of Elizabeth Gray was not his mother's body, but her soul was here attached to Elizabeth Gray, maybe she...was...dead. He searched old old memories, his mother was a gypsy, a sorcerer, she had bestowed the ritual upon him that gave him eternal life. His mind was a flutter with many questions.

    "I can sense, that you wonder if what you saw weeks ago was correct, yes, I visited you at the church. I have been looking for you through my servants, Earl lead me to you. The protections that I placed upon you, all those years ago, has hidden you from me and thankfully others as well.  Omy Melek, I have searched and searched for you, life time after life time. There were many times that i was so close. I am sorry for the life that I have given you, but the forge of life has steeled you into the warrior that you are today. That we need today. You have saved Me today. I am not going anywhere; I - We are Elizabeth Gray. I am not going anywhere Omy Melek. I will be here, but you must go to your friends, they need you in the waking world," Elizabeth spoke without words, trying to be reassuring to Aeviternus. He had not recognized, but his soul had changed as well, reverting to his youth, his mother's memories guided him, and his soul was that of the 9 year old boy, with whom she had cherished so many years ago.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Sun 05 Jan 2014.

Max's energy flowed into JonKae and he visibly stood taller, like an oak growing in strength. He threw down another set of lightning bolts of the beasts, yelling towards Xuan and Max," I can't keep the beasts at bay and deal with this storm. I can now deal with the storm, if you keep the creatures away." He looked at them with worried eyes, he didn't know what had happened in the house with his wife and their presence outside now could mean anything.  He focused on the task at hand, "These beasts have rode in on the storm, if I can stop it they will go!"


Xuan's outstretched hand wracked in pain; the briefest mental flash of an animal attack made him retract his hand in shock. This was not what Dave meant, something was wrong with this storm, something horrible riding in the storm. The water held malice, it felt like a savage beast.

His only answer to his mother's words was an enveloping embrace that only souls could share, holding tight for a moment and punctuated with the warmth of familiarity as Aeviternus touched his true family for the first time in many lifetimes.  Backing away just enough to get one more good look, the equivalent of holding on to one's shoulders, Aeviternus acknowledged her urge to help on the physical plane though his hesitation to leave her again was obvious.  He lifted Lotus before him, showing her like a proud child taking a lesson to heart before riding the anchor back to Avery and their body.

In an instant with the return came resolve and Ace was on his feet, grim with determination as he quickly scanned the room.  Things seemed safe inside while the storm raged beyond the walls, and he found himself following Xuan out the front door at a jog, pearl energy pouring out of his hood and trailing over his shoulders with each step.

Jonkae's mighty struggle, even with Max's help, added to the sense of flood that threatened to drown them all amid the flurry of possession, fear and home invasion.  Seeing Xuan recoil his hand from something that should have responded to his command snapped everything to focus as Aeviternus moved Lotus into a prepared stance, ready to defend his partners and loved ones.

Max took in the abhorrent environment surrounding his friends. The taste of fatalistic energies traveled within his psionic mouth. Again the ancient battle of light verses darkness was at hand.

He longed to know everything about energies within the universe. With 40 years of hard scientific research the surface hadn't been scratched dealing with energies. He would give all he knew to gain a greater understanding of magical energy they now faced..

I must learn how magical energies are manipulated in relation to how I manipulate the power of my mind. This was the task at hand. Though all energies were based on equal physics. In both  laws and mechanics. The differences in energies was how they were being manipulated and the power levels within the manipulations at the string level. The level of it's geniuses, creation. The energy was always there and will away exist. The alpha and omega, never ending throughout eternity. Ever changing, never the same.

"JonKae take hope and gain strength in knowing your wife is safe, free of the netherworld beast! Deal with the storm as we battle the storm beasts!"

Max turned to John and the timely Aeviternus. "The storm beast are ours to deal with, while JonKae extinguishes the storm. I'ill support you and follow your leads."

Stepping shoulder to shoulder with Xuan, Ace spoke to be heard just over the storm.  "For even the strongest force will weaken with time, and then its violence will return, and kill it."   The last few words were punctuated with blades snapping into attack position from Lotus.

"The only useful quality, weakness. For though all creatures under heaven are the products of Being, Being itself is the product of Not-being."

As he spoke, Xuan pulled Chi from his staff to fuel his focus. Staring out into the storm, he knew he would need every bit of it. Frowning at his recoiled hand, he flexed his fingers, though he knew the pain was not actually physical.

Through every trial they had encountered of late, Xuan had to call upon all of his strengths, his power within. With the Titan, only his Chi would work. With the demon, his Chi Song. After everything, there was a part of him that still missed something a little more grounded. Despite it all, Xuan itched for a good old fashioned fight.

"Let's help these creatures to find the meaning of 'not-being'." As Xuan advanced, he added, "Stay close, to protect our flanks. Max, watch our backs, and stay safe."

Round 1, CA 1


The creatures leap a great distance from their hiding place in the dark to land on Aeviternus and Xuan, the creatures attempting to crush both men in coordinated motion.

OOC-this yard is expansive, there is a path of gravel that leads from the porch out to where Rafi had dropped you off. The Yota is still there about 100 feet away.  The ground is sodden and soupy but flat.  As everyone feels their footing, you all recognize that the muddy conditions are perilous.  There are houses to either side of the main manor, but there is a decent space between the houses. It is hard to tell in the dark.  There are various plant life and garden areas around the house, including rocks and planters. As you stand in front of Popi JonKae, you notice from behind you he has started to lift into the air.

The beasts have attacked, they are attempting to crush Aeviternus and Xuan into the mud. The creatures are large and pose a size problem for parrying attacks unless your weapon is considered large. Xuan's creature rolls a 48 and Ace an 18.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:25, Fri 10 Jan 2014.

As the beast crashed down upon Aeviternus with its superior size a flick of a thumb released the top half of Lotus and unleashed the chain that followed.  Aeviternus wrenched his weapon arm back, up and returning across his body to send the growing length of chain lashing about the creature's target in an effort to tangle its attempt into what would next turn into a vice if successful.

In that brief instant of airborne activity he may just be able to wrench the creature out of its momentum.

Timing was everything. In those precious moments Xuan became one with the staff, from his sloshing toes taking on mud to the tip of the cold, razor sharp blade. And he waited. Only milliseconds, but timing really was everything. Then the whole of him went into motion.

His heel moved first, sliding back. Twisting from the torso Xuan brought the butt of the staff up in a sweeping motion, stretching out and matching the momentum of the beast. Continuing the twist, he used the demon dog's own trajectory against itself, the butt end driving into the underside of it to send it just off course. Aimed correctly, the staff would complete a full cycle and send the beast to the ground in a heap, missing Xuan completely, and open for a brutal reply.

Round 1, CA 1-


The creatures flame burst even more as they lept from their hiding spot in the darkness. The flame smelled of something acrid. A beast jumped from the left, this one attacking Aeviternus and one from the right, leaping towards Xuan.




Xuan, brased against the beast's leap, his weapon impaling the creature in the chest, using it's own force against the beast. The creature landed on it's feat, obvious pain seared at Xuan as more flame shot out of it open wound igniting the air around him. Xuan lost his breath as the air around him burnt away, used as fuel. Xuan was able to tell the stench of the beast, brimstone and charred flesh was the beast's musk.



Aeviternus's chain whips out, slashing the creature in the air, but the beast was quicker than he'd thought. Once out of the darkness the beast turned into a hulking fire. The creature pounced leaping 40 feet into the air and hit Aeviternus in the chest knocking him to the ground prone. Aeviternus was under the beast's maw the heat fell and burned his face. Everyone was now given ample light into the situation. Aeviternus's clothes caught fire where the beast had slammed him down and his face was aflame.

]



     "No, do not hurt them, " yelled an elderly man. It was JonKae, looking down upon the field, lightning struck down hitting the large beast in the middle, the one just staring at the carnage. The air sizzled of ozone, purified, it erupted on the creature.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:06, Tue 21 Jan 2014.

Round 1, CA 1



The three creatures and JonKae have gon, it is now Max's Turn.  Kirby still needs to roll StrikeRank.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:31, Wed 22 Jan 2014.

Round 1, CA 1

Max rubbed his eye's in disbelief. 'Did that just happen. One moment a fire dog the next a lightning giant. What next the zombie apocalypse?' That wouldn't be much of a stretch, he thought.

JonKae's power  transformed the nether creature from one base element and shape to another. He favored that the beast could manipulate whatever element it chose or made contact with, which could be good or bad. A matter of perspective.

This battle was maddening. To much energetic stimulus. The storm grew to mega gothic horror in Max's mind. He blocked it out to make his next move. One vital to this conflicts evolution, communication. We must be as one for this terror to end and the healing begin.

His breath left him, exhaling from his diaphragm as one would to enter a deep meditative state. His hands became one. Fingers intertwined from pinky to middle finger.  Index fingers pressed hard against each other as yin and yang with thumbs crossed.  For twenty seven years Max could only do this psionacaily, with his mind. Now the hands he lost years ago were reborn, repurposed and recommissioned for a new hope. This being that time.

Max stretched his mind out to each team member, including JonKae, Elizabeth Grey, Elsie, Edmond Smith II, Colonel Sharp and Kojack wannabie. He pushed through the darkness of time and space gathering the string energy around him. Binding it from his mind to those he targeted. His thoughts to them, their thoughts to him, their thoughts to each other. One mind, one accord, one joining.

He could feel Tibbs thoughts. "Tibbs were having one hell of a battle outside and as much as you'd like to stay in and kick it. You can't, sorry. We need to get everyone with an tara-quad or energy left out front to aid in the battle. We're fighting two fire dogs, one lightning giant and the storm itself. Ace is down and looks hurt, John is engaged with the other fire dog and the lighting giant is heading towards us. Make it FAST!"

Max spoke deeper in his mind, John, Ace, Kirby, JonKae can you hear me...Shakti

Short, sharp breaths was what Xuan had to adjust to so close these smouldering hounds. It didn't break his focus, nor his stride. The dance had already initiated, and like water, Xuan continued the flow, taking note of the new contender and keeping him in mind for later. He would get his turn too.

Aeviternus' peril did not escape his notice either. His own mark was wounded and placed suitably for a follow up strike, but so too was the beast on top of his companion. In combat with a teammate, you watched the other's back.  This came before opportunity.

And so Xuan's flow swung away from his initial target, never stopping the flow. The staff twirled as he adjusted the placement of his feet, slowing as his hands shifted wide along the smooth grain of the staff. The Striking  Viper was ready. Becoming incredibly still for the briefest of moments, Xuan eliminated everything from his mind but the smallest point of his target like a laser on a bullseye.

Shouting only the word "Cover!" to Aeviternus, Xuan lashed out with his spear like it was the venomous tooth of a viper, striking for the flaming hound on Aeviternus. He hoped it would give his teammate the opportunity to free himself and return the favor.

With great relief and wonderment he smiled. The mind was delicate but held untold powers yet to be explored. Max got to explore this power everyday and discover the undiscovered countries of the mind. He thanked Shakti for this gift.

Continuing to cut through the haze of time and space. Max held on to each mind and thought to all he targeted. " This is Max I'm communicating through your mind. All in the house and outside are able to communicate with each other. We need to help Ace he's down. This corrupt maelstrom and these beasts need to end now. We can do this as a team, quickly!"

The beast that had jumped at Xuan was obviously wounded, fire dripping from the underside like blood from a gutted carcas.  It was however still on it's feet and close to Max and Xuan. A ferocious snarl belted from its mouth as it looked at Xuan.


Xuan's realized that his partner was in real trouble, Xuan's acute battles senses told him that his friend wouldn't last long unless he acted. His weapon moved like a serpent spearing the creature in the head. He felt bone crunch under his strike.  Xuan unleashed a spinning back kick that hit the butt of his weapon which further speared the creature and launched it off of Ace to land about 10 yards away, spear still stuck in the creature's head.

The immediate pressure on his chest was crushing though lessened in intensity by Avery's natural resistance to force.  As the beast crashed down upon Aeviternus his breath escaped him, his attention quickly going to gathering air and the chain he'd released.

The flames licking upon his face, however, those threatened far more obtrusively than the creature's heft.  It felt like his features were being seared off and the old soul was cursing his poor choice of initial reaction.

The single word, "Cover!" was enough to let him know that his first choice would thankfully not be his last, and Aeviternus immediately ceased all movement and flattened himself to the ground as though he'd melted already.  He watched the flash of steel as Xuan's weapon bit into the enemy with gratitude and breathed once more as the thing was kicked off of him deftly.  The only thing to do with gratitude was reciprocate.

His legs curled swiftly to his chest just prior to launching his body weight into the air as Aeviternus left the ground at first upside down but rotating midair, leveraging momentum and core strength to get his feet underneath him once more.  Before even replacing a single foot upon the Earth, Lotus was unleashed in a flurry of chain and blades at the creature opposite Xuan to oppose any action the dog might take upon the water warrior.