{The Creature Hunt} Cyclopta

[Dante Ahti]

Dante was about to answer, when Namesiwa began speaking once more- he listened carefully, squinting his eyes slightly. The sorcerer was rather curious about what Namesiwa was talking about. But, he decided that after the fight would be better timing.

The darkness faded from his eyes, and he swerved to and fro for a second. Oh, he was rather tired at that moment. As the darkness faded from his eyes, so did the barrier.

Dante sent the darkness to his fingers once more, getting into a defensive position.

[Deleted]

The barrier faded and Namesiwa too prepared himself for the creature.

The Cyclopta, high in the sky now, dove down. It gained in speed as it traveled down to the two while its eye began to glow again. Namesiwa lifted his hand and a pillar of earth rose just as the creature landed, its chin drove into the pillar as the landing created a small crater and a gust of wind that fueled the fire beginning to grow. The beam shot up into the sky as the creature's chin was forced up from the uppercut it had just given itself. Soon however, after the beam launched up into the sky, the pillar began to crumble from the force behind the chin and the Cyclopta began to shake it off as it screeched.

[Dante Ahti]

Dante shuddered- he knew that he would never get used to that screeching sound. But he tried to focus as best as he could, and ignore the noise- nothing came to mind on how they might knock out the creature.

Knowing they did not have much time before it attacked, Dante raised his hands, sending a pulse of darkness through the air. Surely it would knock the target back- or even better, knock it out. Though Dante knew that it probably wouldn't happen.

"Do you know any way that we might knock it out and not kill it?" he huffed, still clearly a bit tired due to the barrier he had previously put up.

[Deleted]

"Umbra Impurus." Namesiwa spoke again as the blast of dark magic made himself cringe a bit. Although he was able to overcome it all, the feeling of the area and of the magic when used was sickly too him. It made him feel how he used to feel as a young man when bad things were to happen soon.

The creature took it much worse. It knocked it back and into the air although its wings allowed it to land back in its feet. The pulsation also aloud for the chained pedant on the creature's neck to shift and sway in the air.

The old man had no more time to explain as not a moment later the creature dove for them. It's sharp claws extended to try and rip them apart.

[Dante Ahti]

(( Okay I'm just going to say that I'm REALLY sucking at this thread, cause I don't know what to put down XD" Sorry. I'll definitely try to make bigger posts than this one in the future ))

Dante dove to the side, throwing a ball of dark magic at the creature to slow it down. The boy had no time to think, or speak, or anything for that matter. At that point, it only seemed like they had to react to everything as fast as possible.

The man had to rejoice a little, though- this might have been the longest anyone had fought this being before.

[Deleted]

((lol no apology is necessary! Longer post don't mean better post XD))

Namesiwa stepped to the side as the ball of dark magic was swatted away by the creature. The magic exploding on impact and causing yet another blister to emerge on Cyclopta's forearm. The old man had narrowly evaded the creature. Its claws passing mere centimeters by his face and body. But now the old man was positioned behind the creature and with a tap with the end of his staff, the back of Cyclopta's knee began to freeze over and ice spread up and down its leg.

The cast of ice caused the creature to tumble and fall before the powerful leg was broken free from the ice and Cyclopta staggered back up.

"The chain around her neck." Namesiwa clarifies as he again steps out of the way of the beam that wash shot at him. His face beginning to sweat from the heat that it had produced. After all it had been so close to his face.

Once again, the beast jumped into the air and began to come down, ready to claw at the men.

[Dante Ahti]

Dante narrowed his eyes at Namesiwa, before turning to the creature once more as it hurried towards them. Her? The creature was a girl? And what about the chain, what was it doing?

The poor man didn't know what to do- until a crazy idea clicked into his mind, and he placed both feet firmly on the ground.

What if that chain came off? he thought to himself.

With that, Dante decided that he was going to do it- probably be clawed in the process, but it might be crazy enough to work.
The sorcerer ran forwards toward the creature, a hand reaching out to grab onto the chain. If he was able to do it, he would try to snap it off of her neck. If not? Well, Dante didn't try to think about that.

[Deleted]

The creature came down and Dante went up. From behind the sorcerer, earth rose up with him. Cyclopta's claws swiped down at the man only to be blocked by the earth. Its feet again reached up to claw at him with its sharp talons but in its way, more earth. Its eye began to glow red but its head shot back and it shrieked in pain as its face smashed into a column of earth. Dante, with Namesiwa's assistance, had gotten close enough without being torn to shreds. He soon found himself with his hand clasped around the chain as the earth began to crumble and break around him. he had but a moment before it would be too late and the creature would be free and able to devour him.

[Dante Ahti]

Dante's senses were heightened. He was no longer thinking, no longer even breathing. His body moved on its own, as the hand not grasping the chain took hold with two fingers. Blue swarmed his hand as the chain went red- a heating spell.

With that, as hard as he could, Dante ripped the chain off of the beasts neck, and fell. Breathing once more, thinking once more. And hoping that what he had done would end this- or at least get them out alive.

[Deleted]

The earth around the two of them crumbled away into dust and Cyclopta staggered around screeching into the sky. It's body flailing around as it seemed to shrink while its body burned and smoked, pieces of its skin and other body parts such as long claws and wings fell completely off and began to ooze as the blisters had.
Clicking could be heard as Namesiwa hobbled over to stand next to Dante and watch.
Slowly the shrieking of a wild and dangerous beast turned into screams of a women and then only yelling and crying. The body went under a huge transformation, going from what looked like being a hideously disgusting beast to a fair skinned maiden. She collapsed to the ground in the nude and quickly began searching around. First feeling her neck and then pulling at the ashed ground and looking around frantically.

"Where is it!? No no no! I cannot have lost it! Where is it!!!!" She cried as she looked around in a state of panic. Feeling her chest ever so often. Namesiwa detached his cape from his tunic and hobbled over to her before covering her and helping her up. Although it was a struggle.
"Come here lass, we are only wish to help. You're okay, you'll be fine. Quiet now. SHhh." He tried to comfort her as he held her up and helped keep her covered. But she was focused on one thing. And then she found it. She starred at Dante's hand and then snapped her gaze to his eyes.

"You! Give me it! Give that to me, it is mine!" She screamed. Namesiwa, from behind her, shook his head. He knew what he would do with it if he had it, he would destroy it. But it was not his call, not his place.

[Dante Ahti]

Dante stared at the girl, eyes slanted. His eyes went from her, to Namesiwa, then back to her. He gripped the chain tighter in his hand, shaking his head.
His hand glowed with darkness for a moment, before ash fell out of his hands. The chain was gone.

Dante did not understand the situation. He did not know why the girl changed into it with it on. He did not know why she would want it back. Did she know what she was doing with it on? If so, why want it back? Why want to change into that hideous creature?

Power. Darkness. Fear. Some people yearned for it, Dante supposed.

But Dante knew that he could not give it back to the girl. And he didn't want anyone else trying it on. Perhaps it could have gained him coin- after all the hunt was about capturing the creature. and if the chain was the cause of the creature, then of course the hunt organizers would have wanted it.

At that moment, though, Dante knew that earning some coin was not important there. The chain was dangerous- he had a choice, in reality. But in his eyes he did not.

"Why have you been attacking people?" Dante asked the girl, brushing himself off. He was sore now, but curious. Curious as to what the hell was going on through this woman's mind.

[Deleted]

"NOOOOOO! You monster! Why have you done this that was my lucky charm! Go to hell! I can't believe you could be so inconsiderate you-" And just like that, she was knocked out could with a tiny spell from Namesiwa.

"Only a slave to the power that granted your wish in the end. You see lad, the spirit that dwelt in that chain was too weak to form a tangible body in this side of the world so it made a promise, one that is tempting to ones soul but once it has reeled you in. It consumes you." The old man explained. He extended her to him, his arms shaking. He was too old to be escorting fine young woman these days.

"A bit of medical attention and fine she will be, Dante." Namesiwa smiled. "In time she will forget about the chain, and hopefully never will she learn of what she had been."

[Dante Ahti]

Dante took her, thinking to himself with pursed lips, before he nodded.
"Well then. I hope she never learns of what she was either."
He meant it- he knew he probably wouldn't get any sleep that night. Especially with the memory of the beast dancing with that literally empty corpse...

He sighed, looking back at Namesiwa.

"I have...two questions," he began, gulping down the lump in his throat.
"Number one...what do I tell the organizers of the hunt? I have no evidence to show that the beast is gone, but it is."
"And two..." he looked the old man over carefully, still very confused. "How are you alive, exactly?"

[Deleted]

The smoke began to fill the air more and more as they staid and talked, if they didn't get moving soon, the fire could surround them.

"Tell them what you wish, it them everything, or tell them nothing." Namesiwa answered the body before beginning to hobble out the only way not covered in fire.
"You must dying to stop living yes?" He in turn asked the young man.

[Dante Ahti]

Dante stood for a moment, as he began to mutter, "But you...the rain festival...the werewolves...but..."
He decided to shrug it off, and began to jog over to the man to catch up, being careful to hold the woman securely in his arms.

He steadied his pace when he caught up, and his head turned to face the old sage.
"Then how did you survive, if you don't mind me asking?" Dante raised an eyebrow.
He didn't know much- he wasn't there. But from what he heard, the werewolf Balius had killed him. Or, so he thought.

[Deleted]

"Hrmmm yes, Balius did make it seem like an ill fated death. I suppose he saved my name, taking my life would have sounded a bit less heroic hmmm?" Namesiwa chuckled.
"To keep secrets secret lad. It was a poison crafted long ago in the Old Kingdom for some of those who knew the most... Who had the most to lose. Only the royal family as well as the sages had knowledge of exactly how to make it you see lad. A chalice full, and you were out for ever in a state that made one seems as they were only sleeping. But a vile full, and it will make a very convincing sucide. Whohoohoo! That poor Alpha werewolf will be snarling once again. I take it he won't find it as amusing as I however."
The old man explained as he hobbled on, the clicking of his staff consistent and one of the only sounds other than the crackling fire that grew more distant with each step.

"I know I must have hurt many people... But in time I am confident they will see that it was the only way. It was my burden to bear and theirs too I suppose. It was the second hardest thing I've done in my life. To fake my death and leave the country I was sworn to protect."

[Dante Ahti]

Dante pursed his lips- he would have been fiddling with his hair at that moment if he were not carrying a girl in his arms. He was happy- Namesiwa was alive, and Dante could continue to learn from him like he had hoped to before.

Dante did not understand why the old sage had done what he did. But he understood Namesiwa to be a very wise man. If he did it, he had a reason. What mattered was that he was back, after all.
Balius would probably be fairly mad- to kill a man and have that man come back to life? Dante wouldn't want to face anyone he had killed.

For a moment he thought, before catching some choices of words Namesiwa had said and quickly asking, "What was the first hardest thing?"

[Deleted]

"..." Namesiwa fell silent as that question was asked. And for what for himself like forever, it stayed silent.

"When I was a young man, Dante. I watched my Kingdom be ruined by the dark men that you now face. I saw my best friend and The Prince of this Kingdom turn to ash and deteriorate before my eyes and the eyes of his mother and father. I had to move on while my friend, mentor and teacher stayed to face impending doom. I heard the death of our King and watched the sucide of Queen Elizabeta... But the hardest thing I had to do was stay in the castle while I could feel my wife's heart break as she watched the castle erupt into flames and the city begin to be raided by soldiers. You see I also had a family once. Time flew so quickly for me, it seems as though it was only a few years ago that I walked the city streets with Prince Malikai and my wife Fran. Going on adventures like you once did and still do. I saw everything be taken from me in one short day. But the hardest was what I had to let go. To stand and allow myself be frozen in time and break her heart." It was apparent that this was hard for the old man. His voice was cracking occasionally and his eyes wet with tears ready but denied the ability to fall. "For the good of them all I slept so one day, you can walk down the stone pathways with a young lass that you have met and go on adventures with your friends. Slaying Hydra. Answering the great mysteries of long ago, and of present time. So that Avaleur and the heart and soul of her people can live on."

[Dante Ahti]

The sorcerer listened intently, slowly gaining a frown on his face. Namesiwa was clearly taking it rough...and Dante had to think to himself- although his appearance was of an old man, Namesiwa must have only been consciously in his twenties, or thirties at this point.

Dante felt his own heart break for the old man.

He wanted to comfort him, he really did. But with the girl in his arms he couldn't reach out to the man.
After a moments hesitation however, Dante managed to say something.

"Thank you for your sacrifices for Avaleur, Namesiwa," the boy smiled a warm smile towards the sage, meaning the words he said.
Would he have done the same if it meant breaking Phillis' heart? Perhaps. But thinking he might do it was easier than doing it.
So Namesiwa was quite the hero in Dante's mind.

[Deleted]

"I appreciate that, Dante, I truly do. But best hold on to it for later. Avaleur is not out of the woods yet. There are truly dark days ahead. For both Avaleur... and Paineston." He added.

The two men walked and soon they were within the peaceful meadows. The breeze blowing gently across their faces. For a moment the old man stopped and held his eyes closed before once again opening them. "This is where I must leave you, Dante. It is best for the city to be ignorant of my living for some time still... And please, I wish to tell Seth myself." He wanted to break the news to his student himself. If anyone was to take it horribly, Seth would have been the one to have been hurt the most. He would probably be angry... and he understood that. But it was an anger he would need to face and be the first to face it.