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« on: February 15, 2015, 02:55:46 am »
Fade to Black.... Did we get him?
Celroc's vantage point of Allena's exorcism:
Celroc arrived at the guildhouse, meeting Prreta, Evirea, Sacho and Anysu out front. Knowing what was about to come just moments from now, naturally, he was nervous, but soothed as his wife runs up and embraces him. This sweet moment they share finally must come to an end as the two walk through the guild doors and begin preparations for their next task: an exorcism.
After a final refresher on who does what, and where, Celroc takes his place with the other Crystal Way mages. Suddenly, his stomach sinks; he realizes that it's going to be not only himself, but many people that he cares about, putting themselves on the line to kill this demon. Thoughts began to race through his head. “What if they die? What if something happens to Prreta? What if my friends are killed before my very eyes?”
Of course, his composure began to change. His friends could see that he was worried. The group around him offered words of comfort that did help him a bit. Even an Azure spell to help calm his nerves that seemed to work well. But after all, how calm can you be knowing a demon will be staring you down face to face just minutes from now?
Celroc took a few deep breaths. He used this time to remind himself why he was doing this. His older brother's famous words ran through his head one more time. “Friend in need....” He knew Allena needed her friends help now. Celroc could not live with himself if he abandoned her in his time of need. His next thought turned to Prreta. He remembered how much Allena was able to help Prreta, just by being there to talk or share similar experiences. He remembered that they were “sisters,” even if not by blood, but by how fate has dealt them both a similar hand of proverbial cards. He knew that Prreta needed Allena, perhaps as much as Allena needed Prreta now....
Now encouraged, and calmed thanks to his friends, he waits. Finally, the time comes. Jiggs begins a ceremony that will pull the demon to a new host. A living gobble that was captured and restrained. Across the room from him was Allena, herself and the entire team of Azure mages around her slowly being surrounded now by a dark aura. Celroc could feel it. It was not just dark in color, but in the other more symbolic senses as well. It had the sensation of fear, loneliness, hatred; as if it was the embodiment of evil manifesting in front of him. For as much as Celroc knows about it, it might as well be such a manifestation.
The aura is pulled closer and closer to the Crystal mage group, of which Celroc is part of. With wide eyes, he can see it coming. The group prepares itself, everyone getting ready for what was coming ahead. Celroc began to gather his Crystal energy, being ready to use it at a moment's notice; about now, he begins to realize just how much of a novice he is in Crystal Way. Funny the things you'll notice when you're about to play games with death, isn't it?
When you're staring down such a monstrosity face to face, your perception of time and your surroundings can be skewed. Allena let out the most horrible scream as the demon left her body and began floating toward the group, but the scream would not seem to reach Celroc's ears for several seconds later. He watches, only able to wait, as the darkness moves ever closer... closer.... and finally, he hears the shout from behind him “Baazel!”
The aura crackles with energy, almost like its own self-contained thunderstorm. Upon being called, it is pulled into the body of the gobble. Jiggs gave the signal, and it was now go-time for the group. Time to flood the gobble-- or more precisely, the demon inside the gobble-- with Crystal Way energy and kill it once and for all. Celroc struggles to keep a regimen going of Energy Arrows and Relaxing Sleep to sustain his attacks. Every few arrows, he takes a short pause to restore mana, and continues.
For most of the other Crystal Way mages there, Celroc's regimen would probably be simple. Child's play, even. But for Celroc, the novice that he was, this was all that he could do to help. Arrow after arrow after arrow was fired, slowly taxing Celroc's energy.
His determination won't let him stop. For anything. He is decidedly going to cast until the demon is dead, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. During the battle, a bolt of the eclectric-like energy strikes Celroc from behind and he falls forward; yet does not even take the time to pick himself up. Laying forward on his chest, he continues to cast desperately.
And, it looks like the team effort is working. Celroc is only a small part of it, while still weakening the demon with every blow. The demon does try to make him and everyone around him lose heart by screaming that it is immortal, will never die, and so on. “Immortal?” Celroc hears this word and his thoughts begin to race. “Is it truly immortal? Can we not kill it? Is all of this for nothing?” He then shakes his head and continues just as before, now becoming very fatigued.
Very fatigued indeed... everything is starting to go dark for the poor menki. And that is meant in a literal sense, he is beginning to pass out from the effort of it all. As the group continues its efforts, the demon is barraged with Crystal and beheaded by Chays with a poisoned axe. Yet... somewhere after this time, Celroc is no longer aware of that. In fact, he is losing awareness of his surroundings altogether “I have to... keep casting!” runs through his mind. “I can't stop...! Not until we are DONE!”
The demon slithers out of the gobble, and slips away, making a run for it. It is gone. Celroc's job should be done now. But he doesn't even know it. He continues to hit the very dead gobble with arrow after arrow, his aim getting sloppier. In his mind, the last things to run through before he passes out completely are “Anysu...? Sacho? Kaerli? Where are you? I can't see you! Please... don't.... be.... hurt....” despite the fact that they are all within a couple meters of him and basically alright. A final image of Prreta and then Allena, a reminder of why he is doing this, comes and goes before he is out. Out cold.
There lies the menki, completely unconscious. He doesn't even respond to the noises around him or when examined by Anysu and Kaerli. It's not until Anysu uses a Rinse and Invigoration spell that he awakens. Still weak from it all, he is helped to his feet and gets the news that it was a success. The demon has left.
Celroc now wobbles as he walks across the room, up the stairs, and finally to Prreta, whom he holds tightly not only for his own comfort, but to comfort her as well. There the exhausted menki woud stand and idly listen to the chat nearby. There really wasn't much more anything he could do, and being so tired, most of it went in one ear and out the other. To be frank, the menki just needs some time to rest his mind after such an ordeal, and almost everything after this point seemed to go by quickly, almost a blur, as Celroc stands there enjoying the victory. Not only his victory, but that of everyone involved. “We did it,” he smiles to himself. “The demon is finally gone.”
[Remember, this is from Celroc's point of view. The demon may not actually be gone, and some events may be different from described.]
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