Ring of Providence - RPG

Days Prior

'I'm seeking one last thrill before I pay my bill'
'Then I'm skipping over to the next town'
'But If you meet me there, I'll be yours I swear'
'And we can live forever and a day'

The artist? Yeo. The song? 'Kobe'. A guitar coated masterpiece blessed with mesmeric, vocal sampling that set the pace with rapid percussion, few sounds serenaded the Kenjutsu King's mind and soul like the chugging bassline rippling from his azure, Samsung'Level' headphones. Leading into the chorus, a fury of drums and building synth tension overtook him. Screaming chords steadily rose and fell in pitch with harmonic progression. Charmed by the blissful mayhem of tambourines, shakers and a rocketing bassline, Sosuke's eyes, pale windows of crystal blue, closed.

Behind shut eyelids, they welcomed no image but that which emerged from his mind. His back against soft, moist grass. His hair's length was returned, a waterfall of liquid ebony it was. And his adornments, no longer his arctic white, Gucci garments, his style was no longer contemporary. A men's kimono, midnight blue in color, was what his frame wore. He was home. In the Edo Period of Japan. In his own time. Alas, it was no more than a vision. Eyelids rose and the image of reality returned to him. For a moment, as brief as it was, a smile, refined and of enigmatic flair, curled at the corners of his mouth.

An expression of inner peace resting on his visage of beauty and proportions of perfection, one that embodied his character as a suave introvert. His vision, the image of home, it was to be made a reality soon. He had come across a text, archaic and brown, but on it, as he held it, it read:

'In the land of Skellbrieg, it comes with great fortune when worn, the Ring of Providence'
'The likelihood of success, success in all endeavors in which success is possible, becomes certain'
'A sense of wondrous, endless opportunity is felt by those who wear it'
'No supernatural power over luck. But a pathway however, to accomplish one's goals is whispered'
'Follow only the ring's inspiration. Absurd but entirely plausible, the circumstances and scenarios for success are evident to the wearer'
'Follow the ring's inspiration and success will be delivered unto the wearer as an act of providence'

Perhaps then, this artifact of Skellbrieg legend, should he acquire it, could lead him down the path to finding the means of time travel, to returning home.

Skellbrieg - Parts Unknown

Below the boat, the water rippled. It was cold, freezing, chunks of rock hard ice drifted all about them. Touched by magic, the boat endured. Guided by a figure, tall and built to proportions that would bring an ox to shame, the boat moved in silence. The man said nothing. The journey was a wordless one. And whereas his great, red beard seemed the thing of flames, Sosuke himself, in a bid to maintain some semblance of warmth, reached into the power of his pyrokinesis and set himself ablaze. The nurturing touch of heat coursed through his flesh and dug into his bones.

The boat encountered no danger. Its magic was secure and could not be overcome, not by the elements. Snowfall was absent and the sky was cloudless and blue. The sun hung high in its domain, yet no heat came of it, it was as though it had simply come to watch the events that would soon unfold. Birds were lacking in the sky. Many had fled the gelid climate in favor of a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere. This was the harshest and cruelest of environments. And yet as they arrived in the Kenjutsu King's destination, before him was a settlement, small but thriving. It was clear as he hopped from the boat, tossed the bearded man his gold coin and journeyed onto the endless sheet of ice, that man was a resilient creature.

And history was the strongest indication. Man had endured great pressures, survived war, plague, disease, and sorrow. This unforgiving cold was no absolute terror. Not to the colony of stubborn men and women who sat in between the slopes of icy mountains. These were simple people who got by on simple things. Their absolute terror was the amalgamation of monsters and foul magic that lie deep in this frozen hell. Legends spoke of a race of towering frost men, ice trolls, wraiths, undead sorcerers, specters of those claimed by nature, and even dragons. In fact, if legend was to be trusted, the Ring of Providence was then supposedly created and guarded by some manner of dragon-sorcerer.

Fingers coiling around the hilt of his sword, Sosuke pressed on, fighting the cold and venturing deeper into parts unknown, in search of a cavern, the ring's cavern. One crawling with traveling bandits and highwaymen, with undead sorcerers and frost men all seeking the same prize as he; the Ring of Providence.

Since her acquire of the Crimson Lantern Ring and after her completion of The Pit, The Wildcard Liafador had been more on edge than usual. Instead of The Pit focusing her mind like it did with Ziccarra and the others who went through the Liafador Trials, it caused her to become more on edge. She was now more easily irritated, and was even isolating herself from the members of the family more than usual. But her priority was still the same, protect the family, at any cost. With the threat of the Knightfall War still looming around the atmosphere of the family, Zeon was trying to come up with different ways to protect the more 'weaker' members of the family. In reality however, only two names continued to burn in her mind. The first was Tassiana Pettis, her ten month old cousin, daughter of Ziccarra and Alexis Pitts who had already had an assault launched on her by Quintus Knightfall. The second was Lebreau "Chance" Liafador, Zeon's own half sister who was completely unaware of the dangers that was currently weighing down on the family and had no survival skills, however, so far, she had not been targeted.

These two needed the most protection. The family however was quickly pulling their weight with Tassi, never leaving her alone always with at least one of the God like powered Liafador/Pettis. Even Zeon had offered to care for the child if needed, not to mention the constant watch of both Zeon's and Ziccarra's cardinals, working together to keep the Tiny Goddess safe. But Chance? The only line of defense Zeon had placed with her, were undercover White Cardinal's at her school's campus, ranging from normal appearing students to a few actual members of the schools faculty. But even then... if the Knightfalls learned of her, not even her Cardinals could keep her safe for long. No, this wasn't going to do at all. As much as The Liafador Matriarch wanted to protect her civilian sister herself as Chance did her when Zeon was in a coma for that long month, she couldn't abandon her responsibility to her family.

So instead, Zeon began searching for other means to protect Chance. Digging deep into the graves of her Cardinal resources she created herself, and gnawing at the dry bones that were given to her, trying to suck on whatever marrow was left, she caught the taste of something extraordinary. The tales of a ring, or more specifically, The Ring of Providence. The text she had managed to put together read,

'In the land of Skellbrieg, it comes with great fortune when worn, the Ring of Providence'

'The likelihood of success, success in all endeavors in which success is possible, becomes certain'

'A sense of wondrous, endless opportunity is felt by those who wear it'

'No supernatural power over luck. But a pathway however, to accomplish one's goals is whispered'

'Follow only the ring's inspiration. Absurd but entirely plausible, the circumstances and scenarios for success are evident to the wearer'

'Follow the ring's inspiration and success will be delivered unto the wearer as an act of providence'

This was it, this was everything she was looking for. An item that wouldn't bring harm to her sister if used, one that wouldn't force Chance to become a warrior or a victum. It was something that could keep her safe, hidden from Knightfalls with endless streams of luck. She could protect her, just like she silently promised the moment she met her. But this wasn't something she could simply send her own Cardinals to take care of, no, this was going to have to be something she did herself. The White Cardinal leader was going to have to forge her way through the land of Skellbrieg and take the ring into her own hands, and once the Liafador set a goal, there was no way to shift the one track mind warrior.

Skellbrieg

A black stealth helicopter soared through the skies alone as Zeon sat silently next to her White Cardinal pilot as silence was exchanged between the two. Not even a single creature in the sky to accompany the metallic bird in the clear blue sky that could be seen for miles. This itself seemed to be a bad omen for the Italian Liafador. Looking out the window, Zeon was dressed in her Matriarch attar and armed to the teeth with blades, her bow, the lantern ring that sat on her right ring finger and her lightwhip. Not to mention, her lovely new abilities that came with completing The Pit. Nothing was going to stand between her and the Ring of Providence.

As the helicopter then hoovered above a small colony of survivors of the bitter cold as a line dropped down from the chopper and with it, the Matriarch descended to the ground. Her feet firmly pressing down upon the icy Earth as men and women kept their distance, from her with cautious eyes. Returning the gaze with an aggressive stare the Matriarch pulled her black hood over her head and pulled the mask up to cover the lower portion of her face as she made her way forward, making her way towards the cavern that was stated to hold the ring. While the harsh elements of Skellbrieg pierced deep into her bones, it was similar to the frigid abyss she lived in during her time on the Grand Cardinal Isle. Warmth was not needed, instead she would use the arctic atmosphere as a way to trigger her survival instincts, to bring her mindset back to the time she spent in the Cardinal purgatory.

While most people would dismiss the tales of the mystical and savage creatures that dwelled within the cave, the cardinal born warrior knew better. Having family who could shoot out beams that are billions of times hotter than the sun and travel faster than the speed of light hand a tendency to open your mind to what the world called 'supernatural'. But what caught her attention more than anything about the tales of The Ring, was the suppose dragon that was said not only guard it, but is stated that it created it.

Now standing at the entrance of the cavern, her muscles began to tighten with anticipation as her eyes suddenly caught the sight of something very unsettling, a pair of footprints. Her brows pushed with frustration as she knelt down, pressing two fingers against the print upon the sleet ground as she felt the firmness in the ground, indicating that whoever passed through, did so just moments ago. Standing up her right hand reached for the hilt of her blade as she drew with forcefully with aggravation, her feet swiftly carrying her into the cavern without hesitation. She needed to find whoever was in the cavern and kill them, no one or thing was going to stand between her and The Ring of Providence.

He walked, and a great whiff of ice filled his lungs. He felt the stare of curious eyes against his flesh, the subtle vibrations from their many breaths, misting coolly as they gasped, exhaled, and whispered. His ears heard, but his mind refused to waver from its focus. The Kenjutsu King ventured forth, swagger, mesmeric and relaxed, dripping from every one of his footsteps. His features, charming and highborn, retained with perfection, a disposition of composure. With his frame no longer lit by the brilliant, nurturing touch of his conjured flames, Sosuke, opting to prevent his detection from the flame's brilliance, found the cold to be growing harsher. Snowfall remained absent, but the air? Gelid, cold to the bone, whipped with enough icy prominence to break the will of men.

Soon the cavern's entrance, gaping and ominous, was within his line of sight, and he smiled, the corners of his mouth curling upwards, enigmatic and with an intrinsic flair that was sensuous, disarming. He seemed a man from Venus, and yet, fought with the lethal efficiency of one from Mars. Swallowed into darkness, Sosuke's calmness, his enigmatic poise, was resolute. Where eyesight failed him, extreme dermal sensitivity to atmospheric vibrations succeeded, assisting him as he entered the cavern until the light from encompassing torches on great, icy walls of arctic blue illuminated his surroundings. To his left, the skeletal remains of fallen men and women poked from within layers upon layers of snow. To his right, weapons, some shattered, but all of them, encased in solid ice.

"Signs of danger", his thoughts remarked, overall ease, seductive mystique never forsaking his person as he ventured deeper. And as the snow thinned and gave way to a floor of ice, the shade of his eyes, crystal blue, darkened at the distant sight of movement. His pace quickened, then erupted. Fingers coiled tighter around the hilt of his sword and soon, the embrace of an expansive, icy chamber welcomed him. And at the altar of solid, rock ice, a hermit of sorts. Adorned by a ragged, black robe too voluminous for her small, hunched frame shorter than most chairs, she was a wrinkled old goblin. Her eyes, white and featureless, and her hair? Pale wisps of white snow. Most peculiar, her feet did not touch the ground. She hovered, turning round for her gaze, empty and soulless, to meet his. "Undead", the Snow Lotus realized.

She spoke to him, "Xiilos-dæøduṼ", her voice whispery and hissing as she began, a forgotten language of archaic ages echoing in the air. "I do not understand. I have come for the Ring of Providence", Sosuke finally responded, the beautiful, sensuous timbre of his smooth, low voice delivering his words with clarity as his visage was that of perfect calmness. The 'Frost Priestess' as the Snow Lotus now called her, replied in anger. A surge of indignation rose up in her throat and at the tip of her tongue, the sharp, indescribable words of her ancient language as an explosion, a whirlwind of vicious cold arrived with a loud, sharp, shriek that rippled through the air. A thick sheet of ice had left him partially frozen, long enough for the Frost Priestess to disappear into the cavern's deeper regions, and leave Sosuke prey to the horde of poorly armored, undead thralls that burst from the icy ground.

A pool of heat radiated from within him, his pyrokinesis, and the ice that had trapped him, was melted. His brand of cool confidence never left him, and with a quick, stylistic draw of his sword, his coveted 'Acid Katana', the Kenjutsu King engaged his army of foes. He was fast, unbelievably so. Pressing into clinch range with an approaching thrall, his free hand seized its sword-hand by the wrist with a thumbs-down wrist grip. Why with the thumb pointing downwards? The grip was meant not only to prevent his foe from using their weapon, but to create an opening for him to cut down his opponent. How? The only way to escape a wrist-lock is to yank the arm in the direction of the gripping hand's thumb, in this case, Sosuke's thumb was pointed towards the ground. Yanking its arm towards the ground and away from its upper body, the thrall exposed itself.

The Snow Lotus was quick with his swing. His elbow joint extended at the final instance, popping his sword into a strike that targeted the thrall's exposed midsection. The motion was smooth, his grip mildly twisting as the sword's impact, sharp and with lethal kinetic force, broke the initial resistance of his adversary's poor armor by virtue of the samurai's strength, skill, and the sword's aggrandized edge. His strike continued, smoothly along the horizontal motion, his hand following, dragging the sharp edge of the katana across until he had cut his foe, through the midsection, in two.

But there were more, many more. He fought them, the fluoroantimonic acid at his sword's edge, the world's strongest superacid, ripping apart their electrons, melting away their rotting flesh and muscle, and because fluorine's aphrodisiac is bonding with calcium, burning their bones. But for all of his skill, his ability to blind a portion of them with his photokinesis, the horde was large. They were too many. And certain now that the Frost Priestess too sought the ring, Sosuke wondered if a tactical retreat was necessary, unknown to him however, another warrior of equal measure, of the legendary Liafador family, roamed nearby. But was she friend or foe? Perhaps both.

As the Wildcard Liafador continued to make her way through the cavern, it seemed to have become even colder than it was outside. A deathly chill that lingered inside and the frozen bodies could concur. Men and women, preserved in an eternal frost littered the cavern, some with visible wounds, others with not, suggesting they died from hypothermia. However, some were so old that the bodies had decomposed, nothing but skeletons left of their remains and the rags they once wore. Even the torches that hung against the ice walls didn't produce enough heat to give any sort of warmth, the frosted air suffocating any possible heat. But instead of the cold getting to her, it just made her stronger, more focused and determined.

Her right hand continued to grip onto the hilt of her blade, tight corners made it so that any danger could appear at any given moment without warning. The Liafador Warrior's eyes occasionally darting down to the ground, seeing that she was still going in the same direction as whoever else was in the cave. It was going to be only a matter of time before she would run into her possible foe. Possible, there was no 'possible' foe, whoever was in this cavern was here for the ring, that made them her foe automatically. She had to be ready to strike down her foe, along with whatever else lived deep within this icy tomb.

But before she could take another step, an ear piercing shrieking cry could be heard echoing through the cavern. Whoever else was in here with her, had just awoken trouble for the both of them. Her eyes narrowed as she picked up her pace, marching forward, making sharp turns around corners to be sure she would get the first attack if any surprises were left for her. But instead she stepped into a wide open portion of the cave. Icy floors with pillars of black ice could be seen as if holding up the cavern. But what really caught her eyes, weren't just the un-dead warriors that were literally pulling themselves up from the ground, it was the young man fighting them off with such poise and grace, it put her own technique to shame. But even with his flawless efforts, it was obvious that he was severely outnumbered. Was this the person who's trail she was following?

Now came for the decision, should she help the lone warrior? Or should she attempt to sneak around the battle and pursue the ring without worry of the swordsman?

However, her instincts told her something else. If there were un-dead warriors this early into the cavern, then what other obstacles were going to lay in her way? Not to mention the ear piercing banshee wrench was no where in sight. As much as it hurt her pride, she was going to need his assistance to get to her goal. Her jaw tightened, not happy with her decision as she sheathed her blade forcefully before pulling her collapsible bow out and with a flick of her wrist, it locked into place. Reaching behind her she pulled out a razor arrow, taking aim at one of the walking dead warriors who were coming from behind the swordsman. Before he could react to attack him, her arrow whistled through the air, jamming itself into the frost warrior's head, causing him to fall on his back. There was no turning back now, she made herself known.

A group of the living dead began making their way towards her, swords drawn as Zeon gave a cocky grin, putting her bow away as she then pulled out a small device, holding it tightly in her hand and as she threw her right arm forward, a crimson energy whip was let loose. The heat of the whip slicing into the leading un-dead warrior, causing his torso to slide off to the ground. The heated energy whip hissed as the Matriarch continued. Pulling her whip back to her side she then flicked her wrist in an upward motion as the whip flew over her shoulder but before it could touch her shoulder or the ground she snapped her wrist back in a downward motion, bringing the whip back down at another frosted monster, slicing it down the middle in half. Without stopping she quickly rolled her arm back as she rolled her wrist back again quickly, the whip being pulled away as it snapped behind her, cutting another monster diagonally in half before using that same momentum to quickly bring her arm forward once more from underneath, the whip this time coming from the ground up towards another sword wielding monster as the tip of the blade snapped right at the neck, slicking it's head clear off it's shoulder.

All of this done within just two seconds as the White Cardinal leader's eyes shift over to the flawless swordsman, giving him a stern nod to show that she was there to fight by his side.

The two living warriors fought fiercely against the walking dead as one by one they dropped until no more were rising up from the ground. Victory was in the hands of the two as Zeon took in a deep breath, the sting of the cold air could be felt as she turned her lightwhip off, the energy being retracted back into it's hilt before being put away. Breathing a bit heavily from the fight, the Matriarch stood tall as she then moved her attention back towards her temporary ally.

Walking over to him she still kept a small distance between the two, just because they both fought off the un-dead together, didn't mean he wouldn't turn to attack her as well. Pushing the hood away from her head and pulling her mask downward and away from her mouth, revealing herself to the swordsman. "My name is Zeon Liafador," she proudly announced, her breath being seen in a white puff of smoke. "I've never seen a man wield a blade as you have, it was an honor fighting along side with you." Compliments did not come often from the Liafador Matriarch, but this man, deserved them and much more. "I can only assume, that you being here means that you're here for the same reason I am... The Ring of Providence." Her eyes slightly harden, her body visibly tensing as her hands stayed ready to reach for her blade if the man were to turn the tides and attack her.

Flair, swagger, and mystique. They were constants, accompanying every swing, every strike, every evasion, and every movement. When he hopped off his front-foot, landed on his rear-foot and with it, propelled himself forward like a sprinter, channeling his momentum into his sword-arm, extending it from the shoulder to thrust his blade into a foe, tearing away at icy flesh and frosted bone, there was style, of cool confidence, of smoothness and grace. He was not unlike a waterfall, flowing, his rhythm never compromised. It was the type of image that lent to the phrase his martial efforts had made contemporary, 'Too suave too kill'. If only however, if only it were true. Because as he fought, with grace and lionhearted courage, death inched ever closer.

Until it didn't. Stopped by the blitzing fury of an arrow, one that oozed authority and a presence of gravitas that demanded.. nay, commanded the undead men of ice to pause, all paused indeed. Among their gazes of surprise was Sosuke's, the Kenjutsu King's eyes, beautiful pearls of an icy, crystal blue shade, widened at the sight, at what possessed a grand enough aura to bring the commotion, even for a second, to a halt. A woman. Her hair, waves of liquid obsidian, eyes, dark pools of chocolate brown, and her features, sharp and well-born, touched by an air that seemed exotic. His astonishment, while genuine, was immediate in giving way to instinct, a warrior's instinct as he, like her, resumed the battle, and with her aid, tore through the unending horde of undead.

Whereas his was a style blessed by grace and magnetism blended with quick, predatory mercilessness, this woman's... there was a ruthless edge to it. She was an Athena who fought with the aggressive pace, the relentless streak of an Ares. She was, as she stormed through their adversaries like a deity of war on a quest for vengeance, a sight to behold. And with the bout brought to a close, Sosuke, the suave introvert, turned his attention to a savior he hadn't anticipated. Like her, he maintained a respectable distance. Sheathing his sword with stylistic polish, his features of enigmatic, charming appeal, softened at the surname, 'Liafador'. Holding her gaze, first he issued an inclination of the head, subtle and cordial, and in expressed gratitude for her aid. "Thank you".

Voiced gratitude to both her compliment, and her preventing what would have been, for him, death. "You honor me with your words", he continued, his breath like hers, misting in the cold air, "And you wield a blade with a level of skill most do not know exists", he paused, the mesmeric, alluring timbre of his cool, low voice, better fit for a philanderer, a Lothario, as opposed to a warrior, a Sun Tzu. "Liafador, I know this name", Sosuke remarked, "I am a friend of Maya's, from S.T.R.I.K.E.". Allowing his words to linger for a moment, aware that like him, she too sought the Ring of Providence, the Kenjutsu King resumed. "I am", he nodded, answering her suspicions with perfect calm, "It is the one hope I have of returning to my own time".

Pausing, allowing his gaze to wander about the undead corpses littered all about them, he proposed a suggestion. "The cavern runs much deeper, and things will only grow more challenging from here. And if the legends are true, that a dragon sorcerer of some sort is guarding the ring, then only in combining our efforts will we succeed. I propose an alliance, temporary. We work together to defeat everything that intends to keep us from the ring. And once only the two of us remain, then we will see who comes into possession of the ring". He held her gaze, and extended a hand, waiting. Would she agree? Or decline?

Her eyes slightly twitched at the sound of her young cousins name, of course, the file she read about the misplaced swordsman from the past. How did she not anticipate that he would be trying to figure out a way back to his time. What was his name..? "Sosuke," she spoke his name, her body visibly beginning to slowly relax. He was a man of honor, she knew he wouldn't attack her unless provoked, and witnessing his skills first hand, she wasn't about to test her chances against him. "I've read of your unfortunate predicament. I'm sorry." While her tone was a bit sharp, she was sincere. She could only imagine the difficulty of having to adjust to a world like this one.

But then he began to suggest something she was already thinking, the two join a temporary alliance. It was obvious the two were not going to be able to make it through the caverns alone. Her chestnut eyes darted away from him, looking ahead at the dark tunnels ahead. She didn't like this, she didn't want to rely on anyone for help, she was Matriarch, she should be able to go through the caverns with fire and fury, knocking down any obstacles in her path, alone. But she couldn't and she knew it. Her eyes slowly made their way down at the deadly swordsman hand. She needed to do this... for Chance.

Hesitantly she grasped his hand firmly with her own, giving a single shake as she nod her head. "Agreed." Quickly letting her grasp go of his hand she turned her attention to the tunnels ahead. "Let us go, I do not wish to linger here any longer than I must." The Matriarch didn't bother to look back at her temporary ally as she began making her way forward, grasping a torch right before going into the tunnels, pulling her hood over head and pushing her mask up to the bridge of her nose.

Holding out her light source forward her eyes were sharp, these tunnels were wider than the ones they had previously walked through that lead to the opened area where the Undead warriors were. The Matriarch didn't speak as the two continued to walk, nor gave much attention to the fellow warrior. Her mind was focused on the goal at hand, she wasn't here to make friends, she wasn't here to impress anyone, she wasn't here to tell her sad story to why she needed the ring, she just needed to get to it and get to Chance.

But one question did linger in her mind... something that she felt might be an issue coming up soon for the two of them. "Before I found you." The White Cardinal turned her head to face Sosuke, her eyes showing a bit of concern. "I heard a spine chilling scream of a woman that echoed through the caverns, do you know what it was?"

Her words, though spoken with a natural, dry timbre, were words of kindness. And for that, the Kenjutsu King was grateful. He met her gaze with his own, his eyes of mesmeric, crystal blue holding her sharp glance, and quietly, his gratitude was expressed. It was simple. A subtle, cordial inclination of the head. Nothing more, nothing less. He wished not to speak any more of his predicament. It stirred feelings of pain and of loneliness, of sorrow and of weakness. His visage, charming in its mystique, alluring in its flawless proportions, fought with valiance to maintain an image of cool, of composure. It was however, difficult. Difficult when he was haunted by every one of his failures to return home.

Collecting himself, and with a temporary alliance secured, Sosuke for but a moment, fell silent, and Zeon's question echoed in the air. "I do not", he answered with measured calm, his breath misting in air so cold it frosted the dust that lingered about. "All I know is that she was not of the living. Her power gave her command over the cold, and over the frozen warriors who attacked us. She did however", he paused, "Speak to me in an indescribable language". Gesturing that she follow him, the Kenjutsu King's steps, controlled and steady over a surface of slick, hard and rocky ice, brought him to the altar the Frost Priestess seemed so helplessly entertained with. Bringing himself to a halt, his fingers, gloved and cautious, hovered over the words of a passage, an open scroll frozen in solid ice, and it read:

'There are those who say they would do anything in the name of love'
'Passion however, wears many faces. And atrocities can be done in its name as easily as any other'
'For love, here and now, I must commit an atrocity. A blood sacrifice upon this altar. For the power'
'The power to command the dead. The power to bring back my dearest brother'
'It has begun'

--

'Days have gone by. The ritual, the ritual did nothing but trap me in this chamber with walls of ice. Ice that refuses to melt'
'For days I have eaten nothing. And I drank nothing. I can feel my stomach digesting itself. My mouth drier than dust'
'Am I to die here? What of my brother? My darling brother whose soul my heart beats for?'
'Am I to see him in the plane of the dead?'

--

'I believe I am dying. I feel my skin growing colder, and my spine... my back is hunching over. My hair has grown white'
'And feels like silk made from snow. I can feel ice. It is coursing through my veins'
'The walls of ice, covering all exits and entrances, it is melting now! It is-'

--

'Xiilos-dæøduṼ'
'Kohraviin'

It skipped a beat, Sosuke's heart. The revelation was chilling. The horrors of the cavern clearer now. Its dangers were limited not simply to the beasts and creatures of the night that roamed within, but of the magic, sinister and otherworldly, that ran deep in the cavern's icy walls. "Oh...", his voice echoed with sorrow, his heart praying for the Frost Priestess' soul now claimed by the cavern's magic. She had been deceived and cursed, warped and forced into becoming one of the domain's watchers, ensuring that none enter its depths to retrieve the Ring of Providence. "She.. she is a victim of the cavern's magic. It has warped her. Made her into one of its monsters".

He paused, silent, and shook his head. His focus however, returned. "Let us keep moving". They walked, ventured deeper into the cavern. And where darkness rested, Zeon's torch illuminated their path, until a doors, towering and archaic in design, greeted them. He hesitated for a moment, wary of the magic that lurked all about, before shoving the doors open with authority. Yet as they parted, a room welcomed them, it was spacious, populated by contraptions that comprised the most unorthodox of puzzles, and as his gaze lingered on the sight, a beast emerged. It was enormous. Towering at over fifteen feet in height, it held legs and a torso that eclipsed the proportions of even the legendary Atlas.

Its head boasted a bony, skull-like exterior with horns as thick as tree trunks. Eyes, vermilion in shade, and lit by a flame so hellish it could burn the depths of a mortal's soul. Its teeth were sharp, and thirsted for the flesh of man. The monster, fearsome and elephantine, wielded two greatswords, and as it stalked forward, the doors once opened by the Kenjutsu King closing by the authority of the beast's magic, the air burned hot in its lungs and with a mighty swing, sought to bring both blades down on the Liafador Matriarch and New Age Samurai in a double, overhead strike.

The description of the undead banshee like woman made Zeon sigh with annoyance. That’s all these ‘obstacles’ were, just annoyances. “I see.” Was all her response composed of as the duo came across an altar. Keeping her distance she kept her eyes sharp, turning her back to Sosuke as he looked at some old scroll covered in frost. Her eyes looked over where the next part of the journey was going to lead them. Moving forward her flames lit up her way as she paused before moving forward, hearing more about the ‘Frost Priestess’. “Magic?” The Matriarchs brow arched as she couldn’t hold back an amused scoff. “Come se racconti di draghi e troll gelo non erano sufficienti.” < As if story's of dragons and frost trolls weren't enough.> Her voice annoyed as she couldn’t help speak in her Italian tongue. “Now we have to worry about curses.”

Nodding her head the two began to move forward, Zeon leading the way with the flame of the torch that seemed to weaken the deeper they ventured. But the two were forced to stop, when doors, that reached as high as the cavern allowed them to, blocked their path. Taking a stand back, the misplaced swordsman opened the door forcefully, and as they took a step in the room.

It was an open area filled with different items that Zeon had not seen before. The two were so busy trying to figure out what this room was, that the White Cardinal warrior almost missed the giant beast that appeared before them. She could feel her eyes widen as she slowly backed up, dropping the torch she once held, what was this monstrosity?

It’s mighty blades came downward upon the two, and without hesitation she threw herself to the side, avoiding the blades as they smashed into the icy ground, fissures created by the sheer force of it’s strength. Knowing that the New Age Samurai would have already done the same, she quickly stood, pulling out her bow as she drew one of her exploding arrows. She held her breath as she let the arrow fly, it slamming into the beast chest, exploding on impact as it gave a mighty battle roar that shook at the very core of her soul. But when the smoke cleared the beast was still standing, nothing but a light first degree burn against his chest as he turned his attention to her, rushing over to her as the entire room trembled at it’s might.

She didn't have time to move out of it's way as the fuller portion of the blade slammed into the Matriarch, causing her body to fly into the frozen walls back first, slamming the back of her head against the wall as she slumped over on the ground for a few moments. Grunting in pain she looked up to see that Sosuke was already on the attack himself. Not wasting time she pushed herself up, quickly maneuvering herself around the beast until she pulled out another arrow, this time her Rasoio arrow. It was a 4-blade, double bevel broadhead lined with adamentium, known to take down her prey without mercy. Firing an arrow it lodged itself into the monsters left knee and while small trickles of blood oozed from it’s wound, it seemed it didn’t cause much damage as she was hoping as the supernatural beast continued to maneuver his way on both his powerful legs without issue. “Sosuke, keep distracting him.” She barked out as she pulled out yet another arrow as Sosuke went into battle.

This time she put her bow away and knelt down to the ground, her left hand pressing firmly upon the icy earth as she began focusing her attention to the shades of darkness around them. Since her return from The Pit, Zeon had yet to display her new found abilities, mostly because she hadn’t had the need to, until today. Opening her eyes they darkened as black as the abyss she was trapped in. Shadows began to quickly rush underneath her, slowly circling around her on the ground as she threw her right arm forward. The shadows then crawled up her body and across her arm until they projected themselves forward, wrapping themselves along the extremities of the monster like chains. Gritting her teeth she balled her right hand in a fist as if holding onto her shadows, standing up as she struggled to keep her hold on the monster from moving. With a battle cry she pulled her arm down forcefully to the ground, causing the beast to loose its balance and fall face first into the frozen earth, dropping it's blades."NOW!" She shouted at Sosuke, hoping he could get the final blow on this unnatural monster.

Like the Liafador Matriarch, the New Age Sun Tzu was nimble and quick, his dexterous footwork guiding him as he circled away from the beast's impending, overhead blow. He evaded, and the ground trembled, shock-waves rippling through ice and rock with authority, with power. The ground, once solid and of dried ice, yielded, cracks and fissures tearing through, swallowing into them the structures and statues that were once the chamber's archaic decor. Darting forward, the beast roared, and its sights were set on Zeon. While his ally found herself engaging their foe in necessary combat, Sosuke crept through the dust of broken ice that lingered in the cold air.

Sword drawn, mind sharpened for battle, Sosuke blitzed forward, his rear foot springing him forward like a sprinter, crystal blue eyes focused on a vulnerability, a weakness; his opponent's right knee. Their adversary, while fearsome, was unnecessarily large, and heavy. 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall', Westerns often sung. And above all else, theirs was a bipedal foe who weighed in the thousands. All of that mass, the structural point, the mechanical support that defied gravity's pull on that mass, was the knee. The thickest joint in the body. The New Age Sun Tzu smirked. "Injure the knee, and its size becomes a hindrance", he thought with untouched certainty.

It was an approach that would serve as a tactical supplement to Zeon's own attack. While her dominion was over darkness, Sosuke's was over light, bone, and fire. Here, bone was of utmost importance. Osteokinesis was its name, the power to manipulate bone and the earthen elements that comprise it. With it, the Kenjutsu King altered the calcium deposits in the beast's knees, exponentially decreasing the quantity of calcium in its joints, rendering them too weak to support his massive frame. It was then that the Liafador Matriarch capitalized, her conjured shadows bringing their foe to its knees before slamming it head first into the ground it had once cracked so vehemently with its own power.

Zeon's urges for him to strike echoed, and the Kenjutsu King complied. Within range of the beast's head, his sword-arm extended, popping straight from his shoulder for maximum reach as he harnessed the momentum of his sprint and infused it into the strike, a soft thrust that succeeded only in driving an inch of his sword's blade into their adversary's skull. That however, was all that was required. Why? The beast's head, its exterior, was a shell of thick bone. And Sosuke's sword? A conjurer of fluoroantimonic acid, the world's strongest corrosive agent, the most dangerous of super-acids. It ripped the electrons of that which it met, and left only organic goo in its wake. Though this skull that met the samurai's blade, it was a great gift.

Because at the core of bone, was calcium. And at the core of fluoroantimonic acid? Fluorine. And if there is one fundamental truth of the chemical element, it is that fluorine's aphrodisiac is bonding with calcium. So with what the uninformed eye perceived as a subtle jab with the tip of a sword on a skull, the Kenjutsu King confirmed the kill. Bonding with the calcium in the beast's skull, the fluorine burned through its skull, while the acid shredded apart the electrons it found and reduced the beast's brain and tissue to a scalding mass of organic goo. Its cries, unintelligible, loud shrieks of voiced agony, hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity until, until its heart ceased its beating and what remained was an unrecognizable mass that put to shame even the most decomposed of carcasses.

For a moment, his gaze fell on Zeon, and the corners of his mouth tilted upwards, a smirk, enigmatic and cheeky, as if to say that now they were even. She had saved him before, and he had, to a degree, done so now. Soon, the smirk of introverted suavity was gone, and an expression of focus returned to the New Age Sun Tzu's features, his gaze holding in view, the three pillars that stood some feet before the door to their following destination. "We may have defeated this chamber's guardian, but the chamber itself is a puzzle room", he explained, footsteps bringing him forward, his eyes examining the artistry of the pillars before them. "The likeness of animals have been on these three pillars", he remarked. Allowing his gaze to wander about the chamber, another altar emerged. And on it, of course, another scroll.

Sosuke approached, and once within range, he paused, still wary of the cavern's curses and magic. With surprise, and confusion, he read the scroll's brief text, its riddle. "The beast, five fingers, but two black hooves. Two horns and a king's roar", he repeated. He fell silent, and returned to the pillars before his hands explored its features. And on each pillar, an engraved animal befitting the text's descriptions. A horse. A bison. And a lion. "What do you think it means?".