Dazia

                A voice disrupted the moment.
        Dazia's cover was removed, revealing her in her state of weakness. "Go away." She cried. She stuffed her face into her curled up form, unwilling to look at Vigilon while she was like this. "Go, now." She said, nearly pleading. "...No one's supposed to see me like this." She stated. Vigilon may have been an idiot, but at least he knew better than to leak the more sensitive areas of her to anyone. At least she could confide this one thing...but no more than that. She wouldn't let him near.
       She continued to cry, but it was scattered and stifled, for most of her lamentation had passed. She started bottling it up again, unwilling to show any further weakness in sight of anyone, even Vigilon. 
                After all, it's not like he could solve her problem, it was unsolvable. As long as both worlds were the way they were, there would be no peace.

                             She'd been bottling it up for so long, she couldn't even muffle herself anymore. All it takes for a dam to break is just a little leak, just a little crack.

                    Dazia's voice cracked, as her heart, or whatever she believed was left of it, lamented with a cry. She could only dream of a better world and a better family that she would never have. It was a hollow, empty dream, one she could never achieve. How could she, anyway? Who could care for and accept a monster like Violet Grace the Furious? Who could ever love the Raven of Wrath?

        No one...no one reasonable, at least.

   Weakness was punished in such an unforgiving world. She could not risk to show it, and yet here she was, nearly bawling her eyes out over the fact that she will never know peace, that she will never have true family. Others may think or act like it is her fault alone...but no...it was theirs, they made this monster whom they all hated...and she hated them in return.

          Dazia kept to her cover, keeping herself hidden. She did not want anyone to see her like this. The last thing she wanted anyone to see was her breaking down in emotions. Did the cards she was dealt in life really have to be so cruel? All that effort just to learn that they aren't worth it? All those attempts to care to know that only one would care back? All that help to the very woman who brought her into this world, only to realize that some people never change and thus won't keep those wild siblings in line, even though being older they're supposed to be more chill? Couldn't she have done something to help calm Dazia?
          Awful. AWFUL. They were all so awful! So unhelpful, so deluded, so infuriating, so antagonizing...they were all so careless and selfish...they weren't worth the effort. Those freaks who claimed Dazia was a monster had only brought that punishment into themselves...and those higher up above only wanted Dazia to just sit there and take it.

    Dazia could hold it in no longer, she couldn't even stop herself from making noise, despite her best efforts to muffle it.

ID# 231128 LD: 10+5=15
Stealth Rating: 15

                     Upon Vigilon's question, Dazia had but one simple answer. "Somewhat."
        Dazia looked to the skies. "Seline is the founder and leader of the Sky Swords Guild. She has some motherly tendencies, and has emotionally adopted everyone else in the guild, not just because she's the eldest, but because they were all...lost, in a way." She revealed. "She was like a real mother to them...so, as crazy as it sounds, me helping to find these players of the Sky Swords and returning them to Seline..." She began to hold back tears. "It's like I'm putting a family back together."

     Her breath began to shake. She was having a hard time hiding the fact that she...was jealous of this idea of a found family. She wanted to find people she could actually connect with, regardless of their differences. She couldn't choose the family she grew up with, but there was only one sibling Dazia would dare take with her if she were to seek a new family. Valna.

           "I....I need a moment." Dazia stated, before putting on her cowl and running off.

     She entered stealth and ran for the nearest darkened cover she could find. She then sought further cover as to lessen any sound. She could not let this weakness show. She curled up as the thoughts penetrated her mind. She could no longer hold back her expression...nor the tears.
                  She just wanted a better Father, she just wanted a better Mother, she just wanted better Siblings...
              She just wanted a better Family.

ID# 231117 LD: 18+5=23
Stealth Rating: 23

                    Once the players had reached the forest proper, Dazia took the lead from there. This was her mission, after all. About forty five minutes later, the lake was in view and the trio of players were leaving the forest. There was nothing else remotely dangerous to worry about now, the players could be at ease.

       Dazia now knew exactly which direction to go in order to reach Coral. Took only about ten minutes at this point, as the players picked up the pace because they were eager to finish up. At this rate, Dazia would not mind if Vigilon wanted to stick around near Dazia to the mission's completion. He played a crucial part in it, so he might as well witness the end result.

                 There it was, the room where Seline was waiting. "Seline, I return with the Nightingale." She greeted. Shanno walked into the room. "Birds of all feathers flock back to the Nest." She greeted. Seline turned her head to see Shanno, and made her way over to hug her. "I'm so glad to see you again...Shanno, my dear Nightingale, I have missed you..." She said as tears welled up in her eyes. Shanno hugged her back, tears welling up in her eyes as well. "I missed you too, Seline, I'm so happy to be free again..."
      Seline looked to Dazia, her expression wondering if these words were true. Dazia nodded. "There was a monster keeping her captive, we had to kill it in order to get her out. While the Ivory Citadel is now crawling with monsters as a result, Shanno is now here safe and sound."  She confirmed. "I suppose I should add, I have to admit, I'm not sure I would have succeeded if it were not for Vigilon here." She admitted.
    Seline then looked to Vigilon, and she would advance to embrace him as well. "Thank you...Thank you, Dragon, for helping us..." She said as her arms' grasp tightened somewhat.

           The Ebony Queen offered rewards for the players as a token of thanks for releasing the Ebony Clan. Shanno was offered a powerful weapon, which she accepted. She then offered Dazia a ring, her description of its capabilities were vague, but Dazia had a feeling it might help her find contracts she could make, allowing her to learn of new targets more easily. Dazia was wary of this individual, but the item did seem like it could be helpful. "I accept this gift." Dazia decided, after some seconds of thinking it over.

           When Ophelia walked over to Vigilon, Dazia was legitimately surprised when...she turned out to be a Vampire, and proceeded to offer Vampirism to Vigilon. Unsurprisingly, however, he refused. The Ebony Queen reluctantly chose a different reward to offer, involving an NPC dissatisfied with the clan. Based on what Dazia could observe, this NPC, Neferata, was also a Vampire. Dazia began to wonder if the members of the Ebony Clan were all varying kinds of undead. Vigilon accepted the alternate gift, and Ophelia's next words would reveal her true intentions...she didn't want to actually gift Vigilon...she wanted to keep him. Dazia, of course, had no clue why...unless it was Vigilon's nervousness and slight reddening of the face, and other telltale signs of an increased heart rate that prompted this. 

    Whatever the case, Vigilon was suddenly quick to look for an excuse to end the conversation and leave, for obviously good reason. Dazia removed Vigilon's hand from her arm, as she could keep up with him easily. The trio left with all due haste, passing by clashing pawns of the two clans. Finally, the exit was within reach.

        The outside world finally opened up once again. It was good to be out of the Citadel.

                        It wasn't long before Dazia found another bunch of Ebony Clan monsters. She considered fighting them, but looked to her energy and considered a standoff first. Vigilon was about to square up, as the monsters were preparing to attack, but a voice interrupted the tension.

     Oh...this just got much worse.
The somewhat gothic, sultry looking woman stepped into the scene, looking each player in the eye as though she was sizing them all up for some unknown purpose. A hunger could be seen in her eyes, but as malevolent as the hunger seemed, it was currently uncertain as to what this hunger was over. She declared that the players were to thank for the clans' freedom. She wasn't wrong, but Dazia did not intend to let her guard down. "...And you are?" Dazia questioned.
                  The Ebony Minions were agitated by Dazia's question, but the woman didn't seem to mind, which made sense. Who could know of someone who was sealed away and unspoken of for who knows how long? The woman's smirk slowly transitioned into a smile. "I am the secret true leader of the Ebony Clan." She began. "I am Ophelia, the Ebony Queen." She declared.

     Made sense. If might makes right and these monsters truly resembled chess pieces, then the Queen would definitely be stronger and more dangerous than even the King...and that was exactly the problem.

      "Damn it, this is worse than I thought..." Dazia thought. She was not expecting the queen to show up. Her stance and expression changed from aggression and frustration to wariness. Based on how tough the goons were, this queen was probably a boss. She didn't have the time, energy, patience, or active healer to save her from a mess like this.

                          Dazia was only getting more frustrated. Vigilon asked if Dazia was alright, but the only words to come out of Dazia were "...Not enough...it's never enough..." being muttered under her breath in disappointment.

      For you see, her frustrations were only building up, every battle was an opportunity to take her anger out on those who deserve it...but it's never enough, she can never seem to inflict enough pain...and in situations like these, it was always worse.
     Shanno had seen what Dazia was capable of, and now knew that she was the last person a reasonable person would want to piss off. Shanno was the one who Dazia was rescuing, but it really puts a damper on potential relationships and alliances when good people witness the bad side first.

          Dazia rushed off the moment Vigilon suggested continuing on. At this point she either wanted to leave, or kill more. She didn't care which came first.

         This was already getting tiring, but at least Vigilon made himself useful and weakened the enemy ranks enough for her to damage them more effectively, not to mention paralyzing that damn tank so she could get the others taken care of. One more sword art ought to do the trick. She prepared a stronger sword art, and began to tear into all three of her enemies.
           The pawn that survived was knocked several meters after being ruthlessly damaged and torn, their HP falling to the red. The other pawn was not so lucky, and was obliterated by Dazia's relentless assault.
      The Rook could only watch as Dazia brought ruin to its comrades, and then once the pawns were struck, the rook itself was next. It practically closed its gemstone-like eyes as it knew it could not stop the inevitable. Dazia's weapon would tear through its armor and nearly cut it to pieces as fallen energy surged through, worsening the damage. By the time Dazia was finished, all that was left of the rook were the shattered remnants of a slain entity of the game.

ID# 230982 BD: 3+3=6(hit), MD: 5-4=1(miss)

ID# 230983 BD: 10(Critical, +2 Base DMG), MD: 10(Critical! +2 DMG)

ID# 230984 BD: 7+3=10(hit, Fallen activates)

AoE-II: 23x18=414 Damage to Ivory Pawn 1! 25x18=450 Damage to Ivory Pawn 3!! 23+8x18-150=408 Damage to Ivory Rook!

ID# 230994 CD: 4, LD: 8+1=9(3500 Col, T4 Uncommon Consumable 230994)

ID# 230995 CD: 10, LD: 6+1=7(9600 Col, T4 Rare Trinket 230995)

[0]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 45/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[1]Dazia: HP 398/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ivory Pawn 1: HP 86/500 | 128 DMG
Ivory Pawn 3: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG

Ivory Rook: HP 0/1200 | 130 DMG | 150 MIT | 1 ACC

                  Vigilon ran into another bunch of monsters. Based on their white coloration, they must have been from the Ivory Clan. Vigilon engaged them in battle and started things off with his sword art, but the towering rook with the shield got in the way of two attacks directed towards pawns. Moreover, the attacks didn't put much of a dent in its HP when it was blocking. "Wait, they have a Tank!?" She realized. This might complicate things by at least a little...well, they were in another fight now, so might as well get this over with. Shanno stayed back, preferring to safely observe this fight as well.

      Dazia moved in to strike, and unleashed her Area of Effect Sword Art. One pawn dodged the attack, the one pawn Vigilon struck was finished off, the third pawn was protected by the rook, which was next in line for Dazia's unrelenting attack. She managed to put its HP down in the yellow, and the Rook's gaze was then fixed on her. Dazia dodged the swing of it's heft axe, just to get a lance to her side from behind, courtesy of the pawn the Rook had defended.

     Seems that the Ivory Clan knew a thing or two about teamwork.

ID# 230022 BD: 2+3=5(miss), MD: 1(Critical Miss)

ID# 230023 BD: 6+3=9(hit, Fallen Activates), LD: 19(Struck Ivory Pawn 2), MD: 5-4=1(miss)

ID# 230024 BD: 9(Critical, +1 Base DMG), LD: 2(Attack Blocked by Ivory Rook!), MD: 9(Critical, +1 DMG)

ID# 230025 BD: 6+3=9(hit, Fallen Activates), CD: 7(Enemy used Heavy Swing), MD: 4+1-4=1(miss)

AoE-I: 23+8x15=465 Damage to Ivory Pawn 2!! (Blocked)(24x15-150)/2=105 Damage to Ivory Rook. 23+8x15-150=315 Damage to Ivory Rook!!(Total damage to Ivory Rook: 420)

ID# 230027 CD: 2, LD: 2+1=3(3500 Col)

[0-0-3]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 60/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0-0-3]Dazia: HP 398/660 | EN 46/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ivory Pawn 1: HP 500/500 | 128 DMG
Ivory Pawn 2: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ivory Pawn 3: HP 500/500 | 128 DMG

Ivory Rook: HP 391/1200 | 130 DMG | 150 MIT | 1 ACC

Abilities:
-Heavy Swing: A typical attack, used on a CD of 1-8, stuns target on critical hits.
-Ivory Aid: Heals an ally for 30% of their HP. If all allies have full HP, heals self for 15% of max HP. If none have any damage, Heavy Swing is used instead. Used on a CD of 9-12.
-Guardian(passive): When attacking any monster in the fight, check the LD to see whether or not the Ivory Rook gets in your way, taking the hit for its ally at half the damage(after MIT is applied). 1-10: Blocked! 11-20: Intended target successfully hit.(Cannot activate while stunned/paralyzed/frozen)

                                "Well, he's distracted them, at least..." Dazia thought.
                  Any other style of AoE might get Hirru caught in friendly fire, which is not what Dazia needed right now. A combo-strike based, multi-target AoE would have to be the tactic here, a Sword Art that was less of an Area of Effect, more like an Area of Range.

               Dazia dashed from her failed cover, her blade cutting deep gashes into her first victim as the fallen energy in the weapon came alive. Dazia followed with a thrust into her foe's torso, before twisting the blade and slashing its way out upwards through the shoulder. As the first bandit screamed from the pain, falling to the ground and shattering, Dazia began her assault on her next victim, moving in to sever the third bandit's arm before cutting him in two, finishing him off with a thrust to his heart. Dazia then moved towards the remaining two bandits, who locked both their blades in an X-scissor pattern to stop and deflect Dazia's weapon, before one of the two knocked her off balance.
                 While Dazia recovered quickly, this was all for her current attack.
          "What's this now, tryin' an ambush, are you?" One of the surviving bandits of this bunch questioned. "Hmpf, seems the kid's brought an assassin with him, by the looks of it." Growled the other. 

ID# 223541 BD: 6+3=9(hit, Fallen Activates)

ID# 223542 BD: 1(Critical Miss)

ID# 223543 BD: 5+3=8(hit)

ID# 223544 BD: 1(Critical Miss)

AoE-I: 23+16x15=585 Damage to Bandit 1, 23x15=345 Damage to Bandit 3!

[0/0] Hirru | HP: 960/960 | EN: 108/108 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 182 | BH: 48 | HLY BLS: 38 | MENDING: 2 | REC: 8 | THRNS: 76
[0/0] Dazia | HP: 700/700 | EN: 71/88 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 44 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 16 | VAMP-0: 70

Bandit 1 | HP: 0/250 | DMG: 75/100/125/150
Bandit 2 | HP: 178/250 | DMG: 75/100/125/150
Bandit 3 | HP: 0/250 | DMG: 75/100/125/150
Bandit 4 | HP: 250/250 | DMG: 75/100/125/150

             Dazia growled. She had no one to blame, not even herself, for her lack of weight making it easy for her opponent to position her like a meat shield when Vigilon tried to come in clutch. "Well then I guess at the end of the day, I have to do everything myself." She thought. She lessened her pressure to make the monster think it was winning the shoving match, and just when its guard was down, she shoved back with enough force to knock it into the wall and rush in to finish it off with a sword art, letting out a portion of her frustration in the process. The monster shrieked, and it's struggling slowed to a stop as the glow of undead life began to fade from its eyes. It fell limp, and shattered.

     Dazia took a deep breath and got up slowly. "There, it's dead. Now let's get out of here." She stated. Now all that was left was to get out of this place before it becomes swarming with more monsters.

ID# 219041 BD: 10(Critical, +2 Base DMG), LD: 12, MD: 1

ST-I: 25x12=300 Damage to Ebony Knight!

ID# 219042 CD: 2, LD: 12+1=13(2404 Col, <<T4 Rare Trinket 219042>>)

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 77/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 63/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 0/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

      The path was looking beaten and worn. This was likely a good staging ground for ambushes...
   But as Dazia would quickly realize, there weren't many places she could take cover within. Despite the color of her enshrouding outfit, it would seem she was having trouble blending into her surroundings. Only an inattentive fool would miss her at this rate, and even the AI created by the Cardinal system would have better luck at finding her like this.

      "If only the stones and boulders scattered around the sides of the path that aren't beaten as the road were larger...even though I'm...capable of fitting into more compact spaces...I'm still struggling..." Dazia thought, gritting her teeth in anguish as she resisted to even think the fact that she was small. She was small, yes, but she was far from weak...but if only anyone other than her knew that. Who would care about Dazia, anyway? There were few individuals with enough hope to understand, and half of said individuals were missing in action.

ID# 218852 LD: 2+6=8(Stealth Rating: 8) [Insufficient Stealth]

             It was always the same old damn thing.
       Monsters turn out to be smarter than expected, a clash of equal skill, and a lock of weapons...at least, that's what happened when Dazia went in to strike after Vigilon damaged it. Exactly how was Vigilon doing better than Dazia was? Was there some kind of luck the dumbass had that flip-flopped for better or for worse specifically on the situation?

                      Dazia glared burning daggers into the cold red dead eyes of the Ebony Knight, but it didn't seem to care about Dazia's mood whatsoever. The two simply kept pushing at each other, though it seemed that Dazia was making better progress despite the size comparison between the both of them. Shanno could only watch as the two were engaged in a shoving match as their weapons remained locked against each other. "You better come in clutch, Vigilon!" Dazia called out. As much as she would have loved to make the kill, she was getting tired of this, and just wanted to get Shanno out of here unscathed.

ID# 218845 BD: 2+3=5(miss), LD: 3(Enemy used Nightmare's Charge), MD: 6-4=2(miss)

[2]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 75/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 71/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 41/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

           It wasn't a problem that this player turned out to not be much of a fighter, the fact that he could support Dazia in case of emergencies especially made up for it. With a party formed, Dazia now had to think of how she could handle the situation... "They're likely to see you first." Dazia pointed out. "I'll be in the shadows before they fall. Whether they attack you on sight or not is irrelevant, but if they become hostile when you're in their field of vision, you might need to be ready to take a few hits if they somehow manage reach you before I kill them. Are you certain of your survivability?" She questioned. If she was going to stay on this player's good side, she'd need to show concern for him, especially since he was capable of keeping Dazia alive.

  The trip itself shouldn't be too much for Dazia, seeing that her Survival Skill made that easier. Hopefully there wouldn't be any interruptions from unexpected enemies on the way there...

                        The Green Haired Player spoke a few points, but was a bit stern at one particular one. "Did I not tell you? He blocked the only way in and out, to duel him was my only way out of the place we were in. If I didn't accept, he'd probably just remain there, and I'd be stuck inside a group of subterranean rooms where monsters spawn in. If I didn't fight him in a duel yet killed him anyway, the game would flag it as murder. He could have easily brought enough supplies to keep him from collapsing, whereas my own supplies could have been lesser, leaving me to a different fate...I didn't exactly think it would be wise to take that chance." Dazia explained. "Regardless of who was right or wrong, who was or wasn't at fault, that was the past and now he's dead, nothing can change that, not even a kill made out of vengeance." She added.

                The player noted that Krysta probably thinks that Dazia was the challenger. Dazia actually hadn't thought of it that way, but who started it wasn't a relevant factor to her until just now...not that Krysta would ever believe it from Dazia, of course. The green haired player then answered Dazia's question from earlier...hmph, so he was one of those people, then...not exactly bad, but he might spare the wrong people... "Tch..." She looked back to the direction in front of her, with disregard and some slight nonchalance. She couldn't change him, nor did she intend to. At least he was willing to hear her out, though.

                  Dazia stopped as she heard someone call out, "Oi, you there!"
        She turned to look towards the direction of the sound, and saw an NPC waving to Dazia as he made his way over to the two players. His skin was lighter than that of the other NPCs, aside from a burn scar on his face. There must be something about this NPC other than his skin tone that differentiates him from the other miners on the floor. "Need something?" Dazia asked. The pale skinned miner nodded his head. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the town's falling on hard times. As much as we keep mining, our hard mined ores keep getting stolen by pesky bandits. I'm no good in a fight, and I have to keep leading the miners here. If someone can't resolve the bandit problem, we and our families will surely starve." He explained.
                              Dazia listened with interest. "Anything else you can tell me about the problem?" She asked. "The bandits' attacks, how many there are, whether or not you know anything about someone among them, or even their location?" She added, giving examples in case there was also a particular target. The NPC took a deep breath, his expression somber. "As the current foreman of the miners, I'd say I'm partly at fault for this, as their leader happens to be the former foreman of the miners, Anton Basalton, who wasn't too happy about being replaced by me. I wish I could handle the situation myself, but I'm in no position to... I can give you the location of their camp, and I'll pay you well if you manage to succeed at showing them we're not to be messed with." The NPC explained. A quest prompt then appeared in front of Dazia. She pressed accept, and gave her verbal response to the NPC. "Consider it done. I'll be back with the stolen goods." 
                 The NPC thanked Dazia and marked a location on her map, then returned to his business. Dazia then looked to the green haired player. "Change of plans, for as you can see, I now have another target to deal with. You can feel free to help if you want." She stated. "The situation is to deal with Anton and his bandits, then bring back the stolen goods, simplicity in itself."

                       The green haired player didn't seem to hear the questions that Dazia asked him. Regardless, she decided to humor him for the moment, and answer the question he popped. "Oh, please, of course I didn't tell her." She began. "For starters, I had no clue at all that the two were even remotely related, never even heard of Krysta until she started coming for me. From what I'd heard from someone, she realized I'd killed him because she saw the Monument...and the Monument will always tell you who or what the cause of death is." She added.
                It was both a blessing and a curse, that feature. Because it could tell what killed a player, it could help those who knew someone that was killed...but for killers and killers-to-be, it was a problem because the Monument will always tell the truth about a player's death, meaning that if another player was involved, they'd be exposed in a negative light, regardless of cursor color...and with each kill she made, Dazia could feel the effects of it, laced within Krysta's relentless pursuit of Dazia.

                  "We met at what was supposed to be a social event. Won a lesser prize at its raffle, got a simple candy that was useful in boosting my level at the low state it was in at the time...but since Princess was there, and she knew my username...she was able to spot me, and figure out my appearance. She then wasted no time in trying to confront me. In all honesty, I'd had a hunch that someone out there knew Wardege, but I didn't expect to be found that soon. The girl was clearly driven by vendetta and little else, though to the extent of breaking the peace of a social event...that's not what you see every day." She explained. "Nearly got us both kicked out of it, now that I think about it, as an NPC got involved, giving an enforcement threat."

     The two players had been moving throughout the settlement as they talked, and would soon near the settlement's edge, but Dazia would learn of an opportunity that awaited her outside of it, soon enough...

                        So, the two clans were just a bunch of chess pieces...all that Dazia could hope at this point was that the rooks, bishops, kings and queens weren't too dangerous, as the pawns and knights seemed to be much easier to kill than expected. Even the Knight, whose HP was still above the halfway point when taking damage from Vigilon's attack...after all, the two players had been through far worse than this.

              Dazia prepared her sword art, and Shanno stepped back as the two other players fought. Dazia's attack slaughtered the three pawns, but the knight was left standing. Dazia prepared herself, as it seemed to be readying an attack that would leave an impact if it were successful. "Shanno, to my left." She suggested. Once Shanno moved, the Ebony Knight rushed towards Dazia. She sidestepped the attack and grappled the monster by the arm, proceeding to use momentum against it, swinging it with a spin and slamming it against the wall. The wall displayed <<Immortal Object>>, but the enemy did not look like it was having a good day.

ID# 218549 BD: 3+3=6(hit), MD: 7

ID# 218550 BD: 8+3=10(hit, Fallen activates!), MD: 10

ID# 218551 BD: 4+3=7(hit), MD: 9

ID# 218552 BD: 2+3-2=3(miss), LD: 11(Enemy used Nightmare's Charge), MD: 1(Critical miss)

AoE-I: 23x15=345 Damage to Ebony Pawns 1 and 3, 31x15=465 Damage to Ebony Pawn 2!

ID# 218553 CD: 2, LD: 8+1=9(3500 Col, <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218553>>)

ID# 218554 CD: 8, LD: 10+1=11(3500 Col, <<T4 Rare Weapon 218554a>>, and <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218554b>>)

ID# 218555 CD: 10, LD: 8+1=9(4000 Col, <<T4 Rare Trinket 218555>>)

[1]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 89/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 69/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Pawn 1: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 2: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 3: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG

Ebony Knight: HP 455/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

                      Dazia listened to the two players' conversation, but there wasn't much that Dazia could chime in for. Nevertheless, she listened, then allowed Shanno to take the lead. Of course, Dazia kept her weapon in hand just in case anything showed up. Everything in the interior and exterior of this damn place was white, so not only was there no use sneaking, there was hardly any way to properly remember these halls...but from what Dazia's memory and the present moment could tell, Shanno was right, while the strange rooms kept appearing, disappearing, and changing, the halls had no changes to them.

                 At the end of the next hall, Dazia could see another color...which wasn't a good thing, it meant interference. She took the lead from that moment as to protect Shanno, but then as the three players drew near, Dazia was able to make out the odd shapes of the entities there. By the time Dazia stopped, she was nearly face to face with the things. They were all black, save for a pair of red gemstones where the eyes should be...but what was confusing wasn't the normal, black armored arms and legs, but the bodies of these creatures themselves. "What the hell...? Are these...Chess pieces??" Dazia observed, for they looked like giant black pawns with arms and legs, as well as rubies for eyes.

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 110/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 84/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

                      Wonderful, two clans... NPC factions, and now they've been released. But this was a mission, and Dazia intended to see it through. Shanno needed to be brought out safely, no matter what. The three players managed to get out of the room that connected the Citadel to the Tower, so there ends the linear path. Now there was probably a maze of rooms to get through before they could finally escape, as Dazia wasn't able to retrace her steps beyond here.
                       She tried to retrace her steps regardless, but they didn't make any sense. "Damn it, the way we came isn't making sense! There should have been a room over there!" She thought aloud. Shanno then remembered a detail from the time she was around exploring the Citadel prior to being trapped at the Tower. "The rooms, they change and shift. There was a room there, but not anymore." She revealed.

         Well, that just made things a whole lot harder.

Vigilon: HP 737/760 | EN 64/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 443/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

               So suddenly, everything began to shake. "What the- What's happening??" Dazia exclaimed.
          Shanno looked to her left, then to her right, then recalled something she'd read. "The seals...the monster was guarding the seals as well as the way down! We need to get out of here or we could be overrun!" She realized. 

         Being overrun was the last thing Dazia wanted. She'd already spent energy and health trying to take down a large target, she was not in the mood to get swarmed by whatever those seals were keeping in. "Then in that case, let's get the hell out of here!" She decided.
                               Dazia didn't know what she and Vigilon had just triggered, but this rescue needed to be a success. As long as the two players were able to get Shanno back to Seline safe and sound, Dazia didn't care what happened to this place or the floor. "Come on!" She called as she gestured for the two other players to follow when she dashed off.

Blight Damage: Dazia takes 32 Damage

Vigilon: HP 697/760 | EN 60/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 403/660 | EN 24/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

                       Dazia prepared her last attack as Vigilon had suggested, and with one simple yet cruel attack, the target was dead.

                     Kalsnald crumpled to the ground, there was nothing more he could do...nothing...nothing...
          And what he'd previously kept sealed away with his life, would surely see the sun and moon once more...

                  Dazia took a deep breath. While the items were of little use to her, the col she earned from killing the target was a pretty good amount. She walked back over to Vigilon. "It's done, then...Shanno is free." She stated. She pulled her cowl off, and looked to the side to see Shanno standing there. 
              "If I'm being honest, I never thought I'd see the death of that creature..." She remarked. "I...I..."

    Shanno appeared to be tearing up, as though all her worries regarding her freedom from captivity this monster caused, had all fallen away like a massive weight off her shoulders. She then rushed up to the two players, clutching them both in an embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!"
                    Tears were streaming down her face, and Dazia felt a bit awkward, being hugged like this. She appreciated the thanks, but this was a bit much for her. She slipped out of arm and moved it towards Vigilon, then began patting Shanno on the shoulder.

       Say...this is looking to be a bit of a scene now...who knows, it might be cute in the future. Dazia proceeded to screenshot this, so now she had an image of Shanno crying as she hugged Vigilon. She did her best to avoid having a humor-based smile over this, but she continued to try and help Shanno the way she was comfortable doing...patting the girl on her shoulder.

ID# 218539 BD: 5+3=8(hit)

ST-I: 23x12=276 Damage to Kalsvald, Ash Knight of Sealing!

ID# 218540 CD: 8, LD: 12+1=13(26,600 Col, <<T4 Rare Weapon 218540a>>, and <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218540b>>)

Blight Damage: Dazia takes 32 Damage

Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 56/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 435/660 | EN 20/84 | 23 DMG | 44 24 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD | T4 Blight: 1 Turn, 32 DMG

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 0/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                       Just that quick, huh?

            Within only a few minutes, the monster that kept a player trapped here for over a year was being slain by two players, what were the chances??

              Fallen energy surged through Dazia's weapon even further, as she activated her most powerful sword art. She would unleash a hellish devastation upon the target, not a single swing wouldn't meet the foe. Strike after strike, cut after cut, there was no mercy for this enemy, none whatsoever...

        Pain. Suffering. Death.

    That was all this blight would ever bring...but if the world should fall, he should fall with it. His actions would speak for him, only a single word was needed to convey... "Enough."
       Kalsnald charged his axe with power, and dealt a powerful blow against the blight of a girl, ailing her with an affliction in the process. Flames would now be burning within his own eyes, a violet flame against the hellish blue inferno, a glare meets a glare.

ID# 218536 BD: 8+3=10(hit, Fallen Activates!)

ID# 218537 LD: 20(Used Blighted Smite), MD: 8+2-4=6(hit)

ST-B: 23x20=460+120=580 Damage to Kalsnald!

[3]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 70/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[4]Dazia: HP 467/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 24 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD | T4 Blight: 2 Turns, 32 DMG

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 678/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                    Getting an axe blade to her torso would realistically be devastating, but since this was a game with numbers, not all cuts were truly equal. The fact that she was slammed down by this towering figure was none too pleasant though, despite the fact that she didn't feel intimidated. This thing was strong, but while its survivability might scare off solo players and weaker parties, it seemed that the combined efforts of two tier four players was already proving to be too much for it.

           "I'm fine..." Dazia answered with a strained grunt. She got up, and readied her weapon. "I'm not dead yet and neither are you, ugly. Let's finish this."
           Her next attack nearly dropped all the remaining HP in the first HP bar, just a small sliver remained before it was onto the second one. Fallen attack after fallen attack, Dazia intended to devastate this monster.

                 Cursed? Ugly? What kind of world did these two even come from? Was the mission given to him truly an impossible one? At this rate, the least Kalsnald could do was defend himself against these fools! They knew not of what they do, but the girl could not be allowed to walk away! Kalsnald unleashed his battle cry once more, but the girl was small enough to dodge his attack with ease.

ID# 218533 BD: 7+3=10(hit, Fallen Activates!), CD: 11(ST-B Available!)

ID# 218533 LD: 2(Used Punishing Blade), MD: 3+2-4=1(miss)

AoE-I: 23x15=345+90=435 Damage to Kalsnald!

[2]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 81/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[3]Dazia: HP 563/660 | EN 44/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 1603/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.

                      Dazia locked eyes with her target. There was something unsettling about this monster, but she unleashed her usual burning glare regardless. She would put the fear of her in this thing, and it would die in suffering.

                She had little to say about Vigilon's remark, but he was right, Shanno didn't receive any Fallen or Holy damage from this monster's attacks...so maybe they were limited to critical hits with that spin attack? For now, Dazia attacked with her sword art once again. Her target's HP was dropping steadily with each gash upon it, worsened by the fallen energies that surged with every hit thus far.

          Blight.
       This girl was a blight. She walked in darkness, noticeable from her weapon and her apparel, as well as her failure to remain unseen by Kalsnald's eye. She was a vessel of wrath, noticeable by her sheer ferocity and the inferno burning within her eyes. This will not stand. Kalsnald is more than a simple guard, he was tasked to seal two forces that could not be permanently culled...but this girl here, she needed to be removed. Absolute light, absolute darkness...neither belonged, they were all excess and clutter for this world. Had the years really gone by so far that they would return naturally? The beast of a knight growled, as though he'd already had enough. He brought his axe down upon the girl. While it did not seem to be enough to slay her, it should at least remind her of her place.

ID# 218530 BD: 6+3=9(hit, Fallen Activates!)

ID# 218531 LD: 7(Used Punishing Blade), MD: 9(Critical, +1 DMG)

AoE-II: 23x18=414+108=522 Damage to Kalsnald!

[1]Vigilon: HP 657/760 | EN 97/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[2]Dazia: HP 563/660 | EN 55/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

               Enemies:

Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing:

HP 2498/3800 | 140 DMG | 2 ACC

Attacks:

Punishing Blade: Common Attack, used on LD 1-8.
Rending Cleave: Inflicts T4 Bleed on MD 8-10, used on LD 9-14.
Axe of Duality: An AoE attack that deals an additional 40 damage as Fallen on MD 9, and an additional 40 damage as Holy on MD 10. Used on LD 15-18.
Blighted Smite: An attack that inflicts T4 Blight on a successful hit. Used on LD 19-20.

Abilities:

Neutralizer: Holy Damage and Fallen Damage are 25% less effective when inflicted against Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing.

"To Hell with your Persistence!": Using a healing item or skill generates 6 Hate and gives Kalsnald, Ash Knight of Sealing a free attack action to use against the cause of healing.