Reality Court

Jent · #31

<big>Mindscape</big>

Panicking, the board of homunculi fumbled with the nervous system and database. Extrapolating dimensional space, reconfiguring blood vessels and muscles in the correct order, diminishing the increased adrenaline flow; they all had trouble computing the best choice of survival. That is, except the silent three.

"The darkness, it is rising! The Void will take us all-"

"Shut up, Viminale."

Piercing the smallest homunculus in the chest, Palatum banged the insufferable brat against his own podium. Bleeding profusely, he whimpered as their leader's shook him with disdain. "This is why we must finish battle with Lili, as otherwise, she won't be as merciful to the last of us," he shouted in the room. "Capitolinus, deal with the traitor."

Flinging the corpse to the side, the homunculus slammed a fist on the distorted mess. Twitching, sparks of blue light skittered across the stretched arm, passing from his body and into arm now braced against the glowing sphere. The energy from the sacrificed kin surged through Malaviskh, who spread out the reinvigorating power to the rest of the group.

"The dragoness will learn the true power of the homunculi," Palatum shouted, bringing back his hand to the control panel.

---

<big>Reality</big>

The fluidic darkness attempting to overtake the blue mage met a building pressure from the humanoid. Vibrating intensely, the host's body began to swirl about in a clockwise pattern. Spin after spin, the being grew to an irritating blur as the fury spun itself throughout itself, spreading downward to the free the captured limbs by the immense momentum.

#32

Lilis tail, at least, the fluidic part was snapped off by the twisting mage, releasing him from the grasp of the body.

The fluid that was already on him though was further spun around his leg, and clung to the man like spiderweb.

The Dragons body, reacted in a beastly manner, snarling and attempting to snap at Tages.

Meanwhile, the half humanoid form took hold of Taraths blades in both claws. She didn't touch the hilts, just covered the blades entirely with her clawed hands.

After a few moments she handed them back hilt first. Both of them had developed extra blade points along their edges-one curving forwards, the other curving backwards. They'd also developed some dark, but decorative markings "Feed them well and you'll get a surprise"

The figure suddenly melted, as though it had never been

#33

Red puffed, a dark cloud of crackling electricity spouting from his snout in approval. He had really done some damage to the other beast. Unfortunately it got back up extremely quickly for having so many broken bones.

Red barely had enough time to shield himself with his wing before the torrent of flames hit. Seconds passed, and his scales began to discolor and fail. He was going to have to move.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as a newly created humanoid Lili conversed friendily with the prisoner he had just brought in. The dragon opened his jaw in confusion. He didn't expect Lili to reveal that ability... or strike up a conversation with an average human. The weirdest part was that they seemed to have a history, something Red knew nothing about.

Despite this, Red would always trust in Lili.

He flapped, flying straight up before letting the wind out of his wings. The dragon fell, aiming his leg so it would stomp that stupid little imposter dragon's head into oblivion.

Jent · #34

The collective evaded the advancing jaws of the dragoness, swerving manically to the floor. "Go bite your tongue," they snarled at Lili. Still blurred by the radiant waves of the distortion, the homunculi bolted back from the shadowy being on the ensnared foot. Their rage fumed as they rapidly contorted and expanded the limb to break off the clingy fluid from it.

Sethre underwent his own combative troubles. His searing breath managed to strike the dragon dead on, though the attack alone failed to incapacitate Red. Growling, the homunculus took advantage of his damaged back limbs. Stretching them in front himself, he scooted back in attempt to snag Red's foot between the webbing of his wings.

#35

Tarath looked quizzically at the daggers for a little while before a wicked, mad grin spread across his face.

"So what game are we playing today?" He asked, eager to try out his new gift.

#36

"We're playing the kill the prey game" Lilis voice answered Tarath, not from the Dragons body this time but from all around them. It snickered slightly as it faded off as well. The collective might be boring her now, but today hadn't been a complete loss "We play that game a lot"

Lili snarled again, annoyed at the her miss and the mages agility. Though she did pull her head back to stare at the rapid expanding and deflating of his foot "Don't you ever get tired of doing that?"

The fluid still clung, it came flying off in places of course, but it still clung on to the limb.

Jent · #37

"It has become second-nature to me, to be frank," responded the resentful collective. This trick of her is not unlike their own Blood Storm, recalling from times ago. Whether how long her influence remained on this substance; or better yet, if it continued to be a problem in the long-run, has yet to be told.

Knowing that movement alone seemed to resist the fluid's stick, he bounded back further from Lili to gain distance. From inside the blue mage's soul, the tormented Sergius wailed in the depths as the homunculi drew out his strength in the next move. Eyes flared, the collective flashed a sinister way of light from their line of sight, beaming a Confuse Ray at the irritated dragoness.

#38

The Confuse Ray that hit Lili was possibly the best and simultaneously worst idea the collective inside Tages mind had. Because as soon as the attack hit her Shadow Mirror Dragons body froze, so she stopped attacking. The purple glow left her eyes, showing only black holes where they had been.

This state lasted for only around 10 or 20 seconds before Lilis body instantly melted into an oily black slick, which would flood the room and cover everyone in it.

#39

Red delivered a swift kick with his free claw to the Charizard's jaw, and began to beat his wings vigorously in an attempt to break free. This other dragon was very quickly becoming annoying. The brief thought of it's head mounted on a plaque after a few swipes with the brush was immediately entertaining.

Unfortunately it wasn't long until Lili... exploded and the climate within the room quickly changed. A tidal wave of oily darkness hit Red in the back and pushed him towards the wall before he knew what was happening. The room was nearly instantaneously flooded, and seemed to be rapidly filling still. While to be trapped in this tar pit would be a grim fate to nearly all, Red grinned. He figured he had pretty good odds.

Rather than resist further, the dragon flew towards the Charizard hanging off his ankle, aiming to tackle the beast so both of them would disappear without a trace into the ooze.

Jent · #40

Reality

The powerful leg cracked homunculus's skull in several places by the blow, unable to avoid in the limited space. "Jast deh ahradeh!" the homunculus gargled with its bloody jaw. His incapacitating strike dazed Sethre, brain going dizzy from the swelling as he and Red fell into darkness.

The collective were exceeded that poor performance marginally so. Springing upward, two expansive purple wings sprouted off the blooming smoke from his back. "Not the best choice, as we thought," they contemplated, flying higher in the room.

Mindscape

"You've seen how the shadows consumed the two beasts, we'll be next if we don't get your coordinates decoded," Quiris snapped, veins bulging across his forehead.

Unruffled, Palatum surveyed the consuming waters below on the monitor. "They are unfortunately at thirty-four percent, nowhere near enough to pinpoint her location," he answered causally. "Though, there is the campsite he and the Grathon were just at."

"But those are... vague numbers.... Tages cannot handle... the distance..."

All eyes settled on the corpse of Viminale's, barely capable of breathing. The homunculus wheezed about on the floor as the group listened to him. Even Capitolinus stood in wonder of their leader's idea. Snickering, Palatum sent an arm to fetch the traitor, bringing him to the center of the room. "That's because, we don't need him."

Realizing the next action, Malaviskh contorted her glowing chains around the room, the links wrapping around each all the homunculi present. "Now," Palatum stated, snatching the blue orb from the air. "It is time to depart the vessel."

Reality

Tired of flapping, the fully emerged Sergius sighed as he held the weight of his master over the Lili pool. "Come on, can't you guys think of something?" The homunculus couldn't stay in his enlarged state forever, feeling his body starting to shrink back when the smoke billowed once more. Screeching, he darted back as several chains burst out from Tages, magnetizing themselves to the faint magic in the ceiling. This 'metal octopus' crawled upward, smacking the bat aside as it pulled itself free. Stunned, he dropped the limp form of the Blue Mage.

Malaviskh's glassy head began to swirl the moment it float higher, pulling itself and the chains in a single point of space through Distortion.

#41

The goop simply oozed and swirled around like a thick liquid would, as the consciousness connected to it had been confused and so had for some other place in the multiverse - possibly around the corner, possibly several dimensions away. But since it wasn't there the liquid acted like liquid. If a dark one that gave off the unmistakable feeling of pure evil with no redeeming qualities.

Tarath would probably have to swim to get to the top if he hadn't been caught in the top of the tidal wave. The body of Tages would sink - slowly, and the liquid Red displaced with his dive would also come back together above them slowly.

But for all intents and purposes, Lili had left the building.

Jent · #42

"You double-crossing..." the Crobot muttered, hearing the resounding 'pop' as the collective vanished from the room. Regaining his bearings, Sergius scanned over the murky waters, recalling what he was just previously doing prior to his kin's escape. Tages!

Sergius dove head first into the abyss. Grimacing, the thick fluid bruised him somewhat as he broke the surface layer, wiggling down with mouth sealed shut. Gotta find master, he squealed in the darkness. The Crobat's echoing waves swimmingly succeeded in locating the unconscious humanoid, with him paddling harder to reach him.

Nicking the skin of Tage's neck by a tip of a wing, the homunculus diffused back to the Blue Mage. Inside, Sergius jump-started the survival instincts of the body. The host in turn choked harshly at the fluid seeping down his throat, distorting a massive leg to the bottom of the floor to propel himself above the water like a frantic flamingo.

#43

Black, slick, sticky. The room was suddenly filled with a viscous liquid, but not blood. No, not blood at all. That would have been interesting. Tarath sloshed around in the goo and regained some composure, eventually just floating on the spot. His friend had vanished before telling him who to hunt. Well that wouldn't do.

He'd just have to decide on his own. But who... that was the question wasn't it? He began to swim around, with an almost hungry look in his eye.

#44

The foot would hit the floor and propel Tages upwards, if slower than he would have been going through actual water.

The pool still appeared to be just a pool, Lili it seemed, was still elsewhere.

Jent · #45

Regaining some balance, 'Tages' looked around the flooded room. Neither he or his master could really do much in this situation apart stretching high enough to reach a window, but Distortion with only Sergius left him limited in viability.

Reverting the leg to normal, the humanoid wadded through the surface of darkness, feeling a shiver down his back when seeing another survivor.