Pax RP

Markus scrambled away from the now inert blob of tar, getting to his feet as quickly as he was able. He was about to give his thanks when the dragon made a move. As it flew through the air, he watched as it wielded the strange paint brush and created... another dragon.

"Oh f-"
Was all Markus managed to get out before a terrified couple were incinerated before him. Markus had seen some nasty things in his time, but that shook him down to his bones all the same. He hoped it was quick. Shortly afterwards, the dragon was before him, sweeping Mayra aside as it blamed him for the shot. Behind the mirrored goggles, Markus' eyes widened as he tried to think of a plan, quickly.

Who was Mayra to him really? A woman with his pistol... and that's it. A distraction really. And he hadn't fired the shot, so he'd be perfectly justified in... correcting the dragon. No... no he couldn't do that. Then there was the question of where the hell Fade had gotten to. Had she run? She would have more sense than he did that was for sure. Why did he want to try and save this town? What good did it actually do him?

He really had to shake that sense of justice. It was going to be the end of him.

Markus grabbed an object from his belt, a sphere of some sort. He hesitated slightly, but pulled it free. "This is my last one." Markus told the dragon, rather bluntly. "Let it be known that you and your creator can kindly suck it." Markus threw the sphere into the air, releasing a small button as he did so. When it was level with the dragons head, it detonated.

The shrapnel was a side effect of the device, it's primary purpose was to blind and disorientate with a blinding white light and at this proximity was highly likely to permanently blind anything looking directly at it. Luckily for Markus, the goggles were custom made to avoid such an event, although this was pushing their protection to it's very limits. Markus, ears ringing, had moments to make his move.

"MAYRA, PICK UP YOUR FEET OR BURN!" He bellowed, as he dashed off in any direction that wasn't in front of an angry dragon. Finding the nearest building, he kicked the door in and dashed inside, shutting it after him. Hopefully he could shake the thing long enough to find a more favourable position to take it down.

"I can't believe I had to blow my last flash bang" He grumpily thought to himself. "I think a dragons tooth dagger might make a good replacement..."

Lili had been looking the other way when Markus had let his flashbang fly, as she'd slowed down since her new 'knight' had decided to barrel ahead so enthusiastically, there wasn't any need for her t really clog the skies with her presence. Besides, hearing the family go thanks to his abilities pleased her much.

Lili had decided to stop, holding up the brush as an idea popped into her head of what she should turn this particular creature she'd just rooted with her tar into when the bang went off, and the bright light flooded the eye that was still facing that.

Lilis roar of pain became more of a screech as she covered both purple eyes with her foreclaws, stuck hovering in the air and screeching at the offending radiance that had penetrated her sight. Pure darkness she could deal with, light, well that was something else entirely. She hated light. But it had stopped her rampage, for a short time, at least.

<hr />

Though Fade had been watching and had been poised to move out of her hiding spot of shadows, should the mercenary have had his life threatened, the assassin found this unnecessary. Unnecessary, and also suddenly the worst possible place she could have been standing, as the flashbangs light shrank the dimension she had been occupying to the point of non-existence, and thus to the point that Fades physical body could also no longer exist in it.

It happened instantaneously, so when the light came out and destroyed all the shadows nearby, Fade herself came flying out of the area she had been standing in and flew straight onto the floor, propelled as though an explosion had just happened behind her.

The sheer force of being forcibly ejected from a different reality caused her to lose her concentration just enough that her invisibility wore off and she faded back into everyones sight, on her knees on the ground with the Sapphire Dagger in one hand and a clump of throwing daggers in another.

Fade shook her head, trying to clear the spots. This event had made her woozy, and she unsteadily tried to push herself up off the floor.

The Red Dragon felt the world burn. Or maybe it was just him. He had instinctively closed his eyes the moment he saw something flying towards his face, but even a superior armored eyelid couldn't eliminate the sheer overabundance of light that had been released from the device.

The Dragon staggered, his grip on the man weakening enough that he felt him worm free. It wasn't just the flash that had got him, but a horrible preasure on his ears as well. Red found himself having to drop to all fours as he tried to pursue the man, not even close to heading in the right direction after being temporarily blinded.

One of his claws brushed against something on the ground. It was alive, and the Dragon immediately tried to grab it and hoist whatever it was up.

"Mayra, was it?" Red said to Fade, again mistaking an identity, though this one wasn't his fault. He smiled despite the nausea and disorientation. Black wisps of the sparking cloud curled out of his nose and he shouted, trying to get Markus' attention.

"I've got your friend here, pest. Trust me, no trick will slow down how fast I can turn her into ash. Though... I might consider letting her go if you come back..."

Fade felt the Red Dragons claws grab her, just as she'd started to stand up without wobbling to either side. Her head still throbbed from the pressure though, but that could hardly be helped. The blue-clad mutant would have been able to put at least a bit of resistance against this, were his claws not so large that they hadn't squished both her arms against her body and left both the Sapphire Dagger and the handful of throwing daggers awkwardly sticking out with the points upwards, entirely useless to her and partially in danger of cutting the skin on her collarbone. At least she wasn't holding the poisoned daggers...

Fades watery grey eyes narrowed at the large mythical reptilian that now had hold of her, focusing as best she could on him "I am not Mayra" she said, still emotionless despite the danger.

<hr />

Meanwhile, the Shadow Dragon was still having trouble focusing, the light.... she hated light so much, she hated this way it affected her, the radiance to her was abominable. But, determined to take this out on 'someone', Lili opened the eye that hadn't been as badly affected, and squinting, started to change the person she'd caught into a type of herd animal. It was bipedal, with black and white markings like a cow, a woolly coat like a sheep, the horns and docile face of a cow including the ears and the eyes of a sheep. The hands became shortfingered, dull and thick, like hooves, whilst the feet became actual hooves, and she gave him a cows tail. A 'Sheeple', Lili grinned whilst wincing at the lasting effects, and the tar moved away from the now-dinwitted once-person to let it roam.

Then Lili moved on to th next victim.

Mayra staggered as the flash caught her side on. Her nullification gamble had paid off, and her shot seemed to have hurt the dragon. The more immediate threat however, was the red dragon. Mayra sighed as she saw Fade clutched in its talons.

"The first thing she does today is try to make friends with an angry dragon." she thought whilst drawing and reloading her pistol. "Still, if it thinks that she's me, I suppose I should get its attention and set it right."

A new circle of runes spun into being around the pistol's barrel as she aimed it at the dragon's face, firing as she whispered a new word.

"Flare&#33;"

Markus scanned the building he'd kicked his way into, and was greeted with a fairly unimpressive living area. Sturdy timber beams held the ceiling up, and the abode generally gave off a homely if less than well off feel. In the corner of the room, he could see a child shivering behind a chair, a little boy. Markus put a mechanical finger to his lips, as he raised his goggles.

"We need to be very quiet..." he whispered as calmly as he could. "Where are your parents?"

The child shrank into their corner, but spoke up in a timid voice. "T-they ran outside... they told me to go with them but I got scared..."

Markus heart sank. The fire of the dragon, and the charred skull rolling from the flames, still burned in his mind. He clenched his fists, and took a deep breath.

"Is there a way out back you can run? Somewhere you can hide?" Markus asked, doing all he could to suppress his anger.

The child hesitated. "Are you a sheriff?" He asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Markus replied, the question catching him off guard.

"Mum said never to talk to strangers, unless they're a sheriff because then they want to help you. Are you a sheriff? You have a cowboy hat and everything..." The child whispered back.

"Um... yes, yes I'm a sheriff... from another town." Markus lied, incredibly unconvincingly.

"Oh&#33;" The boy explained, perking up a little. "What do you want me to do, mister?"

"Go hide, run somewhere safe&#33;" He urged.

Without another word, the boy nodded and dashed around a corner. Before he could listen out for a slam of a door or an opening of a window...

"I've got your friend here, pest. Trust me, no trick will slow down how fast I can turn her into ash. Though... I might consider letting her go if you come back..."

Markus considered his options, and once again he had to do it quickly. Peaking out of a nearby window, he saw the dragon had captured Fade, and not Mayra. Good for Mayra, he supposed. He grabbed the nearest magazine for his rifle, and examined what it was... shredder rounds, nasty things. They were designed to cut through thick foliage, almost in a tunnelling fashion. As good as they were for jungle expeditions, their effect on living tissue was just as effective... and barbaric, as far as most right thinking people were concerned. He'd used one in a panic once, thinking it would just slow down the target. He'd vowed never to use them against a living creature again after that.

He loaded the rifle, and took aim down the dragon's mouth.

"OI, SCALY BASTARD&#33;" Markus yelled, anger finally getting the better of him. "EAT THIS&#33;"

Light...

Devon didn't appreciate being awoken from his standing naps. Then again, who would be dumb enough to sleep during the middle of a battle? Stretching, he swiveled about to see the massive carnage caused by the winged wyrms... His fury glamoured between his ears.

"No more," under a whispered breath. Taking a side glance at whatever stood behind him, he flared the staff wrapped around his arm in his grip, snarling. What the man believed to be a simple day or barter and trade degenerated to a pother of terror and agony. Devon slammed the end pole of the staff, transforming the bland silver stick into a formidable double-blade axe. Tomorrow better involve a nice cup of tea and biscuits.

"Geidra, if you please?" Ruffling in his sparkly beard, he found a few jagged chunks of amber within. Devon clenched the pieces grudgingly. "For he who threw the sun in the sky, I shall throw it to the earth instead."

Gauging the proper distance, the old man tossed up the glowing stones in air for the pitch. And slam&#33; The face of his silver axe transmuted the ancient rocks as they soared. Sizzling sounds and luminous flares streaked across the sky as it approached its peak. The enlarged aggregation of dried resin molten in one form fell, inciting heavenly spices at the object's thrashing tail. Devon watched the unnatural comet's trajectory aim itself at the Red Dragon, assuming the frightful glowing goat he summoned crashes into the beat.

Red blinked, still trying to clear the spots from his eyes. He was beginning to worry his eyes might have been seriously damaged, even through his armored flesh. The thought infuriated him more. "Ten seconds. You have ten seconds to decide if you want her alive, pest." He bellowed to Markus just before getting a rather large shock.

The woman he had captured was not the girl he had earlier knocked away. It was the legendary assassin Fade. Red identified her cold, uncaring voice through the memories of the former rat that had been dissolved to make him. Where had she come from, he wondered? The lady Lili might've actually wanted this one alive, based of her already existant skill. With a little push she could become something that was damn good at killing... and loved it too.

While Red tried to think of some way that involved keeping Fade, while also turning Markus into a bloody spot on the ground, Mayra fired her magical weapon. The flare impacted the Dragon in the jaw and burned brightly, sticking into his flesh. The growled scream as it burned his lips and sent blood pouring out past his teeth was not to be understated.

Acting on instinct, the Dragon brought Fade up to cover his face. The chances of a follow-up flare to the exact same spot were quite good, as with a gun all Mayra had to do was press the trigger again. It might've badly burned her, he figured. If that was the game they wanted to play, he could live with making Fade scream in agony a bit.

Unfortunately the next shot wasn't a flare.

"Oh, now look what you've done." The Dragon roared gleefully after hearing the rifle go off. When he didn't feel it hit him, he could only assume it had impacted Fade instead. That was fine. The lesser species were barbaric, and now he couldn't be held accountable if they had killed one of their own. "I'll still let you surrender. Atone for-"

The Red Dragon was hit again, a fierce heat wrapping entirely around his body and the assassin in his claws. Something had rammed into him with enough force to send the hulking dragon actually sliding backward along the gravel. The impact had surprised him, and now even worse was the baking heat. Red was a thunder dragon, not the typical firebreathing one. Though his scales could stand up to most endless barrages nature could provide, the high heat had already begun to discolor the area the goat had rammed him.

Enraged, he threw whatever might be left of Fade clear while lowering his head towards the little goat. With a thunderous roar he opened his jaws and spewed out a highly concentrated thunderstorm, thick as a smokescreen. The flashes of light, simple sparks contained within the cloud all packed charges exceeding a lightning strike. To flesh... it would be ash within seconds.

Despite the intensity of the raving storm, it failed to reduce the summon to dust completely. The lingering chunks of amber glowed under the pile of soot made from the fleshy body, clung to the electoral discharge of the dragon's breath attach. The little pest would reawaken soon, but not before...

"Why do you keep doing this?"

The weird man named Devon moved closer to the battle field, with his assistant Geidra having split a tendril off, perching itself on his grey hair. Analyzing the current damaged, he gathered a guess. "Given that you are different from the previous wyrm, your 'mistress' must have just made you?" he inquired, hanging the axe along his shoulder. "My, my. As fascinating the demonstrations she made, I'll need her to cease the carnage on the more, ahem, populated territories. Gei, could you check that woman over there?"

Shaking the axe, a small blob broke off the tottering blade, splashing on the trampled grass. The mound oozed along the ground towards the enfeebled Fade readily. Its master in contrast gave a dreary gaze at Red as he positioned the axe in front of himself, in case of another blast his way.

Markus let the rifle drop in his hands.

"Fuck. Oh. Oh fuck." Was all he could muster.

The situation was out of control, that much Markus knew. All of the impressive feats in the world weren't going to save this town, not unless they were able to summon something of equal or greater power than the terrible creatures that had set themselves upon the populace. He reached for a small device safely tucked away in a pouch on his belt. It was a small, gold circle etched with unusual lettering, nothing in a language commonly spoken on Pax. He kept it clenched in his fist as he moved for the door.

"I'm sorry. Gods forgive me."

Markus opened the door, and began to approach the dragon.

"Nicely done, beast." Markus spat. "A terrible creature such as yourself using a captive as a shield. So very fitting of a being on your stature."

He was angry. The rage burning inside the mercenary was unlike anything he had felt for... many years ago now. He couldn't explain it even if he wanted to. He gripped the device harder as he approached the dragon as his anger was joined by a small amount of fear. If this didn't work, he would surely die... or worse.

"Let it be known you forced my hand." Markus growled through gritted teeth. "To everyone else, I suggest they begin running. Far."

Markus let go of the device. The lettering was glowing green as it hit the floor.

Somewhere far, far away, dust began to stir.

"Why do I attack the man that injured my Queen?" Red rephrased, sighing the last bit of thundercloud out of his nose with a huff. He had reduced the fiery creation to mere dust, as expected. Now one of the humans had decided to walk up and ask a stupid question. The Dragon, miles above such lowly creatures in class and stature simply ignored him, his attention on Markus who had finally come out to play.

Red's vision had started to return, somewhat. He could see Markus approaching. A grey blob on a white plane. The beast smiled his twisted grin, satisfied in calling his prey out.

"You're trembling, little one." The Dragon called, stepping forward and swiping a claw out to pick up the mercenary. He wanted to talk to him, Eye to eye. Markus had thrown something on the ground, and Red stomped it out very quickly, thinking it might be another tool for disorientation. The same tricks weren't going to be used on him twice.

"Are you scared, pest?" The mammoth creature asked, regarding the man. "Oh... no. Angry. Angry your little friend is dead? Perhaps you shouldn't have been so quick to pull the trigger. Really, that weapon of yours just seems to get you in trouble. Hurting things."

He cocked his head slightly, showcasing his bloodstained teeth. Markus may have expected bad breath from the carnivore. Instead all he could sense was the sweet tingle of ozone. It was likely somehow more terrifying.

"I like hurting things. I was made for that purpose though. You seem to have fallen in to the role with delusions of grandeur. Not really designed for it at all, and I can smell it on you. A conscience." The Dragon cackled, sounding like sparks from an outlet. "Speaking of design... that's a neat arm you have there."

The Dragon lifted his other claw, sitting back on his two legs and tail. He reached for the man's good arm. Upon finding it, if the man had truly surrendered himself, he would pull. Pull it right off him, with every ounce of his considerable dragon strength.

"Like I said. I like hurting things."

Markus stood still as stone, waiting for the dragon to enact whatever cruelty it has planned. He was taking a huge risk here, and it was more than just his other arm at stake.

"You think yourself a monster, dragon?" Markus spat "You are but a beast, you know that? A wild animal to but put down. I've seen monsters. REAL monsters."

Markus waited. It was all he could do.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Darkness. There was nothing but... darkness. The darkness of non-existence. The darkness of the ground. The darkness of the void. All was dark, and in this dark something stirred. Something clicked, and whirred, and shifted in the dust. Something awoke... something terrible.

[ACTIVATION PROTOCOLS INITIATED]

[WAITING]

[34.23% COMPLETE]

[BEGIN DIAGNOSTICS]

Rock cracked and stones shifted to make way from an ancient power entombed within. An evil from the depths of time lay here, buried from the world to be forgotten. Something, or someone, however had awakened it. The last of the stone broke away to reveal the skeletal form of the terrible creature, if it could even be called that, beneath.

[MINIMAL DAMAGE DETECTED; SUPERFICIAL IN NATURE]

[PROCEED]

From deep within it's ribcage, a sickly green pulsed like a heartbeat. It pulsed faster and faster until the light was constant, at which point a fire awoke in the eye sockets of the being. The light shined from it's metal form, and dimly illuminated the cavern it inhabited.

[ACTIVATION COMPLETE]

The Artificer had awoken once more.

Flexing it's limbs, the Artificer looked around the makeshift tomb it had resided in for... a time. It was unsure, it realised. Comparing topographical data from the last time it was awake, the Artificer estimated that little more than two years had passed since it's last deactivation. Earlier than planned, it seemed. So what had woken it from it's slumber?

[DETECTING INCOMING DISTRESS SIGNAL]

[DESIGNATION: ARTIFICER; PRIORITY ALPHA]

A single word rasped in the air of the tomb. MERCENARY...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Long moments passed for Markus, and they proved to be moments too many. Just as he considered making a move, fearing the distress signal had not worked, his world become one of blood and pain. The barely registered the terrible rip and tear of his own flesh, the pain was too much. He recoiled, screaming and clutching the bloody stump that was his arm.

Scrambling in the opposite direction of the dragon, Markus' mind raced. Bandage, he needed a bandage. Blood, so much blood. Needed to stop the blood. Blood... blood... Why was everything so pale? Why was it so slow?

YOU HAVE AWOKEN ME, MORTAL.

Markus couldn't concentrate, all he knew was that... something was speaking to him. Maybe he'd died. He watched a shadowy figure in tattered robes step over him. Death had come, he was sure of it. No. No, he tried to think, to concentrate... the Artificer had answered his call. That was almost worse.

RETREAT TO YOUR MORTAL HOSPITAL. YOU WILL LEAVE THIS SPACE WHEN YOU ARRIVE.

Markus tried to speak and understand. "I... My arm..." was all he could muster.

I HAVE REGISTERED THE THREAT, MERCENARY. WHEN MY TASK IS COMPLETE, MY DEBT IS PAID. I MAKE NO PROMISES ABOUT THE LIVES OF THESE MORTALS, NOR THIS... ENCAMPMENT.

"Dragons..." Markus murmured.

MAGICAL ABOMINATIONS TO BE EXTERMINATED

And in but half a moment, the Artificer left behind the space between dimensions, the phase world, and replaced Markus in front of the dragon.

Fade winced at the Dragons growled roar after Mayra had shot the flare and the beast, her highly sensitive ears more of a hindrance than a help in this situation. Fade couldn't plaster her hands over her ears to protect them as her arms had been caught, either, so that immediately gave her an added throbbing headache to go with all the aches from being blasted out of another dimension. It unfortunately, also meant most of the noise around her became nothing more than white noise, so she could hear no voices, nothing. It was an unfamiliar sensation and she didn't like it one bit.

However, it didn't stop her from noticing the Red Dragon hoisting her up in front of his face with his eyes screwed shut, and the assassin put two and two together and started to struggle, to try anything to break or squirm out of his grip.

Didn't work though, well, it might have if she'd had more time, though highly unlikely. Because she heard something extremely loud cut through even the white noise, then felt an impact into her back. Into, and further into it, as the shredder rounds that had been meant for the Red Dragons made mincemeat of her insides. Fade felt her red blood pouring out of her back and even coughed up some of it. The pain wasn't about to end there, nope, first she was bathed in heat that would have made her scream if she was still able, and then she was flung aside and impacted a wall before hitting the ground, flung away like the beast figured she was already dead. She figured she was already dead, and definitely would be soon. That shot had torn her up so badly it was unlikely the hospital could even offer much assistance.

But, she had to do some things first. The assassin lay there for what seemed to her a long time before finally pulling out an item that had been on her back, with arms that felt like jelly, struggling with it. The throwing daggers she'd dropped somewhere after being tossed aside, but they weren't the important things. Noone could be allowed to get their hands on what she had, especially not that Lili.

With her vision starting to darken now as shock and unconsciousness tugged at her Fade used the Onyx Longsword to open a small shadow portal beneath and push an arm in, to drop the Sapphire Dagger and then the Longsword itself through. She was loath to part with either but it seemed like she didn't have much choice.

Fade pulled the arm back out that had dropped the Longsword in as fast as she was able, possibly the last thing she'd ever remember doing, and jut lay there on her stomach with the blood pooling out of her. She wasn't dead, yet. But it certainly wouldn't be long if nothing happened.

Then the sky above her went dark

<hr />

Lili had been having tremendous fun turning people into Sheeple, but when she heard the shots and saw the flaming beast going for her creature she pulled her lips back over ebony teeth as an ugly look enveloped her.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Fade had been flung rather close to Lili and the Shadow Dragon took a few slow steps towards the bleeding woman, stopping when the mutant finally stopped moving with her head blocking out the sun. Lili looked to the brush, then down at Fade, and now with a frown rather than grin started swiping the brush over the assassin instead. Mistress Raven would be so very displeased to see an Evil Council member left in such a state, she'd already seen that once, and she did want to please the demoness. She would save her... and improve her. Fade could join their ranks as something more than what she was. Mistress Raven would be very pleased with that, right?