VG Rumble

Raven

Raven stared at the creature as Izuki dragged it towards the fire and felt a sudden instinct to run over and hold the girl against her body but she suppressed it and beamed with pride.

"Yes, I'm sure we could cook it," she decided. "Would you like to help me prepare it?" Izuki nodded, grinning widely.

"Good work, Izuki," Luke said with a small smile of encouragement. She grinned even wider and knelt beside the carcass of the dire wolf.

"Could we borrow your short sword, Karana?" Raven asked. Karana nodded and Raven began to show Izuki where to make the cut.

"I'm sure we could do something with the pelt too. Make you a nice coat perhaps - it's getting quite cold," Ilum noted.

(Just to speed this up a bit, let's move ahead.)

They climbed for two days toward their destination. After a long and hard journey up the mountain they could hear the roar of the mighty waterfall where the aqualith resided.

The waterfall was huge, it took up the entire half of the peak. They climbed even higher to see a lake situated at the peak. Floating above the lake was a light blue gem the size of a human's head. Water flowed out of the crystal, filling the lake with its clear richness.

"There it is!" Izuki shouted. She ran toward the lake.

Luke grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. "Wait."

"What is it, Luke?" Raven asked, worried.

"This doesn't feel right. It just seems too easy."

"Too easy?" Izuki asked. "We've been hiking up this mountain for the past two days! How much harder can it possibly get?"

Luke sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just paranoid."

"First thing's first, we need to get the aqualith," Ilum said. He turned to Karana and said, "Let's freeze the water so we can get across." As if on cue the surface of the lake began to freeze over at their feet.

"Good work, you guys," Raven said.

"We didn't do anything," Karana said.

"Then why is it..." Raven finally realized something. "You were right, Luke. Something is here."

"Everyone, get ready for battle," Luke said as he pulled out his sword. Everyone followed his lead and took out their weapons, too. They waited as the lake completely froze over.


--Boss Battle!--

x1 Shiva (Esper)

Battle Length: 10 posts

Everyone waited as the lake cracked and creaked as something moved beneath the ice. Something big.

Karana edged closer to Ilum, reaching for her katana...

She screamed as something roared and lashed out from the ice, shattering the layer as it went. Whatever it was, it collided with both of them as the others scattered.

Karana landed on her side and tumbled, growling a curse as Ilum rolled back to his feet.

So the battle began.

Karana stood and created giant fireballs in her hands, ready to let them fly.


***All I've got, and I'll be gone for five or six days. Don't leave me behind, please!!!***

(Just so you know, Shiva is a reocuring summon in the Final Fantasy game series. She appears as a naked woman with blue skin, the queen of ice if you will. Just a heads up for the next person posting.)

Raven

"Who is she?" Raven wondered, her eyes lingering on the esper's pale face that appeared to have been sculptured out of ice. Her dark blue hair hung in braids, fastened with golden thread and as she raised her arms, a barrier of ice protected her naked body from the fireballs that Karana released.

The barrier melted and Raven took control of the water, pushing it back towards the esper who casually allowed it to wash over her body, the building pressure having little effect.

"Try this!" Izuki exclaimed, hurling a ball of void towards the esper. Her lips curled into a cruel smile and she erected another ice barrier, deflecting the attack back with ease.

"Careful, Izuki!" Luke warned as the blast of void was hurled back but the nimble girl easily dodged to the side.

"Try your lightening," Raven suggested and as if the words had conjured it, a small spark leapt from her own hand. Amazed by this small feat, Raven failed to realise that the esper was rushing towards them and hurling shards of ice until one struck her arm.

"Don't let her get too close!" Karana warned, alternating beteen bolts of lightening and fireballs.

Raven keeled over from the pain, the shard had pierced her arm. Luke rushed to Raven's side, casting magic as he ran to keep the Esper at bay. He kneeled beside her and said, "Raven, hold still." Raven did as she was told as Luke quickly examined her arm. The shard had gone deep but missed the bone by almost half an inch.

Luke saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked to see the Esper charging toward the two of them. Before it attacked Karana hit it with one of her fire spells. Ilum and Izuki came in soon after to attack with their weapons. They drew the Esper away from Luke and Raven.

Luke went back to Raven's arm. He grabbed the shard with one hand and held her arm with the other. "This is going to hurt," he warned.

Raven braced herself before Luke jerked the ice shard out of her arm. The pain was so sudden that it tore a quick shriek from Raven's throat. Luke quickly sealed the wound with the healing magic he had received from Raven the day their bodies fused together. When the wound was closed Luke helped Raven to her feet.

(It's someone else's turn to post.)

Raven

"Thank you," Raven said, flexing the arm, delighted to find that it no longer hurt and actually felt stronger than before.

"Okay now lets take this woman down!" Izuki exclaimed. The young girl did not appear to be phased by the woman's appearance though Raven felt slightly uncomfortable looking directly at her. She took out her mace and prepared to charge the esper.

"Wait," Luke commanded. "Let's all hit it together." He drew his weapon, infusing it with lightening and taking a step closer to the esper.

______________________________
Could we make this a really tough battle? Only, I'd quite like to bring Warren back and have him take some part in saving them.

They all surrounded the Esper, making a circle so they could attack from all sides. They all had their weapons in hand. For those who could infuse their weapon with magic they did so.

The Esper smiled as she held out her arms and spun her body 180 degrees. A freezing gust of wind exhaled from her body and sent everyone flying backward.

Raven pulled herself to her feet to see the Esper facing her. The Esper lifted her hands and pointed them at Raven. Her hands began to glow with a light blue light.

Luke got to his feet next and saw what was happening. "Raven!" He ran up to her and pushed her hard so that she fell and slid across the ice. The Esper fired a beam of white energy at Luke, intending it to hit Raven in the first place.

When Raven got up to see if Luke was okay she saw the man she loved frozen in a solid block of ice.

(I'm pretty good at the dramatic stuff, aren't I? I think one of my greatest writing skills is not being afraid to put my characters in mortal danger.)

Haha. Or other people's of course ^^

Raven

The esper drew back a fist but Raven stumbled to her feet, slipping and sliding over the icy ground to throw herself in front of Luke's frozen form, her arms wrapped tight around the icicles and her back exposed to the esper. Raven let out a sharp cry as the first impacted with her body but then the others were there, crowding around Luke in a semi circle with their weapons pointed outwards.

"We have to stay close together, everyone," Karana decided. "Raven, can you do anything? Can you heal this?" Raven attempted to and though she could feel his heart beating beneath the ice and sense his fear and pain, she could do nothing to help.

"No. I think we're going to have to defeat the esper to free him but he's alive."

"Okay then we'll have to-"

"Look out!" Ilum cut into Karana's words, pulling her to the side as another beam of white energy shot into the distance, narrowly missing them.

***Okay, I'm back! Now my turn to have fun!***

Ilum shot a curse as he let loose more magic, trying to drive the Esper farther back.

Then Karana realized something: maybe the demon's power source was the water! And if so, they had to get her away from it!

"Ilum! Help me!" she shouted as she leapt into the space between the esper and the lake, blocking the escape off with a wild storm of lightning. Nothing could get through her barrier without being electrocuted.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he was near her.

"We need to push her back. I think the water is a power source for her! As long as she's near it, we don't have a chance - "

And, as if to confirm her theory, a water spell flew out of nowhere and hit Karana with enough force to stun her. She fell back, coughing as she fought to regain her breath, and rolled onto her back.

"Karana!" Ilum darted.

Karana screamed when a long shard of ice pierced her side.

(Since Ayumi is back she can finish the battle by summoning Ifrit.)

Karana groaned as she rolled to her feet. Blood coursed along her, but she had to keep moving, to keep going...she'd be killed if this kept going.

Her breathing came in gasps and hoarse coughs, and blood spilled from her mouth faintly...

Not good, she thought as Ilum moved in again to defend her. If he called out to her, she didn't hear him. She was getting too deeply into shock and unconsciousness.

Then she remembered. Use my power when it seems fit.

Ilfrit.

She used the remnants of her magic to summon the mighty creature, and, as she finally passed out, she saw it launch forward, taking the esper into its gaping mouth and tearing it apart.

She hit the ground.

(That's 9 posts, close enough. Also, I think Raven would be the best candidate for having Shiva as her Esper to summon.)

Ifrit appeared in a burst of flames, letting out a earth shaking roar just as Karana fell unconscious. He faced off against the Esper.

Shiva released a spray of ice shards. Ifrit batted them away like flies before lunging at the enemy. His teeth latched onto Shiva's arm with a loud crunch. She let out a terrible shriek before punching the fiery beast in the face.

Ifrit stumbled back on the ice but kept his balance. Shiva's arm was oozing a cool looking blue liquid that froze the moment it hit the surface of the frozen lake. Using her other arm she begun to charge her attack that she first used of Luke. A light blue light began to form in her hand.

Ifrit began to do the same, except the light was bright orange and was coming from his mouth. As soon as Shiva released her attack Ifrit got down on all fours and released his own. The fire and ice crashed against each other. They seemed to be equal in power, the ice extinguished the fire and the flames melted the ice. The power struggle continued for a few moments, Shiva was severely handicapped because of her arm. Eventually Ifrit came out on top. His body jerked as another, more powerful wave of flames came from his mouth. They consumed the ice, and soon after, Shiva as well.

The flames seared her flesh, swirling like a vortex around her body. Shiva let out one final shriek before collapsing. The flames had turned her skin from a cool blue to a charred gray.

Knowing the battle was over Raven ran over to the frozen Luke. "Luke, can you hear me? Just hold on a little longer, we'll get you out!"

Ifrit came up beside Raven. She looked up at the beast towering over her. She was afraid that with Karana out cold the Esper would go on a rampage. But when the fiery creature looked her in the eyes she was convinced he didn't mean to do anyone harm.

Ifrit made a motion with his hand to tell Raven to back up. She took a few steps back and watched what the Esper was about to do. He place both hands on the block of ice, soon after his hands started to glow with a feint orange light and the ice began to melt. Luke lay motionless on the surface of the frozen lake when all the ice was melted.

Raven looked at the Esper and said, "Thank you."

Ifrit nodded and vanished in a cloud of flames.

Ilum gained Level 3 Fire!
Karana gained Level 2 Meteor!
Raven gained Level 2 Lightning!
Luke gained Level 2 Healing!
Izuki gained Level 1 Wind!


Current Abilities:

Ilum:
Level 3 Ice
Level 3 Fire
Level 1 Gravity (Advanced)
Level 1 Burst of Strength (Skill)

Karana:
Level 3 Fire
Level 3 Lightning
Level 3 Ice
Level 2 Meteor (Advanced)
Level 3 Burst of Speed (Skill)
Ifrit (Summon)

Raven:
Level 3 Healing
Level 3 Water
Level 2 Lightning
Level 1 Holy (Advanced)
Level 2 Empathy (Skill)

Warren: (Away)
Level 3 Wind
Level 2 Lightning
Level 2 Time (Advanced)
Level 2 Enhanced Sight (Skill)

Luke:
Level 3 Lightning
Level 2 Void
Level 2 Healing
Level 2 Earth (Advanced)
Level 3 Shadow (Skill)
Leviathan (Summon)

Izuki:
Level 3 Void
Level 1 Wind
Level 1 Bio (Advanced)
Level 3 Unlock (Skill)
Level 1 Burst of Speed (Skill)