Naturally, the first attack had meant to test them. Attacking an enemy he knew nothing about held too many hazards and Aether desired to be anything but rash in his decisions. If only the situation would allow him to calmly access its every twist and turn, he would have further investigated the force that had brought them all, but he was running out of time. In fact, the reason they even had any time left was due to Taranis’ idle nature.
He could not risk the success of their operation on baseless faith. Not now. Kitsune’s words hardly convinced him of his innocence.
-AETHER: I have sealed the entirety of Fort Ouph to any and all outsiders. I am aware of all who have entered with and without my permission. Whatever you may claim, I am in no position to trust someone who was able bypass my seal without my even noticing, much less of such an appearance that is obviously foreign to any race to exist in the mortal world. I shall not risk Fort Ouph.
Having said that, Aether let go of Eiwanar, allowing the staff to float in place rather than be held back by his hand. Eiwanar began to glow, its light intensifying as Aether constructed another spell, word by word. But before he could finish conjuring, one of them dashed and struck at him. The force of Kensei’s blow sent a crack across the shield he had previously put up, knocking the elf off-balance.
This was an inevitable drawback of powerful spells. The need for time and concentration. Aether took back Eiwenar into his hand and released what power he had accumulated in it to cast
Spirit Counter, partially summoning Skeith. One of the monstrous hands counter-backhanded Kensei away while the other started casting
Rue Cruz and
Ban Bolg on the nearest players.
[Kensei -523 hp]
He chanted once more to fix the crack in his shield, his body almost shrouded in golden light now.
The battle in the ground did not go unnoticed. Taranis perked up after seeing Aether buff himself anew. Truth be told, if they left the elf alone he could very well buff himself until reaching invincibility status. It was one of the reasons why some gods found him troublesome. A devious smile split across his face.
-TARANIS: Heey - be fair now, Aether. Otherwise they won’t even stand a chance!
With Aether preoccupied by the things going down below, Taranis easily nailed him from behind. He aimed a finger in Aether’s direction. A single laser beam was fired from its tip.
Aether’s face twisted as the laser shot through his wards and pierced his left shoulder. All feeling quickly left that arm. Most of his wards dissipated in that moment.
-AETHER: Taranis!
Aether fought to control his anger. To concentrate.
The canon was about 80% ready now. The dragon, which had been thrashing wildly about, could no longer even keep its body standing.
--------------------- Meanwhile --------------------
A different sort of meeting was taking place far from the battlefield. Fort Ouph still held many of the structures previously built by the elves. There was one such sanctuary that had yet to be reached by any human, standing tall and rustic atop one of the many flying islands that made up the fort. Only this one had no bridge connecting it to the other platforms. It seemed isolated from the rest, surrounded by a thick foliage that spread wildly all over the place. Two beings sat across from each other at the farthest, eastern alcove.
The dragon-like one put down a piece of parchment upon the heaps that littered the ground around him. He stared at the elf across from him, whom was half-buried in scrolls himself, with infinitely impassive eyes.
-SHERATON: You do realize Taranis is already here...?
The elf did not avert his eyes from his writing. It had seemed like he didn’t even catch what Sheraton had said, but then he answered.
-N’DOCH: Aether is not the only one who can sense who is or not within the vicinity of the Fort.
-SHERATON: You seem calm. Your brother’s prowess may have surpassed mortal bounds, but that does not make him omnipotent. Taranis may be how he is, but he’s no pushover –
N’DOCH: Aether has made his decision clear. It is not my right to stop him, whether it ends in his destruction or not.
Is what the busy elf said, looking nonchalant as he spoke of his brother's demise. But this did not fool Sheraton. He could clearly see the disturbance in N'Doch's usually peaceful countenance. He must have tried to dissuade Aether already and failed.
-N’DOCH: Shouldn’t you be more concerned for your friend instead? What do the humans call him now...”Twilight”?
SHERATON: He can take care of himself. Rather -
A sudden quiet interrupted their discussion. Sheraton brought his eyes to the sky, as if searching for something. N’Doch had long discarded such habits. He simply knew someone was nearing their location and continued to write. However, Sheraton looked confused. It felt like Twilight...yet not. Was he trying to mask his presence? He closed his eyes and projected himself outward, intending to find out.
A black serpent dragon suddenly burst from the clouds above Douken, not roaring, but his entrance causing the immediate vicinity to thunder regardless. The dragon flew toward Douken, threatening to coil itself around the beastman. The dragon's voice boomed in Douken's head.
-SHERATON: Who are you?