Shadow Of The End

( Kk ^^ )

Lyn pushed against the sword of her Darknut, until finally, using her size to her advantage, she ducked underneath it, using the momentum from her own sword to swing around and slam it heavily against the massive beast's armor. A large chunk of metal was sliced clean away and fell to the ground with a clank, disappearing in a puff of black smoke. The Darknut roared in anger and charged once more, and Lyn, grinning from ear to ear, swiftly moved to the side, leaping over its swing and pinning its sword to the ground. She then thrust her sword forward, plunging it into the beast's chestplate armor. The Darknut roared and stumbled backwards, Lyn leaping off her sword as yet another chunk of metal armor disappeared from the monster's body.

Callio simply leapt around the Darknut as it desperatly tried to hit him; however, he was too nimble. The Darknut swung his sword down at him, and he dodged, and leapt onto the Darknut's shoulder. He slashed ats its helmet, sending it flying off. He flipped over him, and slashed at its back, chipping the armour off.

Now that the Darknut's main chestpiece was off, Lyn knew she had this in the bag. Once more it lunged at her, trying a quick succession of swings. But Lyn, knowing just what to do, had crouched down defensively, using her massive broadsword as her defense for each blow, countering it with the side of her blade. And when it finally ended, she'd rolled off to the side, got close to the Darknut- and swung her sword upwards, plunging it vertically upwards under the beast's helmet, through its throat and penetrating through its entire skull, coming out at the top of its helmet, covered in rust and blood.

Swinging her sword back, Lyn jumped off to the side, and merely stood as the massive beast, dead where it stood, swayed once- then toppled over heavily to the ground, slamming against the cold stone and lying there, still.

(Gotta afk now.)

(See you)

A few of the watcher's gasped at the horrifc execution that Lyn had preformed.

Callio continued to dance around the Darknut, and eventually preformed a series of spinning kicks into its face, sending it stumbling backward. He flipped over it, slashed it in the back of the leg to collapse it, and as it stumbled to stay upright, Callio spun around the stabbed it through the chest with his blade, before flipping it the right way around and slashing its back open. It coughed, and fell flat on the floor.

"This all they got? Really?" Callio said, looking down at the Darknut.

And suddenly, the sound of slow clapping could be heard. Standing up on the walkway above them was a...well, it wasn't a man. He had dark, grey skin with golden lines all over his body. He had masses of spiky hair and a pair of horns.

"Well, well, well...what a lovely show." he said, grinning at them.

---

Aediox walked through the town, and went to the stables, where he paid for the carriage.

(Time skip, Tango?)

(Sure)

(3...2..1...BOOSHCK-)

Aediox looked up at Snowpeak uncertainly. "Uhh...I don't think the horses are gonna take us up there."

"No, it's best we go on foot, anyway," Eiria said. "Horses aren't the most subtle creatures..."

Aediox nodded. He shivered. "Shoulda brought a jumper or something..." he said. He left the horses to a group of travelers, and stood near the foot of the path up the mountain.

"...you kinda begin to wonder how to start going up it." he murmered.

Eiria folded her arms tightly against the cold. It was almost unbearable. She looked up at the path also and all she could see was white.

Aediox began making his way up. "...you ever been up here before?" he said. He was already visibly shivering.

Eiria shook her head. "I can't stand cold places," she said.

"I dunno why the Vox would set up a camp here...must be pretty nervous about the Novafaita." Aediox shivered.

"Who wouldn't be?" Steven said as he look from left to right with bow armed. "I've encountered a few during my days as a knight."

"I've never faced one, and I plan on keeping it that way," Eiria said.

"It's best to be prepared." Steven said. "The Novafaita may have different plans than you."

Eiria folded her arms tighter as the air grew colder. "Right," she nodded. "I wonder how Priestly made it through their village and back..." she thought out loud.

Steven looked at Eiria with slight shock. "He did? Maybe that's good...seeing as how we dread about the Novafaita. What are the chances that they might give us the same hospitality they gave to Priestly?"

He himself let out a quivering breath from the horrible cold. "Treachorous place, these mountains are. I'd be afraid to jinx us if I were to ask if avalanches were frequent..."

Lyn glared as she looked up, seeing the newcomer. She raised her bow at him, unfazed, stringing an arrow to it and aiming it right between his eyes.

"If you think that was fun, just wait til Act Two," she sneered with a grin, an intense hatred lingering behind her eyes. "It's going to be a killer play."

"I assume so anyway, otherwise how else would he know about the cave on the other side?" She said. "Or maybe they don't quite live up to their reputation. I don't know..."

"I feel as if our questions are about to be answered." Steven replied.

Callio paused for a moment, and then looked at Lyn. "...you did not just say that."

The creature grinned at her. "Oooo...someone thinks thier tough. After that display, it may even be true."

---

The tundra suddenly became a lot more violent. Aediox squinted. "...I can't see a thing."

"Neither..." Eiria shivered. She squinted into the distance, trying to catch a glimpse of a fire or structure or anything that told them they were heading in the right direction.

Something moved in the blizzard beyond them.

"Did you hear that?" came Aediox's voice. It seemed to be more distant now.

---

"You haven't anwsered my question." the man replied, smiling.