Nero Kunivas

Hi there!

A Balrog of Morgoth.

A Balrog of Morgoth.

To Isengard! To Isengard!

They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!

- Soren Monroe - Kilkis Seres Campgrounds - After Meksis had left, Soren was left to wander the Campgrounds, a few soldiers met his gaze, granting him a slew of reactions: Interest, confusion, resentment and for a particular warrior; disgust. Soren met their views with his own expression: Sorrow. He knew already it was going to be difficult for him to gain anything back, be it station or respect, he had a long journey ahead of him...but whatever the case, no matter the looks he got, it was all up to Soren to make it easier for himself. The looming question over his head however, was where does he start? Confusingly, Soren caught wind of a familiar figure bathed in Light, taking flight in a hasty fashion...where was Meksis going? - Meksis, Armour of Light, the Chaperone - Shiva's Tent - Meksis walked into Shiva's tent, but much to his surprise, the Queen was not present, nor was Maxis or her Retainer. Perplexed, the Chaperone quickly exited the tent and ran around the Campsite, asking a few passers-by if they had seen Shiva, but none could offer him any solace or even so much as a direction to her location. Meksis quickly became frantic, rapidly looking around his person. Where had she gone and where was Maxis? He had to speak to her. Much to Meksis's relief, and yet confusion, he caught a glimpse, in the distance and disappearing into the night...Queen Shiva was...leaving? Surely not...but, what for? Meksis had to know and knew that if she was doing anything close to what he was thinking, she needed company, someone to help her out if things went wrong. Briefly, Meksis activated his full power, Solidarity of the Chaperone, the radiance of his power astonishing several soldiers around him, and used his power of Flight to close in to Shiva's approximate location and land near her, his power quickly being turned off upon doing so as he extended a hand and jogged toward the Monarch. "Queen Shiva, hold a moment! Forgive me, but where are you going?" Meksis called out, though he was a little worn out, rapidly shifting between states was taxing on his spirit. - Nergal, Remnant of Meksis - Healer's Tent w/ Yevgeni - Once Yevgeni knelt beside Nergal's bedstead, the latter responded in kind by propping himself upon his elbow as to face the Elf better, his eyes fluttering for a moment before centering upon Yevgeni and a weak smile formed upon his face. "I can only hope now he is everything I believe him to be..." Nergal thought to himself, taking a moment to relish in his newfound life and the very fact he has hope now. "Your lack of recollection as to my presence in said Royal Court is understandable, for I was not there. I do not truly fight for Queen Shiva or Kilkis Seres, I joined the side of her Army in the heat of the moment, to seize an opportunity, as it were. Sometime during the fighting however...I grew beyond what I once was, a hollow man without a heart. Now my interest in you has peaked, though take that not in the wrong way, but as an invitation, an opportunity for yourself!" Nergal whispered to Yevgeni, consciously ensuring his voice remains low despite his swelling feelings. He then relaxed his pained face and his smile faded but his expression became more...alive. "My interest in you is born from my belief in that we have a common goal, you and I...tell me, what is your name? What is your opinion of the Monarch of Kilkis Seres? Where do you think the worlds need to go from here? And is there anything in this world that can grant...something more, to a person?" These questions Nergal put forward would evaluate Yevgeni, though the last one was born purely from a desire Nergal had, to become greater than he was and he believed this Elf could help him attain it.

I've been meaning to post for a while, I'll get around to it soon as I'm very excited to see where we go from here. The only thing I'm a little disappointed with is that Meksis didn't get to quickly speak to Shiva about Soren. Sad face.

Character Sheet Name: Asher Zahn Title: Duality Incarnate Age: 37 Gender: Male Appearance: A strong, fair man standing at an imposing 6'7 inches tall, with neck length, raven-coloured hair parting at the middle down the sides of his head, yet lifted enough to act as bangs and a notable, yet not especially prominent beard across his jaw line and face. Asher's eyes are a deep, dark green, a rare iris colouration and a few small scars are scattered across his face, primarily upon his eye sockets and jaw bones. His outfit a combination of regular clothing that befits a man of his stature, most notably his long coat with several internal pockets, and position along with light pieces of armour covering only vital areas while doing little to impede his movement. Upon his left index finger is a Silver Band Ring, while on his right index finger, is another Band-style ring, but it's texture is more consistent with Amethyst along with its deep purple hue. Alignment: Twilight. (Very literally) Faction: The Light Hegemony (Formerly), Lone Renegade. Personalities: Due to events stated below in his Bio, Asher is an altered being with three distinct selves: Himself and two ethereal beings representing his soul divided. His "Light" side is Nithron and his "Dark" side is Maethor. Asher is a charismatic man, notable amongst the Hegemony in that he was as far from lazy, complacent and idiotic as one could get, as so few people are under its rule. He was not upon a high position in its hierarchy, no, but his name was known and praised by a fair amount of people who have seen him both in combat and amongst the people, helping them. Prior to his incident however, he was bordering on egotism, as he was inflated by this praise far too easily, some of the higher-ups in the Hegemony saw him as vain, bordering further towards arrogance, though a lot of their accusations were born of envy, even if some were true. Since then however, after his bodily and metaphysical changes, he has become considerably more humble, though much colder and calculating. Despite retaining his own self, Asher's soul was split in half and the energies of Light and Darkness merged with them, creating his Ethereal Companions: Nithron and Maethor. Nithron is his "Light" Side and upon a gaze, he appears to be the more composed, calm and rational of the trio, outdoing Asher and practically shaming Maethor with his cool exterior. One would assume he is compassionate and caring, but not to the degree they'd think. Nithron was birthed from Pure Light and Ashers' Soul mixing together, his will is his own and he is not an Avatar of Virtues. In several ways, he is in fact much like Maethor. For instance; He is very dramatic, cold like Asher and highly driven and passionate. His ambitions are Ashers' elevenfold and he sees to it that Asher is focused and as determined as he, though he has his own methods and practices that Asher would normally never perform and these link to his powers which are not nearly as benevolent or kind as the Light likes to suggest. Worst of all, Nithron is utterly ruthless, cruel and pragmatic, often referring to himself as "The Bright Lord". Maethor is much the same, though his exterior presentation is radically different. He is openly callous, seditious and a little maniacal, though while Nithron becomes dramatic and prone to speeches when he is serious, Maethor instead becomes determined, focused and almost silent, save for his supernatural growls and roars, with a few quips in between. Otherwise, he delights in suffering and is about as ruthless and pragmatic as Nithron, leaving Asher with two malicious souls pressing onto his own. Asher is left at odds with his Ethereal companions at times, often seeking to better them and have them act more like reflections of himself, though it usually falls upon two sets of deaf ears, yet he will not stop until they're reeled in. Aside from all of this, Asher is more than willing to hear their counsel and utilize their powers for the greater good. Bio: As mentioned before, Asher Zahn was a man who while not especially powerful or high in the Hierarchy of the Light Hegemony, was regarded as a genuine altruist and respected by a fair amount of people, enough to be considered a great man, provoking envy in more than a few Hegemony Officials. His arrogance allowed him to be openly despised by said higher-ups, even if it was a little hypocritical considering the history of the Hegemony and those who squander their lives in complacency, ignorance and food. Despite their vehement opposition to him, they had trouble simply scaring him away, decreeing that he had become enough of an annoyance to warrant greater punishment, namely execution. However, the Hegemony had a far worse fate in mind for Asher, who during this time continued his actions of generosity and altruism while his ego steadily bloated from the praise of the people and the attention garnered from the so-called Nobles. It was only after he stopped a petty thief outside of the Hegemony's homestead as it were, that they pounced upon the man. Asher had much in the way of combat prowess, but it was his killing of several Royal Guards that further justified the Hegemony's emotion-fueled decision, for after they subdued and arrested him, Asher was dragged by his arms to a dark forest, where an anomaly had been discovered: A Tear between the Realms. It was an unstable break in reality that lead straight to the deepest pits of the Realm of Darkness, in which the Hegemony's Royals hoped he would drown in, be torn apart by or at least made to suffer for the rest of time, all of this after they all took their turns beating him senseless, an oddly active role to be taken by such lazy oafs, yet he had been a thorn in their side for a long time, so they relished in the catharsis before tossing him into the Tear, waving him off before going back to their usual day of sloth and decadence. Unbeknownst to them, the pools of the purest, most primal Darkness he was thrown into deep into the Realm, were tearing him apart, but not as they hoped. Ashers' indomitable Light fought back against the corrupting force of the ravenous Darkness, but in doing so, it acted on its own most primal drives and began to take over Ashers' body and will in its stead. Unconsciously, Asher rejected the domination, wanting to be the one in control more than anything else in the worlds...and lo and behold, it happened. His will was strong enough that the forces cancelled each other out and their energies were absorbed by Asher. Unfortunately for him, the sheer power of the Light and Darkness's struggle had split his soul in half and they poured into their respective halves of his soul, empowering Asher with unstable Light and Darkness, the pull of the powers only abated by the formation and emergence the Ethereal beings created by the fusion: Representations of Ashers's Soul, known as Nithron and Maethor, Light and Darkness respectively. With their help, Asher dragged himself out of the RoD and under their advice and guidance, he forged himself two Rings of Power, that allowed him to focus and control his new might and set off into the world a new man...or rather, a trifecta, a trio of elements who would now leave their mark upon a world reaching its limit. Weapons and Powers: Asher is not a user of a Keyblade, True or False, instead he prefers a Sword and Dagger, both upon his back and named Urfael and Acharn respectively. Urfael became enchanted with the energies of both of his spirits when he was transformed and Acharn no longer lost the blood on its blade. The Power of the Bright Lord, Nithron, grants Asher increased mobility, Light-based attacks, various physical attacks and the ability to Dominate. Domination is channeled through his Light Ring of Power, allowing control over weak-minded foes immediately, though he can assault the minds of powerful warriors but he cannot do this unless they are weakened or defeated. And in the event a powerful opponent proves too strong to be controlled or they simply disgust him, Nithron can Shame them. Shaming thoroughly attacks the victims mind with a Searing Light and visions, lowering their strength and leaving a permanent burn mark of his hand upon their face. The after-effects of shaming leave the victim, fittingly, ashamed of what happened and often they are the targets of further mockery and dissent. If Nithron shames a target too many times, he can leave them deranged or maniacal, the former leaves them a broken shell while the latter sends them mad and instead increases their power and strength. Also note that powerful warriors who are successfully dominated (If the player allows it) they retain their personalities and serve Nithron without hesitation, but it is possible for them to break free and betray him. Maethor allows increased durability, Darkness-based attacks, various energy attacks and the ability to Corrupt. Corruption is channeled through Ashers' Dark Ring of Power, allowing him to infect and twist his foe, mainly affecting the weak-minded and willed. It does not control them, but Corruption can turn victims into literal ticking time bombs of Darkness, a spreader of dissent, an increase in power or temporary fits of insanity. If he is not satisfied with this, he can channel his full power into Tainting them. Tainting totally infects and destroy's the victims' soul, transforming them into a vile Shade, with no trace of who they were before and they only serve as a blight upon the world. This can only be done once to an enemy and has a high failure rate on powerful opponents/players, while Nithron's Domination can be resisted but attempted many times. Only one Ethereal and his respective benefits can be active at any one time and Asher is completely locked out from using any Elemental Spells due to his being a Dual/Trio being, meaning he has to switch between them as needed and is at a disadvantage against those with elemental weaknesses. Asher is always seeking to increase his power, as the Ethereal's demand but also as he wills it. (Just so we're clear, Riku, I'm experimenting here, so if I'm pushing things too far, I can remove whatever you deem to be too much, I've no problem with that, but I felt this might be a fun thing to try out, if potentially hard to balance, hence all the weaknesses I put in.) Theme song: Balancing act! (Hopefully Asher is balanced. lol)

Hmm...I am very interested in this.

- Soren Monroe and Meksis, Demon and the Knight - Kilkis Seres Campgrounds - With a calling of "Woah!" and pulling of his reigns, Meksis brought Ella to a stop at the Kilkis Campgrounds, swiftly dismounting the horse and reaching to Soren to aid him. The former Sentinel grimaced at the notion for a moment, only to be met with an insistent tilt of the head by Meksis, followed by Soren taking his hand and getting off of Ella the Horse only to grimace again, this time in pain. "Augh, I forgot about those injuries..." Soren noted, rubbing his arm where Helios had bitten him, noting how bemused Meksis seemed at his little comment. "H-How, how did you--? Oh! The battle, the thrills...wait, how can your combat high have lasted so long?" Meksis went through several motions, gesturing outward, to Soren and to the battlefield as he did, questioning the Demon out of sheer curiosity. "Demons live for battle, Meksis. The most bestial of my kind can live off of their primal feelings, including a lengthened combat high. My blood was boiling out there, even as I resigned myself to the Queen." Soren explained gladly, then frowned as his pain intensified, it wasn't too bad, but he had to seek the aid of a healer now. "Woah there, Soren!" Meksis called as he caught Soren, who hadn't even realized how lightheaded he was and nearly toppled over. "Oh...mmm, sorry. I-I think I should head to a tent." Soren uttered sheepishly, though he began to feel relieved, his pain was dulling rather rapidly...his senses cleared up quickly as he saw Meksis channeling a healing energy into him. "Wait...you're a healer too?" Soren quizzed, to which Meksis straightened him up as he answered. "Indeed. Queen Shiva promised you healing, she never said it had to be from a White Mage. Now keep still." Soren was healed to full health in short order, though he felt troubled. "I don't understand..." His armoured ally looked him dead in the eye and "frowned". "Soren, I told you. I will put in a word for you to the Queen. I'm not about to reveal a deception and send you away. My entire purpose is to tend to the safety and protection of others around me...and you're around me, Soren. So consider yourself tended to. Friend." With that, Meksis gave Soren a tap on the arm and headed towards and into Shiva's Tent, leaving Soren to simply laugh a little to himself. "Friend, hmm? ...I could use one of those..." Soren thought to himself. He didn't have much in the way of, well, anything anymore, but a Living Armour as a friend was a good start to sorting his life out. - Nergal, Remnant of Meksis - Kilkis Seres Campgrounds, Healer's Tent w/ his Healer - Nergal had been resting his eyes for a while now after his fair Healer had brought him to her tent, her aid was most punctual and beneficial. Though he was still a little groggy, she could not have come at a better time. The remnant then attempted to raise his head, but groaned in resignation...not ready yet. "Try to keep still, you're still adjusting. It won't take long, I assure you, but I'm glad I got to you when I did. Any longer and you wouldn't have made it." A familiar, female voice assured him to keep still, into his vision emerged the Healer who had saved his life, currently mixing a few vials of unknown liquids together, possibly something to aid his pain or healing, or maybe a side-project of hers. Nergal was about to inquire as a to a few things, but then someone else entered their tent...a frightfully familiar face that almost caused Nergal to shoot up from his bed, had it not been for the prior warnings to keep still...Yevgeni was here? "He survived the battle too...excellent..." Nergal's internal thoughts were now completely occupied by what could happen now, for him, for Yevgeni, for Shiva...for the worlds...the possibilities were ringing in his head, more than ever before! Perhaps Alastor deserves more than mere gratitude. "You...you are, that Elf, no? We've met...forgive me, the battle has taken its toll, but I am expected to recover. Might he be permitted to approach, dear Healer?" Nergal spoke aloud, his voice a little strained still, but very clear nonetheless. His Healer acknowledged Yevgeni and looked to Nergal. "Of course! Is he a friend of yours?" She asked politely, to which Nergal smiled. "Oh, he is a very...very, dear friend. Worry not about him, if you have any concerns, I can alleviate them all." "No no, he's perfectly fine. I have little in the way of concerns about many warriors. Mostly the ones I have to fight in order to save lives." The Healer replied in kind, confirming Nergal's initial theory as to what kind of a person, and healer, she was.

Apologies for the delay, something came up, then Destiny 2 for PC released...you can guess what happened then. lol

Post incoming! This should be interesting...

What's in the canister?

As much as I love Overwatch, some balance decisions and, primarily, the community, make me long for Destiny 2's PC Release to come sooner.

I can't thank all of you enough for the wishes.

- Soren Monroe and Meksis - Riding toward the Kilkis Camp upon Ella the Horse - Despite the Camp not being all too distant from the Battlefield, Soren and Meksis's journey there upon the latter's steed felt like a long pass through the land, particularly due to their initial silence in spite of the interactions they shared prior. This was because Meksis had a question on his mind for the ex-sentinel, one he knew would be uncomfortable for them both yet it needed saying. "Sooner or later, you'll have to ask him, Meksis~" The incessant prodding of his new dark side did nothing to help matters, so Meksis took a deep breath and cleared his throat, soon proceeding to remedy the awkwardness that had settled upon them both. "Soren...may I ask you something?" Meksis spoke to Soren, who was slightly surprised by the silence being broken as he too was lost in thought, mostly daydreaming to pass the time by. "Oh? Sorry, of course. What troubles you?" Soren responded, feeling his neck had become a little stiff he cracked it before his last sentence. "What are your ideals?" The Chaperone took care not to speak to quickly as it had it's effect upon Soren, who humphed and frowned, looking down at himself before concluding with a nod. "My ideals...I, I believe that Humans and Fey, they, should be able to co-exist once again. Humans should be given the opportunity, I feel. As long as they remember their place in the cosmos and as a result, do not attempt to conquer us or fight us again, I could see it coming to be..." Uncertainty plagued the face of Soren Monroe, Meksis could see it as clear as the stars at night. "And you aspire to unify the races?" He then quizzed to Soren, who nodded again, more insistently. "Yes, of course...and Raiden, he believes the same." "Well...from what I understand, that does not fall in line with what the Queen has in mind. All she would see in the future is nothing but bloodshed. Am I incorrect?" This question posed by Meksis did little to quell Soren's uncertainty, despite his response. "No, you're not...she does not see a peace between us in the foreseeable future. We have had many disagreements about that in the past and up until recently, I had too much respect for her and was too loyal to push the subject further." Soren answered promptly, then lamented over what history had taught him for so long, even in recent months. "So during this whole war, the person you've betrayed the most is yourself?" Meksis quipped quickly and snappily in response, one that prompted a sharp response from Soren, who raised his head to look at him. "What?! Myself??" "Yes, yourself! In spite of history, you still believe that Humans and Fey, despite the unfortunately bloody history we share, can still co-exist and yet, when push comes to shove, you abandon your ideals and the only one who can help you realize them and crawl crying to your majesty? Is that about right?!" Meksis spoke harshly and without hesitation, nothing inhibited him now from stating his true thoughts...perhaps that was a small benefit of this infection. Nevertheless, Soren was shocked at the sentiment, but found it difficult to reply. "Y-You--What are you suggesting?! You believe me a foolish turncoat?!" Meksis then pulled on the reigns of Ella, calling "Woah!" to signal to her to stop galloping and sit still as Meksis turned to face Soren. "Well what I'm not suggesting is that you should get off my horse and simply run back to Raiden. Instead, I ask you this...what do you really want? Do you want to adhere to the oath you swore to Shiva and serve her loyally, while having to accept that your ideals are a goal that far off into the future? Or do you want to actively and quickly ensure this future and return to Lord Raiden, who is the only one who can see your vision become a reality sooner rather than later?" Meksis spoke scathingly to Soren, who now felt as if he could do nothing but listen, because he knew Meksis was right. The Chaperone rolled his shoulders and looked ahead again. "You need to give this a good, long and hard think, Sentinel. And know that whatever path you choose will be a difficult and lengthy journey. To go back to Raiden will require you to press on under his wing, without Ren Mordecai, but to make all of the progression and decisions towards making your dream a reality." "But to go back to Queen Shiva, you must realize that you are going to need to earn back that trust. Your station? You'll need to earn it back. Your prestige? You'll need to earn it back. The name of Soren Monroe unsullied? You. Need. To. Earn. That. Unless you want to disappoint both sides and become nothing more...than Soren, the Betrayer." Meksis concluded calmly to the ex-Sentinel, then he looked back to him, the man was in thought after hearing what the armour had to say. "He couldn't be more on the dot...I feel like I've just been lectured by...well, myself. Heh...and it hurts." Soren spoke in his mind, then he looked to the distance, roughly in the direction of Raiden's camp...then back to the Kilkis camp. He could only sigh deeply at the implications of either decision, his sight only shifting back to the Living Armour when he spoke again. "Just so you know...whatever decision you make, Soren...I will follow you down whichever path you take." This statement surprised Soren, genuinely so, who stated wide-eyed at him. "You what?" Meksis chuckled at his reply. "I may serve Queen Shiva, but us Living Armours are bound to those who awaken us...and I cannot be bound to another Armour. Maxis woke me up, so the decision is mine. It is ultimately your decision, Soren. I can only guide and support you. You must be the one to walk down the crossroads, down whichever path you choose." "...there is a third option..." Soren's melancholy tone was enough to shudder Meksis, who simply glared at Soren and uttered: "No." Staring into his eyes before speaking once more. "Don't you dare." Soren then scoffed at himself, looking to the side. "You're right...I couldn't simply do that." "You're goddamn right you can't. Now come, my friend, we're almost there." Meksis quickly cheered up before kicking Ella back into motion, as they soon arrived at the Kilkis Camp. - Nergal, Remnant of Meksis - Site of the Battle, Needs Healing - Alastor had departed, the man who had granted Nergal some form of meaning in his hollow life...and he was still lying on the ground. Forcing himself up to his knees, Nergal coughed harshly. He was battered, bruised and in need of aid...he could not find Yevgeni again like this. Taking a few sharp, rapid breaths, he pushed himself quickly up onto his feet, wincing as the pain rushed over his body once more, constantly re-emerging in deep, throbbing pulses under his skin. Nergal inhaled deeply as he began staggering to where he thought there would be Healers, as all of those on his side of the field had perished, rather painfully as well. A few hard earned steps later, Nergal looked ahead to the horizon, the Kilkis Army had fled back to their camp and not a healer was in sight, but the camp was, just barely. Unfortunately, he could only take a few more steps before an overwhelming pain in his side forced him back to the ground with an agonized groan and an ungraceful fall. "N-No...come oooonn...!" Nergal's voice strained and was wheezing as his vision began to fade, he could feel his mind slipping into unconsciousness in spite of how hard he was fighting to keep himself awake, lowering his head to the dirt and steadily submitting to his pain, his vision almost blackened and his ears hearing nothing but ringing and the echoing howl of the wind around him... ............................................... ..................... "Hold on! Don't die on me now, I've got you..." Nergal's vision returned to him slowly, but surely, as he felt energy flowing through him. A healing energy that soothed his pain and brought sense back to his body, he was being healed? But how? Who? His hearing returned properly, her muffled voice would now be clearer along with the calming sounds of her Healing Magics, she was his saviour and her face was one of relief upon seeing activity from Nergal. The Healer was a fair, yet well-built young woman, with styled blonde hair in a ponytail with one bang over her forehead and shining blue eyes, she sighed thankfully knowing she had saved a life on the blood-soaked fields of war. She wore well-kept and royal looking robes, covering most of her body aside from her shoulders and collarbone, held together at the chest with a large, silver button engraved with an emblem: A sword wrapped around in the embrace of extended wings, seemingly representing an angel, he assumed it was a sigil representing health, protection, other such qualities a Healer would hold dearly, yet the sword resting in its scabbard on her waist, along with the handle behind her back suggesting a Crossbow surely suggested she was not above fighting to save a life. Upon her head was a golden laurel wreath, though blurry vision could've mistaken it for a halo or crown. A few light pieces of armour were upon her, not enough to slow her down immensely but enough to protect vital areas of her body. The Healer then placed Nergal's arm around her shoulders and picked him up to his feet, guiding and carrying him along the battlefield toward the Kilkis Camp. "Stay with me now, I've got you..." Her words of assurance continued, their effect clearly shown upon Nergal's still strained, yet considerably relieved and awakened face. He would survive this day.

Oh, thank the various gods, you're all right! Very happy to hear you're safe, my friend.

Well what do ya know? We share a birthday, Vulpix! Good to see you here and a happy birthday to you!

That's quite all right, Mystic. I have faith that you will see us through to the conclusion of this tale! As for me, I'm going to post with all of my characters now.

Good lord, I'm 20 years old now. o_o

Oh, thank the various gods. Busy lives, I figured, but that's all good and fair. I'm thankful this is a slower-paced RP by default, else we'd be in a right state. Lemme tell ya right now that I'm not about to let this die, I've seen enough good RPs die. Gifted was one of them.

How we all doing? Alive? Dead? Deader? More dead? Just wanna know is all, don't want this RP to be dead. Side note: Did any Kilkis Healers survive in that backline?

- Soren Monroe and Meksis, In Mourning - Scene of the Battle - Meksis's arm fell from Soren's shoulder as the latter slowly turned to face the Mystran Armies, who've now fled to their own camp, which he could barely see in the middle distance, slowly taking a couple of steps as he truly realized what had just happened. "Ren..." Soren could feel it in his heart, the boy was dead...and he felt responsible and despairing, as did the Chaperone beside him, Meksis too looked on in remorse for what he had technically done. "I...felt it too, Soren...and I fear the worst." Meksis cursed himself under his breath after speaking to Soren, he had thought that maybe, just maybe, Ren would survive...but as the ever present chuckle of the deranged infection ringing in his mind told him, Helios was too late to save his friend. Meksis however, had to snap to attention when Soren, in his grief, attempted to sprint off towards the Mystran Camp, prompting Meksis to grab him by the arm hastily, stopping him in his tracks. "Soren! You can't!" Meksis pleaded with the former Sentinel, who only continued to look towards the camp, his demonic forms hollow eyes still telling of his utter misery and despair, but his run had ceased almost immediately upon Meksis's making contact with him. His heart screamed at him to keep running despite the pleas of his knightly partner in grief, but his legs grew heavy and his free arm sank...what would him running accomplish? "If you run now, Shiva would see it as you returning to Raiden and if you betray her again...!" Meksis continued, his grip still tightly upon the rock hard arm of the demonic fey as he took a step closer to Soren. "Listen, it'll be hard enough for you to find forgiveness in anyone else besides me, doing this now will only destroy your chances completely. If you come back with me now, I'll put in a good word for you to Queen Shiva, but that is the most I can do! I haven't much sway in Kilkis Seres..." Meksis made his offer in a more stern, yet still caring and pleading tone...and his words were heard by Soren's ears, who finally sighed and stood back, relenting enough for Meksis to let go of him. "I'm sorry, Soren..." Meksis uttered in a solemn tone, then looked to the Mystran Camp himself, sighing as he spoke. "But forgive me, and believe me when I say, that your grief compares not to mine..." This caused Soren to do a double take as he turned his head to Meksis, deeply puzzled at this statement. "Why?!" Soren asked, truly curious as to why he said that. It was only when he looked at Meksis that something began to click in his head as he turned his body to face the Armour of Light when the realization began kicking in. "...no...but, you..." Soren uttered a few words, laced with tones of further despair, shock, fear and most of all, an unyielding rage. "Y-You...you killed...Ren?!" Soren's words shook Meksis, who became deeply flustered, realizing the personal attachment Soren had to the prisoner he watched over. "I-I...Soren--" Upon a sudden, Soren growled, seizing Meksis by his chest and lifting him and screamed. "YOU killed Ren?!" His guttural, demonic growls did everything to accentuate his anger at Meksis, who did not fight back, but he did respond now that the situation had escalated. "...y-yes..." Soren then shook him as he responded in turn. "Why?!" Meksis then grunted as he felt Soren's hands become hotter, the Demons flames intensified throughout his rock and magma body as a result of his sheer rage. "It was not my choice! I, I have an infection...a Darkness of some kind...whatever it is, it's sentient and very, very cruel and malicious...it took me over when Ren said something to break my will, giving it enough time to seep through the cracks and take my body. It can mimic my power exactly, albeit via the shadows..." "You make it sound like me killing that whelp was a bad thing...?" "Shut...up. You have no say in this..." "It did not hesitate, Ren stood no chance in his Black Dragon state...I, I thought Helios had got to him in time and would be able to get him to a healer! But...he, was too late...I had mortally wounded Ren as it turns out, I suppose...all the blood should've told me what his fate was..." Meksis explained to Soren, whose flames for a moment intensified as he glared at Meksis, only to die down as he lowered him down and let go, reverting back to his Base Form, revealing to Meksis what the man looked like ordinarily. Soren's now less foreboding appearance gave way to his true, expression-filled face, upon which was that of misery...but a sort of acceptance. "...This was my fault..." Soren spoke brokenly, but Meksis immediately walked towards him and made him look at him. "Stop. While it may be true, you cannot go on like this. Brooding only hurts you, Soren. I won't ask you to move on from his death in short order, but I will ask you to stop regretting your past. Regret just makes a man weak, do you understand?" For a moment, Soren seemed to be distant emotionally, but he then sighed...and looked right at Meksis and nodded. "You're...you're right...but I feel like there...there is more I could've done." "We'll discuss this on the way to the camp. Hold one moment." Meksis smiled in spirit, then let go of Soren's face and put two fingers to his "mouth" and whistled sharply. Soon enough, the whinny of a horse sounded as Meksis's Mount from earlier in the battle had arrived, safe, sound and ready to go as Meksis stroked the Mare's mane. "Ahh, you certainly know how to survive such chaos. Good girl!" The horse was pleased with Meksis's praise before he swiftly mounted his steed and looked to Soren, extending a hand. "Come, Soren! Get on!" Without hesitation, Soren agreed and took Meksis's hand, who then helped him onto the back of the Horse. "It'll be a short ride to the Kilkis Camp, but you'll have enough time to tell me more." Meksis assured and prepared to usher his horse forward, but Soren placed a hand on his shoulder quickly. "Wait...you've known mine this whole time, but I don't know your name." Soren asked, his tone a little kinder than prior. "My name is Meksis and I'll be your Chaperone for this evening, Sentinel of Isopolis. And if you'll allow me, for as long as you need me." Meksis answered proudly and kindly, looking back to Soren as he reassured him before facing forward. "To the Kilkis Camp, Ella! Yah!" Mustering his horse, Ella, into motion, Meksis and Soren rode off towards the Kilkis Camp, across the plains of battle, its soil now enriched with the blood of fallen Fey and Humans. (I'll post for Nergal later, this post is long enough and I'm tired.. )

Sounds about right. Though I like playing Zenyatta. A lot.

Omae wa mou shinderu.