"Well, looks like this is a good place to rest," Aquiatus exclaimed, dropping the sack slung over his shoulder onto the ground, "We'll set up camp here tonight. Tomorrow, we can find whatever it is we're looking for out here."
"Oh wonderful," Kelvia sighed sarcastically, doing nothing to help her teammates set up, "I love spending my night in the open like a savage..."
"Eh, it won't be too bad," Nadot grinned, rolling out a puke-green sleeping bag, "I've always wanted to rough it."
"Yeah," Razora sighed, zipping atop a dead tree with a grin on her face. Crossing her arms behind her head, she lay down on a branch. Slowly, she took a deep breath, savoring the crisp air, "You gotta love how there's not an ounce of humidity around here."
Plopping down on the sand, Infarox dropped a handful of sticks in front of him. After arranging them in a circular pattern, he splayed his hands outwards. As if on command, a fire suddenly erupted from its center, crackling and warm.
Raising an eyebrow, Aquiatus questioned, "A campfire? That's kinda... redundant, isn't it? I mean," he motioned towards the being tending the flames. In response, Infarox simply shrugged, motioning for everyone else to join him.
"Everyone needs a hobby, child," a soft, feeble voice called out. Shocked, everyone whirled around to the voice's origin.
Before them, a small, unassuming figure emerged from the shadows. Cloaked in darkness, her features were completely hidden.
"Well, looks like this is a good place to rest," Aquiatus exclaimed, dropping the sack slung over his shoulder onto the ground, "We'll set up camp here tonight. Tomorrow, we can find whatever it is we're looking for out here."
"Oh wonderful," Kelvia sighed sarcastically, doing nothing to help her teammates set up, "I love spending my night in the open like a savage..."
"Eh, it won't be too bad," Nadot grinned, rolling out a puke-green sleeping bag, "I've always wanted to rough it."
"Yeah," Razora sighed, zipping atop a dead tree with a grin on her face. Crossing her arms behind her head, she lay down on a branch. Slowly, she took a deep breath, savoring the crisp air, "You gotta love how there's not an ounce of humidity around here."
Plopping down on the sand, Infarox dropped a handful of sticks in front of him. After arranging them in a circular pattern, he splayed his hands outwards. As if on command, a fire suddenly erupted from its center, crackling and warm.
Raising an eyebrow, Aquiatus questioned, "A campfire? That's kinda... redundant, isn't it? I mean," he motioned towards the being tending the flames. In response, Infarox simply shrugged, motioning for everyone else to join him.
"Everyone needs a hobby, child," a soft, feeble voice called out. Shocked, everyone whirled around to the voice's origin.
Before them, a small, unassuming figure emerged from the shadows. Cloaked in darkness, her features were completely hidden.
"Well, looks like this is a good place to rest," Aquiatus exclaimed, dropping the sack slung over his shoulder onto the ground, "We'll set up camp here tonight. Tomorrow, we can find whatever it is we're looking for out here."
"Oh wonderful," Kelvia sighed sarcastically, doing nothing to help her teammates set up, "I love spending my night in the open like a savage..."
"Eh, it won't be too bad," Nadot grinned, rolling out a puke-green sleeping bag, "I've always wanted to rough it."
"Yeah," Razora sighed, zipping atop a dead tree with a grin on her face. Crossing her arms behind her head, she lay down on a branch. Slowly, she took a deep breath, savoring the crisp air, "You gotta love how there's not an ounce of humidity around here."
Plopping down on the sand, Infarox dropped a handful of sticks in front of him. After arranging them in a circular pattern, he splayed his hands outwards. As if on command, a fire suddenly erupted from its center, crackling and warm.
Raising an eyebrow, Aquiatus questioned, "A campfire? That's kinda... redundant, isn't it? I mean," he motioned towards the being tending the flames. In response, Infarox simply shrugged, motioning for everyone else to join him.
"Everyone needs a hobby, child," a soft, feeble voice called out. Shocked, everyone whirled around to the voice's origin.
Before them, a small, unassuming figure emerged from the shadows. Cloaked in darkness, her features were completely hidden.
"Who are you?"
"Someone interested in your venture; that is all you need to know. However," her eyes wandered over to where Aquiatus stood, his arms crossed, "there is one amongst you who knows who I am."
Now the center of attention, Aquiatus glared at the strange being, snarling, "Yeah, you're Valkia, the one who did this to us."
Instantaneously, Valkia's eyes turned red, tendrils of shadow engulfing the army of figures standing before her and snuffing out the campfire Infarox had so tenderly cared for. Not even looking at the towering monster now looming over them, he stared forlornly at the pile of now charred sticks arranged before him, his shoulders drooping.
Her voice an echoing roar of thousands of voices overlapping, she screamed, "The blame falls on nothing but your own greed, 'Great' Being!"
In a flash, the nightmarish creature vanished, replaced again with the slim form of Valkia, slightly agitated. Gruffly, she replied, "but I did not invite you here just to chide you, children. No, I too want revenge upon those who disgraced my blessings," again, she turned to look at Aquiatus, "Well, everyone else. You have already suffered enough."
"Who do you want to punish? I sense a city full of the spawn of those who did this to us."
"An excellent place to start. Let them watch as their gifts to the world burn, just as I had to. Once their beautiful creations are dead, then we kill the Great Beings themselves..."
"Who do you want to punish? I sense a city full of the spawn of those who did this to us."
"An excellent place to start. Let them watch as their gifts to the world burn, just as I had to. Once their beautiful creations are dead, then we kill the Great Beings themselves..."
"An excellent place to start. Let them watch as their gifts to the world burn, just as I had to. Once their beautiful creations are dead, then we kill the Great Beings themselves..."
Vrax watches from the side, somewhat annoyed at the effect this cave has on him physically. Echolocation can be quite annoying when everyone's talking.
Vrax watches from the side, somewhat annoyed at the effect this cave has on him physically. Echolocation can be quite annoying when everyone's talking.
"Hm, fear not, child. We shall not remain here any longer."
Aquiatus nodded, picking up his weapons, "You heard her- everyone, move out!"
Once everyone has left, an Olmak portal opens up at the back of the cave. Conquest steps through, her optics already adapting to the low light.
It took days, but eventually, Valkia and the elemental generals found their way back to the cave. Upon entering, however, she notices the strange being and, in a fit of rage, reverses the gravity around Conquest, sending her crashing into the ceiling, "Who are you?"
Once everyone has left, an Olmak portal opens up at the back of the cave. Conquest steps through, her optics already adapting to the low light.
It took days, but eventually, Valkia and the elemental generals found their way back to the cave. Upon entering, however, she notices the strange being and, in a fit of rage, reverses the gravity around Conquest, sending her crashing into the ceiling, "Who are you?"
Conquest glances up sharply, spontaneously developing a thruster system that allows her to reverse orientation in mid-air, landing smoothly on the ceiling.