Into the Darkness

[Jerry]

The fuck! Killing the Atharim? But there was little time to worry about the women he'd brought. Truly he should have suspected Durante wouldn't be bringing just himself to fight the creatures he had described.

The one that slipped through into their light was grotesque. Skin falling from it's bones with putrid black goo oozing from everything. The smell was worse now that they were close -- what he thought was refuse was not. The creatures lined the walls with their excretions. Jer shuddered at the thought of what these things did. Zef and Grym were dragged away and the rest turned to face the on coming horde.

Jer drew his gun. But it clattered to the ground. "No weapons. You fight with the power or you die. it's that simple." Jer reached down and picked up the gun with a stern look from the boy god. He stowed it away with the safety on. Jer took note of the other weapons around. Nothing was armed and dangerous. Swords and sticks and fucking fireballs. This was not a fight Jer thought he could win.

The horde slithered in the darkness behind the lone creature. The others stayed at the edge of the light but it was hard to tell where the light started or the darkness ended and the horde began. It was like a dam holding back the water. "What the fuck are those?"

Durante stood off to his left and Jer swore he saw lights emanating from hm but he blinked and it was just him standing there. He spoke softly and with a cold distance. "The power is just out of sight. It will fight you but you must grab it and bend it to your will. Do anything else and it will devour you faster than the horde."
Jer had no idea what to do, or what the boy was talking about. He backed up away from the rest of them. He didn't want to be in the way when the dam released.

[Nox]

The horde had grown since it had last been encountered today. Nox only nodded at the Ascendancy's question. He didn't want Jay to go off on his own but there were other things more pressing to deal with -- like the impending horde. They felt the danger and only one ventured into the light. The rest pooled in the darkness just outside their glowing orbs. Darkness their cover -- no idea how many lay in wait.

Nox wove a net of fire before them. The spaces would allow some through, but the idea was to let them slice themselves apart if they advanced. The little ones would escape. Nox pushed the horde back with a mental call. Most of the horde obeyed. He felt them push back but they went in search of easier prey. But there was some who didn't want to. They wanted to fight. It was hard singling them out. Sweat beaded on Nox's forehead as he concentrated on the horde, splitting his attention between the horde leaving, the horde fighting him and his current surroundings. Nox dropped to one knee and put his hands into the ground preparing for the onslaught -- each death would hurt.

"I'm letting those rest me through. Get ready."

Nox looked up as if in a runners stance but his fingers gribbed in the dirt pulling on the strength below him. One. Nox pushed the horde further away. Two. He let go of those resisting him.

Three. The dam broke and the horde advanced. The first large one raced through the firey mesh only to find themself sliced to peices. The dog sized and smaller ones found ways past, but nothing bigger could press through the mess. The deaths of the horde pulled Nox down. He felt each razor sharp edge slice flesh. He smelled the burning flesh and hair. His fingers dug into the ground and he ground his teeth and prayed they all died sooner rather than later.

[Marcus DuBois]

The irritation he felt skittered away as the first of the things made their way out from the darkness. Hesitant, but still questing. Durante's words- he was controlling them?- lodged themselves in a part of his mind, a datum to be analyzed later. He turned in time with Carpenter, focused, letting the cold icy winds of the Sith mountains sweep across his mind as the Force fought him for control. From atop the highest peak overseeing the range he imagined, perched carefully and balance on the single point of singularity, the maw of chaos, of icy churning lava below him/ He pulled into himself, felt the full raw fury of the power suffuse him, and he paused, thinking.

Up until now, his weaves of the Force had been physical, destructive. Brute force. But the number before them was unknown. His spirit trip wires had gone off, but there was no way to tell how deep the creatures were. How many waited behind the ones he sensed. It was a matter of probabilities, really. The first onslaught had given him a rough estimate. This next influx of data allowed him to perform a Baysian analysis to adjust his estimate of the situation. Brute force destruction from the four of them might work. Perhaps. His strength was only a little less than the Ascendancy, and Carpenter and Nox, though not overly strong, were not weak either. More importantly, they all seemed to have dexterity in their abilities. It could be enough.

Or they were men firing guns at a massive horde of fire ants, who would barely notice the bodies of their compatriots as they climbed over them. Brute force- whether in battle or in calculating odds- was never ideal, not if a better solution existed.

Nox had some control. Enough, for now. That point niggled at his mind despite his efforsr and he cast back to try to understand how it might be. A web of spirit exploded from him and he modulated the vibration of each randomly, trying to find a resonance. Nox could control them. Spirit let you code a thread for specific people or types of life. 

He needed a key. Carpenter and the others could focus on the destruction. Marcus wanted a way to stop them. A thrill of possibility shot through him even as the modulation changed from one moment to the next. Could he do this? And if so, what else could he use it on? Who else?

[Allan]

This was turning into a shit show. Nox had them under control yet they came at them. It was bullshit, why did they let him live again?

The darkness whithered and scrambled towards them. The smell of burning flesh and hair carried its way to Allan's nose and he almost wretched. The vile taste left in its aftermath a reminder to stay vigiliant. The firey mesh Nox created let through smaller creatures. Allan started to weild small fireballs to burn the rest of them to a crisp but they didn't die on impact they ran towards the group with their flaming little bodies as if nothing had happened. They screeched and scratched at the stone below but they never stopped coming.

Two little ones headed straight for the boy Atharim traitor of all kinds who was writhing in his own pain. There was a moment of pity and understanding as each of the creatures in front of them impaled themselves on the firey net still pushing forward despite their brethren's deaths. It was a relentless onslaught but still, the little ones poured through. This was control?

Allan thought about putting Nox out of all their misery. A well-placed accident could happen but those two creatures were nearly upon him and he had yet to defend himself. Maybe he wouldn't have to do anything at all.

[Jay Carpenter]

Seconds passed and Jay grew impatient. He grumbled to himself when it became clear the Atharim weren’t going to run. He tossed a few flashes of fire at their feet, flashing some sparks that would sting like hell if struck true until they were forced a few steps back.

But it was then that a force of power surged from behind. The screeches of carnage echoed from the tunnel, and Jay knew he was needed quickly. He turned to run back, leaving the Atharim to flee or stay and die.

[Zephyr]

Things escalated faster than she could think. Dragged from the area kicking was no use. Zef wanted to take advantage of the situation take the channeler by surprise. But the shit hit the fan. He threw more of the power at them. But the sounds of death echoed from the way they'd come. Their captor released them and turned back their direction he wasn't going to kill them. It was confusing but the sounds of death and creatures dying drove Zef towards the sound -- gods be damned.

Zef looked back at Grym. "I don't run from battle -- even if it is with traitors and gods."

Zef rushed forward drawing her crossbow and releasing the safety as she pulled into view. It took only moments to take in the carnage, but what caught her most was the glowing red grate of fire slicing the creatures into pieces as more poured through the sides and openings large enough. The boy god she'd come for knelt on the ground he grimaced in pain and concentration. She didn't know what he was doing, but he wasn't paying attention two creatures bore down fast on him as one of the other man watched as they slipped past his defenses. Even among the gods there were traitors among themselves.

The inquisitor stood staring into the abyss like an awestruck coward, or maybe awestruck was the only word needed. He was close to the creatures, he took his handgun and shot a single creature in the head at near point blank range. It thudded to a halt but the echo of the gun shot range through all their ears. Poor choice -- but with limited resources you did what you had to do. The second of the two creatures bore down on the boy and Zef aimed and took shot. The bolt wizzed by the boys head and landed dead in the eye socket of the rat like creature and fell dead moments away from biting the boys fingers clenched in the ground.

He looked back at Zef and gave her a nod in thanks but continued whatever thing he was doing. He looked pained, but there were more creatures pouring through. Zef loaded another bolt and continued to snipe off the ones that got past.

[Ascendancy]

The heat flared from the grate of fire. It cast all their shapes into flickering shadows while power poured across Nikolai’s senses. It was like standing in the heart of a volcano while it shook the earth. It spoke to him: the fire, rock, power and death. Together, they flared his eyes and pound his heart into another man’s body. Nikolai had never felt anything like it before. Not at the Arch. Not with the Ijiraq. Not amid the most remote mountains of the Himalayas. This was home. This was his kingdom. His world. And he was one with it. He was it.

His feet carried him forward unaware he was moving. The grate of fire slashed bloody screams into a sizzling grinder of death. Yet he walked straight to it, fire reaching closer. He pulled the fire toward himself. It didn’t change the structure of Nox’s weave, but it ignited something of Nikolai’s like pouring gasoline on a candle. The fire snaked along threads, ten, then twenty then more than he could count, like a net, Nikolai pulled the fire closer. Yet the smoke, flame and danger danced away from his skin and clothes and hair. He was inside the volcano. Inside it and completely protected.

The next thing he knew, he stood on the other side of Nox’s grate. The horde of animals large and small pressing up, piling like rats spilling from a drowning ship. Yet those that came close to the man-shape cocoon of fire caught alight themselves. They split around Nikolai, climbing and slashing around him on both sides, pressing onward toward the gate and their doom.

From behind, all that could be seen was this man of fire delving into the scrambling darkness until a jet of white-blue fire streaked outward in the blink of an eye as far as could be seen into the distance. Nik’s power raged hot as the flame, incinerating anything it touched. Howls of pain filled the air that was quickly choked with ashfall.

And so it continued, dwindling the numbers reaching the gate.

[Jerry]

Things began to get insane fast. And the longer Jer stood around wondering how the fuck he could touch the power he saw lights and then they'd disappear. Everywhere around him it felt like the world was pressing in on him, but something about it all felt familiar.

But the monster's pushed on, the lights danced all around more frequently. The Ascendancy walked through flame in his own little firey inferno. Jer couldn't help but watch in awe until the boy he'd come to learn from was in danger. Two creatures slipped past the man in front of them and their gnashing teeth chomped at the bit to find flesh between.

Unable to touch this source of power he'd been told about Jer had no option, he drew his gun and fired at the beast close range. No chance of ricochet but the noise reverberated in the cave and in his head. He didn't want to do that again.

The second beastie fell to a cross bow bolt.

Trial by Fire Nox had called it. He'd given him instruction. Something about a light and wrestling for control. There was no time even with the Ascendancy's inferno slowing the onslaught, the beasts that slipped past were flaming as they careened towards them. Jer reached into that light. It wasn't like a physical thing. He felt a calm wash over him, as he pulled effortlessly at the darkness beyond and it succumbed with a fight to his will. He didn't know what to do with it now that he had it. But the world brightened with unseen light.

The boy next to him tugged on his pant leg and he held his hand up. And in slow motion orange lights formed a ball and fire formed in his hand. And with a thought it was gone flung out in the abyss of the remaining horde, but it splashed against the wall spluttering out in flames as Nox's hand fell to the ground as he grimaced in pain. Jer copied the implenetatin and with a little work he had a ball of fire floating in his hand. Holy shit. He threw it with what little aim he remembered from stupid sports in primary school. Things he thought would never come in handy.

The ball took out a scurrying creature and Jer jumped internally with joy and the light went out. The world went dark and it felt less than before. What happened?

[Jay Carpenter]

His chest spilled defiance and death. The strength of Jay’s magic flung outward, gory slashes that sprayed arcs of blood and howls of severed life. The heat carried battle to eyes that saw it all in excruciating detail. Every heartbeat was ages yet the seconds passed in the blink of an eye. The fires quickly filled the tunnel with smoke. Onward he raged, hacking at the spilling of their kill with everything in him. Nothing remained but the fight. It was the purest moment of emptiness he'd ever felt. And all the pain and memory and horror of his life was erased. There was nothing but power, blood and smoke. But soon, the smoke grew too thick. His eyes began to water and the creatures piled up. He backed away, coughing quickly wracking his lungs. Through it all, a moving floor of rat-sized creatures swarmed at his boots. One clawed his pants. He kicked it off, stomping on another. But the wash of blood turned the stone tunnel icy slick. He gasped in surprise. He was on his back and creatures were clawing and biting at his clothes. None bit through the armored cloth. Not yet.

[Marcus DuBois]

Marcus concentrated, the myriad strands of spirit he sent into the horde forming a web through which they passed, each on vibrating the strands in a specific and unique way. Another time, he would have cataloged the variation and searched for a pattern. But the creatures themselves were not what he hunted for.

The web, a massive net he held taut, he flung in multiple axes of motion, feeling for whatever it was was the Durante was using to control them. Still, nothing. Threads of spirit passed over nothing between him and the things that were making their way through.

How is he doing this? Marcus wondered. He'd hoped he'd find a connection, a web, something, that he might emulate, perhaps lend his aid to controlling them. But he found nothing. The only threads were the network of fire Durante had created and through which Ascendancy had passed unharmed, his own power providing a web of sorts that protected him.

Around him, gunshots went off and threads of destruction kept off the those who made it through. Curious, Marcus touched Durante's weaves and felt a...he struggled for the word to describe the feeling. It reminded him of rotted meat he'd seen on the farm he'd lived on briefly, rancid and squirming with maggots, the rotting smell clinging to the roof of his mouth. His stomach wanted to turn and for a moment he was frozen trying to understand what this was.

But they wouldn't stop and Marcus couldn't afford to explore now. Later. Later Durante would help him understand what this was. It was different. And different was potential for power.

He dispersed his exploratory weaves, instead using air and fire to snatch of rocks and small pebbles of concrete, feeding fire into them until they glowed red as they flew faster and faster through the air, still solid as they sizzled into the skins of those things.

They were an infection and this was a wound that needed cauterization. Somehow, the source had to be found and cut off. Otherwise, this would never end.