Seventeen 2: Electric Boogaloo

The glade was unnaturally still save for the wind blowing through the trees and occasionally the few remaining birds brave enough to remain letting out their chirping songs. This clearing was where mortality and the transcendent beyond touched, where sensitive enough humans or unfortunate enough ones were able to slip through. The scene before him suggested no human interference however, just something beyond that turned Rowan’s stomach. What was once nature was something else. Trees that weathered the millennia with leaves that caught light like so many jewels now dripping with inky black corruption.

Writhing abominations locked within throes of pain drug themselves across the forest floor, burning and turning the grass under them. When they opened their mouths, loud and pained croaking sounds issued from destroyed throats. It made Rowan hurt, feeling the deep spiritual voices of pain that worked from them. As if clawed hands had grasped his gut and began to twist them into tight knots. His fingers grew taught around the body of his bow, nocking an arrow and taking aim at the large form of what could have once been a deer.

Large red eyes peering out from a sludgy black, dripping body. He hated humans.

The arrow flew with a whistle, air enveloping the projectile infused with his own mana. It ripped through the black form of the deer and tore apart its blasphemous form and sent scraps of tarry waste splattering across a nearby tree. It carried the ruined deer back a few feet, slamming against the ground and drawing the attention of a few birds crawling across the ground alongside rabbits and anything else that was likely waiting for anything living and animal to come. What he was drew their attention even more. Even as the now dead target began to fade from existence, the others let out trumpeting screeches.

Tarry wings came out, and soon they took flight with speeds that he didn’t expect.

Leaping from the thick branch he was perched upon, Rowan landed on the ground with a reverberation through shot through his entire body. It stung but not enough to hurt. Without wasting time, he darted off into the forest while letting off what shots he could through the thick, enclosing branches around him.

Breaking beyond the dimensional bounds into the mortal world happened within a few minutes into his chase, gashes that cut through his armor as well as along his arms, legs and cheeks showing. Small patches of blood clinging to the fur armor he had crafted for himself. What few creatures he could destroys were back within the borders between worlds and he was running through thick bushes of what could at this moment be called a park. His body was wracked with cutting pain, as well as exhaustion, though that didn’t slow down his movements and reactions.

Ducking and weaving around deadly sharp talons, avoiding as much of the corruption as he could, bringing his bow back around like a cudgel and smacking another corrupted bird against the ground. He didn’t even think about what was around him, until he saw a few humans and pulling the hood up and drew the glamour over his ears. There was so much he didn’t want anyone seeing.

Once they saw the choicer prey, multiple corrupted animals split from him and attacked anything nearby.

‘Drip, drip, drip...’

There were several puddles of water inside this rather run-down restroom out in the middle of what was a rather barren park, Takuma swore it was about one in ten people here probably had some form of a criminal record, that or it was just him making unnecessary and rather blunt observations based on appearances.
Takuma sniffed the air, a poor decision he sorta held back a choking cough, holding up a closed fist to catch it.
‘Looks, or scent. Smells like somebody died then poured a bunch of alcohol onto the corpse.’
Takuma thought to himself, staring into the mirror while scrubbing the outside of some white sneakers he found in a ditch the other day with a brush. The brown stains mostly coming out from the leather-like material but leaving the shoes with irremovable caramel hues staining what would have been really nice running shoes.

Barefoot, Takuma began tapping his feet with the scrubbing, a rhythm coming to mind he began operating in a more synchronized manner. Really getting into the sound of the music playing inside his head he closed his eyes and nodded his head, little bobs making his curly hair dance around a bit, some of it coming out of place from the pulled back style and ending up in his face, he swept it around with fingers covered in tap water in hopes for it to stay in place and even furthering his groove of motion.

Shaking his head, tapping his feet, and moving a bit side to side, fingers drumming against the damaged sink with the water running after he taps the button, sometimes a bit more than he needs, double taps, triple, quadruple as he kept playing around with the rhythm.
Takuma began humming, reaching a real peak of enthusiasm! Some shuffling and Takuma froze, turning around he noticed somebody has taken one of the stalls well he wasn’t looking, too distracted with his little fiasco that somebody was already in the stall and heard the whole humming thing. But then a click sounded and so did Takuma’s brain click together.

They must have seen the whole show, but was it embarrassing? Not at all.

“I hope you enjoyed the show!”

Nothing from them, Takuma picked up his stuff and shaking his head, walked outside by pushing the door with his hip, catching against his belt around his pair of jeans he was capable of moving the door handle just enough to make it out, arms full of some cleaned clothing, shoes, and bags. Takuma made his way to a bench and sat down after placing his stuff right where he would sit down. Digging through his clothing, already wearing a plain white tank top and one of several pairs of jeans, he pulled out one of the socks he had before and slipped it on his foot, reaching for the other his hand brushed against what ha assumed it was, but pulling it out it wasn’t the same color, another random sock.

A small annoyed huff made its way from the boy as he grabbed his bag and set it on his lap, digging through it he couldn’t find anything, frustrated even further he more aggressively tossed the bag onto his back and marched back into the restroom, digging around with one foot with its shoe and the other foot without anything on, unable to locate his sock. Takuma growled and threw his arms in the air, thinking how it just had t be today that he would be losing another sock! He made his way back out and slammed the door, hearing screaming from some woman out in the distance he held his hands up by his head, freaked out by the sound he initially thought it was regarding him or one of this parks weird and sketchy people, but something was also registering inside of his head, something felt gross.

Takuma peered around the corner, this feeling was both unfamiliar but he understood it was because something weird was nearby and Qualm’s sensory powers were picking up on them, and from what he learned, a lot of weird things like to hurt people.

Takuma ducked back and dug through his bag, pulling out a duck mask he put the little plastic strap behind his head, grabbing some duct tape he spun it round the cheap fragile cord to hold it together as he slipped it on. Shaking his head to test the tightness he grabbed his slingshot and pellets tin, the round casing spun into his hand he slipped it into the palm of his hand, flipping the lid with his thumb he snuck fourteen pellets, sticking them in between his left pinky and ring finger, six in his pinky and eight in his ring finger. Tightly gripping the handle of his slingshot he got one of the pellets already loaded, spinning it in his fingers and twisting it in the small leather piece until he found the center. Leaping from the side of the building in his ridiculous mask he held his slingshot up and tried to gather what he could from the scene, the senses where not wrong once again.

Takuma took aim for one of the winged animals, building up scenarios in his head in which he would be attacked, he didn’t have any chance against a flying foe, so pulling back one of these pellets would find its mark into the chest of one of the birds, it dropped considerably before swooping up and finding to get rid of the stone thrower, flew towards Takuma.

Takuma pulled another small shot into the sling, after finding the right spot the first time readying the second shot was nothing to him, a quick pull and the second one was fired off right where the first was shot, the hawk finally released a screech as it crashed into the wall beside him.

Takuma made an assumption with these things being sorta normal animals, they must have been possessed or something, and something enhanced them as the first shot didn’t take them down when normally it would have found its way into the bird and in one shot should have killed it. That and the guy with the whole rugged huntsman getup and the bow seemed to be fighting them, was he a hero of some sorts?

Takuma got more shots ready, the animals still moving erratically, he was worried if one caught him what would happen, as he wasn’t very durable, and against presumably the weakest target he could hardly injure.

He had seen it.

The hotel bed was scratchy, and the television did very little to calm the voices in his head. He had been forced to take the antipsychotics that he had managed - barely - to steal off of another homeless person. The ghosts had quieted down, and he had managed a few moments of blissful sleep.

“Dante,” Supermodel Jennifer Parks said to the dream version of Dante. “I need you.” Dante grinned sheepishly, and nodded… then she turned into a sheep, and Dante was suddenly very much not interested in that. So he adjusted the dream, and found himself looking over a flock of sheep. “Alright, let’s see… What’s on the itinerary for today…” He checked his list, and found his flock were replaced with cardboard cutouts of sheep. He sighed, and began to walk down to find out what had happened.

As he walked, crook in hand, he heard something. Crashing hooves, and screams of pain from inhuman throats. Dante felt something land on his shoulder, and when he looked; he found a bullfrog. It croaked in his ear, and Dante reached out to touch it when something landed on the frog. A black substance that quickly took over his form. The creature screamed in his ears, and latched onto Dante’s skin. Immediately, Dante blasted the creature off him with fire.

He sucked in breath, and began breathing deeply. He closed his eyes to get his bearings, but the tar stuck to his ear where the frog had bitten him. It might’ve been the worst pain he had ever felt. Even after the month of torture and “initiation”, this pain was still worse. He began to shriek in his sleep, so much so that he heard the knocking at the door. But he couldn’t wake. He turned around, and saw to his horror a forest burning. Not from flame, but from corruption.

He looked and saw himself, blind. Covered in a dark teal robe with cyan swirls and writing covering it. He held in his hands a flaming scythe with an eye beside the blade.

”Humanity’s constructed plight has brought a magical blight. A guardian stands tall, but without ally’s will surely fall. The other Dante said, waving a vague hand towards the woods where there was a boy around his age perched in the branches. He saw as arrows flew towards dark flying shapes, and didn’t find purchase. ”The fate of the world rests in our hands, but not ours alone.” In shadow, there were individuals. He couldn’t make out how many, or even any facial features. But without even thinking, he could sense they were people of power.

He nodded. “Where is it?”



Dante hadn’t slept all week. It was a long bus ride to this place. He steadied himself and pulled the hood up on his dark teal hoodie. The bus driver had promised to help him off the bus when they arrived at the nearest bus stop to his location, but after that he had to rely on the staff he had fashioned as a walking stick to avoid getting hit by a car. Alright, here we go. He tapped his staff in the street, and allowed himself to move forward. He had a very quick vision of himself being hit by a car going way too fast, and backed off the street. The car swerved, and managed to avoid him with a honk. Maybe a seeing eye dog wouldn’t be a bad idea. A female voice popped up, bright and cheery. ”Babe, you don’t need a dog... I’ll be your puppy.” Nina purred to her ex-boyfriend, turned victim, turned murderer. ”If I wanted the help of a psychopathic acrobat, I’d go to Mad Jack’s girlfriend, Kitty. He said, but motioned her forward anyway. ”You can help me cross the street? He asked the ghost, and she nodded. ”Course I can. I can still…. Whatever the ghost version of seeing is. Dante nodded. ”And why would you?” Nina shrugged. ”Be a shame to see your pretty face smeared all over the concrete. Besides, would be a wasted effort if we let you die before you brought the Darkness to our world.” Oh yeah. He had forgotten for even a brief second that he was destined to bring an end to the world himself someday… great.... ”Fine. Lead the way.”

Dante followed the ghost, through darkness. She stopped him whenever he was about to fall or hit something he wasn’t supposed to hit. Soon, he heard the sounds from his dream. They had been travelling through the trees for about an hour now, and he came into the glade around the same time as a vision hit him of a tar colored bird sweeping down to take his useless eyes. He breathed in, and held his staff upward. Dante swept the staff out as a lash of flame swept out from the top.

The bird made a horrific sound, even more shrill than it made when it was corrupted, and Dante winced. He heard and felt the cyan flames connect as the whooshing cyan flame took the poor creature. It was in such agony, that it just writhed on the ground. He scratched the star shaped scar on his chest, that glowed with an angry green light. ”...god I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you…” He whispered beneath his breath as he stared toward where the creature lay dying.

He looked towards where he knew the boy in the branches stood, and looked to him. ”What has done this?” Dante had a feeling he knew the response, but felt the need to ask anyway.

There was one thing he knew about beings infected by The Blight and it was they hated all things that lived. Humans tended to be their favorite targets when they were available, not that he held any love for them.  Should some humans die due to their own sins, well that would have been justice within his own eyes but that also meant ignoring the innocent souls that could have been lost within the incursion. So this compelled the halfling and ranger to fight against these corrupted beings, attempting to ignore the cries of their souls for release. Death was not what he wanted to give them but that was all he could give now that they were consumed.

A low sighed worked through his lips, stringing another arrow ready to strike down a corrupted rabbit when something struck it in the head and sent the hopping monster careening. The blow was not enough to kill it but enough to stun it for a few seconds. Enough time dor the arrow to catch it through the ribs and pin it against the ground. There was a second of struggle, the spiritual voice ripping through his mind until it fell still and was reduced to pulpy sludge. Even still it left his heart heavy, eyes feeling misty for a moment before that constant surge of anger towards the fleeing humans rose.

This was their fault.

That was when someone else arrived, bringing green fire and a question. ”A stain called humanity,” Was all he said through a voice colored with anger, preternatural reflexes sending more arrows imbued with wind mana through birds trying to rake blight coated talons through the flesh of fleeing innocents. No, they weren’t innocent. ”don’t let the blight touch you, it’ll corrupt you if you’re lucky,” Without thinking he leapt to the ground, slamming the hard yew bow against the skull of a corrupted wolf, stunning but not killing it. ”if you care about the lives of these humans you should get them to safety, these won’t be the last of them,” A human screamed, aggravating his sensitive ears.

”If you’re not any good in a fight, get out of my way,

Takuma started reaching for the bird, but a few twists of his shoulder and fingertips got the arm to mechanically go and brush his hand against the rough brick wall behind him, performing a little ritual that would most likely just look like a set of indecisive actions to others. Shuffling around to see two newcomers, and one of them had generated something strange, odd flames that burned with even stranger energy, the other was running and screaming to… What?

Takuma started to take over from here, being handed over to deal with more ‘human’ situations when Qualm felt frustrated that he couldn’t predict human actions. The girl must have decided that he was the safest person to stick around, seeing the alternatives were what equivilated to a fantasy ranger and some blind guy with weird fire, some kid with a duck mask and a slingshot was rather ordinary.

Takuma wasn’t opposed to striking again at the bird, firing three rounds into it, the final third one to kill it, dropping down to the ground a solid twelve paces away from where he and the panicked girl were. Words brushed by his ears, the others were talking but he wasn’t catching it, and they were all too far away for Takuma to decode their voices with Qualm. He swapped to focusing on the approaching raccoon, taking one step up he timed its movements with his own, pulling his left foot back and aiming for a kick, his leg pulled back and brushed against the grass before connecting poorly.

“Oh… Oh! Oh alright!”

Takuma would observe his leg, the raccoon caught it with it’s claws, he made the poor assumption the creature would recoil but it used the close proximity to its advantage and snagged his leg, clawing just above his ankle. Despite the claws barely piercing the skin he felt a burning sensation.

“Ah, it’s like you get infected instantly. It burns.”

Takuma looked back at the raccoon, it wasn’t down yet but it wasn’t moving as fast as before, he skipped onto his right leg to swing with the left, anticipating the raccoon would go for a similar trick as last time he dropped that foot and forced his body to swap to the opposite leg, timing the kick to hit it into the side and send it flying to his left, that time he forced more power into the muscles of his legs, wobbling a bit from imbalance and trying to stand on a hurt leg, the rapid movements causing constant ‘brushing’ against his injury. Takuma started trying to get his consciousness’ to focus on other things and felt the pain dwindle away, the injury should not be forgotten.

Takuma took a step back and got low, observing everything around him. Speaking to Cyrilla in a steady tone.

“Find some sticks, anything to hit them from farther than where your at, they got some kind of chemical on them!”

Takuma remained low, drawing another shot he fired at a running squirrel, that would suck if it got too close.

Dante glanced at each of the voices in turn, then turned to the specter of his ex girlfriend. “Can you see the people?” Nina nodded, and grinned. “They are in such lovely agony. How I wish you could see them too.” Dante allowed Nina partial control of his body, enough that he could use her spirits sight to see, which also gave Dante a partial Swedish accent to his words as he said. “Whoever you people are, I’ll handle the civilians.” Through Nina’s spiritual sight, he saw her then. Someone he had hoped to see again someday.

“Cyrilla? Is that you?” His voice was equal parts surprised and excited at the prospect of seeing her. He felt anger coming from the spirit he allowed to inhabit his body. Envy, even. He quickly shook himself off. No time for that. People in trouble. Catch up with her later.

Dante threw himself forward, using his spiritually enhanced balance to keep himself out of the way of the goop. He jumped toward a girl as she was about to be hit by the corrupting force that was eating away at the nature around him, and called for Otto.

The big Russian ghost barreled toward him without saying a word, happy to be given the chance to join the living world. Even as a shadow of a shadow of his former self. The ghost of Nina was forced out by the burly former man, and Dante screamed in a Russian accent to move out of the way. He slammed his body against the girl, and she went sprawling to the ground long enough for the ooze to slip right over. Dante spoke some words in an ancient language that had come to him in his dreams, and a pair of spectral wings sprang from his back. “Do not worry. We will be able to get you out of this situation.” He said in Otto’s native accented tone.

He grabbed her and flew into the air and took her as far from the fight as he could, setting her on a piece of concrete and told her to go. He turned back to the fight, just in time to see someone else get hit by the corruption, and fall to the ground and pass out. Dante rushed over, and use his shirt to start digging the corruption off. He then picked them up and flew back to where he had left the girl, who was already gone.

Dante couldn’t keep this up forever. He had to figure out a different way to get all of these people out of here before he was completely overwhelmed.

One by one the blighted creatures fell or were injured by the humans that rushed to the scene of the chaos. It was a small scale incursion really, nothing he couldn’t have dealt with but that didn’t mean things weren’t dangerous. He’d ran out into a place where humans gathered, leaving them open to potential infection. The tear in the space between worlds was remaining open rather than closing, which meant something was keeping it open. That explained why they were still locked in a fight with them. His jaw set hard, mind working through what could be done to fix that. Truly there couldn’t have been so many that were set through The Conclave.

Three arrows were released within the span of a second, one pinning a blighted raccoon against a tree through the chest. Another  clipping the leg of a blighted stag and the last felling a bird merely a second from slashing a woman's face up. Two dead and one now with heavily limited mobility.  More were rushing through the thick brush, seemingly from nowhere but he knew. Something was creating these things and as long as it existed their fight would be long fought. He sucked in a breath, looking to the three that were fighting against the outpouring.  Were they people that could help him? Despite what he thought, these people had their place in the natural cycle too.

”I don’t know who you three are but if we don’t do something about the source they might keep coming for a while,” he called out to them, looking around the chaotic park. Most of the humans were scattering now, though he could tell even from here the scent of blood. An iron scent that burnt his nose. The blighted didn’t bleed like living things, which meant some humans were killed or even worse. He sighed, muttered the words of power under his breath fingers twisting into the gestures to produce the magic.

Spears of ice rose with a while chill and rammed through a bears chest. Splattering blood like tar and throwing it back. Injured but likely still able to fight for a moment.  ”I hate to say this but...I might need some help stopping thing,” His tone was clipped, sounding as if it were the greatest ask in the world for him.

“Civilians?”

Takuma turned to look at one of the other weirdos around in the group fending off these things for the meantime adjusted the mask over his face as he started to further remember the civilians in place. Pulling apart their locations with quick glances he started to designate where they were, though with all the sound it made it difficult to really work off of just sound, still glancing around as he couldn’t stop touching the mask over his face, trying to get the perfect adjustment.


Dancing blue and orange eyes flicked around the environment as he was trying to get a better understanding, his observations of the others continued on as they continued to pique some interest from him. The one who made himself very obviously and quickly considered a ‘powerhouse’ was this strange younger guy who grew massive wings well shouting in an equally powerful accent, mighty wings that allowed him to quickly navigate the area and bring this one girl to safety out and mostly away from the blighted things, as Takuma could barely register them as animals anymore and thought of them more like abominated parodies.
Being some of Takuma’s first time seeing superpowers in the world around him of this scale was massively impressive to him, he couldn’t help but be a bit slack in expression with the awestruck nature he held now. Well monsters were a very interesting thing, he felt too commonplace with them, superheroes were something else.

The quick explanation from the wild child also struck Takuma in an odd way, who the hell even used a bow as a weapon? It was the 21st century, the age of guns and knives, nobody but some wild uncultured individual, like the guy who Takuma decided was his new companion, would even utilize some sort of archaic technology as the bow.
Quickly given some convincing by watching him draw back the bowstring and absolutely nail several creatures, Takuma closed his slack jaw and gave a curt nod, it wasn’t even before he could properly turn that the one girl from before ran in front of him with a mad dog lunging towards them, with her assuring voice and his instant confusion, he didn’t know what she wanted.

Mechanical in nature Takum released the slingshot from his hand in short toss, reaching with his hand forward to grab the girls, but providing a strong yank with all he could, leaning the opposite hand forward and lunging in opposition. Using mechanical muscular movements, Takuma would have snatched the slingshot without breaking visual contact with the dog, and with a short and sudden shift in balance his arm would outstretch and fit the pronged end of the slingshot towards the back of the dog's jaw, the bottom of the handle being forced down with a snap-in below the front of the jaw, as the dog barreled into him a rapid raise of his knee forced the gaping jaw to force shut, if it wasn’t for the obstacle near the hinges of the jaw. A strong snap and a gush of the dark viscous fluid on Takuma’s knee as he stumbled back, the dog dazed and absolutely slack-jawed having its ligaments separated and muscles torn within the face. Another followed kick into the nose put the dog out of commission, and a scraping of his foot within its mouth drew his slingshot and left it, bloody and covered in festering saliva in the green grass underneath its corpse.

Takuma gripped his other hand, the hand that tried to hold the girl and pull her out of danger. Takuma was never the most clever in terms of people’s motives, less so with the brain trauma Qualm gave him, and in a manner like this, he assumed she just wanted to be pulled out of the way of the danger but looked down wide-eyed at not a person, but an object in his hands.
Takuma gasped and held it up, in absolute awe that what in his hand now wasn’t a pretty lady, but a tool, or you could even say a weapon.

His eyes scanned the area, seeking out ooze covered weapons on the ground where people stood, maybe dropped clothing or something but he was without success. She was the only one who did this, she was the weapon, but also this left Takuma absolutely stumbling in his train of thought, to such a degree that when the young man shouted for them, having struck a massive bear-thing with ice spikes, Takuma could only look up towards his way and shout back,

“Stopping what Where did she go? WHAT?!?”

Dante flew higher to see if the spirits could spot anyone else. “Why do you care about them?” Nina asked Dante, exasperatedly. Dante didn’t answer, he couldn’t hear screams anymore. His nose wasn’t as sharp as Rowans, but even he could pick up the blood under the smoke. “Seriously. You’re basically a god, Dante. Just give in.” Dante sighed and waved his hand. “Enough, Nina. Are there any survivors?”

Nina shrugged. “Just the heroes. Though that Cyrilla girl has disappeared.” A malevolent grin appeared on her face. “Was she important to you, Dante? You sure have a bad streak of this, don’t you? Wonder if her soul will get bonded with yours… it does get awfully boring, just the four of us. The four of us you killed.”

Dante unleashed a ball of flame at Nina, and she disappeared. She’d be back, but… hopefully not soon. That was when he heard a hawk come screaming out of the forest behind him. He whipped around and dove to the side, but the claws caught him under his arm. The wound was shallow but bleeding profusely. He had to cauterize it.

The pain that it caused brought back memories of his time in the hands of the cult. It almost brought him out of the fight until he heard that stupid bird again. The second heard the wing beats get close enough, he grabbed it out of the air and wrestled it to the ground. He put his hand against its beak and unleashed hellfire straight into it. It’s eyes turned teal and then black as he utterly destroyed it.

Dante stood, dispelling his wings and nodded. That’s when he heard a voice say that he needed help. It was obviously tough on him, so Dante nodded. “Of course I’ll help. Where is this coming from? Is there a specific area we should be targeting?” Dante asked. Looking he heard ice cracking, something must’ve happened while he was dealing with the hawk.

His heartbeat thrummed in his ears. Reverberating through his chest and skull almost like a primal sound, knuckles now growing pale white from clutching his bow so tightly. Even exhaling deeply didn’t make the battle fervor fade completely, though he had to focus on stopping the source of this blight before it spilled out into the city. Infected humans was not something that he wanted to deal with now of all times. Not many were brave enough to stand against the tide, but those who did were ones he would have to deal with. Hopefully they could do something that would cleanse or at the very least allow him to strike the final blow on these blighted monsters. If these were the only people who could help, then he would have to make do with them.

Soon enough there were two people responding to his offer, a man with what he assumed was some manner of duck mask and another with a blindfold over his eyes. With a glance towards the downed blighted bear, he sighed and looked to where a couple more were emerging from the breach between worlds.  Something was keeping it open, and that meant it had to be killed before they were able to keep such an invasion from happening.  ”Not here. They’re just coming through, the source of this wouldn’t be out in the open like this,” Blights could have a level of cunning, enough to force hunters to delve into their domain to kill them. It made it easier...for the blight anyway.

Furtive now he scanned the area, hoping he could trust these people enough but they’d met not even minutes ago. This was a gamble to be sure, yet he knew there was no way he could wait. What damage they could do out here was nothing compared to the blight damage beyond.

”Well if you want to save your world, follow me,” With that shouted, he muttered a few words under his breath as he felt the rift they were spilling through grow a little more powerful. With that came the pull of mana from his body, the sudden minor exhaustion and the world refueling him as much as it could. Without saying anything else the young looking halfling darted forward into the rippling tear in space within a cluster of brush and the world around him becoming something else.

No longer the city with its concrete spires but a forest. Ancient, old and young trees surrounding them. Aside from the copse, it was mostly  dense trees packed together, leaving little room. The air was of old growth and blight underneath, like something long dead and rotted. The grass at is feet was green for now, but how long would it last?

Takuma had a moment where he stared at the slingshot in his hand, feeling the weight behind it he found it would be a perfect replacement for the one he had in his hand prior, of course still freaked out that someone just turned into a weapon he seemed to get over the fact quite fast.

A glazed gaze prepping a second shot towards his target, the bear didn’t cause any sort of stumbling reaction from Takuma, but he knew it was a strong threat based on how much the chorus sang when he noticed the muscles beneath its fur working to propel the massive creature towards him. It threatened his body and so his body reacted.
His hand that held the new Cyrilla swung with the base at his palm, the opposite hand reaching for a marble-sized glowing ball like a star held between the wings, spectral strings reaching out and entangling between his fingers. Reeling his arm back and with a satisfying snap, the shot would be free. A comet of orange energy landed against the creature, a screech and snapping sound being created from the impact as it burst into a series of sparks. The impact sent the bear off course and even left a large blasted wound over its side. Given an opportunity Takuma turned his wrist a bit and fired another shot to the head, the impact leaving the creature dead on the spot.

He held his hand out and got a further read, noticing this thing really did share a lot of energy signatures with the girl he was satisfied with the answer. Her thoughts did make it to his brain, but she wouldn’t hear much more than what sounded like radio static.

Takuma was also quick to respond, looking up to the ‘elf guy’ he wasn’t sure he could be immediately relied on, but trust he would be given as Takuma stepped through the portal. He looked around this new environment, quite frustrated that this didn’t make much sense to him.

“I am Takuma and unless you supply something else I will know you only as T’wan.”
Said with a very serious gaze seeking out what was in the woods, his request for a name could be easily mistaken for anyone there.

Dante had trouble seeing without his ghostly guides, but still he listened for the sounds of their voices and the telltale sounds of feet crunching across the ground littered by sticks, stones, and other undesirables. Finally, he arrived in a forested location. Only able to tell this by Nina’s arrival once again. “You know, it’s rude not to invite your ‘seeing eye ghost’ to a magic forest, Dante.” She exclaimed, upon entering the portal. Her transparent silhouette leaning against a tree, though Dante of course could only see Nina and not the tree itself.

“Where are we?” The blind teenager asked, hoping that the others had arrived. When he heard Takuma’s voice, he knew he was in the right place. “I’m Dante. It’s nice to meet you Takuma, though I admit that I don’t understand what T’wan is.”

Nina smiled at the two. “Wow Dante, making friends. And so soon after the incident. Gotta say, didn’t expect you to be so… trusting. You know you’re gonna kill them in your inevitable rise to power, right?”

Dante did his best to ignore the taunting of his former friend, but it would be clear on his face that something was upsetting him.