Snippet #2501935

"Enough! Don't touch him! It's Time for round two then.,..Veia?" Jonathan said whilst summoning his blades.

"Oh my my," her eyes shifted from Tristan to Jonathan, "Veia? I think youve got the wrong goddess, little boy. Im not that puny weakling of a goddess. My name is Criea and my specialty is illusions. Allow me to demonstrate," she said wickedly.

"You all look the same to me witch." Jonathan said keeping his guard up.

Turning to Tristan, she grinned at him, "I believe you will enjoy this," she said as the air around both of them seemed to pick up and the brilliant blue shield that had knocked Soran from him boxed them both in, "The blonde is cute, hes yours isnt he? You can watch him die now, over and over..." her orange gaze seemed to swirl around into molten lava as her fingers reached up and craddled his head. Her power exploded in the tiny area that they were in, showing him violent images, all the while her lips curling into a brighter grin.

Jonathan's eyes shot wide at the display of Criea's power, and he began to slowly start growling that signature growl that seems to display his own anger. "Let him go." he demanded.

Tristan didn't turn fast enough as the goddess pulled him from Soran, a look of terror on his face. He shuddered as her finger went down his face. "Get away, you bitch, your not my type." he said out with pure hatred. He heard the interaction between Jonathan and the goddess. And she said her power so nothing she does is real...its not real he kept that thought in his head. Her power exploded in the area where she held him, and his heart skipped a beat. He actually closed his eyes, knowing that it wasn't the best idea. However he could still see the images she sent.

She had somehow pulled from his head what Soran had spoken to him about. He was standing in Soran's house, the night his brother went after him. The vase had already been broken, and Soran was laying on the floor looking up in terror. This time, there was no interruption, as another boy, older and taller then plunged a jagged piece of glass straight into Soran's heart. "Noooo," Tristan screamed, fresh tears running down his face. Its not real, he thought...and kept repeating to himself.

Soran screamed as well, "Tristan!" Lurching to his feet, he slammed into the barrier and bounced right off of it. Hitting the floor again, he groaned as he rolled to his side and got up a second time. Rushing the slightly glowing blue shield, he hit it again. Both fists slammed into the barrier, making it shimmer slightly, but no damage or anything to say that it had weakened presented itself to him. Banging on it, he continued to scream for the other boy who was only a few feet from him, "Tristan!"

Criea turned her head just a bit and grinned at Soran, "Lets try something else. Here, my lovely red headed Seer, enjoy this for a little while longer will you? Scream a little more," she hissed as she bent down to his ear and whispered something to him. The barrier fluxed with her increase of power.

"Tristan! Im right here!" Soran screamed, banging on it again.

Tristan was again closing his eyes, but the images kept coming, one was of Yakosa flaying the boy with a fire so hot, Tristan could have sworn he backed up. Some were a mix of his own fears killing the blond seer, like the spiders crawling all over him, until there was nothing left but dangling flesh and bone. Tristan tried not to think about it, but really thought he was going to vomit. He turned his head, but after the first image refused to scream for her. "ITS NOT REAL," he yelled loudly, his fingers reaching for his magic system. He didn't know if anything would work inside the illusion, but he thought he would give it a try.

The spell he pulled out created his own illusion, as thousand bees started buzzing inside the box. They would pop as they hit her barrier, but then two others would appear. The buzzing became extremely annoying, and Tristan covered his ears.

Rethyn had tried to reach his guardian however upon trying to teleport closer he found himself incased in a barrier. Pulling his sword roughly from his sheath he begun slashing furiously at the barrier as he tried to break through it or at least weaken it. Failing to do so, Rethyn begun cursing to himself as he could only watch the event unfold before him. Tilting his head slightly downwards he gave a deathly glare to Criea.

"Stubborn little boy," she ground her teeth as the incessant buzzing filled the air. At the rate this was going, the entire little barrier she had erected would be full of bees, and their noise was steadily growing. Releasing her hold on his face, she dropped the illusions she had put him through and instead weaved her hand in the air briefly. A long silver sword came into her grip and she reached down to grip a handful of his hair, lifting up his head, "Play time is over, Seer," she said. The barrier dropped and she shoved the sword into his shoulder to get him to stop the strange contraption he had unleashed.

Soran yelled as the barrier broke and he stumbled a bit. His voice cried out again as she wrenched her sword from Tristans shoulder. Barreling into the boy, he took them both to the ground and out of her grip. Releasing Tristan, he rolled over and opened his own system to draw out his gun again. Her molten gaze settled on Soran, "Now you will really die, little Seer," she cooed and flipped her blade around as the entire room erupted with her magic. Everything changed, it seemed like trees of gigantic size had sprouted from the ground. Vines dropped down low to reduce visibility, and a thick fog settled across the floor. Criea had disappeared entirely and Sorans breathing was heavy and worried.

"I think you are all mistaken. I am the goddess of illusions, but I can make them very real" her voice echoed in a cruel growl.

Somewhere in the fog covered trees a voice screamed. Soran lurched, his hand still on Tristan just to make sure he was right there, "Kilia!" he yelled, but there wasnt an answer from her.

Tristan gasped as he felt the sword go through his shoulder, he was dragged from her grip from Soran and he groaned. He had gone unconscience as the goddess once again changed the scenery in the room.

Grayson stood in front of the girls as the goddess appeared in the room. He immidiately made a barrier around both of them, as an added protection. As the scenery changed, he did not move.

Jonathan couldn't believe the tree in the room. Literally. Just before Jonathan was about to engage in battle, something penetrated his thoughts. "Keep your will up, would be knight. I need it for when We have our fun. In the evening. In a clearing not far from this quaint little backyard. Be there Child of Grey." came the voice In his head as he prepared to get to the fight. "Kilia, stay back!" Jonathan shouted.

"You too Soran!" Peter shouted as he summoned a fire spear. "Alright Jonny Boy, let's give her what for!" Jonathan only nodded as he got into a ready stance.

"Leave them Alone Goddess." Jonathan simply said. "Pick on someone your own size,"

Kilia had screamed when the scene changed and she heard Sorans yell for her, but she didnt answer, fear clutching her throat. She leaned forward, her hands gently touching the barrier. After the boys declaration it grew silent. The eerie silence made Kilias skin crawl as she sat there, her heart pounding hard in her chest. The sound of her heavy breathing was the only thing to be heard besides

Julianna next to her. The fog seemed to thicken, growing taller as it had originally started on the ground by only a few inches. Now it was reaching up to cover Graysons knees and slowly edging higher. Kilia slowly curled her fingers against the barrier as she strained to listen or to see anything in the thick forest.

A sound filled the air, cruel laughter that was hollow and made Kilia cringe, "So, would that be you then?" the womans voice asked, but she wasnt anywhere to be seen still. The forest seemed to shift entirely and the vines that had hung down twitched. The ground shuddered, growing soft underfoot and the roots of the trees seemed to all move at once. At first it was slow, but then it exploded outwards with such speed that Kilia gasped. The entire forest grew into nothing but a wicked design of sharpened tree roots and vines that were hell bent on ensnaring anyone that got close to either hang them or tear them to shreds.

"Holy mother Tilley......" Peter said in slight shock. Peter hurled his fire spears at the vines, trying to keep them off him, Jonathan however ended up entangled by his legs And the vines sent him upward.

"Craaaap!" Jonathan shouted as he tried to cut the vines. He wouldn't let the Goddess have her way. "You will not have anyone here witch!!!" Jonathan was close to losing his anger and almost turning his rage to attack the vines and then the tree. "You'll not have anyone!!"

Soran turned around slowly. His portion of the forest was dead silent. Nothing moved, there was no sound aside from his own slightly elevated breathing as he knelt there. Dropping the weapon he had created he finally turned his attention to Tristan, "Tristan," he called frantically, shaking the boy as gently as possible. The fog on the forest floor was just enough to make it hard to see the wound in the boys shoulder and Soran was freaking out, "Tristan," he called again, struggling to keep from breaking down, "Tristan! Come on," he begged, "Tristan, damn it, wake up!"

Tristan groaned again, but something pulled him from his state, "Soran," he said weakly, then he noticed that he really couldn't see anything as the fog was so thick. "Soran," he said again as he took the other's hand. So many emotions were running through his head at the moment, but he was trying to keep from breaking down as well, "Can you help me up please," he got the jist that they needed to move or something, he wasn't really sure, at least he like to be able to see what was above the fog.

Soran nodded, but realized the boy couldnt see him. Sniffing a bit as he settled, he reached down and helped the other upwards as gently as he could. He was trying to be aware of the wound in his shoulder which he wasnt too sure how deep it was. Once he got Tristan up above the thick fog, he wrapped his arms around him and hugged him hard, "Tristan... you scared the hell out me damnit! What the hell!" he complained, though he knew it wasnt really the red haired Seers fault.

He cringed as a slight noise echoed behind them. Whipping around, he pressed his back against the boy and quickly opened his magic system. Summoning his gun off template he hissed in anger at the realization that he had just summoned his practice weapon without thinking, "Shit!" releasing it, he started on a new one, "Tristan, move backwards, keep hold of me until I finish this, I need as much distance as possible... I

Tristan cringed as the other hugged him, but then had to chuckle slightly at Soran's words...that was probably not the right reaction, but if he said anything else he would have distracted the other. He nodded as the other told him to back up. Yet he wasn't really sure what he was backing up into, so he turned, it looked like more trees and fog. "Let just make sure...," he didn't know if he had the strength or not but he started pull a spell as started a floating fire behind him. It was an added protection as it would attract anything harmful to it instead of to the boys.

Kilia stood up as she watched Peter and Johnathan become overwhelemed by the raging vines and trees. Her heart surged as she watched, "Robin!" she yelled as he was lifted up in the air by the cursed living limbs of the forest. The womans voice laughed again as she manipulated the vines even further. They twisted and tangled together, molding into something rather large. The thick roots of the trees reached up and intertwined with the sharp green vines. Slowly it was starting to take shape, an enormous mouth that gaped open to recede back into the features of a giant feline that resembled a jungle cat of some sort. Large paws extended downwards to the ground, moving as it stepped forward, jaw snapping open and closed as a brilliant glow began to emanate from its hollow eyes. It looked between both boys and then down to the other Guardian who stood infront of the two girls. With an ear shattering roar, it crouched down and lunged at all of them.

Grayson looked at the creature that was before him, the sheer size was almost breathtaking. His one response was to create an even bigger barrier to protect him and the other two behind him. Yet he was working furiously on something to attack the creature.

Peter looked at the creature in shock as he began to work furiously at a Fireball "Grayson! Stay back!!! Gonna get hot!!!" Peter started up his Fireball and it grew as big as his head as he hurled it at the cat, hoping to send it flying.

In the meantime Jonathan was working furiously to get himself free. "You bloody coward!! You can't even show your bloody face and try to attack anyone else's minds! Your simply resorting to hide in the shadows! Slug!" He shouted and insulted relentlessly whilst cutting off what finally held his legs together and he landed on a branch. However he immediately gained pins and needles in his feet for a moment.

The fireball hit square into the cat-like creatures jaw. It exploded and ignited some of the vines and tree roots, but it seemed to only anger the creature further. Getting low it growled menacingly and swiped out at Peter. Turning its body at the same time, it slammed into the tree that Johnathan had fallen into, using its weight to make the tree shudder and then slowly topple over. Crieas voice came right after, "Coward? My dear Guardian, this is a war youre fighting, war is a game with no rules. If you dont learn that soon, youre going to die a lot sooner than you wished," she said. The loose vines that were not a part of the raging cat lashed out at Grayson and Johnathan, attempting to once again run them through or ensnare them.

"No rules, only wagers...right?" Jonathan asked as he jumped to another branch, his anger finally taken hold of him, he couldn't hide his mind any longer. "Then here is Mine Witch! I vow here and now this wager! If I ever See your master out of his little vessel I challenge him to a duel! If I win, I make him give back every single life he stole during this rampage!" As Jonathan said this he felt a dark chuckling at the back of his mind, he knew he gave Darion more ammo to throw at him in their later confrontation, if he even survives this one. "I vow to create a power Vaccuum so wide you'll focus on each other instead!!!"

Peter ducked under the cat and summoned several spears of fire and started throwing them at the cat and at the vines aimed for Grayson.

The ones aimed for Jonathan however, Jonathan had to contend with on his own. He started slicing and dicing several vines, but one managed to slash his cheek and make a very clean cut, if not making an odd pattern that almost seemed to fit with his equipment theme. His face turned to one of pain and shock. But his glare remained the same emerald inferno. He didn't care who heard his shouts of anger and rage.

"Oh, I see," Criea cooed, "Your out for a little vendetta, arent you little Guardian? Well, I must say that you are going to be highly disappointed. You see, Oni isnt a man to be bargained with, or dueled with, or threatened or lose to anyone. He doesnt care about any of your petty little squabbles, all he cares about is power to stay alive in this war between gods. And you Seers and Guardians just keep getting in the way. So he wants you all out of the picture, which I will gladly obide by," she laughed.