Nare Titor's Story

Nairi had already started moving before Nare finished speaking, making for the door and slipping outside. By the time Nare and Wren would emerge outside themselves, he had vanished into the winding, dark passageways of the Undermarket.

Nare sighed, turning off the hologram. He looked around, and saw that there was nothing left to do. He turned and nodded to Wren, remembering their agreement. It would have to be when she contacted him again though. "Find me whenever and I'll get you a way off Terra. Till then, goodbye." With that, he left the tavern, on his way to wherever his feet took him.

Nare was running down the street, running away from an old lady swinging her purse at him. He didn't understand why that was happening, but he didn't think it would be right to fight back. The mist that was causing everyone else to fight seemed to not affect the recently raised Zombie, as he didn't need to breath anymore. As he kept running, he could see other people were fighting all around him. He barely registered them in his mind as he kept running.

He looked up and could see what looked like a giant shadow monster rampaging the streets. Nare didn't know what to do, so he turned around and tripped the old lady, making her fall to the ground. He didn't care if she were hurt from it though. It freed him from being chased for a little bit of time.

He then yelled over the fighting, "Just what the hell is going on?!" He looked around, wondering just what to do.

Felix took a tight grip of her hand and started to run down the street, avoiding debris and the crackling energies and mist. The mist around him put his mind into different places, it made him want to attack this woman who'd he just met and he had to say, the most damn fine beauty he'd seen in his life that topped even the jewel-encrusted brown lady he'd met a few years ago.

Felix looked down at their connected hands and refused the mind-altering mess of neurons in that mist and then they shot forward and the air around them would begin to feel tight, almost constricting until the wreckage ahead of them disappeared in a haze. If Jessica's magic permitted it to do so, it was a clean teleport to a skyscraper in a distant cityblock.

The only noise apart from the distant roars and soldiers playing hero was the hum of a nearby aircon behind them. Felix put his hands to his knees and wiped the blood dripping from his nose, panting into the cool air around them instead of the thick, dirty mist that had permeated the city streets a few blocks away.

Felix sniffed and brought out his arms lazily in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome to Wing City."

Hopefully he wasn't talking to just himself.

"How...unexpected?"

Those were the first words that came out of a certain man's mouth upon stepping out of a generated spacetime vortex, and arriving at the famed capital known only as 'Wing City'. While its unique, vast architecture - underneath the heavy downfall of rain and bolts of lightning - appeared to be somewhat promising for a man who had seen more of this vast reality than anybody else currently alive, there was something far more pressing at the moment. To be more specific, the gigantic mass of what could only be defined as primordial darkness, in the shape of a dragonoid creature. This certainly wasn't what he'd been expecting.

This was supposed to be his vacation, his time off. That was the reason why he had gone off to this city in particular, which held potential like none other. The amount of people here, of warriors and of magicians, who held talent were far more than he could count through his senses alone. They should've been capable of demolishing any threat within minutes, so the fact that this thing lasted as long as it did was much less than impressive.

Standing on one foot at the point of the tallest skyscraper at the center of Wing City, having gone unnoticed, he observed as many others battled against the dragonic monster. Why were they attempting such a foolish act? What were they hoping to achieve against something that had no definite form? For he, whom had faced eldritch abominations and lived, he had to admit it was laughable.

Looking down upon the city, Protheus Maximus, as the one and only Herald of Darkness, couldn't help but be very amused.

Judging by the amounts of lightning that Draco kept generating, it must've been running on them as if it were blood. Lightning and shadows - what an annoying combination. Having spent the past fifteen minutes analyzing this monstrosity composed of shadows, figuring out what was effective and what wasn't against it,while scaling its prowess and capabilities, he immediately determined that it probably wouldn't be the best idea to go against it.

They were both native to the darkness, after all. It couldn't be helped. Against his better judgment, he stepped off the skyscraper and let himself float in the air, unperturbed by the heavy winds and the powerful downpour.

"It won't be fun if you died too quickly." Protheus chuckled, and proceeded on to chant a series of Ancient Egyptian words.

As he spoke, his words weighed heavily on the air around the city, and slowly but surely, all electrical power central to the city were being cut off, beginning with the upper levels. More importantly, the lights were dying out, machinery were automatically switching off, and self-sufficient devices were beginning to experience malfunctions and shortages, and all the while communication devices were being blocked out by an alien humming. While he couldn't be sure if it would work on the nearby planetary assault carrier, he was counting upon it.

What he was doing was essentially emitting a personally-generated magical jamming signal that would affect all electrical devices and machinery, thereby dampening any attempt by more advanced technologies to engage in combat against Draco, essentially making it easier for the monster to resume its rampage.

Once Protheus had concluded with his spell, he sat back on the skyscraper with a satisfied grin. Now, it would continue on by itself,and due to the magnitude of the city, it quite possibly wouldn't last longer than an hour, but that was more than enough for the devastation to be dealt.

"Are you going to thank me or not... fellow being of the shadows?" He said in an amused tone, directly above the enormity of the city, though he didn't actually expect to get an answer from Draco.

Shadow-Sabre cursed as he narrowly dodged a bolt of lightning. He dove beneath a fractured slab of pavement for cover. The psychotropic gas was adequately filtered through their helmets, but the same could not be said for the hundreds of civilians that were fleeing from the destruction. Panicked crowds had transformed into violent mobs.

"Switch to stun pulsers!" he ordered. "Paia, have the Minotaurs pacify those mobs with their concussive cannons and make their way closer to Draco."

As the Alpha Troopers assaulted the raving mob with incapacitating bolts of electricity, the droids steadily made their way closer to the source of the destruction. They punched through the crowd with short sonic bursts to stun the rioters while attempting to approach Draco.

When the ground shook at the entry of the Aschen vessel, Verhasst's eyes widened at the sight. "Govno... Get down! Get down!" he shouted over his external speaker before diving under the wreckage of a car. The inferno washed over the landscape, vaporizing civilians and melting pavement into black slag.

"Everyone still alive?!" Agares's voice chirped on their channel.

"Chyort voz'mi!" Nikolai cursed in Russian. "Why the Hell are the Aschen dogs here?!"

"I don't know, but I think they've caused about as much damage as the dragon did... How many do you think that blast killed, a few hundred?"

"That or more... Let's take down that dragon, THEN we'll worry about those bastards..."

"Agreed. Paia, how's that containment field coming?"

<< Activating now... >>

Once the Minotaur droids reached fifty yards from the feet of Draco, they anchored their feet into the molten concrete with massive serrated hooks. Large panels slid open along their chest to reveal two enormous electrodes encased in a glass tube. They sparked to life, generating a blinding light that shot out in a cone towards Draco. There were eight droids in all - two on each side of the dragon. Together, their powerful spotlights washed away every shadow at Draco's feet.

Meanwhile, the Gargoyle drones had formed a wide dome around the dragon - absorbing the lightning bolts that drew near them. Then, as one, they generated a massive electromagnetic field as sparks of electricity danced between the drones. Once the net was formed, every bolt of lightning Draco sent out would reflect back upon him. The drones slowly drew closer and tightened the net.

<< Containment field in place. With that electrical net containing his lightning and those carbon arc spotlights dispelling every shadow, he shouldn't be able to escape or cause any more damage. >>

However, as the drones went into position, Protheus had already gone into action. Since his spell wouldn't immediately take effect and disrupt all electricity in the city, he would have to act as support for the dragon in the meantime. Opening up a portal of shadows, he jumped into it, and exited out by the shadow dragon. As he did so and inspected the current situation from above, while levitating in the air, a small grin formed throughout his face.

<< Containment field in place. With that electrical net containing his lightning and those carbon arc spotlights dispelling every shadow, he shouldn't be able to escape or cause any more damage. >>

"What containment field?" Protheus laughed out, quickly unsheathing his dark sword.

As the net were being tightened, the Gargoyle drones suddenly found themselves being sliced apart one after another, the levitating culprit seemingly not even moving his sword as they were. Dashing from one to another, making a ring across the dragon, they were continually diced into nothing more than mechanical parts. With half of the drones wiped out and the net insufficient, before Draco could do the job himself, Protheus disappeared off into another portal and teleported by the eight Minotaur drones. Basking in the face of such intense light, even after closing his eyes he could feel it. And it hurt, a lot, but not as much as it would hurt that dragon. That was why he had to get rid of it.

Now, one might certainly be wondering why anyone would ever aid such a being. Indeed, it was strange for him to be aiding the monster, but not only were they of the shadows and kin, but he was also bored. Somehow, today he felt more like hearing the screams of children than hearing the cheers of triumphant victory.

"Al-buraaq el-mawt. Al-buraaq el-mawt. Al-buraaq el-mawt."

Thrusting his arms out, he chanted the same words over and over, chanting a spell that once again generated a jamming signal. Though he would only be able to deactivate four of the eight droids for now, that would be more than enough. Then, each of their four sets of enormous electrodes suddenly malfunctioned - before dying out entirely, like a lamp would. With the absence of the carbon arc spotlights, the effect was instantaneous, half of the bright light going away.

Once it was gone, he sighed and wiped his forehead as if he'd been sweating. That, of course, was only a gesture since his body was incapable of such functions.

Jessica ran recklessly, trusting her body to move with the utmost efficiency...and it did. Her footing was nigh on perfect as she followed the stranger through the rubble, and ducking wildly at the slightest crack of thunder lest a building collapse behind her. And she had never run so fast in her life. It was sheer excitement, exhilaration, and ecstasy, knowing that any moment a rock could fall on her head or she could be hit by a stray bolt of lightning and she would just cease to exist as a human being. Fear thrummed through her veins instead of blood and made her legs pump harder just as her lungs felt fit to burst. She was athletic enough, yet somehow, the terror of the situation made the colors seem brighter even as she ran past them.

The man in front of her led her unerringly onwards, with her hand clasped in his. Running as she was, she couldn't get a good look at him, but was inclined to trust him from the brief glances that she got of her 'savior' as they ran together. He wasn't all that bad looking, and the fact that she could have a thought like this at this particular moment in time almost made her giggle. Slowly though, the air seemed to become thicker and her thoughts became cloudy.

Who was this man? She should never trust strangers, particularly men like him. She should kill him. Yes, kill him now before...

Jessica stumbled, and almost fell as she tripped over a piece of fencing. What was she thinking? Kill? And then she realized that something was affecting her. Sudden fear consumed her, and she ran faster, clutching onto the strangers hand as though she were drowning.

Abruptly, Jessica became aware of a sort of tension building in the stranger, and then she tripped again, and the horrendous noise of battle and thunder ceased. Jessica landed in a confused heap on the floor by the table she had just stumbled over, coughing as though she had been in a room full of smoke. Her chest heaved up and down as she caught her breath, and she just lay there on the luxuriously thick carpet, her eyes closed as she became aware of the cool room and the battle that continued in the distance. What the hell had just happened?

It took a while, a few minutes, before Jessica finally sat up and dragged herself to her feet. Unsteadily, she swayed, before shaking her head slowly and looking at the man that had...teleported(?) her away as he introduced her to the city. "Welcome to Wing City."

And then, Jessica did giggle at the sheer absurdity of the gesture. She looked up at him, and smiled sweetly as she dropped her quill back into the satchel bag that she had dragged with her all this way. When Jessica spoke, she was still a little overwhelmed by her situation, but she did her best to respond kindly. "Wing City. Thank you...I traveled a long way to be here and...It's wonderful to see the town so clean when I do" She giggled again at her rubbish joke.

Taking a deep breath, the woman whose hair was streaked with grime, and whose nails were cracked and filthy, approached the man and offered him her hand in greeting and introduction. "Hi...I'm Jess"

Sparks showered all over the woman in the CIC as the strange magical jamming field washed over the Starship like a thick blanket. To the observer, one would look upon this strange alien vessel, and watch as a white light shimmered from front to back, rippling and coalescing along from bow to stern. The Aschen ship yet remained steady as it circled back around.

"Admiral..." The AI reported, turning to Nagala. "I've detected magical interference with our systems, I've directed energies along the shields and am analyzing now. It seems that it's intent on interfering with circuit based electronics, and has little effect on our Integrated Crystal based computron systems." The AI Explained, while a Technician nodded. "The Magically resistant nature of the central control crystals along with our Gel-Crystal based systems has allowed our systems to maintain optimal functionality... I can't say the same for the City below."

The Admiral nodded. "Triangulate the source of the interference and launch Apollo fighters. I want whatever it is taken down." She ordered, as the large Aschen vessel banked broadly around.

"Furthermore our Turbo disruptors seem to have little effect on the larger creature." A Weapon officer reported.

Nagala nodded slightly, and thumbed her chin. "Recalibrate Guns seven through twenty for Anti-Mana burst. We're going to try the Magical Destabilization approach.

The AI nodded. "I'll forward your order to the weapons crews on the appropriate decks."

As the ship circled broadly once more around the City, it let up on it's salvo of weapons fire. It was searching for something, a needle in a haystack perhaps. The AI Was swiftly analyzing the magical energies surrounding the ship, aiming to triangulate them to the source, so that the Fighter pilots could react.

"Prime Missile banks two through seven, Mana Disruptor missiles." She ordered, and the AI nodded it's response. "Priming missile banks two through Seven, Anti-Magic Pulse."

The Reverence came back about, this time it fired a pair of rockets towards the Shadow-Beast, giving off a deafening roar, they seared towards it before detonating in a powerful Anti-Magic Pulse. This pulse would rip through all things magical, temporarily disconnecting powerful magical users from their abilities, accompanied by a painful feedback. Magical constructs and beings would find themselves tore apart at their very form, as the Magical energies were broken and rend from coherency by the interference thrown up by the pulse.

Unfortunately, magical creatures that found themselves in the pulse, would too be disconnected from their magic, and likely destroyed.

The Troopers of Storm-Shadow's squad switched their guns to stun and opened fire upon the people attacking them. Storm-Shadow himself, however, was still on the ground, but soon stood, blocking the punch of a young man and then aiming a chop to the boy's neck, knocking him out without harm. He then took out his Ereb Blast Pistol, set it to stun, and opened fire like the rest of the troopers.

Phoenix Rose made her way to Storm-Shadow and stood beside him, helping him. "Why didn't you tell me that you were James?" she growled to him.

"Now isn't really the best time to ask that, Phoenix." the trooper responded calmly.

Draco continued his rampage, and as the torpedoes came at him, he laughed as they just phased through him and hit the city. As the Minotaur drones came towards him, and cut off his supply of Shadow, he Growled, charging up another blast of lightning quickly as his legs began to deteriorate from the feet up. He let out the blast, narrowly avoiding Protheus as he assaulted the bots.

Draco let out a roar, and the shadows of the city clumped together, forming moving pools of pure Shadow. The pools would move behind the Minotaur Drones, tendrils of pure Shadow coming out of them and aiming to pull the drones into the depths of the Shadow Realm. Draco then spread his wings as the Reverence came around and fired its newest assault against him. The shells would phase through the Dragon's body, but the anti-magic pulse would work.

Dragons are incredibly powerful beings of magical power, and the anti-magic pulse would both sever Draco's control over Storm and Shadow, and force the Shadow Mist forming his body to start to deteriorate quickly. The Minotaur drones would be freed, and Draco would deteriorate, starting from the end of his tail and the bottoms of his feet. He let out a pained roar as the deterioration continued, the mist simply dispersing and no longer being mist.

The last thing that remained of Draco were two red glowing orbs that had formed his eyes. Before he was fully gone, he left an ominous message in the language of the Draconians. "Si geou qe spical! Wux tepoha sia lex!"

The orbs would then dissipate like the mist that had formed the Dragon's body. The clouds above Wing City would dissipate, revealing the sunshine, which made the pools of Shadow disperse and all Shadow return to its rightful place in the city. The people of the city would be free from the power that forced them to fight one another. All that was left as evidence was the dead, wounded, and unconscious citizens of Wing City, the destroyed vehicles of said citizens, and the many buildings and city blocks destroyed, crumbled to the ground by the destructive power of the Dragon.

The Ereb Alpha Troopers of Storm-Shadow's team all looked at their leader, and he stared back at them through his dark green visor. "What? You expect me to know what he said?" he asked. They all nodded. He let out a sigh. "Sorry to rain on your parade, but the only one at Ereb Industries who knows the Draconian language is Miss. Motzu." he said. He holstered his Ereb Blast Pistol and sighed. His bout with Draco had worn him out, physically and mentally. He couldn't even use his Shadow Transport to get back to the hidden facility of Ereb Industries.

Felix smiled, leaning his head forward and lurching upwards to grab her hand and shake it. "'Lex. Courier." The man scooted over to the nearby window and opened it, sticking his torso out and putting a hand over his eyes to gauge the distance between his home and the large, seemingly indestructible dragon.

"Seems we got a new monster every day, you really picked a heck of a day to jump in this city, Jess." Felix rubbed some of the dirt from his face and spat out the window, getting the taste of that thick dirty mist out of his mouth and the dry blood that was driven out of him by the very act of teleporting.

"Hah, just as exciting as my first day. Where are you from- Wait, am I meant to offer you like my bathroom first?" Felix shrugged and laughed.

Jessica watched the young man bounce energetically from shaking her hand to the window to face her once again, and found herself smiling genuinely as she warmed to this 'Lex character. She shook his hand and followed as he looked out of the window, and leaned against the wall beside him as she allowed her gaze to follow his.

The dragon, although it was in the distance, was immense in size as well as presence, and even though it was little more than a mass of darkness on the horizon, she still shivered as though it could bring down the building she was sheltered beneath. "Seems we got a new monster every day, you really picked a heck of a day to jump in this city, Jess." She looked back at Lex as he spoke to her and rose a brow, not quite able to believe that a city, even this wonderfully large one, could sustain itself while taking that level of destruction near enough every day.

She had just opened her mouth to reply when Lex continued. "Hah, just as exciting as my first day. Where are you from- Wait, am I meant to offer you like my bathroom first?"

Jessica smiled, walking back to lean against a table and regard him. She laughed softly as she replied "You live here, then? A bathroom would be good...I need to get some of this dirt off..." She paused and grimaced as she examined her nails "And I'm from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere...nothing special" She looked up and flashed a quick grin at him "I don't mean to impose...and thanks for getting me out of there"

The Reverence came about once more, swinging broadly as the dragon was promptly neutralized by the salvo of Anti-Magic missiles housed in silos on the underside of the ship.

Once it swung around in a broad arc around the city, it came to a stop. A low rumble emanating from it's engines while her Commander stared at the holographic readout of the City, devoid of what was once a large dragon.

"Sitrep." Nagala called out, and a Lieutenant turned to face her.

"Target neutralized." He reported.

Nagala nodded in approval, then took a moment to consider the displays. "Bring us in and prepare for ground deployment, Medical and Humanitarian supplies are priority, and then secure the rest." She ordered. "I'll suit up to go planetside myself." She added, turning to leave the ship's CIC.

Once the massive starship above settled in, a brilliant purple light emanated from the bottom of the vessel. This light remained as the Ship too was parked above the city. Eventually Aschen forces would arrive on the ground to assist the WCPD and Local forces in distributing medical and humanitarian supplies and maintaining order in the city.

Gabriel Ereb, aboard a private jet, skimmed through several files on his tablet. There were numerous schematics depicting everything from weapons to spaceship parts.

Meteor zoomed high in the atmosphere above

Linus Trucidabunt hopped casually off of the train when it pulled into the far busier station just outside of Wing City' Eastern Gates.

He signalled for Carmen to stay close, ignoring the sound of the city beyond the great gate as he prepared the ultimate beeline escape.

Carmen Dellevon followed Linus, reaching for his hand when an especially large ship took to the atmosphere above from within the city. That must be the spaceport.

Linus Trucidabunt surprised himself when he grabbed Carmen's hand back.