Unleashed (Closed to Storm Veritas)

[Storm Veritas]

The actions of Shinsou were as clear as the words that Storm could hear so directly. The white buzzing of the portals was all about him, but the fury that motivated the wizard also sharpened him, dampening the shrill white noise to a soft hum. He knew the sharp, shriff sounds of Vaan Osiris’s projectiles, and could easily surmise that the Telgradian had used his own magics to break a few of these abominable portals to gods-knew-where.

Shinsou’s advice to avoid the portals was an unintentional torment; the electromancer was surrounded in this artificial hallway by the tall portals on all sides, including the vaulted ceilings that prevented any clever flight-borne tricks that might do him well. There was no “avoiding” them, but it was telling that the closer he came to each door, the more he felt what could only be described as a drift. His head felt lightened, and his body more relaxed. The portals were also soothingly warm in the cool, drizzly graveyard, almost enticing.

He’s smart. He’s got me in a cage; going to slowly drain me. There’s a lot of juice to go around here. Let me give you a taste, Arius

It was an effortless pulse he pushed from his fingertips, watching his right hand extend like a hand of one of the Old Gods, glowing white emerging pumping forth from his hand like a river, the smooth scent of ozone rich through his lungs. The smooth cylinder of white was speckled with gold, purple, and blue notes; an effortless burst that could easily kill a man, perhaps two or three if they were armored soldiers clustered closely.

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Unlike Shinsou’s magic, Storm Veritas found his wizardry completely ineffective against the portal. His energy just seemed to pass through like air through an open door, with no response or reception to the burst that he unleashed. Discouraged, the dread muddled once more in his intestines, a heavy reminder of how powerless he was, despite how close he had come.

“Snifft!”

In a quick, silent attack, Arius had emerged from the portal behind him, slashing a hot blade across his shoulderblades, cutting his back open wide with a careless, almost oafish lack of precision. The wizard tore around in a rage, ready to blast that which no longer remained. In a flash, Mephisto had disappeared again, the his sneering smile seeming to fade into transparency in the midst of the buzzing white.

Slash!

Another single step and a swipe, and this time Mephisto had darted across the hallway of portals, exiting from Storm’s right flank and entering just as quickly on his left. In this rapid maneuver, he dragged what Veritas viewed from the corner of his eye as a golden glowing sabre, a savage weapon that cleaved the aging magician behind the knees and dropped him instantly to one knee.

“I learned much about you, wizard, but you’ve only grown old, slow, and weak. Your days are OVER.” Arius taunted him from outside the hallway of portals; it was an insult that Storm had no retort to this time. His eyes tightened into a furious squint; his hands both aglow now with so much electric energy that the buzzing white magic obscured all the flesh from the wrist down in a cloud of swirling sorcery.

A crashing sound behind him sent the traveler into a spin, his hands flying forward and bursting white before he identified Shinsou, whom had broken another portal and reappeared. Determined not to take note of the large wounds that had ravaged him, Veritas chose instead to motion in a circle towards the perimeter of portals that enveloped the Brotherhood. Blood was collecting in a pool by his feet; the flow from his wounds a steady sandglass that explained the plunging level of color on his face. He coughed weakly as he spoke.

“Right on cue, young fella’. About fucking time. Get tight; he’s using the doors to get the jump on me.”