The Secret Vale Archives [Closed]

Shiroe smiled as the smoke dissipated, he felt exhausted. Using 3 runes consecutively without any pauses took a lot out of him and he ended up using his Sabre for support. Panting a bit then finally calming down he walks past the fried robotic remains of the crows and the collapsed knight while sheathing his Sabre. "Well, at least these idiots are all alive." he said while laughing a bit. He walked towards the now unguarded door and said, "So, shall we rest before we proceed?"

With the water pouring and the berries oozing, it was no question that everyone wanted to leave right then and there. They opened the Iron Door which was surprisingly unlocked and it led them to another corridor. It was a short one but yet again, before they could reach the next room, there was another door. This one seemed to be a sliding door made of smooth sandstone and in the middle was a small circular depression. Above it was an inscription.

Say you'd never seek to lose me,
While you live we cannot part,
I must dwell lifelong inside you,
Locked within your beating heart

And then etched in with thicker letters:

Though this be so, spare one tear of me, and I shall open the path.

Solomon approached the inscription and quietly read it to himself. After some thought, he felt he had solved the riddle. "I'm no brainiac, but I think it wants a little bit of blood. Not sure if we all have to give some, though." He turned around to face the group. "Okay, Vega and Shiroe. You two have blades so I guess one of you gets the honor of slicing yourself."

Vega walks toward the door and inspects the inscription. "I have to agree with Solomon, a drop of blood seems to be the key." Vega begins moving his wires and sends one out and making it taut. "Unfortunately my blade would only leave us paralyzed but I do have the next best thing." Vega removes his left glove exposing his bare skin and lightly passes his index finger across the wire. The wire's sharpness easily causes the blood to flow. Moving his finger away Vega manipulates his wire with the blood still on it over the depression, letting the blood flow into it. Not wanting to dirty his glove, Vega removes the other and places them in his pockets.

The drop of blood turned into a splot of maroon on the dusty depression, but it soon sank in and the entire small circle turned a bright red. The walls and floor began rumbling and soon the stone door slid open, the sound of unbearable grinding filled everyone's ears, but finally the door was wide open and led to another circular room.

The room was wide and full of bookshelves. There was a balcony above. In the middle, there were three stone woman, tall and wide, each holding a different weapon. In front of the center woman, there was a figure, a thin girl wearing a silver mask and holding two bells.

"Now I have all of you in place..." she said. With a swift motion, her bells turned into a figure 8 and they chimed harmonically. A large glowing glyph appeared underneath the team's feet. "Binder!" the girl yelled.

Within seconds, the group would be pulled down by gravity. They needed to act fast.

Remembering their earlier encounter, Vega immediately kicks off from his position and moves forward away from the girl's glyph. As he did so a sharp pain shot through his side and his face flashed with pain but only for a second before he regained his composure. Fighting off the pain Vega yells, "Move! It will stop your movements!" Vega grits his teeth as he activates his wires, worried that drawing his sword would only make the pain worse. The hitting the wall must have cracked a rib, dammit!

Nodding to Vega who seemed to wince in pain for a second he notices the glyph on the ground and immediately decides to leave it's area of effect. Brandishing his Sabre Shiroe jumps away from the glyph and starts running towards the right side of the room while keeping an eye out for any more attacks. Careful not to get near the statues or the girl just yet he starts charging a new rune on the ground below him by slightly kneeling down and placing his hand on the ground. Settling for his rune of protection he starts charging his aura into it and watching out for any sudden attacks from the girl and the statues.

Charging. Rune of Protection

If he receives any attacks before the rune finishes he would have to abandon it and fight with his already imbued sword runes again but won't be able to cast area spells for the whole team...

As Vega gave out his warning, Solomon remembered how exhausted Marc was after fighting the knight. There is no way that didn't drain him, he reassured himself. He sprinted towards Marc. "Brace!" he called out just before tackling Marc. The two of them slid across the floor, only barely out of the glyph's reach.

Liseran bit her lip as the group began dodging her Binder spell, so she switched tactics. Changing the motion of her bells, she lifted herself in the air and made a large diamond shape with Weeping Cerinthe, a bright light blue emblem glowing. She shot it out towards Vega who seemed injured at the moment.

"I'll freeze him and take him out first," she said.

Still high in the air, the emblem flew towards Vega. once it touched him Vega would be frozen.

Solomon studied Marc for a second before coming to the conclusion that he was not fit to fight. Still, it was obvious that arguing with the boy was not an option. He took one look at Marc's weapon before speaking. "I can't throw that," he said as he motioned towards Olyndicus. "It's too irregularly shaped and your combined weight is too much for that distance." As he finished his sentence, he removed Mănușă de Putere and put the gloves on Marc's hands. "I pre-loaded them with electric dust. All you have to do is touch her," he instructed. Without waiting for a reply, Solomon grabbed Marc by the ankles and began to spin around in place with Marc dangling in his hands. On the fourth spin, Solomon released his human projectile with a loud grunt, sending Marc hurtling towards their assailant with shocking speed and accuracy.

As Liseran shot one emblem into the air, she noticed Marc charging right at her. She was still high in the air, but she was dropping slowly and she would soon be colliding with him. The assailant seemed to be stretching out his hands as if to grab her. There's something wrong about those gloves, Liseran thought. There was no avoiding it though, unless...

Liseran struck one bell in a figure 7 but just as the emblem released, Marc came into contact with her and along with it came a strong electric shock. Liseran groaned and she dropped to the ground next to her bells, numbed but still able to feel pain. Reaching for other bell, she rang it wildly towards the statues.

"Awake!" she cried out desperately.

Slowly, the statues began to move. Their eyes began to glow and from it, black water began to pool from them. The center statue moved first, large with its long iron sword. It swung down towards Marc who was in the air and Solomon on the ground.

Vega attempts a to leap and roll out of the way of the emblem coming at him but pain once again shoots through his body causing him to take too long to move. Most of Vega's body manages to avoid the glyph but his legs get caught and freeze due to the glyph's power. Unable to roll Vega falls flat on his face and feels an even worse pain in his body. His face twists in pain as he holds back a scream, finally as the pain becomes bearable Vega begins to breathe heavily as he starts at his feet encased in ice. Dammit this isn't going well at all. Trying to keep an eye on his opponent, Vega turns back to notice Marc and the girl on the ground as well as the statues moving. Thinking it is a hallucination from the pain Vega doesn't bring attention to the statue and instead looks toward the girl a slight smile as he tries to hide the pain. "I guess meeting under better circumstances wasn't possible."

Behind the rest of the group Thorn would stalk them from the shadows. She barely managed to get in the last room. She thought to herself looking at the rest of the group engaged in combat, "I could kill them all right here for master Kalius...no I can't..." She came out of one of the darker areas of the room dressed in her same attire, but this time with a black and red cloak designed with two tridents crossed on the back with an ambrosia in the middle. She had watched all he events that took place in the past rooms and it was finally time for her to take action. She looked at the statues and then the girl. She took Ambrosia Spike from her belt under the cloak and transformed it into its 12 gauge form. She loaded in her hollow/piercing rounds and loaded kinetic dust into the compartment available. She took aim at the girl but then reconsidered. She activated her semblance causing a wild frenzy of thorns to and prickers to storm around Thorn. She could still see clearly through them as she fired a volley of shots at the statues. With her now glowing red eyes that could be seen through the storm, a Thorn looked directly at the girl with the eyes that could pierce a soul. She said out loud trying to be louder than the twister around her she said, "I hate glyphs...no offense Shiroe...but they just piss me off..." After firing off her shots at the statues, she would transform Ambrosia back into its trident form. She pointed it up towards the ceiling and began to fire a steady stream of electric dust from it. The dust would cause the thorns surrounding her to become electrocuted and she smiled. The only reason Thorn would not be caused damage is because of the cloak she wore around her and her lack of skin showing. The cloak tore here and there but otherwise would suffice. She looked at the group and said, "Play times over kiddies...The Ambrosia Assassin is here..."

Solomon began to brace himself, but was distracted by Thorn's display. Did she just say 'assassin'? He turned back towards the statue, but it was too late. He attempted to dodge the attack, but couldn't quite get away in time. While he successfully avoided the blade and any dismemberment, he was too close to avoid the shockwave of the impact and was sent flying across the room. Hitting the wall with a thud, Solomon slumped to the ground in a daze. He only had the wind knocked out of him, but he would still need a moment to recover.

The middle statue's sword hit Solomon, as Liseran could see, but she couldn't tell if the one who shocked her got hit as well at the moment. Her legs were fuzzy but she remembered the last time she stayed paralyzed, her targets got away. She forced herself to stand up, groaning as the numbness jolted through her legs. Grabbing onto the ledge of the nearby bookshelf she slammed into, she looked up to see the bolts of lightning coming from the dust rounds shot above. Nearby, someone had created a storm of thorns and that if she got near there, she'd only be asking for more trouble.

Liseran dodged as much as she could the lightning and just as one was about to strike her, the first of the statue women moved over to her with her shield and guarded her. As the statues were stone, the lightning was only absorbed and save for a few minor cracks due to the force, it didn't destroy them. Liseran grabbed the edge of the shield to lift her from the floor.

I have to use the lightning against them... Liseran thought. She eventually climbed up onto the statue's arm and began ringing one of her bells. The bell chimed lightly and Liseran took the second to turn it into a tear drop. Sorrowful, I call upon thee... she said in her head.

With that, another glyph shot out, but as it did, it turned into a large wave aiming downwards and pouring onto the floor, waiting for the lightning to touch it and shock those who came into contact with it.

Finishing his rune he started channeling his aura into it while focusing on getting it in shape. Rune of Protection. Activate. Forming a large dome around him of energy he activates it to avoid the lightning and to provide his teammates with a shield as well. Watching as  the fight ensued he knew he had to get the rest inside if they couldn't handle the  successive blows from the statues.

Whoever said I used glyphs?

"Hurry and get in!" he shouted while finishing the touches on his shield. Looking towards Thorn and her, well...thorns, he shouted "And on the contrary, I USE RUNES NOT GLYPHS!"

Thorn looked at Shiroe with a look of pure annoyance. She said, "I'm not getting in that thing..." She stood her ground outside of the shield and held up Ambrosia Spike straight up to the ceiling. She would hope to use it as a lightning rod absorbing the shock damage. She looked at Shiroe again and said, "Glyphs, runes, same damn thing! I hate both of them either way!" She thought to herself, "I don't want to kill hem...but they're managing to tick me off with their tacky fighting styles and...just everything in general...I won't strike them..." She held her trident straight up waiting for the lightning.

After Liseran sent out the wave of water towards the group, she felt another strong shock come to her as Marc grabbed her by the ankle. She screamed in pain and was about to fall off, but she turned one of her bells into a dagger to stab into the statue. She looked down, the lightning still coursing through her body to see Marc dangling by her foot. She tried to kick him off, but she couldn't, only managing to swing him and dislocate her knee. Using the last of her might, she faced her other bell in front of Marc's face and waved a 7 figure.

"Burn and die!" she shouted. It was the most anger she had ever felt and the glyph she cast charged right in front of Marc and sent out a fireball, but Liseran couldn't tell if she hit him.

The third statue was finally making it's move as the lightning shot up into the air and the water began to fill the floor. It's head began to crack from the jolting blows, but it remained intact all the same.

From the heads of the group, Vixen's soft whisper came.

You should listen to what I tell you, you know...it really pays off.

The hint! What was it again, something about using something they don't have...


"Use dust attacks on the statues!" Shiroe shouted as he started charging his Sabre again. This time with a rune of force while also charging the same rune on the floor. He wasn't fond of double casting but he knew that they had to do and it had to be done quickly. His shield started getting hit by a torrent of water and he wasn't sure if it was going to hold any longer.

Rune of Force. Fully Charged

Having both runes ready he positioned himself for a long ranged vault and readied himself for an attack. Placing his Sabre to his side after a series of quick slashes to the rune he positions into a different kind of stance while he channels his aura and some dust into his sword and the rune.

Let's hope this works. Release Rune of Force.

Marc felt the heat of flames coming towards him and widened his eyes, quickly rolling to the side and talking the shot to his bicep. "Son of a-" he started to hit the flame left on his sweater until it extinguished.

At this point not only was his energy low but his arm fairly injured. Marc wanted to just lay down and sleep, but of course that was no option. Just as he was about to let the others handle it, completely exhausted, he heard Shiroe yell out to use dust.

When pulling out Olyndicus Marc could now feel the weight of his weapon. He held it to the best of his ability while loading in ice dust. The weapon switched forms and mounted it on his knees, gritting his teeth and starting to fire the dust-loaded chain gun.

"I am getting very tired of your game." Marc scowled to himself at the woman whom had been speaking in their heads.

Just as Solomon got to his feet, a torrent of water slammed right back into the wall. Stop slacking! he told himself. Don't be useless. Hearing Shiroe's order he grabbed Distrugere and clenched his hands....but nothing happened. Confused he looked down at his hands, only to realize Marc still had his gloves. Shit! This is bad. "Shiroe! Marc has my dust conduits, but do you think blunt force could work?" he asked holding up his ball and chain.

"I have no idea but the hint says otherwise!" he said, just as the rune started glowing a bright white tinge, "Try getting to Marc!" he yelled as he released his rune. Release. Just then Shiroe vaulted towards the third statue statue from his position just before the water broke through and came crashing down. High in the air he twists his body and channels his aura into his blade with his rune of fire while feeding dust into the blade, aiming to hit the statue right in the face.
Release. Rune of Fire. Just as he starts swinging for the statue with his Sabre, the blade starts burning with a powerful blue fire. Pity I'd have to ruin that beautiful face of yours.

With Marc down, Liseran staggered upwards onto the arm again, dragging her leg with the dislocated knee behind her, trying not to scream and trying not cry.

From below, the boy with the white hair sent a fire attack towards the face of one of the statues with an axe and the sound of crumbling stone was heard as the face began to fall into pieces. It swung it's axe furiously, unable to see with the now Dust damaged face. In the middle, the statue with the sword was finally taking damage to all the lightning strikes to the head, it's face half-cracked, but the statues all the same were still moving.

Liseran shouted angrily as she watched them unscathed because of the small dome.

They can't stay in there forever," she thought to herself.

The water she had set out had subsided and she was carefully to stay under the head of the statue she was on to keep from the lightning Dust. She grabbed her injured knee and tried to push it back into location, biting the handle of one of her bells to stop her from screaming and crying.

I...I can't let them have that book... Liseran thought. I can't!

It was then that she realized that while the group was quite contained inside the dome save for the one who had sent out lightning and there was the one she had singed with her fireball spell.

I can at least take them out... she thought.

Mustering her strength she formed a diamond shape and cast it around the group protected by the dome. Almost immediately an ice barrier was formed and surrounded them as a second layer. If they were gonna stay still they might as well be contained. The other sending lightning was still outside, and she again tried casting the binder spell as the girl remained focused on her attacks. The emblem appeared beneath her feet and Liseran prayed to the creators that the girl would fall and stumble down to it immediately. Once she was bound, she'd focus on the man who had dislocated her knee...

Solomon jumped clear from the barrier just as the ice formed around it. He turned back to check on Shiroe. Shit, he's trapped in there. Well, Shiroe never said blunt force wouldn't work here. He lifted Distrugere and with a hefty swing, he slammed it into the ice. Without checking to see if it shattered, he dropped his ball and chain and sprinted towards Marc. Damnit, I'm useless now without those gloves.

As he neared Marc he called out a warning. "I require that you give my gloves back, sir," he said as he scooped the boy up and slung him over his should in one fluid motion. Once he had reached a safe distance, he placed Marc down and took back his gloves, careful to not shock himself. "Much better," he muttered as he finished putting them on. Ignoring Marc for the moment, he switched his gloves to kinetic dust and began to charge the closest of the statues. "You picked the wrong batch of kids to mess with, lass," he shouted as he leapt into the air and unleashed a open palm strike on the closest statues knee.

The barrier of ice Liseran had formed was thick, but Solomon's weapon was strong enough to break open a wall. As he went forward and clasped the middle statue's knees, the statue jolted, its knee beginning to crumble downward to the feet. Without the balance, the statue with the sword began falling down right over Solomon, just about to crush him. The third statue with the axe began walking up to the ice barrier and the girl, swinging down its giant silver blade ready to attack whether she had been bound by Liseran's spell or not.

That's impossible! Liseran thought. How do they know only Dust attacks work?

Liseran clenched her teeth, her mind running out of ideas.

But if I can't defeat them, I can at least stop them from entering the other room!

Ringing her bell, she instructed the statue she was resting on. Without further ado, the statue threw it's shield towards the next door, blocking it with its 10m disc of hard metal. The other statue that was falling but it's long blade was headed towards Marc, ready to hit as well.