Colin's posts

He just nodded in response.

"All right, stand back." he told her.

When she did, and leaned against a nearby wall, he finished the rune and pulsed his mana into it, placing his palms in the centre of it. At first, nothing seemed to happen, before a red aura emanated from the centre, and quickly spread out, though she didn't even feel it.

When she looked out the window, she saw that there was, indeed, a red barrier that covered the entirety of the base, and some degree of the land that extended out beyond her base.

"...heh." he chuckled.

"It works... it works!" he said proudly.

"We're undetectable now!" he exclaimed to her.

For the next 20 seconds, the barrier was holding... before it suddenly started to flicker slightly.

"...what?" he muttered, as the barrier flickered even more. "What's happening...?" he asked further, before it seemed to normalise once more.

"".......whew." he exhaled... moments before the rune started to spark with mana... and violently at that. So much so, it launched him across the room into the wall opposite the woman.

Which then resulted in the barrier starting to close in on the room they were in... but more specifically, towards the woman, herself.

Hal just watched as the ladies left, before sighing.

"I've never been so relieved, but so stressed, at the same time." he muttered to himself.

"Olivia's alive, but she's in the clutches of that maniacal dark elf." he growled.

"Who knows what twisted shit is happening there right now...?" he wondered aloud with a growl.

Meanwhile, the one that the woman had been summoned by... the grey-skinned man from earlier... looked towards her when she spoke to him. He recoiled slightly, but she could see he was proud of himself. Which, admittedly, was dangerous around her. But perhaps 'proud' was too strong a word. He more looked like he was hopeful, and wanting praise from her.

"Mistress, I overheard what the wood elf said to her." he said. "That Gaea herself showed up and interfered, almost managed to take the fae girl away, too." he said to her.

"And I know that if she manages to zero in on your location, it won't be good... at all." he told her further.

"But! But I think I've found a way to interfere with that!" he then continued, before gesturing to the entirety of the rune.

"This rune will create a barrier." he explained. "It will be visible to all those here, under your control, with your mana in them, but invisible to anyone else." he explained. "This barrier will act as an invisibility cloak. When Gaea tries to scan for you, or anyone else here... all she'll see is a blank slate. An abandoned base, so to speak." he went on.

"All I need to do is finish completing the rune..." he then said, gesturing to the one part of the rune that wasn't yet connected. "...and then activate it with my own mana." he finished.

"Well, she said she loved your father." Ryker responded. "She also followed that up with 'everyone did'." he then added.

"If I were to wager a guess, she wants to make sure that you survive, as she wants your father's genes to carry on. For his name and legacy to continue." he said further.

He was then silent, noticing that Eke seemed to be enjoying doing little things around the kitchen. Or, little things in general.

"Hmmm." he mumbled.

"Hey, Eke?" he said.

"Lemme ask you something." he said further.

"Would you be all right with getting a fish tank in this place?" he asked. "Like, one that can hold various kinds of fish, and be like a calming centrepiece of sorts?" he clarified.

"....." Hal just nodded.

"I understand." he said.

"Do what you need to." he told her.

"And we will do the same." he continued.

"The sooner we find her, and rescue Liv, the better." he then reasoned.

With that, he looked to Terra, and sighed.

"If there's anything you wish to discuss further with myself and/or Angela, now's the time." he said to her.

Hal was silent.

"I... I do not know." he admitted.

"I just... I don't know." he said.

"We know she's with Vanessa, but that really doesn't help us." he went on, before looking at Terra.

"...unless... well..." he mumbled, trailing off some.

"But even if you did find her, we wouldn't know where to go from there." he lamented.

Hal remained quiet as Terra explained all she did, before sighing.

"...I see." he mumbled.

"That explains why when you wished to know where Olivia was, I couldn't give you information." he told Angela.

"From what I recall, Vanessa Encrae managed a deal with the devil. And she was granted immunity from Heaven and Hell until her death, as part of the deal." he explained.

"And my existence is... well... it's technically because of a weave of mana from both places. Meaning my mana and magic are useless when it comes to Encrae's affairs... which now include Liv, unfortunately." he sighed.

"At least we know she's alive."

"I... admittedly, I am unsure as to where she is." Sharp responded.

"Hence why I'm making a personal call." he told her.

He then took out his cellphone, and dialled Angela's number.

It rang and rang, until it went to voicemail.

"..." Hal was silent, before sighing and calling one more time, to no answer.

So he sent a text.

Liv is alive. Come to my office for details. he sent, making it succinct but informative enough.

Hal's eyes widened.

"She is!?" he exclaimed, before pausing.

"Wait, how did you know...?" he started to say, as the gears turned.

"...that... that would explain..." he mumbled, shaking his head a little.

"Right, first things first." he said.

"Would you mind if I called someone here?" he asked. "So she can be here to hear this?" he asked further.

"Odds are she's best off hearing this firsthand." he reasoned.

After a minute or so, she was beckoned to enter.

To which she did.

When she did, Hal was just looking at her confusedly and concernedly.

"Hello again." he greeted her.

"I... noticed you left earlier, and when you returned, I could tell that you were... less than pleased, to understate it massively." he continued.

"I assume you're here to fill me in?" he asked.

Luke's eyed widened a little bit when he felt the creature coiling around him.

"...oh..." he said quietly.

"Oh my. Thank you." he told her.

"I'll bring this to her right away." he said further.

"............." he was then silent, before swallowing hard.

"Is... is everything... okay?" he asked her.

After a second, it was Luke who answered.

"Ah... yes?" he asked when he did.

"What is it?" he asked further, feeling a little nervous.

He'd felt the intense and ominous aura in the building when she'd entered, and was unsure if there was trouble.

"....come in?" he then offered, stepping out of the way.

"......" Azari was just silent for a moment.

"I... well..." he stammered.

"See, she was just brought here, and... well, I mean, I wasn't really expecting it..." he stammered out further.

"It's just... well, I mean, I needed to..." he went on, before he steeled himself.

"GAEA, FORGIVE ME!" he shouted, before he took out what looked to be a sort of taser, and jabbed it into Terra's back, sending an immense amount of disrupting mana inside her.

"...when you retain physical form... the girl and I will be gone." he said.

"..........." Azari was silent for a moment, before biting his lip.

"I..." he stammered.

"You know what, just... I'll show you." he said.

"Talking's no good here. Might as well just finish opening the door." he muttered, shaking his head and finishing unlocking the door.

He then pulled it open and allowed Terra to look inside... but at the same time, he put his hand on his pocket, this time mentally preparing for something. He needed to act fast, and the timing needed to be right.

Inside the room, Terra found that it was more like a cell. There were no windows, no light, nothing. And inside was a little girl. A little girl with a blindfold over her eyes, and her hands bound together in front of her with a special cord that suppressed and drained mana, weakening her to the point where any movements she could have made would have been a real effort for her.

Azari froze when Terra asked him the question.

"GAH!" he exclaimed, whirling around.

"Ah! I! Uh!" he stammered, before shaking his head.

".....nothing important." he answered.

"Just... something I should bring back to her." he said.

"Not related to the familiars or anything. You should... go and get that done, right?" he asked her, starting to sweat heavily.