View source for 2281/A Storm of Steel

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/05/19
|Location=Wyveria
|Synopsis=Ainsley needs dragon bones, and Ysabel's willing to provide them, assuming everyone goes through the work for it first.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=151, 236, 495, 581, 619, 626, 714, 766
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While scorching hot during the day, the Desert region instead experiences a sharp chill at night. The moon hangs high in the sky, surrounded by a blanket of stars streaked now and then by the tail of a comet. The wind is hardly a breeze for now, but further in the distance over the rolling dunes, a sandstorm is all too apparent as a chaotic pillar rising to the sky. What's more, it's incredibly localized: normally a sandstorm should be heralded by blustering winds, spread out through a wide area, but this one seems oddly constrained, as if all the wind in the region found itself focused on a single point as wide as a city block.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The observant may notice the bizarre absence of wildlife for a wide area. Normally, one would at least see Genprey wandering the oasis, or Apceros herds grazing on tough grasses, or Cephalos swimming through the sands, or at the very least small insects and lizards making a nuisance of themselves, but even the smallest creatures seem to have gone into hiding. Not a single natural sound passes through the air, save for the distant whistling of the sandstorm. The silence feels as if the entire world holds its breath in anticipatory dread.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The base camp where Ysabel waits is located on a rocky overhang in one of the few oases of the Desert, overlooking the sandstorm raging in the distance. It's a simple setup, with a tusk-and-leather-built tent sitting under the overhang's shade and a ladder leading down the cliff to the dunes. The standard red and blue chests sit at opposite ends of the camp, and a fire pit ready for a campfire is settled in the hard rock in front of the tent.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ysabel deals with none of these things. Her form entirely shielded by the silver sheen of her Kushala armor, she stands at the edge of the rocky overhang watching the distant sandstorm and contemplating it in silence. On her back is the strange azure and pink shape of the Azure Rosebloom switch axe, folded up for storage and ready to unfold at a moment's notice. She's about as silent as the steel mask of her helmet might suggest, waiting for others to arrive to deal with the elder dragon residing in that distant storm.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:766|Ellard Asha (766)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Every week, the young Ellard picks a new highlight for his hair. He goes through the primary color wheel. Today his iron colored hair has electric purple highlights. He is decked out in his customary gear. Leather jacket/breast plate. Tower shield. Seven foot wooden case on his back. Loose desert wrap on his head. Water bottles on his mount. Goggles around his head. mPro video camera strapped to his goggles. Speaker system around his neck playing the latest PHAT ELECTRIC RAMUH BEATS.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Too much sand, very cold nights, a general lack of water... Yep. This was definitely a desert. Sanary had never been to a desert at night, but she's definitely seen her fair share of deserts during the day. It's because of that discrepancy in temperatures that she's shivering right now, no doubt partly due to her wearing only a t-shirt and sweatpants underneath the set Tetsucabra Z armor. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What the hell... I-I thought deserts were supposed to be hot!" The healer's practically jogging in place just to keep herself from freezing, looking much better than she did just a few days ago. She's also armed to the gills: A gunaxe on her hip, a buckler on the other side, and a massive metal bagpipe strapped to her back. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "W-well. There's probably some of those drinks in the... The box, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ainsley wasn't about to simply sit out something like this. Despite not wanting to participate in combat in general these days, she has arrived prepared for just that. She also has a proto-abstractum ribbon tied to the end of her tail to help with the chilly air out here, since she is, in fact, cold-blooded and would probably die if she was hit by a wave of fatigue at the wrong time in the form of a snap of cold air.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She probably showed up earlier than most of those showing up today, and this meant she had time to prepare snacks on the open fire. It smells like barbecue around the camp site, and there's an array of meats for everyone to snack on at the camp fire if they so choose.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lizard woman floats up to land near Ysabel, and stare out at the sandstorm, frowning in that direction. She checks her equipment while she waits for everyone to show up, having brought her daggers and the sword, as well as a very large book strapped to her back like a shield.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyra will gladly hunt monsters if it is a team job involved. It's pretty much guarenteed between Ainsley coming and Kyra knowing that Ellard was as well. She's pretty confident about all of this too knowing that very recently she had a Magic Incident so there was a very high probability that there wouldn't be any more for a while. That's /usually/ how it worked, after all. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kitted out with her 'expert support' loadout (CURE-ALL plus various potion sundries), she too has a set of goggles over her eyes. The goggles are usually standard riding equipment but given yonder sandstorm, she probably won't be removing them this fight. Across her forehead is the camera she's using to stream the fight-though with Ellard that means they'll have DUAL FEED ACTION. Multiple angles! The Mognet will go wild! <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She too is astride a chocobo-or more specifically her chocobo summon matrix. Being the standard model, it is a yellow-feathered bird with respectable speed. She doesn't dismount once she finally arrives at Ysabel's meeting spot-that is until she sees the snacks that Ainsley made. She'll get off the chocobo, which disappears once she does, and help herself. "Hi guys!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:619|Sanae Kochiya (619)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One of the things for Sanae Kochiya, on these assignments, is that she gets the full force of the local flavor. Accordingly, when it came time to ride out across the desert in a world where monster hunting is more than a hobby, but a way of life, there was only one way to properly do it. Certainly, she could have walked, or flown under her own power. Instead, with the dose of wealth from her last job still burning proverbial holes in her pockets, and her standard policy of supporting local economies, she decided to rent a valiant steed to take her out to the rendezvous point! She had heard of large, bipedal birds that are typically used as pack beasts on some worlds like this - but instead of a striding, noble figure cutting across the desert, she settles for what they had. A cart, pulled by a pair of creatures resembling something between a fluffier ostrich and a peafowl, which certainly get the job done but are not quite so elegant about it. They kick up a small dust storm of their own, heading in.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The priestess, herself, also bought a simple, grey-brown cloak to go over her normal adornments. Light and breezy, and easily removed, it is the perfect shelter against the bite of the night's chill. With the camp in sight, but more importantly that incredibly dense sandstorm in the distance, the Gargwa come to a stop on their own, seemingly refusing to go any farther. "..well, I guess that's close enough. Thanks!" Was she just talking to the birds? Apparently so, since she reaches to give one a pat on the flank. And just then, some cacophony chimes in across the desert, heralding the approach of another fellow would-be hunter. Her eyes glance over with just a touch of momentary jealousy. That's the kind of horse bird she wanted! Nonetheless, she plods the rest of the way to the camp, pulling down the hood of the cloak, smiling broadly, "I guess this is where we're meeting, then! I'm Sanae Kochiya. And that conspicuous dust storm is..?"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The aproach of another distracts her, though, and she brightens again when turning to her, "Miss Sanary! Deserts get cold at night. There's little plant cover to help regulate the temperature gradiants, you see." A glance is also given beyond, to Ainsley..a figure familiar from a week or two ago in that strange nightmarescape. But she seems preoccupied, just like she was back then.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riva definately likes the desert at night more than the day. You can always put on more warm clothes, but there's a limit to what you can take off. <br /><br />Nevertheless, Riva doesn't bundle up much. She figures she's going to be warming up by running around a lot soon enough. The vast and multiudinous variety of horribly murderous and deadly wildlife in this land doesn't go unnoticed either... Or it wouldn't if there were any. Right now the place is kind of bare. <br /><br />Thus it is that Riva approaches the base camp with her large two-handed mace in the shape of the anchor-like Ajoran cross on her back and two MP7s at her sides. <br /><br />"Hiiiiiiiii!" She waves to Ysabel, almost defying how serious business the situation is with her cheerful greeting. "I'm here to help!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:236|Auron (236)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first sign of his appearance will be a large yellow bird riding towards the base camp, with a man in a red coat mounted on its back. That would be Auron. He has his sword, as well as the bow he acquired here. It's made for killing giant monsters, and that's generally what needs to be done when someone puts out a call for help in Wyveria.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sounds of people arriving are likely to fill the silence. But still Auron doesn't like it. Why isn't there any wildlife? What's got them so scared? Or has it actually eaten everything? He notes a very large group already there, and relaxes a bit. The more people there the better. He arrives at the base camp, pulls the bird to a halt, and then dismounts<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hello," he offers, to the group at large. As much as he's glad for so much help, greeting everyone individually would take a while! And he's not really one to say much. Unless he has something to say, of course.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ellard's arrival gets...a long, expressionless stare from Ysabel. She's seen a lot of strange things and people, but this is certainly new. At least she recognizes the bizarre bird he's riding on from Auron's various appearances, so that's something familiar. Kyra's on one too; they must be from the same place, so hopefully that should apply some kind of reason to their strangeness. "...hi," she finally says with a mix of uncertainty and weariness to the two. "Ysabel Thibault. Nice to meet you. Don't get mauled."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ah, Sanary, that's someone she recognizes. The huntress raises a hand in greeting, then jabs a thumb toward the blue chest. "Yeah, hot drinks are in there. You'll want to chug one on the way. Without anything to hold in all the heat, the Desert's going to freeze your ass off at night. Haven't you read the region summaries?" Well, hunter in training. She'll go easy on her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ainsley gets a long stare of her own, considering Ysabel hasn't run into the lizard woman before. Lizard people are still a bit of an oddity for her, considering her usual targets; fortunately, the grimace she no doubt shows is hidden by the mask of her helmet, giving her a moment to compose herself before she responds. "Ainsley, right? Hey. Hope you're prepped for this one. Keep that lightning you were talking about handy, this thing's weak to electricity."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sanae gets a nod as well; is that a hint of relief in Ysabel's voice when she speaks, seeing someone ride in on something /reasonable/? Brownie points for the shrine maiden, it seems. "Ysabel Thibault, hey. The dust storm is our target, the Kushala Daora. I'll give a summary once everyone's set up, since I think we have a couple more coming."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Speak of the devil, there's Riva and Auron - people Ysabel recognizes enough to not stare, even despite that baffling cheer on Riva's end. Both of them are offered brief waves, and then Ysabel's folding her arms and giving people a summary of what's to come. "So, that sandstorm over there is caused by a Kushala Daora. It's a particularly dangerous elder dragon whose scales are made of steel - literally - and who controls the wind at all times. It'll be hard to get close to it, and even harder when it's angry, so I hope you have some ranged abilities. This isn't some random animal, so don't expect it to fall for dumb tricks. It's probably as smart as any of you, and it'll fight with all its power to defeat you. We have a few things we can do to counteract what it can do, though."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ysabel counts the various points on her fingers as she speaks. "First, we can poison it, which is why I have this specific weapon here. It's very susceptible to poison, and while it's suffering from that, it can't muster winds to the strength it normally can. Second, we can break its horns, which is a permanent solution to weakening its wind ability. Second one's not exactly /easy/, but it's something. Just stay alert, be ready to get blown around, and don't let it surprise you."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that, she nods, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Now let's get this finished before it moves off somewhere else. Be ready to defend yourselves as soon as we get to the sandstorm." The hunter turns away from the group, then, and starts down the ladder toward the dunes a good distance below.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:766|Ellard Asha (766)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ellard does the same as Kyra, sliding off the chocobo and grabbing the harness, making it disappear. He hoists the harness up over one shoulder, adding it to the weight of his other objects. "Oh hey, we get a meal too? This is great." It's hard to tell that Ellard is ready for serious business. He is, after all, sixteen, wearing brightly colored clothes, listening to music, and not actually armed with a weapon.<br /><br />He grins at everyone else, "Hello!" He slaps his hands together, then tightens his gloves. "Pleased to meet you, Ysabel, everyone, I'm Ellard." He then stops, and waits patiently. He listens attentively and nods along with Ysabel as he sticks meat in his mouth. He pulls out a pad, makes a few taps on it, swirls his fingers a few times, then shoves the pad back in his jacket, sipping it away.<br /><br />He takes up three more kebabs, puts them in his mouth, then pulls out his shield. Holding it over his head, he runs out towards the ladder. "woooooompppppppppph" He leaps out into the air, rolling the tower shield under him as he plummets to catch the sand dune and slide.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sanary grins slightly upon spotting more familiar faces and hearing those familiar voices. Ainsley making food, Kyra on a big yellow bird that disappears somehow, Sanae on a different type of bird, that old guy that did the thing with the reapers... <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Really got a full crew for this hunt, eh?" Her confidence bolstered and the coldness temporarily ignored, Sanary snags a hunk of meat for herself and brings her other hand up for a quick salute to Ainsley. She perks up at hearing Sanae, turning to greet her with the same salute as well. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Evening, Sanae! Yeah, I probably should've looked into this a little more. But... I-it's fine. The box over there usually has some drinks for cold weather in it, so I'll just grab one o' those. You ready to fight the... Whatever we're fighting tonight? Kushalla Dorra?" She flinches just a bit at the scolding from the veteran hunter, chuckling weakly as she scoots towards that blue chest Ysabel indicated. "Sorry, sorry. I'll know for next time!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's a good thing she pointed out that one, too. She might've gone for the red one otherwise. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Listening to Ysabel as she fishes one of the aforementioned hot drinks from the chest, Sanary sips it slowly and chuckles lightly at Riva's cheer. With so many people fired up for this, how could they lose? "I'll focus on support and healing, then. Got this big noisy thing and the ol' standby if I gotta do some real damage." And thus, she'll take the rear! Partially because that's just a better spot for a supporter, partially because it's better than risking crushing someone if she falls off that ladder somehow.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hi!" Kyra waves cheerfully at Ysabel, one hand holding onto a barbequed rib made by Ainsley. Her cheer slowly fades as she realizes that their guide is giving her and Ellard the hairy eyeball. "The name's Kyra and I'm here to heal and provide magical support." Slowly, she frowns, "I probably won't get mauled if the party formation stays tight enough." She gestures at the weapon on her back-clearly looks like a long-range grenade launcher, insinuating that she's not going to be getting up in the face of any dragon today. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's worth noting that Kyra came covered, exposing very little skin to the sun here. It makes her kind of hot but it prevents the pretty serious sunburn she'd be getting otherwise. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She listens as Ysabel fills them in on the monster, specifically pointing out that it's in the sandstorm and it has scales made out of actual steel. "I've also got ways of poisoning stuff though I'm not sure my darts are going to have the usual penetration against steel scales. If it's as smart as you say it is then it's possible it'll come attack the healers. Hmm." She pulls something off one of her belts and hands it to Sanary. It's a flask filled with purple liquid. "Hey Sanary! If the dragon tries to eat you, cram that poison down its throat. I'll do the same if I get aggro." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kyra moves to climb down the ladder, laughing as Ellard decides to go the sledding route.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:619|Sanae Kochiya (619)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's another advantage to using the local conveyances. You don't shake things up quite as much. Of course, it might also help that Sanae is wearing this drab covering over her normally colorful robes. "I read up a little bit," she says, something that she's had to get more used to in the multiverse, with all its exotic fauna. "But, I'll wait for your briefing! No doubt they left a lot out - they always do." With that, and awaiting others to file in, she sets to mingling mode during the calm before the sandstorm. She wasn't feeling particularly dehydrated, or chilled, even with the desert as it is, but she still helps herself to a drink and bite of something to be sociable, and keep her energy reserves up. Her eyes glance between several of the newcomers, a chewed bit of barbecue managing to hide most of her trace of a frown at how many people have these fancy birds. Even Kyra, a face she knows well, had some kind of holographic one.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even before Ysabel begins her descriptions, the emerald-haired priestess distracts herself by glancing out at the sandstorm again. As something of a being of wind herself, even from the distance, she can feel how 'angry' the element has become around it, something the words only verify. That deepens her frown a few degrees, but she swallows her food when addressed by Sanary, burying that dread for now. "Research is good to do, but no plan survives actually getting into combat, right? If this thing is that smart, I'm sure we'll have to adapt quickly, anyway." She reaches under her robe, tugging up a detached sleeve while sticking her tongue out in effort, "Ranged, I can handle. Never heard of something like this literally covered with metal, so it should be a good learning experience." After pumping herself up adequately, she moves to stand up and begins to follow behind Ellard and Ysabel. She *could* just float down, but taking the ladder is so much more rustic!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:236|Auron (236)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Auron waits quietly for the explanation of what they will need to go after. Steel scales, huh? He nods, though he waits until Ysabel is done with her explanation before he offers, "My Katana was made to crack open tough fiends. I might be able to help give openings." Though he'll have to go melee to do that. He is, however, brave enough to do that. Or stupid enough, whichever!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ellard offers an introduction, and so he offers in return. "Auron. Pleased to meet you." Good diea to know everybody's name. And When Ysabel starts moving towards the sandstorm Auron follows. He's actually close to where Sanary is, preferring to stick to the back of the pack himself as well. That and he just walks slow...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riva may be kind of silly, but she pays attention. She nods, listening to the explanation, and then at the mention of the windstorm looks out into the distance. <br /><br />"Wow. That's /huge/." She says, marvelling at the scale of the creature one would have to be to create something like that. HOWEVER, Ysabel is ready for this! The fact that she has a gameplan makes Riva much more happy, and she leaps over to draw Ainsley and Kyra into a big group hug! "All right! You both ready for this action? This is going to be /amazing/. Let's stick to Ysabel's plan and get moving! She's the expert, after all!" She releases the pair and looks to Sanary, nodding. "All right, keep us all going!" <br /><br />She turns to the sandstorm and begins charging forward, making her way across the sands towards their target for the evening. <br /><br />As recommended, Riva pulls her guns. Until that wind is weakened, there's no way she's going to get in close, not with /those/ winds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lizard woman wouldn't be too bothered by the weird look she'd cause in Ysabel. Ainsley would look confused, though. Once the hunter speaks up to her, she offers a polite nod of confirmation, and smiles gratefully at the advice to use lightning magic. Once this has been said to her, she flits on over to check on the others, sharing a fond smile with Kyra and Riva--<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ains lets out a gentle *squeak* when hugged, a bit of a bird-like noise. She laughs lightly, and then turns toward the soon-to-be-angry monster over there kicking up all of the sand.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lowers herself to the ground for the extra bracing, not wanting to fly around and just get thrown into one of the nasty rocks that can be seen sticking up out of the desert. She walks somewhere to the rear of the party, not in a rush to leap into the fray, especially not after she's been told she has her best chances with spells she can easily use at a range.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ysabel draws her weapon immediately after she gets off the ladder. The axe blade of the Azure Rosebloom slides up and clanks into position, giving the weapon the appearance of a massive, heavy halberd. She can still move at a decent clip, and so she does, running across the dunes toward the swirling column of sand that comes ever closer as the Kushala Daora moves. It's not long before the barrier is breached, and everything turns into a whistling storm.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vision is terrible in the sandstorm, as is to be expected. The winds almost immediately go from a light breeze to a powerful gale, whipping sand around with remarkable strength, but fortunately not enough to send anyone flying or falling on their rear; just enough to be suitably dramatic. There is, however, something /else/ flying.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A black shadow dances in the storm, fading in and out as it sweeps and dives, broad wings flapping to propel a lithe shape through all the wind as if it weren't even a concern. Strangely, the shape appears to be big, but not as gigantic as the sandstorm might suggest it to be. Metallic screeches can be heard over the sound of the whistling wind, growing louder as the shadow comes closer. Ysabel visibly braces herself, coming to a halt; no doubt the dragon's noticed them by now, especially as a last powerful /howl/ rolls through the storm, and the dragon...swoops up, even its faint outline vanishing.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's silent for a few moments, and then another screech pierces the sky as the dragon's shape dives down toward the group. What comes faster than it is the swirling, concentrated blast of wind that crashes down on them first, blasted like a fireball to scatter the group with a hurricane gust. Ysabel, fortunately, rolls aside enough to avoid being hurled, but what about the rest? At least the dragon's dive may provide a good opening, even with the wind whipping around it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;BOSS MUSIC: http://goo.gl/FNrvj6<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ainsley steps into the domain of a dragon. The Kushala Daora's sandstorm winds nearly enough to topple her off her feet from the beginning thanks to a misstep on the sands, and she has to push against it with a hand and her own wind magic. She looks up through the storm and toward the flying beast that they are here to battle, her eyes narrowing through the haze of sand thrown around them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It dances down through the air on the wind, it's metallic screech rending any shred of courage from her heart. Ainsley sucks in a breath when it disappears into the sandy sky, and when it drops down at them after the silence again, she can already feel the storm of its wrath bearing down upon them. She throws up her own hands to try and repel the blast, while also taking a bit of a hop to the side. But she's not built for this kind of fight, and it sends her head over heels through the sand, landing on her face, pretty bloodied and very unhappy.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ainsley focuses on the dragon, following it through the air. She raises her hands and tries to draw the power of the wind to herself, and redirect the flow of it to interrupt the Kushala Daora's flight path, in the hopes of sending it down into the ground near the party. They'll have a hard time fighting something that won't leave the air for long enough for them to hit it!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sanary takes the flask carefully and flashes Kyra an appreciative grin as she puts it away. "Thanks, Kyra. Here's hoping we don't have to use 'em that way, but... I've got decent armor on, so just stick behind me if you have to." She looks to Sanae next. "That goes for you, too! I've actually got armor on, so I should be able to take a few hits if someone has to." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If nothing else, she's a team player. The hot drink seems to be kicking in rather quickly as the healer stops shivering finally, just in time to make it down that ladder aaaand there's a dragon coming from them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, then. She's not going to try and tank that thing head on, instead opting to make a mad dash for one of the rocks instead to use it as cover. Only when he's behind that rock does she take the bagpipe off her back and start flailing it around like a madwoman. She's careful in just how much she flails it, though, making sure to do her flailing away from her allies. But is there a purpose to all of this dumb movement? There has to be, if she's doing this instead of actually shooting at the dragon... Right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:619|Sanae Kochiya (619)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was nice to sound all cool about this, how she was going to perform miracles with Ainsley. It's quite another to run into battle, of course. It has a sort of..nostalgic feeling. When the pace picks up towards the sandstorm, Sanae's steps keep pace. She certainly doesn't have heavy armor or weaponry to slow her down, but with all these athletic people around, she can't be blamed if she augments her movement with small bursts of wind of her own. A feat that becomes even more paramount as the creature in the maelstrom of debris' storm grows stronger with proximity, almost threateningly. Reaching beneath her cloak, while it's not strictly necessary yet, she withdraws her own weapon - an implement that looks little more than a stick with a trapezoidal fold of stiff paper on the end. Many monsters of another world would know different.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She does keep astride Ainsley, making sure not to move ahead or fall too far behind, as well as trying to keep track of the group as the visibly drops from relatively clear to 'a few meters without radar'. Her connection with the wind would normally give her clues, but the battering gales are disrupting any notion of that, even as her own magic tries to keep a 'bubble' around her free of the obscuring dust. "Miss Ainsley, was it? Ready your spell whenever you wish, I'll begin focusing!" With that, her own small windstorm kicks up at the edges, and she clasps her hands in front of her, the odd wand held between them as she closes her eyes in effort. It comes a little late, though, and she regrets what she said about plans not surviving the encounter. Instead, she tries to create a denser still pocket of air behind Ainsley to cushion her position, as her own feet slide in the sand from the dragon's approach. Such a powerful force!<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"U-understood," she manages to Sanary, though it's somewhat strained already, from trying to maintain a somewhat workable atmosphere for herself. "Be careful!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:766|Ellard Asha (766)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As Ellard comes to the bottom of the dune, he pulls himself back up, spitting kebab sticks out of his mouth. He breaks into a steady loping run, pumping his arms back and forth as he moves into the sandstorm. It helps when you are both heavy and strong to move through the wind. He brings up the massive tower shield as he runs, not head on into the storm, but at an angle, using it more as a wind break so he can keep charging.<br /><br />As the fireball comes against him, Ellard braces himself, putting his shoulder out and his shield up. He takes it on the huge steel face of the tower shield, but not perfectly. If Kyra is paying attention, she might notice Ellard is a pretty piss poor shield-oriented Knight if that's what he's going for. He is trained in group tactics, however, and watches for his opening. There. He moves as Ainsley casts, hurling himself up at the dragon, trying to catch something and pull himself up.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:236|Auron (236)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seeing Ysabel draw her weapon as she steps off the ladder, Auron does the same. The Katana at first, since he needs to protect himself -- and others -- while he gets a read on the beast. Observing from a distance seems impossible. Once they enter the storm, he draws his free arm up, to protect his face and remaining eye from the stinging sand, enough that he can see where the others are going and follow them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The looks up as the dragon begins its dive. He knows what's coming, and isn't disappointed. He can't, however, move out of the way in time. Not only because he's not exactly the speedy type, but because if he gets out of the way he'll lose any chance to hit the thing. So he weathers the blast, though he emits a grunt as it forces him down. That hurt!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But he's still in the area. Quickly gathering his chi he takes a swing at the beast, the edge of his blade gleaming yellow. Bad enough that the blade is made for cracking open tough skells and cutting through thick hides. But he's also concentrated a small 'charge' of chi along the edge of the blade. So if the blad ehappens to hig, the 'charge' will explode. Hopefully this will crack the armor a little.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Eeee!" Kyra squeals as she's scooped up into a group hug with Ainsley and Riva. She enthusiastically hugs Riva back. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once they get down the ladder, the group will hear Kyra start muttering to herself almost like a crazy woman. Of those here, Ellard will immediately start to feel his skin firm up, though he doesn't really feel any heavier than before: "Stoneskin!" <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Auron is next as a green shield of energy briefly shimmers in around him, then fades. He'll get the feeling it's still there and will no doubt recognize the white magic. Riva and Ysabel also receive the effects: "Protectga!" <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they get closer and the wind picks up, Kyra struggles to keep visuals on the dragon. She tries hanging back a bit more, not just behind Sanary, but /away/ from Sanary, separate from the rest of the group. She doesn't cluster up with them at all and tries to pick a spot where she can see everyone. It's this that keeps her out of the range of the first opening blast of wind directed at the group but even then she has to leap back a few steps as sand blasts outwards with a scathing force. She is insanely glad she covered her skin for this or she might have lost some with that. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her attention immediately turns to Ainsley, white magic weaving between her fingers: "Regen!" The healing spell is a slow one compared to the usual Cure but it seems to last indefinitely.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riva stops charging once she hits the storm. She didn't bring goggles, soe she's forced to hold up a hand lest the flying grains of sand hit her in the eyes. "THIS IS TERRIBLE!" Riva calls out into the noise and furor. However, it's mostly wiped out by virtue of the sheer overwhelming power of this beast of steel and wind. <br /><br />As the shadow looms overhead, Riva looks up and suddenly gets and idea of just what Ysabel deals with. "HOLY CRAP!" She yells. "IT'S LIKE GODZILLA HAD AN ANGRY UNCLE!" She yells, pointing up at it. <br /><br />This doesn't help her case, as the massive screech causes her to clap her hands over her ears, moments before the blast of wind hits, Kyra's protect barrier shining and taking some of the edge off of the hit before throwing her backwards with concussive force. she impacts a due, rolling over it and putting dents into barachans sweeping across the area, before hitting hard into an exposed shelf of rock. "AAAAAGH!" Riva yells... But somehow, she keeps moving, pulling up one of her MP7s. The weapon seethes with a blue-green light as she channels the world-power of Anima through it, and fires a salvo of charged bolts directly towards the steely creature as it hangs there, impossibly, in the air.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There are few (if any) other dragons that can manipulate the wind like the Kushala Daora. The fact that Ainsley and Sanae can to any extent is simply /baffling/ to the creature. It doesn't need the wind to fly, for it manages that well enough with its own wings, but as it swoops away from its dive, it can feel the storm around it being stripped away. Confused and furious, it screeches again and swoops back down to land on the sands, wings beating in a last powerful gust before the storm starts to subside and provide a clear view of the dragon.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kushala Daora is not a wild animal. There's a distinct /pride/ in the way it stands with its head upraised and its rib-plated chest thrust forward, perhaps seventy-three feet from nose to swaying tail. Its gleaming blue eyes shine with awareness and intelligence as it watches the group, the same intelligence beyond simply the predatory that powers its regal stride. One may feel that if it /could/ speak, it would; when it rises onto its hind legs and beats its powerful wings, however, all it looses from its maw is a metallic screech that summons the wind whipping around its body once more to obscure its steel outline in swirling sand (http://i.imgur.com/ozgxmPK.png).<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But before it can manage to fully regain its power, Ellard comes in, crashing against its plated chest and climbing up to its shoulders and head. The winds return, but they can't return as strong as before, for the Kushala Daora finds its attention taken up by the heavy person trying to crawl on top of it. The steel dragon falls to all fours, its head lowered - an opening Ysabel capitalizes on. With a shout of effort, the hunter charges in and swings her huge switch axe in a horizontal crash against the dragon's head, the sharp blade digging into steel and beginning to loose its potent toxin. Auron follows suit, his own blade cutting through the metal head and detonating with a powerful burst of its own, and by the time Riva's salvo of blasts strikes it, the Kushala Daora releases another pained screech and is sent staggering back a step. Already various gouges along its face can be seen, brighter and softer silver gleaming beneath the duller steel above.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ysabel, as if in reflex, tumbles away from the dragon when it flinches, rising up on her feet again a good distance away. Probably a good idea, for the moment the Kushala Daora recovers, its blue-eyed glare speaks enough of its anger to make anyone want to get out of the way. Its head rears back, and only a moment's silence is granted before it suddenly opens its mouth again and blasts a powerful wind to the ground. The point it impacts immediately erupts in a massive, swirling tornado that towers into the air, spinning with devastating power. Anyone nearby would be at risk of being sent hurtling away from that tornado, but to deal with Ellard, the Kushala Daora has another plan: it simply bounds up /into/ the tornado, buffeting him with the powerful winds that it clearly doesn't need to worry about.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:236|Auron (236)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Auron does indeed recognize the white magic, even if it's not exactly the same. He's had it cast on him enough times in the past to recognize it, and the benefit it gives. He looks to Kyra and nods his thanks. Once the creature starts to summon that tornado, though, Auron gets the heck out of the way. He's at least fast enough to do this, though the residual wind from it does make to push him away.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then suddenly it's trying to jump in and deal with its 'rider'. Auron pauses to switch weapons, sheathing the sword and grabbing the Ice Crest. He aims a blast not at the Kushala Doara, but at the whirlwind itself. He looses the shot into the whirlwind, hoping the resultant ice blast will dissipate the whirling winds and spare Ellard too much trouble.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"HEY RIVA! TRY NOT TO DIE PLEASE! I know it's not permanent for you but-" Reconsidering mid-sentence, Kyra decides to cut it off there. She didn't neeed to get into details about how unpleasant it was to watch her friends die and respawn. Riva especially since she was practically a proxy sister now. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns to bring a palm at Riva, deploying a (CORRECTLY WORKING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH) cure spell on her fellow red-head. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ah, a tornado. Kyra knows exactly what to do here and flees at a right angle away from the path of the tornado. Keeping out of range of the deadly breath weapon seems to be working out for Kyra so far so she continues with the strategy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ainsley doesn't have to worry about being knocked off her feet again, not with Sanae providing some cushioning and keeping up with the lizard girl's inability to avoid the powerful wind. She braces against the gusts until they start to die down, the dragon's winds subsiding... but not for the reason she wanted. It just landed as if her magic had been only a minor inconvenience, though it does happen to end up in range for everyone else's initial attacks. She scans over the battle, taking note particularly of Kyra's buffing behavior... especially after the curing energy washes in her direction, slowly mending bruises and scrapes from the tumble.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lizard woman doesn't overthink it, moving away and to the outer edge of the battlefield before the dragon even prepares for the next attack. But the tornado results in a huge blast of sand up in the air and more trouble getting a good hit on it, since the dragon leaps into its own tornado blast.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lizard woman pushes herself up into the air with a gust of wind below her feet, and charges a crackle of lightning up from her feet to two of her fingers. Lightning pulses from the ground, to her tail, along her back, and then toward the Kushala Daora's face, aiming with a trained precision for the horns, trying to cripple its ability to make more big gusts of wind. It SEEMS to be made of metal, so she's counting on the electrical resistance (the electromagnetic force and not a videogame stat) in its hide working in her favor and creating heat and a lot of pain.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:766|Ellard Asha (766)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ellard slaps the shield onto his back and starts using his fingers to climb. He digs at the scales, grabbing into the pits and joins where he can, hauling himself up hand over hand. "Alright, mister dragon. Now I don't have anything against you, but you ARE a menace, and I need one of your bones." Ellard pauses as he considers, "Okay, that is a little bit morbid." Stoneskin goes up, like a proper tank, giving him some defense against the dragon and the beating wind.<br /><br />Both of them start moving up. The wind continues to howl like the angry dead, like a great abyss, blowing against him, sucking moisture from his body, ripping at him with sand particles. They batter against his stone skin, soaking up the pain of the assault. Ellard grabs both horns, holding on for dear life. His grip is tight and iron clad, the grip of a man who has been trained from two years old to never drop his sword. He holds with his legs, clinging. Terror and exhilaration loosen his bowels slightly, throw adrenaline at his muscles. He begins to shake. He can feel his eyes buzz. His vision sharpens.<br /><br />Slowly, carefully, Ellard leans forward, dragging at something on his breastplate, something strapped in and well protected. He pulls it out, straining it against the wind. It's hard to move, hard to aim. But it has a small piece of air magic just for this purpose. Just for this mission. His hand steadies. Ellard gets in close, arm outstretched, ready for the perfect strike.<br /><br />He grins boardly. The camera flashes. He lets it snap back on the lanyard.<br /><br />THEN he starts trying to tear the horns off the dragon with his bare hands.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As Sanary is swinging that bagpipe around to get it prepared for whatever it is she's doing, she takes the opportunity to get a better look at just what they're up against. A massive steel-covered beast, roaring and throwing literal /tornados/ around? If she had eaten anything before that meat Ainsley had cooked up for them, the healer would have been worried about smelling terrible right around now. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It almost makes her regret doing what she's doing while everyone else is actually attacking it, but it's a massive weapon. She doesn't want to hit her own allies, after all! Plus, there's the hope that this'll help turn this whole thing into an easy win. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thankfully, the dragon being so focused on everyone else gives Sanary the opportunity to make the purpose behind all that flailing she's doing more apparent. After taking one more swing in preparation, she starts stomping rhythmically while raising the heavy instrument overhead, and the bagpipe starts blares out several loud notes in rapid succession! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That can't be it, though, can it? At first, the music's might not seem so noticeable. The wind is still strong and gusty, although the group of warriors would find it a little easier to withstand it. As Sanary keeps playing the 'song' to its end, however, the wind's effects would be significantly reduced! Not so much that they'd be able to take one of those blasts to the face or jump into the tornado without a care, but enough to greatly mitigate the unbalancing from the gusts surrounding the windy dragon.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:619|Sanae Kochiya (619)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She had known ahead of time, both from reading and from Ysabel's warnings, that the Kushala Daora was intelligent. It was little preparation, though, for when the winds manage to stop being quite as forceful, and seemingly through the cooperation of her and Ainsley's magic, caused it to land and take stock of its situation. She can feel its eyes upon her and the others, sizing them up as she often was when encountering a new opponent before a spell card duel. A tinge of sadness touches her briefly, despite how glowering it is, that their target is something like this. But as she had also read - this kind of struggle is a way of life, here. The dragon likely knows the terms here as well as they do. She soon blinks out of her thoughts, realizing, "It's down? That's the opening!"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thankfully their front liners are a bit more alert in the moment, as a few have already seized upon the opportunity. Now that she doesn't have to concentrate so much on maintaining air cushions and barriers, it gives her her own chance. Rolling up the edge of her dusky cloak, as well as the sleeve beneath, she once again takes her wand into her hand, tracing a five-pointed star in the air in front of her. The points glow and converge into a point in front of it, forming a magical beam aimed at the beast's metallic hide - and hopefully clear of Ysabel and Ellard, whom would be closest to where she's aiming. The downside of beam magic is she's kind of glued to the ground here while she's aiming it, which the beast, mindful of it or not, takes advantage of the timing.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The tornado erupts just a few meters away from her, which due to all of these factors, catches her off guard! She has enough time to crease her eyebrows as her feet lift off the ground, for once not of her own will, and she yelps as she tries to dispel has magic laser and switch to a defensive air cushion like before. It doesn't do much good, as she's blown clear, and slides across the ground prone afterward, though with a bit less force than it should have had - thanks to Sanary's intervention. A taste of her own medicine! At least this cloak was cheap in the village, as when she sits up it's absolutely shredded, a bit more of her robes showing from beneath. "Ugh," she groans, rubbing a sore rib as she gets back to her feet, "Dragons are so...sneaky!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riva seconds Kyra's vote of not dying. If you think it's bad for Kyra, imagine being the one who's actually dying. <br /><br />The curative spell reinvigorates Riva, causing her to pulls herself up and stomp forward while the wind is low, using her improved mobility and sight to begin to join the others. However, the tornado knocks her back, threatening to rip her off of the ground as she barely hurls herslef back out of the critical distance. She switches her guns out for that huge mace, using it as a makeshift shield to block debris as she plants herself in front of Ainsley, trying to keep attention off of her as she does some critical spellslinging.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As steadfast as the Kushala Daora might be, few things could simply take a lightning blast to the face and not be shocked, no pun intended. Especially with Ellard tugging and pulling at its horns, trying to simply tear them off with brute force and making its flight in the tornado much more erratic than it would like. Head twisting, wings flapping, claws raking, it struggles to make sure it's still airbound...and then gets shot in the face with electricity that courses through its metal body with powerfully concussive force. It certainly doesn't help that Sanae's laser crashes into its chest; even if it endured the first blast, there's no way it could also endure the second and stay in the air.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With another great screech, the dragon plummets to the ground, crashing into the sand on its side. Others might call 'good work' or other encouraging statements, but Ysabel doesn't have time for that: she charges in again while the Kushala Daora flails on the ground, trying to both regain its footing and dislodge Ellard from its head as his grip starts to further crack its metal shell. As she brings her weapon down on its head, the switch axe in Ysabel's hands transforms, the axe blade sliding down to the hilt while the sword blade flips up from the back. A greenish aura flares to life around the weapon before it cleaves down into the dragon's plated head, discharging another, more potent burst of toxin - and then again as Ysabel swings it back up, delivering a second solid hit to the dragon's head. The winds die down yet again, even forcing the barrier around the dragon to fade as the storm flickers and weakens. Away goes that tornado, too, thanks to Auron's bow disrupting what's left after the Kushala Daora's focus fades; the skies are looking clearer overall.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But, as she goes in for a third, it seems Ysabel might have misjudged her opponent. With a great heave, the Kushala Daora strains against Ellard's strength, chomping down on Ysabel's legs and sending her hurtling away with a sharp twist of its neck. The silver hunter shouts her pain, tumbling over the sand over and over until she manages to slide to a halt. Standing is a bit of an issue, though, with the sharp pain that bite sent through her legs. She's doing her best, but it'll take her a minute to find her feet again.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kushala Daora, meanwhile, is starting to find its own footing! While the wind may be dying down, its physical powers aren't, even with Ellard's firm grip. The dragon flails, snaps, and swings, trying to buck Ellard off its head while its lashing tail and razor claws swipe out at anyone else close enough for it to reach. It's distracted enough for now, but how long will that last?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hang in there, guys! I don't think it'll be able to keep this up with us much longer!" Kyra calls out, encouraged by the additional, follow-up poisonous strikes to the dragon. That would weaken it, Kyra knew according to Ysabel's briefing. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though speaking of Ysabel, Kyra gasps as she watches the dragon snap its jaws onto the monster hunter's leg. She's a little relieved when the leg isn't ripped off. "You got these guys, right Sanary?" she calls out as she closes in on Ysabel, approaching the spot where the woman was flung. "Hold still!" she announces in her approach, "I've got this!" <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The white glow returns, persistantly functioning against all odds tonight. Kyra summons a much stronger Cura spell to handle Ysabel's injuries.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:619|Sanae Kochiya (619)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How Ysabel didn't, at least, have some snapped bones from that much force is beyond Sanae Kochiya. She's gotten a bit more used to how rough and tumble the multiverse can be, though, especially as she's only now recovering from her own close encounter with the turf. She blurts out a bit of dust to clear her mouth, after making certain that Ysabel is still seemingly okay-esque, and then she herself stands back up. Flight was never going to be a good idea with this many unexpected gusts of air around, but she can still manage short bursts of her own. Freshly alert after the burst of whirlwind, when a claw is swiped in her direction, she retreats to a hopefully safer distance, motes and arcs of seemingly solidified air left in her wake. There's not even time for catching your breath with this thing.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It..it looks like it's completely lost its focus," speaking the obvious analysis. Not that this makes it any less dangerous. Stepping along the ground in these measured bursts, she barely keeps ahead of the swipes and thrashing, spacing more bursts of magic along the flanks as she goes. These don't take the form of a laser, as she quickly learned that staying in one place was a bad idea. More like balls of energy, floating through the air at a somewhat more leisurely pace. It almost looks like she's sweeping out a magical mine field, before long, perhaps in an effort to keep the somewhat grounded Kushala Daora fenced in. "Uhm--best to keep clear of these, everyone!" She had mentally set them for friendly fire, but in the heat of the moment it's hard to say how it might react.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:766|Ellard Asha (766)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Ellard grins like a mad man. You would too if you've never fought a dragon before and you were trying to drag one into the sand with your BARE HANDS. He locks his legs and twists his upperbody around, pulling with all his might to one side, trying to avoid Ysabel's great blade swings and the magic being slung at him. He hears a crack. Ellard stands, putting one foot on the back of the dragon's head. He starts to wrench with all his might.<br /><br />That isn't really a good position for holding on. The dragon gives a mighty buck and Ellard comes tumbling off the dragon's neck, twisting out to one side. He dangles by one hand, his iron grip the only thing keeping him on there.<br /><br />Until razor claws slam into his side. They rend at the plates of his armor and hurl him off the dragon, driving him down into the cold sand with red beginning to leak. Slowly, Ellard pulls himself up, getting both hands underneath him.<br /><br />"Ow. Sparks."<br /><br />Pause.<br /><br />"Worth."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Satisfied with the effects the hunting horn's music are having, Sanary promptly sets that thing down once she notices the damage the group is taking and starts hoofing it to bring herself out of the cover of the rock and closer to the actual battle. The close-ranged fighters seem to be having their work cut out for them, but the fact that they have the Kushala Daora's attention does let the healer do what she does best! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "On it! Thanks, Kyra!" Satisfied that her senior's handling Ysabel's injuries, the one-eyed healer claps her gauntleted hands together as she starts channelling magical energy into her own hands. Several targets to focus on, but not nearly as many as there could have been, thankfully. Thrusting her hands out, green light starts to flow from Sanary's hands quickly as it weaves through the air to those further away from the dragon before moving closer. From Sanae to Ainsley, then to Riva, and finally in a lingering light cloud circulating through Ellard! Although it's not as immediate as Kyra's Cure-type magic would be, the regenerative and rejuvenating effects are still relatively potent, especially when they're being focused on Ellard the way they are!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ainsley puffs a breath and hovers higher into the air, carefully pushing her wind magic against the storm so that it doesn't pluck her out of the air. Her reactions to the battle as it unfolds are fairly neutral, until she spots Ellard taking a selfie with the dragon. She frowns lightly at the sight in the way a disapproving librarian would, the risk taken for a simple thrill and glory moment evidently not sitting right with her. It doesn't break her focus, and thankfully she's healed by Sanary's magic, reinvigorating her and letting her keep up with the dragon as it gets pinned to the ground by all of the violence happening around it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Strike after strike, until the dragon is swinging its claws at them. The lizard girl flits away from the thrashing beast, thankful that her ability to fly is now completely unhindered. She floats over the top of it, sparks shining off of her hands. She spreads out her hands, and a feeling of magnetic force hits before her spell does. Then she lets out a SPRAY of lightning down at the Kushala Daora, which is, in fact, her drawing the charge from the desert ground below and sending down her own magical charge like real storm lightning to try and cook the dragon.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It is very bright, though unlikely to be nearly as dangerous as a natural lightning bolt.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:495|Riva Banari (495)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>And then the opening comes. Riva gets boosted by Sanary's healing as well, and she charges forward, lunging for the massive beast. The first impact causes Riva to bounce rift off of the massive scales, and she's thrown back by the lashing, frenzied attempts of the huge beast to keep its assailants away. <br /><br />Riva grunts, picking herself up out of the deep indentation she made in the sand, and scrabbles back to her feet, looking up at the thing. As soon as the lightning from Ainsley strikes, Riva leaps again, grappling onto the beast and shimmying up, using her anchor-like mace to grapple onto the beast's horns. With a yell, she positions herself, and then raises the mace high, red-gold Anima flaring as she brings the weapon down with a shockwave blast, trying to hammer down into the horns to break them off before the beast can somehow bring up another sandstorm!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ysabel isn't very used to magic, but at least she stays still when Kyra tells her to. The spell courses through her, calimg the pain of her wounds as it heals them. It's a strange sensation, but once Ysabel feels like she can stand again, she gives Kyra a brief nod and a murmured "...thanks." See, Ysabel? It's handy having teammates sometimes.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, everyone else seems to have their hands full too. The flailing, steadily more desperate Kushala Daora finds itself stumbling into blasts of magic again and again thanks to Sanae's attentions, and Ellard's strength pulls and pulls against its gradually weakening horns. Finally, he fumbles and falls - but as he's sent flying, he brings with him a hard /crack/ that sends the Kushala Daora screaming in agonized rage and sets rearing back on its hind legs.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sandstorm fades away at last. Brighter silver gleams in the stumps of its horns, which find themselves caught in Ellard's grasp several feet away.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fury gleams in the Kushala Daora's eyes as it lands again. It doesn't think or plan any further: in pure desperation, it blasts another gust of wind into the ground, sending a trio of thin tornados ripping along the sand in front if it in strange weaving patterns to assault Ainsley, Riva, Sanae, Kyra, and Ysabel-<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...Ysabel, who's taken the opportunity to run from where she was before, and instead comes in at the Kushala Daora's side while it's busy attacking the rest. Her sword-form switch axe is suddenly thrust against the Kushala Daora's flank, drawing blood with its impalement, but it doesn't stop there. The weapon's blade is coated in that green aura again, and the weapon audibly and visibly shudders in her hands, energy building and building. The Kushala Daora turns its head toward her, mouth opening in readiness to snap her up again - but the air fills with a blinding flash as Ainsley sends bolt after bolt of lightning down on the dragon, electricity coursing through its metal body and jarring its senses. Muscles seem to freeze as it sits paralyzed and straining to move, glaring up at Ainsley in abject /hatred/.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's enough of an opening for the others. As Ysabel's attack continues, Riva takes the chance of the Daora's paralysis to climb over the remains of its horns and find footing on its head. The attacks both come at once: the energy built up in Ysabel's weapon explodes in a devastating blast that sends Ysabel herself stumbling backward with the force of it, the switch axe's sword blade flipping back into place as its axe blade slides back up to the end of the weapon, and at the same time, Riva's hammer /smashes/ down against the dragon's weakened head with the resounding crash of metal and the twisting of steel. The Kushala Daora stumbles away and jerks its head down, but manages to keep its footing...but for how long? Its wings strain to lift, and it pushes itself to remain upright. Blue eyes are cast toward each of the group in turn, settling last on Sanae, of all people...before they close, and the dragon collapses onto its side in the sand, lying still at last, though likely dislodging Riva in the process.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:581|Ysabel Thibault (581)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Victory! (https://goo.gl/Rriur0)<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ysabel takes a few moments to stare at the steel dragon, her weapon gripped tightly in her hands, still on edge as she prepares for it to rise again. When she's sure it's actually dead, though, she lets the Azure Rosebloom fold up again and places it on her back. A heavy, somewhat relieved sigh is loosed, and she turns her head to look over at Ainsley. "Well. There's your bones. Not a bad job with the lightning."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To the others, she nods, the gesture a grateful one even as her face remains mostly hidden. "Nice job, all of you. You did pretty well for your first elder dragon, and faster than I expected. If you want, we can make some equipment out of this thing for you to take back home. There should still be enough for the rest of you to get something out of this as thanks."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Strange how...non-vulgar she is about this, for once, a quality most who know her would recognize her for. The hunter walks over to the dragon's body and takes a minute to kneel beside it, bringing one armored hand up to gently rest it on the Kushala Daora's neck as if in a gesture of respect. Perhaps even apology.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Welcome!" Kyra grins before she's on the move again, busily flitting and kiting around the edges of the battle. Her attention seems to remain on those closest to the dragon since those people were most in danger of being bitten. The ranged capabilites were also clearly a problem since a good gust of wind could send someone flying into rocks. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This time, though, she cannot really help herself fast enough when a small tornado is aimed at her. This time it's Kyra who's knocked off her feet and onto her back in the sand. Fortunately, the Kushala Daora isn't going to get a chance to follow up on Kyra's vulnerability, between it's sudden paralysis and the follow-up mauling from the others. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By the time Kyra's on her feet, the steel-scaled dragon has collapsed on the ground. "I agree! That was fast and fierce. Nice going, everyone." She says nothing to the offer of equipment, worried how Soan might take that kind of thing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:619|Sanae Kochiya (619)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's not naive enough, after all this, to assume just because it's down, it's 'down'. Sanae, while she's stopped setting down what were essentially the magical mines, remains ready and alert, eyeing the newly de-horned and infuriated Kushala Daora almost expectantly. If nothing else, it has become a bit more predictable in its fury, as it's soon blasting with what remains of its might, prompting her to dance around the onslaught, near-misses finally doing away with the last shreds of her plain, but utilitarian, cloak. Dagnabbit, she wanted to keep that as a souvenir! If they lived. When she finally comes to a stop, she feels oddly re-invigorated, soon glancing over to whom she was able to determine was the source, and flashes a bright smile to Sanary.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally, though, the beast seems to be succumbing to fatigue as well as seemingly just getting beat up by so many opponents. It's only a matter of time now, and it seems that it knows it - keeping its eyes open to give one last glance at each of the team that had brought it down. Sanae blinks when it's her turn, and seemingly the last - eyebrows furrowing as she lets down her guard, and places a hand over her chest as she braces against a final attack that doesn't come. 'This is just how this world is, right?' She reminds herself, with the very intelligent dragon's eye upon her seeming to last much longer than it does. 'That's right. Duke's world is difficult, too. I guess - I shouldn't be feeling this way.' And yet she can't help but feel that tinge of sadness again.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still somewhat in that state, even as it falls, she moves forward on auto pilot to take a closer look. She even reaches out a hand to try and touch some of that metallized hide. "I think I'll pass on the equipment," she figures, biting on her lip, and seeming a bit down at first. But, she brightens soon after, shaking off the chills, and gives a broad smile, "I mean, Miss Kanako provides equipment for me. And, Miss Ainsley gets what she needs, so that's good enough for me. Just, try to be respectful as you're harvesting...if you can."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And that was that! Keeping that healing energy pumping into Ellard for a while, Sanary eventually redirects the flow to keep a little bit lingering and circulating through everyone to try and patch them up a little bit more for a job well done! It doesn't last long with her trying to maintain it on so many people at once, though, and the light just fades moments after she starts to avoid letting her reserves bottom out completely. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "H-hah... Knew we could do it!" A victorious laugh erupts from the one-eyed healer at that. "Let's.. Ah. Let's get back and grab something to eat, eh?" Returning that bright grin to Sanae, she lets that second laugh linger for a little longer before sighing quietly. She steps up to the fallen dragon's corpse to rest a hand on a wing lightly, trying to mimic Ysabel's show of respect. "Next time... Next time, I'll fight one of these properly."<br> <br>


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