Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

I start dodging the spears, one by one as they come, while still traveling over the the tree I hit.
I make a mad dash (or something like that) and take another swing at the tree, in the same place where I hit it.

 

"Fair point. I do ask that next time, while I have nothing against sparring, I do have something against collateral. Maybe start a little further away from bystanders next time?"

He goes all the way down to the lake, looking at his reflection on the surface of the water.
"It's like everyone just left this place."

 

"Maybe we each have things to learn from each other." Stephanie says, a blank voodoo doll appearing in her hand.


"Alright, he's been in there long enough; let him out." Katie says to Abigail.

Loud hissing can be heard as Abigail thaws the ice cube I'm encased in.

 

"It's her staff. She only has it because there's no better alternative."

 

"Hmm, I've never been a fan of using a staff. I usually just charge crystals or cast by hand," Stephanie says, "So what magic properties does her staff hold?"


"That was pretty cool." I say, hopping on my skateboard, high-fiving Abigail as I skate past.

"I'm starting to think thawing him out was a bad idea..." Katie says regretfully.

 

"Magic properties? It's the most powerful thing our world has ever known. It has three names; Miznyana, the Soul Prison, and the Infinity Pylon. Each one only gives the tip of the iceberg in terms of its power. It's bound to Ihra, only she and a few trusted people can pick it up without triggering a defense mechanism. If someone else grabs it, it exponentially amplifies gravity on the staff, making it impossibly heavy."

 

"That's quite the artefact; I can assure you I won't be wanting to steal it, however. Having infinite power, even for a second, could corrupt you. You'd never want to go back," Stephanie says, "I can only hope Ihra doesn't realise her full potential, lest she get power crazy."

"Looks like you need mad gains to pick up the staff. Do you even lift, bro?" I say as I skate past.

"I think that skateboard is affecting you, Aj." Artemis says with concern.

 

Rineth slams his tail onto one of the ends of the skateboard, launching Aj.
"I don't think she's in danger of that any time soon. Vei raised her well, as did Riihs."
"The power also isn't infinite, but it's self generating and self sustainable. It can be used as an endless source of energy."

 

I end up stuck in a tree.

"While not infinite, it's still powerful however," Stephanie says, summoning a black voodoo doll with red button eyes, gently pressing them, "Though I can see she's pure of heart, and wouldn't harm someone without good reason to."

I fall out of the tree, unconscious. Artemis catches me with a pair of vine hands; laying me on the ground gently.

 

"I'm a healer!" She cheers.
"...True. She only fights if absolutely neccesary. She hates doing so. She'd rather make her allies ridiculous than be on the front lines."

 

"While I can fight front line, I prefer to hang back and take my enemies out from within," Stephanie says, de-summoning the black voodoo doll, and re-summoning the blank one, "Why bother endangering yourself when you can take them out from a safe distance?"

A small, tortured looking stone idol appears in front of Stephanie, "Or lay traps for them to fall prey to." She says.

 

"She can make her allies defy most general assumptions of combat. She can make enemy weapons dissolve when they hit her shields, allies move twice as fast, give them unending stamina... And of course, heal from the brink of death."

 

"So, I'm assuming there's people wishing to capture her for such power?" Stephanie asks, toying with the voodoo doll.

 

"More like kill. She doesn't understand most 'pokey things,' but she's extremely able with her own."
Ihra's staff flicks into battleaxe mode, and she swings it around with ease, leaping and keeping hersef midair with omnidirectional axe swings before landing on her feet, axe reverting to a staff.
"She likes showing off a little from time to time, forgive her."

 

Stephanie opens her hand, and the voodoo doll floats in the air; multiple needles appear out of nowhere and begin violently stabbing the voodoo doll rather quickly, tearing it apart.

"I guess that's less show, more tell; but I can assure you the one bound to that voodoo doll would have a less than pleasant experience." Stephanie says, the tattered doll falling into her hand. She begins to stitch it back together.

It almost sounds as if the idol in front of Stephanie was howling, though it could've been nothing.

 

"Proof of Ihra's healing abilities lie with Artemis, and proof of Ihra's offensive capabilities lie with Aj finding himself in a crystal. That, however, sends a chill down my spine."

 

"I don't think Aj would like to be bound to a weapon again." Artemis says.

"Maybe Ihra has a darker, untouched side?" Stephanie says, smiling as she stiches the doll together, "I could teach her, if you wanted; or at least give her a few 'weapons'."

It almost sounded as if the stone idol just screamed...did it?

 

"I wouldn't say untouched. She has something we call the End of Innocence. If she's in grave danger and she faints or otherwise blacks out, she enters an extremely violent, almost primal state. She remembers nothing during the phenomena, like Aj stabbing her. Except she was told, so that wasn't the best example."

Ihra looks at the idol, curious and confused.

 

"Hmm, she'd be incredibly powerful if this state could be harnessed. I'm unsure what I could do, however; though I could restrain her if needed." Stephanie says, finishing the stiching on her doll.

"Wake Up." the idol whispers to Ihra...or did it?

 

She looks at it funnily.
"Stephanie, what's the idol thing?"