hugtopia_logs | feb catch-all

--Noctis! [ Pyra calls through the communicator as she sees him hurdle through the air. He crashes meters away from where he started, his fall enunciated the echo of his fall in the otherwise silent valley of decaying buildings. The only other sound is that of crackling joints coming together as the bony armor assembles; she whips her head around, spotting the giant rearing to its almost full height.

And she leaps out of the way, throwing herself to the ground and into a roll as the acid sprays above her, narrowly missing the top of her helmet. The substance dissolves the earth behind her in a hideous sizzle, leaving behind scalded, digested ground, molten-red at the edges of its pool. Its burning scent is strong enough to irritate her nose, reminding her not of acid, but of gravepyres.

The creature lumbers forward, unfurling the talons to imprint its first step outside its nest, cracking the ground with its weight. As it draws back its long neck as its spinous bones rattle into place, she notes the seven-pointed flower atop of its head. It moves its skull side to side like a puppet guided by where the flower spouts from its cranium. Yet by the time she's pulling herself to her feet, the beast is already prepared for another attack. It has three targets: two close, one far.

This time, it spits its attack into the air to have it rain bullets of acid upon the entire area. ]

[While Noctis goes airborne, Somnus never takes his eyes off of the creature. The sound of the crash alerts him from a distance that Noctis has found impromptu cover, which leaves himself and Pyra standing out in the open. Calda was right, and he has a fleeting thought about whether this big presence is the only one she heard or if there's more lurking between other nearby buildings (in which case they're in considerable danger).

Either way, there's no time to waste. He warps away from the initial breath to an intact portion of the opposite building's wall, not chancing the exo-suit with a barrier or phasing maneuver. This separates him from Pyra; he knows her to be quick and agile, however, and the building in which Noctis lies is not too far from her.

Somnus kicks off, hurls his blade between the droplets of acid, and warps past them altogether to increase his altitude. Then he warps even higher with the intention of descending on the skull where the muck is absent. Chances of a successful landing by himself are rather low, but he makes the plunge to hold the creature's gaze. Hopefully by this time Pyra and Noctis will have regrouped or otherwise acted accordingly, though that doesn't mean the enormous, fluid-like appendages are a nonissue for those on the ground and in the air both.]

[Regroup... about that. Logic and planning are not Noct's strong suit when it comes to battle - there's a reason why he leaves the tactics to Ignis, assuming he even follows the advice. Quickly he extracts himself from where he'd crashed, scrambling past the fresh rain of acidic goo, and since he can't see Somnus or Pyra from his position, only the creature lurching around the nest, he flings his blade into what counts as the haunch, catching it right between ribs and thigh bone, causing it to rear onto its back legs and emit a sound that is more gurgle than shriek. The movement takes its head out of range of Somnus's descent, but its chest becomes a pretty open target as a replacement.]

Hey guys? Not safe! [He sounds entirely too pleased about this turn of events- not laughing, he's not crazy, but it's an odd mix of seriousness and amusement.] We want that flower, right?

[ --Right. Okay. Somnus warps between the acid raidrops themselves and Noctis essentially does the same. This leaves Pyra to... duck and roll under the cover of a metal beam. She just so happens to be lucky enough that not one drop hits her, but it does strike against the metal supports, causing it to creak beneath its weakened structure. Wisely, Pyra chooses to retreat further, taking cover as the other two battle. somnus is silent as he fights; Noctis seems to have energy to burn. ]

Yes! [ Pyra calls from their joint comm. She keeps vigilant, worried that their fight might attract attention of any other similar creatures (or flowers). ] Ah-- as... disgusting as it sounds, see if you can sever the creature's head with it!

[ She would of course be happy with just the flower. ]

[The creature is enormous. If they're to sever the head—flower and all—it'll require more than hacking away at the creature's inky form between Noctis and Somnus. What's more, they've abandoned their support to herself.

Somnus makes a clean landing on the creature's chest, piercing bone with the tip of his blade to cement his place. It's something of a safe spot, given that any substance the creature might spew is less likely to fall on its chest. Nevertheless, he doesn't linger for long. The creature brings a bony hand down on Somnus, who counters with a burst of light to stall its advance before warping down in the direction he saw Pyra take off.]

Pyra. I require your support.

[This leaves Noctis to draw the creature's attention long enough for the two to rendezvous. Said creature turns to the nuisance on its side as it regains its balance with a heavy step that shakes the earth.]

[ When he appears beside the blade he threw, asking for her support, he has it within an instant: a tether of light that travels from him to her. This time it's at a distance, no physical contact required, but he'll feel the full brunt of her power upon first touch before it quiets to something he might manage. ]

Go!

[ She urges, looking beyond him to the monster where Noctis still battles. Somnus is free to warp, but the tether will still remain between them. ]

[There's a heavy, thunderous stomping behind them, and for a moment it might seem as if the creature has a pack to worry about, but then Calda goes flying past, barreling towards the monster at top speed. Not the fastest, certainly, but surprisingly agile for her size, and with enough speed and momentum built up she slams her full weight into the creature's side as it twists and flails to try and catch Noctis. Immediately the beast gurgles out a shriek, spitting corrosive around to try and knock them both off as it tumbles sideways, off-balance.

Some of the acid sprays across Calda's form, and parts of the metal casing fizzles and starts to melt, but for the most part it stands firm, clearly more heavily protected against the elements and whatever else lives out here. She presses forward, stomping a foot down into the goo, and tries to keep it pinned.]

Now's a good time!

[Noctis isn't used to fighting solo for long, but he's very good at one thing in particular: dancing circles around a large, slow-moving monstrosity. While the others are doing whatever they're doing - something he trusts to be worth the delay, because he trusts them - he's warping and twisting through the air, back and forth, spinning circles around its lashing horn and snapping jaws. Without a proper mouth, and half the teeth missing from its skull, he doesn't know what the bite would be like, but considering it spits acid he'd rather not find out.

He can't keep this up forever, but thankfully it isn't long before the battle is joined by their escort, and he's able to warp to safety as the creature is knocked over. A second after it falls he warps back, aiming to tear through the neck just under where the skull is. Bones splinter under the blow, but the goo simply reforms, his sword too small to sever it in a single hit. He needs something bigger.]

Somnus!

[He calls out, reeling back and summoning the Blade of the Mystic instead. Two of them should fare much better.]

[From the near distance, Somnus hears the third voice. Calda's emergence is a pleasant surprise, if briefly. With the creature's awareness of their presence, there was no longer a point to her hanging back. And this tremor—that very creature has fallen.

Parting from Pyra as soon as she urges him ahead, Somnus warps into the fray once more to evade the last of the corrosive spittle that rains down. With his senses sharpened, he hones in on Noctis' location and warps himself close by hurling a small scaled dagger for extended range. Materializing beside Noctis, he summons his blade and holds it upright before him.

The blade erupts with concentrated light, scattering the dust with an outward force. Somnus pulls the blade back, poised to strike in anticipation of their joint smash.]

[For a pair who've never practiced synchronization, they're surprisingly on-point with it. Noctis doesn't give it time to consider, though he certainly will later: both that, and the blade of light that Somnus had created, because what the hell is that. So cool. But he does manage to swing as Somnus does, the combination of Royal Arm and blade of light crashing together against the vertebrae and toxic goo, tearing through it fully in one powerful slice.

There's no time to be gentle after that- Noctis shifts back his leg and kicks the skull with his boot as hard as he can muster, sending it spinning away several feet to land in the monster's nest, snapping off the last of the oozing sinews holding it to the rest of the body. Hopefully the flower survives the trip, but better it be damaged by the fall than the spray of acid that erupts from the severed neck, which causes him to curse and back off, trying to phase through the worst of the damage. He doesn't know how much the suit can handle, but he'd rather not find out.]

[ What else is there to do be watch in awe from afar as she supports the Somnus as he conjures a sword she's seen him use before, only for it to ignite with light. Next is the synced attack from the both of them, which sends the monster toppling, shaking the ground as its massive weight crumples inward into bones and ooze.

Her connection to Somnus isn't broken, and she remains poised, waiting to see if the monster will reassemble, or if they've finally defeated it. ]

[At this proximity, the safer option of warping away is beyond them. Somnus throws his hand out to erect a barrier that swiftly forms with the paradoxical sound of breaking glass. Large enough to cover himself, Noctis, and then some, he'll step back should the acid seep through the magic. Once the acid hits ground, he dismisses what's left of the shield with a snap of his arm.

Somnus guesses that the flower, having survived the city exterior's harsh climate, can survive a mere tumble. He waits with bated breath in the event the creature might reanimate itself, then fixes his sight on Noctis' back. It may well be time to inspect the skull and flower both.]

[...Oh, right, shields. Other people can do that. Noctis relaxes his posture a little, dismissing his sword but keeping his hand ready to call it back on the spot if necessary as he edges closer to the skeleton, just to make sure. As he gets a better look, he can see that the disconnected strands are limp and seeping into the earth, the acid dissolving what's left of the already-decrepit bones... it looks pretty dead.]

I think we got it. Pyra, can you check the flower? Watch out for that black stuff.

[ The battlefield is speckled with small rain-drop sized holes of where the acid had splattered across the ground, save for where Somnus lifted his shield. As soon as it's clear, she jogs over to where Noctis is, looking down at the remains and being careful of the ooze as she steps closer, reaching out to delicately cup her hands around the head of the beast's skull.

It either comes off fairly easily, given that it is a skeleton without tendons and ligaments, or she has more strength than she seems. Regardless, the skull is now detached from its atlas, the ripped roots of the flower trailing behind. ]

Incredible... [ She whispers, but through their communicators they'll be able to hear her wonder loud and clear. ] How was this flower able to survive out here? [ Fortunately for all parties involved, that's the only question she voices while the multitude of others remain for later. Working quickly, she'll try to place the skull and flower, intact, into a container. If she can't do that, she'll use two separate ones.

And for their final sample... She looks to where the black, slick ooze-like substance begins to puddle beneath its torso. She'll wait for it to become inert, staining the ground, before collecting it into a vial. This. This substance looks like that of what she had analyzed of the spiders' blood... ]

[Knowing what she is, she's definitely stronger than she looks. The same can be said for the flower, which has survived all this time out here. Although Pyra's question is legitimate, what matters right now is that they have their sample for the expedition. Once she's collected the black substance, Somnus turns in Calda's direction.

The creature shows no signs of reanimating. No more unnatural tremors rock this section of the dilapidated city.]

How much time remains?

[Cue the briefest of pauses as Calda internally calculates.]

We should head back. We went further out than intended, and if we hit any snags on the way, you folks'll be in trouble. If we've got all the samples, we should-

[Anything else she might have said is cut off as a thunderous crash resounds at their backs, and another bone beasts stomps its way around the block in the distance, staggering into a building in its haste, shattering a chunk of it in a cloud of ancient dust. It is joined by another. And another. And-

Calda pivots on her heel, waving them towards the path they'd come from, and hefts the sample container onto her back.]

Time's up!

[As soon as the approaching beast turns the corner, Noctis hunches down, calling out his shield and preparing to plant himself in place and block its path until they others are further out. But then the other monsters join it, and suddenly his brilliant plan is shattered by the mental image of multiple acid streams versus his flimsy suit. Not a winning combination.]

Yeah, not liking those odds. Next time?

[They need better suits for this kind of marathon fighting!]

[ Noctis materializes a shield out of his light, and she can't help but be surprised more at that than the herd that approaches them, their collective, lumbering steps shaking the ground. It seems this place is not just a nest of one, but a hive. Although, now's not the time to be surprised by how the Lucis-Caelums-always-have-more-power-to-spare.

The one in front has already spotted them, and it seems that it is poised to attack, rearing back its head as if inhaling, bearing down to gather what it is about to spew at him. What are these creatures, how are there so many and-- ]

--Next time, yes!

[ She steadily backs away, and then quickly follows Calda, looking back over shoulder for safe measure. With their abilities, she's sure they will be fine in their retreat, but she's only making sure! ]

[Time's up, indeed. This expedition is, however, far from over until they pass the city walls.

Pyra has gotten a head start with Calda, which leaves Somnus to run behind their entourage as he moderates his pace to allow Noctis one step before him (be it on the ground or in the air). This way, should anyone falter, he can gather them and warp to safety from their pursuers. He doesn't look back: The stormy path and his companions ahead demand his visual attention.

Their decision to leave as soon as more of the creatures arrived allows them a clean getaway with the samples in tow.]

[Noctis doesn't waste time- with the other two ahead and Somnus sharing his ability, he flings his shield down the street and warps to it, repeating the process until he's caught up to Pyra, so they can flee together. He does glance back, but he's not too concerned, expecting Somnus to follow in his own way.

The creatures pursue for a time, but they don't go far from the "nest"; eventually their stomping feet slows to a grinding halt, and they turn back towards where they came from. Before the monsters fall out of visual due to the dusty winds, should anyone look back to notice, they might see something odd: two of the creatures did not follow the group at all, but instead stood on either side of the fallen bones, skulls lifted to the sky, howling some indiscernible noise. The sound echoes and follows them, well after the monsters stop.]

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