Kena turned blindly, unsure of even which way she was going through the pouring rain. It too seemed maliciously intent on hopelessly confusing her, rendering her helpless in the midst of the storm.

I am Messenger Goddess, she told herself furiously. I know what to do! I know which direction to go!

Something small and hard, followed by several other small hard somethings, beat down upon her head and shoulders. Kena belatedly recognized them as hail, and found by sheer luck the edge of the forest, which sheltered her somewhat. Pushing her soaked hair out of her face Kena pulled out her compass, willing it to work. "Devarion!" she gasped, eyes fixed on the quivering needle. "Show me Devarion!" It bent slightly, straining to pull away from the inexorable compulsion that forced it toward the heart of the storm.

Kena focused all her willpower upon it. It made her dizzy, made the trees around her disintegrate into swirls of dark green.

Mocking laughter echoed in her mind - and a millisecond later the compass shattered, blown into a thousand infinitesimal pieces. Kena felt shards of wood and metal explode past her, some burying themselves in her arms and hand where she'd held the instrument a moment before.

Kena cried out in rage and charged into the forest with no idea of direction whatsoever. I'll find him! And when I do you will be sorry, Asmundr!

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Estelle nodded at Nolgos. "We will need all the aid we can get.” Hearing Kena's cry Estelle glanced around the room, fear filling her. Devarion. He had been gone for some moments and she feared the worst befell him. They had lost so many already-they could not lose one of their own. Without waiting for the other gods she ran out into the pouring rain after Kena and stumbled ahead of her. She knew that Azra was locked in battle with some dark force and something told her she had to try and find Devarion. Her dark hair clung messily to her neck as she searched frantically for the god. Approaching the glade she gasped as she witnessed the might of the storm, and swiftly drew her sword, starring in defiance at the dark power that surrounded her. "Devarion!" she cried, seeing the god on the ground as she tried to force her way toward him against the howling wind. As if noticing her presence the clouds shot their dark magic at her, which she deftly blocked with her blade. Her sword glimmered a brilliant light as she charged it with her spirit-refusing to back down the one that challenged her. She could just make out a form behind the cloud and her anger mounted. "You will not win." she uttered as she struggled to push back the dark energy. From somewhere in the abyss of darkness she thought she heard the mocking laughter of the evil one as he his power pushed stronger against hers. Sweat beaded her brow as the dark magic intensified, and she grimaced as she could feel the heat of his power-a heat so powerful that it could scorch the flesh of a goddess should it touch her. Then suddenly, while she was distracted, a beam of magic thundered toward her from another cloud. Although she could sense it, she was unable to parry the blow in time and the magic tore through her flesh, infusing its dark magic within her being. Estelle cried out in pain she sank to her knees, her sword falling from her hands. She crawled to her sword, each movement filled her with a new pain as the dark energy infected her body. Grasping its hilt firmly in her hands, she cried out once more as the dark energy of the clouds struck her again. Her body convulsed in pain upon the wet grass as Asmundr continued its ruthless assault upon the goddess that was now at this mercy. She could hear the maniacal laughter of the figure as he heard her cries and abated the attack, clearing enjoying torturing his prey.

Have you had enough goddess? he taunted in her head as she lay upon the ground. You have no power against me. Her dark hair fell loosely about her as she raised her head to the dark force, her rich brown eyes filled with a mixture of pain and anguish. Grabbing her sword, she painfully crawled over to Devarion. Asmundr, you monster. she thought as she took in the god's still form. With that she touched the god's hand, feeling some of her power transfer to him, strenthening him as much as she could-all the while praying that it would be enough to allow the god a chance to escape. With that she painfully rose to her feet and stood in the storm's path. "I will not let you harm another." she replied in defiance, her voice strained with pain, yet still retained some of the power she wielded in her full glory. Asmundr laughed. This was too easy.

You barely have enough strength to stand goddess. Do you think you think you are my match? A low rumble of laughter filled her mind. How foolish to try to aid the god, when you alone need all the strength you can muster. Now feel the rage of my power. With that he shot another beam at her, which she blocked with her sword. "I will not let you attack one of our own." she uttered through clenched teeth as she struggled to block the elder god's assault.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Kena felt the heat of Asmundr's cruel wrath descend and aimed herself toward it, fighting through the trees - which now seemed bent on holding her back - to catch a mere glimpse of Devarion and Estelle before the stabbing fingers of dark magic blinded her.

The goddess stumbled back, knocked nearly senseless by the emanation of power contained in that one clearing. Only when she felt the overwhelming presence recede could Kena scramble to her feet, trembling all over and feeling more than a little nauseous. Thin trickles of blood marked her hands and arms where the compass had exploded, but she had not yet noticed in the confusion. Kena felt Asmundr's presence only once, and fleetingly, as he receded and she dashed to the center of the clearing. Estelle looked in hardly better shape than the prone Devarion, and Kena felt a numb sense of helplessness as she dropped to her knees between them. The storm intensified around them, if that were possible, hailstones the size of eggs thundering down along with driving, icy rain. Lightning struck a dry pine and it exploded into flame.

Kena did not even hear herself cry out in the din, knowing she could do nothing. She knew Asmundr was not concerned with her, the least powerful of the gods, and with reason. Even as his wrath descended all she could do was kneel by her fallen friends and curse him ineffectually.

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Nolgos stumbled outside and into the glade despite the storm that was growing stronger, he quietly watched as the gods that he had be thought were incredibly powerful suffered defeat. Then how powerful was Asmudr? Nolgos cursed the storm and grabbed his war hammer before trying to make his way towards the glade center. The storm that ripped around him suddenly grabbed him and sent him whirling towards a tree, he collided into it with great speed and fell to the ground with a grin. There was an eerie laughter in his head, but no words came yet there seemed to be a certain degree of amusement about it.

Nolgos cursed and grabbed his war hammer that laid beside, trying to get up to do whatever he could. It wasn`t because he was suicidal, but he wasn`t going to allow anyone lose their lives before him, if he had anything to say about it. He was tired, tired of people dying on him and now what, if the gods died on him? Nolgos chuckled quietly at the thought that a god would die before him all tough it wasn`t funny at all. He began quietly, almost crawling towards the glade center hoping to grab just one of them to save them.

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Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

As Nolgos came past him Azra reached out and grabbed him. "We are immortal human, though we may be defeated we will not die. It is not your time, that is later." He gave a weak smile "Your death will not help us." Suddenly he let go and clutched his chest as Asmunda left. His eyes dimmed with the pain he stood. "Come, let us see how the others faired." He strode forward through the trees to the clearing.

(i have a plan)

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Made by Lembas

(Cool. Any of you who have plot ideas are welcome to go for it because I don't have a lot of specific plans in mind )

When everyone noticed that Devarion was no longer in the meeting room, Eydis had picked up her bow and quiver of arrows and followed the others out into the raging storm. The pounding rain did its best to blind her way, and if she had not been so in tune with the forest, she would have gotten lost along the way.

She was separated from the group only a little ways into the forest, and she almost let her fear take hold of her. She thought she heard Asmundr's malicious laughter ringing in her ears, but perhaps she only imagined it. Steeling herself, she pushed onward, refusing to listen to a voice that was not her own telling her to give up, saying that it was no use.

Eydis used her affinity with the forest to guide her. She was able to pick up on the spirit of an old oak that still remained largely untaken by Asmundr's power. It helped her to find the location of the others. She reached her destination just in time to see Devarion- thank goodness he was alright- Estelle, and Kena moving towards a dark portal.

"Kena! Devarion! Estelle!" she yelled, but none of the three turned. Her voice was lost in the endless storm. "Stop!" She cried out just once more even though she knew it to be useless.

Knowing there was no way she was going to get their attention by standing there, Eydis gripped her bow and quiver tightly in her hands and took off at a sprint towards them. But just before she reached them, they vanished. Eydis stopped abruptly, startled. Then she realized that they had gone through the portal.

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I'm back!

Hythraii had followed the others, and was lucky enough not to hear the threating voice inside his head. He was still fuming about how Asmunder's literally took his power from him and used it against him.

Hythraii tried to break up the clouds once more..and though the darkness' hold on the clouds seemed to quiver for a moment, acting as if it might break, but the darkness surrounded them again.

Hythraii cursed. He had to find the others and find a way to break up the clouds. But, all he could do was draw out his sword and light his way with his other hand, keeping the darkness away from him as his left hand was encircled with a blaze of controled fire while his right he held a sword, ready to fight at any moment.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Estelle hesitantly stepped through the dark portal, shocked as a sense of serenity surrounded her. She stared at the blackness in a mixture of both wonder and fear. "Where does this lead?" she asked wearily. She was exhausted from her battle with Asmundr and greatly relieved to be away from the storm, yet a part of her was still wary of the soothing darkness that surrounded her.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

(^That seems better, I believe, so I'm just going to go and do a little post editing, and then it will only be Devarion, Estelle, and Kena in the portal, I believe.)

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I'm back!

Kena stood a moment to get her bearings and overcome the dizziness that she'd experienced in the glade. "Right. Water," she managed tersely, and set off down the eastern corridor. Upon finding the fountain, she went to draw water and felt sharp jabs of pain lance up her arms.

For the first time Kena noticed the myriad small cuts on her arms and hands, which trickled blood into the clear water. Wincing, she leaned forward to cleanse them, wondering how she hadn't been aware of her injuries before.

Returning with a goblet - it was large, and set with onyx and black jade, Kena'd found it just on the edge of the fountain - the weary goddess managed to hand it to Devarion before likewise sinking down halfway up the stairs to the dais.

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(my plan is this, i'v already tolf elgost. If Asmunda is more powerful in part becuse, not totally, or more worship to him and less to us as well as his new powers. As god of Death, Azra and some others could very much against thier will kill a few hundred of these new worshippers to buy themselves and the world a little time?)

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Made by Lembas

(^ That could work.)

Estelle looked around at the runes in wonder as she followed Devarion to the Lunar alter. She had very little memory of the place, though she had lived for several ages. She watched briefly as
Kena raced down the eastern corridor to fetch the water. It was just as well, the messenger goddess had the greatest speed of them all, she would probably be able to find the well the quickest. Sinking down on the hard floor, Estelle surrendered to her exhaustion. She watched silently as Kena handed the goblet to Devarion before sinking upon the stairs. Estelle leaned back against her hands, turned her face toward the ceiling and breathed in deeply. She knew that they were all exhausted from the battle with Asmundr. With that she turned her attention back to Devarion, waiting for what he would do next.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

When Azra arrived he found no one there. He loked puzzeled for a moment then lifted his hands and seemed to clutch at something. "A portal, Devarion made it i think, well the'll be safe wherever they are." He said to Nolgos, then looked in anger round the glade. "I am one of the strongest on the Gods, and i could do nothign, Nothing against him. If he was not immortal i would take him this instant..." he paused as an idia came to him"...maybe...no i could not do that, its aginst everything i'v worked for...no...but maybe its the only way..." he turned and smiled weakly at Nolgos "You are a warrior turned healer, it seems i must become a healer turned warrior."

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Made by Lembas

Nolgos smirked as Azra spoke of the change of roles.

"I lied about that, I was already a healer when I was young, but when you are picking wounded soldiers up from the battlefield you tend to get mixed as a threat. So one must become a threat in order to protect himself, I killed the enemy and saved my own comrades lives when ever I could... But you know as well as I do that I killed more than saved."

He retorted with a rather quite voice before walking into the glade opening where he had last seen Devarion, but he or the others were no where to be found like the storm had swallowed them. Nolgos looked at Azra with his eyebrow raised for an explenation, but at the same time fearing the worst.

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Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

(^ okay I believe I entered the portal before it closed but if not, i guess i can jump back out....you choose)

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

((The portal was gone directly after Kena and Estelle made it through with Devarion, I believe, so there wasn't really a potential for anyone else to follow))

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