Current Events > Teen Titans CYOA: Romance Resurrected Part 13.5

(+) Yeah! (+)

B.
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A

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A

"We'll strategise," you say. "In the case of spotting the shadows, we'll need containment to keep it in the area. If it runs away, we'll have to search all over again."

"True," she says. "But what level would we need? The spirit of Duncan Park said it was this burning thing, but the spirits might have a different perspective on its power level."

You two walk inside and head for the elevator.

"I think we should go with the highest level we can muster," you say. "As you said, the spirits have a different perspective. Some are weaker, but many more are much stronger. Duncan may've been worried because this 'thing of malice and darkness,' as he put it, is far worse than just a bunch of shadows."

The elevator reaches your floor and you exit.

"What could a spirit like that be doing in a place like this?" Raven asks.

"Weren't we here to see what spirits we could see, even before the news of these shadows?" you say.

"True."

You two return to the doors of your hotel rooms, but you can hear arguing going on in 227.

"Let's talk strategy in your room," you say to Raven.

She opens the door and you walk in to sit at the foot of the bed. Raven closes the door and sits beside you.

"What else should we do about confront this shadow spirit?" she asks.

"Well, we can't be sure it'll be friendly," you say. "The stories talk of its human shadow form being rather upset. We will need to converse with it calmly."

A) Bring a gift with you
B) Bring another spirit with you
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Cartridge88 posted...

A) Bring a gift with you

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A)

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B
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A

"Even a mean-spirited spirit can be appeased with a gift. We can use something that might appeal to this spirit to calm it down."

"So what to get a spirit of malice and darkness that is always burning?" Raven says.

"Well it's either something it can burn, or something that can extinguish fire. But I'm not sure if carrying a bucket of water and a wood log would really work out."

"Well we can use our water element magic to gather water at the time we find the shadow spirit," Raven says. "But yeah, I don't think a wood log would be the easiest thing to bring on a motorcycle."

"Paper might be easier," you say. "It's basically wood made into flat sheets."

"So you'll be bringing a bunch of paper from one of your sketchbooks then?"

"That might be a bit insulting," you say. "A gift is better received when it's brand new, not handed down or regifted."

"True. So we'll go shopping for new paper?"

"Yes," you say. "We'll get a new..."

A) Notebook
B) Printer paper bundle
C) Box of matches
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Cartridge88 posted...

A) Notebook

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C
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B

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RANDOMIZE

C

"Box of matches. Those are obviously meant to be flammable so the spirit might understand those better."

"Okay. So we'll go get those, what? After resting for a bit?"

"Of course," you say. "We don't need to rush out to a convenience store or anything just yet. For now..."

A) Check the map
B) Take a nap
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B
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B.

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B)

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B

"Let's take a nap."

"Really?" she says as you start to recline back. "Just a nap?"

"Aren't you tired?" you ask.

"Not enough to nap," she chuckles.

"Well, I'm still napping," you say. "Join me if you want."

"You aren't going back to your room?" she chuckles.

"You can't hear those people still arguing? I'll gladly trade rooms with you if it doesn't bother you."

"Oh stop it," she smirks. "Fine, you nap here. I'll just quietly watch TV or something."

"Alright," you shrug as you finish reclining. "I'll be here if you change your mind."

She giggles more as you rest your head on the pillow and close your eyes.

When you wake up, you see Raven checking herself in the mirror. She doesn't seem to like how she looks in that particular outfit and starts undoing the pants. But when she turns around, she sees that your eyes are open.

"Oh!" she says, embarrassed now. "I knew I should've figured out my outfit sooner."

"It's not like I haven't seen you in less before," you say as you sit up slowly.

"Yeah, but those moments are different," she says. "Anyway, close your eyes or look away so I can change these jeans."

You close your eyes and you listen to her undo and take off the pants. You hear her rummage through her luggage to bring out new items. She sits on the bed to put those on, and then stands back up. You open your eyes and see she changed into shorts.

"Very nice," you say.

"Hey!" she says with a smirk. "I didn't say you could open your eyes yet."

"Sorry," you say. "But can I take this to mean you're ready to head out and shop for the matches?"

"Yeah," she says. "After we get those, where are we starting the search?"

A) The Towers of Natchez
B) More woods
C) A cemetery
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C.

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Malcrasternus posted...

C.

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A

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c

Look for my ancestors or something. <_<

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C

"Perhaps a cemetery?" you say.

"Really?" she says with some optimism.

"Well, those are hot beds for spirits, aren't they?"

"Ghostly spirits," she says. "What makes you think this fiery spirit of malice is like one of those?"

"You never know," you shrug. "It could be a spirit that holds a grudge of some kind."

"Oooh, that's possible," Raven says, growing even more eager. "Let's get going."

You two head back outside and down to the parking lot. You get back on Shadowfax and drive across town to the Walmart Supercenter. It's not incredibly busy so you find a parking spot in the middle of the lot. You and Raven walk inside and enjoy the air conditioning as you look at the aisles.

"Matches, matches," you say as you look to one side.

"Oh, this way," Raven says.

You go to the other side and see the camping supplies aisle. Matchboxes are up first in a little display at the front end of the aisle. You take a nice big box and then head to the cash registers.

"That'll be $3.25," the cashier says.

You hand over the exact change and take the receipt. The matchbox is put in a bag and Raven carries that as you head out again.

From the Walmart Supercenter on the east-side, you go to the north-side of town. You arrive and see there is actually a Natchez Cemetery and a Natchez National Cemetery. The national cemetery looks much smaller.

A) Investigate the Natchez Cemetery
B) Investigate the Natchez National Cemetery
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A.

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B
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A)

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a

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A

"We'll go with the larger local cemetery," you say.

You drive up to Natchez Cemetery and park Shadowfax just outside.

"Whoa," Raven says as you two walk up. "Confederate dead. As in, the American Civil War."

"Well, what better place for a spirit of malice to hang about? For one, they died during a very bloody war, so there was a lot of anger in their demise."

The two of you walk through an entrance and walk past the grave markers.

"I feel ghosts lingering," Raven says. "But they don't feel hot, like they're burning. They feel cold."

"Let's keep looking," you say.

A) Split up
B) Stick together
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Cartridge88 posted...

B) Stick together

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B
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B

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B

You and Raven stick close together as you go deeper into the cemetery.

Passing by the head stones, Raven seems to feel the chill of the ghosts, as she said. She shivers and rubs an arm to warm up.

"While I'm glad there are actual ghosts hanging around," Raven says, "it's a lot going on. It's like this cemetery is crowded."

"Is there any space that doesn't feel crowded?" you ask.

Raven looks around and she points to a spot on the west side.

"I don't sense too much going on over there," she says.

You follow Raven as you go a long way to an angel statue. The angel holds a book and seems to be turning the page. The name of the statue is, "The Turning Angel," so that explains that.

"Erected by the Natchez Drgu Company," Raven says, reading the inscription on the pedestal. "To the memory of the unfortunate employees who lost their lives in the great disaster that destroyed its building on March 14, 1908."

Raven forgoes reading the names listed to move around and look at the face of the statue.

"Never seen an angel statue in person before," she says. "But it makes sense, right? Being the daughter of a demon and all."

You walk over to her and hold her hand.

"One doesn't have to do with the other," you say. "You're far more divine than any angel."

She chuckles and smirks. But then something makes her smile go away and she looks to the south.

"Something's heading this way," she says in a very serious tone.

"Is it-"

"Yes," she says. "And Duncan wasn't kidding. This thing is hot like boiling water. And moving like a tidal wave."

"How much time?" you say as you bring out the matchbox.

"Maybe a couple minutes."

"Set out some of these," you say as you hand her the box. "No less than a dozen, evenly spaced."

"Wait, how far apart?" she asks.

"It doesn't matter, so long as they're evenly spaced. Make sure it's a line-up, like a fence or a wall."

She digs into the box and brings out several matches. While she sets those out on the asphalt, you prepare your containment spell.

"Whoa!" Raven says. "The matches are lighting on their own!"

"What?" you say as an idea already clicks in your mind. "No, not on their own. The spirit's causing that. But then..."

"It's already on the cemetery grounds," she says. "It's heading this way!"

"Custos Maximus!" you shout.

Your Guardian spell is deployed, and it creates a perimeter around...

A) Natchez Cemetery
B) The Turning Angel
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Cartridge88 posted...

A) Natchez Cemetery

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Malcrasternus posted...

Cartridge88 posted...

A) Natchez Cemetery

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A

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A

The outline of the cemetery grounds becomes the barrier of protection that will contain this dark spirit.

"It's here!" Raven says as she steps back to regroup with you.

You feel the rise in temperature and see the heat lines make everything around look wavy. The matches still in the box ignite! Raven kicks the box off the grass to be on the concrete. The flames change to unnatural colors, such as green and purple. And then they turn darker and darker.

"What is going on here?" she says.

The heat rises and falls, an ebb and flow, and you see the wing shadow. Seeing it with your own eyes, you realize the news has been wrong all along.

"It isn't a bat wing," you say.

"It's a dragon's," Raven says.

The heat suddenly spikes and it makes you and Raven squint and shield your faces. The wing shadow moves away and morphs into the young man. The shadow starts to shrink, as if it were high noon, though it's closer to sunset now. Then the shadow starts moving up from the ground, building upon itself in three dimensions!

The shadow bubbles like hot tar as it stands higher and higher. By the time it is done growing, it's the same height as you. It's even the same body type, but bald.

"Sweet Raven..." the thing says with a sickening take on your own voice.

The bubbling tar then melts away, or perhaps dries up, and is replaced with parchment. It has eyes, resembling yours and your ancestors'.

"How long has it been?" it says as it tilts its head.

"No..." Raven says, such fear in her voice.

You realize what, or who, stands before you.

"Malchior," you say.

Malchior, in his paper puppet body, looks at you. While it can't show expressions on its face, the body stands up taller to show some surprise.

"Rorek?!" he says. "How are you still alive after all these centuries?"

"How did you escape the other dimension Herald threw you into?!" Raven asks back.

"I may have taught you many things, Raven," Malchior says, the smirk in his voice rather than on his face. "But there are still many things I didn't."

Malchior's paper body suddenly swells and changes and he's a full blown dragon again!

You quickly use Summoning and Raven follows suit, and you summon a pack of wolves, your five white and her seven black. The wolves rush Malchior, avoiding his claw swipes and massive tail. But those are just distractions as you prepare...

A) Binding
B) Arcana
C) Elemental
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Cartridge88 posted...

C) Elemental

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C
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C

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C

"Gather what moisture you can for ice element," you say.

Raven flies up into the air while you move away from the Turning Angel. You gather up water vapor in the air, but it isn't much down here with even just the summer heat. You manage enough to make ice, and you make it into a spear. Raven has much more ice gathered and she blasts it at Malchior from above!

"Agh!" Malchior shouts as he's hit with the cold.

"I learned some new things, too!" Raven shouts back.

Malchior shakes off the frost and flaps his wings. The gust pushes the wolves around but they all get to their feet. You coordinate yours to flank Malchior and Raven's wolves follow their lead.

You use chi to jump up high, and magic barriers to be a platform. Raven uses more ice blasts to keep Malchior's wings stuck. He has to keep breaking free, which in turn keeps him from taking flight. You use alchemy to change the ice spear into metal while Malchior turns around to glare up at Raven. You throw the now metal spear and it lodges in Malchior's neck! You generate Lightning element and the spear acts as a lightning rod for your strike! Malchior is electrified right in the neck!

Malchior falls but supports himself on his arms. He glares over his shoulder to glare at you, but Raven swoops in to help get you off the platform before Malchior breathes fire in your direction! The two of you land, Malchior builds up more fire in his mouth, but Raven uses her shadow phasing to help you two evade! You travel underground and get behind Malchior as he roasts the grass where you stood.

"We're going to need something more," you say.

"You wouldn't happen to have a book lying around, would you?" Raven asks.

"As in to seal Malchior away with the curse the first Rorek used? No, because I didn't expect this."

"Well neither did I," she says.

Malchior realizes where you've gone and raises his tail! You and Raven go in opposite directions to avoid it slamming down! Malchior swings his tail at Raven, and she shields herself just in time! She's still sent flying as the tail collides with the barriers!

You kick one of your element bombs up into the air and have it explode with electricity! The metal spear brings the lightning back in and Malchior gets zapped again. Malchior turns his head to look at you, but Raven blasts him between the shoulders with more ice!

"Stop being a nuisance!" he says as he swings a claw at her.

Raven evades and flies up higher.

"Raven, focus on water," you say as you run underneath her. "I'll focus on wind."

"And together, we make ice," she says. "Good idea."

You gather up the wind as you run and Raven swoops around with a lot of water from high above. You skid to a stop as she flies in to meet you, and you put all four of your hands together.

"FUBUKI!" you both shout, blasting a blizzard at Malchior!

"Gagh!" he blurts as he's buried in snow.

You and Raven practically created an avalanche, but you know that won't hold him for long.

A) Use Binding
B) Use Alchemy
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B
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Cartridge88 posted...

A) Use Binding

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A

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A

"Use binding," you say as you bring out the shackle spells.

Raven flies up while you sling shackles and chains all over the massive snow pile, crisscrossing them over and over. Raven creates large clamps to anchor the ends of the chains into the ground. Malchior sits up in the snow and is stuck in the chains.

"You think this can hold me?!" he shouts.

He pushes up and the anchors start to strain. Raven throws one of her own shackles around Malchior's neck and pulls him down to the ground! The two tug-o-war and Raven is using the gems on her belt to power up her stamina. She holds on while you gather up more lightning power. The melting snow is water that you use to increase conductivity as you ZAP Malchior again!

"AAAARGH!" he lets out in pain.

Raven pulls Malchior down and attempts to choke him a la Princess Leia to Jabba. Malchior pushes up with his wings, and some of the anchors come free! He reaches up with a claw and grabs the collar. He breaks it and Raven tumbles away!

Malchior pulls at the rest of the chains, but you grab him around the neck like Raven just did. You anchor the chain dozens of yards away, forcing Malchior to hunch over. He pulls against the chain as you combine fire and lightning!

"Raven," you say. "Hold him down!"

Raven sees the energy building between your hands and quickly sets to work. She throws chain after chain onto Malchior's back and long neck. She anchors them down with multiple shackles at multiple places this time. Malchior gets his back legs under him and works to push up against all the chains keeping him down, but you still need more time.

"I'm only at 75%!" you shout.

"Arcana Stellae!" Raven shouts as she disperses energy. "Magna, Terebro!"

The Stars grow and become drills! Raven has the drills hit Malchior in his arms! He shouts in pain, but the drills only break his scales before they break apart. Malchior clutches the damaged spots, and then sees the light glowing in your hands!

"ENERGI!!" you shout as you fire the beam.

Malchior gets an arm up to shield himself and your laser hits him in the hand. He screams in pain as the laser pierces his palm!! But he moves his head and neck, so that the laser misses. Your Custos Maximus takes the hit, so the city isn't in danager.

"Damn it!" you say.

Malchior breathes heavy from the pain in his arms and hand. His anger starts to build, as does the fire in his throat. But before he can bring it to his mouth, a GIANT Arcana Melleo hits him in the head! You have no idea when Raven had time to make that but you're grateful it happened. And as Malchior's head goes down and smacks the ground, he ends up choking on his fire! It comes out as smoke and sputtering flames as Malchior tries to breathe.

A) Try more plasma
B) Try Arcana
C) Try the spirits
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Cartridge88 posted...

B) Try Arcana

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C
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A)

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RANDOMIZE

C

"Raven!" you call as you bring out several pieces of spirit paper.

Raven flies over as you quickly draw the usual diagrams. And even one you've never tried before.

First, a wind spirit is summoned in swirling yellow-green with a loose leaf as an ascot.

"I am the spirit of the Natchez winds!" it says in the voice of a young boy.

Then, a nature spirit is summoned as a mound of dirt takes a beefy, muscular shape, despite being only half a foot tall.

"I am the spirit of the Natchez fields," it says in a deep voice.

"I shall call you 'Nate'," you say to the wind spirit. "And you shall be Field."

"Yes, sir," they both salute.

"Raven," you say as you hold out the third paper. "You use this one."

She takes it and looks at the diagram.

"Which one is this?" she asks.

"A spirit that, though it's everywhere, can only be summoned on hallowed ground like this," you say. "The grandchild of Gaia and Neam, child of Heldra the Shadow Spirit."

Raven sparks the paper and another breeze rustles through the grass. It gathers up dust and dirt as it approaches, and forms a shadowy curtain that drapes over a skull.

"Greetings, young mistress," it speaks. "I am Gurim, Spirit of Death."

Gurim's voice is a layer of multiple accents at once. One is American Southern, which makes sense given you're in Mississippi. Another is Geordie British, and the third is... Jamaican?

"Raven, repeat after me," you whisper. "Great spirit Gurim."

"Great spirit Gurim," she repeats.

"We face a terrible threat," you whisper.

"We face a terrible threat."

"Yes, I know," Gurim says as it glances over at Malchior. "A dragon is a powerful embodiment of either greed or death. This is certainly not a greedy dragon."

"Then will you help us fight him?" Raven asks on her own. "Will you help us bring death to this malicious bringer of death?"

Malchior keeps his wounded claw off the ground as he supports himself with the other. But the wounds from the Arcana drills have truly taken a toll, and he can barely prop himself up onto his back feet.

"Death does not take sides, young mistress," Gurim says. "This beast may be belligerent but he is not dying just yet."

"So you'll help when his death is certain?" you ask.

"Hmm... Yes. If this dragon cannot last for more than a few days, I will help you bring him to the end."

"Well, not quite what I was hoping for," you say, "but better than nothing. Nate, Fields, keep the dragon off balance for us."

"Yes, sir!" they salute again.

Fields becomes one with the ground as he rushes up from the right while Nate flies in from the left. Nate uses his "mouth" to blows gusts in Malchior's face. Malchior reels back and swipes at Nate, but he's just a wind spirit so no harm is done. Field then blasts out of the ground with stones to pummel Malchior in his side, then uses a near landslide of dirt to bury the leg and tail. Malchior growls as he digs himself out. Nate blows some of the dirt in Malchior's eyes and Malchior rears back again.

"Pestering Malchior to death isn't going to cut it," Raven says.

"That's why I was working on this," you say as you finish a fourth spirit diagram.

With this bit of spirit paper, you summon...

A) Faraera the Fire Spirit
B) Vindar the Lightning Spirit
C) Uidre the Water Spirit
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C.

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C
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C

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C

Water appears out of thin air and the Druidic spirit of water is here!

"Greetings, Rorek the Seventh," she says. "Oh my! Gurim? And oh! A dragon?!"

"Yes, this is a very dire situation," you say to the spirit. "Gracious Uidre, as the mother spirit of water, I beseech you to help me extinguish the violent and hateful flames of this monster."

"He really does seem quite dangerous to be left alone," she says. "I shall help you stop him before it gets out of hand."

"Thank you!" you say in relief. "Please, become my armor."

"I shall!"

Uidre swirls around you, becoming gauntlets, boots, a chest plate and even a long scarf, all allowing you to float in the air.

"Nate!" you call to the wind spirit.

Nate flies back over to you while Field throws more dirt onto Malchior. Malchior thrashes his tail and pushes up with his back feet.

"Combine to make ice!" you say as Nate arrives.

With your water and wind affinities, enhanced by Nate and Uidre, and with Uidre providing water to use, you unleash another blizzard-like blast of pure ice! It coats Malchior's left side, and makes the dirt brought up by Field into permafrost!

"Arcana Ferrum!" Raven says, forming energy into a disk with a razor edge. "Circumlabor!"

The disk spins and it's like a saw blade! Raven throws the spinning disk, Malchior shields himself with a wing, but much like the drills, his scales cannot withstand the constant striking and they break from the sawing! He still sends the disk flying away, but Raven brings it back around so it doesn't damage graves.

Malchior breaks free of the permafrost! And his tail swings at Raven! She gets another shield up but it shatters and she's hit directly!

"Raven!" you shout.

Field pushes up dirt and makes it soft like sand for Raven to land on with a *POOMF!* But the impact of the tail itself did its damage and Raven clutches her side.

"Lady Raven," Uidre says as a portion of her goes to Raven's side.

Uidre's water envelopes Raven's ribs to heal them.

"Thank you, Uidre," Raven says.

"Glacies!" you say, combining Arcana and ice elemental. "Lancea!"

You make ice spears with help from Nate and Uidre, and you use Alchemy to make them metal again. You throw four of those and they jam into Malchior's other wing! He lets out a pained dragon screech while you combine wind, water and lightning affinities as enhanced by Nate and Uidre.

"Tempestas!"

Those elements combine to create a storm! The clouds darken, wind blows and lightning strikes the metal rods! Malchior falls forward and supports himself for only a moment on his damaged arms before falling to his elbows.

"ENOUGH!" he shouts as he pushes back up. "SHIA KAZING!!"

He claps his hands together and there's an explosion of fire and ash! He holds the explosion like a basketball then tosses it up. The contained explosion grows larger and brighter, and your storm even reacts to the increased heat. Rain starts to fall, and you use affinities to make it into hail! The hail pelts Malchior but he ignores it. His explosion ball doesn't seem bothered by it, either.

You gather up the hail stones into the shape of a club. You skate around as you gather more and more, and you make it metal with Alchemy. You leap up and smack Malchior in the back of the neck, your strength enhanced by chi! Malchior leans forward and grimaces in pain, but he keeps the explosion up in the air.

Raven is back up so you skate over to her.

"Take this," you say as you hand over the clunky club. "Use your Stellae Umbra trick to zip around and hit Malchior wherever you can."

"Okay, but why?" she asks.

"To buy me some time again," you say.

A) For one more plasma
B) For something new
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Cartridge88 posted...

A) For one more plasma

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