The Corrupted God

[Grayell]

Yeah.... his name......

Grayell's lip quivered. His heart felt like it had taken a back seat to the dire beast that screamed through his veins and his teeth had punctured his lip. A simple, silvery trail of blood and spittle had smeared to his chin but it whispered to him, called at him in a plea begging for something he couldn't command. That tiny conduit was enough for a tiny something though, an edge that couldn't otherwise be matched in his battered body. Old joints worked like new and muscles were stockpiled with adrenalin, ready to fire with explosive force.

His name.... it's...

Grayell had turned, rotated at the waist to look back at the unfortunate god of the woods, his face obscured by the mage. He and the beast were something of kindred spirits, at least to Grayell. EVERYTHING in his world was buzzing with input and his hand lazily shifted to his waist as he turned to face the mage again. Going for his sword would trigger something terrible.

Tearing his knife from his waist, he bounded at the mage and lashed out like sheet metal caught in a tornado, that very keen, very sharp blade seeking the hot, blue bloody that ran through the mages neck. He didn't need a kill, he needed to cripple this bastard just long enough. The yell was thunderous, dreadful.

HIS NAME IS TANTO!!!

[Serenity]

A well of light emerged from beneath Grayell's feet and erupted through him. The new contract was made.

A surge of power coursed through him, filled him up and calmed his rage but for a moment. His vision was taken by a sheet of white and in its center a magnificent wolf stood.

At the same time, a similar phenomenon was occurring with the giant beast, the patches of black corruption dissipating within the well of light.

"Wha..what is this?!"

In a moment of Dean's broken concentration, Serenity summoned the earth and a pillar rose to catch her in the air. She was on her feet now and called the wind to her aid, a small tornado ripping through her restraints. The earth pillar returned to where it came and a pissed off Serenity threw her wind at Dean, sending him flying several feet into the air.

The light wells slowly ceased and a new born Grayell stood, he looked the same as ever, but something about him was different. And...a new born creature stood proudly in the field. A great white wolf with his teeth bared, looked ahead at a downed Dean who was desperately scrambling to get up.

"I..*cough*..will not be defeated, this way. I searched for to long!"

Raising the blood stone in his hand, the doctor summoned all the strength he had to command his shadow beasts. The monsters suddenly gathered together in a single cloud, and slowly began to shape a mirror image of Tanto. Soon a giant black wolf stood across from the god, both growling at each other.

"That's one problem out of the way..."

The blood stone still in hand, Dean grinned madly at the party.

"I'll show you true magic!"

With a flick of his wrist, the earth seemed to rumble. Something ran across the ground, tearing a line as it went straight for Serenity. Before the earth spike could hit her, she summoned a wall of earth of her own that barely stopped the attack.

The outcome of actions toward Dean will be determined by me

The black wolf charged at Tanto, and both wolved entered a biting frenzy as they rolled across the ground, rumbling the earth as they did.

[Grayell]

Grayell hissed but the look of sheer rage was replaced. Instead of bared teeth he countenance now displayed a twisted, savage smile. One foot stepped forward, slow and deliberate as his sword was drawn from it's sheath - then pulled to his front, his left hand sliding over the blade. Blood rippled from the cut and dribbled down the steel and Graihl laughed inside, something turning over and over, boiling under his momentary control.

The steel stained crimson glowed ever so faintly and Graihl sprinted forward. His first attack was bold and direct, his blade aimed immediately at Dean's forehead.

[Alec]

Alec extends his arms, hands open, facing out. His head hangs as he recites an ancient incantation, eyes lightening. The rickety building shakes as nails begin to pull from the walls. Pulling his arms inward, the nails fly from the walls to gather in front of him.

He turns to Dean's prone form, the nails aimed at him. Finally, Alec looks up, eyes shining brightly. Clenching his fists, he puts them together, and thrusts them forward sending the nails flying towards the crazed mage, around Grayell.

[Serenity]

The flying nails came first, barely visible at a distance but Dean became wise to them once they got close enough. A wind barrier formed quickly around him and spun so fast the nails were instantly turned away and flew around him.

The wind barrier was still present when Grayell went for his attack, seeming to catch him in an invisible cortex. With a sway of the hand Dean tossed Grayell aside in the air not bothering to see whether he landed or not.

A cone of wind flew at him now, caused by Serenity who had prepped an attack while Grayell launched his.

"You think your power over the elements is so great? I was once had so little power it was a joke to even consider me a mage. But BLOOD, blood magic showed me the way and with this stone I rule over the elements like ancient gods of this earth."

His wind barrier grew and swallowed Serenity's own attack, causing a tornado effect to take place around the field. Summoning earthen anchors around her legs, Serenity tried to control the wind, but the strain would soon take effect.

Tanto shoved and tackled the shadow beast into the trees causing a great many to fall over. Countering his leap, the shadow caught Tanto with its legs and threw him upward and over him. Their battle would tear apart this forest.

[Grayell]

Grayell landed on his shoulders and folded over backward like a rag doll. Crashing to his chest, he ended halfway out the building, bruised and somewhat torn. It was nothing he couldn't shrug off and he still had his blade in hand. The wind whipped around him in a frenzied state, his white hair flapping uncontrollably. His arm guarded his eyes and he witnessed the battle with the blood mage - and then looked to the two massive beasts tearing at each other in the woods.

Have to get that stone.....

Grayell's mind could feel Tanto battling for it's life. The beast was still weakened, the once proud guardian left on even footing with it's shadow counterpart. But he had an idea....

Grayell scrambled up the skeletonized frame of the once proud church. It proved difficult, the wind threatened to tear him from his ascent and again, his age demanded that he slow down lest he slip. With one last lunge, he leaped from his vertical beam to what was left of the rafters and slowly pulled himself up with a grunt. He ran low and then pounced onto the outermost platform and then yelled.

TANTO! TAKE THE STONE!

Grayell sneered as he looked at the massive black wolf and cut the stirring air with his blade in defiance. He pointed at the bastard abomination.

You get to tangle with me, bitch.

[Alec]

Reaching out mentally, Alec searches Dean's person for anything made of metal, large enough to inflict serious damage. Attempting to distract the older man from his probing, Alec falls on the wind barrier, striking it viciously and rapidly, hoping to clear a space to get at the man, or at least crack the shield.

[Serenity]

Serenity clenched her teeth, muscles tense and weakening, if it weren't for her anchors she might of been tossed like a rag doll already. The tug of war with Dean was proving to be exhausting, his blood stone powering him up to ridiculous degrees, Serenity barely keeping his wind cone where its at. The collision between the tornadoes was ripping even the earth underneath, causing rocks and various debris from even the church to join it.

The wind was about to carry Alec and toss him about as well, if it weren't for Serenity breaking concentration for a moment to catch him. She summoned the earth to wrap around his legs as well to keep him where he was for the moment. The distraction was costly though, as Dean was now winning the tug of war and threatened to rip the lady mage from her place.

Alec could feel a specific object on Dean's person, a dagger perhaps in his pocket.

The shadow wolf was surprised, to say the least, during the stand off between the two gods Grayell's blade found its place on his back causing it to roar in defiance. Tanto took this opportunity to deliver a killing blow by biting the neck of the creature and ripping it off.

The shadow wolf fell slowly to the ground and began to dissipate. Not wasting any time, Tanto ran in a wide arc towards Dean, aiming to take him down in one tackle.

"No!"

Dean pulled his wind away from Serenity and aimed directly at the forest god. He couldn't carry it away, instead, he stopped its progress for the moment, Tanto trapped within a wind cage of sorts.

Serenity loosed her earth restraints and collapsed to the ground, exhausted by the ordeal.

"I'll be...alright, just go punch him would you..or something."

[Grayell]

Grayell was hot on Tanto's trail and heading back to the fray but had broken through the front of the church and now bolted across the chaos-wrecked floor and towards his quarry. His blade trailed behind him like a tail and his chin led his charge, almost parallel with the floor as his feet hammered to close the distance.

He saw Serenity drop and Tanto suppressed and knew that the mage had little options left. Closing the gap, Grayell's foot planted upon the pulpit and launched him into the air, arms back to grip his sword and bring it ringing home on the Mage's head.

DIE!!!

[Alec]

Hearing Grayell's shout, Alec takes a quick step back. Reaching out, he takes hold of the dagger in Dean's pocket, and turns it inwards. "That stone is false power. It drives men insane." With this, he attempts to force the dagger into Dean's side.

[Serenity]

Due to the age restrictions of our wonderful site I can't even begin to describe the horror that occurred, the bloody shower brought on by a barbarian and telekinetic knife thrower. Even going into detail would be illegal in more than 5 states and Australia. What I can say is that a high pitched squeal that only Tanto could hear at the time erupted from Dean's mouth before his end came.

The blood stone dropped from his hand and shattered upon the ground, its state of being incomplete putting it on the verge of cracking regardless if the battle had continued.

Tanto, released from his prison shook off his wounds and walked over to the party. Looking down directly at Serenity, Tanto tapper her with his nose, returning some of her strength.

"Oh, wow!" a warm feeling coursed through her and relaxed her muscles, it was like getting out of bed. Nearly stumbling, she got up slowly and petted the giant wolf, "Thank you!"

Remembering Alec, Serenity threw down the earth guards around his legs and released him. Tanto went over to give him the same treatment by tapping his giant wet nose on his chest.

Now came Grayell that Tanto faced. The giant wolf looked him eye to eye, as if measuring him up. Their new bond was only beginning to form and the forest god was more than pleased with what he saw. Raising a giant paw, he placed it lightly on Grayell's shoulder, part of it anyway. Tanto looked down at Grayell as if seeing an old friend again for the first time in a long while, as if he had been waiting ages for him alone. Raising his head, the wolf howled mightily into the air, cleansing his great forest of any remaining taint.

[Grayell]

Grayell slid his blade into his sheath and rolled his shoulder, an old wound that still haunted him. He was suffering from a permanent smile as the giant wolf sang out and was tempted to join him... but held back in their other company. When the wolf ended, he set his hand on it's nose close his eyes, pressing his forehead to it's muzzle.

Tanto. My brother.

The words were likely lost on his friends, but was the indication of a story for another time. Grayell turned to face both Alec and Serenity with a smile.

Well. You two kicked ASS.

[Alec]

Smiling broadly, Alec looks at the mutilated corpse of the blood mage. "Us?" he says, barely suppressing a laugh. "You damn near chopped the man in half!"

[Serenity]

Serenity shook her head, in disbelief of what they just went through and at Grayell's comment.

Despite replenishing her strength, Serenity was still catching her breath a little, "See, and you wanted me to stay at that village. If I did you'd be blown half way across the world now."

Tanto moved into the church space now, looking down directly at the floor boards. With a single push of his paw, he made a hole in the ground to reveal a basement. Inside were some of the town's folk, including some children. They were in a sleeping state of some kind, but it was nothing Tanto couldn't handle. The wolf barked once, loudly, and stirred the sleepers.

Serenity went over to see what was up and was amazed to see all the people that were underneath them this whole time. Taking a breath and concentrating, she raised her arms in the air and demanded the earth to answer her design. Earthen steps took shape, erupting from the ground, and created a staircase up and out of the hole.

The townspeople slowly got out, and were startled, amazed to see Tanto in the flesh for the first time. A little boy among them went over to hug his fabled guardian.

"Are you Gwiyn's younger brother?"
The boy turned to Serenity with tears in his eyes, "Yes!"

Serenity went over to carry the boy in her arms, "We should hurry back Grayell."

Tanto went over to the clearing's edge and barked in the direction of the town, making the trees part and create a path home.

[Grayell]

Grayell smiled and nodded, but hung back as they started to vacate the building. He made sure everyone was out of the basement and on the path before he returned to the mage's ragged corpse. H didn't bother to spit on it, this man would receive no burial. Instead, the scavengers of the woods would have their way with what was left.

No, Grayell had a greater concern.

You won't be causing anymore trouble here.

Grayell crouched and scooped up the remnants of the blood stone before hurrying to catch up with the others. He said nothing.