helantri deru
outside deru archive 1
outside deru archive 2

---

A bit later, Mara-kuru is bouncing about the garden area, looking for Felina.

It's quite easy to find her, of course...as soon as Felina's aware that Mara's looking for her, she makes sure of it. "Good morning, sunshine. You look better." She smiles, and stands up.

"I feel better," Mara agrees. She's dressed in a white clerical outfit, very... monastery. "It was odd earlier. How are you this lovely morning?"

"I'm just fine, thank you," Felina affirms, nodding. "Just thinking about things in general." She smiles.

"Oh?" Mara hops onto a tree branch just above her head. "Want to tell me about them? A good set of ears, you know." And she wiggles them amusedly.

Felina grins a little, looking up to Mara. Yeah...she's still part Mara, for sure. "Well, for one...have you sensed Yue around? If not...Yue's back."

"I did! But he seemed a little out of sorts the entire time, so I thought I would let him have breathing room." Mara nods, wiggling her toes in Felina's general direction. "Besides, I remember flirtation between us, and that is wrong."

"He's had a bit of a rough time of it since he got back," Felina admits. "But I'm confident he'll pull through. He just needs some TLC, I think, in a way I can no longer really provide. He's a great guy, or girl...I'm sure it will happen."

"Yeah. Girl, though, because otherwise is immoral." Mara looks at Felina critically. "So I think you wanted me to find you. Did you find something out?"

"Several things." Felina nods a little, consider her words. "First...there's no easy 'magic you like you were before' fix that I can see. You and your other half are irreparably separate, since your minds have both already developed to an extent away from wht they originally were."

"Uh huh. I sort of figured that, knowing what I am now." Mara makes a face. "I'll bet she's a horrible slut."

Felina has to laugh quietly at that. "Oh, dear. Well, she didn't get on my good side when she decided that Orrin was pretty, but she's been nice enough for the most part." You know, except the assault thing. "What was suggested, though, is that your mind is still stabilizing and readapting. It would be possible to let you take a long, long nap in the millenium maze, a century or so, and sleep through that transition."

Mara blinks. "Another nap? But then... hm." She sighs. "I guess that is the way, then. I am going to be so old!"

Felina laughs a little, though it's almost guiltily. "Well...you're already old, lady."

"No need to rub it in." The redhead grins again at her sister. "Ting wants this, right? She was so sad yesterday."

Felina had grinned in return. Now it fades a bit. "Well...she wants to see you back to your old self. But she may just have to accept that you're a bit different these days, too."

"Well, we just need to put me to sleep then." Mara brushes off that last sentence as she hops down from the tree. "Let's do it soon before I decide it's a sin."

"Heh...right. Iscovis is going to 'condition your mind for the transition' whatever that means. So if you happen to feel a freaky old incubus in your head, that would be the one." She pokes Iscovis about this time, so he'll likely overhear most of that. It's mostly intended to poke at him.

He responds in a hurry, in the form of Mara's hair lifting up.

She blinks. "Conditioning?"

Felina. You go and handle whatever you have to handle. Speak with your angel and get the space ready while I'm tottering around in here.

Felina nods mentally to Iscovis. "I have no idea. He's in the library if you'd like to ask him in person." She smiles, and squeezes Mara's hand reassuringly. "I need to go talk to Yue and get things ready. Will you be all right?"

"I might be a prude now, but I'm still tough." Mara pounds her chest for effect. "... ow. You go see Yue."

Felina grins a little. "Ahh...well, while you're for once the more prudish anyway, a thicker bra may make for significantly fewer injuries on your part." She grins a bit. "I'll see you soon, Mara."

"Yup." And Mara vanishes to see about Iscovis.

Yeah. Still the same Mara, in a lot of ways. Felina wanders off to a pond in Helantri Deru.

---

Yue is sitting by the pond again when Mara finds him, his dress pulled way up and his legs danging in the water. His natural beauty seems aged somehow, not so much literally as in spirit.

"How come you just left, huh? That was not nice," Mara chastises him.

Felina's a bit quieter, though...observes him a few moments. "Yue, is everything all right?"

The angel stares down into the water a bit longer. "Mara, did you ask him? What I told you to?"

Mara straightens up as if respondian to a Pavlovian command, ears instantly drooping a bit. "Yeah, I asked him."

"And?"

She looks at Felina, her eyes reading of something incomprehensible. "He said he'd do it, if it would get you to stop acting hysterical every time he came around."

Yue nods slowly, uncertainly. "That settles that, then. Felina, thank you for going to Minna without me." He's serious, of course, but his mood almost presents cynicism.

Felina nods. "Of course." She looks aside a few moments, then back up. She's had time to think about this too. "Unless you strongly want it otherwise, I don't think I'm going to go with you to the world tree."

He glances at her, his grim smile suggesting he'd expected as much, hoped for it even. Still, he asks, "why?"

"First, because...well, I was willing to kill you if it came to that. But if I don't have to, I would have a lot of trouble watching you die. That would...be my dreams for a long time, I promise you." She smiles a bit, equally grimly, then shrugs. "Secondly, because even though I know the circumstances, I'm not sure I wouldn't severely hold it against Moorn in the future, possibly enough to eventually build enough tension to start us fighting again." She does have a vengeful streak when it comes to the people she loves, no doubt. And whatever sort of love it is...she does love Yue dearly.

Mara is just wilting at this point. She wants to help but feels out of her element, almost as if this is adult conversation and she is too young. She puts a hand on Yue's shoulder, though.

"I understand. Don't worry your pretty head, though, it will turn out just fine." The angel gets out of the water, immediately dry. "I promise."

"You'd better." Felina remembers to nod after a moment. How deeply distubed by this is...hard to put into words. She forces a smile and slight head tilt. "So, when do you suppose you'll be leaving?"

"Immediately. I want to come back and hug you with wings." Yue has a convincing brave face, as evinced by Mara's rising spirits.

"I'll got get Gabriel then. You're so brave, Yue!" And she vanishes, just like that. Mara, it seems, is in no mood for pleasantries.

Felina smiles a bit, and nods. "Sounds fair, then. I'll go let Dewei and Ai know." Half turns. Pauses. "Yue..." searches words a moment. Closes her eyes, brow furrowed, turns back around, and hugs him tightly. She's shaking a little. And doesn't feign knowing what to say.

He knows no better than she. For an endless moment he hugs her back, wishing he could say something more certain for her. he can't, not really. But the intent is certainly there. He wishes he could say he loves her... he does, but the context has changed so much that it might only make things worse.

"If something about this whole thing goes wrong," Felina murmurs quietly after a few infinite moments, "I will personally find a way to kill you again. Okay?" She touches his cheek briefly, half-fails to smile a sad smile, gazing into his face for just a moment, and then turns quickly on her heel to head back into the house at Helantri Deru.

He watches her go, eyes closed tightly. "Okay," he whispers, his brave face falling away. Suddenly, this doesn't feel like a very good idea. Leaving a heavy mark of his energy signature to follow, he heads on to Yggdrasil Minor.

---

Felina's dressed in the lightweight black gi that she pretty much always trains in, more or less enjoying her run. Usually she likes them a lot, but...well, at least it gets her mind off of things. She slows, though, when, in a poof of glitter Ting adds for Yue's benefit, her ex and daughter appear nearby. "If you're looking for the bathroom, about seven miles the other way," she notes.

"Was the mess that bad, that you're fleeing from it?" Yue leads the eldest of Felina's children towards her mother, finding that his hips are swaying a little more normally all of a sudden. He simply feels attractive, so he might as well emphasize it. "

Felina smiles, and slows to a walk. "You look great, Yue! New dress?"

The fire finds its way into his cheeks again. "Yes. Ting made it for me, is she not a miracle?" He does a slow turn, pleased as punch at the reaction.

Felina smiles at her daughter, and looks back to Yue. "Yes...yes she is. So what do you think? Chase the men or the ladies first? I think either would be thrilled with you right now, you really do look good." She grins.

"Men," Ting answers. "They're easier to make fall over."

"And Ting prefers men, I think, anyway." For all his flirtatious bravado Yue remains observant and sensitive. "Besides. None of the men are going to compliment me, and then grumble when I turn my back."

Felina snickers. "Women are strange and complicated creatures, yes. Where are you two headed, then?"

"That is up to Ting, I think." His smile warms towards Felina. "I am malleable, you see, to any kind of environment. Ting might not take a fancy to a place I might choose."

Ting grins. "Oh, I'd take to it. They just might not take to me."

"Well..." the angel considers this for a long, long moment. "I do know a place that would be nice for us. But let's talk to your father first, I want to see him." He doesn't let the connotation out, but really, Yue still feels horrible for worrying Orrin before.

"Hee...okay! Just tell me how I need to dress before we go, and...I think dad just got out of the shower. He's dressed and all, though!"

"Mm... nothing so fancy that you worry about it getting dirty, but something nice." Yue nods. "Occasionally it gets rough in there. If you go get dressed I will see your dad, and then we can go?" He looks to Felina, still warm in the cheeks. "May I borrow her for a bit, Felina?"

"Only if you bring her back in two pieces or less," Felina observes.

Ting grins. "Love you, too, mom."

Felina winks at her. "In the meantime, my heart rate is crashing, so have fun, you two." Felina smiles, and starts back along her route."

"Hee. I'll poof you to dad, then?"

The fallen angel watches Felina go a little longer than he probably ought to before nodding to Ting. It's just the stress of the last few days, he's sure of it, that is making the old wounds of losing Topaz sting so fiercely.

"Yes, I think so... oh. Ting, make sure you have a dagger or something with you." Yue's expression brightens. "Rowdy crowd sometimes."

Ting blinks, then laughs. "My kinda place! Okee...see you soon!" And then she and Yue are both back at Helantri Deru, Yue near Felina and Orrin's bedroom, where the dumen is still trying to get his hair dry.

Once Yue regains his bearings, he reaches up and pecks on the bedroom door with the back of a hand. "Orrin? Are you decent in there?"

"Hm?" Orrin looks up. "Oh...give me just a second." He quickly finishes towel drying his hair as best he can, and slips on a shirt, considering earlier conversations. There we go. Come on in." He reaches for a hairbrush. He isn't exactly fastidious when it comes to his hair, but knots suck.

Yue nudges the door just open enough to slip inside. He's thankful that Orrin had been so thoughtful as to dress, in a way. "I just wanted to tell you that I am going to take Ting to a ballroom I know, pending father's permission... and..." He smiles a pretty, maternal smile. "Give me the brush, you."

"What, three passes and then a ponytail doesn't seem enough?" The dumen grins, holding out the brush. "And, that should be fun. I'm sure Ting will have a grand time."

Yue takes it, tutting and clicking his tongue. "Just like a man," he giggles, stepping closer. He pulls Orrin's hair carefully back and lets it loose, and again, gathering all the stray strands together. "I'm sure she will," he answers, "the River Rose is a wonderful place." Slowly he runs the brush through the Dumen's hair, careful not to tug. "Orrin. Do you... um. I need a male perspective on this outfit. Do you mind?"

"Well...I could tell you more completely, and wouldn't be trying so hard to keep my eyes elsewhere, if I weren't married." The dumen grins at the Incubus. "It's very appealing, Yue. Especially for not showing an obscene amount of skin, it's very cute and flattering, and suits you."

That is an astonishingly good answer. Yue smiles over Orrin's head and just brushes his hair for a moment, humming softly to himself. "That is what I wanted to hear, I think. Thank you for being honest." He sets the brush aside, gives Orrin's hair a pat. "There you go, all nice and neat."

"Ah...thank you, Yue. Curls are irksome to deal with, but I suppose you know that." The dumen grins. "So, now with the ponytail." He laughs and ties his hair back, before looking over to the other fellow and standing up. "So when are you and Ting leaving?"

"As soon as she is ready, I think." Yue's fumbling his thoughts right about now. He really, really wants to make up to Orrin for how he behaved earlier, but doesn't know how to do it. "Um..."

Orrin tilts his head a bit as he reaches for his jacket. "Is everything all right, Yue?"

"I just," his wings ruffle a little. "I have to apologize for my behaviour earlier. I was not in my right mind, but that's no excuse. And... I promise you that I am going to stop being so forward with you. As a way of making it up to you." There. That was only harder than dying.

"Hey...it's not a big deal, all right? You've had a really tough few days, you'd have gone out of your head if you didn't snap at someone eventually." Orrin smiles a bit as he fastens up his jacket. "Besides, you've never been unduly forward with either Felina or I since we were seriously dating. Give yourself some credit...you know where to draw lines, and you've always observed them. I guess it's always been an avoided subject, but...thank you. For that. It's pretty bloody rare to find someone who respects their friends so much, you know?"

"Heh..." Dammit... "You both deserve it. But... mm. Ting is probably waiting. Thank you again for helping me, Orrin." Yue blows a kiss to him, careful to fight her hugging impulse. "I'll bring her back just fine."

"Oh, I trust you will. Just don't have too much fun." Orrin grins. "Something tells me those wings are going to be the talk of the whole place. Nothing gets attention like a seduction demon."

Yue just smiles, and heads off to the front room to wait for Ting. This should be a nice trip, anyway. Fun too... almost a guaranteed brawl before the night is over.

Ting is along before too long. Her hair isn't "done", of course, but freshly gelled in back into all of its punky goodness, and the front's lying smooth and shiny. She's wearing a mid-length dress with a long, intricate, black-laced, velvet corset body in deep purple, an a short skirt overlaid by a knee-length, pixie-cut black lace skirt. She's not wearing true shoes, as usual, but a pair of tight black stockings end halfway down her foot and form into something like a punky leather boot or ankle-cuff that offsets the lacy dress. Purple lip gloss finishes it. "Hi!

Yue admires her daring, if not her sense of style. This, of course, is withheld information.

"Someone prettied up," he notes. "Ready to go torment some testosteroids?"

"Sure!" Ting grins. "Making people faint is fun."

The angel smiles, nodding. "Follow me, then." A teleportation spell, a genuine one for once, vastly more powerful than usual, envelopes the both of them, leading far away to the River Rose.

---

"Yoru, get away! Warn the others, I'll be fine!" Makyon platform-hops over the head of another attacker, dropping down and ending him with a swipe his fist. Another appears, just to the side.

Yoru, however, is poking at a strange gelatinous sphere that appeared with all the others. Pokes it, to no reaction. She's terribly interested in the infernal energy pouring out of it, though.

Dewei, for his part, drops rapidly to the ground beside the thing narrows his eyes, and raises his hands. Four runes of light magic of the highest order begin to rapidly script themselves on the cardinal points around it.

Three of the clones leap for Dewei, hissing as though they sense impending doom. Makyon puts himself between the young man and the monsters, growling, uncertain.

Yoru eeps, and leaps to his side a moment too late. Three sepearate blades ram into the revenant's chest before Yoru cuts the assailants into ashes with a psionic attack. Makyon stands stock still, for a moment, staring outward.

The object freezes within Dewei's spell circle.

"Makyon!" Dewei is horrified...but one thing forcefully drilled into him is to never let someone's sacrifice make itself in vain. Shakes his head stiffly. "Yoru...get him out of here! When this light field activates, it could kill him!"

Yoru looks back and forth, studying, and then nods. "Yes, you're right!" she observes just before pounce-snagging the revenant and vanishing him off from the fighting.

Moorn's apprentice takes a deep breath, a sealing field flows to live in a glowing circle above the light one...and then they merge and activate.

The flow of infernal force from this strange pod cuts off, locked away by Dewei's quick thinking countermeasure. The manifestations that had appeared wilt, all in unison, and topple over.

And, sensing an enormous energy rise from his sister, two supporting spells are woven quickly and placed from a distance as Dewei rushes back to the emerging demonic presence.

---

As soon as the shields are eased, Dewei appears outside of them, not far from Moorn. "It's hidden pretty well, but scratching the second layer of shields wouldn't end well," he observes.

The sorcerer lowers his hands from his casting, glaring at Dewei. "You are alright," he says before he can stop himself. "Moron!" Saved. "Don't you think I knew that?"

"Father," Ai tugs his sleeve, shaking her head. "Quit it. Dewei, Mara was here. She told us what happened before she left again to get something from her dimension. I..." am so glad to see you're okay, I worried my heart out, "... was having trouble keeping father from doing something rash."

Dewei nods a bit. "It wasn't a top-level demonic attack, but pretty fomidable. Yue was the target...Makyon's also hurt, but Yoru has it covered. Yue may need your help, Ai, because you're a goddess, but...I'd really love for your father," he glances at Moorn, "to call it safe for you first. If not, we can find a more powerful deity somewhere, my mom has exploitable connections."

"Why does Ai need to get involved in this?" Moorn crosses his arms as he so often does. "Nevermind. Just show us the way."

Ai nods. She wishes her father would lighten up already, but he has come a long way anyway. It may be too much to ask.

"She doesn't if she chooses not to." Dewei says this pretty definively, more to Ai than her dad. Smiles at her briefly, though, takes her hand, and then they vanish for the grounds of Helantri Deru as soon as Ting invites them back.

---

Dewei and Ai appear not far from Yoru and Makyon, and Ai immediately collapses against a tree, gasping for breath. Her neck is red on both sides, and her right foot is swollen and lacerated as well. "Dewei," she whispers, "are you okay...?"

"I'm okay...Ting though..." he cringes. Takes about three seconds to mend his arm.

Yoru looks over at them from her tending of Makyon, and tuts. "This is starting to look like a triage unit," she points out. "Who's hurt worse, Yoru has the medicine." She trots over to Dewei, looks him over, then looks at Ai. 

"Ai," Dewei states quickly, smiling wanly. "Thanks, Yoru, you're the best." Looks to Ai. "Please forgive me for doing this to you again. But I have to get my sister. And he's back for Niven Ai.

Ai just closes her eyes as Yoru kneels next to her. "Gourd. He was not kidding at all. Broken eardrums, Ai, tsk tsk. You tell him that these orifices are not for him. And I'll warn you now about the nostrils. No dice." She looks around some more. "Foot... broken. Well. Two toes. Yoru has the medicine, no worries little... taller than me girl."

Dewei returns a couple of minutes later, sheepishly. "Well..." he calls ahead of himself. "First I want to see if a certain beloved goddess is okay. Then I won't blame her when she slaps me for worrying her."

"Shhh..." Yoru calls back, finger to her lips. "Over here, lover boy." Ai is lying upon a pallet of moss that Yoru has gathered for her. Blood still stains her neck and her face, but her ears are stuffed with smallish packs of stuff, and she is sleeping soundly. "She needed to rest, and her eardrums were broken," Yoru explains in her clinical voice. "So the moss is enchanted, pumping healing spells into her a little at a time. She's fine. Will be, anyway. She'll have an ugly headache, though."

A little bit later Ale swoops down and lands with a harsh thump, the impact apparently not bothering him in the least. "Dewei," he calls, looking around. He can see Yoru and Makyon, but not Dewei, as he steps into the clearing.

Dewei shows up a few seconds later. "Was putting Ai to bed," Dewei notes. Smiles at Yoru. "Yoru patched her up a bit...thanks again, Yoru. You really saved us today."

Yoru wiggles her ears happily. Dewei's a cutie, especially when he smiles that 'I've been getting laid every other hour for a week' smile of his. "Yoru has the medicine, so using it is not such a big deal."

Ale can't help but smile at her. She's Mara-Ting cute, but has such an odd manner that it comes across as comical. "Look," he motions for Dewei to listen, "I told Ting all about it. What the two of you fought was an officer, a legion commander. An Overseer. And you did great, but those things aren't unique. There are six of them, five if your aunt is still alive. They'll be back."

"Of course this would happen when mother's away." Dewei shakes his head. "Aunt's still alive. She's back at Istan Aiga, but I doubt she's going to be in any sort of shape to get in a serious fight for days." Thinks. Damn. Frowns a little. "Is there something we can do to stop it, or at least put up a better defense? We just don't have the resources to fight five more consecutive opponents of that power level."

"Well, you can take comfort, sort of. There is no way that all of them will be brought to this place, because their territory is so immense. Galaxies, whole sectors belong to each one. But there will be a followup offensive, now that Stasiel knows she has to be serious." Ale bites his fist, thinking. "Having that sorcerer on your side will help, but he's not invincible either. I can help you set up defenses, but to make this end we really need to settle this with Stasiel." He pauses, again thoughtfully. "Ting's sleeping. She's in her room. She, also, needs to be kept out of this. I think that you, though, have the foresight to be more helpful. And your goddess has the raw power we would need to fight another one, provided she could be kept out of the dampening field."

"Ai's very powerful, yes, but she doesn't use it often. I don't know that she can be of that much help." Also, he's worried sick about her safety. Thinks. "Ting will be at her full strength again in no more than three days. I can tell you right now that she'll hard to keep out of things in two." He looks up to the angel. "How do we settle this with Stasiel, short of turning over Yue of course?"

"Stasiel's not the all-evil all-day hell bitch one would immediately imagine. She's actually not that bad. Cheats at cards, though, and she picks her teeth when she things people aren't looking if she has something stuck in them. I guess, as far as demons go, she's pretty, but in a scaley no-pupils forked-tongue sort of way." Ale glances at Yoru, who is fussing over Makyon and Ai in turn. "She just does her duty, and that is to maintain balance. Infernal, divine, both are balanced equally among mortals. So when an angel falls like Yue has, Stasiel takes that angel and converts her, him, whichever, to keep the balance even. We just have to convince her that Yue is too important to give up, and probably offer a divinity in return." He breathes, slowly, and looks to Ai. "I nominate... me."

Dewei blinks. "Ale...there has to be a way we can do this without selling someone's soul."

"Oh no, there would be no soul selling involved." He smiles his handsome smile. "A balance in the mortal world means that only so many divine and infernal can inhabit mortal dwellings. Yue was exiled, and stripped of her wings, so that she wouldn't become a fallen angel in the first place. Now that she has, there is one more demon in the world of mortals, and it is up to Stasiel to correct that balance by taking her to hell." Ale shrugs. "Stasiel likes to bargain, though, and she likes nothing better than to see an angel turned into a mortal. She has this notion that being an angel is like being punished for being created, or something."

Dewei ponders this, biting his thumb. That's a big sacrifice, from someone they hardly know. but...no one dies. If they really are attacked by more overseers, people are going to die. "I think," he finally notes, carefully, "that you should run this plan by Yue. It is concerning him, after all."

"I will. Before that, though, I want to know that you all are better armed to repulse another attack. As stupid as it sounds, light-blessed weapons," he draws his gun, twirling it western-style, "can do cool, useless tricks in addition to being effective. Have you ever fired a gun before?"

"A few times...psychic, distance weapons are my friends. But those were laser weapons." It really is nice to have Ale here. Someone who knows what he's talking about.

"I'll see what I can do. As long as the weapon's blessed, it should work just fine. What about Ting? And I'll get you some of those rift sealing baubles from the armory under the river rose, too. And... Yoru?"

The tallest of the full Serinians looks over, placidly. "Hm? Oh, no. I can't fight. I am a pacifist. I think. I want to be a pacifist."

Dewei smiles at her for that, and looks back to Ale. "Ting's tried most weapons at one time or another, and she's damned talented with anything to do with fighting. She'll be able to use anything you put in her hands."

"Okay. I'll bring something for everyone. I think I saw your father using a crossbow, but Ai and Moorn didn't have anything. I take it you're a swordsman, but what about your aunt? Yue couldn't touch a light weapon."

Dewei nods. "My father's most proficient in assassin class weapons, he favors daggers but takes crossbow for range. I specialize in sword. Aunt's a lancer. Ai has used a short staff with a blugeon end in the past. Moorn doesn't use weapons at all as far as I know." He thinks. "I didn't miss anyone, did I?"

"Ting, but I felt the polearm calluses on her hands earlier when I was..." blinks. Smiles. She has such pretty hands. He actually spaces out, thinking about holding her hands like that.

Dewei has to smile a bit at that, for just a moment. Makes no comment, though. "Ting has a dual specialty, fans and naginata. She's switched mostly to naginata for practical fights in recent years."

"Yeah, she's great." Blinks. "Um... pardon. Naginata. Alright. I'll bring an extra sword for your mother, too. Here." He hands a gun to Dewei, barrel pointed towards himself. "Force bullets, so you'll have to use your psionics to compensate. Aim for the eyes."

Dewei examines the gun a moment. More or less figures it out. "Okay...anything else to know about it?"

"It won't hurt anything that isn't infernal. Still, I wouldn't shoot anyone I like with it." He looks at Yoru again, whose placid little smile is unmoving. "I need to get those weapons. I am counting on you if something happens while I am away."

Dewei nods. "Right. And Ale..." he looks up to the archangel, and smiles a bit. "Thanks for all your help. Really."

"I don't believe in coincidence, Dewei. Your sister had a hand in taking down the lich that murdered mine. I met her through a mutual friend, and oh yeah, I happen to be a demon control guy, accidentally coming here when your place was hit by demons." Ale returns the smile. "I was supposed to be here." He vanishes in a puff of feathers, heading off to river rose to pick up some equipment.

Dewei lets out his breath, fingers between tightly shut eyes as though against a migrain. Damn this is getting complicated. He exchanges a few more words with Yoru, thanking her again in the process, and then heads back off towards Helantri Deru to see what's going on with his sister.

---

Yue appears on the path sometime later with Dewei on her arm. "Alfheim. Hm. Do you suppose you could take me there, Dewei? Or at least show me the way?" She walks as quickly as heels will carry her. Yoru and Ai are only about thirty feet into the forest.

"Sure." Dewei nods. Smirks. "I got a lecture on keeping things low profile, though, and I think mother was getting really irked at repeated visits by her not-so-normal friends and relatives."

"I will brave it. I have to talk to her, but after this hell-nonsense is finished." Yue pats Dewei's hand gently, smiling at him. "You are such a sweet, well-mannered young man. No wonder she melts in your presence."

Yoru greets them on the path, still smiling her Yoru smile. "Hello. Good news, though, Makyon is awake. I think he had a Mara-kuru dream because he won't stop swearing."

Dewei blinks. "Is he in pain, then?"

"No," she shakes her head, "I would not think so. It is 'damned fucking demon bastards, fucking shitheel kill them all and set their stupid dick-soaked faces on goddamn fire' pretty much over and over." Yoru beams. She's such a good girl.

"Ahh...creative, then!" Dewei observes, snickering quietly. He releases Yue's arm to head over to Makyon...he'd been stabbed trying to save Dewei, after all. "You know, he observes as he approaches, "pointy objects are best kept outside the skin."

"... crack whores and all of their whore mothers!" Makyon looks up to Dewei, blinking, and relaxes a little bit. "Oh. Not you, them. And that is just about the truest thing I've ever heard."

Yue trots over as well, after giving Yoru a smile and a brief word of salutation. "Mm. Scars are attractive, though."

"It's probably a good thing you didn't mean my mother," Dewei agrees. Smiles a bit. "Thanks for bailing me out back there, Makyon. Oblivious rune casters get into trouble."

"Oh, it's just because you remind me of Ting." Makyon grins a dopey grin. "Nah. I'm just glad I could help, be useful for once."

Dewei grins a bit at the first bit, and then nods. "Eh...for once? I seem to recall something about you being here in the first place because Ting and I wouldn't be alive were it not for your meddling."

"You and Ting are survivors, and don't tell yourself otherwise. Speaking of her, where is she?" Makyon sits up, growling at the hurt of it. "I was hoping to see her, too."

Yue beams at that one. You stupid bastard. You had best have grown at least one testicle before you talk to her again.

"She's asleep." Dewei nods. "Everyone's okay, more or less--you were the worst off--but things did get messier after you were disabled. She ended up burning off a lot of energy, so I wouldn't expect her to be awake until pretty late tomorrow morning." It's early afternoon now.

"I see. Well... I-"

"Alright, I'm back, let's do this thing." Ale pops up just after his voice does, earning an eep from Yue who had not been paying much attention. Looks at Makyon. "Creepy, I presume?"

Makyon tilts his head, but doesn't answer.

"Makyon," Dewei/Ding puts in. "Ting's fond of nicknames for people she likes."

"Ah." Ale tilts his head, too. "Charmed, charmed, Makyon. Eagle killer, though? What a strange meaning."

Makyon blinks. "Wha?" Verbose, today.

"Makyon, it's an old Native American word from Earth. Means Eagle Killer." Ale looks to Dewei. "How is Ting?"

Yue is just beaming at this. Two studly fellows, both interested in Ting... they might get a catfight after all.

"She's fine." Dewei nods. "She's resting surprisingly soundly, considering the fiasco earlier. I'm not sure why, but I'm not complaining."

"Good. Make sure she gets the ring I brought for her."

Makyon's eyes pop open. Ring? Oh hell no.

"Just who are you, anyway?" He demands, rising. Ale looks up at him, considering.

"Archangel. Delalenei. Hackles down, jumbo, I am not in the mood to play with jealous assholes. Thanks."

Yue's heart leaps. This is gonna be so cool.

Dewei half steps between them, although not entirely. "It's a blessed ring that will impart a light aura to her and let her extend it to her her weapons," he explains quickly to Makyon. "He brought us all something for demon-bashing if necessary; you have an axe by the house."

Makyon scritches his hair. "Oh. In that case, welcome aboard."

Yue's still smiling. Oh, drat.

Dewei lets out his breath, then looks to the angel. "Ale, is there anything we need to do before the thing with Stasiel goes down?"

"Just make sure when you go that you take a piss." He nods. "I can't have people asking to stop every two minutes."

"Delightful," Yue groans, wrinkling her nose. "Dewei. I would not be surprised in the least if we were greeted with hostility there. It's important that everyone stays safe, so make sure someone is there to take care of any wounded. Okay?"

Dewei nods. "We'll be on the alert, but keep the shields at this level so that you can get back. We'll keep the invitation open."

"For now," Ale cuts in, "there's nothing to do but wait and regroup. We can't get to hell until the next attack happens, and we can use one of their rifts. So do your best to relax."

"Yue?" Felina calls as she approaches the clearing.

The incubus looks away from Makyon, still giggling at something the revenant had said. Something ridiculous, no doubt. "Do I hear Felina?" He heads that way, giving Makyon a pat on the shoulder. "I thought you were away."

"I was!" Although she knows he'll no doubt smell the blood when the gets close, she still keeps the cloak held shut before her to hide the extent of the damage. "Ran into trouble, predictably, and ended up bringing everyone back here for added safety."

"Are you okay?" The first question, of course, and the most important one. Yue swishes close to her, letting his smile speak for him.

She smiles at him for the priorities, and nods. "Yes, thank you. Dewei and Ale patched me up already."

"I worry, you know, when you reappear smelling like blood." Yue smiles still, though. "Before you speak, though, I have to apologize for the way I acted before you left. I was in the middle of asking Dewei where to find you when Ale came back talking about demons, so I could do that. Forgive a lovestruck twit?"

"Only if it's you," Felina assures him, smiling. "It was a lot to spring on you all at once, anyway."

"Thanks. It means a lot to me, dear." The incubus glances aside, smiling still. Ting good. "So, why do you smell of iron?"

"A marion, or somthing like one, outsmarted me and I ended up looking like a discount pincushion," Felina nods. "He was after my charge...about that, though...I need to talk to you about that." She looks over to her apprentice. "Makyon needs to hear it, too," she notes, loudly enough for him to hear."

Makyon, who'd been leaning against a tree and trying not to eavesdrop, trots over at that.

Yue's eyes cloud worriedly. "This is going to be unpleasant news, isn't it."

"It depends on how you take it, I suppose. It's just informational." Felina smiles at Yue sheepishly. "Well...the girl that I was protecting came here in a big hurry with her bodyguard when things got hairy back on Earth. There are any number of good and practical reasons they shouldn't have come here, but...well. Yue...I know you've either figured out why I didn't give more information on where I was going, or consciously avoided thinking about it. The girl seeking protection here now is Miss Minna Adair. And Makyon..." she looks to the zombie. "This isn't quite so poignant for you, just a forewarning. Minna's bodyguard is the reincarnated Kaies Metsaf."

Makyon laughs out loud, actually. "Actually, that sounds like it'll turn into an interesting conversation."

Yue, though, doesn't seem as pleased. His smile is still there, but clouded with fear of something he cannot quite explain. "Minna... she's here? Here, here?"

Felina smiles briefly at Makyon. "I thought you'd like that." She looks over to Yue, face sobering a touch, and nods. "Here here. And likely will be until she's finished the last stages of the transition. I'm sorry Yue...after that last attack, there was just no other way."

"Oh, Felina, don't be sorry. Look." He unfurls his wings and gives them a gentle flutter. "I wanted to wait until I had wings to see her, remember?" He looks like he's about to pass out from nervousness, though. "Could you show me to her...?"

Felina smiles softly, and nods. "Sure. She's still out front...would you like to come too, Makyon, and poke your other self?" She takes Yue's arm to give her something to cling to if she needs it.

"Yeah, why not." Makyon heads that way, while Yue gratefully holds onto Felina's arm. Shivering, but going.

"Dewei!" Yoru comes tearing around the bend quite suddenly not long after Felina leaves, desperately seeking the youngest Ono. "Rifts are opening all over the compound. Demons are attacking!"

"No. Stay put," his mother corrects as she appears near Yoru. "Guard Kaies and Minna, still be on the lookout for that threat, and get them to the lower levels asap." "Yoru, fill me in?"

Yoru skids to a halt, nearly crashing into Felina in her haste to stop. "It happened all at once. Sources appeared all around the compound! There are at least five rifts open, and they're swarming with monsters. And there are two of those horrible giant lizards on opposite ends of the house. We have to take the children and flee!" Her agitation is visible in more than just her voice, as her eyes are narrow and her ears are wiggling almost comically.

"Two overseers?" Felina raises an eyebrow. "Yoru...get Iscovis, Yue, and Orrin out of here. Take them to Wu Yuan in the nether plane, we have an open invitation at Amilei's keep."

"Yue's already headed out to fight..." Yoru fidgets nervously. "She said that she wasn't going to let anything else happen because of her. But I'll get the others. Makyon went to try to change her mind and rouse Ting."

Felina nods. "Hurry. Swing by and grab Makyon and Ting, too...I was going to have Dewei grab her, but there's no way Orrin will go without seeing her. Be careful, Yoru." She closes her mind a few moments, centering herself, and then draws Culheru, sprinting towards Yue.

Yoru dashes off the other way, her little feet pattering like machine gun bursts against the soft ground.

Yue isn't hard to find. Just outside of the wooded area the incubus stands, slapping black-skinned gremlin-like demons away with her wings and her water sprinkler, reclaimed for the occasion.  So far he seems unhurt, but the ground is teeming with the sharp-fanged little hissing monsters and, even worse, one of the overseers can bee seen approaching in the far distance.

"Yue, get out of here!" Felina is quick to call, slashing at the pests of demons when forced too, but generally running past them. "With two overseers here, there's nothing to be done!"

Yue hears her, of course, but by now is practically crawling with the gremlins, and shoots up into the air to be rid of them long enough to think. He spins, fending off a trio of intercepting gargoyles, and swoops down towards Felina. "Where?" he calls, looking nervously at the nearly there overseer. 

A portal to the nether realm snaps open beside him. "There. Hurry, don't let anything through or we're compromising the realms!"

Yue falls short of his dive and whirls about, slapping away a chasing gargoyle, and rockets into the portal. He trusts Felina's judgment more than anything else, where fighting is concerned.

The overseer bellows at its lost prey. Now within lunging range it leaps in a cat-like pounce for Felina, like eight tons of angry cheetah.

Felina grits her teeth as the portal closes, leaping backwards with speed that dwarfs her daughter's. "You're going to have to be a lot faster than that, ten ton." Her gaze isn't joking, though. This is a borderline doomsday battle if there ever was one.

The overseer lowers its huge head, eyeing Felina warily. This is not the one it saw before, the one that shattered its first ten rows of teeth and might have destroyed it, were it not for Stasiel's rift. Its maw opens, its growl like unto that of a semi-truck's engine, and it bellows with all the might of its full voice. Gremlins and gargoyles flee, those who are not covering their ears sent flying through the air like flower petal on a spring wind.

Felina grits her teeth, then heals her eardrums and her earplugs materialize over them. "Well. You coming? Or not?" Glances over the ground nearby her. Sonic rift, the ground's actually damaged. Nice.

The monster paws at the ground, and roars again. That it is planning something is obvious, especially when it begins looking over its shoulder.

The earth quivers under overseer footsteps. Felina's opponent, though, is standing still.

Felina half-glances backwards. Great. She has a plan, too. But it's going to take perfection and a lot of luck to pull it off. Even she doesn't have the power to take on two overseers, let alone at once.

The first monster finally lunges, huge jaws snapping with unbelievable speed. Its breath reeks so badly of acid that the grass wilts.

Deru's security goes down at a thought. It's moot, anyway. Felina springs straight up and back. Another Felina darts to the side. A third dashes straight back.

The monster's jaws snap together, catching and eviscerating a gargoyle who fades to ash the second the damage is done. It snarls, but is already leaping to the side, tail lashing back and forth.

And here two of the Felinas fade, leaving one running away from the house, eyes set and focussed.

The monster screams in indignation, and tenses to pounce... but stops, for one reason or another. It looks around in eerie mimicry of a paranoid human, and growls in freakish demon epiphany. This is a trap, she isn't running away like she ought to be, or fighting back.

The other overseer comes into sight about then, several hundred yards behind its compatriot.

Fine. Then we'll do this your way. Felina leaps into the air and flings a rending psionic attack at the thing's eyes.

The monster ducks its head, taking the attack cleanly against its nearly impenetrable back armor. The second overseer thrashes, roaring, as if building up for some gigantic offensive.

A very observant Felina, however, might see a certain Makyon standing on its back, swinging a battle ax against its head plates for all he is worth.

Felina narrows her eyes. God, he and Kaies areally are so much alike. Sorry, Makyon. But you won't help anything by getting killed. Look after my daughter. A portal to the nether plane, too small for the overseer, tries to rip open beneath him.

Makyon, seeing the portal, looks over to Felina with a desperate expression. He reaches to his side and snatches something, reaching out with his phase shifting talent to toss it to Felina, followed by something else... a laser pistol, and one of the blessed swords. He vanishes just in time to lodge the axe in the overseer's neck links, setting it roaring but doing no real damage.

Felina closes her eyes a moment. She really is sorry. Catches the falling laser weapon through a portal, though, cocks it, and fires at this beast's eye. Looks aside suddenly. Yoru...

The overseer's eye lights with the laser and bursts into white-blue flames, setting it to screeching and stomping the ground in circles. Its accomplice, now free to join the fray, pounds the earth in its careening approach. More gremlins are arriving now, and gargoyles cloud the sky.

Felina, now, strongly suspects that she may not survive this fight. For the moment, she vanishes, appearing inside Helantri Deru.