Tension had the young red head entranced with its spell when Roc asked the third pair of ears to depart, well aware that they required a moment of privacy in order to discuss matters as they were though it'd have been an understatement to think that Flame became rather nervous in face of the dwarf who'd lived far longer and had a lot more experience than his companion.

Left alone by Spencer there was nothing else to be done except wait for him to act. She expected him to patronize her on the spot, but once again one had to forgive her naivety when it came to his species or rather Roc by himself as he did little to disturb their ongoing task. Gale and Typhoon might've reacted differently, no, certainly they would if they were in his place and seeing that there hadn't been any water nearby, that air was just about anywhere and yet with the temper the princess possessed she would not simply leave, merely after ensuring that Flame learned her lesson about lying thoroughly, Roc proved the best choice after all.

"Thank you." She responded in kind, calm and reserved. "You'll see why we were here to begin with in due time, but until then you'll have to trust that we're doing the right thing."

Whatever risks were potentially arising, the time allotted by Abdul would be more than enough to pose a challenge to any demonic fiends who stood in their path and while she recalled the majority if not the entire spectrum of spells at her disposal, it didn't hurt to be on the safe side and rely on his help regardless. "Agreed."

With that being said they marched on, all three of them heading inside the cave, the warmth of which felt soothing and comforting to the touch and yet gradually grew warmer in a fierce sense of hellish foreboding. The curtain of flame seemed easy to overcome, a plain gesture akin to the wave of a hand in combination with few mumbled words allowed for them to pass through unhindered before pressing on, deeper into the cavern in search of the artefact.

It was either impressively procuced by the hand of man or magically molded by the Efreeti themselves, perhaps one who came and traversed these lands before either although the immense hall they entered next was of a magnitude previously unseen by the fiery sorceress, an exemplary feat of architecture she'd have observed in admiration if it wasn't for the figure emerging from the dark like ghosts from the fog.

The creature turned out to be the essence of nightmares, the creation of a no less than wicked mind which had the elementalist frozen in awe, that initial hesitation leaving little room for action as the gravity was affected within moments of their entry, not truly challenging for the Fae with wings though for the others it wasn't nearly as simple.

In spite of the confusion which occured then and there Flame attempted to keep a cool head, not struggling against the reversed gravity but rather working with it as the sheer fall to the ceiling could prove deadly, seeking to prepare for the impact and dampen its effect by losing most of the carried momentum through rolling, an athletic maneuver even the enticing female could pull off easily enough.

Overall her role was clearly defined as a distracting one for Roc had to dish out the physical punishment, abilities with fire at their core couldn't harm the demon after all and therefore summoning the Flame Serpent would be ideal as it didn't solely rely on flames to threaten the opposing force. At the time of her landing she planned on conjuring the mighty snake in hopes of gathering the attention of their adversary, an advantage considering that they lured the demon with the weaker spellwork into a false sense of safety since he possessed little knowledge of the intruding trio.

For now Flame had to stay close to the others and not allow for the demon to use his teleportation to seperate and then take them out one after another since the ordeal of facing the Fire Demon next required their combined strength, no doubt.

Of the three Elementalists Roc could handle deceit the best. He was perhaps the worse with handling betrayal though. As a dwarf often his commanders would lie about a given task though in the majority of cases it was by omission when it happened. Need to know … they were militant and Roc had an understanding that some things had to be kept secret.

Betrayal was another matter though as a dwarf was loyal to a fault and honored clan, friends and family. Betrayal could have earned his enmity forever as reserved as he was Roc was still a dwarf and bond by a code of honor.

So some deception was something that Roc could deal with. He preferred honesty though in his dealings but this was no major slight given that he was use to worse. Actual military objectives being changed at the last minute for example to keep things as secret as possible up to the end or a hidden agenda.

Ring, feather, there was little difference as to what they were recovering to him. It was essentially the same thing though with it being a feather he had to assume why it was so important that Demons were guarding it, was their something further he was not being told? Definitely but he had not detected any hints of betrayal here and carried on. Need to know and obviously that need was not necessary on his end.

As a dwarf he rarely questioned orders too, though she was not a dwarf she had not been acting suspicious like getting her hands on some ultimate power to use for evil so he went with the flow.



The two heads of the Torment Demon gazed upward towards the ceiling, this was going to be simple really for the instant the two struck it had planned to cut the effect so they fell the other way tenderizing the meat of the bodies of the two, though as an immortal he did not need to eat.

Roc was unable to control the simple magic that Spencer used for it was it the dominion of air magic and so the Faerie Dragon slowed their fall with a Feather Fall effect, a simple effect that he new if ever he had plummeted in aerial combat. Thus Roc and Flame would be undamaged as they landed much to the chagrin of the Demon though before the effect could be dismissed the pair up there acted.

The Flame Snake materialized behind the Demon who had been unharmed by the crackling wave of heat that emitted from it, the Demon turning his canine head so he was looking over his shoulder at it though the human head remained fixed on the two intruders, ready to act until a loud explosion sends a shower of stone everywhere as the Stone Serpent makes it's appearance, the human head whirling in that direction, the fiend Teleported to get into a better position so it could watch the two of the Serpents better though currently it's attention was split between the Serpents and not the ceiling where they were.

The Demon using a Confusion effect that caused the two Serpents to begin to battle each other at least for the next few seconds, his attention shifting back to the pair up on the ceiling. Perhaps he would fuck the girl senseless after pulling off the limbs of the dwarf and making him watch, perhaps ...

Thankfully their fall ceased to drop them at an alarming rate, the fact that Spencer had been responsible eluded her in that moment of growing perplexity when up suddenly became down and vice versa, taking a moment for the mind to register these changes before pressing on. Certainly they would've fallen prey to the demon if his plans were to come to fruition for one could merely escape certain death a limited number of times before something, anything went wrong and their fate was sealed.

Within moments the Flame Serpent assailed their opponent, as expected causing little more than a distraction though before she could truly focus on a more effective approach the second Serpent joined the first, far more threatening to the demonic creature and effectively causing it to retreat momentarily in an attempt to assess the situation.

Flame, however, was doing the very same for she recalled their discussion on the matter, that the demon was capable of rendering either of them or both at once unable to take action if he so desired, leaving them helpless. He wasn't dealing with a novice, after all, and his divided attention gave room for initiative on their part.

His two heads or halves rather appeared to be moving independent of one another and yet somehow their conscience had to be as one, converged even considering that the danger perceived by either side forced him to reconsider his undaunted advance. They outnumbered the fiend, but with just two serpents couldn't surprise nor overcome the threat for as long as he was aware of their every move. Nearly as straightforward would be the solution, lessen his efficiency in battle by disabling his sight by one pair of eyes and the rest would require little effort.

Eyeing the works of the Stone Serpent Flame partially focused on the splinters of rock thrown about by its appearance, hoping that control of her own wouldn't be interrupted although with Abdul by her side she doubted that would happen immediately. She was drawing upon the less refined talents of Air and Earth magic as she gathered the given projectiles as they were scattered while the demon teleported elsewhere, the objects small and sharp along with the nearby dust in an effort to blind the creature.

At once they propelled toward the Torment Demon's larger, canine head, their Serpents inexplicably caught up in a struggle versus themselves though their commanders had greater worries at the time. While she didn't know of the atrocities committed in his mind she didn't plan to find out about them, wary that if he were to close the distance only Roc and Spencer held adequate weaponry, leaving the sorceress with little more than her bare hands and she doubted the anti-magic collar hidden beneath her clothes would fit around its neck even if she could somehow reach that far.

Rarely before did Flame recall being in such peril at the sight of an abnormal beast, not even Murk managed to scare her nearly as much with a natural maleness that threatened to tear her in half if given the chance and while her confidence remained unsteady, Roc knew enough about combat and such that surely they couldn't lose here that day.

The Serpents fought in a titanic struggle. They danced against one another though the fact that they are overlooked by the Demon so that it could deal with the more immediate threat allowed them the time necessary to draw upon their magic.

Flame opting to blind the creature before her or rather beneath her and telekinesis is an intermediate ability as she gathers up the surrounding debris generated by the arrival of the Stone Snake down below that if caught up in a dance with the Flame one.

As Flame casts so does Roc as he extracts some of the stones he gathered up earlier. What had hurt them, as powerful as they were had been the lack of spell components that they had. He was the distraction now …

Roc knew that Demons have great resistances to energy dealing spells but he casts his spell. It is one that Flame had experienced him using that spell before to counter the reduction spell that they had been under when they went into the model.

An Enlarge spell on the rocks that leave his hands as small stones and swell into boulders. Demons were not resistant to being crushed after all and the Demon evades using it's ability to Teleport though Flame is able to get the debris and dust to swirl about the canine head of the creature that snarls in frustration.

The confusion spell would not last and he could hear the crunch of stone against the earth and now he wanted to keep the two at bay not being able to see them all that well. The human-like head was set lower and could still see them but could not focus on so much.

A column of flame juts up to the ceiling toward them, one that Flame herself would find easy to bend to her will. While it was easy for her normally with the present of her father it was child's play to do so as the flames came their way, the Demon emitting a frustrated growl but for a second he pulls his attention away from the pair to hit the Stone Snake with that stunning effect hoping that the one of flame would beat the tar out of the other and thus give him one less thing to worry about as he had not been shaken by the arrival of the Flame Serpent. It could hurt him but rather the thing that he was resistant to being the survivor.

That one he quickly casts his gaze to the others now able to give his complete attention to them now dispelling the Reverse Gravity as he nears to finish this thing with brute force.

Again Spencer uses a Feather Fall effect to protect the pair from harm.

Certainly they lacked components, one of their most refined abilities being utterly worthless while the other couldn't be used to its full potential without impairing the integrity of the chamber, its greater part made of stone and yet without knowledge of what would happen if one were to remove certain pieces nothing could be done with it.

The attack was partially successful at least, Roc first causing the demon to teleport again before being hit by the second wave of projectiles, the fiend temporarily blinded by the looks of it though that didn't mean they were out of the frying pan just yet and had to keep an eye out for any surprises.

Somehow she was unable to divert the Flame Serpent's attention, undoubtedly the work of their hellish enemy and while it appeared that the Stone Snake remained stunned rather than struggled against her own, she came to the conclusion that it might've been prudent to dispel it in favor of the stronger one though she held off on that decision for as long as either Serpent could manage. There was no telling what would happen if she did drive the blazing spirit away, which course of action the other would assume if it was subjected to another confusion spell, but the answer seemed obvious and the repercussions had to be avoided at all costs.

Flame easily rids them of the incoming column of fire, such power thrilling the young red head beyond belief, but the majority of her focus laid on the serpent, hoping to overcome the confusion and use brute force rather than flames to assault the demonic presence.

Suddenly the area began shifting around them, affected gravity turning their world upside down as the two of them lost their recently gained footing atop the ceiling of the cave and while it stood corrected after the demon changed it initially, the feeling stirred the farthest recesses within her stomach while her senses are in a whirl as though she might never get used to that alien sensation. The severity of their fall might've been reduced to nothing once again, but even during their pitifully helpless descent did the spirited sorceress study the movements of their opponent, noting his imperative advance with the vivid fantasy of their imminent demise before her inner eye.

Time was of the essence, they had to devise another strategy seeing how their serpents were decorative playthings at best, enchanted by the demon, putting their strength to the test whilst toying around in the background as if they were nothing more than part of the scenery itself and while Roc might've been able to best a dragon in his lifetime, chances were that one of his physique couldn't simply pummel the demon into submission.

Collapse the ceiling, perhaps? Stone pillars riddled the spacious chamber, shatter certain ones and the mountain would come crashing down upon them though Flame didn't think of it as wise to manipulate the terrain to such an extent unless as a last resort since he'd exercised caution in the summoning of the Stone Serpent and warned of the consequences early on. Maybe she'd agree to that plan if their lives depended on it as they did now, but even then only Roc possessed the ability to make it happen while someone had to keep the demon distracted long enough for the crushing forces to connect before it could teleport again.

She thought of the para-elements, that two or more elementalists could weave their respective elements into another and while Magma surely wouldn't do them any good, Flame wondered as to whether or not she could draw upon fire and air herself in order to conjure a wall of smoke, a temporary barrier which allowed for a brief disruption of their battle and possibly grant them the chance to hurry to safety and regain control of the Serpents at once.

"Spencer, your dagger!" At first she swiftly observed their surroundings, the current state of the Fae unknown in terms of him being visible or cloaked though she could naturally see him through the mental connection with her father.

As soon as Flame set foot on the ground she called out for his aid, well aware that if her ambitious tactic failed or couldn't be carried out there would be nothing between her and that abomination, even Roc wouldn't pose much of a threat to these pinchers and once he was out of the way, there wasn't anyone left to protect the red haired temptress. The failsafe would provide itself, of course, a blast of air hopefully knocking the thing off its feet although it wouldn't do more than provide them with the same outcome minus any damage done to the Torment Demon.

Abdul professed it would be a challenge to kill her and while the dwarf held strength and courage firm in his grasp, Flame carried her stance with grace and dexterity, certain that she could outmaneuver the vile creature should he come close and attempt to take out the humanoid head, his second pair of eyes. It'd be an act of defiance toward her very nature, against the instinct to harm or kill a living being herself though she had no choice, they had to press on and with such powerful abilities as the demon had mastered over time there wouldn't be an eternal window of opportunity for neither hero nor heroine.

Certainly matters were getting tense as they set down on the ground unharmed. The Serpents proving to be little more than window dressing at this stage, the enchantment from the Demon enspelling the two as they fought on.

The Torment Demon, one creature despite it seeming to be two, had rushed the pair as they sat down upon the ground. Roc buying Flame a little time as she weaved her spell he hurled another stone at the Demon, it growing as it forced the Demon to Teleport though it did so behind them.

It was close enough to smell it's rank breath at the back of her neck though she was able to turn and alter the location of her spell, drawing away the Demon growling as the canine head was just getting sight back when the cloud of smoke blinded it once more, this time both heads were impaired for while it could pierce the veil of darkness smoke was another thing.

With an air Elementalist she would have been more effective combining her powers though generating a wall of smoke may not have lasted too long in her case it did the trick.

Spencer was confused at first. Dagger, right, he summoned a weapon to a claw than gave an under handed toss to Flame as he maneuvered int position.

Though with the Demon being this close it did not even bother to Teleport as it came forward though as it did Roc had hurled a few stones at it curtsey of the entrance of the massive Elemental servant. Three stones transforming into javelins of stone, all three connecting as the Demon just cleared the haze of smoke, the javelins taring through it's body as it let loss with an enormous roar of frustrated pain though Flame had an opening as she darted in, the dagger thrust to the human-like skull causing the beast to stagger back into the wall of smoke, the creature crashing to the ground though it was not dead, not yet.

The creature dispels the magic of that wall though is still down, the human head and arms inert at the creature tries to get back up to his feet, three gaping holes in a bloody chest the creature seems drained though and barely manages to get a pincher up to defend against Roc as he darts in after a quick enchantment that surround his hands with a nimbus of golden light.

He is simply amazing, those limbs of his a blur and with the Demon down on his level Roc presses in so fast that it doesn't even have the opportunity to brake away as each punch that does connect leaves the creature reeling until it begins to dissolves in a puddle of vicious black slime, quite dead …

With it's death the Confusion effect ends immediately. Roc dismisses his Serpent for now at least.

“Frigging awesome!” Spencer comments, the second challenge overcome they are able to catch their breaths before moving on.

In the darkness further in that chamber is a raised dais and on a pedestal sits the feather in an orb, a blue sphere surrounds this area and while Roc and Spencer can pass through Flame finds that she can get no closer to the object that she set after.

“Hm,” Roc gazes at her and begins back in her direction. “What's wrong?”

Teleportation complicated matters and while the despicable breath against her neck sent a startling shiver down her spine unlike anything she'd experienced before, Flame cast the spell with unyielding resolve and successfully blinded the demon just in time.

Displaying the athletic refinement of her voluptuous frame, she caught the tossed weapon with utmost ease before spinning back around to face the demonic menace, prepared to put an end to its scheming once and for all. The aid of her companions was a godsend as the penetrating wounds inflicted by Roc presented the nimble female with an ideal opening, thrusting the dagger forth at the earliest convenience before retreating, not wishing to remain in its presence for long.

The blade split the flesh, digging inside with the precision of a surgeon considering how bones were avoided and arteries struck, stealing the corporeal lifeforce of whichever portion Flame managed to puncture whereupon it fell backwards with a thud, flesh and bone of the fifteen feet tall monster crashing down in that instant while she pulled out the dagger upon its inescapable demise.

Roc took care of the rest, her eyes drawn to the spectacle for so very few moved at such an incredible pace, perhaps too fast for the mind to realize and while the scene was gruesome she couldn't help but be amazed by his technique. She underestimated him from the start, even assuming that he would be most useful in a fight and yet she had no idea to what end he was capable of striking blows as he did then.

Before long it was over, another step toward their ultimate goal completed. Flame couldn't wholeheartedly share the enthusiasm associated with their swift victory even though the three of them survived unscathed, the revolting black sludge once belonging to the demon clung to the weapon amidst her resolute fingers like thick honey, gradually running from the tip and tainting the bottom of the cavern beneath.

Shock and relief were involved in a misfortunate quarrel, shock for one due to how disturbingly close the terrifying fiend had gotten before they struck him down and how easily she delivered the blow to its human head, mercilessly without a moment of doubt would've been an apt description although disposing of the unsightly being in a graceful manner was a good deed above all and yet far from the fate it deserved. However, overall he merely served the purpose of the first guardian, a harbinger of doom for greater hell to come and while he was out of the way, they were far from done here.

"Quite ..", she professed, whether out of common courtesy or lack of an alternate stream of thought she then guided the dagger toward the outer thigh covered by illusionary garments, wiping the tool of death clean. "The final challenge will be the hardest, no doubt, so let's not celebrate until we've made it out of here alive, preferably in one piece. I'd like to hang onto your dagger for a little longer if you don't mind, just in case I'm caught by surprise again."

She followed up on Roc's example and dismissed the fiery Serpent for the time being, a feeling of contentment washing over the sorceress as she gathered the necessary strength to carry on, excitement and stress presumably getting the better of Flame until the moment her trembling limbs appeared to have calmed down slightly. In the line of fire, directly opposing a demon, such matters proved difficult to digest all at once and while she wasn't a stranger to her own capabilities any longer, she'd rather not endure another encounter such as this one anytime soon.

As they ventured on there weren't any unexpected incidents, their information seemingly provided all the trio had to know and therefore they arrived at their final destination without interruption. They were oh so close, the divine feather in sight and almost within reach as they marched on, but the blue sphere wouldn't allow for the red haired woman to pass, leaving her on the outside whereas her companions were allowed to move on.

Initial confusion, then realisation struck Flame like lightning, that she couldn't cross the magical blockade just as the summoned Earth Elemental was denied an approach which was merely supporting the sentiment that a portion of her spirit prevented entry.

"I can't go through the sphere." She replied with concern in her voice, reluctantly giving up trying to overcome a power far greater than determination alone prior to sheepishly taking a step back where she remained, struggling with an appropriate answer although there was no point in hiding the truth now.

"Truth is, I'm not entirely .. human." Crimson gaze averted to the ground, there was shame in having to admit that one couldn't proceed because of what they were by nature, as if Flame would merely be another plain conjuration that failed where Roc's previously summoned servant failed as well. "A Fire Elemental is part of me and as it stands I can not approach the feather, there is nothing I can do about it .. I'm sorry."

She hoped that would be satisfactory, at least until they dealt with matters here before she could explain in greater detail, share the stories she meant to share though for the moment she eyed the object, her focus then flickering from Spencer to Roc who stood closer than the Fae. In comprehension of their imminent misery Flame swallowed hard, taking the reins so to speak as the young woman established their next course of action. "I'm afraid you'll have to activate the trap now if we're ever going to retrieve it. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine where I am."

Would the sphere protect them? Surely, it must if it kept intruders at bay though what would happen if the feather was removed remained to be seen. Would it collapse or persevere, leave the red head stranded in terror or leave all of them vulnerable?

Naturally the Fire Demon would appear if they touched the artefact, the creature likely unable to pass the barrier which Flame of course had been fully aware of, likewise the idea that the others were in relative safety while she stayed behind at the foot of the platform and condemned herself to an untimely end should the beast pick up on her pitiful state of being. Alone and against all odds in a ring without bounds for several minutes against an opponent summoned from the depths of The Abyss, chances of survival were close to none with the vast differences in their abilities and fighting prowess, but the sacrifice seemed inevitable for there weren't any alternatives that sprung to mind.

“Sure thing,” Spencer answered her as far as the enchanted blade went. It wasn't as if he had figured that he was going to use it as going toe to toe with Demons had not been fun. No, it was far safer staying invisible and using the occasional utility spell to assist the others as necessary so Flame was better off with the weapon for now at least.

The Torment Demon had been bested and dissolved before their eyes leaving the black sludge behind as the only evidence that it had existed in the first place. The danger overcome, it was a tense fight though quick they made their way onward eventually coming to the protected area, her explanation given Spencer seemed a little shocked by this.

Roc did not, at least he did not display an sort of surprise as he rubbed his bearded chin as if in thought.

“A Fire Elemental!”

They weren't human either though this contemplated things a little. Roc's initial plan had been to use the sphere. If he was judging it right summoned creatures and creatures drawn from other Shadows could not enter into the sphere wholly or partially. Which would preclude the Fire Demon.

That would not stop it from trying to use it's spells upon them though they would not have to worry about physical attacks and only had to use defensive spells to ward off the incoming attacks. With her mastery over flames she should have been able to negate most effects that the Demon employed.

Roc did not worry so much about her being part elemental. How this was to be was something that was not important just that she could not get any closer than she had. He walked out of the sphere and stood at her side.

He renewed the enchantment on his fists, they exploding with a nimbus of golden energy. He nodded then spoke to Spencer. “Get the feather upon my command, touch it but don't leave the safety of the sphere.” He looked about for the spot that he felt the Demon was likely to pop in, probably as close to the feather as possible without being in the sphere.

“I leave it to you to control the flames,” Roc announced. “When your ready.”

When she was ready the order was relaid to Spencer. “Now.” Roc showed that human or not he was not going to abandon her. That was the loyalty of a dwarf, that was what he offered expecting little in return for this loyalty.

The feather touched by Spencer brought the immediate effects of calling forth the Fire Demon which was as massive as the Torment Demon, it's body consisting of red-orange flames, the creature had fiery wings and an enormous curved sword in one hand and a bull whip in the other.

A wave of flame emitted from his body fanning out in all directions as heat radiated from it as if it were an actual bon fire. The attention of the Demon had been on the feather at first though it could not perceive the invisible state of the Fae creature he shot a column of flame down from the ceiling blindly near the pedestal that the feather rested upon, first strike was probably going to go to them … but would that matter? Only time would tell.

Without doubt Flame had been dedicated to the task at hand to the point where risking her own life as the one and only target became a feasible outcome that she wouldn't simply dismiss at any cost, not as long as the consequences would entail abandoning the others considering that their very future depended on the successful retrieval of the feather. Without the essential advantages brought forth by her true nature they would've been susceptible to fire based attacks, perhaps even succumbed to the Torment Demon if they ever managed to cross the curtain of flame and as such it was her duty to remain, regardless of what fate had in store for the young, nubile sorceress.

Even partial truth pained the red haired woman, that merely part of her was something else, but Flame didn't think it impossible for either of the two to draw the conclusion that she was in fact a golem, a spirit cast into a human shell, nothing more. Needless to say she had been surprised when Roc abandoned the sanctuary given by the sphere despite his commitment shown prior to that fateful moment, preparing to engage hell standing by her side.

His display of loyalty left the red head speechless, touched at the core of her being for so few would've done the same. As much as one despised the idea of death, she would've been willing to offer whatever diversion her companions required in order to keep them out of harm's way until the demon vanished and returned to its realm, that she alone carried the burden to oppose such forces considering the fact that she brought them here in the first place.

Apparantly Roc would have none of it and Flame wasn't going to argue over another pair of hands supporting her through these harsh times and while he deserved to live through the entire ordeal without a scratch, it certainly improved the negligible odds of their survival greatly. Based on what they'd witnessed, they might even manage to overcome the demonic threat although his courage would forever be embedded within memory.

"I'll never forget what you've done for me today." Crimson eyes scanned his features in earnest appreciation, another deep breath filling her lungs as they were about to embark on the final part of their journey, to rise or die in face of the inhuman monster. The least she could do now was to return the favor and keep them safe to the best of her abilities, that much she owed him if nothing else Flame could provide at the time. "I'm ready."

With the feather touched upon the effect had been instantaneous, a gargantuan creature not entirely unlike the first made its appearance which caused Flame to focus her attention directly on the tower of a demon, truly a sight to behold if it hadn't been summoned to arrange for their destruction.

In an instant the column of flame appeared to bend to the refined will of the female elementalist, dwindling in strength and shape only to evaporate from battle into nothingness before having done any damage to the environment or the Fae which she perceived of as though he wasn't invisible at all.

With steadfast valor in tow nothing stood in the way of their initiative, however regarding the weaponry which adorned the Fire Demon and comparing it to the rather feeble dagger resting amidst her clenched fist, she wouldn't dare step any closer unless forced in such an unfortunate situation.

Instead Flame conjured an all too familiar servant in what little time they had to draw upon surprises, the Flame Snake which materialized outside of his peripheral vision in an attempt to bestow its concussive force upon him as suggested by Whitney earlier that day. Determined to harm or simply distract the fiend for the more experienced combatant to make a move, she commanded the Serpent in a manner that'd render any spells cast by the abomination worthless for it sought to consume much needed oxygen in close proximity, thus robbing the concentration required to teleport among other less desirable effects.

While they didn't have to defeat the demon, but rather delay it long enough to disappear, part of her wished to cleanse such evil from the Shadows entirely. They were on the defense, of course, not risking a strike that couldn't succeed and her purpose as a mere protector in all this had already been set in stone.

The dwarf simply nodded as he approached her side. “You would do the same,” whether he felt that it was true or not had been irrelevant at the time as he was merely deflecting his role here. He would not have her standing alone while he had been befhind the protection of that sphere, Elemental or not had not mattered to him.

What did was that she was an ally, one that was not entirely forth coming with information. “Just remember we don't have to kill it.” He reminded her before the Demon made it's grand entrance.

Shaping the flames of the Demon had not been as easy as she had thought. It was a stark contrast of wills as to who's had been stronger as far as controlling the pillar of flame went but she had Abdul to draw upon but even so the flame flickered and wavered as she still had problems diverting the flame. Though she was barely successful in the end she was able to reshape the flames and made the discovery that the Demon was very powerful indeed.

It's attention was grabbed as the flame was played with and it turned noticing her and Roc for the first time though the Flame Serpent appeared before it. Instinctively the Demon slashed his sword at it, the effect similar to chopping your hand with hasted through a running faucet. The flames sprung back though some of that spiritual energy had been disjointed,

In counter to this the Serpent bit down on the arm holding the Fire Demon's whip the two caught up in a tug of war as the Demon tried to yank itself free, then snarled as the jaws of the Stone Serpent clamped down against it's leg as it was summoned by Roc. They only needed to delay it though the Stone Serpent was incapable of getting a real hold as if it were trying to grasp water. The Flame Serpent seemed to be on a different level, just as molecules of water could mix with one another those of the fire seemed to entwine with each other.

This was perhaps a great benefit to the two. The Fire Demon gave off an aura of heat that the Flame Serpent had been exempt from though the one of stone seemed to be impeded and harmed by this aura.

After a moment the Demon vanished then reappeared, the ability to Teleport seemed to require little effort on the part of the Demon that hurled a concentrated jet of flame towards the pair though Roc was quick this time as he stepped forth and slapped the ground as a stone wall rouse between them and the Demon causing the flames to bend around the stone.

While the Stone Serpent held back due to that aura of flame the Flame Serpent race ahead grabbing the attention of the Demon that had found it annoying.

Roc reached out to grab Flame's hand. “Concentrate on burning your flames brighter.” He was uncertain about this, how it would work but they only had to win a defensive battle if this did no work. Drawing upon the element of fire he added it to earth, the ground near the Demon bubbling before the huge Magma Element drew itself forth from the ground, gated in. The Stone Serpent being all but useless here Roc drew forth another creature to assist them here and now to keep the attention of the Demon a bit longer. Defense, rather than offense would win the day here and while Typhoon may have been the strongest against the Fire Demon spell wise when it came to offense, and Gale's Mastery may have allowed her to draw air out out an area Roc had the best defensive spells against it.

But in the end between the Elemental and the Serpent the Fire Demon was bested, forced back to the Abyss before long. The trio had succeeded it seemed, Spencer coming out of the sphere when it was safe to do so. He turned over a golden feather to Flame, she had only realized that she still had her hand linked with Roc's when he brought attention to it by glancing at the joined hands.

Roc seemed to pick up on this as well as he let go of her hand then. “Well, we are both still alive. All in all the Torment Demon was probably worse since this challenge was just enduring time constraints which weren't applicable in the first fight.”

In collaboration with their respective elements they were victorious at last, combined forces ultimately defeating the infernal monstrosity in the sense that they lasted longer than it could remain on their Shadow. One step closer to freedom they'd concluded the battle in silence, their servants disspelled once it appeared to be over and a careful investigation of their surroundings revealed that they were in fact left amongst themselves.

Spencer approached, urging the red head to raise her hand in acceptance of the feather she sought to claim ever since they embarked on this journey, putting little thought into their joined hands as they came undone although Flame could only speculate on the matter without a semblance of embarrassment, that perhaps Roc wished to ensure they truly were out of danger before letting go.

It was a triumph unlike numerous accomplishments that day, crimson eyes glancing at the object with pride as she held it at eye level, a soft smile adorning her features. Naturally she had been spent, tired upon such immense rushes of excitement time and time again only to exert oneself further with the usage of the elements as her gaze briefly averted to the dais she couldn't rest on thanks to the sphere, but the reward proved greater than imagined as she finally had what they were after and thus kept the woman standing along with the others.

The smile soon withered away, replaced by a less desirable expression when the sorceress adressed the two. "Listen, Roc .. without you I surely wouldn't have made it past these challenges alive and you too Spencer saved my life more often than I dare to count. I feel you deserve a lot more than my gratitude for that, the truth at the very least .. I won't keep any more secrets from you."

She inhaled deeply, struggling with that hurdle initially but not for long as she lowered the hand holding onto the feather. "I'm not human, I only look the part." Her attention shifted between the two, anticipating their reactions. "I was created from a successful infusion composed of both a Fire Elemental and a portion of a human spirit which allowed me to take this vessel and not turn it to ashes the moment my father attempted to combine the two."

"When I read the scroll written in golem and I could decipher it, I remembered that I was a golem myself and in the beginning I was simply afraid of what others might think if they uncovered the truth. It's all coming back to me slowly, piece by piece, but reliving a lifetime that doesn't seem natural to you because you're convinced of being something else, that was difficult for me to cope with though I'm trying to come to terms with my past .. so now you know."

"But I digress .. This, on the other hand, is of actual importance.", she then added, dismissing the nature of her being as a lesser topic whilst putting the golden feather on display. While it took effort and an iron will to admit it, let alone talk about it, Flame didn't feel the need to pursue the matter unless it piqued their interest though surely there would be a time and place to better indulge in pleasant conversation.

"Back in the prison, during my first session with Nicodemus, he removed my collar so that I may oppose him in a duel. Of course I attacked as I recalled a smidgeon of magic and in my capture and memory loss induced rage sought to burn him alive for as long as I could manage, but I had to give up before long and he was standing in front of me without a scratch. He didn't use any spells to protect himself, he simply stepped out of the flames after several minutes, revealing his true form before he bested me within seconds, using powerful magic unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"Over the course of those few days we spent together I then came to the conclusion that our jailor, Nicodemus, is a fallen angel .. and the feather is the final missing fragment of his power. With it he'll gain his freedom as he is currently bound to Tori whereupon he will slay the witch once and for all."

"Through his freedom we'll have ours.", Flame concluded, wary that the others might not believe the strange tale given the nature of the man they all knew, that she could've fallen for a plain lie rather than anything with substance, but overall their responses were unforeseeable in that regard. While she might hide the truth, however, the red haired temptress wasn't a liar and to their knowledge hadn't betrayed those by her side. "That was the plan all along, we never set out for a ring."

Turning to Spencer once again she'd spoken to the Fae, wondering how either of the them dealt with the presented truth. "You have the means to contact Nicodemus, correct?"

“Well in that case you can get naked – what, I'm just kidding!” Spencer caught the looks of the two and shook his head. “Hello different species!”

“So.”

Spencer looked between the human and dwarf. “Oh … OHHH ...” He grinned and Roc shook his head.

“Idiot.”

Both listened to what she had to say, Spencer far more surprised than Roc seeing that the Faery Dragons rarely tampered with constructs of their own. Roc, more familiar with the concept had a better understanding of matters.

He seemed to reflect on this though he did not ask the obvious questions as to who here creator was or whether Nicodemus knew that one of the prisoners had been different … He rubbed his chin. “How long have you been a construct? All this time I assume.” It was a rather obvious question, not one in which he asked how long that she realized this though upon getting his answer Roc seemed to be content.

“So, what you are saying is that you have always been a construct. You could have fooled me and did fool me. Spencer too I'm assuming.” The Faerie Dragon nodded.

“Yeah, but I was only suppose to be a guide here then back to Brindel.”

“So you cannot approach a Circle of Protection. What you are is less important than who you are. You are a wonder Flame, an ally that I will stand with and if you think that retrieving this feather will help then so be it. Even a Fallen Angel has some integrity or had some in the past so believing in them isn't so far fetched. Even if he were just using us to get the feather back, and I'm not saying that he is, I'd assume that he would be grateful in some way but time will tell.”

In answer to her last question the Faerie Dragon shook his head. “He has always contacted me in the past. The arrangement was for the removal of your collars and bring you here then back to the forest in Brindel where he will meet you so you will have to wait for him. His time table was sort of cramped so you'll see him tomorrow. We cannot get to Carrion, not without one of the three rings that can open up portals so either it's sneak through the Goblin Warrens to use there portal or just wait.

“Let's go this place gives off a bad aura.” He turns invisible and it seemed almost anti climatic when they left the cave only to be set on by slavers some distance away.

Two dozen of them or thereabouts though after dealing with Demons it is easy to defeat them, little more is necessary than to scare them off with a great display of power. Spencer walks the Shadow to bring them back to the forests in Brindel leading them straight to the guarded portion of the forest.

All there is to do now is wait and Spencer entertains with continued tales of his kind and unicorns and the like. Just after dawn they have a visitor, Nicodemus, though from her understanding and what Spencer was relaying about unicorns was that they had zero tolerance for evil within their forests particularly the regions they guarded as marked by the glyphs they saw at the boundaries to this territory.

“Roc, Flame, Spencer,” he greets all in turn with the slight nod of his head. It is clear that he can perceive the invisible Faerie Dragon too as he nods directly at hi. “I have managed to earn a few minutes,” he would explain if pressed otherwise he would continue.

“You have succeeded, I can feel it ...” he looked to Flame and extended an arm towards her. “Give me the feather.”

"Please don't call me that." Flame frowned upon the notion of being a construct and while by definition that observation would've been precise, any such identification would definitely be akin to comparing Elves to Humans from an elf's point of view. Admittedly thinking along those lines might be arrogant to an extent, but she hadn't known the truth for long and needed to adjust to the oncoming circumstances that impacted her life and dreams, especially when referring to Nicodemus which made any positive thought on the matter displeasing.

Her travelling companions, however, were quite supportive and offered the acceptance which the sorceress sought above all, gradually lifting her spirit to new heights. She was valued in some way and nothing seemed to hint at the idea that because of her true nature any of her actions were of less significance than those of others. Of course she wouldn't tell everyone, not from the get go, but it made living as a construct far more bearable.

"Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate them." Whether the angel betrayed them in the end, it had occured to her but baseless suspicions weren't always healthy or perhaps she simply lost sight of them amidst the feelings she had for him. "You're right, we should head back to Brindel."

The slavers were unexpected. Flame suspected they might be merchants at first, part of a caravan passing by yet as they drew closer their intentions appeared to be more than malevolent. Thankfully they weren't wielders of great power, running for the hills as the elementalists displayed the sheer strength they possessed and eventually allowed for the trio to carry on.

Amidst walking the Shadow, traversing the woods and partaking in various stories, her mind had been lost in thought of what to expect from the future. When someone as mighty as Tori fell, surely there would remain a power vaccuum which someone else had to fill in, an inevitable backlash of their actions that carried repercussions unimaginable to the feisty red head though it had to be done for the world to become a marginally better place.

And Nicodemus, what would happen to him if he were to oppose Tori and defeat the witch, or to his aides which assisted the angel throughout their journey? Sable remained behind and outlived her sister, after all, she was stronger and more capable which made the young woman wonder if she would come after them, if she could even discover who was to be held responsible for taking the life of one of her own kin?

With these thoughts she then drifted off to sleep on the forest floor, what little she managed under the given pressure and tension of the coming days though all that weariness is washed away when Nicodemus arrived the next morning.

Flame didn't sleep much, but given the presence of her knight in shining armor minus the suit of armor he still managed to set her heart aflutter without even trying, a pleasant shudder coursing through the red haired vixen as she laid eyes on him though she had to refrain from running up to the man, to embrace him with loving, affectionate kisses despite how much nature demanded it of her. She'd missed him dearly, more than the sorceress could possibly reason seeing how the magic of their love hadn't withered any and they were kept seperated, but in face of the task at hand she couldn't simply give away that they were in a relationship.

Because of that she nodded in response, suppressing an enthusiastic smile at the last possible moment when he spoke her name and asked for the feather. As warden of Carrion and under Tori's command he couldn't stay away for long, she concluded, dismissing any questions she might've had for him on the matter as she stepped forward.

The information conveyed regarding unicorns the night before had the red head hesitate for the slightest of moments for his intentions were indeed questioned and love is commonly said to be blind, waiting for a sign that the fallen angel may be evil at his core while a hand of hers reached for the feather carefully tucked away within a smaller gap amidst the fabric covering her chest. Flame realized that emotions may impede her judgement or blur the larger picture, that any rational thought on the matter warranted caution though they wouldn't know anything substantial before actually handing the reward of their struggle with demons to him.

She didn't seek the power herself, either, she had no need nor desire to command an angelic being unless it kept others from harm which wasn't the case here. Nothing unusual seemed to happen save for the tingling sensation upon her skin, goosebumps spreading over her voluptuous form being as close to the object of her desire as she was, finally guiding the feather in his waiting hand where she waited for him to take it before letting go. "Here, it's yours."

“Of course, I meant no offense,” Roc offers up with a nod. She were so life like that the term didn't fit anyway, certainly one that he wouldn't use in mixed company. She was not an automaton as far as he had been aware, she seemed to have a life of her own that went beyond following instruction. Of course he did not know what her orders had been or who had generated them in the first place if they existed at all.

“You are welcome, though you know them to be true.”

The journey back had seemed to be less intense, they bypassed J'zar entirely, easily dealt with the slavers and pressed on. “Question,” Roc voiced though it was not addressed to Flame but Spencer. “Why didn't we walk the Shadow as soon as we left the cave?”

“For the same reason we didn't come in on top of it. It can't be done near the city. The Efreeti have wards against it so an invading army has to stop short of the city and thus give them time to prepare their defenses. You didn't think to ask earlier.”

“Wasn't on my mind then, to be honest. I was focused on the task at hand.”

Spencer brings them back to the forest at Brindel and while Flame begins to consider to logistics of things it can't be helped forming a power vacuum. With Tori removed and hopefully Nicodemus then perhaps whoever filled that void would be less powerful. Maybe Sable, though stronger than her sister was occupied on another Shadow but for how long? Would she seek vengeance and against whom?

The night passes with talk of Faerie Dragons and Unicorns. The morning sees the disguised Nicodemus in his jailor form though he eagerly awaits the feather, unable to take it from Flame's possession at least while she lived though she was a construct she had been infused with the gift of life that made it impossible to draw away from her as he could an ordinary construct that could not possess property.

When he gets the feather back she sees the first displays of emotion on his features. Pleasure as his thumb and forefinger rub against the golden feather.

It feels warmer about him as he absorbs the feather into his palm. He smiles as he looks at her, his fingers clench and unclench before he waves his let hand experimentally perhaps then in in instant he drives her back against a tree. He smiles, his eyes locked with hers and should she look both Roc and Spencer are frozen, Spencer paused in the air as she looks though n3either are statues retaining their fleshy and scaly tones respectively.

“Thank you, Flame!” His fingers caress down the side of her cheek. “We don't have much time though I will see you again tomorrow evening. “I am disappointed, Flame. No greeting. You have questions, I have needs, which would you like to get to first? The other can wait until later though if we see to mine we will not have much time today I am afraid.”

He continued to caress her cheek as he gazed at her. “Of course I am teasing, I cannot be disappointed by you. I am testing out the feather now, I have stopped time though the effect is only localized and will last a few minutes.

“Perhaps less … I still have to rejuvenate from the loss of this power.” She could feel the press of his body against her own, he was nice and firm pressing her between the tree behind her and his own body as he waited for her to reach her decision.

Someone more vigilant might've impeached his true nature, that an imposter took his place to gain a fragment of divine power and control over an angel, but given the time constraint and the sheer flow of emotions Flame had been tossed into any such thought were forbidden as she handed over their prized possession, uncaring of its value but rather what effect it had on the one it originally belonged to.

His smile elicited one of her own, delighted at having done such a good deed and causing Nicodemus to flare up with pleasure. There was that warmth she realized, an unknown and before she could react she found herself driven against the bark of a tree.

"Eeeep!" Flame nearly panicked as he took her breath away in that instant, guided with such resolute determination that her knees immediately turned to jello, pleasantly shuddering limbs whose entire lengths were injected with the distinctive surge of excitement whereupon it resumed to spread through her entirely like a drug, something she loved about the handsome man without relent for he had that effect on her every now and then. She could feel her heart pound against her chest, beating faster in surprise and thrill at once with him displaying that attitude in front of the others. "What are you-"

Crimson eyes reflexively dart to their companions when she recalled that they weren't alone who turned out to be frozen in their tracks, her eyes merely widened when she grasped the concept of what was happening as it was their presence which caused her to exhibit restraint in the first place.

"I-I didn't mean to forget-" His loving caress brought the busty sorceress back to him, thoughts and senses in a whirl with him close and while Roc and Spencer wouldn't perceive any of this, they were still watching in a sense. She blushed simultaneously as heated breaths flowed past her full lips, easily ajar at the inviting prospect of his closeness and several minutes of privacy.

"I'm just so happy to see you .. Nicodemus ..", she admitted, red eyes thoroughly scanning his as she relaxed some, a gossamer film of moisture upon hers in emphasis of what the red head felt yet held back in that moment whilst a warm smile splayed over her features, one that could melt the hearts of many no doubt as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I've been looking forward to this all day and night."

The proposition might've seemed rash to some, even to Flame though the notion of tomorrow evening being their next meeting she had to weigh these options quickly and carefully considering that their absence would last longer than what they'd just suffered through. He certainly didn't make it any easier on her as he put her on the spot, as close as Nicodemus was with that firm, masculine body trapping the woman at his hands in place, so strong and dominant that she didn't mind really mind his advances.

She breathed steadily, drawing deep and abundant lungfuls of air which brought the soft, perfectly shaped breasts of noble stature against his mighty torso, the copious mounds of flesh molding against the man and spreading the heat of her growing excitement even through the layers of clothing concealing their graceful richness, smooth curves of the heavens that were oh so close for him to seize with practiced ease if he desired.

"Sooner or later I'll have my answers, I'm sure they can wait a little longer." Flame spoke with knowing sensuality, well aware that as long as he refrained from opposing Tori before he recovered fully, all other matters were of negligible importance. Perhaps relaying a message to Gale and Typhoon, that they shouldn't try to escape once they surpassed the deadline or that they should be given better meals, but she could always bring that up later. "Let me tend to your needs."