Drop after drop of warm sweat wound down Jonas' brow, twisting and turning like a river full of bends as they moved. The heat was overwhelming, but at this point Jonas knew that he would have to shut it out, they could not afford the distraction in the challenge that came. Jonas reached the center island, surrounded by large rocks that shielding them from the intense direct heat of the Magma. Wiping the sweat away he turned back and watched Gwen and Gil approaching close behind, followed by Instructor Trepe. Jonas was silent as he waited, unlatching his blade from the harness he wore on his back and letting the weight slowly rest on the rocks as his feet. ” You've made it though the cavern, only one trial remains. ” Quistis spoke as she reached the center island behind the others. stepping to the side as she spoke. ” Guardian of this place, I have accompanied another group of students to test their might against you, please come forth. ” She spoke louder, then simply waited. Jonas stepped back slightly, anticipating the spectacle that was to begin, feeling the growing rumble in the earth beneath his feet. In a burst of flame and rock from the massive lake of magma launched the horned beast Ifrit. Flames surrounded him, leapt from him and danced. Jonas trembled slightly, memories of his last encounter with the guardian rushing through his head. Landing with a roar, bearing massive claws and teeth that would make anyone uneasy the creature came to speak. ” Prove your worth by defeating me, only the greatest warriors are deserving of my power. ” Ifrit spoke, his voice deep and loud enough to be uncomfortable to the ear. Jonas did not flinch, eyeing the others he waited for Gil to strike, knowing that his friend would be eager for this fight and lash out.
— OOC Talk: —
3:02 pm May 29, 2014
sanarian
Member
posts 108
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Gil could only watch in awe as the massive beast emerged from the magma lake, with an almost excited curve to his lips. As the creature made its way over to the small island he forgot the intense heat, the dangers posed by the environment, and focused solely on the upcoming challenge. A Guardian Force would offer a fight unlike any other before it; the perfect way to test his potential as both a Sorceror and a Swordsman. Even its voice took on an otherworldly feel, leaving his ears feeling rather off. “Defeat you…?” Gil asked rhetorically as he began to approach Ifrit.
“No, nothing that simple. I'm going to dominate you!” Gil announced with a defiant roar as he took hold of his weapon's hilt with both hands. In the next moment he was rushing at the Guardian Force without hesitance, making it clear hat he was unafraid of Ifrit's power. Once he was within range he leapt into the air with all his might, lifting his weapon overhead and slamming it forward in a violent downward slash aided by his descent. Gil didn't care whether the attack struck or not, but rather in order to force Ifrit to assume the defense. Gil knew that Jonas would utilize the chaos he created on the battlefield to the fullest, and would at the same time stay out of his way to allow him to truly enjoy the fight.
The steady shake of the earth had subsided and now Jonas knew that the time to fight was nigh. As Gil took off his eyes met with Quistis, there was an understanding passed between them, though no words were spoken. Jonas understood that Gil was special, and that as the only cadet he had bonded with he had extended his stay at the Garden, even though by the standards set he should have flunked out already. Taking this to heart, he had long sense vowed to to better, and though distractions had still made themselves known he had indeed improved vastly, thanks in part to Gil's relentless approach to training which had greatly improved his own abilities. ” Leave some for me squirt! ” broke the silence just as Gil neared the guardian Ifrit. Jonas understood Gil's approach, create an opening for attack even if it meant drawing some unwanted attention to himself. As Ifrit raised is massive clawed appendage and with a swipe of the hand parried Gil's strike Jonas had put himself in position and come from the side, taking a swipe at the guardian, cutting into his furry ribs. Bracing Jonas attempted to leap backwards but was quickly caught with a swipe of the creatures claws. Though his sword protected him the force still knocked him back and left him prone. ” Watch out you fool! ” Gwen broke her own silence as she watched Jonas tumble to the rocky earth before summoning a wisp of ice which rushed past Jonas cooling him and sending a cold shiver down his spine. The wisp smashed into Ifrit, the sound of breaking glass and the rumble of the earth as Ifrit stumbled backwards followed. Jonas kicked dirt and pebbles as he pulled himself to his feet and waited.
— OOC Talk: —
8:34 pm May 29, 2014
sanarian
Member
posts 108
44
Gil could feel the heavy blow crash into his sword, completely deflecting his attack. In addition the force was enough to propel him away from his opponent, though not enough to inflict any damage to his person. Yet the sheer amount of power behind it had left him in awe. Compared to the enormous strength Ifrit had displayed his own felt almost nonexistant. If they wanted to win this battle it wasn't going to be through the use of brute force alone. Off to the beast's side he noticed that Jonas had managed to successfully lash out at the Guardian Force, though he hadn't escaped unharmed.
Ifrit stumbled away following a blizzard spell from Gwen, exposing the beast's weakness for the entire party to see. Gil cracked a grin at that, his teeth exposed to give his expression an almost feral appeal. Gil lifted his massive blade up onto his right shoulder and charged forward once more. Instead of readying his weapon he reached into himself and drew upon the reserves of magic, calling them to the surface in order to manipulate them. Gil raised his left hand into the air, and as he did so a spear of ice began to form above his hand. Without a second though he swung his left hand forward, and the spell tore through the air toward Ifrit. ~~~ OOC: Gil used a Blizzard spell.
As Jonas regained his footing he heard the mighty roar of the guardian as Gil's blizzard spell struck, clearly the fire guardian did not like ice magic. Jonas felt under prepared during this revelation, having no ice spells in his charge, he would have to continue to attack the fierce creature head on, and hopefully allow both Gwen and Gil the space and time to continue pelting Ifrit with blizzard magic. ” I knew I forgot something… god damn it! ” Jonas swore as he dusted himself off just in time to eye Ifrit's movements, the guardian was lowing it's shoulder and about to charge directly towards Gwen. Knowing she would be preping a blizzard spell and be prone Jonas moved swiftly and as Ifrit moved he charged catching the guardians eye and distracting him long enough for Gwen's wisp of ice to strike him. Unable to move in time Ifrit smashed into Jonas and sent him tumbling, his blade coming dislodged as he hit the hard rock ground, exhailing painfully as he landed.
— OOC Talk: Your spell hit as did a second spell from Gwen, Jonas took a hard hit.
6:59 pm May 30, 2014
sanarian
Member
posts 108
46
Post edited 2:00 am – May 31, 2014 by sanarian Post edited 2:01 am – May 31, 2014 by sanarian
Gil could see their spells were having a powerful effect upon Ifrit, whose fiery nature left him completely exposed to ice magic. A howl of pain tore through the air as the beast reacted to their attack, the sound of the demon's voice had left his ears tingling unpleasantly. All the same it had brought a smile to his lips; he had told Ifrit that they would dominate him, and the young mage had meant every word. Just after that Ifrit prepared to advance upon Gwen, who was left vulnerable as she began to cast yet another spell. Jonas was quick to intercept, but that heroic display had left him worse for the wear. Gil clicked his teeth in frustration and called out to the Guardian Force in order to draw its attention away from the rest of the team. “If you're afraid of me you'd best just come out and say it, Guardian.”
In his crimson eyes there was no fear, only excitement and determination as he stared at the massive creature. “Let's play.” Gil could only hope his taunts were enough to attract Ifrit's attention onto himself; the others would need a chance to recuperate, and truth be told he was eager to unleash hell upon the Guardian Force. If only to prove his previous words were true, that it would be he who would truly dominate Ifrit. Gil kept one hand on his weapon, prepared to defend himself if necessary, and began to raise his left hand. As he did so the air crackled with electricity, the spark's most noticeable about his person.
In the next moment he snapped his fingers and a seemingly harmless bolt of electricity hit the ground near Ifrit's feet, and the earth rumbled for a moment before all hell broke loose. A deafening explosion could be heard as the ground exploded, a vast array of lightning bolts tore from the ground to the sky in a devastating spell. This was the most powerful magic he had at his disposal; even if ice magic was more effective there was no doubt about the raw destructive power of Thundaga. If it didn't bring Ifrit low, he hoped it would at least provide his team the chance to recover. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OOC: Gil used (1) Thundaga. Boom, baby.
Jonas' eyes blurred as he squirmed along the rocky ground, stones poking and prodding him as he attempting to regain his senses. As his vision cleared he heard a massive boom and could feel the surge of electricity in the cavern's air, he knew that Gil was drawing the guardians attention. Wiping dirt from his face as his vision steadied he eyed his blade and made a quick lunge to grab it and with a roll upright himself and begin to stand. As he was rising a rush of serenity overcame him, like an aura, and his pain faded away. With a swift turn of the head he caught a nod from Gwen, and signaling back turned his attention to Ifrit which was now oblivious of Gwen and himself, solely focused on Gil. ” I like your style human. ” The guardian was speaking, his fiery eyes burning with satisfaction as a real challenge in their party had finally shown itself. ” Human's usually shake in their small boots when they see me, you are different, but you will still lose. ” The guardian spoke, the deepness of his voice enough to almost shake the ground on it's own. Ifrit moved quickly for a creature it's size and with a powerful swipe the guardian bashed it's powerful hand into Gil. ” Damn. ” Jonas muttered as he was unable to act in time, but saw his opening now. Following Gil's example he summoned his own Thundaga spell sending the same crackle and surge of electricity through the cavern as the arcing bolts of lightning appeared from his blade and danced across the cavern's air before striking the guardian force.
— OOC Talk: Jonas used (1) Thundaga, Gwen used (1) Cure.
4:02 am June 16, 2014
sanarian
Member
posts 108
48
“Oh?” Gil replied in mock curiousity, a grim expression on his face as the massive beast began to charge at him with astounding speed. It was far too quick for him to avoid the incoming attack, but it wasn't altogether unexpected. Since he was left with no other option, Gil relaxed his body much as he was capable in an attempt to minimize the incoming damage. Ifrit struck him with a strength that was beyond measure, sending him hurtling away before crashing into the fiery hot ground. “That hurt,” Gil announced with a dark scowl, rising to his feet with some small amount of difficulty.
Only a foot or two away was his weapon, which he promptly moved to retrieve before flexing his arms about to make sure he wasn't in need of restorative magic. Once he was prepared the mage lifted his weapon onto his right shoulder once more. Gil meant to show that in spite of the numerous bruises and scrapes left over from that previous attack, he was still in prime fighting condition. “You underestimate me,”
Gil raised his left hand into the air, manifesting a spike of frozen ice above his head before thrusting the spell forward like a javelin toward Ifrit's legs. If he was so capable of agility than Gil would rob him of that, and render him immobile. “Cripple him!” Gil called out, hoping the others would join in.
Jonas was amazed at Gil's resolve, he had seen him in combat many times but never had he truly been challenged in the way that he was today. Realizing the change they had after Gil's crushing attack, using ice against Ifrit to exploit an obvious weakness, Jonas moved quickly, knowing that even the this chance would not last long. Bursting towards Ifrit he jumped into the air, pushing off of Ifrit's own massive body to reach even higher. As he soared he twisted his body, pulling his blade a full three hundred and sixty degrees to develop the maximum force. His blade smashing into Ifrit's upper body, gashing the creatures chest. ” Gwen, now! ” Jonas shouted as he finished his forceful attack, knowing that for he moment he would be open to attack as he fell back to the rocky ground below. Jonas' felt his heart race for an instant, fearing the attack that might come. He was relieved of this as the surge of electricity cut through the air around him, Gwen's thunder spell struck had the guardian. Jonas hit the ground and rolled, coming up to a knee as Ifrit let out a booming roar which shook the entire cavern. Standing he moved swiftly towards Gil, fearing the guardian would strike his one true friend. ” Gil's working with the others, excellent. ” Quistis said to herself as he made notes from a safe distance, her expression clearly showing pleasure in the performance of the party.
— OOC Talk: Gwen used (1) Thunder Spell
11:53 am March 7, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
50
Gil let the other two deal with Ifrit while he took the chance to catch his breath and rest. It was difficult for him to accept, but the beast had done quite the number on him with that titanic blow. Every breath came with a sharp twinge of pain, and when he would shift his weight onto his left leg it felt as if the leg would give way beneath him. Yet in spite of the aches and pains the rush of adrenaline, the thrill of battle, and the rare opportunity to push his abilities beyond their limits all made him feel completely overjoyed. As he stood by Gil let those thoughts envelop him, let them consume him, until even his own sense of reason began to fade away. Slowly he began to fall deeper and deeper into a trance, during which he only mentally registered the strongest of sounds: a voice shouting out, followed by a boom of thunder, and finally a deafening roar which even shook the earth itself. When the mage heard that roar everything suddenly came into focus as he came crashing back to reality. Out of the corner of his left eye Gil could see Jonas desperately rushing toward him, but gave him no more than a passing thought. All of his attention was now devoted to the colossal beast that they were locked in mortal combat with. In the face of this trance even his own aches and pains were totally forgotten, as he began to descend into a hysterical frenzy. “….” An involuntary grin spread wide across his lips, accompanied by an uncontrollable fit of silent laughter suddenly overwhelmed him, and together they seemed to give him an almost psychotic visage. Without a second thought Gil abruptly darted toward Ifrit, flying past Jonas without a word. As he closed in upon the Guardian he swiftly moved behind the beast before he leapt toward Ifrit with all the strength he could muster, then thrust his weapon forward in an attempt to lodge the weapon into the Guardian’s lower back. If everything worked out the way he intended the weapon would be stuck fast in Ifrit's lower back, and he would somehow manage to keep hold of the weapon as well.
Jonas' eyes darted with Gil's movement, watching his friend rush past and in a frenzy leap from the rocky cavern ground upwards, thrusting his blade into the lower shoulder area of the Guardian. Ifrit let out a monstrous roar which sent tight ripples through the magma lake that surrounded their small island, bringing with it a rain of tiny debris from the domed celing overhead. The volume of the roar was harsh, causing Jonas to tense his body in an uncomfortable flexing of his muscles to control himself. As the roar lowered in decibel Jonas looked past the colossal foe, seeing that Gil had managed to hold on. ” This is insane! ” Jonas spurted out, though he was only reacting not attempting to speak to anyone. Ifrit's eyes seemed ablaze, moreso than at any time during the fight. The creature moved and tossed his body trying to free it from Gil's sword. It dawned on Jonas and Gwen at nearly the same time that Ifrit was now completely focused on Gil, they would have an open attack. Their eyes met without words and instinctively both cadets started towards the towering beast. Jonas brought his sword high as he ran, ready to take a forceful cutting blow at his enemy. Gwen seemed to ready her nunchaku low, as if to swipe at his lower torso. Jonas knew he would go high. As the reached the GF Jonas took to the air bringing his blade round in a arc which cut across the Guardian's chest whilst Gwen gave all her strength in attacking his belly.
— OOC Talk: —
2:13 pm March 9, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
52
As his weapon pierced into Ifrit’s back the beast let out a monstrous roar, so terrifyingly loud that even in his hysteria Gil was aware of it, though he failed to take notice of the searing pain that it left in his own ears in its wake. Despite holding firm onto the hilt of his greatsword Gil was barely able to avoid being thrown off as Ifrit began to wildly thrash about. Every time Ifrit would attempt to dislodge the weapon Gil would lose what little footing he could manage, and was left with his legs flailing madly in the air until once more he would regain his footing upon the Guardian’s back. This went on for what felt like an eternity, until finally he saw a chance to strike. When that moment came Gil took his right hand off the hilt and held the hand in the air above him. Without any warning the air around his hand became icy cold as a shard of ice began to form above his hand, growing to a frightening size over the course of a split-second. Once the shard had formed Gil slammed his hand forward, sending his palm crashing flat against the beast’s back. Afterwards the spike of ice thrust forward as to impale Ifrit near his spine, while Gil quickly took hold of his weapon with both hands and used both feet to tear his weapon free and launch himself away from the titan.
The air seemed to crystallize and chill all around him, Jonas's momentum from his attack carrying him in an arc that set him down on the rocky cavern floor just as the spear of ice materialized and struck Ifrit. The Guardian let out another monstrous roar, as his clawed hands desperately tried to reach behind and free Gil and his blade, but to no avail. The Guardian sank low in stance, his talons of both hands and feet grasping into the stone floor, crushing the rock with pure strength. His eyes seemed to connect with Jonas in a passing moment. ” Gil, let go! LET GO! ” Jonas found himself shouting, as if he could read the creature's mind. His words came to late, Ifrit had already thrust himself upwards in a mighty jump, flinging his body upwards at an amazing speed. Jonas cringed as he watched Ifrit's back slam hard into the domed ceiling that stretched over them. The entire cavern trembled and debris rained around the, though both Gil and Ifrit were yet to be seen through the cloud that erupted upon impact.
— OOC Talk: —
7:53 pm March 10, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
54
Gil was in the midst of attempting to tear his weapon free when suddenly it felt as if he were being drawn toward the ground, no different from an ascending elevator. A familiar voice cried out, screaming at him to let go, which brought Gil from his battle frenzy. As clarity dawned upon him he saw Jonas getting further and further away, even though he hadn’t moved from that same spot. When he came to understand what was happening he immediately let go of the hilt of the greatsword and knelt over, covering his head to the best of his ability. As they made contact with the roof of the cavern pain wracked his entire body as he was crushed against it by Ifrit. For the briefest moment after Ifrit began his descent Gil remained in place, before he too began to fall toward the ground. It felt as if an eternity had went by before a loud crash echoed throughout the cavern, and then he crashed into something large and fleshy, rolling down it before he finally met the warm, hard ground with a thud. White hot pain seared through his entire being, but the worst of it was concentrated on his back. Even in his dazed state he knew that Ifrit would press the attack now that he had the advantage, and Gil desperately began struggling to get back on his feet. Every little motion sent a fresh wave of agony throughout his body, but he believed to the very core of his being that there was no choice but to stand up and continue the fight. In the midst of his fight to stand upright he began to become more aware of his own pain, and the full extent of the damage wrought upon him during the impact. Various cuts and scrapes were strewn about his arms, and a nasty gash on his right leg (visible through a tear in his pants), all of which bled quite profusely. Yet the worst of it was the warm, wet feeling as his shirt clung to the right of his lower back, which could only have been from a puncture wound due to the rocky cavern roof. In spite of everything he somehow managed to get up on his feet once more, and wore a wicked grin as he finally did so. “I’m not done yet….” Gil declared with a wheeze in every word, before his body gave out and he collapsed once more.
Before Jonas could react a soft aura danced across the cavern, enveloping Gil in it's hazy ethereal blur. Jonas' eyes followed the trail of glittering mist back to it's source, where Gwen stood with a confident look in here face. His eyes shot back towards the lumbering Ifrit who was pulling himself upright, the blow having done a great deal of damage to the Guardian Force as well. ” He's staggered. ” Jonas mumbled in realization to himself, seeing that this way there best chance to lay into their foe and turn the tide of the battle greatly in their favor. Jonas knew Gwen had made the same connection and he trusted in Gil's combat reflexes and sense more than he did his own, so if he had realized it surely Gil would already be acting. Jonas burst forward summoning whatever strength left within him, bridging the distance between himself and Ifrit quickly. He darted upwards, kicking strongly from the creatures forearm in a thrusting jump. Soaring Jonas flung his blade in a upward arc cutting upwards into the beasts shoulder and upper chest.
— OOC Talk: —
10:41 am July 19, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
56
Immediately he felt his strength start to return, and his eyes fluttered open once more. With a grunt of pain, still sore despite the healing magics, he shifted his weight onto his left arm and forced himself to sit up on his knees. Gil barely noticed the hazy green mist all about him as he stared upon the gigantic form of Ifrit, who was also starting to recover. Still stuck fast in the Guardian's back, near the shoulder where he had stabbed Ifrit during his previous ill-fated attempt to bring the beast low. Before he had even realized it the young sorceror was already on his feet and making a mad dash toward the stunned Ifrit fast as he could manage. Once he was close enough Gil leapt forward, and held his right arm out with an open palm. In an instant the air suddenly froze, and an eight-foot length of ice manifested itself. The icicle was roughly three inches in diameter, but the truly terrifying part was that the last foot of the ice spear was a random assortment of sharp, jagged barbs meant to cause more pain than damage–which made it clear that Gil was still hellbent upon taking control of Ifrit. With every ounce of strength he could muster Gil thrust the icy spear forward toward Ifrit with his right hand, while he took hold of his treasured weapon with his left. Finally he placed one foot upon Ifrit's back and tore the weapon free, and leaping away from Ifrit in one fell swoop. When he was upon the ground once more Gil immediately swiveled around and brought his weapon to rest upon his shoulder as he stared hungrily at Ifrit. ————————————– Gil used (1) Blizzard.
Ifrit's mighty roar shook the entire domed cavern as the barbed ice spear struck him. Jonas felt the ground beneath his feet tremble from his cry, his eyes moving swiftly to follow Gil's movements as he eventually came to a landing nearby, his daze looked on the Guardian Force. Jonas turned to Gwen, who was just as captivated by the great foe before them. ” Enough! ” Ifrit's boisterous voice howled, pulling Jonas' gaze back to the fearsome presence before them. ” You are worthy of my support! Now begone from this place! ” Ifrit continued, thrusting his arm up towards the only exit from the domed chamber. Jonas felt frozen in place, his previous confidence that they would defeat Ifrit and pass the exam seeming unreal to him in this moment of victory. He reached for words, finding none inside of him. He felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to meet eyes with instructor Trepe who beckoned him and the others back towards the exit.
— OOC Talk: —
4:12 am July 22, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
58
As Gil stared at Ifrit he wore an utterly smug expression, as if he were looking down upon Ifrit, but that quickly faded away when the beast let loose a booming roar that echoed throughout the magma chamber. Then Ifrit thrust out his arm toward the chamber's only exit and acknowledged their strength, and in that moment Gil felt his heart sink. Even in his very core Gil had thoroughly enjoyed the challenge conquering Ifrit had posed, and now that it was coming to a close he was left hungering for more. For a time Gil merely stood in place, staring at Ifrit with bloodthirsty eyes, until finally he brought his weapon overhead and it crashed into the stone floor. The heavy sound of metal crashing agaisnt stone reverberated throughout the chamber, and then without a word he brought his greatsword high into the air before returning it to its holster upon his back. Once they started out of the chamber Gil felt the tension in his body begin to come loose, and the adrenaline begin to fade. As they did he became aware of the startling amount of minor wounds, some worse than others, all over his body. Every part of him ached, and he was completely exhausted. Even if Ifrit had chosen to continue their fight, Gil realized then, it was unlikely he could have gone much further. A bitter sense of his own limits hit him then, and all he could do was click his teeth in frustration.
Jonas watched Gil from afar, seeing the exhaustion emanating from his body, realizing that he had truly spent all of his energy going toe to toe with the Guardian Force. As he walked towards the chamber's exit he felt his own muscles aching, he remembered this ache, the utter fatigue from the conflict and dehydration from the Fire Cavern's heat. He remembered the last time he was here, barely staggering out of the chamber, the other two in his test group both being carried out by instructors, this was a wholly different feeling. ” Wow. Gil, we.. we're going to be SeeD ” He spoke to his friend as he reached chamber's exit, resting his hand on the rock wall as he squeezed through the crack back into the man cavern. ” Tomorrow we'll be deployed, this is crazy. ” He continued to speak as he followed Instructor Trepe back through the cavern towards the daylight.
— OOC Talk: —
1:25 pm July 27, 2015
sanarian
Member
posts 108
60
Post edited 8:25 pm – July 27, 2015 by sanarian
Gil trailed behind the others in silence, still inwardly seething at the way things had turned out. Until the battle with Ifrit he had wholeheartedly believed that if he were alone, with none to see the truth of things, he could overcome anything. Now such a belief, such overwhelming self-confidence, felt like little more than childish arrogance. For him this was something brand new; to be unsure, to be insecure, to be afraid that others could still hurt him. As the group pressed onward to the exit such thoughts continued to hound Gil, until at last Jonas spoke to him and he was thrust back to reality. “I can't say I wasn't concerned for you,” Gil quietly replied in manner-of-fact fashion as they emerged into the main cavern chamber. “usually I have to do everything for you, since women seem to invariably attract your full attention.” At the very end he increased the volume of his voice, to make sure that the others would hear, before offering his friend a wry smirk. Even if that had actually been the case, he came to realize, Jonas had always been at his back–even before Gil had thought of him as a friend, he had been intent upon making sure that Gil wasn't a complete outcast. For some strange reason that revelation brought him some small measure of relief, despite his newfound insecurity.
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