Raid #107

(OOC: And here we go once again, Kadaj. Good luck, both with this raid and the last. I'll try to be a bit more fair this time around.)

He sat once more upon a throne. But it was not his own.

The armrests were too low for him to comfortably lean on, but the Prince sat defiantly on the very throne of the Goddess of Harmony, confident she was not returning to her realm any time soon. He sat on the low seat as the goddess would, sitting upright, leaning forward with his forearms resting in his lap. He remembered sitting like this to a simple seat in the art gallery back in his kingdom when he and Stella discussed the validity of the myth of the goddess. How he almost wished he was back to those times... back to the stuffy life of boring dinner parties held in art galleries and being shuttled around in the back seat of chauffeured cars. They may may have been confining, but at least they were peaceful times.

He looked out upon his immediate surroundings; a ivory world shallowed with water and pieces of white ruins strewn across the landscape and beyond. Before him stood the figure of a young man called Bartz, who he had come across upon choosing to return to this world. At his question, he took a deep breath, and paused with a stressful sigh as the question made him recall the events that had happened here. But there was new information in his words that he had either not taken notice of the first time, or had simply forgotten... the goddess's name. For a long time, Noctis had presumed the goddess was the same as the Goddess Etro from his world's mythology, but this was news to him it was a different goddess all along. It was as clear as day as he recalled the memory of what had transpired here, and where he had been sitting the goddess had been resting in his place, laughing in pure mirth as she consorted with the enemy as if he were her friend.

"You really are... a goddess?"

"Yes, I am... What thoughts trouble you?"

"So, it really isn't a bedtime story... the legend really is true. The Goddess Etro shall open the gate, welcoming the souls of the dead... a bright light shall shine down through the skies from the land of the dead, when that occurs. Those words... do they sound familiar to you, goddess...?"

He remembered the look of hesitance in her light-colored orbs, the uncomfortable body language as he approached, as if she was caught out doing something devious and distrusted his presence because of it. "Is that what you call your goddess, Cosmos? She was sitting here where I was, and another man dressed in red with hair to match was sitting on the throne next to her. I overheard she was a goddess and asked if she had heard of a myth on my world about a goddess... but she merely turned her head and disappeared." he began to answer. He could not forget the look of uncertainty, and perhaps even guilt or pity, as she looked away from him as if casting away acceptance of all knowledge he had brought forward. Goddess or not, people did not flee if they had nothing to hide... just exactly what had Cosmos knew she couldn't bring herself to tell him? He had only one theory, and it was that she knew what the light meant that only he could see, and that she knew or was involved with his fate as a cursed warrior.

He pushed himself off the low throne with both hands, boots treading in low water as he stepped over to Bartz. He had gotten over his shy streak now while playing it cool, and defiantly sitting on the throne as if to provoke the goddess herself to appear, and while Bartz was a inquisitive and eager sort of fellow he was the type Noctis got the sense was not the callous type. He adjusted his gloves from having shifted on his hands pushing himself up from the throne, a slight creak of leather as he adjusted it comfortably on his right hand, using them as a focal point so he didn't have to look uncomfortably at Bartz. "I only found out later while reuniting friends on another world that it came under siege from the enemy within the shadows, like back on my home world, but it was the same man in red. Genesis... he told me the goddess set him on his path... goddess or not, if she allows such a thing to occur you can tell her I'm coming after her next." He didn't care if Bartz would get in his way or not, he had become tired of letting the gods screw him around, and no matter if they appeared as light or darkness he would take them down before they turned a blind eye to more people suffering.

Now standing a distance from the throne of the treacherous god, Noctis felt the earth tremble. Had that done it, was Cosmos returning, and he would finally get retribution? He turned to look at the colorful presence against the illuminant landscape, the wind softly brushing the long spiky bangs of black dancing over his cheek, looking from under ebon hair with a air of caution at the figure who was not human. It walked and was half-clothed like a human, but it had the features of a monstrous reptile, with a pointed snout like a crocodile, and drooping leathery ears like a hound down the sides of his neck. "Hello there. Who are you? Another god?" he queried quite clearly, his tone was neutral as he did not know who - or what - the Bangaa was, trying diplomacy since the creature must have some kind of sentience from wearing modest attire.

As he drew closer towards the two men in the distance, the pair of them soon became aware of his presence from the ground shaking with each step he took towards them. The giant green Bangaa weighed a considerably amount, so the shaking wasn't unusual for him. It was even more noticeable if the Bangaa decided to jump and thump down both feet upon the earth. But now wasn't the time for that. Watching as the brown-haired male and his darker clothed friend turned to face him, Attor took note of the clean, white throne from which the darker haired human had stood up from. So it was a chair/throne of some sort, but the man who's been sitting there didn't look the type to own it. Something darker, dirtier, perhaps. Sniffing the air before him, Attor's long snout could pick up several different aromas, not that any of them were actually pleasant to smell.

The darker haired man with matching clothing smelt important, a high status perhaps? He was young as well. Older then the Bangaa was in human years but not aged enough to be classed as an old man. This lad also didn't seem to have visited a barber recently either. Continuing to walk forwards, the green-scaled Bangaa eventually came to a stop a short distance away from them both, his height now towering over the pair as he peered down at them both as if they weren't even worth the time to talk too. Attor's bright green eyes stared at the Prince for a moment, his reptilian eyes narrowing a fraction when he were asked if he was another god. Well, at least this human knew his place. A small smirk would have formed at the corners of Attor long mouth, but he instead glanced towards the other male with brown hair, his long snout taking a couple sniffs from him this time as he spoke up in reply to what Noctis had just said.

This other guy didn't seem as important as the darker dressed male but was younger... even younger then Attor was in human years. He was dressed perhaps more casually? Though the golden armour and headband were odd, but both these men were possibly thinking the same thing about himself. This guy also seemed to smell like a chocobo for some reason. That aside, there was something strange about these two that Attor hadn't experienced from other humans before. They actually seemed to be strong, as if they could survive one of Attor's massive punches. But were they strong enough to provide a worthy challenge? Blinking slowly, Attor smirked slightly and shook his head from side to side as he looked between the two men.
"I am no god, humansss, but you'll be treating me like one once I've finissshed with you both!"

There was no reason for what happened next. Attor hadn't been looked at funny, nor was he called a lizard. Perhaps it was the fact that he believed these two might provide a worthy fight. No one had defeated him back in Ivalice and he intended to keep that winning streak. Taking a single step backwards, Attor raised his massive fists before him and bowed down slightly before getting into a martial art stance.
"I am Attor the Bangaa from Archadesss, a Massster in the Monksss Ssstyle Martial Artsss. I challenge you both!!!"
Without waiting for an answer, Attor charged for Bartz to start with, his speed pretty fast for his massive body size. When reaching melee range, the green-scaled Bangaa span around to his left in a swift 360 degree circle before extending his left fist in a back knuckle strike, hurtling his large armoured gauntlet for the left side of Bartz's skull. Twisting his head to shoot a sharp glare at Noctis, Attor raised one foot up before stamping hard upon the ground in an attempt to make the Price loose his balance. Following up, Attor flexed his knees before sending a straight right punch square towards Noctis' chest. With a smirk, the large reptile took a large leap backwards, his powerful legs sending him back several feet before landing with a thud and a splash of water. Lifting his right foot, he stamped the ground once more as he fell into stance again.
"Fight me!!!"

Throbbing muscle pulsed in his chest where the Bangaa had struck him, but did little to deter the Prince who fought and ignored the pain. His pulse racing from the rush of adrenaline and tight breaths held in his broad chest, Noctis looked on with harden determination at his opponent. Watching as his weapons slashed towards the enormous reptile, only one weapon managed to scratch the reptile and cut into his clothes, at least showing they were that much a potential threat even if they didn't cut through the mesh of his scaly skin. No matter, he hadn't drawn blood from the Behemoth that attacked his kingdom, but the energy slashes and spells from his weapons skin had felled the gargantuan fiend. Which reminded him as he glanced over as Bartz unleashed a combination spell of light and darkness, that if they were going to win this they would have to use teamwork.

The large creature rasped at him something about being cowardly and fighting like a real warrior, after it jumped away from the range of his sword. "Those that do not comprehend powers beyond their understanding would of course call it a trick. Go figure. I'll fight with my own fighting style, after not listening to you for attacking us without provocation, thank you." he responded in a princely manner, but with a confident and slightly sarcastic tone. As he flashed Thunder towards the giant, he blocked from the front but it attacked from the heavens above as it struck with lightning speed into his skull. Eye for an eye, at least for Bartz's sake. Speaking of his friend, Attor was now flying across the realm to deliver a swift kick through the latter of the light and dark spells, and Noctis mobilized to intercept.

His weapons having disappeared back into their floating rack after his counter-attack, Falchion disappeared from his right hand as he switched it with another weapon from out of thin air. The Halbard appeared in his left hand, resembling a spear except for the cresent-shaped blade crossing the tip to form an intricate axe. Noctis threw it forward through the air after the Bangaa and as it reached him disappeared, reappearing blindingly fast to grab the Halbard using Teleportation. Appearing just between the Bangaa's outstretched foot and Bartz, the prince attempted not to block the oncoming freight train of scaly flesh, but to grab Bartz by the scruff of the neck and pull him out of harm's way. The point of the Halberd went into the ground to pole-vault the momentum of throwing his new friend some distance, and once the wanderer had been let go the Prince swung around the Halbard to counter the oncoming kick from his own army boots into the Bangaa's pointed snout. Whether he hit or missed, the Halberd disappeared from his reach as he summoned his Axe to his right hand as he leaped back and made a small splash in the shallow water, throwing the single-bladed tomahawk and then using Telekinesis so it slashed across the huge reptile's chest and boomeranged back around to his ally.

Before it reached Bartz however, Noctis teleported once more as he grabbed the weapon from mid-air. "Bartz." he called in a curt heads-up as he placed the long-handed hatchet into his new friend's hand. He hoped he would be able to use his weapon to his advantage along with his buster sword, which reminded him of his scar-faced friend's choice of weapon. Having crouched down in a defensive posture and sitting on his heels, he eyed their reptilian foe with cold navy orbs. "Why challenge us? There's nothing in fighting men whom have matters that are not your own." he questioned, an indefinite furrow of his brow creasing his handsome features.

---

Thunder: Finished cooldown.

Teleportation: Used in conjunction with his Telekinesis, he can teleport to any weapon on the field he has moved with his telekinesis, and use that weapon swiftly. He can then teleport again once having used that weapon or the power of that weapon, and only after someone has interrupted him can he teleport again. (Can teleport to up to two weapons per post/turn, or in other words three weapons per post/turn, at the cost of a cooldown for two turns.)

Telekinesis: With little effort, Noctis can summon his weapons out of thin air with magical power, and materialize them anywhere in the free space of the battlefield. They hover within the air and are almost transparent if one doesn't look hard enough, and he can't materialize them into people or objects, so he needs to grab them out of the air and throw them in order to move them around to make offensive use of them in combat for the most part. He can also use his telekinesis to rotate them in the air, both to set a almost invisible trap in a switchblade-motion, or to orbit around his body in his defensive 'Coat of Arms' technique. He can summon one weapon at once, which he always chooses his main weapon, the Falchion as his weapon of choice along with any additional weapons. Even then, he may only use a few at a time, leaving others as back-up for projectiles or to act as a defense. (He can only summon as many weapons as there are opponents in the thread.)