isleofavalon | [open] december catch-all

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[open] december catch-all

Who: Nero and you
What: Catch-all for December questing and misc threads
When: First two weeks of December
Where: Rent-A-Ride, in and around the Red Springs
Warnings: Nero's potty mouth, violence, character injury/mentions of injury

I. RENT-A-RIDE STABLES
Nero had taken up a job at the Rent-A-Ride, in the hopes that acquainting himself with horses might give him a better idea of how to interact with his familiar. (That, and some magic-related property destruction meant he had to work somewhere in order to pay off the damages.) Being a stablehand isn't a glamorous job, and tough work, but with everything that happened back home, he's gotten used to picking up less-than-fun jobs to get by. If it pays the bills and helps people, it's enough.

He's taken one of the larger draught horses out to groom it, but the horse is becoming increasingly agitated by his own familiar lurking behind Nero, watching him work. At first he expects his demon companion will get bored and leave, but when it doesn't, he holds onto the reins of the stable horse and looks impatiently over his shoulder.

"Geryon, will you stop staring and get out of here? You're making the horse nervous," Nero grouses. The reptilian horse bumps its scaled muzzle against his arm, and Nero has to tighten his grip on the reins to stop the stable horse shying away in fear. "Listen, I get that you're jealous, but I can't brush you! You don't have hair."

II. FOGUERIA
It wasn't hard to track down the Fogueria, given the scorched earth it left behind, or else the sight of smoke on the horizon. Following it to its source did, however, take longer than it otherwise could have, considering Geryon was still stubbornly refusing to let Nero ride it.

Still, they're able to make it in decent time on foot, and Nero and his questing partners crest a hill and spot a flaming lion prowling across the plains. Sporting a cocky grin, Nero reaches for the hilt of the blade on his back.

"There it is. It's not so different from a demon, so you can stand back and let me handle this one."

III. RED SPRINGS
Although successful, Nero's first real quest hadn't gone quite as smoothly as he'd hoped, so he decides to stay the night at the Red Springs inn. He reserves a room, then heads straight for the springs to relax and use its magical properties to heal off the worst of his injuries.

As he heads into the water, the injuries become obvious to anyone else who might be taking a soak-- he has some minor burns along his arms, and deep claw marks across his chest, which have at least been treated with healing magic but haven't yet healed all the way.

He sinks into the water, right up to his neck, with a wince a quiet, "Dammit," and closes his eyes to try and relax.

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A shaky breath escapes Regis once he realizes the fiend has taken up another form, along with his companion who suddenly sprouted horns. While he has borne witness to such absurdity in the past, this is the first time he ever fought beside someone donning the appearance of a daemon. All questions aside, Regis focuses on tracking the monster as it splits into several miniature versions of itself. In this form, the Fogueria is limited in its abilities as shown from how easily the miniature versions fall to the demon hunter's might. However, their goal lies within converging together to spawn another version of its prior form. That's why Regis acts quickly to summon forth something to extinguish the flames.

"If ice won't quell your wrath, then perhaps water shall!" With just the snap of his fingers, the thick sheets of ice that encased the lion suddenly form into a towering tidal wave of water. The water crashes down with enough force to uproot the nearby trees but somehow Regis manages to form a paling constructed out of ice to shield himself and Nero from possible harm. As for the Fogueria, the fiery lions try to escape seeking higher ground within the canopy above but it's all in vain. In a matter of seconds, the undying flames of the Fogueria finally cease to burn.

As for the forest itself, Regis could stand to learn a bit about collateral damage. The old king can't help but grimace somewhat at the mess he made here. While he can certainly freeze the rushing waters with just a snap of his fingers, Regis can't do a thing to save the trees caught in the crossfire. It's a miracle that the Fogueria didn't burn down the entire forest but Regis cannot help but feel a bit guilty for causing such harm here.

"The faeries are going to have my head." He mutters under his breath.

Nero is ready to leap out of the way of the water, but fortunately Regis seems to have thought way ahead of him and shields him with ice. Not wanting to use more energy than he needs to, Nero releases his devil form and returns to his normal human appearance, a little burned along his forearms but otherwise none the worse for wear.

The translucent wings on his back are the last thing to dissipate as he sheathes his blade, looking around the forest and the destruction around them with a low whistle.

"Not bad for an old timer," he says, turning to Regis with an impressed grin. "You been practising?"

Still lamenting over his penchant for needless destruction, Regis nearly does a doubletake once he hears the praise. "Old timer?" he repeats with an arched brow. "You sound exactly like my son." The old king says with a sigh as he brushes his hand over his face. The faeries are going to kill him, he's sure of it. Winning the ire of the fae folk is something he dreads considering their nefarious reputation but maybe the fact that they were able to take down the dreaded Fogueria will quell their wrath. He certainly hopes so.

"I've been practicing the magic here since my arrival and judging from the devastation, I still have need of practice." He states as he idly freezes some of the rushing water still coursing through the woods. As he surveys the damage, Regis stumbles across a fiery red stone that looks something like a ruby. He gingerly picks it up from the frost-covered ground in hopes of inspecting it further.

"A memento from our fiery friend." He says before tossing the red stone towards the youth. It's then that he looks over the young man with a critical gaze.

"You have wings." The Lucian states with an arched brow. "Not only wings but also horns or rather, you had horns."

Nero's not sure how to take being compared to the guy's son, considering he has no idea who that is. He also doesn't seem to care much about the collateral damage; it's practically a given in his line of work, and fairies are the least of his worries. He catches the stone with a gloved hand, holding it up to the light to inspect it. It's still hot to the touch, so away it goes into his pocket for now.

"Sure did. Is that a problem?" he says with a shrug. The wings have faded away too, by now, and he carefully steps over the frozen ground to join Regis. "Guess we'd better head back."

There were a few other little red gems upon the frozen ground, enough to count for each one of the vanquished beasts. However, Regis cannot help but notice that one of these gems was still ignited. He stares at the gem for a moment before turning back towards the young man with a smirk.

"Not particularly." Regis states with a hint of humor in his tone. "Unlike most, I'm quite accustomed to certainly oddities." Even though, he honestly never met anyone sporting daemon horns and wings to match. That's a bit too bizarre for his liking but he won't speak of it. He can tell that the young hunter isn't too keen on such a conversation, especially not with a stranger.

"Yes, let us return. I'm certain we'll get just reward--"

Before he could finish, an explosion erupts behind him. The fiery jewel suddenly engulfs an entire tree within its flames. It seems that the Fogueria isn't quite done with them yet. As long as there's a hint of fire left, this overgrown fiend will keep coming back.

Nero whips around, pulling out his revolver and aiming at the base of the tree. "Can't you just take a hint and cool off already?!" he complains. He takes a shot at where he remembers the jewel being, but it's engulfed in flame by now, so he's slightly off the mark.

Armour-piercing rounds don't do much good against a magical flaming entity, either, so he holsters his gun and draws his blade again, charging for the lion as it begins to take shape once more. It pounces into being with enough force to knock Nero to the ground and pin him-- but it's also weaker than before, so he's able to transform back into his devil shape again to avoid being engulfed in flame, kicking it off him with a demonic growl.

Even in its death throes, the Fogueria remains a challenge. As the beast attempts to ram itself into the young hunter, Regis hastily forms another barrier out of ice in hopes of shielding Nero from harm. The Fogueria forcefully slams itself into the ice multiple times in hopes of breaking it but it doesn't crack. While the magic he wields now is native to Avalon, Regis has a knack for forming shields. He watches as the beast keeps throwing itself against the ice, clearly waiting for the chance to make his next move. However, an idea comes to mind once he espies Nero's sword from the corner of his eyes.

A glimmer of light forms upon Regis’s fingertips as he whispers the incantation of his next spell. While Sword Magic isn’t commonplace, Regis remembers a chapter that briefly hinted at the possibility of a mage being able to imbue weapons with magic. It’s a risky move but one that would most certainly benefit Nero more so than harm. However, Regis just hopes that the young hunter’s blade is sturdy enough to withstand it. The blue-grey blade of the Red Queen suddenly turns stark white with frost as Regis channels his magic into it. While he’s uncertain if this tactic will work, Regis certainly hopes that Nero will be able to shatter the red gem that acts as the Fogueria’s core.

"Whoa, nice." Nero can feel his blade getting colder in his hands, but he doesn't stop to marvel at it for long. The sword is more than capable of withstanding the magic-imbued ice, designed as it is for battling demons even like the Frosts that inhabited Fortuna's mountains.

With that in mind, Nero grins and swings his blade, which cuts easily through the Fogueria's fire. The first hit glances off the gem, but on the second swing, he plunges the blade forward with enough force to crack it.

The Fogueria reels and spits out flames, evidently in desperation, forcing Nero on the back foot again for now. He knows it's dying, so he just needs to bide his time for an opening for that last strike.

It's with that decisive blow that the Fogueria red hot flames finally fades. The fiery beast lets out another agonized cry as it blindly lashes out at Nero but soon its bright orange flames fade into smoke. It takes a few moments for the fire to burn out completely but once it does, the Fogueria is no more.

"Finally," Regis mutters as he tiredly leans against a nearby tree. "It's dead." He announces hoping it to be true now that the beast has vanished yet again. While there are no known side effects to wielding magic, Regis is starting to feel his age. He's tired, to say the least. Exhausted, even. However, he does his best not to show it.

"What's your name?" Regis asks once he finally finds his breath. "I don't believe I asked earlier."

"Finally," Nero agrees, sheathing his sword on his back as it starts to defrost. He looks over at Regis, noticing with some concern he looks tired. Whether a natural or not at magic, using that kind of power had to take it out of the user. "I'm Nero. You all right?"

"Fear not, I'm well." Regis answers after a few moments. "As long as I'm not dead, I'm fine."

Despite being quite gifted when it comes down to magic, he honestly has no business being out here doing bounty hunting work. However, Regis welcomed the challenge. He wanted to do more than just linger about idly. That's why he decided to take this bounty despite the danger. After all, battling the Fogueria was a decent workout.

"I suppose we best return before nightfall." He suggests with a faint smile before realizing he never gave his name. "Regis." He introduces without any of his kingly titles or accolades. To say the least, he's quickly getting used to his new life here in Avalon despite some of the hardships. It feels good to just be himself and not the King of Lucis.

"I owe you my gratitude, Nero."

"Yeah, I've heard that line before," he mutters, not convinced. Still, if he's too proud to admit he's tired, he's not going to press him on it. At least, so long as he can walk. Nero crosses the charred remains of the clearing to start heading back.

To the thanks, he nods. "Likewise. We made a decent team -- and your magic is pretty damn badass."

Regis isn't as infirm as he seems despite his elderly appearance. However, he's certainly not as young as he once was. The King of Lucis has seen better days but at least he can breathe a bit easier nowadays.

"Why thank you." Regis chuckles in reply once he starts heading towards the frost-covered path ahead. "Although, I doubt I would've had enough time to casts such spells if you weren't able to corral the beast when you did." While he's pretty quick with his incantations, casting such powerful spells does take quite a bit of effort.

"Where did you learn how to fight? You seem like a natural." The young hunter is definitely a better fighter than Regis was at that age. While the old king was a rather daunting figure on the battlefield, he was nowhere near as powerful.

"Used to be a holy knight with a group called the Order of the Sword. They were sworn to wiping out demons. These days I run my own devil hunting business."

Or did, but business has dried up a little here in Avalon. If any demons exist here at all, he's sure they're few and far between, so quests like these make for a good replacement. As they walk, he's glancing across at Regis every now and then, just to make sure he's not having a hard time keeping up.

A holy knight? Regis can't help but look a bit surprised. While Nero seems like a nice enough young man, he isn't what Regis would typically envision as a knight. That's why he looks so surprised. It never occurred to him that this stalwart young man was a knight. Maybe that explains his inhuman strength and powers? Possibly.

"I wouldn't have guessed," Regis states with a shaky chuckle. While he's doing his best to keep up with Nero, his steps falter just a little. "It seems we share something in common." Somewhat. "Daemon hunting is a necessary evil, one that I had to partake in my younger years. It was the only way to keep the citizens of my kingdom safe." That is until the armistice between Lucis and Niflheim eroded.

"I suppose it's safe to assume that there are other beasts like the Fogueria haunting the countryside." While the thought within itself worries him, Regis doesn't doubt it.

"Not many people would. You could say I was the black sheep of the flock," he grins, slowing down to keep pace with Regis. He looks him up and down, only a little surprised to hear that he was a demon hunter too -- he seemed to know what he was doing against the Fogueria, at any rate.

"Yeah, there probably are. But you're no spring chicken, so why don't you sit back and let the rest of us handle the fighting next time?"

Regis gives Nero a wordless nod of gratitude once the other slows down in pace. Even though he appreciates the gesture, Regis cannot help but be reminded of his age here. That and the fact he neglected to take his cane with him. Life in Avalon has been much kinder to him than it was in Eos but Regis is still on the mend.

"Ha, I'm not the type to stand by idly." He states with a smirk. "Though, I'm very much tempted to do just that." In the future, Regis might drag his son along for these hunts or perhaps Cor. However, Nero certainly proved his worth fighting that beast.

"Even so, I'm not opposed to us teaming up again."

"Only if you agree not to overdo it. I'm not gonna be the one scraping you off the floor after a battle and wheeling you into a care home," Nero grouses. Though if this guy is anything as stubborn as V was despite his frail health, maybe he'll just go ahead and insist on doing it anyway.

"You wanna ride on my familiar? He might let you if you ask nicely."

"Fear not, I would never let something like that happen." Regis claims while still mentally kicking himself for overdoing it earlier. He needs to get better acquainted with the magic of this realm. The old king is able to summon forth the mana necessary but he definitely went overboard on a few spells. Trying to control the flow of magic is a bit difficult here, especially since Avalon is so ripe in mana. He'll come to understand over time. After all, Regis already seemed to unlock the mystery of alchemy with Emet-Selch's aid. The sky is the limit here.

"Wait, your familiar is large enough to be ridden?" He questions with an arched brow. Except for the young man who possessed a unicorn, Regis hasn't seen many familiars who're large enough to ride. While he knows these creatures can change shape at will, Regis has yet to experience that. The thunderbird that's typically by his side is curled around his shoulders like some sort of ornament. The creature hasn't moved this entire time, obviously deep in slumber but still thrumming with magic.

"Yup. Come here, Geryon." Heeding his call, Nero's familiar appears in a sudden burst of blue fire, the demonic horse trotting towards him. As he reaches out to it, reins made entirely from blue flame appear around its neck, and Nero grasps them to show the fire is harmless.

"Think you're up for it?" He looks back at Regis.

Regis couldn't help but look surprised as this demonic steed emerges from the blue flames. "Well, look at that---" He mutters as the horse inches closer towards them. Horses, in general, aren't very commonplace in Eos but this particular steed is certainly a head-turner. A smile forms upon his lips as he steps forward to take the fiery blue reins. While he never rode a horse before, Regis has plenty of experience riding chocobos. They're similar enough in his opinion.

"There's only one way to find out." He says before carefully hoisting himself upon the saddle. "Geryon is its name, correct?" The old king asks as he gently pats the horse's neck. It amazes him that the flames surrounding this beast are cool to the touch. He half expected to be burned alive the second he climbed onto the saddle.

"It seems you possess a certain kind of aesthetic, Nero." Regis jokes.

"I'm sure the aesthetic is nothing flattering," Nero jokes in return. He's watching the horse closely -- it's still far too temperamental, and he half expects Geryon to just try bucking Regis right off -- but aside from a toss of his head and a snort, it seems to tolerate its rider.

The devil hunter raises his eyebrows, surprised and impressed. "Looks like he respects you, though."

It's nothing short of a miracle that Geryson doesn't buck him off. Then again, Regis always had a knack for animals, or at least with chocobos. He pats the demonic horse upon its neck a few times to soothe the beast. Once it seems calm enough, it's then that Regis lightly tugs on the fiery reins to make it trot.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" He asks Nero with a smirk. "Familiars often take after their masters. If Geryson is anything like you, I'm certain he won't cause me too much fuss."

"What, you don't think I'm a pain in the ass?" Nero snorts, still keeping an eye on Geryon as it begins to walk. He won't take his chances and will stick to walking alongside on foot; while the horse is being tolerant for now, two people might be too much for the finicky demon to want to deal with.

Regis shakes his head as he gives Nero a smile. "Not at all." The honesty in his words is telling. If he had thought the young hunter as rude, he would've long forsaken conversation. The old king isn't the type to suffer idiots. He's a Caelum, after all. They're known to be quite curt at times, especially the warlike Caelums of yore.

"You're a little liberal with your swears but overall, you seem like a nice lad," Regis says with a grin as he gives Geryon another friendly pat on the neck. The demonic horse lets out a quiet snort at the touch but doesn't seem to mind. That's a good thing. Horses seem a lot more temperamental than chocobos in Regis's opinion.

[open] december catch-all

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