View source for 2015-09-19 (PostU) Urus, I've a feeling we're not in Twisted anymore.

{{Logsummary|
Title    = Urus, I've a feeling we're not in Twisted anymore.
|Summary = A few members of TASK and Urus travel into the fog that surrounds Twisted.
|Who     = [[Kotal_Kahn]], [[Rayne]], [[Minu]], [[Urus]]
|Date    = September 19th, 2015
|Where   = Twisted Street, ThE tWisTeD sTReEt, ThE tWisTeD sTReEt - sOmE wAy
|Log=

[TASK] Kotal says, "Rayne, Minu. It is time."

[TASK] Kotal says, "Assemble at the designated spot. I will be waiting."

[TASK] Rayne says, "Copy. On my way."

[TASK] Minu says, "okie dokie boss"

 
LOCATION: TWISTED STREET 
 
TIME: EARLY MORNING 
 
SOUNDTRACK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zlPtpUZ8uQ 
 
The time has come to take the fight to this blasted fog that has been assailing their city so. Having assembled a crew of his best available warriors, which is to say, the only warriors he has available in TASK, Kotal Kahn sent out a call to be met at the edge of town by whomsoever was brave enough to challenge this mist head on. 
 
It is known by now that where there was once wasteland surrounding the city of Twisted, it is now permanently surrounded by fog. Naturally, no one thus far been insane enough to enter the fog and see just exactly lays inside, but that is about to change today. 
 
Knowing full well that he is diminished greatly whilst fighting in the fog, Kotal Kahn decided to enter when the sun is at its peek and spent the entirety of the morning sun bathing. 
 
The god of war is found by the edge of the fog, flanked by some rank and file TASK enforcers. His head is up staring directly at the sun whilst he leans on his monster of a serrated macuahuitl sword. 

Rayne comes in at a near run, armored as she nearly always is and armed slightly more heavily than typical for her.  In addition to her twin swords and quiver full of arrows, there is a pistol of some sort held in a holster on her right thigh.  "I'm here, and prepared to die.  Preferably no more than once."  She's already trying to insert levity into the situation, though the phoenix woman can't quite crack a convincing smile.

Minu spent the early pre-dawn hours rummaging through everything she could find written about this fog and the monsters. She was employed by TASK now officially and she knew Kotal and the others were going to take on the demons and she knew she was next to useless in a battle but surely there was something she could do to help, some tidbit of knowledge that would aide the others. She was a librarian not a warrior but she was brave and so after tucking a pencil behind her pointed ear, cleaning her glasses and putting them back on she tucks a dagger she found in a desk drawer into her skirt pocket then heads with a purposeful stride toward the edge of town where she knows the others are.

Urus Comes by slowly in a slight limp from the last combat he had with the creatures of the fog.  Gear exactly the same as in the last encounter. His submachinegun sways slightly on its sling as he walks, the stock in serious need of work now. One of the magazines to said gun is in his left hand, as he slowly pulls out rounds from his bandolier to stick into the vacant magazine. "I had nothing better to do today, there is no one that apparently requires the services of one such as I" he looks to the motley crew that has formed and says plainly to both the elf and the woman "I do not think we have met." In his thick accent and takes a second away from his reloading to hold his right hand out to the human first as she is actually armed for combat. He wonders who this elf is, and why she is armed with a . Attitude and a pencil?
 
Kotal's eyes shift and it is as if he awakens from a trance. His first words are of course to Rayne who does her best to put a brave words in the face of peril. "None of you will die on my watch." The Aztec tries to assure her and he turns to face her and the approaching Minu. 
 
It really  does show that Kotal has been sunbathing for a long while, he's never been this shiny before. The tattoo lines that run across his chest and arms glow with tremendous power, enough that it might blind anyone that tried to look at him directly. It is perhaps the reason why he doesn't purposely soak this much energy within him in a regular basis, it makes it difficult to interact with mortals. 
 
Minu's less than inadequate gear is not entirely unexpected. Nonetheless, she is a brave little thing to want to wander into the fog. Where he could not convince more hardened warriors to go with him, this little librarian puts them all to shame by braving the unknown. Such courage makes her worthy of this mission. 
 
And then, a surprise visitor in the form of a wayward hyena man. "Ah, Urus." Kotal Kahn actually smiles. "I see you ran into the fog demons after all. Do you still believe this is all naught but a dream?" At his woes of being unneeded, Kotal taps the ground with the flat top side of his macuahuitl causing a small earthquake, some TASK enforcers actually lose their balance and fall to their knees. This is done apparently to lift Urus' spirits. "It is here that you are needed, warrior. Ready yourself for battle. We will be diving into these accursed mists shortly." 
 
"The future of Twisted depends on our success." 
 
For the moment, Kotal lets Urus get acquainted with the rest of his fighters, though he's secretly amused by the fact that he doesn't seem to recognize Minu as the same owl that poke him on the nose that other day. 

Rayne takes the offered hand and shakes, slightly taken aback by the man's appearance.  Only slightly, however...  Being friends with Ren and Twilight can jade one to someone's odd appearance.  "No, I don't beleive we have.  Rayne Hurris.  Phoenix and member of TASK in the Devil May Cry, uh...  branch?  Wing?"  She looks to Kotal, suddenly unsure of just what exactly DMC's designation within TASK actually is.

As Minu arrives her eyes dart over the scene and she lifts her small chin. She is diminutive to say the least. A scant 4 foot tall and likely the smallest of the group. She strides though with intent toward the others and nods to Kotal and then to Rayne. She arches a brow and looks at the wounded hyena man then offers him a nod as well. When Kotal salutes the man she makes a little face "it looks like he is wounded Kotal, are you sure we will not be carrying him?" Now the little elf doesnt dislike the hyena exactly but she is a little suspicious of the fellow.

Urus sighs at the god "yes, yes you probably get a kick out of expressions of new people. we get it." With a mild look back at his still healing rear end.  After Kotal's rallying call he looks seriously at the towering blue figure "I hope we are getting paid for this, bullets do not grow on trees." As Urus and Rayne shake he replies "Urus Deravin, Science project gone bad, and free agent. " then pauses, not for the company specifics but for clarification. "Phoenix, as in flaming bird?" he raises his eyebrow, then looks angrily at the elf for her comment  "excuse me, but I would not be talking about who will be carrying who pencil pusher. I can take care of self!" then back to Kotal as he asks sharply "Why is she here exactly?" tucking his now finished magazine into the empty pouch on his thigh.

Kotal of course notices the look that Rayne is giving him, but he does little other than shrug. "Honestly, I have no idea." Hey, he's here to bust skulls, not to handle the politics between DMC and TASK, that's what he has Minu for. 
 
Speaking of Minu, the elf brings a good point when she says that Urus appears to be wounded. "Is it that bad?" Kotal had assumed that it was just a little bruise, but if it'll prevent the Hyena man from functioning to his 100 percent then he ought to do something about it. 
 
"Hold still." Says Kotal and extends a hand up to the sky. Shortly after, Urus will feel a warm sensation as a beam of light shines upon him directly from the sun to heal all of his wounds. 
 
"You will be paid." Responds the Aztec with an impassive tone of voice, calm and yet assertive like freshly tempered steel. "We have the means to reward mercenaries." 
 
"As for Minu, she is my records keeper, she goes where we go to record our findings. Besides, she can be quite vicious despite her lithe appearance, or do you not remember your encounter with her back at the S-Mart shopping center?" Yes, that owl that was clawing him something fierce? That was Minu. 
 
"At any rate, is there anything else that needs to be looked at? Our destiny awaits and we must not tarry to meet it." 

[TASK] Kotal says, "Be wary of the Hyena man. He can be unpredictable."

Rayne nods to Urus' question to her.  "One of the same.  Though I generally find it easier to fight like this.  And communicate.  And carry any of my gear.  Really, pretty much anything but fly."  She then turns to Kotal and nods twice.  "I'm here, aren't I?  Let's do this."

[TASK] Rayne clicks her comm twice.

As the hyena gets sassy the little elf turns on him, marching up to him and scowling fiercely. She lets Kotal offer hints to the man about her identity then lifts one little hand and jabs the hyena with a pointed index finger. "I see that bite to the nose I gave you failed to teach you manners." She drops her hand but not before the hyena feels a rather sharp prickling right up close to his man parts. Were he to look down the little lady has her dagger out of her pocket and pointed directly into his most delicate places. "I am sure I could try again to impress upon you not to assume to much where small things are concerned."

Urus his brow furrows as he ponders Kotals hint. He must be talking about the owlet, but what does this have to do with he is broken off in train of thought by the elf, to which he replies " If tiny woman bit me I would remember, never too drunk to remember good time!" as he feels the prick he looks down, and raises his eyebrows, his eyebrows dart up to meet hers, "that is uncalled for, I have no Idea" then It dawns on him much later then it should have. "wait, tiny bird? This is not," but breaks himself off before he says impossible. Things here are never as they seem, besides he just openly accepted that the human was a phoenix just a few seconds ago.   He backs off slowly from the elf, "Niet, not this time" as he scratches at the tip of nose with a thumb claw. He immediately tries to change the subject shouting "Da, It is time to go! Let us go!" with his newly healed leg runs up to stand next to Kotal, the elf behind him actually worrying him worse than the Undead about to come.
 
For a moment, Kotal fears that an impending fight will break out between Minu and Urus. Eldergods have mercy, this really isn't what he needs right now! To think that the little elf owlette would be the one picking fights with people, that's the sorta thing he'd expect from Dante or something. 
 
Fortunately it doesn't seem to go anywhere, as Urus accepts that he should really not be jumping to conclusions so quickly, particularly in a place like Twisted, where such a thing can get you killed quite quickly. With everyone ready, healed, and not trying to kill each other, Kotal nods and turns to face the fog. 
 
"Forward!" He commands as he rests his massive macuahuitl on his shoulder and advances into the waiting maw that is the cursed fog. The glowing golden aura that radiates from his body, lighting the way before he quickly becomes obscured by the all consuming fog. 

Rayne raises an eyebrow at Urus' quick retreat from Minu, but then just takes a sharp breath inward as she looks to Kotal's entering the fog.   "Here goes nothing," she says before setting foot for the first time outside the city of Twisted since she arrived.  She pulls her twin swords as they continue walking deeper into the fog, trying to keep all her senses aware of her surroundings, especially listening for unexpected sounds.

As the hyena backs up then darts off to hide behind Kotal, the little elf tucks her dagger back into her dress pocket and turns with a satisfied smirk and strides after the group. After three steps she simply shifts into her owl form and takes wing. With three hard flaps she is arrowing toward the fog. She catches sight of the big glowing war god, flapping she catches up, then back wings so that she can land cleanly on his helm. The little owl roosting there in relative safety.

Urus walks with Kotal, looking around.  He pulls out the small box he keeps with him and flips it open, the small 3 inch long bones stood up straight, as he takes one and chews on the end he takes another and reaches up slightly offering glowing pillar next to him. Whispering "You want one? Calms the nerves." Urus scans the fog , seeing next to nothing, he flinches as the small owl lands on Kotal. He quietly mumbles to himself as he walks, then says aloud "we have a phoenix and an Owl on our team, I guess this mission has gone To the birds" as he finishes he belts out a genuine hyena like laugh at his own horrid joke. Attempting to break the tension in the air.
 
Chewing things always do calm the nerves, and Kotal accepts the bone handed to him. Unfortunately, with him being a god, rather than chew on it fruitlessly for a while, Kotal simply crunches the bone with his teeth and gulps it down in what seems to be only one bite. He has far too much stress for a chewing bone to handle. 
 
He peers upwards when Minu lands on his helmet as she often does,  only to flinch as the Hyena man belts out one of his, by now, very signature hyena laugh. "Quiet, Urus. Let us not alert the enemy of our presence just yet." 
 
This is when things get a little dicey. 
 
Within the fog there is no mass of monsters awaiting for them, nor ruinous powers with a swirling vortex that leads directly to Hell. There's not even some massive Eldergoddess of destruction vent on wiping out all existence as Kotal was lead to believe. No, after the party passes through the fog, darkness falls upon them and it is as if they entered a dream, a dream of a very familiar place. 
 
Twisted City. 
 
"What in the--" The god of war mumbles to himself when he realizes where they are. It looks as if they had gone into a complete circle and arrived exactly on the spot where they first started. They are all once again in Twisted Street, but with very obvious differences. 
 
No one is here. The city is devoid of all life, dead for all intended purposes, naught but ruins, and tracks of a disaster that must have happened decades ago. There is a darkness about this abandoned city too, making it feel as if the buildings themselves were possessed by a dark presence that was constantly watching them. Enough to give even the stalwart Huitzilopotchli a chill running down his spine. He really would have preferred and entire army of Hell to fight. 
 
The desolation of this place is too unnerving.. and there isn't even anyone to fight yet. 
 
"Make sure the comlinks are still working." He says gathering his bearings as strong leaders do and starts clicking his radio. 
 
"Where are we anyway? Is this some manner of alternate dimension?" Behind them, the wall of fog isn't even there anymore. The street continues back into the ruined buildings that were once the Usual Restaurant and Integra's Apartments. 

Rayne makes a slow turn, taking in the surroundings.  "So I take it this wasn't what was out there before the fog and sandstorms?"  She takes to a more combative stance, less sure of what's going on now than even before.

[TASK] Rayne says, "Kotal, Rayne, copy radio check."

[TASK] Minu says, "hooooo"

[TASK] Kotal says, "Sounds like Minu's works too."

The owlet ruffles and fluffs her feathers as she sits on the apex of Kotals helm. The odd shift of perspective as the fog becomes less and yet thing become more odd, worn and ruined . She beak clatters in agitation and offers a little hiss at the hyenas cackling laugh. Looking around the little owl seeks anything of interest.

Urus Quickly puts the box away in his pouch as he pulls his weapon from his side.  The weapon clicks as he makes sure that the safety is off. "have bad feeling about this" as he spins one way and the other to try to keep his weapon pointed where he is looking. Needless to say he is nervous, and is ready to throw lead or someone under the bus when things go wrong.
 
"No.." Kotal responds to Rayne with little more than a whisper, his glowing eyes still scanning the area. "There was naught but desert here before." The Aztec warlord looks over his shoulder to see behind him, then to the sides, all while having the owlette still perched on the beak of his eagle helmet. "No way back.." He mutters, seeing Twisted Street go on further down into the shadows. It'd normally be where DMC is too, but something tells Kotal that the agency is no longer there. 
 
"Steel yourself, Urus." Continues the Aztec as he sees the Hyena man get a little to trigger happy. "We will live through this challenge if we maintain our focus." 
 
"Come, we must hurry. Remember that I cannot remain in this fog for long." Even now Kotal's glowing light can be seen very slowly diminishing. "This fog is stronger that then one roaming the city, I feel it sapping my strength away." 
 
"The path leads forward, let us continue on." And so he advances further into the ruined city of Twisted. It doesn't look like visiting the destroyed buildings would be very eventful anyway. 

[TASK] Kotal says, "This way."

"You, me, and everyone else, laughing man," says Rayne to Urus before following Kotal further along.  "Ugh.   I'm finding myself suddenly wishing I was actually fully trained in squad tactics instead of basing what I know off of novels and movies...  and we're not equipped that way."  Still, she is walking sideways more often than straight forward as she constantly shifts the direction she faces as she moves along.

Urus whispers to himself "Bozhe, pomogi mne"  as he continues scanning and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end unflatteringly  eyes darting back and forth.

The little owl is steady watching the what ever direction Kotal isn't actively looking in. They will NOT be snuck up on if she can help it! Those big golden eyes were made for catching even a twitch of movement. She listens close too, after all an owls hearing is sensitive enough to catch the sound of a mouse farting in tall grass.
 
As the party goes further away from the center of Twisted, the landscape becomes more distorted and ruined. The buildings now look like they had been actively destroyed, burned and ransacked in some way by some great natural disaster, or perhaps not so natural. 
 
"Town Hall used to be here." Muses Kotal with narrowed eyes, keeping all his senses alert as well, trying to sense for any chi signatures that may try to approach. It is hard to do so here though, the undead have no chi, and being inside this blasted fog makes it even worse. 
 
"We can improvise." Says Kotal to Rayne as they move further into the street. 
 
"There." Says Aztec as he sees something moving up ahead. Its not a figure though, rather a sheet of paper. 
 
It has been rather strangely nailed to the side of a building with a large rusted spike. Too tall for anyone to reach unless they have wings. Its far too obvious that someone put it there as a trap though which tells Kotal that he shouldn't run any risks. 
 
"Minu, go get that. Everyone else secure the perimeter. Don't let anything get close to her." 

[TASK] Kotal says, "I'll take point. Rayne, give us some cover."

Rayne simply nods and jams the pommels of her swords together into a bow before reaching back to take an arrow from her quiver in a single, smooth, practiced motion.  She nocks the arrow and pulls back, keeping an eye out high and low for any other movement.  She can't help herself now, and a low whistle starts escaping her lips as she whistles out an unidentifiable but creepy sounding tune in a minor key.

The little owl, hearing Kotal's command takes instantly to the air. She leaps forward and her wings beat fast to bring her loft. Being an owl her wing beats are quiet and she makes no other sound as she lifts herself high into the air, circles the small group then dives, arrowing toward that fluttering paper. As she grows close, her small legs outstretch and talons grasp the paper and pluck it from its nail. She wings hard up ward again high into the air up out of reach of anything on the ground and circles back toward the waiting warriors and the glowing blue man.

The hyena is thinking that not signing up for TASK when he had the chance was a good idea. If this was what they did every day, more power to them! He stands shakily aiming back they way they came, hoping that the place is as it seems, empty! He begins chewing hard on the bone still in his maw, making serious headway in breaking it.

It's just as one would expect. 
 
It really is a very obvious trap. 
 
Though Minu rips the paper apart and away from the rusted spike easily enough, the moment she finishes her circle in the air and makes a dive back for the group of warriors there's something that stirs inside one of the windows of the medical clinic. 
 
"What is that?" Kotal wonders to himself, his hand clenching on the handle of his macuahuitl. 
 
It's a face. Or rather, a head. Because it has no face, just flesh wrapped around a skull with black old blood pouring from where the eye sockets are supposed to be. 
 
And yet, somehow, it can scream. 
 
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 
 
An ear piercing shriek comes from the clinic as a body flies out from the window wrapped in nothing but a blood stained patient's gown. The creature, it's hard to tell if its even male or female, runs with frenzied, inhuman speed at the party carrying a butcher's knife. 
 
And then more come. Pouring from the clinic come dozens of things that apparently used to be patients there. Warped beyond recognition they still wear their patients gowns but are nothing more than fleshy beings of pulsing nerves and blood. They all carry weapons of some kind, clubs, lead pipes, kitchen knives, and they are all screaming bloody murder. 
 
"Kill them!!" This is Kotal speaking as he actually dives into the group of monsters. "KILL THEM ALL!" 

[TASK] Kotal says, "This will be a worthy battle."

[TASK] Kotal says, "For the glory of Tenochtitlan!!"

Aim.  Release.  Reload.  Pull.  Aim.  Release.  Reload.  Pull.  Aim.  Release.  Reload.  Pull.  Aim.  Release.  Over and over, Rayne makes her shot.  For now she's spreading her shots, aiming for the head, moving on to the next target before waiting to see the results of the previous shot.  In a target rich environment like this, there's no time to wait on that.  Still, a quiver can only hold so many arrows, and she soon separates the blades again as the targets get closer.  There is no hesitation in her intent to kill these.  This isn't a one on one duel where the enemy is at her mercy in the end.  This is a battle, and she's been in this kind of kill or be killed situation before.  And throughout this battle, she continues to whistle, a sharper, more percussive note with each arrow loosed.

Minu has no time to come back to Kotal before the fighting starts and so she keeps to the skies. She is not big enough to offer much in the way of battle but, she can offer observation. As a faceless creature breaks past the main TASK group she flies sharps circles around it, darting in to rake talons over flesh then dart away again. She hoots loudly and hisses, making sure to draw attention to the wretched thing.

[TASK] Kotal says, "Minu, take care not to lose that sheet of paper!"

[TASK] Minu says, "hoooo, hoo, hooot!"

Urus Shouts "I thought only good die young, ehhh Chto , chert voz'mi, pochemu by i net?" he officially decides that he gives absolutely zero care to the world anymore.  He points his weapon at the crowd of undead rushing out of the hospital and sprays the entire magazine. Two and a half seconds later CLICK, the only problem with automatic fire, the magazines never seem to hold enough ammo.  Tossing away the magazine he goes into his thigh pouch to retrieve a new set of 30 rounds to blast into the seemingly endless horde.

Arrows and bullets fly into the ranks of the demonic undead and some find their heads, others the eyes, torso, arms, legs. But it seems none of them truly put these creatures down, the stumble as they are struck but roll and keep charging like the frenzied hellish creatures that they are. 
 
Soon they dive right into the party but its Kotal who meets them head on and swings wide arcs of his monstrous macuahuitl, cleaving many of them in half with gore and rotten body parts flying everywhere. "Wretched beasts!! DIE!!" The war god does his thing and its clear that most of the creatures are focusing mostly on him, trying to pile a top the Aztec to drag him down into the ground. 
 
Others though, circle around him to make savage charges at the rest of his party. A full four zombie creatures run straight into Rayne, some of them with arrows still stuck on them or missing a few body parts from running too close to Kotal, but that still doesn't stop them from trying to attack the rainbow haired girl. Two of them dive for her legs to try and trip her down while another swings a bloodied fire axe at her head, and yet another tries to grab hold of one of her swords, caring not if it slices its own hands off in the process. 
 
Urus riddles a large portion of them with bullets causing enough damage to actually kill down a couple of them. It seems that the only way to stop these things is to reduce them to chunky salsa, and even then they still appear to try and move. As Urus is in mid reload phase, a group of zombies is already rushing him, but Minu manages to distract the leading one by scratching at its fleshy head. This move buys Urus enough time to get a breather since the main charger now angrily tries to swipe at the owlette. However, another zombie demon runs right past the one being distracted by Minu and tries to beat Urus' head in with his own dismembered arm that must have gotten chopped off by Kotal. 

Somehow, Rayne seems to be in the zone a lot more than usual this dismal morning.  Jumping over the two diving at her feet, she spins in the air, pulling the grasped sword through the zombie's hand in the process and repositioning both blades to block the haft of the fire axe.  Upon landing, she attempts to kick out at the two at her feet, aiming for the arrows in hopes of aggravating the wounds, but all she's able to accomplish is break her arrows, making them useless for the next fight.  Still, she repositions her swords for a strike at the axe wielding zombie, a straight forward double thrust whose aim seems thrown off by her earlier kicks.

[TASK] Rayne says, "You okay in there, big blue?"

[TASK] Kotal says, "Hggrr!! Nothing I can't handle! Protect Minu!!"

[TASK] Kotal zombie screeches in the background.

Minu tries to harries the demon and does so but not enough to it more then to pause really. The paper clutched in her one talon is just not allowing her to do much really. The little elf owl decides that there is no way she can help physically so she needs to help mentally. The little bird taking again to the air and seeking out a tall lamp post out of the way and lands. She works that paper smooth stepping on it to open it , smoothing as best she can she twists her little head around to try and read it, to see if there is ANYTHING there that might be of aid to her team.

Urus starts to stare and bares his teeth, his previous thoughts and plans now dust in the wind  as the hyena like figure cackles as one would expect, loud and slightly unnerving, fortunately for the zombies they are about as braindead as they are physically about to be. The one that is about to beat him over the head with his own arm is shown what Urus is capable of when the human side looses it. The zombie is bowled over by the weight and strength that he has as he rakes the creature open, the loose skin tearing to ribbons under his claws, and bites down upon the zombie's head, seconds later the sounds of CRACK and CRUNCH are heard simultaneously as the face and brain that used to be there is looking more like what Kotal would be proud of before he came to twisted. The newly mangled corpse lying limply no longer holds his attention as he narrows his focus on the lumbering beast that has no discernible face. As he runs toward it, he gives off yet another hyena like laugh. The man has lost it, but he seems to be enjoying himself at least
 
The zombies diving at Rayne's feet miss completely, and though the arrows stuck on their bodies break, a kick is still a kick and they are pushed back a few ways despite not being incapacitated in any way. She does a wonderful job at slicing the zombie's hands clean off though, stopping the axe blow swung at her head with the same fluid motion. 
 
Problem is, when she goes for the counter attack and thrusts straight for the zombie creature, the blades go right through the thing and pierce where a human's heart and lungs would be. A deadly strike. If this thing were alive. The result of Rayne ramming her blades through the creature is it actually pushing into the blades to try and close the distance even more. Its head rolls back unnaturally, enough that its neck audibly splits and cracks only to use its own head like some kind of grotesque flail. It flings it forward, the skin neck used like a chain and the ball of the flail now its cranium to try and deliver a devastating headbutt right for Rayne's nose. 
 
Kotal would indeed be proud of Urus, if he could see anything right now. Currently the war god is contended with what is possibly hundreds of the zombies and they begin to swarm him like ants on ant hill. 
 
Meanwhile Urus goes fully berserk and tears apart the zombie creature with his fangs alone. Sickening sounds of flesh and bone being torn apart are heard as the demon thing flails when Urus brutalizes it. An effective technique really, but much like Rayne, Urus is assuming wrong in that it'll go limp after cracking its head open. 
 
The demonic zombie doesn't go limp. 
 
As soon as Urus steps back to move away from the creature, it leaps back at him and now it seems that Urus tore the zombie's flesh mask apart to reveal the face full of horror beneath, its the face of a man absolutely terrified, and one that apparently has no control of his actions either. With its teeth now revealed, the zombie opens his mouth wide and bites into Urus' lower jaw, trying to rip the Hyena's cheek apart with a ferocious bite. 
 
A beam of light is seen beneath the pile of zombies attacking Kotal, and the Aztec god unleashes a ray of energy that incinerates a large chunk of the creatures surrounding him. He's looking mighty tired at this point, the glowing of his lines waning and he's breathing heavily now. 
 
The perfect time for something even more malevolent to make its appearance. 
 
From the clinic comes another apparition. A woman in a black dress, with raven hair that covers all of her face. Her bare white feet not even touching the ground as she floats towards the party with arms outstretched as if in greetings. Her appearance is not quite as friendly as one would hope though, as lighting spring forth from her fingertips to strike Kotal Kahn. The Aztec raises his macuahuitl to deflect it and cushions most of the blow, but still is forced to go into one knee as his most of hist strength begins to leave him "Hhrrggg.. blast it all." The situation looks very dire now, where it not for Minu who has an ingenious idea.  
 
"dOnT rEAd tHat!!!!!" 
 
The woman's distorted voice shrieks as it begins to float towards Minu, hands still outstretched. 

[TASK] Kotal says, "Defend... Minu.. from that thing..!!"

[TASK] Rayne says, "Will as soon as I can disengage here!"

Rayne is able to duck under the flail strike, but her attempted retaliation, slicing with her swords outward, catches on the things ribs and manages to do little more than disarm the woman.  She snarls at the things surrounding her, then looks up at the floating woman.  After a brief curse, she yells out,  "I'm going comm silent like Minu!"   With a quick prayer to whatever gods might be listening, she seems to explode into fire.  Her shredded clothes and armor fly out from the fireball, still smoldering...  But Rayne wasn't being figurative when she called herself a phoenix earlier.  With a cry like an eagle, the flaming bird shoots into the air, twisting around to aim itself at the floating woman, talons outstretched to claw at her and try to hold her back.

The little bird twists and turns her head as she reads the paper. The cry of the dark woman makes her look up briefly and hiss. She gets just enough time though to read and memorize what the paper says then takes the air and wings her way high and away from the dark woman. She looks for a clear place back away from the line of fighting and lands, morphing instantly to her elf form.  The little elf raises her hands and spreads her arms wide softly muttering "here goes nothing.". She clears her throat and calls out as loud as she can over the din. "There is suffering and sorrow all around, darkness and pain. I call on the The red God, Xuchilbara, I call on The yellow God, Lobsel Vith. I call all the gods and angels. I call the great Goddess of all to lead us into the light and into Paradise as she meant it to be. We pray for the path to be shown to us, we offer faith and our belief that it will be, we offer light and fire, blood and breath. (alluding of course to Kotal's sun, Rayne's flames and Urus' blood and crazy laugh). Save us from the sadness that has over run this place!!"

Urus turns as the zombie bites at him, the zombie being incredibly resilient compared to the ones that he dealt with before. The only thought going through his head is to kill the thing in front of him. The zombie's bite sinks in, despite his thick skin. He yelps and winces as the undead creature seems to have an uncanny ability to get up after such a mauling. the hyenas face now bloody in more than one way, looks absolutely crazed, to which would probably scare him if he saw it. the tearing of flesh goes both ways, his sharp claws producing endless gashes in the zombie, the majority of creatures of almost any realm would call this overkill, but it seems to be necessary to get the job accomplished.
 
With her weapons discarded, Rayne is free to dislodge herself from the zombie assaulting her, and she disengages in the most fiery way possible! By turning into a legit phoenix! Looks like Urus was right after all, this mission has really gone to the birds. 
 
The floating witch of a woman seems about ready to strike little with Minu until the rainbow haired girl turned phoenix intercepts her in mid air and rakes at her with her bird talons. "NooOOOoOoOOoOoooOOO!!" The apparition shrieks, still not showing her face due to the curtain of black hair she wears. 
 
Though one of her arms is currently held down by Rayne, the other one begins to pull back ready to charge a ball of lightning and strike Rayne from point blank range. 
 
In a desolate, cursed place like this, it is unlikely that Rayne's silent prayer would be heard. 
 
But there is one god that listens. And his name is Huitzilopotchli, Aztec god of war! 
 
With a mighty yell, Kotal surges forward and brings  his macuahuitl down upon the witch currently restrained by Rayne, cleaving her collar bone apart and severing her arm completely by the shoulder. "GYYYAAAAAAAAAA!!" The woman shrieks, and it is a horrifying yell that breaks windows and shatters all nearby glass. 
 
The frenzied Urus continues to fight an equally frenzied demonic zombie, it bites and claws the Hyena man as much as it possibly can, digging his nails into the Urus arms and returning every bite. Despite the zombie's efforts it still has the anatomical build of a human, and has no chance of beating a hyena morph in a biting an clawing competition. It is eventually torn to utter shreds, with black intestines and foul smelling blood bursting out leaving a taste of death in Urus' tongue. Like taking a bite of a living nightmare. 
 
And while all this is happening, Minu transforms back into an elf and invokes her prayer up to the skies. 
 
Almost immediately all the zombie demons turn to her, drop their weapons, and fall to their knees. Their heads go down and they clasp their hands together as if they too were praying. 
 
"UUUuuuuggggh.." Comes the moan from the floating apparition who yanks backwards and lets Rayne hold on to her arm if she really wants it that much. The floating witch purposely rips her own arm apart as it pull backs and she too falls to her knees. Not to pray though, it sounds like she's laughing.  
 

"yOu wIlL NeVEr wIn." Says the woman in a distorted, unnatural voice. "sHE coMEs tO cONsuMe aLl." 
 
And.. it seems that's it. All the zombies are effectively neutralized and the witch thing is armless and on her knees. 

Rayne cries out as an eagle only can at the woman's shriek.  With the arm she's holding no longer attached to the woman, she flings it in Urus' general direction.  He seems good at destroying body parts right now, so maybe he'd like to destroy this one, as well.  Her feet now unhindered, she circles around once to confirm an end of hostilities before landing near where her equipment now lays on the ground.  She remains in her bird form however.

The little elf holds her position and is for all accounts and purpose putting her all into this prayer. She knows not these particular gods but if it is for the light and well being of man then its worth doing right. She is not one learned in magic though being elf she is some what inherently magic and so she offers what smattering of power she has as well. When the demons all pause and look her way her eyes go wide but she does not move.  Her small chest heaves and as the dark witch falls and all goes silent she blinks and looks to Kotal for answers.

The hyena feasts upon the airborne limb for a second to find it is just as disgusting as the previous meal, which squirmed way too much for his liking. He looks around for fresh, moving meat, the zombies, are terrible, imagine licking a recently used sewer pipe. His eyes move to the large blue figure that has seemed to slow down since he got here, and it is always easier to hunt the weak and diseased.  He charges forward ravenously, the only thing on his primitive mind.
 
The end of the battle? 
 
It certainly does seem like so, with all the enemy kombatants, i.e. the zombies, and their apparent leader, the witch, kneeling and armless. 
 
Though they are all in a realm that is made of fear and nightmarish things, Hell on Earth would be one way of describing it, for Kotal this is an invasion like any other. His army has decimated the opposition and now to the victor go the spoils. 
 
He nods to Rayne who is still on her bird form, thanking her for a job well done, and then watches at how Minu looks at him curiously. They are still in this realm of darkness, and it is high time they get out of here, he thinks. 
 
Kotal approaches the witch and lifts her by the neck, plunging his hand into her chert to rip out her beating dark heart as it is customary for Aztecs to do when winning battles. 
 
Tossing her now still corpse away, Kotal seems about ready to bite into the beating heart until he sees Urus charging him. He scowls at this uncontrollable beast and just plunges the witch's heart into Urus' gaping maw. 
 
As soon as the Aztec does that, everything goes dark for everyone. 
 
And moments later everyone awakens.. 
 
On their beds. 
 
Was it all a dream? 

|}}