The group traveled through the dense green forest, where spider and insect monsters abound, but high above was a large snake in a tree. Suddenly it snapped forward, eyes on Kokoso, who froze in terror as it lunged at him.506Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxXFefp8s5
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"Titan's Wrath!" Noel yelled, punching the head of the snake, sending it out of the air and into a tree. She rushed forward and flicked the back of her hand at it, jumped forward and activated her jets for a few seconds to jostle it as it snapped forward, and swung her elbow backwards to slam into it's head as it fell behind her.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZa4zW0UAz 維尼
"Kokoso, are you okay?" Maria stepped between him and the monster, claws ready to block, "Come on, big snake, but we'll send it packing!"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35zkp6kiab 維尼
"I...I--of course, sorry, it just caught me off guard!" Kokoso ran forward and drew his sword.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡImsUdL8htY 維尼
"I get it now, it's a basilisk." Autumn explained, "It can cause temporary paralysis just by staring into your eyes! They say that many basilisks gathered together to create the gorgon."506Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRFKwZARA5
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"Look at her!" Byrd marveled, "She's swinging electric cables from her wrists and flying through the trees!"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnWIPcKOGE 維尼
"I think she's not going to let us have a turn." Kokoso sighed.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbWxIGT9eW 維尼
"Does she know how dangerous it is?" Maria wondered.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡJITvxDg2K6 維尼
"Oh, no." Autumn stomped her foot, raising a wall as lightning flew from the basilisk's eyes, striking out at them like a thousand serpents.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5DZ2w0WuB 維尼
"Wolfe Rush!" Maria jumped over the wall and flew through the lightning, dark, transparent wolves surrounded her, protected her, and vanished as they were struck by the lightning. She found Noel holding her hands out, staring into the basilisk's eyes, muscles twitching across her face.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqhZCu7bL0 維尼
"Reverse Siphon!" Noel suddenly cried. After staring into it's eyes for a while, in which it struggled to break free, she stepped forward, kicked the basilisk's chin, flipped through the air, she finished by blasting a spiral of water and stream of lightning that left the monster shaking erratically.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWU5mTc0UP 維尼
"Noel!" Maria watched Noel stare at the fading monster and nudged her shoulder.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCDlU4qXeg 維尼
"I thought it was was going to drain the life right out of me." Noel replied.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpXess2jrJ 維尼
"Yeah, basilisks drain you until you're dead." Autumn winced and shook her head, "As though being frozen in place wasn't bad enough...if there's a powerful monster like a basilisk here, then we'd better be careful going forward."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1GBXR5WWi 維尼
"They are growing stronger...I wonder why?" Maria furrowed her brows as she remembered what happened with the phoenix, "I always thought that whatever made the monsters more powerful was in the middle of the woods, and then when we found the Refractory Construct, I was sure that was it."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GjmEgDtZC 維尼
"You're not wrong, the Refractory Construct is being used to make the monsters stronger," Spring explained, "Unseason's linked with us, we're linked with the Refractory Construct, she used Historia's gates to focus her magic, and used the Refractory Construct to access and distribute Gaia's power to the monsters, she used us to make the monsters stronger, but that could only take place on the first day of every corresponding season. Through this network, she probably planned to use the monsters--have her followers do the heavy lifting, since she's a little restrained at the moment--to do something along the idea of taking out Gaia."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5ApCeyUze 維尼
"Spring," Maria asked worriedly, "what would have happened that day, if the red in the sky stretched all around the sky?"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCnCD6HT0m 維尼
"Oh, that...if it reached any further, it would have picked up the pace, and if it went all around the world, then the Spring link on Unseason would have shattered, allowing her to manifest herself more fully...but she needs a body first, so long as she doesn't get her hands on one of those, she's like a talkative, puppeteering, locked up, chained, declawed, clip-winged, muzzled chimera, perfectly safe!" Spring assured.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoPkMRI4RH 維尼
"But a chimera all the same." Autumn added, "She needs to die, or we're all at risk, if her minions can turn us into monsters once, then they can do so again...the process requires siphoning our souls into a flask, they're working with a magician."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡVx1UfcIprm 維尼
"I used a siphon," Noel confessed, "on the snake just then...I didn't know I had it in me until I attacked."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXBU5WHzC5 維尼
"It's best if you don't do that again," Spring advised, "or at least don't finish the enemy off with it, sometimes the soul gets trapped inside the caster, though it's a good way to not get killed, there's three different siphons, magic, stamina, and life, basilisk uses all three...it's lucky you didn't gaze into it's eyes at first."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoVe1WrdzE 維尼
"Honestly? I was afraid of it's eyes, so sickly yellow and...and I was angry and scared because it could attack out of nowhere!" Noel clenched her fists and closed her eyes, "You guys are the only people I've got, and somehow I get the feeling I was never so...alive before...and even I only think that right now, I don't want to lose you guys!"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tfylKsOeq 維尼
"Noel," Maria lifted Noel's chin and frowned, "you're crying?"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gDF6X2gfG 維尼
"I am," Noel ran the tip of her finger under her eye. She didn't know why, but she smiled, "it's odd, I feel like I remember things, but there's no...sights, only feelings."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHk46pSCBb 維尼
"You've still got nothing, then?" Maria inquired.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGuJm5lLcd 維尼
"No...we should hurry, this isn't a good place to camp, and it'll be dark soon." Noel started ahead, eyes on the trees ahead.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9fO7i6tth 維尼
"Maybe two someones should stay in the air." Maria turned to Byrd and Spring, "You got your glasses ready, Byrd?"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoqcEjz4mx 維尼
"They're not good for combat or flying, but yeah," Byrd sighed and took out his glasses' case, "they're right here...I guess Cat's staying on the ground?"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz1kav7Nqn 維尼
"We need her here, you two can warn us of danger ahead," Autumn looked up at the trees, "probably too dangerous to travel through the trees."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS83MXKkYz 維尼
"We can always dive in with our spears," Spring pointed out, trying to reassure Byrd, "so they're safe."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdeyxMRWmW 維尼
"I'm not worrying." Byrd replied firmly.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8yuIY51Um 維尼
"Good, then let's go, stay safe, guys!" Spring sprang into the air, following shortly after was Byrd, and they watched over the trees below for any movement.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3GdfDAWA3 維尼
"Now the rest is up to us," Autumn sighed, "there could be lizards and bees and all kinds of fun stuff here, and don't think we'll find any honey...I'm pretty sure monsters don't need to eat...I mean, doesn't mean they won't try, there are animals in there somewhere...poor things."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMHI8Qzjy5 維尼
"Or spirits." Maria whispered fearfully.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3Ge2yWKyi 維尼
"Yeah...or spirits." Autumn agreed.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwzPZSAnX6 維尼
Byrd flew down to the others and dropped next to them, "Five spiders ahead, two horned beetles after that, and past that the trees are too thick to see anything, Spring's staying up there to lend tactical support."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqQyMEVJhI 維尼
"Her wind powers are pretty effective," Autumn mused, "especially when she can spear the enemy without being targeted."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85YcsbYsc6 維尼
"She likes to flyby and stab on her way up." Kokoso added.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ680rTJrWwK 維尼
"So, what's our plan of attack?" Maria turned to Cathryn expectantly.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4qDYqkFOU 維尼
"I think we should hit them with ice, harden their shells and shatter them with lightning." Cathryn proposed, "As for our formation, I suggest our claws dual wield elements, Kokoso will freeze them with his sword and shield, I'll work on my spider while he works on his part, then he'll yell for a switch, and we'll switch, while Noel follows the examples of the claws...except with what I expect are energy guns of a sort, Byrd, you'll try to inflict poison where you can, start with Kokoso's, that way you can freeze it faster."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFHaxgspQA 維尼
Maria nodded, "Good plan, I'll number them from left to right and send you guys in."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZhreFiw3S 維尼
"We're ready when the spiders are," Kokoso turned to Byrd, "how close are we?"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKQi7KrDml 維尼
"Very, Spring's up there, pointing at them." Byrd waved at Spring, who was pointing with her flaming spear.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZL3fDtYhv 維尼
"Yeah, I hear them crawling." Noel frowned, "They're so loud."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SgZP5QuqC 維尼
"It's a good thing we can hear them," Cathryn remarked, "but if they're hanging in a tree, we have problems."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡr345MKZbkO 維尼
Maria spotted the five spiders ahead and groaned, "Okay, no way I'm naming out who gets which one, they're all clustered together, but we're not moving in one at a time-"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjF91OsdIV 維尼
"I'll hit them with water and freeze it," Noel stepped forward and held her hands out, "just say the word."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTShXaz6iA 維尼
"Have at it, afterwards we can move in, Cathryn you can get the one in the front, Byrd and Kokoso can get the one in the back, I'll take the center, Autumn can have the far right, Noel can take on the far left." Maria turned to Noel, "Fire when you're ready, Noel."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡP266GPr4lO 維尼
"Ice Flower!" Noel yelled, shooting two beams of water in the midst of the spiders, which exploded in icy spikes on the ground."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6ve9xvfUq 維尼
Cathryn ran along behind the others and lifted her axe, bringing it down on the spiders head as the others reached their spiders.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrvyIBSWUp 維尼
Noel clenched her fists, water sputtering between her fingers, and icy spikes rose from them, stabbing the monster with every punch until the ice snapped, and then she flicked her wrist at the monster to strike with her lightning, using the time she staggered the monster with to replace the ice spikes.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgsYPRSUJt 維尼
Kokoso was lifted by Byrd and Cathryn jumped over her spider to strike the blue-white spot on Kokoso's monster, shattering it with her axe, and when they traded out again Byrd was working on Autumn's spider, poisoning them all before the battle was done.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUtYfF4vLn 維尼
"That was easier than I expected." Maria exhaled slowly as the monsters began to burn away.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡGywjs5Kyo3 維尼
"We fought well, we struck quickly, disallowed them a chance to recover or to interfere with a friend's adversary," Noel pointed out, "but in the end, it was only so easy because we worked together...that scares me."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4Yqv1jfs7 維尼
"Cliche and sappy!" Kokoso and Byrd laughed together.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡKofYq9IJU4 維尼
"All very good points," Maria nodded, "striking like we did made them easier than they would have been."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9rfv1paEK 維尼
"And with practice, you'll be able to handle two of those each, without enchantments," Autumn remarked, "just think how far you've come, with just four of you, you each became way stronger by beating the phoenix, alone you might not be much of a threat, but together you can challenge those stronger than you!"8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡlb5JnlfEzf 維尼
"Which means even a spirit as power as Unseason...hard to imagine fighting someone stronger than these monsters, but she's way stronger than them, right?" Maria inquired.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dcWOPotA6 維尼
"Right, she's so strong, the four of us couldn't take her out." Autumn agreed, "But now I'm stronger than I was, and with you guys, I'm even stronger than the four of us were back then, but Unseason's gotten stronger, too, feeding Gaia's power into these monsters, who in turn give her strength by existing, and every monster you beat...sure, it becomes an animal again, returns to it's true form, but for how long until Unseason corrupts them again? You'll see soon how it's done."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt76rrdwcM 維尼
"Let's go, the beetles are just a yards ahead." Byrd informed.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19CC3kcmOk 維尼
"Noel," Cathryn turned to Noel, "if you can cross your arms and hit both of them with lightning beams and uncross them, then they'll colloid, Autumn and Maria can take turns running between them, scratching their sides, I'll get the one on the left, Byrd and Kokoso will fight the right one like they did the spiders, after Byrd's poisoned them he should relieve Spring of her sentry, she must be getting tired. Noel, when the enemy recovers, warn us to clear out and smash them together again."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5iJs2FyBj 維尼
"If you have two lightning...output things on your wrists," Byrd added, "one's probably enough if you pull one of them into the other."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFIn19D31Z 維尼
"I have two...everything in the right's in the left, I'm perfectly symmetrical." Noel said tiredly.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oF28yN8iM 維尼
"Something wrong?" Maria asked worriedly.8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaKgpabwJd 維尼
"I don't think so...I think I was trained to be ambidextrous, or why I was selected for the program, maybe." Noel turned to find Maria looked more worried than before, "I don't know, that just came out, I wasn't thinking, it was like when I attacked the bears back then, it--please, believe me."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBOcY2PHs5 維尼
"I do, I'm just worried, to hear you were in a program."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmBq6OyEVD 維尼
"I don't remember what it was called, I'm sorry."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyTNCuPcBo 維尼
"It's okay...let's go get the beetles, if something comes up," Maria turned to Noel, "you can tell us after the fight, and explain the best you can."8964 copyright protection502ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k49evf7kY 維尼
Noel nodded and followed them to where the next battle awaited, worried and relieved at the same time.506Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmqH3gzDUf
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A/Ns: 1/29/2017506Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZWg1JSoPU
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