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As I Walk Through the Valley (Mana) (Hunt)
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 15, 2018 0:42:53 GMT
It seemed that Elliot was handling this conversation on his own. That would be way easier if he wasn't currently looking at an eye practically as big as he was. He quivered slightly as he clung to the mountain, occasionally a snort of air nearly blowing him off of the mountainside. "I-I have been looking for the power of spirits, and I believe one dwells here," he said, even MagnaAngemon's stoic voice quivering ever so slightly under the eye of the colossus. "There is someone dear to me who I am trying to find. Right now, I am not strong enough. But with the power I can find in your sanctum, I am sure I will at least be a step closer. Will you please allow me to pass?"
There was a snort, and then a bellowing laugh. The resulting uproar had so much force that cracks started spreading across the surface of the mountain, Elliot holding on for dear life so he wouldn't end up falling off. "You? Wield the power of a dragon?" it asked, disdain oozing from its voice. "And for one so puny as you to come and beg for it. Have you no pride?"
Frankly, Elliot really didn't have much pride anymore. When his pride had lead to him abandoning those close to him just because he thought he was troubling them, he knew it had gone too far. "I simply do not want to any fights that do not need to be fought," Elliot said. Even as he stared down the dragon's giant, bloodshot eye, he remained resolute in his convictions. "I have seen enough bloodshed in my time."
The dragon rolled its eye. "To search for power in a world of might, and yet want nothing to do with battle . . ." it said. Elliot could practically feel the dragon's head shaking. "A damned fool like you doesn't deserve the gifts of this sanctum! Do you truly think you'll accomplish anything but perishing in the desert?"
Elliot's eyes narrowed in consternation. "Maybe," he said. "But it is a risk I am willing to take, if it means no blood needs to be spilled."
The dragon huffed. "As you wish. But let me see if you or your convictions break first," it said, the mountainside growing dark again as the dragon retreated from view.
Within seconds, the walls that Elliot and Mana were clinging to would start to shake. If the two didn't move quickly, the dragon's massive green claws would once more come bursting through the mountain, this time aiming to smash directly into them. It was clear that the dragon's threat was all too literal.
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Mar 20, 2018 0:34:33 GMT
In a sense, Mana was happy that he left the talk to Elliot, given that he managed to stay resolute, even in the face of something that definitely wasn't very friendly. She was sure that at least some measure of fear was there, but wasn't true bravery facing whatever came head-on?
It probably was. However, she couldn't stand hearing whatever was inside the place they were climbing just mock her friend without saying at least a couple of words about it. "It's funny how quick you are to judge others without even really knowing them. Hope you don't complain when this is over!"
Honestly, she almost blindly believed in their chances of pulling this one off. Was that overconfident, or just foolish? Maybe both, but she honestly didn't care. Here goes nothiiiing.
She had more or less expected shenanigans to happen, and for them to probably over the top, given how arrogant the being that had faced Elliot was, and was more or less prepared to face whatever would happen so... she had to move fast in order to avoid being clawed to death.
Would it be fast enough? She had no idea, but she certainly hoped it would.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 21, 2018 23:57:54 GMT
The dragon's eye widened in shock at how brazen Mana was acting. It stammered a little in shock, then let out a low growl as its pupil darted towards the girl. "And quick you are to mouth off to those you cannot even understand!" it countered. God, did Mana actually just offend the dragon entombed inside of this mountain? It let out a frustrated huff, then continued grumbling to itself as it retreated back into the mountain. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this . . ."
Thankfully, even for a titanic dragon, boring through stone was actually really hard to do. Mana was able to scramble away before the dragon's claw came crashing through her previous location. It wasn't a perfect dodge. The draft from having such a large claw crashing past her caused a huge draft that would likely leave the poor girl battered.
Elliot, too, had been able to escape, but he didn't take the sound of two claws bursting from the mountain lightly. Sure enough, as he turned around he noticed that Mana had been right in the line of fire. "Leave her out of this!" he demanded. "This is my trial to take. If you harm her for it . . ."
"Then what?" the dragon asked. Elliot didn't even notice another claw snaking out through the mountain, which promptly backhanded him and sent him flying across the mountain. "What could you do to change this, pacifist? How could you protect her if you can't even protect yourself?"
The dragon chuckled darkly as Elliot frantically flung an arm out, barely clinging onto one of the mountain's handholds. This had set him back quite a bit, especially as his other hand desperately groped for another handheld to pull himself up with. "How would you repay me if I were to end this now, angel?" he asked. "Would you wag your finger at me, and tell me not to do it next time?"
Elliot grit his teeth, seething silently as he tried to find another handhold to work with. At the very least, though, the dragon's attention was off of Mana for the time being . . .
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Mar 25, 2018 21:17:01 GMT
For somebody who was so quick to throw try and offend others, whatever was inside the mountain wasn't very good at taking the heat. And Mana here thought it was some kind of wise, old being; such a disappointment...
Not like she had much time to dwell on that, however! "Hey, that was uncalled for!" Who could have guessed; old people getting angry over trivial things and overreacting. And she was the one who thought the kids were them?
At least she could get away from the claw dealing more damage than her body could sustain; yeah, it hurt but... it was hardly something that would stop her.
Well... hardly was probably an overstatement. But given that the dragon's attention was already placed in Elliot, she took the opportunity to begin her journey upwards again. Maybe the strange being had underestimated her? No way for her to know, but she certainly hoped so.
What had Ayaka and Suzuran done, thus far? It's true that this whole event had happened mere seconds ago, but the pair seemed like they haven't done much despite the great danger their human partner was currently undergoing.
And that pretty much could be summed at Ayaka wanting to participate in the whole matter, yet Suzuran preventing it. Not like she couldn't do anything about it given the only answer the older sister had was violence, and this was specifically a test to Elliot's own convictions but...
How much danger they had to go through before it was fair for them to enter the fray?
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 25, 2018 22:03:14 GMT
"Again with 'uncalled for's," the dragon said. He peeked out of the hole once more, his massive eye rolling at Mana's little protest. "The mountain is my domain. Your intrusion, if anything, was what was uncalled for. As was rousing me from my slumber." So the dragon was cranky about his sleep being violated. Did that mean that, considering he was currently entombed in a mountain, he basically hadn't even gotten out of his "bedsheets" yet? Main, Digimon were weird.
They were also quite powerful, judging by how the dragon was able to batter Elliot clean across the mountain. Repeated claw shots started smashing out through the side of the mountain, Elliot desperately pulling his body in every which way to avoid being skewered. The dragon almost seemed to relish in this, assaulting Elliot with a barrage of near misses. "Do you feel it, angel?" he asked. "The knowledge that you are oh so close to your demise? Perhaps it would be better off if you had just stayed home, after all."
Wait, how did the dragon know that? Elliot almost audibly grit his teeth upon hearing that. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the vibrations on the mountain to try and gauge his next response. As soon as the mountains reached a fever pitch, he didn't try to dodge. Instead he just let go.
It went exactly as planned. Elliot had landed right on the dragon's large, green claw. He didn't even wait for the dragon to respond, instead pushing off with all of his might and leaping into the air. A new pair of handholds greeted him, allowing Elliot to start making his way back up the mountain. He moved with renewed vigor, the dragon's next claw smash a clean miss rather than another close call.
Surprisingly enough, the dragon's rage didn't worsen. Instead, he just let out a low, amused chuckle. "Good. I was almost afraid you had given up," the dragon said. "And here I thought this interruption would be a complete waste of my time. But lets make this more interesting, shall we?"
The dragon's claws protruded from the mountain, but this time not to impale Elliot or Mana. Instead they snaked out to the full extent of their length, revealing that they weren't attached to arms but instead long, whip-like tentacles. These whips proved to be very useful for viciously smashed into the side of the mountain, causing it to shake and rumble like a jello mold in an earthquake. Elliot, who had been climbing at a steady clip, suddenly found himself slowing down as his hands started to slip. He dug his feet onto the handholds below him, desperately trying to hold on despite the dragon's assault.
"Mana, are you hanging in there?" Elliot called, raising his voice to be heard over the sounds of draconic smashing. He couldn't see her from the other side of the mountain, a fact that worried him ever so slightly. "Be strong. I know that we can do this!"
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Mar 27, 2018 9:26:23 GMT
Ancient beings that were probably more immature than her; well, Elliot's spirits surely had quite the taste! If somebody deserved to eyeroll at this situation, that was Mana!
"Bohoo, I don't wanna share my mountain with a couple of kids, so I'll get angry instead. I never thought I'd hear an ancient being whine so much! Take your parents didn't buy you any toys, didn't they? I definitely thought that ancient dragon-things would be more mature than that!"
Maybe those words were uncalled for altogether; the fury that Elliot had been subject to was probably bordering sadism. Pretty normal for this type of beings, but still something the girl would rather avoid, at least regarding this strange creature. Especially when they had transitioned into the next... phase, she guessed?
The tentacle thingies had managed to take her by surprise at first, making her almost fall towards a not-so-pretty fate, but managed to get a more concise hold on the mountain at the cost of climbing speed. They would probably be fine as long as they kept with this rhythm and the dragon didn't feel like playing super rough.
"I'm fine! And don't worry! We'll definitely show big meanie that this kind of stuff ain't stopping us!"
She earnestly believed it, and despite this situation being far from the best, she couldn't bring herself to lose heart. They'd emerge victorious from this; she knew it.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 27, 2018 11:56:02 GMT
The dragon glowered lowly. Banter was a lot less fun when an upstart whelp was running circles around you. "Call it what you'd like. I'm merely stating a fact," the dragon said. "By your presence here, you and your little rosebuds are just as much a part of this trial as the angel is. It would do you well to focus on that fact."
Teeth of an almost predatory brightness seemed to shine through each of the holes in the mountain. Were they curved up into a smile? "Besides, I have four perfectly good toys to play with now."
It seemed that slow, consistent climbing speed was the name of the day. Speed would have to fall to the wayside, but a tight grip and an abundance of handholds meant that there was always some sort of path for Elliot and Mana to take. The warmth and determination in her speech helped quite a bit, too. The way Mana was talking, Elliot felt like he could do anything. "Thank you," he said, smile soft and warm even though he knew she couldn't see it from here. "We must be halfway through. I can already begin making out the peak. Just a little further!"
Unfortunately, that last little bit would be the hard part. Once the halfway point passed, handholds started becoming a lot more scarce. It would be impossible to grip onto two at once and also have one's feet securely dug into the mountain. At this point, either the legs or arms would have to suffer, and the climbers would have to stretch or even hop to make sure that they could get to the next ridge. While Elliot at least had his wings to make ladt desperate efforts with, would Mana be so fortunate?
It was hard as hell even with this advantage, as Elliot learned when his feet damn near slipped out from under him. The scarcity of handholds, combined with the shakimg of the mountain, was a horrific combo. However, Elliot knew he couldn't just stand back and watch it happen. That was why he let go of the mountain, bracing his body against it and flaring out his wings so that he would skid down as gently as possible. It was a rough fall, Elliot's final stop causing him to let out a heavy groan from the exertion on his arms. However, soon he had successfully reached his goal: one of the dragon's peepholes from lower on the mountain.
Elliot pondered for a second, then leaned towards the hole. As he did in his fight against Triceramon, he proceeded to launch pillars of light right into the gap of the mountain. If they were luminous enough to light up the dusty cavern, Elliot knew there would be more than enough light to badly mess up the inside of the mountain.
Surely enough, the dragon let out a blood-curdling hiss. His tentacles stopped swinging at the mountain, instead flailing desperately towards Elliot's location to try and make him pay for his impudence. In his blinded state, however, the dragon couldn't even come close to hitting Elliot. Smiling securely, he looked up towards where Mana would hopefully be. "Now is your chance! We can finish this!" he called, voice swelling with encouragement.
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Mar 29, 2018 23:01:14 GMT
This guy. S e r i o u s l y.
"Get out of my lawwwwwwwwwwwwn." Honestly, she didn't pretend to involve either Aya or Suzu in this, and they were doing just fine without them so, why not? Call it pride, hubris or whatever. But she knew they could do this."
This guy was creepy, childish and not very intelligent. Were most dragon things like this? She wasn't sure, but she didn't care all that much either.
"No need to thank me! Now, let's just get whatever's being stored in this place and leave this old fossil be. It's pretty obvious that he doesn't like us anyway." Of course, their ascent would be harder the higher they got, and while that made the whole process pretty much slow down to a crawl, Mana wasn't one to give up. She just had to make sure she didn't slip.
Even though that was easier said than done. Her pace was obviously slower than Elliot's, but she was doing more or less okay. Well, maybe not included that near slip. But that was beside the point.
Oh well! At least Elliot had a pretty good idea at how to deal with the giant lizard. Now that it was temporarily blinded, the whole ordeal was a lot easier, even if that wouldn't last much. "Alright! Let's get to the top!"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Mar 31, 2018 22:30:01 GMT
It turned out blinding a being who lived almost entirely in the darkness worked really, really well. While the desperately thrashing tendrils were a problem, they were unfocused enough for Elliot to easily maneuver around them. In fact, their unstable flailing actually gave Elliot an idea. He waited until one came crashing down next to him, then clung to it tightly with both hands. After the dragon pulled back, he let go, zooming away while feeling the rush of the mountain's thin air. Needless to say, it was quite the shortcut, and any progress he had lost to staying behind to blind the dragon was quickly regained as he shot back up to Mana's current position.
Even with how thin it was, Elliot could feel the mountain air rushing past MagnaAngemon's long hair. He took advantage of this brief rush of wind to ensure he could safely glide back onto the mountain's handholds. Even better still, he was actually laughing as he did so, even though he sheepishly blushed upon realizing this fact. "I forgot how thrilling this could be," he admitted. "When you only have one leg at 100%, it isn't the easiest to go out rock climbing."
The dragon didn't find this nearly as touching as Elliot did. His desperate flailing finally stopped, and it seemed like he had recouped his vision just in time for Elliot and Mana to start approaching the peak. It was practically within arm's reach now, only a few more handholds away. He let out a frustrated roar, and then the entire mountain seemed to shake once more. This time his tendrils weren't the cause; judging by the dragon's grunts, he was headbutting the mountain from withing.
"You didn't-" THUD!
"Think this would be-" THUD!
"That easy-" THUD!
"Did you?!" THUD! THUD! THUD! Elliot found his grip starting to weaken from the successive force of the slams, but he clung to the mountainside with arms and legs alike to try and wait out the storm. This dragon would have to tire itself out eventually, right?
If only he noticed the shadow of the dragon's claw looming over him. This time it was making a two pronged assault, lifting its large claws behind Elliot and Mana alike to capitalize on any dazing they may have been suffering from. If none of the four participants of this little trial acted fast . . .
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Apr 7, 2018 21:51:36 GMT
They were really close, weren't they? Just a little more and they'd acquire whatever they were searching, and no elder lizard thing would be able to stop them.
Almost there... Of course, Mana was oblivious to the potentially lethal strike currently aimed them, and if no one intervened, she probably... wouldn't end well. Luckily, at least two other beings had enough of observing. Or, better said... Ayaka had enough and Suzuran didn't have enough in her to oppose to the intervention.
In what felt like a flash, Aconitumon and Acerimon moved into action; on one side, a crystalline arrow was aimed directly at the claw currently poised to strike Mana, while several seeds made their way towards the claw currently intending to strike at Elliot. Both attacks, if succesful, would impair the best movements just enough for the humans to react; and hopefully they would be nimble enough to do so.
Now, the rest was onto them. Would the dragon best them, or would the humans prevail? That was something they would find out soon.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 7, 2018 23:19:37 GMT
The fairies had picked the perfect time to spring into action. Acerimon's crystalline arrow stuck right into the webbing between the dragon's claws. It let out a hiss of pain, pulling back his claw instead of committing to a strike that would probably end up crippling his own fingers. Mana would end up without a hair on her head harmed.
Elliot was a bit less fortunate. The barrage of seeds slowed down the dragon's claw, but despite the battering didn't stop it. Seeds flew in every direction as the dragon shook the attack off, continuing his own blow nonetheless. Elliot, who was already having one hell of a time trying to finish this climb, could only turn in worry as he heard the swish of displaced air. One of the dragon's claws sunk right into the side of his back, a spurt of red data shooting from the wound and disintegrating in the air. He let out a strangled breath as the dragon reached his other claw over, prepared to end this in a coup-de-grace.
Then Mana's hand touched the flat land surrounding the peak of the mountain, and in an instant the dragon stopped. It retracted both of its whip-like appendages, Elliot letting out a weary sigh as he slumped against the mountain. It took a minute or two to gather is strength, but eventually he had managed to pull himself back up the mountain. One he did so he promptly took a knee, touching a worried hand to where he had been impaled.
The peak of the mountain itself upended, almost like the hinge of a door open, and the dragon promptly made himself known as a result. "So you made it after all," he said, wiping an eye tiredly with one of his far smaller forelimbs. If it wasn't for those giant claws on his back, he would look like a fairly standard Western dragon. "And here I was worried this would be another pointless break to my slumber. And yet, if you made it here, I suppose I owe you some explanation. I am Groundramon, the Wakener. Do pardon the earlier viciousness, by the way. Were I to hold back, what good of a trial would this be?" He spoke eloquently enough now, at least. Even if it seemed like he was covering for himself over earlier outbursts.
"If this is a trial, does this mean you have the spirit?" Elliot asked, only to be cut off by a sharp laugh.
"I am but the first of my brothers," Groundramon clarified. "Once you have proven yourself worthy through all three of our challenges, then you can have your spirit." He peered down at Mana and her Digimon, eyes narrowed some as he looked over to Elliot. "I'll admit. Bringing help isn't quite the ordinary here. But I can tell that such is the regret you've come here to right, so I suppose I can allow it."
He now turned his glance to Mana. "I presume the angel is here for his trial, but what brings you here?" he asked.
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Apr 11, 2018 23:12:20 GMT
The intervention was rather timely! In the end, Mana was unharmed and while Elliot was worse from the wear, but once again, Mana finished climbing just in time to prevent a tragedy from happening.
And a sigh of relief was her first reaction towards this small ordeal ending. Well, that had been it; doing her best to find support and to finally let her tired limbs rest some, she seemed more than a little distraught at Elliot's wound, but... she wanted to be confident on Ayaka being able to treat it if they were given time between these... tests. They would, right? Hopefully.
She wasn't going to lie, the whole "your princess is in another castle" speech was a bit of a disappointment to them, and the fact that they would have to tackle at least two more challenges to get the spirit seemed pretty... disheartening. Not like they would stop after already beginning, but still...
Her thoughts would be interrupted promptly by a question made by the Groundramon. Mana seemed to be a little confused for a second, before finally composed herself to speak her response. "Well. He's my friend. And I'm helping him. Friends help each other, share their dangers and that stuff. It's natural."
Pretty simplistic for an answer, but that was her speaking her mind after what had been a pretty arduous climb. She guessed she could eschew fancy words and complex explanations.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 17, 2018 1:02:03 GMT
Somehow, there was something refreshing about Mana's answer. It was simple in the purest sense of the form. There was no grand declaration of purpose, or promise of reward, or even any bragging and boasting on the girl's behalf. She was just here to help a friend, and both Elliot and Groundramon found small smiles spreading across their faces. "I see," the towering dragon said. "To the point where you would risk pain and turmoil just to help him. You humans never fail to surprise me.
Anyway, the trial's done. You've climbed away from the past, even as it grasped at you and tried to pull you back down. You even dipped down to face your regrets head-on, rather than running like a chicken with your head cut off. With that, my work here's done. Just let me bring you back . . ."
The world seemed to go black. When it faded back into focus, the mountain and its occupant had vanished. Instead, Elliot and Mana were back in the temple's large, central room. The door that had once sat behind them was now little more than flat rock, only the worn symbol of the earth indicating where a door may have been.
The most notable change to the room was that the dragon "statues" were now on the move. They staggered around as if hung over, a dazed look in their eyes as they tried to focus on where they were and what was going on. Strangly enough, they seemed to fade away as they walked, reappearing in another place after a few seconds passed. If before they were reduced to statues, now they were more like mirages.
The door marked by a moon was cracked open now, as if beckoning Elliot and Mana forward. Through the crack in the door, it was clear that it had changed quite a bit was well. Now the bridge connecting the main room and its faraway platform was beset on all sides by crashing waves. Occasionally the bridge seemed to disappear beneath them, almost as if being swallowed up.
Elliot started to make his way towards the room, although he would stop if Mana deemed it a bad idea. "This is not going to be easy, is it?" he asked.
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Mana
In-Training
Posts: 0
OOC Name: Yuu
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Post by Mana on Apr 19, 2018 1:07:02 GMT
Well. They were done with the first part, and while the Groundramon had a penchant for being dramatic in a situation that Mana didn't appreciate all that much. Most of what he said went right through her mind, the girl not even caring to process it before the foursome appeared right back in the crossroads. Backing down right now wasn't much of an option, was it?
Still, there was one thing she wanted to address before they marched onward. "How are your wounds? We could probably take a break and Ayaka could give you a quick look if you feel like it. We probably have more than enough time to rest a bit before charging into the face of danger for the second time. And knowing that, even if we're successful there we'll have to do it yet again is probably telling me this'll be a marathon, rather than a sprint. Ultimately, it's your choice though!"
This was his quest, and he was the one with the last word about it. The best she could do was to try and give the best advice she possibly could.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Apr 21, 2018 0:59:13 GMT
"I cannot say they feel very good," Elliot admitted, gingerly touching a hand to the holes currently jabbed into his robes. Between the Triceramon earlier and now the Groundramon, Elliot had been on the wrong end of an Ultimate-level's sharp ends quite a few times today. If it wasn't for the fact that he had honestly been expecting this, he would have probably been a lot more upset. However, it turned out huge eruptions of shadowflame, face to face confrontations with mind-infesting horrors, and his own crippling depression in the face of a lost brother were a lot scarier than a little bit of impalement. "I would appreciate Ayaka lending me a hand, if that's okay."
That said, even as Elliot accepted the aid, he kept an eye out towards the distant door. Most of the time, the bridge's vanishing seemed to link up with the waves. However, occasionally, Elliot could've sworn that it disappeared all on its own. It was almost as if the bridge was blinking in and out of reality. Was it invisible? Or was it just flat-out gone? Maybe if he could look for a bit longer . . .
No, it's no good. Not with the dragons constantly wandering in and out of his peripheral vision. Occasionally one turned up to glare at him, but it quickly lost interest in favor of wandering the temple's walls again. Interestingly enough, the green-scaled ones had all vanished. Only red and blue ones remained, about in equal number.
Oh well. Elliot would figure it out when he wasn't trying to juggle healing therapy and puzzle solving at once. Besides, it was getting boring just sitting in silence in an underground temple. He turned back to Mana, letting the rest of the area melt away for a bit. "So, what have you been up to, lately?" he asked. "I hope you were not having too much fun without me." Somehow, the otherwise impossibly serene face of MagnaAngemon briefly lifted into a teasing grin. If Mana could get a form like this to joke around, clearly Elliot was quite comfortable around her.
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