tampered | Log: Complete

When; January 31st, evening/night
Rating; PG
Characters; Zaheela

heroshirou
Summary; Zaheela requests Archer and Hotaru's aid in casting a powerful locator spell that will hopefully lead them to Kagura's whereabouts.
Log;

Zaheela stood up straight as she stared at the runes drawn on the flat surface of Building 6. She closed the small leather notebook with a definate sounding 'SNAP' and closed her eyes. Countless runes passed behind her eyes as she ensured that no mistakes were made in her drawing. She couldn't afford mistakes afterall, with such a spell it could mean her death, as well as many others. She sighed and then said softly, "Glad you two could make it.".

"Yeah, no problem." Archer's eyes took a quick look at everything. He knew a lot about sorceries but nothing here really seemed familiar at all. He looked down at Hotaru to see what she was doing.

The girl in question knelt on the floor beside the runes, studying them with a leveled violet gaze. She had seen things similar to this before. Not only in her own world, but when she had summoned Archer to her side. Glancing up at her white-haire companion, she smiled. "Ne Archer, this reminds me of when I first met you. Remember? Maybe it's the same kind of magic. If so, then we can help."

Indeed, the runes were as old as mankind could remember, but they were not for summoning more then knowledge. Zaheela smoothed down the front of her robes, the robes granted to those who had gained the title of Master healer. To be honest, she didn't quite feel up to that name. "I will not say this will work, there are too many variables, too littler power, but I will try what I can to find the young woman." Her voice was as clear as the night sky, and with a sigh, turned to face her partners. "If I fail, the Energies which could be released could be devistating. If that happens... I want you to kill me." Her voice did not waver as she stated the fact. Even if this was the City, Death was death, and she was ready to face that.

Archer snorted. "I doubt death would be a valid option. There are ways to shield against devastation. Just leave it to me."

She frowned slightly at him, not liking the idea that he might be bearing the brunt of the excess force should something go wrong. But...this was Archer. And once he made up his mind on something, she knew perfectly well that there was little she could do to dissuade him. But nonetheless...."And I'll help as well. You say there's too little power. Then...use mine. I have plenty to spare."

She smirked at Archer's cockiness. He truly didn't understand what would happen, the energy that would be released would be pure chaos that would claim her life. “No, I will only use my own. The risk is far too great for me to allow you to even try.” She stated to Hotaru, steel lacing her voice. No need afterall, one life would be enough if they failed. Zaheela paused to clasp a vial around her neck. Within lay a swirling mass of light, both dark and light. The tears she had received when she had met her goddess and her brother. “Altana, Protect the souls I am about to risk.” She murmured before closing her eyes. If she failed, and Mana decided to retrieve her, then no one would mourn. She knew this... Knew it all too clearly, but it did not stop her. She was no longer innocent, the soul at risk was. It was all to clear. It was time. She strode forward toward the circle and stood in the center, her eyes closed for a moment.

Casting magic while someone else was concentrating usually had poor results, so Archer did what he needed to do ahead of time. He knew Hotaru would want to watch so standing in front of her was not an option. So he had another idea. He held his hand out in front of him. A red outline formed in a simple circular shape. It quickly filled in becoming a leather shield. He held it out to Hotaru. "Take this and hold it in front of you. If something bad happens, you will be safe."

She looked at the shield with a bemused expression for a moment before she took it, holding the slab of leather a bit awkwardly. Frowning, she shook her head. "You get behind it too, then."

He shook his head. "No, I'll be just fine. Besides, I am very curious as to what she's doing."

“I am the blood of the goddess, bearer of her voice, I call upon the wings of the south, answer to me, obey me.” Zaheela began, Hands held out in front of her. In her palm, a core for which Mana to gather formed, glowing with the bountiful green energy of the earth. Slowly, it gathered, as if curious at first.

With a slight frown aimed towards Archer, Hotaru nonetheless pulled the shield in front of her and fixed her eyes on what the other woman was doing.

Already the mana began to slither around around her, the circle glowing faintly in response to her casting. The wind seemed to die down at that very moment. ”Become my eyes, my hands, Pass my message to the winds. Find the maiden, so young, Obey me, Dragon of wounds.” Slowly it began to gather, curling around her legs as she rose, eyes closing as if for the last time. An imaginary wind began to play with her robes, as if questioning her intent.

Hotaru watched as the energy rippled, drawing itself upwards and around, tendrils twining themselves around Zaheela's figure as she chanted the incantation. This was unlike magic that she had seen, though she figured it was likely a good deal closer to the sort of magic that Archer was used to. Glancing around as Zaheela's robes rustled, she searched for the wind that seemed to be playing about.

“I am the daughter of earth, my will is your own, Find the one I seek, oh gods of fire and war. Into eternity, I release you.” And as if the power had just been waiting, it exploding, filling the air with mana, almost smothering the breath of the people around her. Holy magic poured out from her, from under her, cascading down the side of the building invisible, seeking out the person they wished to find.

Archer raised his arm to cover his eyes. His cloak fluttered backwards, flapping in the wind. With his arm in the way, he couldn't quite see what was happening but it was better then squinting through the wind.

Harmlessly, Mana slithered over everything, stones, buildings, humans, spirits, and undead. It attempted to sniff out the young woman but could find nothing. But Zaheela wasn't about to give up so easily, not as long as she could breath. She was the daughter of Altana, of dawn. She fought death itself and she would find this girl. “Fortune of fools, Winds of change, purged in fire, I sacrifice power to you...” She almost snarled, eyes still closed. She almost directed the magic with her hands, as a conductor did a orchestra, and poured more and more of her own Mana into the spell. Brighter did the magic circle below her glow, the harder it was for her prey to hide, and the more agonizing the pain was. She didn't show it, but it was indeed beginning to hurt.

Zaheela seemed....troubled. Hotaru didn't know much about the spell itself, but she could see the lines of tension deepen on the woman's face as the seconds ticked by at an agonizing pace. Watching as Zaheela's hands moved, tracing an invisible pattern into the air, she noted the slight tremor that ran through them every so often. She's...fighting. Fighting so hard, trying so hard..

The wind was now violent, Mana whipping back and forth as she commanded it to, lifting her higher and higher from the ground. Suddenly, with an explosion, she let the gates slam open. Wing like tendrils of Mana seemed to sprout from her back, glowing in distressing beauty. One could almost hear the earth screaming for her to stop. It did not wish to loose her, but Zaheela ignored it's screams and pressed on. She couldn't fail, she had to find the girl. “Break the bonds of water, channel fire so hot that the stars scream, ANSWER TO ME!” It was pain, pure utter, PAIN. It hurt... It Hurt... She couldn't stop. Her wings grew larger and brighter, and with it, her agony.

Archer took two steps back and put his hand on Hotaru's shoulder. He squeezed to let her know to be prepared for something.

She cringed from the noise, hand sliding up to clasp over Archer's larger one where it rested on her shoulder, leaning back against his warmth. "Archer.....what's happening?"

The earth screamed as the winds howled like dragons, seeking for blood and spirits. Mana was now visible around her legs, curling around her and the Spirits pleaded for her to stop. But she couldn't hear them anymore. “Become fire, Become Winds to smother darkness, Find her, protect her, tell me where she is!” Zaheela demanded the power she controled. Pain... PAIN... It echoed through her mind, how agonizing it was to merely breathe. Her blood was like fire, her bones Lava, and she was like a Spirit of ice, trapped in such hell. Pain...

"Too much, Hotaru. Sadly, she's nearly at breaking point. Unless she asks for help, I doubt she is going to achieve what she wants." He reached his hand forward and laid it on the handle of the shield, waiting to activate it.

"But.... she'll be hurt! Can't we do something?" The screaming knifed through her, passing her ears and her physical senses and sending agonizing tremors down to the core of her soul. She could feel the Saturn-power pulse in response, feeding off of the pain and the wild energy that buffeted her, and she shoved it back, relacing the seals and wards that Alessa had taught her, forcing the power to bend and submit to her will as she watched Zaheela's efforts.

It withered and seethed, the coils of Mana taking almost draconian shape and snarling around her. It demanded for her to submit, to stand down. She defied it. She could feel it, that she was close, just a little bit further, a little bit harder. Just a little more pain. Her mind wandered over the winds, seeking the one she wanted to find so badly. Her blood was like fire, her skin paper. Zaheela could feel her body begin to suffer the toils of so much mana consumption. Afterall, the earth was all about balance, and she was disrupting her own. Chaotic energies crackled over her skin, and suddenly the earth forcefully reminded her that IT was HER master. Coughing up blood, she suddenly collapsed to the ground.

When she fell, Archer slid forward. His arms slipped under her neck and body to keep her from slamming painfully into the ground. He didn't know the slightest thing in terms of healing magic so all he could do was wait for Hotaru.

As if lovingly, the Mana that remained swirled around her, caressing broken skin and spirit before disappearing into the sky. The winds now done, the damage could be seen. Her back was burned raw, bleeding freely, her hair stained a lovely crimson. Clenching her hands, Zaheela struggled to get up.

Hotaru was on her knees beside Archer and Zaheela, the shield tossed aside as she dropped down, concern in her violet eyes. "Zaheela-san! Hang on, let me heal you." Concentrating her own energy, she directed it towards the raw and angry burns on the older girl's back, hands glowing with a soft pale light as she pounded her energy into Zaheela's cells, stimulating them to regenerate, to return to their natural state. "Don't try to get up, you'll just make things worse."

“I can't stop... I can't stop when I'm so damn close!” She screamed, eyes clenched tight. She tried to force her body to move, but she was fighting against Mana.

She was trying to win against the very essence of life itself, and it was one battle she couldn't win.

Archer frowned. He hated these situations. All he could do is sit there and watch. He hated it since he was just a kid and that hatred grew over time. Yet there was nothing for him to do except watch Hotaru.

"No, you HAVE to stop, Zaheela-san. You're hurting yourself. You tried, now you need to rest." Frowning, she pushed more energy into the other girl. It should be working. But she could tell that while the burns themselves were healing, there was something else that wasn't. Something that was out of her reach.

It was agonizing, feeling all the chaotic energy dance in her body in the absence of orderly energies to balance itself. Without them, she couldn't regenerate by herself anyways. So much work had gone into this, so much research, time, and effort, for nothing. She tried everything she could, but nothing was working. She...Failed horribly... miserably. She couldn't even get the general DIRECTION the girl was in... Zaheela bit her lip, choking back another mouthful of blood, and she pressed her head against the rooftop. Her body shook and then she began to cry.

Archer's hand went up to her face. He wiped her eye with his finger and gave her a smile. "People fail all the time. You have never truly failed until you give up fighting. So don't despair now when there are others in want."

Hotaru knew the feeling, knew it so very well she could taste the lump in the back of her throat. Failure. Letting down those you cared for. It was such a familiar pain that she blinked back tears of her own before she did the first thing that came to her mind. Wrapping her arms around Zaheela, she rested her head on the other girl's shoulder and tried to offer what comfort she could.

She may have been a master healer, she WAS a genius scholar, but she couldn't find one girl. She, with all her knowledge, couldn't find one GIRL.

Perhaps this was just a sign that as a mortal, no matter what she did, it would do nothing. She sobbed into the ground, before feeling the blissful emptiness take over her.Darktundrawolf: Altana, save her, because Zaheela no longer knew what to do...

As Zaheela slipped from consciousness, Hotaru tugged the unconscious girl into her lap and simply let her rest there, one small hand absently stroking blood-stained white hair. "Archer....will she be alright?"

Archer stood up, lifting Zaheela with him. "I don't know. Let's take her back." Archer knelt down. "Get on my back so I can take you too."

Nodding, she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself up onto his back, chin resting on his shoulder.

Archer took off with a large bound towards their apartment. Within moments, they were there. From here on out, she would be in Hotaru's care.