"Well met, Miras. We're currently within a hundred feet of Sakin, send your personnel to our position."
The lack of response from the Coldlight put him on edge for a moment, but the mechanical impression set upon the communicators, while affording the plainest advantage across an electrical wavelength, was not the truest indicator of things as they were.
"Parsley's on the move already," Zaofan said, "Held...he's, he's there. Lantro, Avoca, Praxat...Blizzar..." his eyes widened as he finished taking count.
Just then, Sakin's curse fell upon the planet, and though they were not in earshot enough to know its effect as stated, there was a tangible change in the air of the Forsworn World.
"Sasheem," Ochazuke said, "and Sarada have already set forth, likely from the moment we touched down."
Nodding once Zaofan affixed the
Circlet of Zxu'ro over his brow. Rolling up his sleeves, he also pulled to his side something that looked like a leather-bound booklet. Affixed with a thin strip, it was old, weathered, far too heavy and thin for reading.
"Look at you," Jack chuckled, "I'd just get in the way out there. But I'll keep out Kami safe."
"Then it's settled," Zaofan said. A part of himself he thought lost since the aftermath in Reshlan filled his face with a more familiar glow. Balling his left hand to a fist, he set his fingers upon the ring he exchanged with Etrina, and felt the last of the weight lift from him. "So long as the
Heka turns and some of the the
Genki remains, we
know can take the fight to Sakin-"
Without waiting for his martial brother to finish, Ochazuke started heading off the bridge.
"We have one Guardian with us, a score less than a hundred in near orbit. Our foe had preyed on Creation, twisted it to his ends," he said, "The capacity to undermine his control of this world and shape the battlefield lies elsewhere."
"Pfft. Yeah? Where else could you be going?"
Opening a nearby emergency hatch, Ochazuke turned to face Zaofan, his voice steadfast.
"To confiscate a cigar."
With that, he set off to flight, Zaofan hurriedly chasing after him.
Alone on the bridge with Evangeline, Jack looked over to her and shrugged.
"Hell of a time for him to finally pick his poison," He lift his sword to guard, examined its edge when the realization hit him. "...wait, Ocha-!!"
The enormity of his presence might have been concealed by the smoke, his power subdued by the shape of a man. Yet the Hiers of Zxu'ro had been deftly studying the handiwork he'd scarred the Earth with.
A moment shortly after Efrideet had departed to see to Genesis, Ochazuke and Zaofan landed directly before the Elder Dragon. The tension under the Forsworn World had been abnormal, where the sublime energies of the divine intersected with the physical space of familiar trappings had altered its nature already. Beholding Eldfen's manifestation, True Magic in the flesh, bound to nothing among this place governed by Angelic ruling was uncanny.
Yet he was there.
"You still bear the uniform of your office, yet none of the weight of it." His voice was steady, and Ochazuke spoke his name without fear, "To do nothing in the face of evil, is this your covenant of peace,
Grinthorn?"