ORIGIN

Fahl, once again, flies just out of the way of the incoming blade swing, clipping on the edge of the shell of wood covering his body. Saran'zol snarls in frusteration as the gembound just continue to dodge, weave, and parry the attacks coming their way. Glowing eyes scour them for a moment before he leaps, again, forward to attack. Fire burns its skin, ice freezes some of the blood dripping from his ragged wound, energy slams into it, throwing it off course, giving just the opening needed for more of the creatures to swarm in and latch on, their teeth and claws biting into hard shells and piercing the skin underneath, sending dribbling of black blood mixed with glowing red. As he staggers off-course, Shrike bundles into him, bouncing harmlessly off the thick scales.

Saran'zol howls and rights himself, gripping the staff as he twists to attack. The swings this time go for the two creatures currently scrabbling at the thick plates that are quickly falling off under their barrage - the first at Nidhogg, the second at Relic, to spear them straight off of his body, or even just jostle them away.

Meanwhile, the hand is grabbing again, but this time, magic flows into its fingers, causing the glowing red substance to drip from the claw-tips. It doesn't make to blind, but rather to reach for Gaheris, to grab and hold of her and drag her along. Something dangerous gleams in them, though - something is different here.

The valkhound roared in frustration. The red light is becoming brighter. Brighter. The end is imminent. Lightning races across is body as the energy begins to rupture his scales, his skin, from the many wounds that are healing rapidly. Even the infestation has at last closed, leaving behind a nasty scar, while the energy opens new wounds, barely contained by its mortal shell. But the Unbound Champion is NOT FINISHED.

He snarls and twists and turns as more magic and claws rip open holes from which bright light and black blood pour. Shrike would watch the bizarre sight of each peck and scratch linger for mere seconds before they closed and opened elsewhere on his body. The energy is both healing him rapidly and tearing him apart.

Saran'zol screamed as the beam of white light hit directly in the face. For a moment, it looks as if he's finally been blinded as he reared back, but then a burst of sparks and light overtook his face, stitches back his eyes and the skin and bone. For a second, Saran'zol glared at Fahl, righted again. But then the light burst from his cheek, sending him staggering to the side as the energy that had just been used poured out of his faltering body. Leaving behind bloodless bone as part of his skull was exposed, Saran'zol swept forward, still fighting. Still holding on.

Other spells that hit had similar effects - Audland's cursed flame on his shoulder quickly healed but then light burst from his back as a plate was blown off. The ice that gathered on his leg quickly melted only for a scar of light to appear on his ribs. And then his own swing, parried perfectly, was thrown back and buried in his neck. He gurgled as blood welled in his mouth. He ripped the blade out, the skin stitching itself back up under a spray of sparks, but then from his chest, dangerously close to his Oilstone, another wound opened.

He shrieked, barely conscious, and threw himself forward, still fighting, still going until the very end.

"I̵̻̭̿̿̕ ̶̞̞̮̳̫̖̯̯̃̀̀̂À̵͕̻̹̩̫̖̍͝M̸͚̒̎̈́ ̸̨̤͚̠͗̉Ǹ̴̨͔̘̻͙̬͆̒̆͂͘̕͠Ǫ̷̝̗̦̣͛̍͒͜Ṭ̶͇̣̳͚͔̼̂́̉̊̀ ̵̫̈́F̶̤̀̿̚İ̸̛͍͆̋̋͐͠N̵͇̳̠̂͐ͅI̸̛͕̬̼̔̑̆S̵̭̗̜̠̳̒̄͑H̷̦͔͇̹̞̫̗̻̾̓̽Ȅ̸̳͙͇̳̗̉̓D̴͉͉̎̇̃̇̕̚͜ͅ!̶͔͚̞̓́͌́̏!̷̫͈̰͑͘"

Gaheris was his target. That one had repelled his attacks, blasted him, and had suffered no consequences. He would ensure it did this time. The first of the blade swings went to him, while the other went to Fahl. The arm reached out as well, grabbing for him again. It wasn't the same blind as before, but a grab, just without the poisoned claws.

At the same time, energy surged from him once again, stronger, this time, as if he were no longer holding any power back, a wave hurtling towards some of the nearby gembound - particularly Phelix, Relic, Gaheris, and Nidhogg were in danger.

HE WAS NOT DONE.