Vore Tribes

[SakuraHanaryuu]

(Good note of the Rasha's chi vision, they would be able to detect Marx's link to his shadows.)

*Marx's onslaught was not as effective as he'd hoped, these buildings were Hakaam bone structures and partially resistant to acidic attacks, the Hakaam themselves were also equally resistant to this type of offencive, but due to the darkness infusion in the acid they would still be harshly burned by it, the other species however, were slaughtered as instantly as he expected*.

"I adore your spirit fledgling battle-god, but War is carefully laid out and I will not be forced into surrendering my secrets with simple mindless genocide...death will come to these folk with time and with their deaths in war they shall return to my loving jaws...still your effort is delightful and your method of combat quite charming, you've culled quite a portion of little Ghistras capital 'property' mhmhm she will be very cross, she was planning to renegotiate trade but after this...I do believe she'll want you dead...as for taking Solara, you may want to reconsider, your allies are right beside the light goddess and she has gobbled up leviathans far grander than you on a whim...can you calculate a victory in these odds...I wonder."

*Archadia was obviously toying with Marx, of course she was a stranger to him, they met only moments before his rampage began...yet she'd also given him some solid advice, and without asking a toll, the memory of the first time Archadias name had been dropped before him awoke in Marx's mind, it was Ghistra who said*,
"-Archa gorges herself on our war, and makes efforts to prolong the struggle. Constantly switching her favor to the weakest link...I had forgotten her cruelty, dangling salvation before us when we need it most only to deny victory when we near it..."

"Hmhmhm, yes little Joldan, you will not have my aid long...in truth you have little choice but to heed my logic, for I am the world little one, the air you poison, the wind you ride, the sky and land and all you see, it is all me, it is all Archadia. I will grant you this alone, save your allies from Soveras feast, and I will give you the knowledge you need to collect your goddess. Fail, and I will laugh as you both digest in the gluttons fat belly. Show me your skill in warcraft, earlier you imagined yourself worthy of slaying me...I am Daring you to prove you have the potential"

[Arthotus]

Marx had given himself to his murderous rage, to the cold slowly burning flame that simply wanted to reduce it all to ruin for the sake of it.

There was little response to the goddess of wars teasing, but unlike some berserker, there was still intellect within Marx. An utterly remorseless, killing focused mind that still possessed all the knowledge, skill and intelligence the Joldan had normally shown.

He had already understood he had no chance against the light Goddess, but the goddess of the beginning and end saying it aloud seemed to convert it to fact, her condition becoming law.

Ghistra....yes, the Fox would be angry. She might even emerge to attack him personally. She'd threatened much the same during their conversations.

He finally responded, a little mechanically, "Insufficient payment available for negotiations. No Territory, no Gold, One Soul." Relisting his inability to pay for information with anything but carnage. Unfortunately, he wasn't in much of a state to make future promises, not that Marx normally would considered a concept like 'debt' to be a thing he could use to curry Archadia's favour. Still, hope and despair weren't a thing he could feel currently. He only looked at the facts. She had mentioned Ghistra, had warned of her attack, which meant there was some hint in that. Either his display had appeased her enough to pull that tidbit from her, or she was intent on using him to sway the tide of victory no matter what he offered.

"Ghistra and Solara both will learn I am not simply a beast." He assured her.

His mind was focused now, he had a plan. Solara had to be overcome or at the very least distracted before he could continue his rampage, and he had just the distraction. The huge cloud of miasma he had spewed forth rushed more quickly through the streets now, as his wings began to flap and carry him higher. He moved with more speed now, moving even faster towards Solara. The maisma still burned and pillaged, but only by proxy. it rushed like a wave, still killing many, who choked and died in the thick fog of death, but Hakaam, with their resistance could weather it as his shadows leapt past them, taking to the rooftops and following after their master.

His deep, booming voice echoed across the roof tops, "Well done Ghistra! Marvellous indeed! You have provided quite a banquet for me and the other disciples of Torarie! I appreciate your assistance in luring so many healthy souls for our plunder! However did you fool Solara into agreeing to this? Her forces are like grass before us!"

Solara, who had been chasing his allies, hadn't been witness to the initial part of his rampage, but now she would witness his Miasma rush around her, swirling around his allies without touching touching them, all while melting and killing her servants, and the rockbitters, but leaving the Hakaam relatively untouched. His shadows would also leap upon her minions, but leave the Hakaam alone, hopping away from their attacks. His plan was obvious. Turn Solara against Ghistra. As the only other, full God present, she'd make the most fitting opponent for the light Goddess, even if she didn't want to.

"Come out and Join us in our feast upon her forces! Why shouldn't the architect enjoy this grand celebration?" He finally fluttered before his allies and Solara, feigneing surprise, "Oh! Solara, I didn't realize you were so close." His Miasma would swirl around her, creating more of a smoke screen than hoping to have any effect. He stayed well away from her though, the warning of her strength clearly heard. Torarie had said she was an idiot though, so it seemed like a solid enough plan. That wasn't his only plan though, but for anything more he needed Ghistra to show herself.

[Bright]

OOC: Sabrina is in the Death Planes, Jul and Minoa is somewhere in the city and Voide is missing. Is that correct?

IC:
"And here I thought we actually had a good trade agreement going on, but nooo. Every bloody god has to come up with their own agenda to screw over everyone else in the pantheon." Jul complained as he raised a stone wall to block anyone from following them down a particular street. It would only block the pursuers for a limited time and only in that direction, but there was limits to what he could do whent he whole city was against them.

[SakuraHanaryuu]

*Not knowing of the promise Archadia had made to Marx, Solara looked at the miasma and made an expression like a chipmonk that just ate a lemon for the first time*, "RETREAT! THE FOX LIED!" (Humility means she values her underlings above all else and will pull out if their threatened in any way)

*In moments the forces turned tail and fled while Solara remained beating those hundred wings so hard, the resulting wind repelled the dark miasma, keeping a huge area clear of the stuff while hundreds of tiny needles of light shot from her wings with every beat laying stinging bolts all over Marx and the area around him. Leaving no room to evade, in moments Marx would feel himself going numb and his wings slowing as if the light were a poison. In doing this though Solara had turned and stopped in her tracks, letting the acolytes gain much needed distance and a reprieve from the onslaught of foes, now only having to deal with them from one direction--forward.*
-=-=-=-=-

*With the fleeing Acolytes, Rin had clearly had enough, her mushroom split in the front and pealed to the sides revealing her face with twin seals depicting red apples on the exposed underside of the mushroom, this made her head take on the shape of a samurai helmet or 'Kabuto', Her tail suddenly straightened out and slowly yapped out a very long wooden Odachi (the japanese version of a claymore, see below) Once the blade was out Rin took it in her tail claw and swept away foe after foe combining kicks and swings. The blade did cut a little but it struck more like an axe, goring whatever she struck harshly and sending them flying away with terrible injuries. However she once thrusted the blade clean through a pursuing Hakaam before proceeding to devour the opponent like a noodle slurping her foe up with ease even in battle, Hanaryuu did prey on Hakaam after all, strangely though, Rin's belly did not bulge at all, several more were eaten and still no bulge from the armless anthropomorphic Hanaryuu. Rin would turn to Minoa, cutting away an attacking Rasha, of course being blind she didn't need to look back, she may have been showing off or perhaps she was simply feeling a kinship to Minoa.*
-

Odachi Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uniz_svSSQ

[Sabi1]

As soon as they hit the ground Minoa and the rest started charging forward. Her three Hana leading the charge acting like blockers, using their considerable strength to plow through any that would stand in their way or attempt to slow them down.

"Jul, can you make the road behind us jagged and sharp? Coat the tips in shadow? If she's intent to chase us let her rake her belly over the jagged edges as she does!" Minoa called out as they continued to run like a QuickTime scene from a video game.

Luckily though Minoa wasn't in as much of a disadvantage as it may seem... Being a young succubus and empathic, the city was full of energy to feed on, especially in such a chaotic state with emotions raging and running high, it was practically a never ending buffet, so her strength and energy was only growing the longer things went. Still, she was a bit lost in the chaos as well, the adrenaline fueled escape not doing much for forming a plan. What should she do? What COULD she do? They'd only ever truly fought one god before...

Her mind recalled the battle with Doma... Right... There were things she could do, and now that she had her disciples as well as the energy of the city she was feeding off of, this time she might even stand a chance...

Her shadow serpents shot down into the ground racing back behind her before reaching up quickly to hook into the underside of Solara's tail. Just like with Doma before they were serving to hold the goddess back, as well as beginning to drain off some of her power and send it to Minoa.

Ok, so that might serve to slow her down a little, but what else? A light goddess, how do you actually hurt her? As she continued to keep pace, using her four hair serpents to see what was going on around her, she began to fire shadow bolts at Solara, using her exceptional skill to aim for her eyes.

Then she remembered something else about the fight with Doma... The poison, the scorched Earth... If that wasn't a mark of darkness then she didn't know what was... Could she do that? It couldn't have come from the cheetah side of things, that had to be based off her naga venom, and Minoa was highly venomous, so yeah! Yeah, she could do that! She could scorch this land with her own poison cloud and create an area of darkness that should weaken Solara!!!

"You guys keep running ahead, I'm gonna try something and I don't know how it's gonna work!" She called out to Jul and the rest as she opened her mouth wide again, her huge fangs flicking down, her serpents each did the same. Drops of venom began to fall down from their fangs to their tongues before something almost like a spark occurred, they began to hiss, as they did a gas began to emerge, shooting out of each of her mouths into the surrounding areas around her.

The effect wasn't nearly as massive or instantaneous as Doma's wrath had been, but it was still strong. Mortals who came into contact with the gas would quickly find it sapping away any energy they had, if they didn't escape quickly enough it would leave them a drained and lifeless husk. Her poisonous cloud was beginning to carve a trail of deadly darkness around her as she continued to draw in the chaotic energies around her, usuing it to fuel her efforts further.

Considering even Patia and Torarie had difficulty when Dhoma used this attack before, she hoped this could be the move that would tip things in their favor. Unlike Marx though, Minoa didn't care if Hakaam were hurt or Ghistra got angry, the little fox was a traitor and she would love the opportunity to feast on her herself if it were presented for putting her family in danger.


-----------------------

Meanwhile, Sabrina kept watch over the floral naga children. Even if Marx hadn't left them behind, she would have told him to because she knew that was the best course of action. Keeping the kids safe, and not having to worry about her or them being in the way so he could truly do whatever it took to win. She activated her shield tech and drew her two pistols, keeping an eye out for any creatures that might become curious or approach, there was no way she was gonna let anything bad happen to her slutty little adopted sister's kids, if nothing else, she would make sure all of them survived.

[Arthotus]

Marx growled as the poisonous light invaded his body. His wings slowed and he began to descend towards the ground, but he was far from finished.

"Retreat? The only place your people are going is to Oblivion!"

Dark portals opened and his Miasma, as it was swept back by Solara, began to emerge behind her, washing over her servants once again. Indeed, his body was still spraying the sentient gas, feeding off the food his shadows were still feeding him, but he had already created an enormous amount of it, washing through the streets from all sides.

The shadows made no attempt to attack Solara, not yet, anyway, still waiting and looking for Ghistra.

Marx plummeted to the ground, but instead of smashing into the street, he dropped into shadow like it was a deep pool of water. Miasma still poured up and out of the dark circle like it was a sulphur pit. His voice echoed to Solara, the gas itself reverberating with his threats, "If you're so intent on digesting my goddess, you'll pay with the lives of everyone you've brought here today. Spit her up though, and perhaps you'll be able to save a few! Mwahahahaha!" A small shadow portal opened above the goddess and dropped the half melted remains of one of her chi dragons onto her, then another, and another, pelting her with a rain of her dead children.

(The Chi dragons are hers right? Just making sure because Marx would know.)

If she tried to advance on him, on his shadow, the gas would stop, the circle of darkness that indicated his position would dissipate, and then would reappear a distance away, still in sight, miasma bubbling up from it again, taunting her from outside her reach, hiding in the shadows before her. He couldn't move his body very well, definitely not well enough to walk or fly, but he could still swim through the shadows, since this body was effectively made of shadows itself. It was physical, crafted from the corpses of those he devoured in his cocoon, but the glue that held it all together was darkness.

If she rained him in more attacks of light, it would merely disperse his connection to that section of shadows, forcing him to move rather than doing him any harm. He couldn't affect the Goddess of light with anything, but he could retreat faster than she advanced with Torarie in her belly.

"You'll have to speed up or all these tasty snacks will be goooone. Torarie is so filling, isn't she? It's a shame you can't shield your followers with your own stomach, since it's already quite occupied. " He taunted her everyway he could think of, trying to get her to release the shadows goddess, still pelting her with the mostly melted carcasses of her forces.

[Sabi1]

As Marx' taunting of the goddess intensified, Minoa saw an opportunity...

The two had been challenging the goddess separately, but her poisonous gas, combined with his portals... they could spread darkness over the city even faster! She hoped that her gas wouldn't affect her fellow acolytes since they shared many of the same traits and affinities being from the same Goddess, but she wasn't entirely sure. If any of them could handle it though, it would be Marx, he could either make sure to divert the gas away from himself, or use a shadow shield to keep himself protected if he needed to.

"Marx! Use your portals to spread my darkness!" She called out hoping he would hear her through one of his miasma portals. Her plan shared with him, she continued to bellow out the deadly dark gas which was radiating out around her creating a circle of darkness. If Marx helped spread it throughout his network though, they could have half the city covered in no time at all.

[Arthotus]

One of his shadows dropped before her, one which seemed to have two normal arms. Clasped in its hand was the dagger Torarie had gifted them all, a weapon tipped with her own energies and dangerous enough to wound a god. It held out that dagger to her, wordlessly, a shadow unable to speak.

If she took it the shadow would leap upon her, slithering up her arm and molding itself around her like a coat, the shadows Arletto's suddenly under her control. It was a small connection to Marx, and it didn't allow control of his gas or his portals, but it gave her mental access to him, like peaking through a tiny window. It let her feel where he was creating portals and when his gas flowed, allowing her to match it's movements with her own, doubling down on the potency by combining their effects.

It was troubling though, that Minoa would feel neither love nor loyalty coming from the bug. He wanted ONLY to kill all before him, with the subtle undercurrent of freeing Torarie. To that effect, he didn't even see her as an ally, as his sister anymore. He ignored her plea and continued on his own. Why would he give her this shadow then?

The shadows itself was the answer. It had a different tone, not quite as mindlessly subservient to Marx as the others. With her empathic abilities, she would feel Marx' affection, his loyalty, his passion for Sabrina, for herself, and everything that made him more than the killing machine he was now, wrapped tightly into this fractured shadowy piece of his soul. He had wrapped up himself, his thoughts and feelings, and entrusted them to her. The Marx attacking the city was a monster, pure and simple, and she now held what might be the only way to bring him back from that state of pure murder. It was likely that his gas had only spared them as part of the ruse to fool Solara, otherwise, the toxic, melting fumes would have attacked them just the same.

Minoa also got a pair of shadowy limbs in the meantime, fully under the serpent succubus's control. They were very much like her own snakes, only a fixed length and tipped in blades rather than a snake's head.

[Sabi1]

(Just a quick reaction to last post as obviously now the rest remains to be seen how Solara and Ghistra will react to the clouds of darkness the two are infecting the city with. Marx' acidic gas, combined with Minoa's poisonous gas that mimics the cursed effects of Dhoma's... that is gonna be one deadly cloud of darkness swallowing up the city.

With the acid cloud weakening defenses, and the poison cloud using those openings to seep in and infect anything it touches to start draining their energy I think it's safe to say even the Hakaam with their fancy bone armor are in serious trouble right now. )

Minoa took the offered blade, of course, and was indeed surprised and confused by what it all meant, why he wasn't immediately helping, but it didn't matter, she'd figured it out quick enough, she at least had a link to his portals, which meant she could start pouring in her darkness regardless.

As if the portals Marx had already created weren't dangerous enough, now with her combined output they became something even more gruesome, a smoldering pit of Hell on Earth that practically guaranteed anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in, or even NEAR one, wasn't going to make it away alive.

The success of this plan would have mixed results for Minoa though, whereas the prior chaos was feeding her with an almost unlimited supply of fear, anger, and other volatile emotions from the people in the city, the further their influence spread and the more death they brought, the less people there would be to feed on, so at some point she would have to start drawing on her own reserves again. Hopefully by that point though, they'd have achieved their goals.

[Bright]

(Wow, you guys are terrifying.)


Jul followed the suggestions of Minoa, making the rocky path behind them jagged and sharp. Anyone going through would have to be careful or they might get impaled.

[SakuraHanaryuu]

*Upon her own peoples mangled remains being dropped on her, Solara actually oppend her maw and began feasting on them as well, desperately devouring any of them she could find and indeed weeping, tears of light dancing in her eyes before she roared, "STOP AT ONCE", *while all of her feathery scales stood on end and birds of light shot from her body in all directions, merely passing through either poison cloud banished the venoms and toxins on contact, the birds growing larger and larger until they became great white phoenix's at which point they turned around and aimed for Marx and Minoa then with a single flap covered the entire distance no matter how far, crashing into them at lightspeed and exploding in a cascade of blinding hardlight pellets, scorching their bodies and hammering them both over the ground*

"You are right on all accounts fiend...my sister is a burden...but her delicacy I cannot deny myself...but my people do belong in my stomach...since you have eaten them...YOU SHALL BE CONSUMED AS WELL", *Solaras belly suddenly flattened as she flexed and twisted her body, desperate and alone, Solara now thin and lith, shot after marx right through three bone buildings leaving scorching holes in the shape of her body in them, as she grabbed his face her claws searing their prints into his armor as she melted straight into it*, "Your shadow is strong youngling, but my rays have contended with Torarie for eons, and hers is many shades blacker, I- OMPH", *Torarie had delivered a huge hit to the light goddess's insides, with her muscles tightened she could damage her body from her own position and Solara dropped onto all fours with Marx's head still in her claw as she retched up several olympic pools of water, and half of Toras body, however the glutton bit down and horked Tora back inside with little resistance to her intense gusto. The dark goddess vanishing into a surprisingly thin belly.*

*Huff-THUMP-UAGH*, "heh the struggles the fun part...now then, you next", *Solara was readying to send Marx to join his master, she wasn't too sure about this the only reason she hadn't retreated herself was to keep her underlings safe and to collect their souls from Marx here, she made a mental note to flee immediately with her spoils after eating this big bug.*

[Arthotus]

The light bird banished the entire area of shadow, drawing Marx from them. He cursed that trick, never having been drawn out of shadows so completely before, but thankfully the light pheonix blazed out in it's singular attack. He couldn't sink back into the shadows in time before Solara seized him.

Marx laughed in her face, even as she hoisted him up, "You'll never feel their warmth again, fool!" The Golden Mask covering Marx face shattered explosively, quite literally sending chunks of slowly fading molten gold into Solara's face and mouth. Torarie had bought him the time with her struggles to enact plan B.

His huge form crumbled and decayed rapidly, and his real form erupting out the back and dropped into a shadow portal immediately, even before it actually emerged from the moth 'husk', popping out a short distance away. Close enough that she could assume she could rush him again. He was much, much faster now, and not slowed down by her light poison anymore, have retaken his normal body. He also had his crystalline armor on again, and his techno-shadow armor kicked in a top that, layering him against anymore obnoxious attacks. His basic plan was to draw her into chasing him, and give Torarie more opportunity to attack from within. That seemed to hurt Solara at least.

His voice echoed over the span, "You've yet to taste me! Gloat only in Victory Pompous light goddess!" He continued to taunt her, knowing Minoa was already draining her strength. The more she focused on him, the longer Minoa could draw strength from her. They only had to weaken her enough for Torarie to claw her way free, not enough to truly defeat her. The enormous shadow Balista appeared on Marx' back and he began to launch three meter long shadow bolts towards the goddess of light. Each exploded on impact, vicious noxious explosions of Shadow that ripped through anything they hit. He tipped each with a touch of his divine magic, to give them true weight in their attacks against Solara.

His shadow around Minoa vanished, as it's power was drawn back to Marx with his true form, but it still left the dagger with her. Marx wouldn't have a chance to use it anyway, not in his attempt to maintain distance. Whenever she attacked, he faded into a shadow portal and re-emerged a short distance away in a random direction, leading her in circles. He had absorbed hundreds, possibly even thousands of victims in his shadow form, and his body was quickly converting any energy he hadn't used to make miasma into additional magic energy to keep up his efforts. He could keep up his barrage for quite a while, assuming she didn't catch him somehow, which was probably possible, but his movements had a touch of Sabrina's swiftness to them, drawing on her traits a bit to increase his speed. Even if it was only annoying, he would continue, for Minoa and the others to continue their efforts, but especially Minoa's strength drain.

[SakuraHanaryuu]

*Minoa would drain, and drain, and drain Solara, but even as she did Solaras spiritual well just kept filling up, so swiftly that she didn't even notice the drainage on her body. The Naga would swiftly find her own reservoirs filled to bursting if she did not use the energy she received or store it in something else, after all even the gods had their limits, a lesson Torarie had told them in their magic training in Olshinzis domain.*

*The tables would swiftly turn on Marx though, after his Moth husk collapsed into a cloud of poison, stripped of souls, and he struck Sovera with those umbral ballistas, he actually managed to draw the goddess's blood, three puncture wounds, as if she were impaled with the tips of arrows, were left on her body, two on her right shoulder, and one squarely over her heart, the golden blood of a god seeping out. When Sovera looked down to see her own blood her expression changed from desperation, to rage.*

"YOU ACTUALLY THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY", *perhapse seeing her own blood jerked what little pride the goddess of humility had, but she was clearly Pissed, Solara held out her claws and flaired her wings while shutting her two eyes before opening seven of them, much like Torarie she had one big eye in the middle of her face and multiple smaller ones surrounding it, though her eyes were a blazing titanium white. The eyes instantly locked onto Marx be he within shadow or even between portals as she aimed her palms at the next portal in the jump and overlapped a Light gate with its end, from there she simply oppened her maw to the sky and formed the end of the gate above her. There was no escaping this, the trap happened so fast there just wasn't any reaction time. The mighty Joldan had put up more fight than any Demon the light goddess had ever met, but his consumption was inevitable, and in three huge jerks of her jaws, she gobbled him down and sent him into her cavernous depths with his master...yet her expression was still so bitter, clearly her meal had been spoilt. Next she turned to Minoa and lept through her photon gate instantly closing the distance between them.*

"Will you be devoured willingly like a good girl, or must I force you down like your brothe-", *she couldn't finish, Rin had grabbed the light goddess by the neck with only her jaws and dragged the massive wyrm to the ground rooting her feet to the bone brickways of the Hakaam capitol, From there she attempted to impale Sovera's belly with the full length of her sword, but even after lifting the goddess clean off the ground with her thrust there was no wound, Solara snared Rin and just pressed her inside her body, absorbing her whole right through her white scales as if she were a slime...but there was clearly muscle under those scales, Rins bulge within Solaras chest would be gulped down as well and vanish into the gluttonous dragons tight, flat stomach.

-=-=-=-=-[Within Solara]-=-=-=-=-

*Torarie flinched as Marx landed on top of her, the inside of her sister's belly was blindingly bright, she had to keep her eyes shut, but feeling Marx's carapace she assumed she'd either eaten her beloved, or a large mouth watering scorpion that would soon be devoured a second time to replenish Toraries swiftly draining strength*, "Marx? Is that you?...huff....are the others safe?", *Rin would soon land on top of Marx, sword and all and being unable to speak may have caused the two a bit of anxiety before Torarie realized what had happened*, "Ah...I'm sorry for getting caught unawares Marx, after our moment the other night my head was in the clouds on the way back home...my divine pig of a sister caught me by surprise at the palace entrance, and I was eaten before I could think...I never even managed to cross the city gate...huff...if wawashi wasn't keeping me going, I believe I would have bit it by now...huff...her energies as a destruction goddess are much higher than the others, as a matter of fact, their second...huff...only to Zahara."

"L-listen...it's hard to tell up from down in here, just trust your gut, and...hit this pig...as hard as you can...she won't spit us out without a huge struggle, and I'm too weak to fight back anymore, if you don't hurry, you'll be too drained to resist her as well, and we'll both be Pig chow..." *Torarie was barely moving, and if Marx was paying attention he'd notice she'd become almost skeletal in appearance, Solara was literally boiling the life force out of her in here, and whatever spiritual augments Marx might try to conjure, were instantly dissolved in this light, gobbled right up by the ravenous belly pressing in on them.*

[Sabi1]

Solara closed on Minoa quickly, it wasn't ideal, but she knew it was going to have to come to this eventually. She still had Marx blessed blade in hand, and drew her own, now wielding two of the godly weapons. She was preparing to strike, when luckily Rin intercepted. She did a good job of catching her off-guard though it was unfortunately not as successful as hoped. Still, it gave Minoa time to do what she needed...

She wrapped the end of her tail around Marx' blade, even using some shadow magic to make sure it was nice and sturdy, while keeping her own in her hands.
"Oh, I'll give you something to chew on... Open wide!" She exclaimed to Solara's taunt as she performed a quick pivoting spin, it would look like nothing much at first, if anything Solara might assume Minoa was going to try a last ditch effort to physically battle her by slapping her with her tail, but that wasn't the case, she was just building momentum for the real strike...

The tip of her tail came racing around with incredible force, the speed of her spin, the strength of her muscles, the sheer size and mass of her tail, it was like a wrecking ball swinging straight for Solara's head, though rather than a blunt impact, Marx' blade swung around, striking and sinking in with a 'shlunk' before Minoa pulled back with her tail, ripping the blade further along before finally pulling it back out.

"I am Minoa of the Atana, you've threatened and hurt my family, and I will NEVER go willingly." She growled to Solara before opening her mouth wide and revealing her fangs again, she let out a loud threatening hiss, that was accompanied by an empathic burst. Just like earlier in the throne room, the energy released actually carried physical effects. It would hit Solara like a true physical impact, similar to how Rin had just charged her moments ago. Her shadow serpents then shot downward, before springing back up again from various positions, two directly to Solara's sides, two from behind, each one striking to hold her in place and continue draining energy to fuel Minoa for the fight. Her hair serpents began to spew the poisonous gas again. Perhaps being this close it might have a better effect, even if it didn't it could serve as a distraction to conceal some of her movements and strikes.

She continued to swipe, this time using both blades, alternating her strikes, delivering a powerful tail blow before quickly lunging in for a swipe from her dagger before hopping back again for another quick spin followed by another walloping tail strike plunging Marx' dagger deep within again before ripping it back out. "Sabrina's right, you God's don't care who you hurt or how the things you do affect anyone else! You claim to be a goddess of light but you would threaten my family, my babies?! With that traitorous fox! Oh, after we're done with you she'll regret ever having set eyes on us! I'll devour her myself as you watch from Torarie's belly while Marx and the rest devour your people AND the Hakaam!!!" She exclaimed, her movements becoming faster, her strikes becoming stronger and more fierce, she was using her collective rage and stolen energy to push her already impressive strength and fighting prowess to levels she'd never even considered before. If the three inside Solara continued to fight, the rest of the acolytes joined in, in some way, and Nala joined in to deliver a few powerful blows with her own blessed weapons as well, it might finally be enough to get Tora and the rest back out, or provide enough backup to cut them out, Minoa didn't particularly care either way. As the others had seen multiple times now the gorgon didn't take threats to her family lightly, in fact they tended to spark her true warrior's side, which Solara was now facing though also enhanced by the massive amounts of energy she'd stolen and the emotions she'd gathered from the city in chaos around her.

( Heh, if it were a video game it'd almost be like Minoa's entered frenzy mode or hyper, ultra, whatever mode a game might say for that brief bit of time where you can just mash the buttons and destroy whatever's in your way. That's where her succubus form comes in handy, as long as there's a source of energy or emotion to feed on, she's got the energy to keep going. Though now that she's going all out, using each technique all at once it's gonna be draining faster than she can take it in so hopefully someone's gonna be able to figure a way out soon. Archadia should be enjoying the show though, their world's version of an Amazon or Valkyrie going up against a light goddess in close combat, that's not the kind of show you get to see every day. )

[Arthotus]

Marx was consumed before he had almost any chance to react, and he landed a top Torarie with almost a spring in his step.

Before she had even breathed a word his tail stabbed into the wall around him. The blade was physical and shadow, and no light could dispell ituntil his last breath rattled from his body.

It was only after his first strike at the walls around him that he saw her condition, but he had discarded his compassion at the moment. His cold murderous fury was still going strong, and he moved fluidly into what was next.

"You're spent," he told her flatly as he opened his jaws and began to take her into himself. He gulped her down quickly, cramming her inside with little regard for her comfort. She was finished, he might as well take her himself. Through his mental connection, as he gulped her down, he urged her one more time, his loyalty to her the only emotion left outside hatred for everything living.

"Use me. Use my body. I consume you now, but your blood runs through my viens. Take this body as I take yours and strike back at your thrice damned sibling. I am yours Mistress, not hers. Use my body and my soul to plot a way out of this and save the other acolytes!" It was clear that he had absolutely no problem giving everything he had to her. Everything. His tone was that of her Lord, not a servant. That was his command to her, his first and possibly his last.

Once safely inside his stomach, Torarie would feel all the energy he had stored shared with her. He hadn't had almost any chance to use it after shedding his shadow form. She was also shielded from the light of Solara by his crystal clad body. The heavy chunks of brittle rock were shielding him wonderfully, but they wouldn't hold out long, not in the belly of a Goddess. Still perhaps putting Torarie back in some shadow would get her head back on her shoulders, or at least pull her head out of her own ass. Until she did something though his bloated body stabbed and struck at the walls around him, decidedly more pointed than probably any meal the light Goddess had ever had. 8Arletto's, two massive Crab like claws, his massive tail blade, and even his 'human' hands were bladed and he scratched those too across whatever surface he could reach. He pushed Rin down to below his stomach, so as to give her her own space to attack without his many blades hitting her. He didn't care for her safety, but another striking back at Solara was a good thing for him.

[SakuraHanaryuu]

*In the end it was not Marx, Torarie, or Rin that halted the light goddess, if Minoa hadn't used the occult daggers, they would have been doomed within Solaras belly, in truth there was nothing any of them even the Goddess of Mystery could have done to escape this pit of ultimate gluttony. With the first stab Minoa made straight to Solaras head, their victory was secured, the light goddess was preocupied keeping the three inside her and lost focus figuring shed just grab the tail in her jaws and slurp this impudent naga up like the rest...by the time she saw the Soul-Stealing Dagger wrapped in the tip, it was too late, the blade was planted all the way inside her skull, clean up to the hilt and her eyes slid away from each other she couldn't even get out a scream, her snout wrinkled up as she took a few steps back her legs wobbling under her own weight as her belly bloated out beneath her, her muscles unable to hold their flex as her maw fell open and just melted right off of her frame, the daggers magic was reserved only for Gods, it was an ultra specialized tool, and this was its truest function, when thrust into the mind of a god, it sealed their influence entirely, meaning Solaras avatar was falling apart on her. The Light goddess's fallen jaw continued to tear her throat away when the tear reached her chest, a white star flew from her body shooting into the sky, and the life faded from her eyes, everything else that happened was just her corpse trying to cling to its precious life.*

*And then the tearing reached her belly, spilling its contents of liquid light and freeing those she'd eaten. As the corpse continued backing up it tried to whine but with no throat, it couldn't even make a sound...instead there came a thousand cries, her people the Sovala, wailed beyond the gates of Cascordia feeling the loss of their mother and goddess and chased the star that fled through the sky to the far north.*

"Thank you Marx...but it seems my daughter has accomplished what we could not...still souls a plenty, I'll help myself to all of them", *Indeed, Torarie swallowed every soul Marx had collected and her body returned to a more plump visage within him as Torarie sighed in his stomach*, "Aaah, breakfast in bed never looked so good", *shed hum to herself patting her curves ever the vain dragoness, her voice once again charming and hypnotizing*, "if you don't mind, I'd like to rest here for a bit Marx...mhmm what was with that commanding tone? You'd better feed me well to back that pomp up or these roles will reverse later...my beloved doesn't get to talk to me like that unless my belly agrees with him."

[Arthotus]

Marx rolled to his feet and shot off through the streets before he had even shaken off the light slime. This was no time to relax, there was still someone to be dealt with. Not that the current Marx ever thought there would be a time to relax.

He leapt through the air, snatching his dagger from the skull of the still dying body of Solara, and shot off across the roof tops for the palace.

Minoa, being close to him briefly, would feel only hostility from him. It was almost as if he didn't recognize her, that he viewed her as prey to be taken down like Solara just was, but he didn't attack her because there was larger prey to track down. Ghistra. Minoa would know intimately why Marx was like that. She felt a similar urge the urge to take, to devour, to seduce and to endlessly writhe in loving embrace with everyone she met. For Marx, it was the same, but somewhat simpler. He wanted to kill everything. His only secondary objective was to save Torarie, his Master, and with that accomplished he was now fully focused on ending everything nearby.

The imsect-like demon that was Torarie's most vicious servant dashed through the streets, eviscerating everyone in his path to the palace. He lunged from the shadows, tail stabbing and slicing, Crab claws cutting any one left over to pieces, and Arletto's forming a swirling wall of death should anyone get close enough.
He didn't portal directly there because he wanted to slay and devour more Hakaam on the way. His Miasma hadn't been particularly effective against them, so while wounded, blinded, and generally burned by the living smoke, they were still alive. That meant more food and energy for him and Torarie.

He also had some suspicions about Ghistra, and why she hadn't shown her face at all during the conflict she had instigated. Ceriza, Nala'set, and Sovera were no where to be seen. Either the merchant goddess had devoured them, or they were still locked in the chaos of her throne room, the chaos he had started when Solara first showed herself.

There was also the possibility Solara had chosen Ghistras side. Marx was bloodthirsty, but not foolish, he was not going to leap into a pit of enemies he had no chance against. He tore his way through the city, but when he reached the enormous skull palace proper, he dove into the shadows, sliding through them carefully, cautiously scanning the halls for Ghistra and his fellow acolytes.

He had never responded to Torarie, and other than not trying to digest her, his stomach wasn't especially friendly this time. His body lurched and spun and squeezed as he continued his combat efforts, even with her inside him. Meals were shovelled in to her, some live, some not, but it was clear this wasn't the loving embrace she had felt last time.

[SakuraHanaryuu]

"Marx, don't overdo yourself", *Marx would feel Torarie slip from his belly and his load lightened extremely, she wasn't satisfied with her fullness but she had enough in her to remain mobile and regain her previous heft*, "Ghistra is very smart unlike my blundering Light wielding glutton, and the Tri life war has been going on for eons, since the three life goddess's were first formed, its an eternal conflict they've been waging...that said, we should leave while we can. I have a feeling Ghistras palace is designed to keep things inside much like my own style of Architecture."

*Torarie narrowed her eyes*, "I'm not sure what will happen at this point, Ghistra is spontaneous and unpredictable, there's a reason she chose fire as her ally, she may not view this situation as a betrayal to us...plus we may be able to get something from her, I'm sure she doesn't want to lose so many of her people, remember we still need workers for the construction of Evalos."

(P.S. I just finished watching the Anime "Made in Abyss" and it's spectacular! I want to use it later as the setting for the Demon Weapons arch. Essentially it's a huge pit with multiple fantastical levels each of which is a different ecosystem like something out of a dream and a mysterious curse that hurts people who try to climb back up after going down. The deeper you go the more terrible the effect of rising becomes. I'll leave a link to the 13 available episodes below, I rarely recommend others watch anime un-dubbed but this time I'm making an exception.)

Made in Abyss: http://kissanime.ru/Anime/Made-in-Abyss

[Sabi1]

Minoa was surprised, but relieved, when her attack proved to be so effective. She was prepared for a much greater struggle, but happily accepted the victory. Now though, she was torn, should she use the opportunity to escape and seek out her children, or move back in and try to finish off Ghistra? There was still an enemy in play, which meant there was still danger to be dealt with first.

Marx then rushed by her, once again trying to handle things alone. "Marx! Don't be a fool! Slow down so you don't face her alone!" She exclaimed as he passed, beginning to 'run' after him. Minoa was surprisingly quicker than most might expect, taking after the mamba (the world's fastest snake) she could actually move quite quickly, it's just that there were normally people and other obstacles in her way which required more caution when slithering around. Right now though, considering the chaos they'd already carved through the city, there was no reason to be cautious of accidently bumping into or breaking something, so she slithered after him quite quickly.

(We'll pretend Minoa was also included in Tora's little remark since she was obviously quite worked up as well and didn't really try to hide her desire for vengeance either.)

When the directive to take the moment to leave was given, Minoa glared at the entrance to Ghistra's palace, but easily turned away, having something far better to look forward to anyway. She waited for Torarie and Marx to turn around and catch up to her this time. "You know you really should have tried to work together more." She said to Marx regarding his methods, as it seemed like he was trying to do everything alone, and that didn't work particularly well in his favor. "It wasn't until we started combining efforts that things really started happening, though... considering... also might not hurt to give a little "Thank you."" She added, since her strike was the decisive blow that finally got them free. "So, where are Sabrina and the babies?" She then asked, focusing on the more important thing at the moment.

[Arthotus]

(I was watching it as it came out. The story is good, but the art style is a little grating on me. That's just me though, my fiancé loved it and she's going to read the manga the anime is based on)

Marx turned to Torarie with confusion, "Hold.... Back?" He sounded similar in tone to the robots he usually enjoyed tinkering with.

"Enemies yet breathe. Ghistra, Hakaam, Minoa, Ceriza, MORE! How can I leave?!" He listed his targets, imploring her to reconsider her command to stop. He felt no compassion or kinship at the moment, and only loyalty to her, his Master, but that was tentative, his desire to kill flooding his every thought. His murderous intent this time was not something to be sated, to be bought off with partial success. He had given himself to his urges, let them wash across his mind to hasten his action and lessen his hesitation. The only two things that could pull him from this pure, death focused frenzy were Torarie and Sabrina, and Perhaps Minoa if she could subdue the scorpion and force his less visceral emotions back to the surface.

His current mind couldn't understand Torarie's instruction. She was saying....not to kill Ghistra? But his only purpose was to serve the darkness by culling everything else. She was right to worry though. His body wasn't in the best shape, and long physically protracted battles were not his strong suit. Even as he stood before her, insisting he should go on to kill Ghistra, his legs shook from fatigue, no matter how much added energy coursed through them.

He almost completely ignored Minoa. She was an enemy, prey to be taken down when it was convenient for him. The only reason he didn't attack her yet was because he need to save his strength for Ghistra. Once Ghistra was defeated though, he would work his way through the ranks of his 'allies', fodder for him to consume now.