S: 34 So...People Die When They Are Killed?!

Landing on another island on the Scarlet Webb, the Hive watches the rest of the armada come into port. A loud squeal coming from the mast of the Scarlet's Web where Morrigan stands looking for a particular crimson haired boy. She spots him on the docks and leaps from that dizzying height straight for him and seconds before impact he catches her and swings her around. They embrace and kiss as if being apart for a generation. Orri smiles and looks into his eyes, "Missed me huh?" Drake playfully put her on his shoulder and they head towards the island. The Hive starts to gather together as Euryale looks to Anaxa, "Sister please let me destroy that, it was nauseating." Anaxa would pause for a while to fight of her instinctual reaction before finally responding, "No, Euryale. While their excessive display sickens my stomach, Orri is important to me. Do not crush this joy for her. She's waiting her entire life for it. Trust me! I hope this gross period passes soon too." They sighed in unison and regrouped. Upon reaching the couple Morrigan produced a fine wide brimmed hat from her cleavage and threw it onto Euryale's head, "You said you wanted a hat." Her sickeningly warm and sweet smile made the gorgon shudder as she mumbled a thanks. Before Morrigan could respond her and Drake felt a presence, a strong one. They excitedly look around and see a lovely woman with blonde hair, looking at her like swingers, "She is strong." Orri announced to her man, "Yeah she is, let's challenge her." He responded quickly.
 
Morrigan was still a little frustrated at the last battle and wanted a nice spar, her strong compulsion leading her to direct Drake to walk over. She ignored the odd gibberish from Anaxa claiming the woman was the wind. Orri giggled to herself, this woman wasn't wind she was super solid and standing on the ground. Anaxa is so silly sometimes, getting all paranoid for strange things like that. She was just a strong woman who hopefully would spar with Drake and Orri, their excitement getting the better of them as Orri jumped down and declared their intentions, "We want to spar with you!" Orri's bright and happy smile shining like the sun, Drake's smug toothy grin matching pace....until slowly the fiery couple began to slump and their smiles fading. The poor fighting addicted couple finding out they are on yet ANOTHER island that demands there be no fighting. Zephyria looks upon the too shaking her head as Orri spouts out, "Another island where we can't fight? There are so many!!" The high elf chimes in, "Orri...there are two..." Saying plainly hoping it would penetrate the folded plates of metal that is Orri's skull.
 
The playful and innocent tone of Orri's not so genuine anger came through, "That's WAY too man........." Suddenly Morrigan froze. Her entire body felt like solid lead, stunned in place as a massive pressure fills the air pressing down on her. The air escapes her lungs as she feels an overwhelming strength, like nothing she has ever sensed before. Every creature possesses life energy and Morrigan has learned to sense and read it over years of training and feeling the energy of others. The first being she learned to sense was her parents and family the gods of Terra and Kur, high beings of power....but in this moment Morrigan has never felt anything this strong before. Whoever held this aura was incredibly strong and was doing nothing to hide his power, it was out there for all to feel and experience. It was beyond words something Morrigan wasn't even sure possible, she was completely frozen in place her breath left her body...but it wasn't fear, but it also wasn't excitement....it was real. It wasn't evil, it wasn't malevolence.....it was just power. Her eyes went wide and she was so still, Drake noticed his love acting off, and the Hive looked at her confused. Their odd energetic friend was rooted to the spot completely motionless, and seconds later they felt why.
 
The Hive looked at Morrigan puzzled when they all finally felt what she felt, the overwhelming presence of tremendous power. Thunderous steps as a huge man approached them, his demeanor calm an anachronism to his aura. Morrigan barely made out his words as the pressure of his presence seemed to press her into the ground. A new level of power she wondered if she could come close to, but the thought of death kept creeping in her mind. She put together that he seemed to wanted to just kill the weak and start the Merian islands over again...her mind let her escape as it produced a memory from long ago....
 
The bedroom of young Morrigan was not as gloomy as the rest of the Grey Wastes, but still a a contrast to the bright bubbly personality of the child, giggling as she sat on the knee of a giant man of light. Her uncle Sham the terran god of justice and light made yet another tedious attempt to fill the child's head with reason and knowledge. Her sweet smile looked up at him and he bounced her on his knee, "Higher Uncle Sham!" He sighed and locked eyes with her, "Only after you listen, please focus little one. Some day you will go down to Gaia, and there is much you need to know, but I know your heart, you MUST know that there are some foes who cannot be reasoned with, or just want to fight for fun like you do. You will have to be a force for justice, a force to stop them, forever." The serious tone and words seemed lost on the young child. The memory washes away and is then met with a bombardment of annoyed and reprimanding voices of Anaxa and Zephyria,
"Orri! Why is this one still breathing?!"
"Morrigan you can't expect everyone to be like you, this guy was fighting to kill."
"Is this guy just knocked out?! ORRI!!!"
"NO! Why would I spare Hexter?"
"Let them go? So you can challenge them again?! That's crazy."
 
The "lesson" was slowly creeping into Morrigan's mind over the years, some people would never reform, would never become good, aren't in it just for the fun of fighting. People like King CurddledMyers.....Kruffflupuff....Krinkleminers.....The guy who is apparently doing something with the beautiful stone gift that her love wrapped around her hand. He was now a solid goal in her mind, she understood now. He was a something she couldn't ignore or forget anymore, a new venue of strength she had to reach and quickly. Destroy the weak? Morrigan couldn't allow that, the stars and the future didn't know anything. She was the daughter of the "Fate Breaker" the future wasn't written, "Kick logic to the curb and make the impossible possible!" These oracle riddles didn't mean anything....
 
He strikes against Fate, to rule over the ruins of the stars
Give not into fear
Give not into despair
Blood shall be spilled. Bones shall be shattered. Comrades fallen to his might
 
Comrades fallen to his might
Comrades fallen to his might
Comrades fallen to his might
 
Those words stuck with her, she felt that monsters murderous intent, she couldn't let it happen. Even growing up around death and the after life she still had not experienced what loss is truly like, but didn't want to experience it quite yet. Her mother told her she had a great destiny, so she would also fight fate and make the reality she wants! With her friends safe and sound. For she knew....after being told by Artemis, that the word might has two meanings, so he "might" lose.
 
After the events of the Oracle, Morrigan's mentality was a little different, her demeaner less bubbly. Drake was the first to see his loves more intense attitude. Going directly to The Blazing Chariot and instead of seeking comfort or affection Morrigan went straight into a heated sparring session. She held nothing back and fought with serious full power, Drake responded in kind leaving the two of them battered and breathless. Drake hid the exhaustion with all his might of course, after healing as best she could Morrigan demanded to go again, then again. Anaxa was the next to feel Morrigan's new resolve...or understanding. The hoplite was unprepared for her big sister to suddenly hold nothing back and hit with her full power.
 
Immediately boosting her power by transforming and landing a serious kick into Anaxa's chest sending the hoplite staggering backwards. The sweet and caring martial artist showing a serious ferocity in training, FINALLY Anaxa thought to herself, "Hmm meeting our new friend got you a little shook, eh? Finally! At long last, my big sis finally realizes the pressure that comes with fighting to protect the people and ideals that are important to us and not just ‘fighting for fun.’”
 
Orri sighs thinking about the feeling of his presence and his goals, she would do and fight anything for the people she cares about, "I always fight to protect the people I love." She motions to Anaxa, "But this is different....it's.....I think I finally understand that not everyone can be reasoned with..... perhaps not everyone should....should..... be spared...." Looking back to her childhood at all the clouds covered in malevolence.
Anaxa nearly chokes on her wine. After coughing for a minute to clear her windpipe, she stares at Orri with disbelief, “I never expected to hear you say that. Not that I disagree, mind you.”
Morrign seems to fight a little with her ideals and naive ideas, but huffs slightly knowing Anaxa may have had a point all these years. "it's not an easy thing to say, but he reminds me of the souls we used to keep in cages...the really bad ones....and what if no one else can fight him."
“For the sake of all free Merians, King Krodelophon must die.” Jogging her memory on what Orri has revealed about the underworld, Anaxa asks, “You mean those souls that are too Malevolent to be cleansed by beer and return?”
Orri seems sad at the revelation, but still determined, "Some souls take a long time, and a lot of work. before he hurts any of you, I'll take his soul home myself if I have to!"
Anaxa laughs. “You’re talking about Zephy, Calliope, and Edea, right? The admiral and I don’t mind being roughed up.” She then changes her tune to be a bit more somber. “Listen…I may have put a lot of extra pressure on you by saying YOU needed to be the one to take him down due to his ability to sever the rest of us from magic. But that was before the prophecies from the oracle and Lord Shade. I…I think my place might be right beside you, magical gear be damned. So…so you won’t actually be doing this alone.”
“No, you have a son and that kingdom island thingy, I’ll do it. He is way too powerful. I can’t quite tell if he is as strong as my mother..but....”
“I can’t let you fight him alone!” Anaxa snaps in anger. “I won’t. If my blood needs to spill, I accept my fate. Besides…there is no more worthy way to die than beside respected warriors.”
Orri turns on her a hint of scared anger in her voice and her eyes start to water, “NO! None of you are falling and that’s that!….I can’t…”
“In great battles, some people always die. That is just the reality of war. Growing up, I got to know many brave soldiers. They protected Serethon time and time again. I thought they were invincible. But one day, none of them came back. Our people remained free because these soldiers paid the price of that freedom with their blood, but I lost a lot of dear friends that day. None of us want the people who mean the most of us to die, but that is why it’s so important for us to remember their deeds so their stories will never be forgotten. I don’t plan to fall easily. But this is the path that I’ve chosen for myself. I will fight beside you to the death.” Anaxa looking down at the "satyr with an attempt at a comforting smile.
“You’re going to have your stories, and you’re going to tell them yourself, I’ll make sure of it.” Orri seems to be having trouble, growing up around “death” but she has never actually lost anyone, or known what actual lose is, not realizing Artamis was demonic creature and would not pass like a normal dog. Many children's first lesson in death.
“You’ve never lost anyone, have you?” Anaxa asks growing more concerned. “Well, it’s perfectly natural to feel this way. Like I said, I don’t plan on dying. I may lose an arm or two, but I will continue biting till we achieve victory. Would this make you feel better?” Anaxa opens her arms wide gesturing for a hug. Looking surprised and hopeful, Morrigan's new serious demeanor softens as she silently moves closer and hugs Anaxa, leaning into the giant warrior. Anaxa presses Orri’s head into her breastplate and starts stroking her hair. In contrast to her normal crushing hug, the hoplite is oddly gentle. She says nothing for a long while, her heartbeat and breathing steady, as the hoplite takes in some comfort for herself.
Her eyes still a little watery from these revelations and emotions, silently being the receiver of comfort for once. The bright young woman desperate to comfort and spread joy stood silent in the hoplite's arms being comforted.