Battle for the Immortal Gem

"I found it first Marasmuss, I'm sure there are other items of interest for you to find," says Toltive "We both know that nothing in there will compare to what you have in your satchel," says Marasmuss as he dons a pair of crimson gauntlets and wraps his right arm in a yellow and green talisman with a symbol of clasping hands encircled by vines. "Marasmuss, it is mine to claim and you do not want to take the gamble to try and take it from me," Toltive says while fingering the cracked wooden hilt of his shortsword, "and we both know how destructive about would be on this land." Marasmuss clenches his right fist and vines of ember engulf his arm. "The earth is beneath us shall be worthwhile collateral to obtain that gem." The ground heaved beneath him and he rose on a pillar while he whips out his flaming vines towards Toltive's left leg. A light shines from Toltive's blade, transforming into the image of itself slicing the vines before they could ensnare him. The light extended into the image of a young soldier clad in a light breastplate and donned with a modest helm. The ethereal figure takes a defensive stance in front of Toltive and continues to take the brunt of Marasmuss's assault. Toltive draws out a glass eye, holding it out with his right hand. A black fog begins to culminate in front of him as a screen between him and his adversary. It grows to a towering shadow that dwarfs the pillar Marasmuss stands upon. He motions for Freyda and Steive to emerge from their hideout within the broken keep. "Grab the gem and get back to town. I think he expects me to be alone." He whispered. "What about you? How will you return and can you even escape him?" asks Steive. "Despite hies disposition, Marasmuss does not want to kill me. Once I give him enough of a show I will either find a way to incapacitate him or I will surrender. Once he realizes I have accomplices far beyond his reach, he will back accept his lost. This is just business to him," replies Toltive. Stieve and Freyda circle around to the other side of the hill. "I'll keep us hidden" said Freyda. She lays her hands on the hill and Steive and took a few short breaths. Blades of grass began to sprout from her fingertips across her arm and then unto Steive until they were both covered in foliage in every crevice of their bodies. "I don't think the tickling of my crack was necessary for concealing our escape," protests Steive, "Expediated growth is not as controllable as your trimmed hedges and coverage trumps comfort in this context," Freyda says. They depart and head back to town abandoning the cart and its beast of burden. "I have more inconspicuous methods to hasten our retreat, Toltive will bring her back Steive" Steive nods and follows Freyda's lead. Marasmuss begins to lose patience; he lowers his pillar and plunges his gauntlets into the earth. He then shakes a foot thick sheet of the earth like a dusty floormat creating a wave of stone and dirt to flow through the veil and slamming into the hill. The dust settles and the fog thins, but Toltive is nowhere to be seen. Marasmuss looks down and looks up. In the sky, Toltive flies on cut stone, clutching the schematics of the flying city in his right hand. Soaring overhead he draws a double-edged blade about the length of his palm. The hilt is polished deer antlers and has a tag tied above the pommel. The tag reads "KS27". He lands 1 foot behind Marasmuss and without unsheathing it from its leather blade guard, Toltive flicks his wrist three times and three crimson lines appear across Marasmuss's neck. "This blade does not need to add you to its count," warns Toltive. Marasmuss threw down his gauntlets and unwrapped the talisman, letting it flap down to the ground. "Since when did the library loan out the blades used by assassins?" he asks. "I actually just recovered it for the library. The fool thought he was invincible. Just another power-hungry channeler who fails to understand the fundamentals," Toltive replies. The three red lines disappear. "I think it is best that we conclude our business another time. I have a delivery to make." "Yes... it's over" he says inching just out of the KS's effective range. He suddenly flares his hands and an eruption of sparks fly out dazing Toltive. He runs back to the entrance of the keep. He stretches out a triangular sail marked with a crimson wave inside a bronze circle. A mighty wind billows like storms on the high seas, launching Toltive a hundred yards away. Then he pulls out a piece of chalk held in a bronze case and begins drawing out an occultic circle. Toltive stabs the earth with his sword steadying his position. He pulls out a pen with a wooden grip and brass trimmings. Meanwhile, Marasmuss takes out a piece of chalk in a silver case and begins drawing sigils on the exposed entrance to the keep. Toltive pressed a button on the back of the pen, ejecting ink from the tip. The black spray twists and swirls into the shape of a fantastical creature, a combination of a pig, a pony, and a beetle. Steam flows from its nostrils as it gallops towards Marasmuss.  Marasmuss has already finished his inscription that glows inferno orange. "A lot of untapped fire potential here. Even more, than you can handle I bet," he says while a chunk of stone raises from the keep engulfed in flames. It begins to sping at the center of the sigal, gaining speed, the flames growing in intensity. The flames bud off into five fist sized glowing orbs and shot out toward the imaginary beast. The first glances off its scarlet beetle shell. The second impacts the beast's right shoulder, but it maintains its approach. The final three hit the beat squarly in the snout and the right side of its boarish head. It squeals out in pain as it is knocked off its hooves. With a submissive snort it dissolves back into black ink, staining the grass in its ichor.  "Marasmuss! Stop this madness. Even the most skilled channelers would be burned up from drawing from such a large temporal reserve. World cataclisms change too many fates." shouts Toltive. "Then hand over the imortal gem. I will take us both out in spite before I let you leave with it. Better be quick about it. Who knows how long this sigal will hold together." said Marasmuss Toltive gets back to his feet, placing the pen back into his. He holds his empty hands out while stepping forward. "Sorry to disappoint you my old friend, but I do not have it on my person. I sent it away on a carrier falcion before you arrived." "You lie! There's no way you would send such an important find with a bird!" The flamming sphere grows to half the size of the hill and the sigal glows a fierce red.  "Why would I lie in this situation? You are obviously commited to your threat. Besides we are the only ones that know that there was an immortal gem here and no one will be looking for a priceless gem traveling by hawk to the library." The sigal begins to glow purple and small cracks form in the stone. "You have to stop this! Even if you kill me, I will still get the credit. You have nothing to profit from killing us both." With ragged breaths, Marasmuss's rage begins to subside. Beads of sweat pour from his forhead as he concentrates on repressing the flames. Toltive approaches Marasmuss slowly. "You should not throw your life away so readily. Your spite will not profit you in the long run. You put up a good fight, but I was just a little more prepared." Marasmuss shoots him a deadly glare, "Do not prattle on like you are without fault. And don't hold your head higher than mine just because you weasled out a win. You are nothing more than a penny pinching merchant who gets lucky when scrounging for merchandise. You are no true historian, and no one will remember you when you are gone." He stomps off huffily back towards his carriage, picking up his guantlet and talisman along the way.  Toltive heads back to town in the wagon, grabbing Steive and Feydra along the way.