"—hk!"
The young man didn't recognize the pain that he was feeling. Or, rather, he didn't really understand why he was feeling pain at all. He'd been accustomed to facing attacks that caused some type of phenomenon, similar to a blinding light or a last-minute flash. So needless to say, he hadn't been all that disoriented—or, if he had, he was able to get over it relatively quickly due to his experience in dealing with such a thing. But that still didn'tchange who's attack he had just experienced and the skill level of said wielder.
Elara.
It had been none other than Elara Fey, the [Hero of Geonosia]who'd launched the attack that Rowan surely knew would be the death of him. He was so sure he would have died as at the moment of impact he found himself asking a question: just how many had survived Elara Fey's blade in the first place? The answer, which Rowan knew well, was simply none, no one had survived Elara Fey's blade ever. But Rowan Agoul couldn't deny the fact that he was alive and had somehow managed to pull off a feat not even the toughest of Hellspawns could've managed. And this would've perhaps been something that the boy took pride in had he known exactly where he was right now.
But upon looking around Rowan Agoul quickly realized the space he was now occupying wasn't something that he had any memory of. The sky above him was red, a stark contrast the the crystal blue skies that had been present in Geonosia since his childhood. Another detail that was starkly different from its Geonosian counterpart was the "sun" or what Rowan assumed to be sun at least. What seemed to be an assortment of various "things" was there in the sky, the amorphous blob that was covered in the color red. Rowan said "colored" as the color of said assortment didn't seem to be natural.
Of course, neither did the "things" that made up the "sun" as Rowan called it. Whatever that red substance was it dripped off the sun, as a continuous trail of it worked its way down to the forest that Rowan found himself in.
"—Hk."
Then there was the smell. It had been one that Rowan Agoul himself had been recently acquainted with, the smell of entrails and body parts that had been wickedly amputated. Rowan cupped his mouth as his stomach started to claw at him from the inside out, the contents of throw-up sliding across the back of his gums. It had been burned, the "things" that had been stuffed into said assortment had been charred as flakes of their body parts constantly flew threw the air. But all those facts paled in comparison to the very aura that Rowan could feel in every part of the forest. This was simply the nature of magic—or, rather, the nature of Mana.
On the topic of Mana it wasn't as if Rowan Agoul was greatly informed, though he did have what you would call a "knowledge" of how the source of magic worked. Though Rowan himself had no access to Mana, there were cases in which those who were unable to sense it, gained the affinity to, when the source of Mana was just too great to ignore. When that phenomenon did occur, it was likely because the concentration of Mana had gotten so high a state of evolution or rather, a rare form of Mana had taken shape within the area.
Mana Inversion.
Mana Inversion. A state in which the Mana in the area has gotten so highly concentrated it meshes with the very fabric of reality. When this phenomenon occurred, even non-Mana users were able to experience the phenomenon of Mana like a weight pressing down on them. It was present in every breath, step, thought, action, or even simple gestures. There wasn't an action that was free from the highly concentrated Mana within the area of contamination. Not only did this result in non-Mana users being able to sense Mana, but it also actively ripped apart those with an Infinite source of Mana, which simply means a natural affinity.
In fact, the only reason Rowan Agoul hadn't been torn apart in such a fashion was because he was born in the minority of those who draw from a source of "finite Mana." Essentially making it so that they can only draw from the Mana within their body, provided there is any. Additionally, all inhabitants that were present within the Mana Inversion were linked by reality itself, meaning there wasn't anything one person knew that the other didn't. Which is how Rowan was able to dodge it.
"—Woah!!!"
It had been an attack that had came in a flash, there should have been no way for Rowan Agoul to dodge it. Truly the phenomenon of Mana Inversion had worked to his favor, though it was also the cause of such an attack in the first place. A pair of pincers, hands, claws, and all manner of murder weapons had scraped the back of the boy's neck, but that sensation had paled in comparison to the two revelations he'd come to in the following moments.
"Course i can't catch a break!"
The first revelation had been, what was the abomination that had launched its murderous intent at him in the first place. Various deadly parts of species had been grafted together onto one entity that now stood before him. At the head was the face of a human, followed by the pincers for hands that had swooshed by him just a moment earlier. In the human head's mouth wasn't what normally would have been found, as a constant stream of blood and gnats had nested itself within the gums of the head. And sat in the ring of blood were fangs, fangs that had obviously been incompatible with the body part they were nested with.
As if that wasn't enough, dozens of hands were sticking out of the animal's back, twisting and turning almost as if they had been broken. They moved as if they were water, giving no indication they harbored the joints that would've defied these movements. The second revelation had been due to the Mana Inversion and the grip the phenomenon on reality. Due to that unwanted connection Rowan had found himself inhabiting the psyche of the monster that was currently in front of him. The urges, the want to eat, the hunger, the sadistic nature, the predatory attitude that had been aimed at him.
And of course, the reverse was true, just as Rowan had experienced the instinctual escapades of the horror in front of him, the psyche of Rowan had also inhabited the little space in the monster's mind. And he could feel the sensation of the abomination feeling his own thoughts and instincts. This phenomenon, which was a side effect of the state of Mana Inversion, had only worked to further torment the two combatants but specifically the inhabitant that was Rowan Agoul. The connection of the mind had been an issue for both of them of course, but the overall mental capacity of the two beings was vastly different.
This was a poignant point of difference when one was under the influence of Mana Inversion. The most prominent side effect the[Tethering of Psycho's] was a point of speculation for many, as the very phenomena of Mana inversion wasn't something many knew much about anyways. The side effects of said event were scarcely reported, and this particular fact would have only been known to those who's area of study was specifically Mana Inversion. This fact though, had been lost on Rowan Agoul, so the boy's experience wasn't something he was prepared for at all. Though the preparations one would need to take to defend their mind from such an attack was scarce at best.
It had gone doubly so for the advanced mind that Rowan Agoul carried in his skull. It was one thing for the [Tethering of Psycho's] to affect a mind, but the ordeal of your mind being able to perceive this was an entirely different set of suffering. One that any human—and in this scenario, Rowan Agoul was about to become privy to. His mind had started to liquify, as the world started to slow, his perception—if you could call it that, had become non-existent. He felt nothing, nothing but the words he knew weren't his own resonating within his mind.
The swaying of his dislocated joints swaying from side to side, the gnats flying within the back of his gums digging into the lower areas of his teeth. The agony, the agony of the grafted limbs that had been plastered onto his body, and the forced fangs that had been placed in the forcefully removed teeth. The fear, the fear that he felt as he stood in front of himself. the inability, the inability to distinguish who was Rowan Agoul and who was not as his mind took in every sensation that and distributed it to the mind of the man, he couldn't tell he was anymore. one after the other. The two inhabitants engaged in a cycle neither knew they were at the mercy of.
I need to eat. i need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to feed. need to kill. need to live. live. feed. live. feed. kill. live. feed. live. live. feed. live. kill. feed. live. kill. feed. I need to eat. i need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to feed. need to kill. need to live. live. feed. live. feed. kill. live. feed. live. live. feed. live. kill. feed. live. kill. feed. I need to eat. i need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to feed. need to kill. need to live. live. feed. live. feed. kill. live. feed. live. live. feed. live. kill. feed. live. kill. feed. I need to eat. i need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to feed. need to kill. need to live. live. feed. live. feed. kill. live. feed. live. live. feed. live. kill. feed. live. kill. feed. I need to eat. i need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to live. need to feed. need to feed. need to kill. need to live. live. feed. live. feed. kill. live. feed. live. live. feed. live. kill. feed. live. kill. feed.
It was all the mind of the two Rowan Agoul's could manage to do. As neither one could be differentiated from the other. No matter how far they pushed their brains—no, even the concept of "their" brains didn't exist. It was simply one consciousness. One consciousness that the beings of this plane shared, they were all Rowan Agoul, and at the same time, none of them were. Until that continuous stream of who he was and wasn't, was promptly snapped.
"~~~Well! ~~~Well! ~~~Well! what do we have here?!"
"Huh?"
A sudden wave of clarity washed over Rowan, and his mind was once again able to latch onto the existence that was Rowan Agoul. His mind had once again settled in the identity of the [Weapon Holder] of the [Hero's Party.] His stomach ceased it's never-ending growls and his mouth quickly swept away the trickles of saliva that slid down the rim of his lips. And the feeling of unfitting limbs grafted onto his body, and the rotting of flesh that he knew hadn't decreased in health at all had finally ceased to portray such a thing. The quality of his health had skyrocketed and yet it could be said the fear the young man felt hadn't decreased at all.
"Looks like you're still alive!"
Maia Astroud, the woman that had introduced herself as a"Hellspawn General" and done battle with the [Hero of Geonosia], Elara Fey. The state she was in reflected as much astrails of black "blood" circled around her arm in a spiraling fashion. It was truly an appearance that reflected the inhuman existence that was Elara Fey, and what one would look like after doing battle with such a foe. Her face though which was free of most of the damage the rest of her body had received, was weirdly enough twisted in the most vile expression. She was angry.
"Y-You!"
"You hold on sec! I'll deal with you later!"
She didn't leave any instant for Rowan to even get another word out as her body was now in front of the grotesque form that had terrorized Rowan previously. There was no trace of the Hellfire she'd used to combat Elara Fey, she simply flexed the legs underneath her hips, which now harbored veins as she veered it back. And in that instant as the leg swung down, that grotesque figure ceased to exist, and Rowan Agoul no longer felt its presence anywhere within the confines of the Mana Inversion.
"Now—let's deal with you!"
Truly he knew he had no chance against someone with such physical prowess. This fact was reinforced even more so when he was pathetically tackled and his head rammed into the ground reaffirming the weakness Rowan Agoul harbored. Now, of course the enemy he faced was strong but even to an average man Rowan Agoul was probably even more pathetic. At least he thought so. Though it wasn't as if that thought process didn't have a haul of evidence with it.
"You worthless little human! Did you really think i'd let you get away with that stunt!? Huh you littlepest?! I'm gonna fuckingmurder you right here and now!"
The hands that had delegated strikes from the hero, Elara Fey with ease were now wrapped around Rowan's throat. Rowan might've tried to talk his way out of this but needless to say hisvocal cords—hadn't the ability nor the balls to even try to form a sentence in this situation. Though the part about not having the balls to was simply Rowan, though he could frame it tactically, that he needed to stay quiet to preserve his life. But seeing as Maia Astroud had planned to take it anyways, the thought failed at helping any pride Rowan had left.
"—Damn it!"
"Whatwasthat?!"
In a moment of bravery—or stupidity, Rowan managed to let out those words which were quickly snubbed by the hands of Maia Astroud. The grip around his neck tightened, indicating that no matter how advanced Maia Astroud's manners were, the instincts of a Hellspawn still persisted. It had been said that Hellspawns—no matter the information taken in on humans were incapable of any form of decorum and would quickly shed that given the emotional opportunity. Like say, Rowan Agoul's predicament at the current moment which would result in [death] if he does nothing.
"—!!!"
There was suddenly nothing left, and the pressure that Rowanhad been feeling as constant had been removed just as fast as it had been placed on him. His windpipe rejoiced as the constant wight pressing down on it had retracted itself with the utmost urgency, as if the attacker had never meant to hurt him at all.
"—Argh! No! No! Not now!"
The Hellspawn general Maia Astroud, had backed away from Rowan, creating a gap between them at a speed Rowan couldn't have perceived if he tried. What wasn't beyond his perception though was smoke? At least that's what he thought had been present, a smoke, a smoke that emanated from Maia who clutched her body as if it was of the utmost importance to her. Perhaps it was, was one of the thoughts that came into Rowan's mind—he didn't know why he could think clearly again, but knew it had something to do with Maia's presence. Though if that was the most pressing matter, then what was being shown before him was about to take precedence over that.
"I need more time! needmoretime! needmoretime! needmoretime! Damnit! not now! not now!"
He really didn't know what to make of the spectacle that was being shown before him. In fact, there was nothing that Rowan Agoul himself could say about it. His knowledge on Hellspawns wasn't what one could call "extensive", but it was enough, at least that was the assumption he made. Though what was happening now was, complete disproof of the knowledge he'd thought he had. He couldn't ever recall seeing a Hellspawn steam in this way, even after the time Elara had decided to cook one just to see how it tasted. That was around the time Rowan declared he would never eat at Elara's house again.
That steam had grown so much that it covered the figure of Maia entirely, causing Rowan to take a reluctant step towards the coat of smoke. He didn't know what he expected to find but, as he reached out expecting to touch the Hellspawn general who'd towered over him, Rowan Agoul was met with nothing, nothing at all. That towering figure seemed to shrink into the earth and dissappear without a trace. Though Rowan knew this wasn't the truth, but it hadn't been due to something internal but an external factor.
"—Damn it! I ran outta time!"
His head instinctively flipped to see where the words had come from, and he was met with something that he didn't quite understand but did as well. A woman—no, a girl, with purple skin and violet eyes that shimmered with a harrowing intensity. Next were those robes, Rowan knew those robes—he had seen them before, but they were very much out of place this time. They were huge, way too big on the figure that had filled them up just a minute ago. Which brought Rowan's eyes down to the main problem, Maia Astroud, who's body had seemed to go through a stage of reverse-puberty.
Her arms were shorter and those telltale signs of maturity—her slender legs, strong cheekbones, and full breast, had completely disappeared, there was no sign that the woman's body had ever held such features. No, woman, was wrong, in every sense of the word, Maia Astroud, the Hellspawn General, Maia Astroud had taken on the appearance of that of a teenage girl far from the woman she previously was. Even the horns she harbored had shrunk no longer having their earlier poignancy. Everything about the woman had been taken away and as the smoke cleared Rowan saw a girl, a girl who'd barely reached the chest of the [Weapon Holder], Rowan Agoul.