Evan immediately got concerned when alister offered to help ignis, he gave his hand another squeeze, telling him to be careful.
He let go of alisters hand despite not wanting too.
"Please, stay safe and be careful. " He let his hand fall to his side as he looked into the forest.
Kali let go as ignis walked into the circle where the two siblings were. She wanted to follow him, bit she didn't seeing as Noel didn't want him in there. She was still extremely nervous for him, especially after what he said. She sighed. Staring into the forest.
Ignis nodded, "I need to know if this gas is flammable."
Alister cringed. “I think that’s a job for El,” he said, and took Evan’s hand again.
Noel chuckled. “There are three gases here,” she reported. “Carbon monoxide, which is highly flammable. Ammonia, which is somewhat flammable. And sulfur dioxide, which is not flammable at all.”
Ignis smiled, "Great. The toxins around here were mixed with your element. I need you to create a stream from here to where I'm pointing." He begins pointing in two different places, close together, "It doesn't have to be precise, just close to it."
Evan was thankful when he had alisters hand back in his own. As long as he had touch he knew alister was safe, and he even gave him a soft squeeze and smile despite how nervous he was
”I must interrupt here,” a singular voice said, ”and inform you that there’s a possibility that these gases will react to each other. The only reason they haven’t is because they are at the girl’s mercy. Child, when you manipulate the air, use great caution.”
Noel’s heart began to pound, but she felt a breeze blow past her hands again, and she followed it. At first, she was slow, but soon a stream of gas stretched between the points Ignis indicated. She realized that she needed to control each gas separately, instead of all together, to reduce the chances of a reaction.
Alister’s heart also began to pound. The air around him began to cool as he felt himself freeze up, watching his sister. The mist around him began to dissipate as well as a result. But then he felt Evan squeeze his hand, and turned to see him smile. He calmed down a bit, and the air returned to its original temperature. He squeezed back, and tried not to think about what Noel was doing too hard.
Kali honestly is just standing there, almost jealous of the fact that Evan was able to hold hands with alister and she couldn't hold hands with ignis. She knew why they could hold hands though. Even though she Still missed her hand in his.
Ignis looked at Kali, showing his best honest assurance. He knew what he was doing, to a point. Fire can be controlled, mastered. Air is more flexible, complex. Every soul and body required it as a necessity. Ignis needed to ignite the flame, but to control the spread. With proper concentration, he could burn their enemies enough to give them a chance to fight or escape. Keeping the thought of Noel, Alister, Evan…and Kali in mind, he was sure to succeed.
Arcanis looked closely, unaware of the gases that lurked between himself and his followers. He spied on the group closely, "I see… I hope you know what your hearts truly want…"
She nodded back to him, seeing the look in his eyes. She trusted him, trusted what he had planned in that moment. She knew he would do the right thing. She just continues to watch as everything went down and hoped that nothing bad went down, but she hide a hand behind her back just incase she needed to conjure any darkness or perhaps any light…tho she wasn't quite good at that yet.
He kept his grip on alister, a firm reminder he was there for him no matter what went down and if need be he would protect them. Despite him not being as strong as he was, or as strong as the rest of them. He still had his ability to manipulate sound.
He moved to make only alister could hear him.
"Im.with you, no matter what.'
Then he returned everything to normal.
With a fire in his spirit, Ignis conjured an aura of fire. With a snap of his fingers, he braced. Streams of fire of various color shot through the streams, spiraling to keep from spreading. The gas reacted calm near the group, moving with the flames. Once the flames reached farthest, an explosion set the forest ablaze. Arcanis, the water elemental, and several other figures were revealed.
Arcanis shielded himself with his magic. Concentrating the air around him. He feared the air element wouldn't work in his favor, yet he bared no other choice. Once the flames calmed slightly, he waved to the group, "So you found me. Doesn't change anything. You still follow a man who will kill you all-"
Ignis shot a secondary ball of fire, which hit Arcanis, "I've heard enough out of you."
“And I’m with you,” Alister whispered in return. He liked the way Evan held his hand, his soft skin against his. Really, he did not think of himself as more powerful than him, or anyone else. He still thought of himself as rather weak, even compared to Evan.
Suddenly, the fog in the area receded with the explosion. The siblings watched with wonder until a sharp feeling moved their hearts, and they both gasped audibly.
”Oh, brother…” Astra seemed to moan. ”Why must your flames be so aggressive… you really have no respect for this place.”
A figure seemed to flicker in and out of sight, with silver eyes and white braid, looking pained. Instinctively, Alister moved over to Noel, bringing Evan along with him, though not in reaction to the figure. He had seen how many others besides Arcanis were once hidden in the forest, and he was worried about what they might do.
Evan nodded at what alister said, he got slightly worried though when he heard both of them let out a gasp as the forest was set on fire. He felt alister pull him closer to him as he moved closer to Noel, though not close enough to be affected by the gasses. He noticed the figure, is that air..?
Kali scoffed at arcanis's words. "Enough of your lies arcanis, it's getting a bit old now don't you think?" She had slowly creating some darkness behind her back incase they decided they were going to charge at the group, if she really needed to she could make the area dark. Though she doubted that would help much anyone besides her.
Ignis stumbled to his knees. His breath shortened, his vision fading. Yet he remained awake and focused. He shook his head, "Astra…that wasn't supposed to…" He couldn't talk, his body rejecting. His hands placed on the seal began to glow. Of course he didn't mean to start the fire, but he needed a blinding distraction. Using his body as a current he called out, "Noel, Alister! Channel your element around me!" Using his magic as a form of lightning rod, he could channel the wind into the seal, creating an elemental specific lock over it.
Arcanis witnessed the fire spread, "Astra! This is what your guests do? They threaten the decimate the entire temple! You watch as your enemy walks among your descendants, leading them with lies! He threatens to open the seal!" He points to Ignis and his spellwork, "He knows that your element is key to opening it! What will you do?"
Before the siblings could react, Astra manifested between the two groups, their head in their hands and shoulders seeming to shake with pain. ”Quiet. They are not my guests. I have no time for this, illusionist. Enough,” they said, letting their hands fall to their sides and revealing eyes glowing with frustration and pain. They raised them, causing a strong wind to lift Arcanis and Ignis into the air. ”Both of you meddle too much.”
The air around Alister had grown cold as his fear increased. Noel’s heart pounded. There was just sulfur dioxide now. She was afraid of losing focus, so she kept her eyes on the seal, even as Ignis was lifted upwards.
Astra now turned their attention to them. I have told you of your task, they spoke into their minds. Protect this place, and the seal. Should this old enemy of mine try to open it, do not hesitate to rip him from the earth and poison his blood. For if it happens, disaster will surely follow.
Gravity took ahold of Ignis, and he fell back to the ground. Arcanis stayed in the air, held firm by the wind as Astra dissolved into fog and rushed to blazing forest, attempting to smother the flames.
Ignis's spell vanished as soon as his body lifted into the air, "Hey! Can't I put the deadlock on this thing or what? Everyone knows it takes the air element to open the air seal. But it takes a prime to open the deadlock." Ignis looked at the forest set ablaze, that shouldn't have happened… the moisture in there should've restricted the flames. How is it even still burning?
Arcanis laughed, "I see your trust falls to them. So let's see if they can even walk straight!" With a flick of his wrist, an illusion was cast over the area, "Lose the ones you love, lose the mind itself…"
Ignis remained focused, yet when he lifted his head to see Kali, she was gone from his eyes. As well as the rest of the group. Go figure they ran.
(since Evan and Alister are holding hands, how would the illusion affect them?)
(their hands grew numb. but since they ARE touching, the effect is less powerful.)
(What would happen in someone screamed in the illusion? Would that be covered up as well?)
(Yes the question of how the illusion affects other senses is gonna come up)
(yes. all senses are numbed. if in physical touch, it'd be numbed but not cancelled completely)
(In the illusion, anyone the person loved or cared for will seem to disappear. Any attempts to call out or search for them, dizziness and confusion will happen. Since Evan and Alster are holding hands, their nerves are numbed to a point they can't feel to well. However the pressure of their hold reminds them they aren't separated. Ignis needed help with the seal, neither sibling are around so he thought they ran. Ignis didn't understand what happened fully so he thought everyone ran.)
(Thanks for the elaboration ^^ will respond soon)
