Rain Dance

"Not when the girls know the whereabouts of my Heir." He smirked. "Talmara. Though you already know who I am. Who am I going to have the pleasure I killing?"

"No one," hissed Ava, spreading her wings and flapping them. "We are leaving."

"Not likely" Talmara chuckled darkly. He was standing on Ava's back with them before they could blink.

Ava gave out an alarmed squawk as Voltaire and Adair disembarked with Kimi, breathng fire lowly.

Talmara continued to smirk. "Something the matter?"

Ava turned around and spewed fire at Talmara.

Talmara let the flames wash over him, black sparks dancing across his skin. From his ear dangled a single purple droplet: A protection stone. He reached forward and snapped Ava's beak shut with both hands, then slammed his head into hers in a hard head-butt.

Ava gave a surprised, dazed warble before falling on the ground.

"Ava!" both Adair and Voltaire exclaimed.

Shit, Ava's out and fire won't work, Voltaire thought. ...Dammit

"Clever. Hiding with an immortal phoenix." Talmara sneered at them. "You didn't honestly think that would stop me did you?"

Kimi whimpered again.

Talmara tsked. "You didn't even think I would leave Hel'Ruc, did you. When you want something done right, you do it yourself"

Voltaire snarled. This guy was powerful. Not that he shouldn't have known after running into the wounded Dragons.

He dashed over to Adair. "Here," he said, giving him Kimi. "Go." The Hunter took out his gun and fired at Talmara.

"Taire!" Kimi protested, trying to stop him. She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want him to leave her.

Talmara blinked in surprise as the bullet was deflected by a flash of black. He smirked. "Interesting toy" He growled.

He can deflect all projectile attacks? Voltaire thought. This must be why the Dragons had so much trouble. Most of their attacks are distance attacks.

He let out a yell and charged forward with fire acceleration, igniting his arms.

(he isn't actually deflecting it, his earing is protecting him and stuff)

Talmara eagerly rushed forward to meet Voltaire, claws at the ready. "Are you my dearest's little playtoy?" He hissed joyfully "Or is it the other way around?"

Kimi struggled against Adair. "You can't let him do this!" she pleaded to Adair, tears in her eyes. "He'll kill him!"

(yeah I know. Voltaire hasn't figure that out yet though. Does Kimi know about the earring?)

Adair knew that he needed to get Kimi to safety, but he wasn't about to leave Voltaire behind either. He knew what happened to the Dragons when they faced Talmara. "Can you summon something, even as a distraction?"

He put Kimi down as his own breathing quickened, some black-and-white flame coming out of his mouth. He couldn't leave with Kimi. She wasn't going to be safe around him either.

Voltaire meanwhile was throwing flaming chops and punches in fury.

"I can't! Talmara is too strong, nothing distracts him!" Kimi exlaimed

Talmara blocked and deflected Voltaire's blows with his arms. Black sparks danced along him whenever Voltaire made contact. "Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Talmara chuckled. "Does that mean you are rutting the little slut?"

(sorry for the lang. Talmara's pretty foul. And no Kimi doesn't know about the stone, but Negau does. Kimi has the other earring like it because it was Negau's and they both were Tala's before she died. Talmara took one and Negau was given the other by the imps saying his mother would have wanted him to have it)

(I see. And the language doesn't bother me, or even surprise me. It is Talmara after all)

"I really don't wanna hear that from someone who fucked his own daughter!" Voltaire spat back, launching a point-blank firebreath with no effect. Dammit, nothing's getting through. Where's this barrier coming from?

While he was distracted with trying to find the barrier's source, Talmara sucker-punched him in the gut then dropped his elbow to the back of Voltaire's head when he doubled over. "And I enjoyed every second of it." Talmara sneered. "Her screams, her tears, Her pleads for mercy"

Kimi rushed to Ava, who was a little ways from the two fighting. "Ava! Ava! You have to help Voltaire!" She tried blowing white flames on Ava's head.

Voltaire was coughing and holding his gut, the air punched out of him. He leered at Talmara. "Y-You motherfu-"

Adair rocketed in, bright-dark flames all over. Voltaire just managed to roll out of the way as the Hero began whaling on Talmara, though with little effect.

Ava let out a faint warble but was still unconscious.

Talmara was a little surprised by Adair's state, but not by his entry into the fight. "What are you supposed to be?" He sneered. When he got no response he sneered again. "The strong silent type?"

(btw, can Talmara fly?)

Adair, being in Chiaroscuro, still gave no response. His blue eyes remained dull and dead to emotion as he continued his assault.

Ava came to, and sat up with a angry hiss. Briefly there was a fiery patterns of tightly interwoven lines under her feathers as she stalked her way over to Talmara.

(He can summon wings just like Kimi and Negau. Why do you ask?)

Talmara continued to block Adair's blows and returning them with twice the strength, and that was just toying with him.

(was wondering if he could get tossed off the cliff or something. Apparently not. What's the best way to counter him at this point?)

Adair was bleeding from slashes, though his accelerated healing helped to counter the damage somewhat.

Voltaire was getting ready to jump back in the battle when Ava cut him off and hissed at him. She trudged toward Talmara, the fiery lines appearing all over her and staying this time.

(Bury him or something else to distract and or hamper him, You could toss him off the cliff, it just wouldn't hurt him.)

Talmara smirked and got one last punch in on Adair and something broke with a sickening crack. He turned to the on coming Phoenix in amusement. "Back for more, my little canary?"

Ava paid no mind to the taunt, a low rumble emitting from her throat. She shot forward and pinned Talmara under her claw, hissing.

Adair stumbled back with a broken nose, the Chiaroscuro wearing off.

Kimi rushed over to Voltaire. "Are you alright?" She asked fearfully.

Talmara simply laughed at Ava. "So you have me. But for how long?"