A Clash of Magic. Excellent. (Penguin)

[Anonymous]

Diana strode through the forest confidently. If there were any problems, she could just summon a creature or two to deal with it. She smiled to herself as she considered her army. Fortunately, there was an empty plane near this one that she used to store her various creatures. It was the perfect environment for them all and because of magic barriers she erected, they can't kill each other. She eventually came to a clearing in the forest and giggled. "Perfect place." She folded her arms and looked around.

[Anonymous]

A wave of magic filled the air as a a spot in the clearing began to ripple with magical energy. It warped and swirling in a circular motion and in the center formed what looked like a raining forest and a dark figure in the middle.

It was only seconds as Mae stepped out from the portal and the ripple vanished into the air. Her arms were already crossed as she peered around the area with her pupil-less crimson colored eyes. "Hmm..Quite some magic I feel in the air of this planet.." She muttered to herself as she scanned the area.

Her brown hair whipped a bit in the breeze as she turned her head towards a rather large crimson colored grimoire levitating beside her at just about shoulder height. The book seemed as if crimson was not it's original color, in fact, it looked rather blood stained. It even seemed to glow a demonic aura of red and drip blood as it floated rather hungrily beside her.

[Anonymous]

Diana blinked when she saw what just happened. Someone just stepped out of a portal! That usually means danger. The sorceress stepped forward. "Who are you and what are you doing here?!" She called, raising her hands, now coated in an aura of blue energy. One wrong move and this person would be eating a claw for dinner!

[Anonymous]

Mae twitched as she turned hearing the voice calling out to her. "Hmm...What do we have here~? A local residence?" She grinned devilishly looking at Diana's aura covered hands. "A magical one at that~!" She laughed a bit allowing herself to fall back into a float.

She levitated slightly above the grass in a sitting position and crossed her right leg over the left. She leaned forward her elbows on her right leg and head resting on the palms of her hands as she stared intently at the sorceress. "You wish to ask me a question--yet you're already threatening me~?"

Her eyes fixed watching Diana carefully she gave a slight chuckle still grinning devilishly. "Obviously I'm a traveler--and obviously I'm traveling~!" She teased at the question still watching her carefully.

[Anonymous]

Diana scowled. "You obviously don't know who I am. So, allow me to enlighten you." Her hands glowed brighter. "I am Diana! General of the Aether Army and a protector of my nation! You will answer my questions truthfully and without rhyme or riddle or you will meet some of my troops!" She concluded her little spiel and stared daggers into the levitating woman before her. "Now, I ask again... Who are you and what are you doing here?!"

[Anonymous]

Mae only chuckled as Diana introduced herself, someone was a bit touchy. "Hahaha~ Rhyme or riddle you say~? Oh dear me how much you must play~!" She teased more laughing at her. The Bloodseed Grimoire beside her glowed intently as it continued to drip blood. "Okay~ okay~! Let's play a game~! Summon your troops let me see what gives you your fame~!" She laughed more as she leaned forward now levitating in a standing position.

So this woman was an army general. How uncanny she thought since she was an army tactician and they both seemed to be renowned on their planets. She couldn't help but continue snickering to herself, if they were truly alike then this was going to be one hell of a battle.

"Bloodseed, let us play with the /great general Diana/~!" She giggled as the grimoire floated before her now and opened. The book suddenly flung open and pages flipped rapidly and endlessly as if never reaching the end or even close to it. A luminous aura shrouded her, a feeling of pure aether magic as she watched Diana as if a hawk eying it's pray.

"Let us play a bit~! Then maybe I'll answer your questions~!" She grinned devilishly with a snicker. This was going to be fun.

[Anonymous]

Diana growled. "You little..." She raised her hands and called, "Come to me, my troops! Answer the call of thy general!" The aura around her hands dissipated and three portals opened behind her. Two dozen armored lizardmen walked out, holding weapons of various types. "Ah, dracon. They are always eager to fight." She said, smiling faintly as she increased the portal size and brought forth five dracon archers. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself before sealing the portals and pointing to Mae. "Attack!"

The archers fired a quick volley of 15 arrows and the dracon warriors charged forward. Those with spears and polearms jabbed upward towards Mae with them, while sword-wielders howled, "Come down and fight, witch!"

[Anonymous]

Mae grinned, full force? Already? Was she really an army general? She laughed as she lifted a hand and with a slight wave of it a shield of thick aether magic formed around her body making an invisible bubble around her. Her eyes quickly assets her surroundings to refresh her memory before she moved the shield upwards with herself in it.

Now out of reach to the ground troops and with her aether bubble blocking projectiles she giggled. "Throwing your army out so recklessly--surely you jest dear general~!" She laughed but came to a quick halt as she heard it. The word she hated most to be called. Yes, there was no doubt, this Diana woman had just called her a witch.

"Ho-....How dare you! I AM NO WITCH! HOW DARE YOU DEMOTE ME--MAE HAKI INIT--RENOWNED ARMY TACTICIAN OF LEVAN CASTLE ON THE PLANET OF LEVENDERY--ONE OF TWO REMAINING ARCSPHERES, BEINGS MADE OF PURE AETHER MAGIC--A WITCH!?!?!" A burst of flaming aura shrouded the sphere she had encased herself in as she yelled in rage.

"I've seen thousands of years of battle on my war ridden planet--I WILL DEMOLISH YOUR ARMY!" Her arms flung to her sides as her grimoire glowed a strong bloody red color and water began to form at her palms being pulled from the air. She rose up more as she did so and turned back down to the ground troops before quickly dropping towards the earth to smash anything caught under the flaming sphere of a shield.

[Anonymous]

Diana gasped. "Get out of there!" Unfortunately, her troops reacted too late and all but the archers got crushed. "Gah... Mere pawns in this game." She opened another portal and started to shake. "Come forth, elemental fury, rise from the earth, fire, and air! Come forth to me and crush thy foe!" 6 elementals, 2 of earth, fire, and air emerged and Diana shook furiously. After steadying herself, she raised a hand and whispered something, strippingthe aethr bubble from Mae. "Counterspells. Gotta be planning ahead, girl!" She giggled slightly and commaded her elementals to attack.

[Anonymous]

Mae was infuriated still by being called a witch but grinned, "Already was~!" She laughed as she concentrated the fire that was once around her sphere into a ring of fire around her. She lifted her arms her palms still gathering water from the air and growing quickly. "I hope you enjoy some of my magical techniques~!" She laughed a bit playfully glancing at her grimoire before back towards the elementals coming her way.

She began to chant something under her breath quickly as the fire and water became two large columns at each side of her. Between all her chanting only the last three words were clear, "Garlanda o' Bliss!" One of her hands now glowing blue while the other red she flung her arms forward.

The two columns followed flinging forward and matching the movement of her hands. The swirled around one another before aiming directly at their strongest opposing element. The water column spread out like thousands of concentrated liquid needles towards the fire elementals as the flaming column spread out like a giant wave towards the earth elementals as if to engulf them.

Hoping those would work, that would leave the air ones still coming at her. She quickly dropped to the ground feet meeting earth and brought her arms up. A bead of sweat trickled down her head as the ground around her lifted up in a circle manner around her. As quickly as she lifted her arms she brought them forward and towards her torso the walls of dirt and rock around her compressing and sealing her in making a dome around her.

Ah, the benefits of being trained in the art of field magic manipulation. She took a deep breath and breathed thinly knowing her air source inside this rocky dome was limited. So with that, she focused on compressing the dome and infusing it with surrounding aether.

[Anonymous]

Most of her elementals were destroyed and the air elementals were pounding on the rock dome with no effect. "Oh you are a clever one... But not clever enough." Diana raised her arms and chanted under her breath. Another portal opened just outside the rock dome and she struggled some before a Rock Flayer emerged. Rock Flayers are humanoids about 6 feet tall with two massive arms with claws and two smaller arms with claws just under them, though they look reptillian. The Rock Flayer dug his claws into the rock dome and commenced to tear it apart, opening a hole large enough for him to enter the dome while the air elementals unleashed gale force winds inside.

[Anonymous]

Mae twitched as the pounding began on the dome. She didn't get the compression she wanted yet, but she knew it was going to be now or never. "Heh...How clever am I general?" She grinned roguishly as the pounding continued and dirt began to break off rolling inside and outside the dome.

She took another deep breath of the thin air inside before closing her eyes and crouching low to the ground. There were only seconds until break, and no second chances if she screwed up. "Alright..." She whispered just as the hole opened and the sound of rushing winds blew close. "HERE I AM GENERAL~!" She leaped up the her body radiating a thick aura of aether magic around her as she connected the lines of aether she had been pouring into the dome with the aether now leaking from her body.

The dome quickly crumbled into pieces shattered still being held together by the aether. "Let's play a little game of catch~!" Mae grinned as the floating pieces of rock both big and small shifted into spike like pillars as she waved her arms as if in a slight dance. With a grin on her face she quickly called the the spikes in and released them in all directions radiating from her.

She smiled as she quickly twirled the aether magic, which is normally invisible to the untrained eyes, thickening around her and compressing to be seen. There was now a swirl around her that looked a lot like stars in the night sky clumped together to form a helix wrapped around her body. The balls of pure magic shined and seemed to have a slight tint that made some of them appear a range of different colors.

She knew she was now exposed, but oh, was she far from unprepared for her next move. After all, she knew she had to be quick and on her toes for anything. Her pupil-less crimson eyes locked onto Diana and any units still standing and her ears listened closely.

[Anonymous]

Diana scowled. She had to do something to beat her. But what? Then she thought of it. It was rather risky, but she didn't see much choice. "Sacrifice!" She called, literally blowing her summoned creatures into bits before condensing it into magic around her hands and opening a big portal. "Herana sheanl RACI!" she cried, and a loud eagle-like screech emerged from the portal, followed by a black and white blur. Another eagle-like screech pierced the air and the blur soldified into a Roc. The giant bird looked at Mae and dove for her, talons outstretched.

Diana stumbled around, setting a hand on a tree as she gasped for breath. The Roc was a major stretch for her, but she hoped she wouldn't need to summon any more creatures.

[Anonymous]

Mae stared and took a slight step back. Okay, she was prepared for a lot of stuff--but that one just takes the cake! She took a glance at Diana seeing her stagger before looking up again towards the Roc. "You're one hell of a summoner I'll give you that general." She grinned slightly to herself shaking her head. She quickly used her spiral of surrounding aether to shield herself from the bird's attack.

As the roc came down on her it's talons shattered her shield causing an explosion and Mae caught mid-blast tumbled backwards quickly staggering to her feet. Her arm moved towards her side palm up as her grimoire floated over to it, the pages still flipping endlessly and glowing. This bird was going to be quite a problem if she didn't take care of it quickly. Sheesh, all she wanted to do was go exploring, but looks like the inhabitants of this planet weren't so welcoming to new comers. She grinned as she took another step back watching the bird, there was only one way to take something this large down in this type of area, and for that she was going to need help.

"Bloodseed Grimoire, book of my own, I request a bit of assistance from an old friend.." She muttered as she took another step back. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath as her other arm raised and a portal opened. "Quin katron sin Andromeda!" The other side of the portal looked like the bottom of the ocean as an angelic voice filled the air and the sound of a harp with it.

A feminine formation of water stepped out of the portal before it shut and began to warp taking shape. What looked to have the look of a beautiful lady waist up and a large dress like sheet waist down smiled as it appeared harp in hand. Her eyes were closed and seaweed covered her upper body as she strung her harp, a beautiful melody to match her angelic voice.

"Nice to see you again Andromeda, I'd like your assistance with a few things my siren water elemental of a friend~." Mae grinned staring at the Roc as Andromeda opened her eyes revealing her colorless irises.

[Anonymous]

The Roc screeched with satisfaction, but she ignored the water elemental sprite thing. It again dove for Mae while Diana pulled a bow out of a small portal. She aimed for Andromeda and fired a single arrow. She hoped that her namesake Goddess would help her aim.

[Anonymous]

Mae quickly shielded herself with a coating of aether in case the Roc got a hold of her, then she's have to use /that/ spell again. "Andromeda! I want you to cover the field as fast as you can!" She called as she ran towards the trees. As she ran she quickly casted her levitation spell, she wasn't a fast runner, but she sure could catch speeds if she levitated, not to mention the downward thrust of the bird's wings would only help blow her away from it.

Andromeda turned towards Diana smiling sweetly as the arrow came flying at her. She exploded into droplets of water just before the arrow swished by. The droplets fell to the ground before reforming again. Andromeda frowned at her attacker her eyes saddened as she absorbed moisture in the air and grew a bit.

Her shape shifted into a giant column of water before spreading out like a tornado and splashing the field with water. The now water tornado who is Andromeda shifted around heading towards Diana splashing water everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Diana ordered the Roc to focus on Mae, whom he dove at eagerly, while she scowled. "Water... meet lightning." She stepped forward and unleashed a torrent of electricity at Andromeda, swearing under her breath as her robe began to get wet.

(Short post is short... sorry for the wait.)

[Anonymous]

Had successfully splashed their little battlefield and Diana as the lightning hit her. She screeched in pain quickly falling from her Spinning tornado like form to her humanoid like one. Tears in her eyes as she cried sparks all over her she splashed down into a puddle of water vanishing.

Mae grinned as the roc continued to follow her, the levitating idea sure was a handy one. The downward thrust of air from it's wings was still helping in her part. Hopefully it didn't start following by foot. She had to make a turn back towards her new main target now. Playing with the summoned monsters were getting her no where after all.

She spied a tree and went straight for it picking up her levitating speed she met it feet first then used it to bounce off with speed back towards Diana. Dodging the Roc on the way back she let out sparks of lightning onto the moistened ground. She had used this trick a few times before back at home.

Follow by land, the Roc would get a nice shock each step on the sparked up field. Follow by air and the downward thrust of wind would help propel her the opposite way in her float. She continued to release sparks on the field as she quickly made her way towards Diana. "Present for you~!"

She gathered some lightning in her hand before tossing it directly towards Diana's direct, who was now soaked with water thanks to Andromeda. Mae smiled, Andromeda did exactly what she was told well. Now all she had to do was hope this would be ending soon, or at least get a break and the Roc would stop coming for her.

She glowed luminously still as she drifted around quickly waiting to see the reactions and whether her tactics and tricks worked or not.

[Anonymous]

Diana jumped into a tree and grabbed a branch. She narrowly dodged the lightning. The Roc got smart and dove at Mae from the front this time, screeching like a mad-bird. Diana dropped from the tree and smirked. "You mised, girl!"

[Anonymous]

"Oh well--HAY! Bad birdy!" She quickly turned the opposite way luckily catching a thrust of wind and being blown out of the roc's way leaving it to dive straight towards the shocking field of water if it didn't fall back. As Mae tumbled through the air she let out a stronger wave of lightning from one hand and wind from the other following it.

Both directed towards the branch; the lightning hit the side of the branch by it's main trunk creating a crack. The wind then quickly followed smacking into the crack with just enough force to nudge the crack and let gravity pull the branch completely off from the tree and down towards the sparking ground.

Mae staggered a bit in her float getting a few sparks herself from the uncontrolled shift in her drift. Luckily she was still up and to make sure she didn't catch more sparks she levitated a bit more upwards.