Micah dashed after the monster desperately trying to get her voice back. She's gotten so close before and she wouldn't let this time slip up. 'I have to get my voice back...' She bites her lip causing it to bleed, showing how needy she was. The monster charged backwards much to her surprise as she stops in her tracks next to Will. She could see it, the shell that she needed so dearly.

'The monster has it!' She writes down, alerting everyone.

Mortimer nodded to Rose, gratful for helping him out of his snowy embankment. He'd lost his grip on the worm thing shortly after they'd broken through to the surface. Still, Mortimer had work to do now. Mortimer charged at the beast, seaking its circular maw. As he ran he drew up his shadow forming what looked like a series of tent-poles.

Shundoing to its front, Mortimer made to set the poles in the creatures mouth hopefully propping it open long ennough so that he could grab the voice shell.

Of course this wasn't going to go smoothly. Still he had to try. He had made a promise to Micah and he wasn't in the habit of breaking promises. He hoped his ploy would work... hopefully.

William listened attentively to Rose’s hypothesis. She was right, if we did injure the monster and cause it to clench its teeth, wouldn’t it shatter the shell rather easily? As Mortimer began engaging the monster in battle, “How about we try and force the monster’s mouth open or break its teeth or something?” William inquires, equipping his iron gauntlets as he dashes forward towards the monster. “Son Ta Rik. Dozens of vegrandis balls of flamma seperate quod thesaurus off meus foes. Fireflies.” William sends a dozen small balls of flame, aiming for the monsters eyes or something similar to stun it.

The small fireballs were ineffective on the monster, not even showing a slight tickle. The monsters hide was obviously thick and strong, ki would be more effective to penetrate it.

While I regained my ground above surface,the others had already engaged the beast.I seized the moment the charge homura with ki again,ready for my turn to strike.

As the girl had made obvious,the shell was fragile and any impact on the beast might make it shatter through the sheer force of his clenching jaws.

Maneuvering ki into my feet,I start to skate on the ice,soon catching up on the beast who was already engaged with one of our own.

Making my way to the 2 gaping holes just below his scrawny eyes,I thrust the homura through his nose,into the lower jaw,carefully sliding it below the shell,providing it surface to settle on,and finally stabbing his lower jaw.

Problem solved,or so I thought.My ki had easily pierced through his skin,but for some reason the sword wont bulge.The beast,with bloodshot eyes,raged onto a rampage,destroying the ice surface along the way,thrashing its way,attempting to free himself from the torture.

His slimy skin upon which I stood,began to sweat...an sludgy acidic liquid,with an unbearable stench.This was perhaps the same liquid that carved off even the most thick layers of ice,and now started to burn my boots.

"Iv secured the shell,but I cannot hold longer.Make haste!"

As Bex forced his way to the shell, William gets into position. “Pass!!” William leaps forward at high speeds. Ready, he catches the shell as it’s passed to him and jumps up into the air as the monster flails its tail, missing rather profoundly. “Micah, catch!” He shouts over to her, running across the snow as fast as he could, ditching it at her through the harsh weather conditions.

Hopefully Micah could take note of what was heading her way, but that wasn't the initial problem. The injured monster had ferociously roared, causing a rather large avalanche speeding towards the group. In a few minutes, it'd make a forceful collision with the group of freelancers.

Micah catches the shell with gracefulness, only to be whacked and sent flying by the tail. She was sent skidding across the snow, as did the shell. Seeing it a few meters away from her, a tear leaves her eyes. She wouldn't let it get away, not this time... Three times of failure, she had to get this one. Crawling over desperately, she reaches her hand as the monster charges at her...

'I have to do this...' She closes her eyes and shakes her head, as her trembling, slender fingers rub against the shell. As she forces herself to move more, she clenches the shell tightly and activates the ritual.

Magic circles surround Micah, as wind blows upwards beautifully, she didn't mind about the surrounding scenery or events. The curse on her lifted as a demon appears from above her, being forces out of her body as it begins to run away. "S-stop.... it..." Her voice was soft and beautiful, yet slightly rough as she wasn't used to it. "M-my voice... I-I got it..." Tears flow from her eyes, as the monster continues to charge at her.

Concentrating and channeling her ki, "Everyone... Thank you so much..." She stands up, her ribbon letting her hair down as it flows in the blizzard. "Let me return the favour." She shouts determined, as ki bursts from her body uncontrollably. She concentrated harder, as the ki embeds into her legs as she charges at the runaway spirit, "I'm going to take you down... you've cursed my life for so long! I won't forgive you!"

William grins consistently as Micah had obtained her voice back, and a new arrival, a monster appeared. As the worm-like monster that had the shell previously in its mouth charged at Micah, William jumps in front, "Son Ta Rik, Orbis Flamma." William chants, grabbing the monster, as he and the orb push against its charging body.

"I won't let you hurt her." William smiles, as his efforts stop the worm from making contact with Micah. Holding the monstrously large opponent, grabbing his orb with one hand and restraining the monster with the other, he throws the orb at the monster as he's forced backwards, but by then, Micah was already chasing the thing that had cursed her for her entire life.

"We're gonna take you down." He chuckles lightly, pointing at Mortimer, Bex and Rose.

"Hehehe, sure. Let's take the monster out!" Rose cheers, pumping her fists in the air, showing her action-risking side. "Spiritual Protection, go!" She commands, sending her spirits raging to bite the gargantuan monsters eyes, ears or any other point that might be considered a weakpoint.

Rose studied the monster, trying to use her intelligence to figure out how to defeat the monster. "Everyone, Bex is the only one possessing power to defeat its tough body hide, but the monsters tough hide is weakened at places where it ends. So, the tail wouldn't be enforced with as much power. Also, its eyes are extremely vulnerable. Looking at it, there's nothing in its mouth, showing that its a major weakness as the monster isn't used to feeling pain with a body like that. Aim for inside its mouth and its eyes, as well as the end of its tail!" Rose gives an intel to everyone, informing them of possible weaknesses for the monster.

"Dibs on the tailMortimer says as he preps his three shadow-spears. "It and I have a score to settle" With that Mortimer shundoed to the beasts rear seeking to stab its tail.

As he sent the first of his black ribons, the creature seemed to shoot out needles from small holes in its body. As the ribbon arced towards its tail, Mortimer left arm was stabbed through by a rain of needles. Somehow he felt his arm going numb... some kind of mechanism to ensure that prey didn't move so it could eat it later.

Regardless his left arm was useless as he sent the remaining two shots towards the beasts tail, he just hoped the other s were having better luck than he was.

Micah engaged in close-quarter combat with the shadow demon. It had a white brand tattoo engraved in its skin. The tattoo... was shaped oddly in a demonic form. Sweeping a kick, Micah hits the monsters ankle knocking it off balance. "Take this! Fiery Dance!" She shouts, avoiding an aim to stab Micah's stomach as she pokes the monsters eye with her index finger.

Spreading some perfume, "Split Dance," She says as the monster shoots shadow balls everywhere, all of them missing Micah and blasting into the snow. The snow tumbled over her and knocked her forward as the monster grabs her hair and shoves her face into the snow. "G-get off..." Micah spits, not wanting to lose.

She forces her legs into a crescent shape as she hooks her foot around the monsters neck, shoving it into the snow away from her. "Hyaaa!" She screams, throwing the daggers at the monster as they embed into the monsters body and it disperses into a shadowy fog...

"I done it... I wouldn't have been able to without them... my friends..." A tear of job leaves Micah's eyes as she notices the avalanche arriving at the area. "EVERYONE! AVALANCHE!" She screeches running over to them.

The monster finally defeated,I turned my attention to the warning.As the rumbling sound suggested,a avalanche was on its way to thwart us.
It would have been wise to go back to the cave we had busted out of,but the openings in its roof I had earlier shattered,would welcome the snow,thus eliminating the option.

No shelter lay in vision,and it was inevitable to get buried in snow should we plan on running from the avalanche.I channeled flaming ki into my feet.The ice beneath me started to liquefy.Perfect,I tried to run on the ice now.The snow in contact with my feet melted,thus becoming slippery.I skated on the ice,opposite to the avalanche.

William turned hearing Micah's voice and quickly after, he run at high speeds away. As said before, the mountain was more 'flat' than steep, so the avalanche didn't seem to travel that fast, but considering the amount of enormous snow, it wouldn't seem to stop at any flat surfaces or rest stops. "Should we take it on?! N-no, it's too big! What should we do? A barrier?" William pivots, looking at everyone.

None of the people here were efficient in using barriers. Following Micah, he wasn't sure how to assess the situation and get out of it. He knew Mortimer could transform into shadows or something to escape, but it's not the same for anyone else here.

Mortimer looked up to the avalanche, then at bex, then at Will. Mortimer already had a plan which would hopefully get them all out of there alive. The avalanche was coming no doubt about that. They could in no way shape or form out run it or duck into the caves. Ultimately this left them with only one option... they would have to fly.

Calling up as many shadow soldiers as he could, Mortimer had them pick up everyone and move them to the same area. With all of them aligned in the same spot they created a shadow.... a large shadow.

Mortimer had never formed anything this big before and he new that when he was done he would be wiped out. "Bex I need you and Will in the back. I don't care how just make sure you create a lot of pressure behind us. Micah, Rose I need you to in the front to balance the weight. Minnions get up there and PULL!" Amazingly i less than a minute, Mortimer had managed to form what looked like a sleigh-like the kind Santa Claus would use... Except it was black.... and sticking out of its sides were two long paper-airplane like wings. His minions were up front pulling on the harness Mortimer had made and were trudging as fast as they could through the snow. Still they wouldn't last long, they were reaching an incline and what Mortimer needed most were the two main firepowers providing thrust for this ill-cocieved contraption.

Mostly though, Mortimer just hoped with the combined power of so many mages on board and the desire to live that their innate magic-sense would kick in and provide the neccessary lift... he hoped.

He was playing with fire here and he knew that his gambit had very little chance of success, but without this the five remaining people on this trip may not make it out of there.

I realized the situation at hand would no wonder lead to a morbid outcome for the entire team.The shadow-mage had already initiated his magic,creating a siege aircraft to pull us through.In this cold and foggy climate,his hair tousled and he clung to the brink of his power.In this cold,I could swear I must have seen what looked like sweat.Without a doubt I could not abandon them,for they were comrades.

A drogan warrior would not be disrespected by following orders,for we all were the same.But for someone to sacrifice their being for allies was the most respected of all.

"I shall help all I can"I said as I became a catalyst to propel.

The flaming ki was the best solution here,containing natural abilities which would prove helpful to us.The mage in red,william his name,was also I fire duelist I recalled.

I held out the palm of my demonic hand,and started to unleash enormous amount of flaming ki.The propel was good,but we needed more for we could not make it in time.

Then I detached it,one of the chain barrier out of 5,each drogan warrior was mandatory to wear before joining the guild.Each one of the link suppressed our ki and power to the level of an ant.Unleashed,even one of them,I could access this trapped power.This act was forbidden though,because no warrior was allowed unleash it unless in a dire situation of death.I for one was now immortal,but for comrades,I could do the least.

As I snapped the link,the ki intensified,both in density and area.Its size had now surpassed that of the gigantic shadow-craft.Blasting it ahead at a far greater speed.

"here we go..."I choked out with gritting teeth.The demonic hand,was suspected began to devour my own arm,infesting me up to the elbow now.The pain stung,although I would endure.

William grinned as Bex's powers alone propelled the group forward, however the speed wasn't nearly as fast as the avalanche itself. "I'll help out, Son Ta Rik, Olympus flamma burst super meus foes! Flamethrower!" He says as a burst of fire explodes from his hand propelling them through the snow at amazing speeds. Not only that, but they had gained a lot of distance from the avalanche.

"Okay! Keep it steady, Rose! Micah!" William shouts over to them, continuing to channel his magic to burst the sled of sorts at high speeds. The sled was working safely and moving smoothly, though that's as expected since Mortimer created.

Rose jumped at the front, "Spiritual Protection," Rose chants sending her spirits to stabalize and keep the sled on track. With Micah's help they could keep it on a steady pace and steady course. "Everyone, watch out! When we crash into the ground, we won't stop, so we may have to jump off!"

As they made their way to the bottom of the mountain and away from the avalanche, Rose forces the sled to take lift and not crash into the snow pile up at the bottom. As the sled slams into the ground, snow crashes into them, however they were safe.

Mortimer was glad his sled had made it, he was panting as he maintained the massive shadow sled, before letting the entire structure dissolve. Sweat dripped off him, freezing as it hit the air. It was over. Their trip through that hellish mountain was over.

I re-attached the 5th link.This pushed the demonic infestation back to its area.Finally safe.This adventure was more fruitful,for much had been gained,I thought as I looked at micah.

Micah had noticed that Kitty wasn't around the area, but a lingering presence of her magic showed that she was safe. Maybe she never exited the tunnels and was still in the base? But, Micah was glad everyone was safe and things worked out so well. "E-everyone, thank you for helping me... I really appreciate it!" Micah says, looking at everyone.

She begins walking over to them, 'You may not understand how I feel, what these words really mean... but to me, they mean a lot. Thanks to us surviving on the mountain together, I realized... we all hold quite precious things. Hehehe, this may be silly I'm not saying all this out loud... but, you guys already know right? That the precious things to me... are you guys. Thank you so much, guys.' Micah thought to herself as her slow walk went into a fast paced sprint as she rushes over to stand with everyone else.

(We're dooone, who grades us??)

Rewards:

Micah - 4 SP, 3 KP and 500,000 Drachma
Will - 3 SP, 3 MP and 300,000 Drachma
Mortimer - 3 SP, 2 MP and 250,000 Drachma
Rose - 3 SP, 2 MP and 250,000 Drachma
Bex - 3 SP, 3 KP and 300,000 Drachma
Kitty - 1 SP, 1 MP and 20,000 Drachma

Thanks Raven... Umi ignore the message where I asked you to grade the thread.