Epics of Noche 3, Limbo

EON CH 30 - ACT 40, THE YELLOW ROOM

DIA ATTACKS.

1774, NOVEMBER 28th, MONDAY7:00 pm.

Raven adjusted his feet into a wider, more defensive, stance. The group stood in a black world with a polished ebony floor and starless night sky. In the distance was a gold and black lighthouse spinning its yellow beam. Dia stood between them and it with a scythe in her hand.

"Noche?" Raven asked.

"That's not Noche," Boots shouted.

Despite the similarities in appearance, Dia was different. She had heavy wings, each one larger than her own body, and soaked in weeping tar. Long black hair that went down her back and a harpy's grin. Claws that could cut metal and feet like a crow. A wooden boat wheel floated and spun behind her back and her skin was so pale it looked like she drowned.

Dia laughed. "So what do you think you are doing in the blonde's domain?"

She approached and the tar from her wings coated the ground.

"What is she?" Raven said.

"Some sort of evil copy of Noche," Boots responded.

"I prefer scapegoat," Dia grinned.

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

The tar that accumulated on the ground began writhing like insects and wriggled its way towards the group. Raven paused.

"Corruption."

"Bingo! You figured that out quick."

"What can I say," Raven shrugged. "I was never tar-dy to class."

Mary groaned.

"No wonder Noche likes you," Dia chuckled.

"What?"

An explosion of tar was left in Dia's wake as she charged towards Raven. He reacted fast and created a metal umbrella to block the swing of her scythe – it sliced right through it. Raven dodged back before the blade could cut him. Dia didn't let up, she followed with a dozen swings in the space of a second, yet Raven narrowly avoided each one.

"You certainly seem stronger than Noche."

"What can I say, I'm better than the original."

Raven created a new umbrella and lunged forward – Dia vanished and appeared behind him. With a single kick to the back, Raven was sent flying with the resulting shockwave. He moved faster than the speed of sound before impacting the lighthouse. The entire world shook; he stood up without a scratch and dusted himself off.

"Mmmmm boy. I have been made aware that pain is still, unfortunately, a thing."

Raven vanished, appeared before Dia, and landed a kick against her knee. She grinned and swung at him, he dodged and hit the same spot. Dia buckled and cursed, then unleashed a flurry of swings. Raven dodged all of them and attacked her knee again.

"Will you quit it!" She shouted.

Raven grinned under his mask and when another opening presented itself threw another kick at her knee. Her body exploded into tar — it cascaded like a swimming pool spilled onto land. The bird of death gasped and dashed towards the party. Fortunately, Boots gathered everyone by using create to make wind.

"Thanks for the assist Toots!"

"Its Boots!"

"You sure it's not Toots? I saw you passing wind."

Mary booed. "Your puns are terrible."

"When I fought Dia, she seemed supernatural like Edward. Can you defeat her?" Boots asked.

"I think so — but it'll be hard to do so if I'm protecting everyone from her corruption."

Dia reformed from the swirling tar and laughed. Her wings spread out and let out geysers of black. Soon a tidal wave of liquid ebony was racing towards them.

"Oh fuck!" Raven shouted.

He manifested his own wave of tar and the two liquids slammed against each other; soon a black ocean had formed.

"This is too much corruption — it's too dangerous!"

Prismatic energy filled the air as the group tried to use Create to hold back the flood, but the corruption destroyed everything that touched it. Matter, energy, everything was erased from existence from the moment of contact. Only Raven could hold it back with more of the same.

"Ok! This fight is going to be harder than I thought!" He shouted.

"I'll keep the group away from her, you focus on the fight," Boots said. "Shaylin, think of a plan to get us out of here."

"Don't worry Boots, I'm sure we'll be alright if we use the power of—"

"— If you say friendship I'll TPK us right now!" Raven shouted.

Shaylin smiled.

"Don't say it."

Her smile widened.

"Dooon't."

"FRIENDSHIP!"

Raven groaned.

"See bruh, that's how it feels," Mary said.

"Alright I get it," he complained. "Look, I'll hold back the tar harpy. You guys get to safety."

Dia cackled on the other side of the wave.

"If this was the real world, and if we were alone, you might've had a chance Raven," she said. "But we're on my home turf. Welcome to Limbo. Here the laws of reality have no place. Allow me to demonstrate."

With those words, her grin widened.