Bryce frowned, his eyes taking in the flames as he stood behind Sanderson. Whatever part of Bryce that didn't work on a regular basis kicked into gear now as he surveyed the scene. "We should report to whomever is in charge." Bryce murmured, his brain analyzing and spitting out information his mouth seemed to understand, but he didn't quite comprehend. "If anyone has healing magic, maybe they can help the victims." Tessa grimaced and crossed her arms over her chest. "You didn't know that!" She said to Rayyad, somewhat annoyed with the two males in her party. Never thinking ahead is what's going to get you killed. She ignored that it was also that very tactic that had gotten her bitten by the spider. "So what now, we pick a doorway?" She peered at the two on the sides, before the one straight ahead. "I guess....if you guys are going to take my thoughts into considering instead of going all Alpha Wolf on me, then I would pick the left door." Forwards seemed too obvious, and the right? Well....she had never had much luck on the right. "At least we don't need a torch with the light that thing's giving off." She murmured, letting her arms drop. "So, what's it going to be?" Kara's eyes widened in surprise as Ren's lips touched hers. Maybe he hit his head or something. Maybe he somehow got poisoned through his armor. Maybe he accidentally ate one of those dragon fruits. Whatever the case, she didn't stop him, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and shutting her eyes. Of course, they were so rudely interrupted by the Queen B- Shyra herself, and Kara pulled back. "Shyra? Thank gods you're here!" She called to their leader, her eyes remaining locked on Ren's as she searched for the answer to her unsaid question. A soft smile appeared on her face as she found it, and she gently pressed her lips to his once more before biting him just above the mouth, hard enough to draw blood. She winked at Ren before turning, eyes sparkling with mischief. "He was bitten by a spider, on the face. Such bad luck, but I was doing my best to suck the poison out. He's lucky he had me here." She managed to roll out of the way as Arval raced to the "Duke's" side. "Lord Arval, I'm not sure, being a poor and ill educated servant, but I think there might be some of the poison left." She gently traced the corner of Ren's mouth, suppressing her grin as she feigned worriedly looking into Ren's eyes. "Stay with me, my lord. Help is here." She turned to Lord Arval, tears beginning to shine in her eyes. "I don't think I got it all out, please, you have to save him."
First she had been dumped on her ass, then she was handed off to Derrick, then she was stuffed on top of a horse and told to stay out of the way. By Derrick. "You can go fuck yourself." She muttered to Derrick, gripping the saddle horn with her hands before pulling out her own crossbow and aiming. The resulting shaft buried itself in the chest of a Ghoul, followed by a second arrow from the other girl. Veera glanced at their companions, and sighed. Would they ever get a moment of bloody peace? She guided the horse with her knees, biting down on the groan from the throbbing knee cap and cursing the doppler who had decided to inflict such a wound on her as she followed the girl through the streets, reloading the cross bow and waiting until a ghoul approached. Once it got too close to Veceslav, she fired, striking it in the shoulder and hindering its progress. "Gods damn it." She muttered under her breath as she reloaded again. Treasa fired again, the twang of her bow soothing her fraying nerves. Are they ever going to stop coming? She stuck close to Alastar, keeping an eye on Veera and Derrick behind them, but that left the rear to be brought up by Veceslav, who was obviously just as injured as the rest of them. "Uncle, I've got the rear!" She yelled to Alastar before brushing past Veera and skirting around Derrick with a wary eye before coming up beside Vec. "Let me get this. You stay next to Veera." She offered, raising the bow and firing off another another with barely a glance before looking back at the older witcher. "It won't do us any good if you go down from exhaustion on the way out of the city." Teliana inched towards Zephyr, away from the strangers. "I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine." She responded, her eyes wide and frightened. "But you...you're injured. The woman hurt you, right? They can heal yo-" She paused. "Someone asked for me?" Vyle? "Where did he go?" She turned, her hands still out in front of her to keep space between them, but her eyes were less scared now, more inquisitive. "Did you see which direction the man went?" She bit her lip, realizing how callous she must sound. "I'm sorry. It's just important I find him. But if we're as safe as you say we are, then you should let them fix that." She stared down at her ruined fingers sadly. "I'm in no shape to help anyone right now." Tessa curled up in Seth's arms, shutting her eyes as a genuine smile crept onto her face. "Sigmund can go fuck himself before you go anywhere without me." She murmured, using the curse word for the first time. Was it the first time? I think so. She would consider it part of her desire to turn over a new leaf. To never be left behind again. Ever.
Teliana heard a familiar voice, and hesitated, her fingers curling on her palms. "Zephyr?" She asked softly. "Where are we? I don't know this place." The fear rising in her voice made her swallow, hard. She had never been so prone to panic in the past. It appeared her recent experiences had changed her more then she knew. "Please. I don't want to be touched. I'm....fine." Her wounds were survivable, at least, and her magic had returned. "Please, I just need to go back to the city. My friend is there, and he's probably worried and I just.." She backed up another couple of steps, wondering if anyone would try to stop her if she made a portal to Oxenfurt. It wasn't that far away, but it would take her an hour to walk, at the very least. "Just don't touch me." Tessa kept her eyes downcast as she listened to Seth's explanation. Her mind was silent, for once. When he fell silent, it began to work in overtime, analyzing every word he said, the tone, the way his hands moved through her hair. She bit her lip, shutting her eyes for a moment as she let the words fall around her, envelop her. Seth had done bad things. She could accept that. He had tried to get himself killed. She couldn't accept it, but she could handle it. He had listened in on her confessions with her witcher rescuer, okay. She recalled the way he had held her hand when she had been dying. The way he hovered over her even now, protesting she needed sleep. Taking care of her. Tessa reached up, hands cupping Seth's face before pulling it down, touching her forehead to his. "No more." She whispered, opening her eyes, but keeping her gaze on Seth's chest. "No more hurting. No more suicidal tendencies. No more of that Seth." Only when she finished did she raise her head, smiling sadly as she looked into his eyes. "I like the Seth I have in front of me, not the one you talk about. I want this Seth." she gently stroked the hair out of his face, her hands barely more then a whisper along his skin. "Don't leave me, and I won't leave you."
Grayson managed to dodge the first two shots, but the last four pummeled his body. The disease that gave him the tools for power and respect cried out against the purity of the silver that entered his muscle, and he fell to his knee, one hand braced against the ground as a shudder ran through him. "You got....guts." He spat out, feeling his teeth elongate, making it tougher to speak. "Brave...." He looked up, eyes glowing with the magic behind them. "Won't....save...you." His muscles burned and then contracted as he crouched before leaping at Rhett, his body changing into that of a wolf's in midair before he collided with his opponent. His own pain only drove him near completely insanity as he ripped and tore at the body beneath him, struggling to inflict as much damage as wolfly possible before Rhett went got his feet under him again. Grayson snarled in fury as the silver tried to force his body into submission. He would never submit; not now, not ever. Pain was converted into fury, driving him to try and close his jaws around Rhett's throat. Ash had released her wrists, but Morrigan didn't move. She pressed her face closer to his, nearly having to stand on her toes to make up for the difference in height. She could feel his breath on her face as she narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Is that what you told her wife before the Nephilim burned her to the dust?" She moved her hand as if to brush Ash away, her fury causing her cheeks to flush. "Did you tell her to find the strength inside as she rotted in the sun? No. I would bet my magic you told her it would be okay, you would find a way to be strong, you would save her." She stepped back, holding her hands up. "Well? Where is she, warlock? Did her strength save her?" Did yours? In the back of her mind, Morrigan knew she had crossed a line. That thought stayed in the back of her mind because she didn't care. Why should she be grateful that nearly dying saved her from one cage only to lock her in another? Why should she try to be strong when it did nothing in the end? She could feel the words rising in her throat, and she knew she shouldn't say them, but her anger was too far gone. "Am I just her replacement?"
Ana tested her weight on one foot, then the other, rolling her shoulders before tossing her hair back. "Stay here my asss." She muttered as Carson took off after the Heartless. "No one asked you to save me, you know." She ran forward, swooping down to retrieve her dagger where it had fallen before sticking it back in her belt. Only when she was level with Carson did she halt, shutting her eyes as she pointed one palm towards the hand, the other gripping her wrist to keep it steady. "Fly, my pretties." She murmured the palm of her hand glowing until fire darted from it in small balls, zooming towards the hand. Kala wanted to hurt something. Something that was alive. Of course Lumen invited the victim with them. She resorted to crossing her arms across her chest, to keep from strangling either of them. You need them. She reminded herself. "If she comes, you're taking care of her. You make sure she gets fed, clothes, medicine, whatever. She gets sick, it's on you, she fall's behind, you can stay with her." She shrugged. "I'm not a caretaker. And I'm leaving." She turned on her heel and strode across the grass, annoyance flickering across her features. Nothing can ever be simple. She decided, one hand clenched before she gripped the wrist with the other, shaking it out. "Where are you Ana? I just need to find you so we can go home." Kala whispered, staring out at the horizon. Part of her wondered if the other two would bother to follow her. Well, if they didn't, she would just have to take what she needed. Destiny didn't look like she could defend herself well. It would be her, then. And if Lumen put up a fight, well....darkness tickled her mind before vanishing. She wasn't worried.
Grayson paused to grasp a tendril of the ivy that covered the side of the building, looking up to see the height with which it had reached. Much like his predecessor, it had climbed extraordinary odds in order to survive. All to be pulled down by just a little bit of gravity. Grayson yanked gently, watching the plant collapse on itself before falling in a pile on the ground. "Just one little slip." He murmured kicking the plant out of his way, again similar to what had happened to his predecessor's corpse, before continuing to the outer wall. Well, except he had eaten him after the werewolf had died. Grayson smiled with the memory, the feeling of triumph flowing through his veins, the blood running agains the floor, the howls of his supporters that turned to snarls as they tore the competition apart. Normally an alpha would allow the previous members of the pack to make peace and live in the new world their alpha foresaw. Grayson was not that weak. Every child the previous alpha had ever created, ever mate he had ever been with, and every loyal pack member was slaughtered. He could still taste their fear in his mouth, like metal that never rusted. Ah, but those were the old days. Here and now, he had other problems to contend with. "I don't suppose you've come to join the pack, have you Rhett?" He turned to face the other werewolf, spotting the gun in his hand. A smile broke out, causing his face to take on a darker predatory tone. "Well, that's just a damn shame." He answered his own question as he rolled up the bloodied sleeves of his shirt. "Because you know," his voice was becoming deeper, a throaty growl scoring underneath it, "I haven't killed a fellow wolf in far too long." Pulling the shirt off, he revealed a scarred torso, the proud trophies of his past battles. "Where's he gone?" "He-" "You're a liar!" "Morri-" "I won't let it happen!" The voices cut away as she stumbled and fell, her foot tripping on some invisible root. She looked up, and stilled. Yellow eyes circled her in the dark, a rumbling snarl followed. White teeth flashed as the wolf jumped at her, and she threw her hands up to defend herself. Her screams followed her to the waking world, where she sat straight up, her heart pounding in her chest as memories and dreams collided behind her eyes, wrestling with one another in order to sort out the reality behind it all. She was...in a bed? Her hands tightened into fists as she clenched the sheets, trying to get her bearings. She was back in the guest bedroom. The guest bedroom of Ash's residence. This was not where she had fallen asleep. Unless it had all been a dream....raising her fingers to her throat, she felt something cool on top of her skin, and pulled her fingers away before smelling them. Rosemary....to cover the bruise. "Couldn't bear to stare at it? A reminder of your actions?" She spat at the warlock she sensed at her side, letting her hand drop as she stared at the sheets, her mind trying to reform from the pieces. She hadn't dreamed of wolves in years, decades even. What did it mean? "And you...." She lifted the sheets, and then let them slowly drop. "You changed my clothes." She turned, her hand reaching out and grabbing the first thing it could reach, his shirt collar. Yanking it, she drove him back against the wall, her hand going from the shirt to his throat, her other hand following suit. She held him there, arms trembling as she stared at his collar before up into Ash's face. "What gives you the fucking right?" She hissed, her eyes burning with fury.
Brianne stumbled back as Paragon appeared before them. She narrowed her eyes, one arm thrown out in front of the two at her back. Whether it was to draw attention from them to her in case of an attack, or to stop them from attacking the figure, she did not know. "I don't know of you." She stated, her mind drawing back to the strange voice that had played earlier. With this person's capabilities, could they have been the one steal the Mortal Cup? "You already know our names, might we have yours?" She asked cautiously, her hand fluttering near her stele. She was reluctant to make any hostile moves, but this was an unknown on an already dangerous mission. "And why do you care about Grayson Kellar?" She would be a fool to turn down help where it offered, but the last thing she wanted to do was walk into a trap. The odds were already against them, why make it worse? "Can you offer me any assurance you aren't simply leading us into a trap, to be taken hostage by the Downworlders?" Brianne asked finally, letting her arms drop to her sides. If Paragon made any moves, she would have to simply trust she would be fast enough. She didn't like it, but the situation was now out of her control. Alarick turned to Sien with a small smile on his face. "Always nice to see a friend at a murder scene. Unless you're the body, of course." He grasped the warlock's shoulder, somewhat relieved they had a third member. "So I promised you quid pro quo. Come with me, help us get rid of Masque, and I'll answer every question with all the knowledge I have that isn't sworn to secrecy or not in my head." He paused, thinking quickly. "You can take Nick's place, and Nick can follow me. I'd rather not have to explain to my sister that I got her newest recruit killed on his first mission with me. And before you ask, Masque is the serial killing warlock we've been tracked to bring in for questioning." This made him realize he left out an important detail as Cin drew his sword. "We need Masque alive. Obviously don't risk your lives, but the Clave wants him kicking and screaming for when Brianne and I question him. So please, do me this favor. I'll make sure you each are rewarded appropriately." His eyes rested on Nick, before turning to Cin for confirmation his orders would be followed, before finally turning back to Sien. "I always pay my debts." he reminded the warlock with a firm squeeze before letting go, turning back to face the others. "Nick, you watch my back. Sien takes your spot. Let's go." He started off towards Masque's hide out, crew in tow. Grayson took the path outside of the entrance that led to the overgrown gardens. Probably a parking lot or something at this point. He strolled along, face raised to the wind as he took in the scents and sounds that came with the outside. It helped to clear his head of the blood lust and desire that controlled him inside. He needed those feelings, needed the ruthlessness that helped make him who he was, but out here, he could be just Grayson, a single werewolf with not a penny to his name. He remembered the first time he had Changed as much as the last time. He remembered the first human he had killed, the first werewolf, the first mate he had taken. Each had shaped him into who he was now, and each first would shape him into who he would be. Powerful, strong, and cunning. "Not too much to ask for." He murmured to the ivy that wove its way up the building. No, all he wanted was a challenge. That delicious little bunny last night hadn't proved worthy, and neither would her boyfriend. No, he wanted to fight a fellow wolf, to conquer her and watch the defeat kill the light in her eyes before he finally tore out her throat. Unfortunately he couldn't do that to any of the members in his pack, or he wouldn't have many packmates left after long. "Who will be, who challenges me?" He whispered to the wind, chuckling at the rhyme. "I don't want to stay. The sun is out, and the birds-!" "You will do as I say. If you learn this first, then perhaps you can play." "But-" "No. You are not betrothed to him, and by Moon's light it is dishonorable that you two spend so much time together." "But he's my friend!" "Friends come and go, but our marriage vows remain. I've stayed with your father for six hundred years. What could that possibly mean to a girl who hasn't even reached two hundred? Do you even comprehend what our marriage has survived?" "I don't care! You can't stop me!" "Watch me."
"We heard." Veera muttered in response to Derrick as she hauled herself to her feet, and shrugging off the pain. "I'll make it." She told Vec, letting a hand rest gently on his shoulder before she limped outside. A huge man stood there, a girl at his side. Man was a witcher, girl was not. Curious. Veera frowned, but withheld from speaking. The day they had, she wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be another doppler trick. Derrick was being a little trusting, more then she could say. She leaned back against the entryway of the building, eyes narrowed. The girl approached her, strung bow in hand. Veera watched as she slipped it into a quiver and held out a hand, face never changing. "You must be Veera of Velen. It's an honor. Uncle Alastar has spoken about you highly." Veera took the hand and nearly slipped, a groan escaping her lips. "Allow me to help you." Before she could protest, Veera felt her uninjured arm slung around the girl's shoulders, the hand grasped tightly in the strangers while taking the weight off her wounded knee. Derrick, Vec, feel free to step in at any time. She gritted her teeth against the annoyance and pain. If they were the enemy, she was right where they wanted her. It was then she felt her legs drop out from underneath her, staring up as the girl yanked out her bow and took aim. "Uncle!" She cried. Ana felt herself pulled away from Zephyr, but her body wouldn't respond to her commands. She heard voices above her, but they didn't make sense. Had she been wrong to trust Zephyr? Had he led her into a trap? She didn't think it fit his character, but she hadn't known him all that long. Strange hands touched her, speaking above her as she was laid on something. She desperately wanted to open her eyes, to see at least what was happening, but then the memories of what Milosh had done to her began to return. She bolted upright with a scream, fending off the unknown hands as she fell off the cot and scrambled away, her heart pounding in her chest as her vision struggled to adjust to the bright sun contrasting against the darkness the insides of her lids had provided. "Get away!" She screamed, fire shooting from her hands towards the strangers, who jumped back. She wasn't at her full strength, but her magic had returned just enough that she would, and could protect herself. "Where have you brought me!?" She tried to get a bearing on her surroundings, but the moment she looked away the strangers tried to approach again. "No!" She held her hands, palms outward, towards them. "Stay back!" Zack nodded to Zephyr. "If there's anything I can do for you, I'll be over there." He headed in the direction he had just gestured, returning to his duties with the quarter master. There were still supplies to be ordered, and people to send out. "Has there been any word of the witchers, in the city, or the city guard?" He asked, the sun beating down on the back of his neck as he looked over the notes and scribbles on the hastily put together table. "We can't stay here, it's not sustainable. So where....do we go?" He asked absentmindedly, brushing aside the notes to gaze at a map. "Reports from north and west are not good. East...are mountains. South....We could go south. But how is that feasible?" He glanced over the people who had remained in the camp, as more trickled in. "How are we going to do this?" Treasa shifted, unsure of what to do. She had stepped forward to take Veera's weight, unable to stand by and watch the woman she had heard so much about suffer. She had deduced her identity from Derrick, introducing himself. The man was famous for fucking one half of the country and failing to seduce the other. That could only mean Veceslav was somewhere close by. If she hadn't traveled with Uncle Alastar for so long, she might have been more tongue tied in the presence of such legends. Turning, she spotted the shadows quivering just as she dropped Veera on her butt and yanked her bow from the quiver, fitting an arrow to the string in one fluid movement. "Uncle!" She screamed, letting him know the enemy had snuck up behind him as she let the arrow fly, straight into the head of the creature. It retched before falling to its knees, but she knew better then to believe it was dead. She backed up, helping Veera move alongside her until they were closer to Derrick, Veera still sitting on the ground. "You should get her out of here." She hissed at the witcher behind her, pulling an arrow out of her quiver to aim at another enemy. "We all need to get out of here." Tessa shivered, her breath catching in her throat as Seth's fingers raised goosebumps along her arms. She hadn't ever been allowed this, before. Bryce had been strictly a brother, and his presence had frightened away any possible suitors. But maybe that's what this is. The mental voice returned, it's tone crueler then ever. Maybe because you're the forbidden fruit. And once he's had you- I'll prove you wrong. She promised herself. I'll prove you wrong and ask him. Oh right, because he won't lie. He won't tell you exactly what you want to hear. Tessa bit her lip as another shudder caused her wound to sting, the pain nearly overruled by the newly discovered pleasure she found in the sensation. "Seth..." Tessa cleared her throat as her voice cracked, the tone filled with things she couldn't begin to understand. "Do you want me like you wanted her? The girl you hurt, I mean." The last part came out as a whisper as her courage nearly failed her. "Because you wanted to save her the pain of living after you....after you had been with her. What if that happens to me?" Because if you betrayed me it feels like it would kill me.
Ana arched, her head flying back as the Heartless defied all reason and squeezed her harder. It was then that Carson came to the rescue, using some sort of keyblade attack to force the thing to drop her. She curled in on herself and extinguished the flames just before she felt his arms around her, catching her in midair. "Well, Daddy always wanted me to find a man. Can't imagine this is how he'd thought it would go." She glanced down at the ground that was slowly coming closer, and then grabbed Carson's shoulder with her hand, pulling herself up just enough that she could launch another fire ball at the hand as it began to glide towards them. "I swear the other one was easier." She muttered, refusing to look at Carson. She didn't want to be rescued. She wanted to stand up for herself in a way she hadn't been able to before. "But, well...thanks for helping me out." She murmured, her body aching from the remains of the hand's attack. She would have bruises tomorrow, most likely. Kala frowned as she watched Lumen and Destiny interact, stepping back into the shadows to observe. The girl was either a victim, or a scrapper from those injuries. Judging by her manner, victim was more likely. Kala couldn't stand victims. The way Lumen spoke to her, he had a soft spot. So many people's downfalls were their soft spots. Ana had never been a soft spot, not when she had been tougher then nails and just as likely to kill a man as look at him. Their father had raised them to be tough, unwilling to cater to the weak in the world they lived in. Not when one person could drag a whole patrol to hell with them, not when a single moment of hesitation could be the moment of life or death. Not for one instant did she think Ana was dead, because for Ana to be dead would mean that Kala was alone, bereft of her last family member. And for that to happen, hell would have had to freeze over. Ana was the toughest person Kala knew, apart from herself.
Kara stuck her tongue out at Laurentinus before focusing back on stemming the flow of blood from the wound. She giggled at his joke as pulling the cloth away to peer at the wound. "I never thought of myself as a long lost princess, waiting to be rescued. If you don't do it yourself, then what's the point?" She sat back, setting the cloth back on the wound, but more gently. "I've been bitten twice in two days, I must be really tasty." she complained, though her smile canceled out any real annoyance on her part. "Funny thing, I don't recall ever being told I would make good spider bait." She glanced towards where they had come from with a bit of a frown. It wasn't far, but enough so that it would be annoying to try to haul the amoured man back. "I certainly never thought I'd end up here." she told Ren with a sigh. Tessa peered at each of the statues in turn, biting her lip. She stilled when she heard a sound behind her, and turned to see Conrad grabbing at the contraption that she had ignored. "Conrad wait!" She called out, stepping towards him. Did men not speak before they act? Is this why people always tell women not to just mate with men? "Rayyad stop him!" Worst case scenario the entire cave would come down on them, and she didn't fancy her chances of surviving a cave in. Bryce was busy peering at Sanderson's side burns, waiting for just one of them to move away from his face when he realized the others were speaking. "I agree with the Citrus God. He speaks wisely." Bryce commented with a sagely nod before stepping away. Sanderson's murderous facial hair would have to wait, there might yet be fruit suitable in this town for him to sup on. Either that or they had finally arrived at their mission point. Which is......He blinked, drawing a blank. Probably something important. Shouldn't ask, might look stupid.
Alarick shook his head, mouth tightening into a thin line. "Grayson's going to be pissed." he muttered as he watched Cin examine the fallen bodies. Alpha wolves, no matter how cruel they were, did not take rebellion against their perceived power very well. It was then that Nick noticed the footprint trails, one set being Masque's, the other being the wolves. He opened the lockscreen on his phone to text the direction the pawprints had gone to Brianne, and blinked as he read the text from Roxanne. "Why in the name of the Angel are you so careless, Bri?" He muttered, staring at the winky face. She sent him a winky face. Alarick texted Roxanne a response, detailing the direction of the footprints and to tell Brianne that they were headed in the direction of a grouping of abandoned buildings. In hindsight, it made perfect sense. Someone was bound to notice the piles of bones scattered around. Shutting off the screen, he turned to the two. "We still go after Masque. I'm going to trust my sister that she can handle the wolf. But you're right, Nick. It could be a trap." He debated for a moment. "We'll use an arrow formation when we get there. Cin you take the left side, cover any entrances and exits on there. Nick, you'll take right. Both of you stay within sight of myself and each other. We'll go in on our prospective sides and clear the building from there. Think you guys can handle that?"
Brianne smiled at Hendrick, though it was only a small one. She let go of the strand she had been playing with and straightened, pulling on the burden that was leadership. "You'll have to tell me what happened, one day." she murmured, looking over his shoulder for Roxanne. Whatever it was, she didn't know that he wanted the younger Shadowhunter to hazard any guesses. "I just hope you realize how dangerous Grayson is." She told the both of them, the smile growing at Roxanne's claims. It seemed the girl was settling in better then she could have hoped. "There are no second chances, or quick and clean deaths. He prefers to..." She paused, her eyes tightening. "Never mind. The point is that if it comes down to it, you run. I'm not losing either of you to that damned bone crunching bastard. If it looks lost, you both find each other, and you run." She stared at both of them before turning and walking out the door. "The Clave gave me the location of his last hide out. It's abandoned now, but it might have a clue as to where he's gone. An abandoned fire station." She brushed her hand back through her hair, letting out one last breath to get rid of the nerves, and then moved forward. Grayson watched his pack, lazily eating the last bit of sustenance off a femur bone. He remembered the girl who belonged to, fairly well in fact. A pretty little thing with blonde hair that had wandered too close to their hide out. Her boyfriend was in the cells down below, waiting his turn. He had gone fairly silent after the girl's screams had been replaced by the crunching of her bones and the tearing of her flesh. No doubt he wanted out of this nightmarish reality. "Well, one man's trash is another man's treasure." Grayson murmured, licking the length of the bone before tossing it in the pile. She had reminded him of a bunny, all big eyes and terrified squeaks. In the end, all prey tasted the same. But the smell....He closed his eyes and inhaled, his wolf life senses picking up faint traces of her perfume among the scent of blood. Delicious. Like a little flower. He rested on his chair, or rather his throne, watching the other wolves move to and fro. In the short time that had past, another two had joined them. Another set of mates. He didn't mind if the wolves in his pack mated, whether it was for life or just for the hell of it. Kids meant hostages if the parents didn't cooperate, eventual recruits that could be brainwashed to do his bidding if they did. He wasn't one of those alphas who demanded all females stay with him, oh no he, he wasn't that bad. He didn't much care for willing participants, anyhow. No, Grayson wasn't the boyfriend you would bring to meet your parents, unless you wanted to see your father eaten and your mother assaulted and eaten afterwards. Admittedly, Grayson hadn't found that type of woman yet, but when he did, it would be decidedly interesting whether she killed him before he killed her. Standing up and stretching, Grayson strolled through the main of the police station to reach the outer courtyard, where he supposed most of the officers used to bring well behaved prisoners for smoke breaks. He himself hated the smell of the things. He breathed in the clean air, the rumble in his throat turning into a whine of desire. He didn't care for the boyfriend down below. He wanted another girl, another female that would put up a fight. His eyes glowed, and then he sighed. Maybe another day. For now, the boyfriend would have to do. He had maybe another couple of hours before lunch. So much to do. It's so hard, raising a family. Making dinner for the kids, cleaning up the mess, making sure they do their chores. He looked back at the werewolves scouring back and forth, coming up with leads and plans for Masque. Maybe I'll leave the kids to watch themselves and go for a stroll.
One hand down, and she ducked as the other tried to scoop her up. "Buy a lady dinner first." She turned around and blasted it with a fireball, her mana getting a little low. She turned back around as the hand cut through the air towards her, running towards the nearest tree. Jumping up, she used it to spring back around and forced her flames down the blade of her silver dagger as she stabbed it. Catching the pinky finger with one hand, she kept stabbing it at until the hand bucked her off. Flying through the air, she pressed her knees together and pointed her toes out before using her hands to grab the nearest tree branch, and climb onto it. Teliana had ended up quite high from the ground. She stared down at the hand as it zoomed off, decidedly putting some distance between its attacker and itself. Well, now the question was how to get down. Ana slipped over the edge, grabbing the branch and dangling from it as she looked down. No helping it, she was going to have to drop. She let go, and in that instant the hand slammed into her, wrapping its fingers around her body and squeezing. She cried out in pain as her bones compressed, her body protesting against the force that tried to crush it. The fire started small, in her toes, and began to fan upwards. She yanked her shirt off and unfastened her cloak, letting both drop to the ground before they could be singed to ash. "Let. Me. Go." She whispered, the flames glowing in her eyes as her body was consumed by the fire, her hair dancing in the warm breeze it created. Kala narrowed her eyes and reached out to grab the girl's shoulder, spinning her around so she could look at her. "You're not from here. How did you get to this world?" She asked, her fingers tightening on the girl's shoulder. "And don't lie. I can tell if you're lying." She glanced at Lumen. "He and I have business to attend to, so if you could make this quick, that would be wonderful." She had no desire to remain here, when the truth of what happened to her sister, the real truth, was still out here. And she only needed one of them to come with her. In fact, she didn't really need any of them to come with her, but besides the company and perhaps amusing conversation they could provide, she might need someone to take the place of her sister, wherever she was. You need to give to take. She reminded herself, eyes flicking back to Destiny. "So, girl, what is it?"
I've been sleepwalking too close to the fire.
For some reason, Kara felt like she was back in school. Individuals tests....ugh. She rested her elbows on her knees, her body swaying with the movement of the train as she placed her chin on her hands, staring at the opposite seat in thought. She didn't mind working alone, quite honestly. Only one person to depend on and one person to disappoint. But against some of the most memorable Disney villains? She might want a little bit of back up. A teensy bit. Even just someone to hold her hand and remind her what their weaknesses were. Would they have to defeat them how they were defeated in the movies? That would be challenging at best, especially for Ursula. Unless she was moping around a water park somewhere. Knew I forgot something. Kara looked down at her clean clothes morosely before picking up her supplies, uncomfortable with the foreign objects in her hands. Well, at least water was cleansing, or something. She would just deal with it if the time came.
Brianne couldn't help but grimace at Roxanne's comments, but when the girl protested that Hendrick should come, she couldn't help but agree. As much as he might slow them down, his insight could be invaluable, and even an injured hand was still a helping one. "It's up to Hendrick, Roxanne, and he seems to want to stay." She told the other girl, noticing that she had slipped the phone into her pocket. She looked down at Hendrick's phone, then held it out to him. "If you're staying, you should keep it. In case something happens." she murmured, her eyes looking elsewhere. She would layer the building with different runes to keep anyone without Nephilim blood from straying inside, but her gut told her it might not be enough, with a rogue Shadowhunter wandering around, possibly in possession of the cup. "I'll understand if you want to stay with him." She continued, turning to the other girl with a small smile. "Hendrick shouldn't be left alone, but we're short handed. I can go track down leads on Grayson and stay out of combat until Alarick and Nick are able to back me up. I won't let anyone go into battle if they're unwilling." She sighed, knowing Roxanne would protest. "If you stay with Hendrick, you both can use the library to research ways to permanently send demons back to their realm. I know that's something you want. And perhaps if everything goes well, I can get you permission to use the library at Alicante. It's up to both of you." She stepped out of the room, heading towards the training one where they kept their weapons. "I'll be by the front door for the next ten minutes if you guys are coming." She walked down the steps, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers as she thought to herself. She hadn't expected the conversation to go the way it had, but she had forgotten who she was talking to. Thoughts about Hendrick's past dredged themselves up again, her suspicions and her questions. She tugged the strand one last time before letting it go as she strolled into the weapon's room, grabbing a second stele from the rack and buckling it to her waist before withdrawing it. Runes for stealth, speed, and stamina were drawn on her skin. She left space for one last one, just in case she required a healing rune. Who am I kidding? A pack of murdering werewolves? I'm going to need ten healing runes. Nevertheless, she strode towards the door, leaning against the wall, and taking up the hair twirling again. Nine minutes to go.
Zack grinned. "You know how much I love a challenge. And besides, what about the night after they were born? I stayed with them all night and they didn't make a peep." He shifted Zelina to his other arm, ready to take Zarron whenever Adelina was ready to give him up. The boy would grow up to be handsome one day, his shock of orange hair nearly the same as Zack's. Zelina had taken more after her mother's looks, with her wide eyes and golden hair. He had seen the look in Adelina's eyes, love mingled with worry. She didn't like his job, and sure, he could ask for a change of position, but if he was destined to die, then he would do it with a sword in hand, protecting the family he loved. Adelina understood, and she wouldn't stand in his way, and every time he came back he would do what he could to ease the worry before going back out. But the fact of the matter was, there was only so much he could do. It was the same worry he held for Tessa, or any of his teammates. It was the same worry he held for himself in a smaller capacity. Titans were unpredictable, and things could go wrong at any moment. It was being able to survive that unpredictability that helped you stay alive longer. Zack wasn't nearly as good as Drake had been, but he held his own. It was Tessa he worried for. She was strong, yes but her survival instincts were diminished. Which didn't make sense, come to think of it. "Perhaps later we'll go see Auntie Tessa before she goes on shift." He murmured to the sleeping boy in his arms. The children always seemed to cheer her up, at least. "Veera's taking Tessa out for a double shift." He told Adelina, a small frown evident on his face. "We need the new scouts to get trained in faster." Or we're going to lose the ones we have from stupid mistakes made in exhaustion. Kala smiled softly at the joke, though the words, "I'd have to kill you," echoed through her mind. If you only knew, then I think you wouldn't hesitate. Her inner voice whispered sadly as Galadorn wrapped his arms around her. She set the tea down and brought her hands up to cover his own, before she pressed her forehead to his. "They'll go away." She murmured, looking into an ocean of green irises before shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath, reveling in the warm scent that seemed to follow Galadorn everywhere. She had been saying those three words for what seemed like an eternity. They'll go away. She suspected they would, if she imbibed in alcohol or drugs. But that would mean a loss of her cognitive functions, and she would not put anyone in danger that way. Least of all the person closest to her. Speaking of close....his physical presence brought an ache to her throat. Her heart dropped as she realized she would have to feed, today. She put it out of her mind for now and turned around in Galadorn's arms, resting both of her palms on the side of his face, searching his eyes for what she already knew was there. Would it be so hard to say? The answer was yes. Every time she tried, the words stuck in her throat. Something so small, and yet so significant. Words she hadn't ever had the occasion to say to another living soul. And she couldn't find the strength to say them now. She exhaled, looked up at Galadorn with a small smile. "We should get you a bigger bed." It was a subtle subject change, but something she found easier to talk about.
Ana had a vague impression of movement, but her exhausted body refused to let her open her eyes. She had a good feeling about the kid, otherwise she wouldn't have offered to escape with him, but she hoped there wouldn't be any more danger between them and....wherever she had put them. She could hear the sounds of the wind rustling the grass, and birds singing; a forest maybe? Either way, she was locked in the folds of her mind until her body regained its strength. A pathetic place to be, but there was no help for it. Vyle, I'm sorry. You trusted me to stay there, but we couldn't. As soon as she was stronger, she would go back to the city, and she would find out where he had gone. She would explain herself, and hope that he would forgive her. Once I find you, I'm never leaving your side again. We'll take down Solomon, but we're going to do it together. Zack watched Rael work on burial duty before going back to the papers in front of him with the quartermaster. They needed supplies, but where to get them....He was still waiting for the messenger to return from Novigrad on whether any supplies there would be willing to help in exchange for a debt. Zack had no means to pay for food or shelter, but he would. He would have to do this. More and more stragglers trickled in, with stories of witchers and undead, and, more importantly, of Bryce's demise. Zack had previously been helping in the makeshift infirmary, but could only stand to hear the story so many times before he had to leave. Now his mind was involved with numbers, ciphers, and mathematical problems. The number of people they had just kept growing, but what little they had couldn't be stretched too much farther. "Send two down to the village a short distance from here. Barter for tents, but if they have none, then cloth, wood, sewing supplies, everything it takes to make them. We need to get the wounded out of the sun and weather." For now, their luck had held, and no undead or witchers had come from the city. Neither was it raining and turning everything to muck. Zack saw it as a sign that the gods were giving them time to rebuild, and he would not waste it. "Halt!" Raised voices caught his attention, and he clapped the quartermaster on the shoulder before hurrying down to the fringe of the camp, where two of the "guards" had spears raised towards a young fellow. "Stand down." Zack commanded. "And help him. He's a friend." He strode towards Zephyr, helping the other two dopplers take the unconscious woman from his shoulders before clapping the mage on the back. "It's good to see you. I was worried you hadn't made it out, or..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I should have taken you with me. By the time I tried to go back, it was just...impossible. I'm so sorry. Is there any way you can forgive me?" He looked back at the camp. "At the very least you can have some hot food and a place to rest. And your friend will be well looked after. The two healers here aren't magical, but they know their stuff." He tried for a smile, but it wasn't forth coming. Veera remained in the hallway, the halfway point between Veceslav and Derrick, who had told her in no pointed terms not to do anything rash. Wait, since when had she listened to Derrick? She shook her head, pressing her back to the wall as her legs sagged. The shaft still remained in her shoulder, and she sighed, unbuckling that part of her armor and letting it slide open so that her undershirt was revealed. At this point, she didn't much care if she had to stand nude in the river, she just wanted some food, and a bed while her family slept beside her. I think that's called safety. Her mind's voice told her with a wryness in the tone. Veera had to smile at herself before baring the injured shoulder, biting down on the leather that was part of the armor's straps, and reaching around to grab the head of the arrow. It had luckily pierced through her skin of her back, and she yanked it through, a muffled yell pulling itself out of her throat as she did so. Dropping the wooden piece to the ground with a clatter, she tore the lower part of her undershirt's sleeve off and pressed it to the injury, leaning her head back against the wall as she waited for the sluggish bleeding to stop, and Derrick to finish....whatever he was doing. It didn't sound like he was being eaten by a vampire, so she ruled that out. Did vampires have sex? It was possible that Vyle was that type of "friend" Derrick was famous for having, but not everyone's standards were so low. Gods, this day. From losing my memory to killing undead to thinking about Derrick having sex with a vampire. And Aaron's- Her throat closed up, and she shut her eyes, not so entertained by the direction her thoughts had taken. Food, sleep. She just needed those two things. Food, and sleep. "You still alive out there Vec?" She called, her voice pure exhaustion. The bleeding was nearly stopped, and she slipped the sleeve of her shirt up, pulling on her armor, but refusing to get to her feet just yet. Treasa's hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she kept checking behind her as if waiting to be grabbed by some infernal demon. "Maybe we just shouldn't get separated." She muttered to her uncle, every sense on edge. A man turned the corner, and saw her. He started towards her with an ugly grin on his face, blood still fresh on his clothes. She could only guess as to what he had been doing, and it turned her stomach. Glancing back, she saw that her uncle was in shadow; the man simply hadn't seen him. A grim smile on her face, Treasa turned and aimed the arrow at the man as he kept coming closer. His steps faltered, and he took one back. "Run, if you dare." She whispered, the feathers of the arrow tickling her face as she drew back the bowstring. He turned, and she let the arrow fly, straight into his heart. He collapsed, and she began to walk towards him. It took a couple minutes, given the distance, but she yanked the arrow out of his body and put it back in her quiver before turning back to catch up with Alastar. "I don't see any city guard among the dead." She commented after a while, breathing through her mouth before the stench made her stomach revolt. "Did they even try to stop this?" Tessa stared at Seth for a moment, her hand finding it's way to his as she pulled it from his face to interlace her fingers with his. Decisions flashed through her mind, each one settling for a moment before being brushed aside by another. Finally, she pushed them all away and crawled onto Seth's lap, leaning her head against his chest and shutting her eyes as she listened to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. "The wound should be okay for now. We have to get medicine for it soon." But not now. "I just want to stay here." She whispered, ignoring the sting of her back as she shifted slightly. What if he doesn't want y-She pushed the mental voice away, tired of her own insecurities whispering to her. There would be time for that, time for the medicine, time for Seth's fate all later. She just wanted to soak up this little moment of peace and quiet, of safety and comfort. Something in her chest told her it wouldn't last for as long as she would have hoped.
Alarick raised an eyebrow, but his frown only deepened. "Perhaps something happened that drew her away." But he had to admit, the fairy's arguments were sound. "But you're sure the warlock that accompanied her didn't simply spirit her away? Fey are known for their beauty, and well..." He stepped away from the wall, cracking his neck. "Very well. I'll-" he stopped as his phone vibrated, and pulled the thing out of his pocket. The crease between his brows was the only indication that something far more worrying had happened. Quickly he forwarded the text to his sister, along with a brief message, and slipped the device back into his pocket. "We leave now. Masque has just struck again, and we need to pick up the trail before it goes cold." He glanced at Nick, thinking quickly. "You're with me. We'll leave the other two with Brianne. I hope you can keep up." He strode out of the room without waiting for the fairy or Nick, grabbing his bo staff as it rested by the door. "You're going to start a twice damned war, you stupid bastard." he muttered, holding the staff in one hand before tracing runes over his arm with the other, one for increased perception and another for dexterity. He opened the door and jerked his head. "Out. Let's go. I hope you can draw runes on the way." The last part was directed at Nick as he waited for them to follow him out. After Cin and Nick left he slammed the door and walked down the steps quickly, striding off in the direction of Masque's latest project. He didn't forget to pull the phone out of his pocket one more time and texted Sien. "Plans have changed." along with the new address. Hopefully the warlock would agree to help him stop this Angel cursed maniac before he succeeded in starting a Downworlder war. A short time later, they arrived (because Magick didn't want to waste time on banter.) Alarick looked at the scene with something close to disgust, and ran a hand through his hair. "Spread out, search for clues. And keep an eye out for any of Grayson's wolves. Word has it they're willing to kill anything on two legs." "I'll tell them you don't know anything, and regardless of them torturing you, I won't tell them a thing. I have to protect both of you somehow. It's my job, as Head of the Institute." "As for Nick," she glanced at Roxanne, her eyes gentle for a single moment. "He'll stay by Alarick's side, for now. Since you're with me, and I can barely keep up with you." The last part was said gently, meant to be teasing. "Alarick will be able to keep him safe from Slavko until we develop a more permanent solution. As for regards to Masque, I-" She glanced at the incessant beeping of her phone and grimaced, yanking it out of her pocket with such force it nearly flew out of her hands. Her face tightened as she read the message, before she actually did throw the phone into the nearest wall. The resounding crack made her feel a little better, though she stared at the shattered device with a small amount of remorse. Now she had no way to text her idiot brother back and tell him what a fool he was. "It appears Alarick will be handling Masque." She said after a deep breath. Always running into danger so I don't have to. "Alright." She turned and walked back to Hendrick. "Roxanne and I will be going after Grayson Kellar, and keeping our ears open about the Mortal Cup along the way. If you can keep up, then I'll always welcome another helping hand, but I don't want you to endanger yourself unnecessarily. Roxanne and I can layer you with stamina and health runes, but I don't need you dying on us." She turned back to look at Roxanne. "Alarick's number is [redacted so a real number isn't used on accident]. Can you please text him and tell him if he needs us that you'll be communications manager?" Hoping Roxanne would do as she asked without too much backtalk, she turned back to Hendrick. "What do you think?" She asked, her voice calm. Morrigan waited until Ash was out of sight before letting her legs collapse from underneath her. Now that she was alone, she lay on her side, curling up into a ball and let the tears flow. Fighting for her life, Ash telling her she hadn't been in any danger all along, Masque, it had been too much for any one person to handle. She sobbed into her hands, her frame shaking with muffled whimpers and gasps until she had exhausted herself. Too tired to wipe the remaining moisture from her cheeks, she simply stared at the blades of grass in front of her face until her eyelids slowly closed, and she receded into an exhausted sleep. "Have you ever been in love?" "No, have you?" "No, but...it's not all about making children and preserving bloodlines and having a home. People can love each other and be friends, right?" "Yeah, of course! We're friends and we love each other!" "We'll always be friends, right?" "Yeah, always." Grayson closed his eyes as mourning howls filled the ruined hall. "This warlock... silver bullets?" He asked his beta. The beta nodded, his eyes red from weeping. After all, it had been his mate that Masque had slaughtered. Grayson put his hand on the werewolf's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "We will avenge her." He promised, his voice filled with wrath. "Tonight we do not hunt vampire, or wolf. Leave the weaklings for another day." He turned to the rest of the pack, who looked up to him with hope and pain and rage. "Tonight, we hunt warlock! Tonight we will feast on the blood of the man who has taken our brethren from us!" They howled in response, their eyes glowing with suppressed blood lust. "No one takes someone from our pack and gets away with it." Grayson vowed, clenching his fists. "NO ONE!" His own emotion ridden howl joined the others in chorus. They would begin to make preparations, and plans. When the sun went down, that warlock was a dead man. He turned to the two followers behind his beta. By law of the pack they were now his third and fourth in command. "Let every Downworlder know that Masque is a dead man. Let them know that any who shelter him or keep information from us will be ripped limb from limb while living." Both werewolves nodded and vanished from his sight. "When you are ready, my friend, we plan." he told the beta, who nodded. In truth, every one of them was expendable. He was the alpha, only he could not be replaced. But he could not afford to let any Downworlder think they could kill someone under his protection. Under the clothes he wore were scars from hundreds of battles, scars he had won. He would not let anyone think they had been for naught. He would find this warlock, and leave his entrails hanging as a warning to those that would follow in his foosteps; Don't mess with Grayson Kellar.
Brianne wanted to smack her brother's head against the wall as he raised an eyebrow to her, promptly ignored her, and turned back to Nick. Her eyes narrowed at what she saw, and she grabbed Nick's arm as Alarick started towards the side room after Cin. "Hey." She spoke softly to avoid gaining attention, but loud enough it should get Nick's. "Be careful around him. He's not someone to mess around with." She lifted her fingers off of Nick's sleeve, and smiled a little. "I don't want to see my friends get hurt." Turning, she walked back up the stairs and into the infirmary, stopping when Roxanne almost kicked her in the face. "Right." she waited until Roxanne had finished, before shutting the door behind her. "They told me not to trust you. I could be dragged before the Clave by repeating what I'm about to say, so it's important that unless it's to Nick or Alarick, none of what I'm about to say leaves the room." She paused, trying to draw from her inner strength. "The Mortal Cup has been stolen. And it's has been given to a Downworlder, by one of our own. We've been ordered to stay on the front lines, and try to hold back what is going to be one of the largest rebellions we've ever had to face." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "But that's not all. Alarick has been charged with protecting Raziel's Sword. I have hidden it here, and for your own protection I'm not going to tell you where. Only I and Alarick will know, so that if we are unable to hold back the Downworlders, they will only torture me or Alarick for the informatin." She wished that was it, but unfortunately, there was more to come. "On top of all of this, we are still charged with hunting down Masque, the rogue warlock, and a new threat, the Pack Leader Grayson Keller. His pack has already started hunting down anything that runs. He's got ten wolves behind him, and more will follow." She looked from Roxanne to Hendrick, trying to smile despite the intense stress she was under. "So, that's it. Find the Mortal Cup, which they think has been brought here, protect the sword, which has been brought here, kill the leader of a growing werewolf pack, find a serial killer warlock, and uphold the balance of peace. No big deal." Alarick walked into the room, stepping ahead of Cin to open the door for the fey before walking inside. The room was dusty from lack of use and maintenance, and he sighed before waiting for the fairy to enter. Once he did so, Alarick sized him up silently before crossing his arms over his chest and cleaning against the wall. "So, you're missing one of your own, and you think Masque is responsible. I would first ask how you know it was him, and she simply hasn't disappeared with a mate or run away. It isn't impossible for one of your kind to stray from the flock for a few decades, is it? After all, you have endless time." His eyes remained on Cin as he watched reactions, and waited for a response. Morrigan stilled under Ash's examination, but she refused his hand to help her up, instead clinging to the trunk of the tree until she was on her feet, newborn calf legs be damned. "Go." She managed to force the word out of her swollen throat, a weak whisper that was contrasted by her eyes, which burned with anger. You stupid warlock, what do you think they'll do to you when they see what you've done to me? She couldn't allow such a fate to befall her people, should they fail. Should they succeed, she wanted him farther away, because she intended to make good on her own promise, first. The pulse of hot pain flashed through her again, forcing her to press her lips into a thin line. Her vision swayed for a second before the world resumed its rightful place. "I'll stay. Here." Each word felt as though she had swallowed glass, but she hoped she got the point across. At this point it was only her strength of will keeping her standing. I'm going to make sure you feel as powerless as I do now. I'm going to watch as you have to struggle for what should be yours.
