Alarick sensed Roxanne's intentions, and had just enough time to move away so that instead of kicking the precious object cradled in his arm, her shoe scuffed against the arm itself. "You foolish girl." He growled, and in that moment, he had enough. Grabbing the leg that had nearly damaged his prize, he spun, spending her flying through the air towards one of the training dummies. He glanced at Brianne, gauging her reaction before deciding that her wide eyed gaze annoyed him. Didn't think I'd practice getting stronger? Eventually no one will be able to tell me what to do. He turned away from her, alerting by the blipping of his phone to a missed call, and a message. He sighed as he slide the lock screen open and typed out a quick message to Sieg. "Meet me at the Institute. Quid pro quo." Shutting the screen off, he returned the device to his pocket. "Little sister, a moment of your precious time now?" He asked before strolling away towards the private room, waiting until she followed to shut the door behind her with a resounding slam. "I'll berate you on your behavior, and that of your subordinates, later." he muttered, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "But right now, you need to take care of this, and then you need to contact the Clave." he filled her in on the Old Man's words, leaving out the last thing the elderly man had said to him. If he couldn't trust his twin, he couldn't trust anyone. Brianne listened with downcast eyes, intaking the information silently. That was the one thing he had always liked about her. She knew when it was important to keep her mouth shut and it was time to get her ass into gear. "Hide this." He told her. "Hide it now, and don't tell anyone except me. Make sure you're not seen. Then go. Contact. The. Clave." He paused on his way out, before pulling his sister into a tight embrace. "Glad to see you." He whispered before pulling away and opening the door, strolling out into the main arena. He had someone to go meet. Brianne waited until the door shut before peering down at the bundle Alarick had given her. It was almost too much to believe...but if someone had told her just a day ago that the Mortal Cup would have been stolen, she would have laughed in their face. Pulling aside a part of the cloth, she sucked in her breath before covering up the item again, shutting her eyes and whispering a prayer. Taking a deep breath, she walked out of the room, her jaw clenched. "Nick, go follow my brother. Make sure he doesn't go incite an entire clan of vampires against us. Roxanne, go to Hendrik and tell him plans have changed, he can't rest. Both of you make sure to meet back in the bed room, with my brother and Hendrik in tow please." She had no other name for the temporary fortress they had set up, and waved at them to dismiss them before heading towards the west side of the building, away from the others. It took a decent amount of time, but once she hid Raziel's sword, she sighed, a little of the burden released from her shoulders. Getting to her feet, she rubbed a hand over her face, vaguely wondering when the next time she would be able to actually rest would be, before heading to the library. Time to get it over with. Tracing her stele over the mirror, she bowed before the bent figure that appeared. "Ser." she murmured respectfully, keeping her eyes on the floor. She felt if she stared at the old man in the face, it would give everything away. "Brianne.." The old man let out a long sigh, sounding as weary as she felt. "We have come to a decision." Morrigan watched Ash's face carefully. There was a flicker of something behind his eyes, but it was gone before she put a name to it. I'm becoming more human by the century, trying to label things. She reflected with a sigh, following the warlock absentmindedly. She was glad her siblings had been found, and would be put to rest, but that didn't ease the tension in her mind. There were more fairies missing, more elves that hadn't come home. It was all too easy to blame Masque, and yet she had been shocked by how many victims he had actually claimed. She hadn't taken his threat seriously until she had seen for herself the damage he had done. "I've never liked Egyptians." She murmured, tucking her hair behind her pointed ears as she carefully stepped over the cracks in the sidewalk. "Too consumed with their afterlife to care about living in this one." Rhett's mention of business made her wary once more of her newly forged partnership. She had to remind herself that despite Ash working to save her life, she didn't actually know him. Or know anything about him. The few warlocks she had met, the relationship had been short and nothing close to sweet, so she had nothing to compare it to. Still, better safe then sorry. Not that she knew many people outside of the Fey Court. It wasn't easy making friends on a short leash. "What are you going to tell them when they ask about me?" She asked, realizing only at this point that she didn't intend on going anywhere near the Seelie Court. Not until she had figured out this poison mess, anyway.
Kara grinned. "Oh, I'm Ren Quick, and I fight in my fancy armour made from Tra La La Land." She tried to mimic his voice as she spoke, before pointing at the wound, throbbing on her leg. "This hurts, and I'm sitting down." With that, she slumped to the ground, resting her back against the cave wall as she took a deep breath. "You can blame it on me, Hawk Eyes, but I vote we rest for a second." Or an hour. "Those spiders were a lot tougher then the ones we fought before." She glanced at the knocked out spider, both uneasy and full of pity. "If only we could communicate with them. We just want to find Doe Eyes and Conrad. We don't want to fight. Well, I don't want to." She glanced back at Ren, gaze thoughtful. It was an expression rarely on her face without any accompaniment from mischievousness. "I guess they're not in here, shacking up after all." She bit her lip, thoughts turning to worry. Wolfie seemed like he could take care of himself, but Doe Eyes, well, she was sweet, and gentle. How that girl had apparently survived the woods for so long, she didn't know. Kara shook herself out of her musings, and a sly, albeit weary smile slid on to her face. "Come rest with me, oh Knight of Tra La La." She teased. "Come show me what your fancy armour does for you." Tessa sighed, then smiled at Rayyad. "It'll be okay. We can handle this together, right?" She said, her voice optimistic. "Although I wouldn't mind that chest staying closed." She glanced nervously at the stone object before walking up to stand in front of the door. "I'm ready if you both are." She spoke over her shoulder, eyes on the door ahead. She couldn't go back, not now. She had promised the Webbar King she wouldn't let him possess Rayyad, and she had promised to keep Conrad from being trapped. Voices and hallucinations didn't scare her, and puzzles...well she would work through them with her boys. They would get through this. They had to.
Veera whirled and twirled, her moves becoming more acrobatic as she tried to entertain herself, and find a new way to kill the heartless with every slash of her keyblade. It also stretched out muscles she didn't know existed, and she reminded herself to try and find a hot bath if she made it out of here. A different song switched on in the mental radio that provided the beat to which she worked, and she grinned. She hadn't heard this one in forever. Time to get moving. She took the time to bop the injured heartless on the head and watch it dissipate before getting back to the others. BP Heartless kill count: Shadows: 96 Dark Balls: 10 Shadows injured: Total Experience Gained Veera: 490 EXP (40 Shadows, 2 Dark Ball) Xara: 420 EXP (24 Shadows, 4 Dark Ball) Aislinn: 455 EXP (3 Dark Ball, 32 Shadows)
Ana slammed her hand against the ground, biting her lip to muffle the sound of pain she made as the injured limb throbbed. I'm so useless like this. She would have killed him and I couldn't have stopped her. "Zephyr, we have to get out of here before she gets back." She could no nothing more then crawl towards him. The blood that dripped from his wound wasn't enough to alert Vyle of their predicament (she didn't think), and there was always the chance the assailant would come back before he reached them in time. "Can you make a portal?" She asked desperately, dangerously low on magic. It was well within her ability, but she would not remain conscious after the attempt. "Please by all the gods tell me you know how to portal." Without proper training, he would possibly be able to create one, but where it would take them, neither could say, and she had no desire to end up in the middle of the Skellige Isles. On top of a troll, with my luck. Tessa's lower lip trembled, but no more tears fell from her overly bright eyes. "We have to take care of your hand." She whispered, placing her palm over Seth's. "And I'm not going to sleep unless you're there with me. He won't take you away. She won't take you away. No one is going to take you away. I'm not being left behind." Ever again. A part of Tessa's mind knew that what Seth had done was wrong. Knew he had been dangerous, probably was still dangerous. But that wasn't her Seth. That was some other man who had disappeared, vacated and left behind the person who now stood in front of her. "I'm not going to sleep unless you're there with me." she repeated, her face setting into a stubborn expression to match her tone of voice. Zack looked up, a sigh escaping his lips. Could this day just be over already? "Sara!" He yelled, leaving Fiel in Rael's grasp as he hurried into the camp, helping the girl he named spread out a bedroll. Rael laid the injured doppler down on it, his face tense with worry as he watched over his friend. Zack ran his hand through his hair before turning to the dopplers that had surrounded Alastar and Treasa. "Stand down." he told them, speaking with authority as he stared at the strangers. "I'm sure they mean no harm." "As you can see, we are humble peasants, and nothing more." He continued as he kept his eyes on the strangers, though he was itching to see Sara work. He wanted Fiel to live, dammit, and knew she likely wouldn't. "If there is something you need directly from me, then please, I implore you to rest while I help. We have escaped the slaughter of Oxenfurt, and as you can see, there is much to do." Speaking the last words with a note of finality, he crossed to the other side of Fiel's body, where Sara knelt, examining the crossbow bolt. The look on her face was grim, and Rael's crumpled as he too, realized what it meant. "I can give her something to ease the pain." The girl murmured, looking up at Zack. "But this is beyond my skill." Zack knelt down, taking Fiel's hand on one side, while Rael took the other as Sara administered the pain numbing poultice. "You did good, Fiel." Zack spoke softly, tears blurring his vision. "We're right here with you." Treasa eased into a more relaxed stance, crossing her arms across her chest. Her heart ached as she watched the apparent leader of this camp kneel beside his companion. Both the men wore looks of weary sorrow, telling her this was not the first loss they had experienced this day, nor would it be the last. "Uncle, perhaps we had best go see for ourselves." It felt wrong, to intrude on such a private moment. She tugged Alastar's sleeve, same she had since she was a girl of sixteen. It always managed to get his attention, somehow. "We should leave them to their mourning."
Veera whirled, her swords slicing through the air as she slashed towards Willow/Bryce. "I don't care about the two. As long as I take one I'll die happy." She hissed, ignoring the warnings her body was trying to deliver. She couldn't, wouldn't go down yet. Not yet. "Then I can drag you down to hell with me!" The Aard she used this time pushed back two others who had come to help the Bryce, but it no longer had the power or the range to clear away her entire front. Her breathing was ragged, and her body was trembling underneath her armour, but she refused to give in, refused to die. Not yet. She kept her eyes focused solely on Willow/Bryce now as she struck with the grace only a witcher, even an exhausted witcher, possessed. The anger was fueling her, but it wouldn't continue forever. She needed to finish this before she ran out of wood for the fire. Bryce's hand scrabbled at the one around this throat, barely glancing at the destruction the supernaturally powered man tried to show him. "Change doesn't come through writing letters and lodging complaints." He replied hoarsely. "Change is destruction. Change is blood, and loss. They gave their lives so that others will change." There was no mercy in this man's eyes, but Bryce didn't need mercy. No, he had already started things. He had done as he was supposed to and in the course of everything, his life meant very little in what he had helped to accomplish. "It's started. No doppler will ever be happy with being crushed underfoot. No lord will ever decide they aren't worth his time. Things will change." The last word came out as a hiss. "My only regret is that I won't be here to witness the grandeur." Treasa winced at her great uncle's lack of diplomacy as she watched the wary faces around them. "These people are already frightened, Uncle." She murmured, turning her back to Alastar and facing what could very quickly become the enemy. "I don't think we should encourage their wariness any further then it already has been." And judging by the orange glow in the sky, there was quite a bit of damage that had already been done. "We mean no harm." She tried to calm the people around them in a soft, reassuring voice. "My uncle simply lacks....tact." A doppler stepped forward, his grizzled face tight with emotion. "See for yourself." He said, pointing to Zack, who was helping Rael support an injured and bleeding Fiel. "That's the one that saved us." He also put a hand on the spear he had sharpened for himself, to protect his family. If these strangers tried to hurt the man who had saved them, he would do his best to defender the savior.
Alarick was there, and then he wasn't. Stepping to the side just a few inches to throw off Brianne's attack. He used his free hand to smack the back of her head, the same as when they were younger. She used her momentum to swing to the side, aiming for his right half. Again, he side stepped, letting the failed attack fall wide before allowing her time to recover. During that time, Roxanne attacked, aiming for his side as well. She was moving fast, much more so then his sister. "Runes. Smart." he commented as he stepped back, his hair stirring as the girl's weapon breezed past him. She rolled past him, and he watched her go idly, before turning back to his sister. It didn't matter what they threw at him. They would never beat him. Brianne gritted her teeth. Alarick seemed...nonchalant. Her eyes narrowed, and then she attacked once more. Feinting to the left, she jabbed at the right instead, aiming for his neck. He tilted his head to the side, the blade sliding just centimeters past his head. His eyes flicked to hers, and she yanked her blade back, hooking her leg around his to try and knock him down. Too late she realized the opening she had giving him as his hand caught her foot and yanked up. She twisted in the air, landing on her knee before darting in again. She reached out to grab his free arm, and her hands just brushed against the cloth before his hand snagged around her wrist and he threw her over his hip. Suddenly, the floor rushed up to meet her, and she had to throw her hands up to stop from smashing into the ground. His foot stepped on the wrist that held the stele, and she wanted to scream in frustration. "I yield." She muttered, her fingers releasing their grip. She stood up, sheathing her stele before backing up to let Roxanne finish her part of the match, her heart burning with anger. Morrigan watched the passerby with something close to interest. She had seen people born, watched them grow old and then die. She had stood by as kingdoms rose and fell, as wars were begun and ended. A part of her had always remained surprised that humans hadn't simply died out by now. They were such fast paced creatures, constantly running from one place to the next, from one thing to another. To her, they were like mice. Their lives mere minutes to the hour of her own. They had no time, and she had all the time. It wasn't fair, but how could they miss what they didn't know? She was broken from her musings by a voice. Someone unfamiliar to her had approached Ash, a cooler at his feet. Her heart sank a little as she realized what this meant. So this must be Ash's associate. She couldn't help but smile when Rhett offered his condolences. "I am sorry too." She replied, touching her lips then her heart with her fore fingers in a gesture of sorrow. "But none of us can escape death forever. And their spirits will only want their bodies taken home." You will not wander lost, my friends. I will make sure of it. She raised an eyebrow as Ash swept aside the broken glass, then shook her head, black strands of hair falling to frame her face. "I hope I never get used to death." She told the warlock as she knelt down in front of the cooler, hands folded on her legs. "I'd rather feel something then absolutely nothing." That said, her heart twisted at the sight in the cooler. More of her brothers and sisters were contained then she had thought, or hoped. She shut her eyes for a moment, steeling herself before reaching in to the cooler, and touching the frozen forehead of the first. "Raphael." She whispered. He had been one of the younger fey to go missing, only one hundred years old. "Charlotte. Jayn. Michael." Each one she named, she touched their face gently, remembering their life for what it had been. As she retracted her hand from the box, a vision flashed before her eyes; her own head, staring sightless ahead. Swallowing the bile that rose up in her throat, she got to her feet, toes curling against the cold pavement. "I do not know the others."
Because the powers that be demanded it so, Tessa picked up the gem gingerly, holding it in both her palms as she waited for hell to rain down on her. When it did not, she breathed a sigh of relief, and, cradling the strange rock, carried it over to Rayyad. "I think this is the other piece." She offered it to him, still wary of any traps that might have been set.
Alarick didn't move as Roxanne pointed the sword at his back, but simply raised an eyebrow at Brianne. "Do you let all your subordinates treat you this way?" He asked, eyes flicking in the direction Roxanne jumped, but otherwise ignoring the gesture. "We really need to-" But did they? Alarick wrestled between doing his duty and teaching the upstart a lesson. You didn't threaten Alarick Lightwood and get away with it. He was fine with playing around, but weapons were not toys, and the way that girl handled hers, he doubted she had ever been taught responsibility. Or at least, re-educated. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to show what he was capable of. And yes, maybe a little tiny part of him wanted to show off. He sighed, and readjusted his grip on the bundle. "Fine. One match. I'll only use one hand, but then Brianne has to fight. It wouldn't be fair otherwise." He glanced at his sister, looking almost bored, before she nodded reluctantly and readied herself. "Well then." He made sure to step away from Nick before shrugging out of his coat and tossing it to the side. "Come get me." Brianne winced as Roxanne pointed the blade at her brother. You never do that. The Angel must have been watching, because Roxanne jumped away before Alarick chose to react, though she was treated to a stare from her sibling. She shrugged helplessly, unable to explain the other female Shadowhunter's behavior. At least Alarick would never agre- "Fine." Brianne barely kept her jaw from dropping open as her brother named the terms before glancing at her. She shut her eyes in frustration, before sighing and stepping forward, whipping her stele through the air a few times before standing in front of him. And he didn't even draw his stele. Her heart sank, but she narrowed her eyes, determined. She would give it her best effort, at least, and show her brother that she and her "subordinates" weren't to be taken lightly. She attacked first, aiming for his stomach with the stele. Morrigan took Ash's hand reluctantly, letting him help her to her feet. She remembered a time when it was expected of women to lean on men for everything, but it wasn't her way. Never had been. "I was more fond of this then the 1920's." She replied, staring down at her outfit one last time before shaking her head in response to his next question. "I'd prefer to be as close to the earth as possible." Even wearing court finery, she still went barefoot. It was one of the few rebellions she had incited in herself, in those early days. The habit hadn't died, long after she had been allowed more numerous freedoms. "Your concern is noted, but unnecessary. I've been doing this for three hundred years." She meant the question in regards to her bare feet, but the statement gave her pause. What exactly had she been doing for the last three hundred years, besides living in a gilded cage? "Let's get this over with." She pushed those thoughts away for now, and settled for following Ash. Once her brothers and sisters were identified, then she could see about perhaps making the best of this situation, as the warlock had said.
Alarick's eyes glinted. "Strong grip." he commented as he followed the Shadowhunter towards the training room. "I didn't just claim it." He whispered in Nick's ear as he passed by to stand in front of the younger Shadowhunter. "All you have to do is look at us to see the family resemblance. Right, Brianne?" His sister whirled, her seraph blade cutting through the air. Without dropping the bundle his left arm was wrapped around, he pulled his own blade out and parried the blow. "Hello, sister." Brianne slid to the side, avoiding Roxanne's attack as she grinned in response, her adrenaline beginning to respond to the other Shadowhunter's attempts to get past her defense before attacking with a slash of her own. Seeing the other girl's leg sweeping towards her own, she tucked and rolled. A voice from behind her startled her, and she reacted, turning as her arm brought the stele down. It clashed, sparks flying as she stared into eyes as familiar as her own. And they should be, they were a mirror image. "Alarick." She breathed out, lowering her weapon. He did the same, sheathing it with the same blank look he always carried. But not always. There was a time when you smiled too, brother. "What are you doing here?" She asked, her gaze changing from his face to the bundle he carried. No...there's no way. "We need to speak. In private." The look he gave her indicated there was no room for negotiating.
Veera dove into the next group of shadows, weaving her way through as she cut them. "I can't get no, satisfaction." She hummed under her breath as she moved, desperate to keep herself entertained as the monotony of the battle began to get to her. If they had been difficult enemies, she would have perhaps held more focus, but they were little ones, shadows and dark balls. They required little to no concentration to take out, and thus she kept the running track of music in her head as she cut and struck from either side. BP Heartless kill count: Shadows: 74 Dark Balls: 9 Shadows injured: Shadow 1: 2 BP Shadow 2: 1 BP Total Experience Gained Veera: 420 EXP (33 Shadows, 2 Dark Ball) Xara: 295 EXP (16 Shadows, 3 Dark Ball) Aislinn: 385 EXP (3 Dark Ball, 25 Shadows)
Bryce screamed in rage as his weapons were ripped from his hands, before he scowled at the undead. He had no love for death, and he had so much yet to accomplish. Struggling, he felt himself ripped away once more, and then he was flying. If not for the pain in the back of his neck, he would have thought he had ascended as a god. Instead of looking upon his new captor, he closed his eyes and let his arms hang at his sides. Soon. I think it will be soon. And at that thought, an inner sadness began to constrict his heart. It didn't stop when Vyle smashed him into the ground, or when he opened his eyes, ignoring the pain in his back, or when his lungs gasped for air. He exhaled, and with that went all the anger and the malice and the rage. Because this was it. End of the line. "You must be her 'friend'. Seems to be more then friendly." he commented between wheezing. The first two questions, he ignored. They were none of this man's business, frankly and he didn't want to waste the words to say so. "I sold her because I needed the money. Weapons and potions don't come cheap." Bryce stared up at the sky. He wanted the orange of the fires mixing with the blues to be his last view of this world. "If she meant so much to you, then you should have protected her." The way I protected the one I cared about. Bryce looked back to Vyle, a glimmer of a smile on his face. "Yet you don't seem to have learned your lesson. I don't see her with you. Maybe I'll be greeting her in the afterlife. She was very pretty. I wouldn't mind spending eternity with that." Veera shoved the nearest undead out of her way, and stumbled momentarily. Instead of just one Bryce, there were five. She blinked, and then shook her head. The pain in her arrow shot shoulder indicated this wasn't a dream, and she didn't seem to be hallucinating. She leaped towards the nearest one, her sword cleaving through the air from overhead as she charged. She didn't care who it was, she would murder them all if she had to. With her other hand she cast Igni, blasting fire as she stormed forwards. Zack watched the battle with something close to horror. There were so many dead, and yet, they were walking. How can the dead walk? What madness is this? But he didn't have time to ponder the nightmare that was in front of him. Rael had already darted down to where Fiel had dragged her body away from the undead, her eyes glazed with pain. He followed the bodyguard warily, helping him to pull the female doppler onto their shoulders. A crazed man stepped towards them, swinging a pitchfork. Zack dropped his and dodged to the side, grabbing the weapon and using the dull end to smack the man on the temple. This called more attention to him, and he dropped the weapon, stepping in front of Rael and Fiel and holding up his hands. "We mean no harm. We just came for our comrade." He told the dopplers, eyes intent. Some of them looked uncertainly at one another. "We've got a safe place. We're staying there, riding this out. We don't need to die for...this." He looked back, and suddenly there were five Bryces. Zack went still, unable to comprehend. What have I let happen?
Veera decided to assault a Dark Ball next. She had taken out so many shadows, it seemed time for a change of pace. And with no boss in sight, she wasn't sure what else could be calling the shadows except for the Dark Balls. Readjusting her grip on the keyblade, she darted forward and jumped into the air, uppercutting when the ball tried to ascend to avoid her. The keyblade cut it from underneath, forcing it to sink back to her level. She managed to follow up her original attack with another strike before landing on the ground as the heartless disintegrated. A shadow tried its luck at this point, but Veera wasn't having any of that. It was dead before it had time to realize what had happened. BP Heartless kill count: Shadows: 59 Dark Balls: 7 Shadows injured: Shadow 1: 2 BP Total Experience Gained Veera: 360 EXP (27 Shadows, 2 Dark Ball) Xara: 175 EXP (13 Shadows, 1 Dark Ball) Aislinn: 325 EXP (3 Dark Ball, 19 Shadows)
Veera sighed with a small amount of relief. At least Xara and Aislinn were helping each other out. That left her free to pursue the shadow that thought it could escape the wrath of her Keyblade. She chased it down, cutting through it with one swift movement. Rather then halt her momentum, she kept running, using her momentum to charge a small group of heartless. With one sweeping movement, she cleared them away, watching the tendrils of darkness disappear before turning to find her next target. It seemed in the corridors of darkness, the heartless themselves were endless. BP Heartless kill count: Shadows: 53 Dark Balls: 3 Shadows injured: Shadow 1; 1 BP left Shadow 2: 1 BP left Total Experience Gained Veera: 305 EXP (26 Shadows, 1 Dark Ball) Xara: 120 EXP (12 Shadows) Aislinn: 250 EXP (2 Dark Ball, 16 Shadows)
Username: Satan Character Name: Treasa Maoilriain Age: 21 Gender: Female Race: Human Appearance: ~ Bio: Treasa grew up in an outer village of White Orchard, and was taught to hunt and help provide for her family at a young age. She proved herself proficient with a bow, and despite the talk of war it was generally a quiet and peaceful life. Bandits came to interrupt that peace by taking the lives of her parents and brothers. Treasa was taken captive, but managed to escape by stealing a dagger from one of her captors. She traveled to her mother's uncle, a witcher by the name of Alaster in the hopes that the only family she had left would take her in. She keeps the dagger on her to this day as a reminder of her personal strength. Occupation: N/A Weapons : A long bow with a quiver of arrows she makes herself. Secondary Weapon : A steel dagger she uses for personal defense. Powers: N/A Other: Despite being human, Treasa has become skilled in the use of Axii, and can cast a reasonable Quen.
Veera acquiesced to Requiem with a sigh, turning to head back. The soldier was heavy, but she would manage. She would have to. It was then Anthem showed up, and took the weight off of her. She smiled a little at their exchange; it had been the one redeeming factor to traveling with Ashleigh. Something about the musical notes the soldiers emitted was incredibly soothing. Alpha was already whispering in the back of her mind, asking her why she had even bothered with the fallen soldier. The weak fall and get left behind, and only the strong survive. But listening to the unintelligible conversation between the two knights, she felt Alpha calm, and a weight was lifted off her shoulders. But the smile slowly died as she stared as Requiem revealed. "Um....I-I'll hold that." She offered to Anthem, regarding the metal helm. It had never occurred to her that underneath all the armour and music was an actual person. No, wait. A human person. Try as she might, she couldn't stop staring at the two soldiers now, her mind completely devoid of any thought except, Oh. Well, followed by, So that's why Ashleigh likes having them around. "That's so sad." Kala whispered, raising a hand out of the cloak to touch the cold metal that was Timothy. "I like warm. I like -" She paused as Timothy spoke to someone. "Who's that?" She said, suddenly afraid. Something tried to call out to her, rising like a black shadow from the depths of her mind, screaming that this man was not to be trusted. But he hadn't done anything to her. Had he? Then why did he look familiar?
Kara screamed when she was bitten, because have you ever been bitten by a giant spider? It hurts. "We just want our friends! Why can't you just let us go get them! Or better yet! GET THEM FOR US!" Kara rubbed her injury before her attention was torn from herself to Laurentinus, who had just been caught in the same snare she had. It would be worse for him, because while she had magic, so far he hadn't shown that he himself knew any spells. "Ren!" She called out, using her teleport ability to land behind the spider that was attacking him. She cut at the spider with her seraph blades,(hoping for a backstab because really, who expected a girl to come up behind them?), following it up with another strike before teleporting a few feet away to keep her distance from both enemies. "Hang in there! She told him, renewing her grip on her blades. Kara used Blink: 1 AP Kara teleported to Darkweaver 2 Kara used Shortsword Strike: 4 AP Kara used Consecutive Strike: 3 AP Kara used Blink: 1 AP Kara teleported three spaces away Total AP used: 9 AP Tessa examined the statue, biting her lip as she tried to find any traps or tripwires attached to it. It was simply too easy for the gem to just be lying there. No, this had to be a trap somehow. "Hey, Conrad?" She asked softly, tapping her cheek with her forefinger. "Do you see anything...trap like?" Now she knew how a rabbit felt when it was trying to decide whether the food at the line of a snare was worth the risk. She winced when Rayyad so casually went to retrieve the other gem, and resisted the urge to smack him. It could have easily been a much worse trap. He clearly didn't have any indication of how cruel humans could be to one another. She had seen what those claw toothed traps had done to wolves and bears, had helped more animals leave this world then she cared to remember rather then let them suffer for days in one of those. She wouldn't let the same happen to Conrad or Rayyad either. Which was why she was carefully examining the gem before picking it up. Bryce mumbled into the dirt about how he could never sully the hand of a god with his own, having never touched one of the legendary fruits this god was said to have created. Sanderson ended up pulling him from the dirt, and then he blasphemed. "Oh mighty God, please don't strike down this unworthy believer!" Bryce begged, clinging to Sanderson like a child to their mother. "You just called him a lord." Bryce whispered in Sanderson's ear, "But he's a god." Never the less, he managed to pull himself off the bearded man, while vaguely wondering the beard moved Sanderson's jaw, or the jaw moved the beard. Maybe the beard was alive. He would have to keep an eye on it, he decided, he and the God of Dragonfruits. Bryce gasped inwardly, his eyes wide. What if the God is here to keep the beard from murdering us? Could it be? Bryce wondered how he had been found worthy of the power of such a revenant. Bryce kept silent for most of the walk, trying to devote his attention to peering at Sanderson's facial hair and making sure the Citrus God didn't become angry at the tribe of nonbelievers he walked in.
Zack had managed to get the group outside of the city, and they were encamped in the woods. Those that could hold a weapon were posted as guards for stragglers that were slowly making their way out. Apparently word somehow spread that dopplers who didn't want to fight anymore, or just wanted safety could come. Zack estimated they were at about fifty now, and his heart lifted a little as he watched the people hunched around small, smoke less campfires. It was then that Rael slipped through, appearing at his side. Zack had jumped in surprise, but listened with growing urgency to the bodyguard's voice before speaking quietly to one of the other adults that had come with him, letting them know where he was going, before he hastened back to Oxenfurt with Rael, hoping it wasn't too late to save others of the pain their comrades had experienced. Bryce paid little attention as Fiel was torn down by arrows. Sacrifices had to be made, after all. But then, his mind began to feel strange. Why should I stop with one witcher? Why not kill all of them? He looked down at the undead, who were slowly working their way into tearing the three apart. You shall not have my prey! I want my vengeance! What is rightfully mine shall be MINE! Bryce leaped into the fray as Fiel watched helplessly, unable to move, or do anything really. "THEY'RE MINE!" Bryce screamed trying to cut away at the revenants. If he killed them all, then he could kill the witchers. Then he would finally be complete. But only once those cursed yellow eyes stopped staring at him, judging him, tormenting him. Red. It covered her hands and her armour, coated her hair and splattered across her face. All she saw was red. All she felt was red. The only thing that pierced the red veil was her target, the man who had killed Aaron. He had dropped in among the undead now, trying to cut away at them in a seeming attempt to get to her. Well, she would make it easy for him. In theory, her plan to carve through the dead to get to the doppler was sound. In reality, it was much different. They surrounded her, pulling at her hair and clothes. One attempted to bite through her arm before she put a sword through its skull. The injuries she did receive failed to matter as she cast Axii, giving herself some breathing room. It didn't last long, her Axii losing strength as she herself did. Veera cast Igni then, her second best Sign. The bodies in front of her burned, the closest turning to ash as she surged a path through. Tessa tossed in her sleep, waking immediately when she heard shouting. She sat up, holding the sheets around her protectively as the volume of the upset person only increased. Seth. Her immediate thought was that they weren't safe anymore, and she pushed herself out of the bed, wrapping the blanket around herself to keep warm before hobbling out of the room and down the hallway towards the noise. ".....not do that to her. I will no longer lay down and die because where does that leave her? With somecrazy old man that we only just met? The only other person she could trust. The person I thought could show me a different life turned on her. He is the reason for her injury! How the hell do you expect me to know what to do?! I don't even know how I ended up here really! I wasn't going to get wrapped up with any of them, but I made a promise to protect her and even though I don't trust the b*stard anymore I will still f*cking protect her!" Tessa stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with unshed tears as she realized just who Seth was talking about. I'm such a burden. She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat, before her voice emerged in a whisper. "I'm sorry." She stepped up to him, ignoring Sigmund as she gently took his wounded hand her own, tearing a small amount of the sheet off to press it to the ugly injury, trying to ignore the pain of her own, the thought of what her own injury looked like, the thought that she was a burden to Seth, who just wanted to be free, trying not to think who had caused her to be a burden. Unfortunately, trying not to think of these things only made her actually think about them, and several tears splashed on Seth's open palm.
Veera watched Queen Amber with a small smile on her lips. Despite the tragedy, she was holding up well, or well enough that her presence was one of solidarity and royalty. Something must have happened in the few hours they had been back to transform the Queen from a sad, orphan girl into the leader they would need. Of course it wouldn't be easy for her; no. But Veera believed in her, and she was sure she wasn't the only one. All of this thinking helped her avoid the thought that most of the people who had been called up to the stage were there because they had come back for her. Regardless of whether it was an order or of their own free will, she was grateful. She just didn't care to be grateful to so many people at once. Veera sighed, crossing her arms as she looked at the young faces on the stage. The next few years would definitely be interesting. Veera turned to melt back into the crowd, and find her way back to her home. Zack watched with pride as Tessa was personally commended by the Queen. He had only wanted her back in one piece, but it seemed she had done much better than that. While Adelina had been busy with her responsibilities, Zack had sought out his friend and caught up with her on everything that had happened. Now, seeing her shining face looking over the citizens of Kantya, he couldn't help but feel a little dread. Nothing would be the same for them after this. They were no longer children playing at war, or teenagers dreaming of becoming heroes. Tessa was a hero, and Zack....he glanced through the faces, looking for Adelina before allowing a gentle smile to play on his face. Well the future would certainly be full of surprises. As Tessa stepped off the stage, blushing with the praise, he stepped up and caught her in a hug. "Proud of you." he told her, and it was true. Zack couldn't be jealous of her, not when he had taken the spotlight so often. Now was her turn. Tessa laughed as Zack squeezed her, lifting her in the air before setting her down once more. "You better be." She teased, smacking his shoulder as she stepped back. Her body ached from using her fae abilities during the battle, and she stretched with a slight groan, mentally making a note to practice that more often. She couldn't afford to be rusty, now that she was an official scout. "What do you think happens now?" Tessa asked Zack, clasping her hands in front of her as she looked at all the people. "Now..." Zack rubbed his hand through his hair. "I suppose we rebuild and train and hope we get left the hell alone." Tessa glanced at him, and there must have been worry in her eyes because Zack offered a smile in return. "I think it'll be fine." "You just want more time with Adelina." Tessa accused, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she stared up at her foot taller friend. He blushed and she grinned before shoving him gently. "Well I hope she realizes that she can have you, but I get to borrow you every so often." Tessa's heart clenched a little. Zack was head over heels for the fairy, and Tessa was happy for him, truly, but it left her alone. She grabbed Zack in a hug, hoisting herself into the air once more as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Proud of you." she whispered. Kala tugged her hood over her eyes, keeping her head bowed as the Queen spoke. She kept her gaze fixated on the ground, trying to bury the shame and guilt she felt. I shouldn't have gone with. I should have thrown myself from the nearest tower into the titans. But despite that, she couldn't help smiling a little and peeking in Galadorn's direction as his name was mentioned. She was happy he had decided to stay, well, stay with her. It was going to be difficult, she knew that much for sure, but having told Galadorn one of her longest held secrets, she felt as light as.....well maybe a tree branch. She had done a quick job of taking the hood from her cloak and sewing it to her shirt in order to keep her face hidden. It was patchy at best, but she felt more comfortable underneath the shadows the cloth provided. After Queen Amber finished speaking, Kala disappeared off the stage, only to reappear next to her friend. She remained silent for a bit, uncharacteristically unsure, before speaking, glancing back at Galadorn quickly. "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll stand beside you." She murmured, taking Amber's hands in her own. "I won't ever let anything happen to you." Ever.
Veera glanced at Aislinn, measuring her fighting style before continuing on with her own battles. The other girl seemed to dance as she moved, making it look fluid and smooth. Veera was more of a get the job done kind of girl, hacking and slashing as she moved across the battlefield, trying to keep the darkness from overwhelming them. Whichever way they fought the Heartless, as long as they survived and found their way out of the darkness, she wouldn't complain. BP Heartless kill count: Shadows: 35 Dark Balls: 3 Shadows injured: Total Experience Gained Veera: 245 EXP (20 Shadows, 1 Dark Ball) Xara: 60 EXP (6 Shadows) Aislinn: 190 EXP (2 Dark Ball, 10 Shadows)
Brianne grinned, her eyes sparkling with the fire of battle (even if it was pretend) as she turned, her stele meeting with Roxanne's. "I would expect no less from a fellow Nephilim." she replied, following up her parry with an upper cut towards the other girl's chest. It should be an easy blow to block. She was only testing Roxanne right now, seeing how good she really was. It was hardly fair to judge her after yesterday's events, and well, some sparring might do both of them some good. Morrigan glanced sideways at the warlock before standing, keeping her legs from trembling. "I have a heart condition." she said, her tone solemn as she turned, walking through the door. Ash should know better then to believe the lie, but she would use any excuse to not drink the bitter liquid in the cup. She paused, hand on the doorway. "I'll go with you, to identify the bodies." She added in a softer voice. I owe them that much. She walked upstairs afterwards, keeping a firm hand on the banister in order to keep herself upright. Ash hadn't specified exactly where the clothes were, just "upstairs", but she was sure he meant the room she had woken in. Sure enough, after some thorough searching, she managed to find suitable covering for her skin. She grimaced as she pulled the rough pants, known as "jeans" over her legs, buttoning them around her hips before turning and looking in the mirror. She sighed, moving her legs about experimentally before pulling open another drawer. Inside was a t-shirt, clearly made for a male, along with dresses and shirts clearly not from this time. She pulled them out, frowning slightly as she ran her hands over the fabric. The design looked 1920's, if she wasn't mistaken. She had hated the clothes from that time period too. She remembered the dresses from her childhood as some of the best fashion eras of humanity's life time. Surrendering with a sigh, she grabbed the over-sized t-shirt and slipped it over her head, pulling her hair out from underneath the collar. It made her look much smaller then she was, and she sighed once more, annoyed. Perhaps it would be best to contact her own family after all, just to get some of her own clothing. She grabbed a handful of the t-shirt and twisted it at the hip, tying it into a knot so that it fit her better before heading back down the stairs, pausing for a moment to rest herself against the wall. When she got to the bottom, she sat on the stairs, resting her head against the wall until Ash decided it was time to leave, when she realized. I forgot to find shoes. Alarick raised an eyebrow at Nick's words. "It's been a terribly long time since I've been in this....beautiful building." Another twitch of the lips. "Would you please be so kind as to show me the way?" As he stepped towards Nick, he closed his eyes, suddenly annoyed. "Forgive me, but I do believe I forgot to introduce myself. I must apologize for being so rude." He held out a hand towards Nick. "Alarick Lightwood." Judging by the sounds coming from upstairs, my sister will be most pleasantly surprised. No doubt she hadn't contacted the Clave yet, and was finding some way to try and relieve the tension and pressure she felt. Alarick nearly pitied his sister, nearly. After all, she had managed to get away from the family. She had managed to stay out from under their thumb. He couldn't say he had been as lucky.
