The Mortal Instruments

Arch · Mar 19, 2016

"I prefer this era over the others. There was too much slaughter of Downworlders by rash Shadowhunters in those days." Ash spoke almost low enough for Morrigan not to hear him. He made no effort to speak more and respond to any other words the fairy spoke as they left to the outside world. The streets were bustling with mundanes, totally unaware of the events that were transpiring all around them as it had always been. Taking one glance over at Morrigan he used the instant to assess her condition. She was obviously not in her prime at the moment but for the time it seemed that the medicine had been doing its job and all he had to do was ensure that she would not pass out and collapse onto the ground.

The walk was longer than he would have liked it to have been. With so many around, it took a good deal more time to reach the place where Rhett had dropped off the fairy's dress and upon seeing the werewolf, Ash shook his head in disappointment on seeing what lay at his feet. The wolf waved at the two as they neared him. At Rhett's feet sat a blue cooler no doubt filled with ice to keep the heads fresh.

"What?" Rhett questioned when seeing the look on Ash's face. He lowered his voice, "it's not like they make special cases for this kind of thing. Or do they? Could I have bought one?"

"I suppose you are right. I wish there was a way to give them a little more dignity than this. They deserved better."

"Yeah..." Rhett looked at Morrigan. "I'm sorry for your loss...es." He quietly but sincerely stated.

Taking a deep breath, Ash motioned for the two to follow him to where they could get some privacy from the prying eye. Rhett looked shady enough just by having the damned thing. Of course, the only way to get some privacy was to get even shadier by bringing them into the back of an alley, Ash using his shadow to clear the path of broken glass from discarded beer bottles for Morrigan's well-being.

"Centuries of bloodshed does not make one cold to death. I hope you have prepared yourself for this." Ash glanced at the fairy before motioning to Rhett to show her the remains. Slowly, Rhett opened the container for Morrigan to take a look.

Aelin · Feb 28, 2016

So he agreed, but Brianne had to help her. As much as that felt like a smack in the face, this man was apparently working with the Clave, it was probably for the better. Roxanne looked from Brianne to Alarick as she smiled. "Fun, fun! Lets have some great fun!" Roxanne shouted before getting ready to attack. If Alarick took one look at Roxanne he would tell that she was not sane. She was ready for the fight and she was going to make sure it was a lot of fun.

Roxanne didn't go straight in for an attack like Brianne did. Instead she stood for a moment. "Why should we have to attack first. That is no fun." Roxanne stated as she sat on the ground, arms crossed. As she sat looking like she was pouting she was actually subtly drawing runes on herself so as soon as Alarick was done being distracted by Brianne, she would be ready. The runes were simple. One for speed and one for strength. As soon as Alarick finished dealing with Brianne's attack, which she figured it wouldn't take long, Roxanne sprang up. The extra speed was hopefully unexpected as she brought up her Seraph blade. Roxanne went straight for a slash at his side ending in her landing and rolling on the ground, given she never fully stood up. From there, if doable she would get to her feet, ready for the real fight to start.

Magick · Feb 28, 2016

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."

Aelin · Feb 28, 2016

Annoyed wouldn't begin to describe how Roxanne felt that Alarick was ignoring her to fight his sister. She considered yelling at him for it, however it was a far better plan to let him be distracted and attack while he was, over draw his attention to her attacks. Roxanne was now on her feet standing tall, stele tight in hand. Brianne was beat, that much was obvious. Now it was time to show them what she could really do. A speck of her former glory before she completely lost it.

One slow stepped followed but one quick one soon turned into a run as Alarick pinned Brianne's wrist to the ground forcing her to yield. It took only a few steps to gain the momentum needed, and a few steps to close the distance. As she neared Brianne, Roxanne launched from the ground and somersaulted over Brianne, landing on the other side of Alarick, landing on the side he was holding the package. Roxanne was not a complete idiot, no she saw how he held the thing, he wasn't going to let anything happen to it. If she aimed for that she was sure to throw him off guard and distract him, leaving an opening for her.

Roxanne took a risk with her next move. She started a back handspring, kicking one of her legs up to try and catch Alarick's arm, making him drop the package. The risk to this was it left it open for him to grab her leg, if he was quick enough. But that is where the speed rune came into play. All her actions were accelerated. Perhaps, just perhaps this would actually work and she would best Alarick when Brianne couldn't.

CrownMoksha · Feb 28, 2016

Things had certainly taken a turn on the interesting as the voices words still stuck around in Sieg's head. Seems like this night was going to be filled with things that caught his curiosity. More questions were being added to his head and there were still things he wanted to know and there was only one thing that he could do at a time like this. Sieg reached into his pocket and pull out his cellphone. Navigating his way to his contacts, he scrolled down til he reached the name Aldarick and pressed the call button.

The phone rang the standard amount of time before it went to voicemail. Normally one would leave a voicemail, but Sieg didn't do that. Instead he simply sent a text telling that he had some questions and asked where should they meet.

Arch · Mar 19, 2016

The Atlantic Ocean, 1754

Ash stabbed his sword into the deck to keep himself standing, his eyes moving from the sinking ship he had once commanded to his boarding crew who had just lost their will to fight. They were dying. The Warlock who had wounded him lowered his guard as he watched the turn of battle take place on his vessel. Ash knew this could only end one way. With the deaths of both the Warlock, the former Shadowhunter, and himself. No matter what, he would see that they all paid for their crimes.

It would have to be quick as he did not know how long he had before he bled to death from the wounds he had sustained. While he had no idea how the Warlock had gained such unimaginable power, he knew the man could not survive a direct hit from his magic. Once more, his shadow curled around his arm...

There was a splatter of blood. The Warlock fell. Ash had no time to watch the light leave his eyes and ran to the wheel of the ship while clutching his bleeding chest. He made a sharp turn and rammed through the remains of his former ship and straight towards the one he knew the old ex-Shadowhunter captained. "Whatever it takes."

Ash nodded, taking mental notes of each of the names Morrigan spoke before moving to close the cooler. "They will rest easy once they are brought back."

"I know this is a bad time but..." Rhett started. "When I tried to rearrange a meeting with that Egyptian vampire he said that by you not showing up at the last meeting--the one that happened on the day of Masque's attack at Pandemonium--you offended him and his bride-to-be's honor."

Ash knew where this was heading. He held up a hand to cease Rhett's talking as he already knew what the situation required in order to further proceed with business. Of course, that would have to wait. "You have done well, Rhett. Keep it up and I might promote you to assistant."

"But isn't that what I am?"

"Junior assistant."

"...I want a raise."

"No." Taking the cooler from Rhett, he motioned for the fairy to follow after him so they could return the remains she had been able to identify. In his mind, traces of anger emerged as old emotions and memories surfaced. There was more wrong with this picture than simply the fact that several fairies had met their end. Ash could only do his best to make the best out of the situation and continue his efforts to change things for the better. Whether others would despise him for it or not.

Magick · Feb 29, 2016

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.

Relatively Sane · Feb 29, 2016

Nick was leaning against the wall thinking, about various things. Mostly Alarick. Nick blushed as he admitted that to himself. The man was very handsome, and excelled at combat as shown by his duel with the girls. The only problem was his apparent coldness, but maybe that was just for formal situations. Nick liked to imagine he could unveil the man beneath, then shook his head. He didn't even know if Alarick liked him that way. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by Brianne "Wait, wha?" Nick was confused for a moment, but quickly shook it off, returning to business mode "right" he acknowledged her order and sprinted after Alarick. He found Alarick about to leave and grabbed the man's arm "Hey!-" before he could continue, the voice began...

All over the city, things were happening. All over the city, surveillance silently watched. And watching the surveillance was Them.
They were always watching.

Once again, He had not had a good night's sleep. But He didn't need it, not really. He sipped his coffee, and rewatched the CCTV tape. Three vampires, assaulting a nephilim. The nephilim, as He expected, taking them all down. The backlash from the theft of the Mortal Cup was severe, if the culprit had wanted to cause unorganised chaos then they had achieved their goal. He despised them. All they had done was cause dissent among the downworlders, this would only result in the races becoming even more downtrodden. The culprit had no place in His perfect world.
But if He succeeded, then this whole business wouldn't matter anyway.
"Black Rook. Collect the bodies, bring them to Doctor Bishop. Leave no traces" He murmured into a microphone
"Yes sir" Came the obedient response. He sat back, watching the monitors that surrounded the room. Time for the Paragon to rise. He leaned into the microphone. If one were in the same room they'd be able to see a smile briefly cross the man's lips before he spoke, illuminated dimly by the light of the screens.

"A petty attempt at melodrama from a man with a bigger ego than his IQ" His voice boomed over the city, but only audible to downworlders and nephilim. Whereas the last announcement had been distorted and low, this one was personable and carried a faint air of humour "The Mortal Cup is dangerous for everyone when in the wrong hands, and I can guarantee without a doubt that it currently is in those hands. I call out to Downworlders and Nephilim alike; Your actions over the next few weeks will be monitored. You will be judged" He paused for effect.

"Your destiny does not lie in the filthy hands of this thief, but neither does it lie in the corrupt City of Glass. We will be watching, as we always have"

Aelin · Feb 29, 2016

"Ow! Roxanne complained as she got back up after being thrown at the training dummies. "Would it have killed you to at least pretend to care to fight me. Geez." Roxanne put her Stele away and crossed her arms. "I still want that ice cream by the way!" She called after Alarick as he took Brianne aside. With them out of the room, Roxanne really had nothing to do except practice a few high speed tumbles before removing her runes.

When she had done that, Brianne had entered the room once more. "You know your brother is cute and a good fighter! Too bad his downfall is he is too serious. If it wasn't for the fact he was your brother he would be perfect for you! Oh well I guess I can take him and then teach him to take that stick out of his *ss" Roxanne stated to Brianne almost in a proud voice.

However when Brianne gave Roxanne her instructions, her eyes fell to the ground. She didn't know if she was ready to deal with seeing Hendrick yet, but she had to try. She had to learn not to lose it. Roxanne walked away in silence towards where Hendrick was resting. As she approached the room, she knocked lightly on the door before entering. Roxanne refused to look up and see the state that Hendrick was in. She was holding onto her sanity at the moment, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. "Brianne said there was a change of plans. You cannot rest anymore. We are to meet her in the bed room right away." Roxanne told Hendrick, her voice quiet and missing her normal giddiness.

Arch · Feb 29, 2016

Ash nodded slightly, barely paying attention towards Morrigan's comment about Egyptians, his mind distracted by other things. When she asked about what he would do when the other fairies questioned about Morrigan's appearance with him his black eyes flicked her way before returning to the road before them. "They will accept whatever answer I choose to give them." There was a pause and, realizing his voice was colder than he intended it to be he rectified his original statement with, "I can give them the truth. However little of it I can get away with."

A voice boomed overhead. Hardly unusual given the grander events that had happened. His phone rang. Answering, Ash took several steps away from Morrigan not to hide his words but to prevent her from hearing the words of the one on the other side. "No. Nothing unexpected. We will meet later. Your methods will be brought into question. By me." A hint of anger was in his voice as he hung up as quickly as he had answered. "I apologize for that interruption. It was a former colleague of mine." He walked forward once more as if nothing had happened. Soon, they neared the forest.

The Seelie Knight, Cináed arrived to the Institute's front doors. He ignored every security measure placed before him and the looks of suspicion the Shadowhunters he had seen nearby. Cin knocked on the Institute's door, knowing better than to make an attempt to barge in or, rather, break in.

Magick · Feb 29, 2016

Alarick was cruising the adrenaline wave, head lost in cloud nine as he worried over the Sword, the Cup, his sister, his parents, the voice that randomly started speaking overhead.....He wasn't paying attention, otherwise he never would have reacted with the force that he did. He felt a hand on his sleeve, and his mind shut off, his body using instinct for its command center.

Turning, he grabbed Nick's outstretched wrist with one arm and yanked it back, shoving him towards the nearest wall, holding the wrist captive above his head as he used the other arm to press against Nick's throat, their faces only inches apart. Only when he met the fellow Nephilim's eyes did he realize what had happened. He dropped the Shadowhunter as though the contact burned him and breathed out, passing a hand over his eyes. "My apologies."

Just as he was about to ask Nick what the hell he was doing, if he too heard the strange voice, and if he had a clue who the hell this was, a knock sounded on the door. Who the hell even knocked anymore? Alarick gritted his teeth, took another breath to calm himself down, and opened the door to the Institute. "Yes?" He asked coldly of the man standing outside, hand itching to draw his stele.

Brianne was taking a deep breath herself, her heart beating a tempo in her chest. "I don't understand." She said finally, working very hard to keep the fear off her face. The Old Man sighed, readjusting his grip on his cane. "I wish I had time to explain. However, the hour is late, and we have no time. Your brother will be staying with you until the Mortal Cup has been retrieved..." His voice was drowned out by the sound of another.

Brianne turned away from the mirror, her eyes widening. "Bri-" The Old Man's form wavered, and then disappeared. She hesitated, caught between summoning him back to finish, or going to make sure everyone was okay and had indeed heard that voice. The latter won, and she bolted out of the library, walking quickly towards the infirmary. Could this get any worse?

In any case, she had their orders. And she wasn't happy about them.

There it was again. That coldness. It threw up warning signals in Morrigan's mind, signs that caused the hair to rise on the back of her neck. She was about to open her mouth, to say something to Ash. What, she didn't know, but something, anything, was better then letting this go. She had to know who she was dealing with, what she was dealing with. A voice from the heavens interrupted her, and she froze, cold sweats breaking out over her skin as she wrapped her arms around her sides, covering the place where she was stabbed with Masque's needle. Even if she couldn't remember, her body did.

It was an eternity before they reached the forest. Upon seeing it, Morrigan bit her lip, forcing her feet to touch the grass. What normally gave her relief filled her with a thrumming tension. She allowed it for a moment, two, and then her fight or flight response kicked in. Her legs trembled with the need to run, and her self control deserted her. So she ran.

Her hair streamed behind her, and her long legs bounded across the field of green like a deer. However, what had once been as easy as breathing air now caused her to collapse underneath a maple tree, shuddering and coughing as her vision swayed and air fought through her trachea into her lungs. She wanted to keep going, to get away from the monster that she knew was chasing her, ready to finish what it had started.

Black spots appeared in front of her eyes, and she pressed her hands to her ears, shielding her face in the safety of her knees as her toes curled. If she had been looking down on herself Morrigan, would have thought the fey girl in front of her was trying to make herself small enough to go unnoticed.

Arch · Mar 19, 2016

Ash took brief glances at Morrigan, watching as the girl grew more and more uncomfortable as they approached the forest with her even hesitating just a moment to step inside its bounds It was then that he recalled the attack on Morrigan and regretted the decision to allow her to come along as he knew what kind of damage being brought to the edge of death and feeling totally helpless could do to one's psyche. Dying was one things but losing all control was another.

Before he could say a word to the fairy she took off in a sprint with such speed that surprised even Ash. Running about with such precious cargo in hand would have been foolish so, instead, he sent his shadow after the fairy while he took a brisk pace to follow after the girl. Luckily, time was not yet of the essence. There was several hours between now and when Morrigan needed her next dose and he doubted she could have gone far in her condition. Still, he could not help but worry for the fairy's safety in the state of affairs everything was heading towards.

1754

His uniform, torn and stained with his own blood, felt more like a tourniquet wrapped around his body than something he felt free to move in. Splinters from the crash he had caused were now lodged into his legs but he was thankful that he still had use of them. As he limped his way towards the captain's cabin of the ex-Shadowhunter's ship, ignoring enemy crewmen doing their best to put out fires started from gunpowder and seal breaches in the hull, he felt the balance of the ship sway while its whole support structure creaked. This vessel too was to sink. Ash pushed the cabin door open finding the ship's captain who had just retrieved his sword.

Obviously, the man had not expected to engage in a fight until now. The ex-Shadowhunter was in his late 60's, now sporting a thick gray beard he had not worn in the time when Ash had first met him. Despite his age, the man spun to face Ash with sword at the ready with such agility he would not have believed a man of such age to possess. At last. It was time to settle an old score.

He had been walking for only a short time and yet even that short of a span felt far too long for him to reach the fairy. Ash's shadow had returned to him and with it the knowledge of Morrigan's location. After what could have felt like an hour to him, Ash arrived by an old maple tree. At first he did not see the fairy but as he began to walk around its trunk he caught sight of Morrigan curled up with her back pressed against the tree and her face hidden by her dark hair and knees. Knowing the sight of it might bother her Ash placed the cooler near the maple tree, slightly behind the fairy but clearly in his line of sight.

Ash knelt in front of the fairy, making an effort to keep quiet, and did not say a word to the woman before him. The warlock simply remained silent as he patiently awaited for Morrigan to make the first move when she was ready.

A young man answered the door. Cin resisted the urge to call for someone older, someone of more importance. The cold look in the nephilim's eyes was all the knight needed to reaffirm his original belief. Still, there was no harm in merely asking unless all it took was slight annoyance for a Shadowhunter to attack a Downworlder in the light of day. Cin rested a hand on the hilt of his sword that hung by his side, eyeing the young man with suspicion. "A member of the Seelie Court, one of great importance, has gone missing. Morrigan Moonsong. Given the recent deaths and attacks on our kind by the one known as Masque, I would assume one of your kind could be spared to aid me in my search." His eyes fell to the stele Alarick carried. The nephilim seemed more than a little tense. Understandable given the disappearance of the Cup.

"You will not find the Cup by simply locking your doors and treating every Downworlder with suspicion. Unless, of course, you would rather turn down the possibility of assistance from a race far more ancient than yourselves in order to locate such a precious object." Once more, Cin made assumptions as to how this conversation could go. There was the typical response he expected where the nephilim would refuse an alliance with a fairy such as himself and there was, the much more unlikely, possibility that a deal could be made. ...And then of course, there was the chance that he would be taken into custody and questioned for even daring to show up during such a "crisis". It would not be the first time such a thing would have happened.

Vladek515 · Mar 1, 2016

Hendrik was laying in bed trying to entertain himself and keeping his thoughts occupied when Roxanne came walking in. She looked a bit bruised but nothing too bad, he let out a sigh of relief that she was alright, well nothing too bad she received or couldn't handle, nothing as bad as he had received. Then again he doubted she ran into four vampires at simultaneously. He took note of how Roxanne avoided looking at him. "Hey Roxi, come 'ere." Hendrik said gently, she clearly had been upset by what had happened to him and he felt bad about how he had treated her last night. "Are you alright?" He started to push himself up gritting his teeth as he still felt painful getting out of bed he stood unsteady on his feet. He shook trying to clear his vision that had just blurred from standing up. "I will be alright... give me a moment, need to get my bearings...." The older shadowhunter said, not really wanting to lie about it "I was told that I was supposed to stay in bed for two more days, but if Brianne wants to see me, then so be it...I'll be glad to get going again." Hendrik steadied himself and walked over to Roxanne, despite being unstable she was a rather sweet kid, just misunderstood. He hadn't known exactly what had happened to her to make her that way and maybe he had been a little bit too harsh in his judgement earlier, especially with the Cup gone they needed to stick together. Then some voice rambled on about how they were to be judged and he was getting annoyed with all these random voices and wanted to shut them out, but since he couldn't he simply ignored it.

Magick · Mar 1, 2016

She knew he was there. She had heard him walking towards her long before he set his burden to the side. She could feel his breath on her hair, stirring the small strands on the top of her head. And yet he said nothing. He waited. She pulled her head of her hands, staring at them as they trembled like leaves in the breeze.

"He's going to come back for me." She whispered, her voice shaking every bit as much as her leaves. "He's going to find me and make it worse. He's going to-" She shut her eyes as she swallowed the rising panic. Once more the memory of the needle stabbing into her spun before her eyes, and Morrigan pressed her hand to the spot, gritting her teeth. Not once in three hundred years had she felt this afraid. And all because of a simple mistake, and slow reflexes.

"Some fucking fairy I am." She muttered, resisting the urge to look up at Ash's reaction. She felt shame, for being so vulnerable in front of a stranger, embarrassment and guilt that she fell apart so very quickly. Fairies were strong and unbreakable.

"We bend like a properly made bow." Her father stood over her with the aforementioned weapon. With a single fluid movement he drew the string back, the bow nearly bending in half, but never breaking. Never breaking.

"Don't let them see me." Her voice was muffled as she hid underneath the curtain of hair. "Just..leave me here. Come get me when you're done. I don't want them to see me." All she wanted was to stay hidden, and try to forget she was only a shadow of the girl she had been.

Grayson tore into the drumstick, ignoring the liquid that dripped down his chin as he devoured the meat. "Never tasted better in my life, eh boys?" He asked his fellow packmates, grinning as a growl rose up. "And girls. Never could forget you, my lovelies." He blew kisses in their direction before returning his attention to the food. "It's a good time to be back in New York." he commented as he cracked the bone between his teeth, sucking up the marrow before tossing to the floor with a clatter.

"A good hunt, my friends." He stood, and when he did the rest of the pack stopped eating to pay attention. "Did I not tell you that following me would bring you to the fabled land of milk and honey?" Tossing his arms out to the side, he grinned. "There shall be many more hunts like this! There shall be endless meat! Boundless entertainment! With the Nephilim too busy chasing their tails, and the other packs too busy fighting for Cup, we shall have the run of this city!"

Howls chorused to his response as his pack slowly rose to their feet, dropping handfuls of flesh from their dripping hands. The smell of blood filled his noise, and Grayson inhaled, his lids fluttering with ecstasy. "This day, we rest here, brothers and sisters. But tonight! Tonight we hunt once more! Tonight we will drink our fill of blood, and have our bellies full!" More howls responded to this, their voices full of triumph and the song of the hunt.

Oh how he wished they didn't have to wait, but they must. Slowly, they would hunt more then just simple prey. They would move up the food chain. After mastering the art of killing another wolf, then they would feast on the flesh of the undead, and see if it was as bitter as told. After that, the fey, with their grace and inhuman looks. And finally, the last hurdle. "One day soon, we will feast on earthly angels." Grayson murmured, for his ears only. "One day soon, we will hunt the Shadowhunters, and become kings of this city."

He glanced carelessly at the torn face of the human boy who had foolishly tried to outrun him. "Who wants the heart?" He asked, reaching into the chest cavity. A chorus of yells answered him.

Arch · Mar 19, 2016

1754

"Your partner is dead." Ash pointed his blade at the man, finding it difficult to stand still. "Judging by the light of your eyes, he has been giving you something to keep the spring in your step that you had in your prime."

The ex-Shadowhunter laughed. "Do I even need to finish you off? You look half dead already."

Looking at his reflection in his own bloodied sword, Ash could at least agree with what was said. It did not matter however as he had more than just his own willpower fueling him. It was necessity that kept him moving. The need to avenge those wronged. To bring justice. "The strength of your youth coupled with the experience of your age...it must be more than formidable even if the Clave has disowned you. No stele. No seraph blade. No runes. Is that justice for the lives you have butchered in your search for glory?" Ash shook his head, his grip tightening on his saber. "All they did was toss the knowledge of your actions into the darkest corner they could find and cut their ties with you."

"I know you must have practiced this speech for many years now but I do not care for your damned morality." The ex-Shadowhunter rolled over his desk, the only thing physically separating the two and immediately threw the first punch. The force of his blow knocked Ash back onto the floor outside the cabin. The warlock raised his blade to block the incoming sword which had come just inches from his face.

"Good!" Ash growled, kicking the man's leg to give him the time and space to get back on his feet. "I will not waste my magic on you. When you breathe your last I want you to know that at your best you could not defeat me at my worst!"

Ash watched Morrigan as she let out one of the most vulnerable emotions one could admit. Fear. Every motion she made was that of a dog fearing the whip of its master and the fairy knew that was how she was now. Shame cloaked Morrigan and it almost made Ash pity the girl, if only for a moment.

"I cannot make you a promise that I will never allow harm to come to you. I spoke those words once to another and it ended in death. So no, as long as you are with me, I cannot guarantee your total safety but with the state I have found you in..." Ash reached forth to brush the fairy's tangled black locks of hair out of her face to meet her eyes with those of pitch black. "You worry that they would sense weakness in you if they were to see you but I assure you that is not what they will see if you approach them." Ash's voice softened as he leaned his face closer towards Morrigan's. He took a very long moment to choose his next words carefully, knowing every action or word he made would only worsen or cause relief to the girl in her troubled state.

"There are no words to describe the disgust they would see in a worthless wretch such as yourself." With no warning his hand gripped the fairy's throat, forcing her off her feet and lifting her into the air. "I was wrong to see strength in you. If something as minor as a single lost battle disturbs you in this way then there is no point in keeping you alive. No point in waiting for Masque to finish the job. The woman I see before me would only die at the next sign of danger. I will not be around every corner to save you." Ash's grip tightened around Morrigan's throat. "If you believe yourself so worthless and undeserving of calling yourself a fairy then just release your grip on this life and maybe you might possess a stronger will in the next." Ash stared into Morrigan's eyes, his own filled with neither rage nor hate but only sorrow.

Aelin · Mar 2, 2016

Roxanne hesitantly took another step into the room as Hendrick called her in. Her eyes remained averted and she remained quiet. When he asked if she was alright Roxanne didn't know what she wanted to respond. She wanted to tell him the truth, but could she? No she had to be strong. She didn't want to be treated like someone with a handicap. "I-I am fine. I mean I can handle it." She tried to tell him as she fought against her own mind with all she had.

Even without looking up she knew Hendrick was having a little trouble standing and walking around. "Sorry that I had to drag you out of bed., you probably need more rest. I don't know what is fully going on but Brianne's brother is here. Things don't seem good. Let me help you head to Brianne. I am sure she can explain better." Roxanne offered as she reached for the man's arm to put it over her shoulder so she could help support him.

"And for the record... I am going to murder them all. The people who hurt you. Whoever was in charge of them... Slavko.... I will find a way to stop that b*stard from coming back into our world.... He marked Nick you know... He is going to keep going after him till he is as broken as I." Roxanne said quietly as she began to lead Hendrick out of the room.

CrownMoksha · Mar 2, 2016

"Meet me at the Institute. Quid pro quo."

Sieg read the message that had appear on his phone. "The Institute huh." It wasn't a place that he often went to unless he had business there. Fortunately he still remembered the way there despite the distance between his last visit and now. The mage proceeded to close his phone and place it back into his pocket. Now he headed started to make his way off the building and towards the institute.

Vladek515 · Mar 2, 2016

Hendrik watched Roxanne still avoid looking at him she said she was alright and able to handle it. "Good to hear, Roxanne and if you can't handle it anymore, you'll come to me, alright?" He asked the young girl, it wasn't easy dealing with your problems all alone, your own demons and while he knew he couldn't make everything right he could atleast be there for her. He did realise after his words from before she'd be reluctant to come to him not wanting to burden him, but it hardly mattered this situation called for unity. "It's not your fault, as the mundies say don't shoot the messenger and well this situation isn't exactly normal either. I'll be fine." He took note of the fact that Alarick was here, he had run into him a few times in Alicante, didn't really know him that much, more of an acquaintance than a friend.

Hendrik couldn't help but smile when she said she would kill the ones who did this to him. Little did she know they were all dead, he was a bit fuzzy on the details but he was certain they were killed. But not just that also some Demon named Slavko, so he had been the cause of how broken this girl was and now Nicholas was on his bloody list. "No need to worry about those that did this to me, all four of them are dead." Hendrik said but his voice lacked any trace of pride in his acheivement "We'll find a way to banish that ******* for good. We'll do it together. You, Brianne, Nick and I." He said as he wanted to go out of the Infirmary with Roxanne's support. Just when they walked into the hallway, Hendik saw Brianne, she didn't look happy, not at all.

Aelin · Mar 3, 2016

Hendrick had actually offered her support. Roxanne didn't have any plans on taking it, after all, what was going on in her mind was her problem and hers alone. That being said, knowing someone was willing to be there for her after all this time... it felt almost good. It had been a year since she had completely and utterly lost it, and after that no one really came to her aid, instead mostly avoiding her. She understood why; heck she even drove people off herself. However it was still painful. It was painful to not have anyone to help her, but it was scary to let someone get close just so Slavko could take another person away from her. She didn't want to give him any more reason to target her. She didn't want to give him anyone else to hurt. However now it was Nicholas' turn to endure the torment and that was just as scary as him going after her again. It meant that she had to watch someone else go through what she went through, and she was not okay with that.

When Hendrick had finished speaking Roxanne finally found some words to speak herself, though it wasn't much. "Thank you.... For the offer to help." She said before she glanced up and saw Brianne. Given how Brianne looked at the moment and everything that had been happening, Roxanne was getting a little nervous. She would be okay though, she had to be okay. She just needed to get out fighting again, that always seemed to cheer her up. Or bring out the side of her that seemed more cheery. However if you looked closely at the gleam in her eyes when she was fighting, you would notice behind it was not real joy but a fractured soul hiding behind fake cheer of fighting. But it was the best she got. That fractured soul could not function properly anymore. When the insane mask faded it only left someone who could do nothing but shake and cry and relive the past in her mind. That was why she was insane. It was in the end the only way for her to cope, but she felt few understood that.

Relatively Sane · Mar 3, 2016

Nick gasped as Alarick attacked him, he tried to object and tell the man why he was here, but his throat was constricted in Alarick's tight grip. In that iron grip he only managed to gasp a few words "So... you... like it rough?" When Nick was finally dropped he took a few gasping breaths to try and tell him what mattered, but was rudely interrupted by a fairy. "No, Alarick" he tried to draw the nephilim's attention "Brianne wants to talk to you, like, right now. It's something important, she looks serious. Like, even more than usual" standing up again he approached the seelie "Hey, King Arthur, look could you just wait there a moment. We'll be right back" he stated, trying to close the door on him. Getting strangled didn't make his mood any better.

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The Mortal Instruments

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