[!] ~”Those who fight change are doomed to die, while those who accept it merely survive…”~[!]
Meanwhile, at another point on the slowly developing pyramid, Hilarion was quite oblivious to the emotions flying around. The cries for help did not concern him any more than the buzzing of bees, or the singing of birds...He was, of the three, easily the eldest.
Having existed, in some fashion or another, since well before the dawn of this multiverse.
Eternity had left him with a strange way of viewing the cosmos...aloof, and yet not without his own measure of sympathy. He worried about Ertai's return, naturally...but not for precisely the same reasons as his fellow Masters. He had studied astral law, and cosmic dictate, for eons; knew of this city's origins...of it's sovereign Lady.
Her absence here, now, when she should have long appeared to reclaim order...THAT was alarming! If the Lady of Pain were still in Sigil, she would've acted...if she were able.
If she were able? What a dreadful thought!
Worse, what if she had managed to escape the ring? If she were free, out there...roaming creation?
Thus, to the Ascended Scholar, Ertai hardly held the bulk of his concern. Though, as he observed the tendrils of energy...usually invisible to the naked eye...he could not help but marvel at the power of this Vexa.
"He corrupts the very air with this unique contagion...Imagine the curiosities one might find within his -true- power!"
He would begin to scribble into the available corners of his massive tome; detailing the composition of what he beheld, and describing its effects. The other Masters had always tried to warn him about curiosity...that, even with his peculiar way of thinking, he would not always be immune to what he discovered.
”When you look into the abyss…”
There was a sparkle in his eyes, and a look of glee upon his youthful face.
”…the abyss also looks into you.”
[!] ~”…Only those who effect change, who lead it, may find prosperity.”~[!]
[!] ~”Those who fight change are doomed to die, while those who accept it merely survive…”~[!]
However, of the three, Rowena was the least prepared to handle this environment; she did not possess supernatural ear-plugs, or the ability to turn chaos into a formula.
The Lady was a warrior in life, and her doctrine promoted self-discipline through force of personality. But, her heart ached for every living soul devoured...For, unlike the other Masters, she had a fairly clear point of view to the battle going on beneath the ruined guild.
She saw Ertai's work...witnessed him bring a man back from the dead, only to consume him; ripping his spirit from the wheel of rebirth, and feasting upon it.
There was no greater destruction of a person's being, no worse fate, than to have one's soul taken...chained up...and forever held. Slowly burned in a whirlwind of consuming fire, until nothing remained but the final screams of desperation.
Lost for all time.
To see this, and be forced to stand her ground, was the single worst thing she had ever been forced to endure; unable to intervene, or take the poor man's place...Rowena's principles warred with her desires, and she nearly ground her teeth to dust.
"Remember your purpose...remember what must be done!"
Her tears flowed behind the shield of her helm, but they held greater emotions than simply sadness. With them, too, flowed anger...and determination!
The hand that held her blade would tighten upon its grip; eliciting creaks of protest from the material as she steeled herself for war. If given the chance, she would not hesitate to wade into battle with this villain...
No matter the personal cost.
[!] ~”…Only those who effect change, who lead it, may find prosperity.”~[!]
Currently:"Mentally snapping" In the Company of: "She doesn't give a ********]
"Your aim is to destroy this city, this world. I won't let you do that, Ertai."
Red still didn't move from her position, but pure white energy seemed to arc through the air around her. It was defensive it seemed, ready to strike at any mental attack that even came near. Whether or not Ertai was privy to the conversation her and Bravot had in the mindscape, he would know that it had opened a doorway to power that had been idle, untouched, and deadly.
⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙New beginning.....
|Usage|
Active, VERY active 5/5 Available
Glory Sieg
"Psst, James. Who did you guys piss off while I was gone?"
Fierach
"You shouldn't be here. This is going to get ugly." That was an understatement for the ages.
The Guildhall Ward
______The way Ertai shoved debris casually away from him and the way he wove life and death with a thought was vile and yet from a psychic perspective phenomenal. The Artificial God was the penultimate result of the psionic craft. As a cobbler of constructs of all shapes he found Ertai's minions menacing but beautiful. However, Tres was not without his own creations.
"Focus.", came from behind the mouthpiece of his face mask.
______He did not turn to regard Gloria nor did he question why she was here. She -was- here and that meant that she had a job to do, just like all the rest of them. His hawkish eyes remained focused on the Artificial god who walked casually towards them. It was when he mocked James for the death of the man who now stood as a pile of dust, swept into the constant breeze of the turning Metropolis, that Ertai made his move. All about them numerous orbs of steel and stone broke up from the cobblestone street. Tres could feel the effervescent black energies that Ertai exhumed, pulsing within these constructs.
"TAKE COVEERRR!!, Tres screamed as his crystalline left hand went for the underside of his right emerald gauntlet
______Explosions erupted all around them, squeezing like a mighty fist of violence in a cacophony of death and gore. Tres's shout roused the quickest of the Enforcers to raise their ruby shields of light and to crouch down back to back with another soldier. However most of the Enforcers were recent conscripts instead of hardened mercenaries. Their reflexes had not been honed from decades of battle like Tres's or James's had. Many of them would die in that moment, as shrapnel field eruptions went off all around them.
_____Just as the explosions went off, ghostly tendrils pulsing with light would fade into the space around the psychic warrior. Like the geometric shield that finally solidified around the area, cutting off all hopes for escape, these lines of light formed a simple yet eloquent shape. WIth a final pop of light that was hidden beneath the eruption of death, Tres would be frozen within his own construct of hardened ectoplasm as his left hand turned the gemstone dials at the underside of his arm. The strength of the construct was derived from the geometric perfection of the shape. Where normally the psions constructs would be crude and disordered, the psion's power to forge constructs seemed augmented within the geometric strata that bound them all within this square block. The translucent material of the shielding construct radiated with prismatic light in the amber glow of the outlands.
_____A sickening numbers of soldiers would lay dead in the next instance, bodies torn apart by the molten rock and jagged shards that tore through them like tissue paper. Those who were left alive that were in the area, limped away in absolute terror of what had befallen them as fast as their broken and torn bodies. They would only escape so far before they would be forced to engage Ertai's constructs or stopped by the sealed wall.
_____In the end...It would be only madmen left.
_____The mad god and the psychopaths who chose to stand up to him.
_____Even the perfect geometry of Tres's pyramidal shield did not bare the force of the explosion without catastrophic damage. The pyramid would be caked in the dust of shattered buildings. Shards of steel and molden rock were lodged into the cracked surface of the construct which was a touch away from shattering and dissolving into psychic vapor. When the explosion of fire and electricity erupted behind him, the concussive force released by the blast was enough to finally shatter the broken pyramid.. Shards of crystal fell away around him as Red leaped over his head, eventually arriving to stand 3 feet in front of Ertai. Tres regarded her as if she had gone insane and based upon her words, this was in fact the case.
'Oz! Get Red! I think Ertai did something to her mind. You got to get her to safety so we can engage.', Tres said telepathically to his Construct Familiar.
_____No doubt Red might pick up on the message. No sooner had Tres sent it could the sound be heard from above...
"EAAARRRRREEHHHEEHHEHHHEHH!!!"
_____The massive dragon would descend towards the road on which the confrontation was taking place. As the dragon fell to the surface to land with a resounding crash, its crystalline body would morph. Hard crystal collapsed upon itself in a kaleidoscopic fashion that was at once terrible and beautiful. The emerald surface of its body roiled with non-euclidian folds, undulating with rapid change until its body took another shape. Crouched before them would not be a large dragon but a massive Frog the size of an elephant. Its eyes were massive gemstones, that gazed emotionless at the Elder God and the maddened Psion, Red. The creature was poised an alert 15 feet away from both the elder god and the blonde psion.
_____Tres's left hand would continue to work the dials at the underside of his right gauntleted forearm. In the 3 feet of space between Ertai and Red, something would gradually fade into reality. Lines of psychic energy coalesced in that space, tendrils warping into geometric stratum. Light coursed through the edges of the geometry that approximated the general outline of the psychic warrior. Ertai and Red would note the miniature gate opened to the astral plane. Ectoplasm flooded into reality, filling the volume of the geometric stratum with an emerald gaseous energy that danced like wild fire within the boundaries of its mesh. This all occurred in a single instance, leaving an astral construct shaped like Tresondros Ecstuffuan between them.
_____The construct rose up to its full stature, twisting in a counter clockwise turn. The lifeless automaton swung its left arm out as it lunged forward towards Ertai, aiming to strike the Artificial god with a fierce left Lariat against the right side of his head. The attack was not one Tres expected Ertai to do anything more than laugh at, but the purpose was not to hurt the god. The psion intended on taking the fight to him with his own fist, but he meant to distract him and give Oz the brief moment he needed to get Red away from the scene.
_____Tres moved out from his position. His rapid movement utilized measured even steps and he remained square with the Artificial God. Sieg spoke with respect to his arch-nemesis's fighting skill as rivaling his own. Perfect Power + Perfect Technique meant that this would be the fight where no mistakes could be afforded. Tres's heart wept for every man who lay bleeding into the cobbles of Sigil's streets and he could not comprehend the sorrow of those who's souls were now a part of Ertai's collective, but he did not have time to mourn them. Every moment that he did not take Ertai's attention would be another man, who's soul was shackled to the cruel fate of this dark god. He would start on a path out to his right in an attempt to engage Ertai in hand to hand range at his left flank....
PP: 75 [-5]
Focusing Crystal - Astral Mirror
Astral Striker - Psionatrix Armlet
On Tres's right hand he wears a brown leather bracer. On the underside of the forearm are a row of 5 emerald green hexagonal crystals. By twisting these crystals to certain configurations, Tres can call forth an ectoplasmic automaton. This automaton is identical physically to Tres. It weigh's the same and possesses the average physical strength for a human that size and weight. The automaton is not sentient and is not even under Tres's control after it is called forth with its action pre-programmed into it. The automaton instead performs a single programmed physical action before evaporating and vanishing.
Tres usually doesn't use this as a means of doing damage, but as a means of setting up the opponent for his own attacks. There are however certain action sequences that can be used quickly.The automatons are summoned in a crouched position in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of Tres. After a moment of delay, the crystal automaton runs forward and performs one of six actions at a designated target. Once the action is performed, the construct evaporates. The psionatrix may be activated once every 6 post and requires that Tres be able to touch his right forearm with his left hand to turn the crystals.
Each movement has a different timing and takes longer post to complete. The constructs are not particularly durable and can be shattered with an armed strike to the torso. This piece of equipment and the construct it creates is vulnerable to sonic damage, similarly to its creator. Sonic damage will easily break the item and prevent its use until the item is fixed.
The woman was fairly relaxed not taking Edward's words to heart. Of course she was going to still treat him like she did anyone else, like a friend, mostly because the majority of her friends lived very short lives. The last two known survivors were bat s**t crazy like her, except none of them saw themselves that way. The joys of being ignorant.
Waving off the comments while pressing keys on the phone, sending a very important message that probably should of been sent hours ago.... Maybe even a day. Since there was no real day or night cycle she could safely assume she had spent the better part of 24 hours getting her s**t set up, so it was time to let her soon to be husband know where she was... well kind of.
Colonel Iyam A Heita
Hey, sorry about wandering off. Had work to do. =)
Meet me by the old community centre in the Hive, should be easy to find. On corner of randy ave.
<3
Yes her text message had a smiley face and a love heart. But no one but her 'betrothed' would know. Besides it would let him know she was alive as well, since that was something she had forgotten to do the last time she vanished.
After it was sent she would slip the phone back into her boot just in time to spot the dorks in power armour entering onto the street not too far from them.
"For ******** sake.... the hell are they doing here?"
She would blurt out while slowing to stop, still blending in with the crowd for the most part... the men would be of no concern to her she technically worked for Bravot now.... But it was more so when the Enforcers for the UWP arrived that she felt a slight urge to stab them in the face. Murderous yes... Of course... They were linked to Tresondros so she felt like hurting them might make him hurt as well.
But fortunately for the power suits and UWP she was otherwise engaged, her word to complete the transaction with Ed was worth more than a little bit of revenge. So whilst shaking her head she would wander down a side street, avoiding the groups and thus sparing their lives for today, call her overconfident but she had probably killed more people and monsters than they had, and she was known for being very irritating when it came to fighting.... Never one to give up until the opponent was incapacitated 90% of the time. Hell she had suffocated her fiancé with her tits when they first met. then again he had made the mistake of kicking her griffin.
"Alright we will go this way. Not worth causing s**t with them... Unless you two feel like getting a little bloody?"
There was a hint of child like hopefulness in her tone, like she wanted them to both agree and go back to destroy the UWP Enforcers as well as Bravot's men...To show them that wearing power armour was a sign of weakness.
While the question was presented thy would of course keep moving, fading into the foot traffic while keeping a cautious eye on the groups that would be potential casualties if they followed... of if both Ed and Joe wanted to have some fun.
Still unaware of Darren tailing their group, if she knew he was there then no doubt there would already be blood staining the sidewalk. The former lovers didn't exactly have a friendly encounter the last time they crossed paths.
Terrance stared at Julia for a second, clicked his head to the side, and proceeded to blink. Her asking him to feel her baby bump sort of caught him by surprise. While he was an only child he had plenty of coursins, all of which he saw the progress of their births. So the feeling of a baby inside of the womb of a mother was nothing strange to him. He quickly moved toward her and began to rub her belly, his eyes slightly widened at the sight of what he did. It was truly magnificent, the thumping of the child across the stomach of Julia caused Terrance to chuckle if only a little. “Ha she’s going to be quite the kicker!” A smile stretched across his face. It was a happy reminder of what he fought for now, the condition of the city needed to change, if not for itself for his Girlfriend and daughter.
He frowned however at the thought of that. “I think I should join the UWP…”
Terror was a funny thing. Such a primal, subtle yet overwhelming emotion that could be triggered by the simplest of things. The shadow in your peripheral vision, the sound that you could have sworn to have heard before it happens. The unknown fueled this emotion, and not only that. It thrived on it. It drove the accosted on a hellish ride into the depths, past the uncanny where only the terrific could lie.
Kane would probably not have suspected anything at first. The walk back outside to his motorcycle would have been a normal one if it's arrival hadn't triggered something's attention. A soft sound of feeding echoed off of the parking garage walls, amplifying just enough where the snarls and scraping of metal reverberated in the skull of the weary. The shifting of what sounded to be boots rustled against the cement before a sharp clang of thrown steel.
Upon closer inspection, a thin creature was huddled over the remains of the motorcycle, most of it's form was covered by a ragged, long trench coat that settled about what could be assumed as where it's feet where. It looked human enough from the angle of his approach. It's back was arched dramatically, and upon jerking it's hooded head to the left revealed nine, four inch, transparent spikes that shimmered an unearthly green when the lights hit them just so.
The creature reached out a slender hand to find the tank of the vehicle that had been meticulously placed to the side.
A true biker never treated his motorcycle as a vehicle, it was their child, their one and true love. Nothing truly came close in comparison, there was just something about the open road, something that couldn't be matched by even the beautifulest of women or most aged scotch. So, believe it when Kane was just a tad bit distraught by what he witnessed, not scared, just emotional. There was his motorcycle, his baby, the thing he spent the most time on, whether it was rebuilding her, riding her, or even washing/polishing her. Kane had even named her! "KAAAAAGOME!" Kane screamed at the top of his lungs, as one manly tear strolled down his face, though his scream wasn't even loud compared to what followed it.
Raising the gun that still was within his right hand, he'd take aim and pull the trigger, not once, but multiple times. Emptying what remained of his clip into the monstrosity eating his motorcycle, and each bullet was aimed for one specific spot. The chest! Kane wanted to put this thing down as quickly as possible, if it was literally eating his bike, four or so bullets probably wouldn't do much. So as soon as he heard that click, he'd release the clip with a simple press of his thumb, patting his jacket for the spare he kept. Upon locating it, he'd toss the briefcase aside, instantly reaching for the full clip and putting it into place effortlessly. Back peddling, he'd take aim once more and continue to fire.
The gun barked, the bullets hissed. The creature's body twitched as each of the bullets found their marks in among the shoulders and back. However, it didn't seem to react immediately. It took a few moments for it's mind to tear itself away from the frenzy of feasting. Huffing out, it's fingers curled around the gasoline tank, crushing it effortlessly as it stood up. All the way up, slowly. The scared man had plenty of time to scurry about himself to find the second clip of ammunition. But had he stopped to think about it's feelings at all?
Meet Lucy.
A six foot - two inched humanoid being from the edges of the cosmos itself. Today, a small purring vehicle sounded like a fine idea for dinner, after all, she tended to eat at least a few dinners a day alone. She was what someone would call a Voro Mundus, and her purpose in life? To devour, to change, to adapt and survive all in rapid succession. And what had this human done, exactly? He had screwed up a perfectly fine meal with his measly little human bullets. How selfish.
As the last vertebra of her spine stacked itself, a green, net like grid skipped around the entirety of the area about them from the small proximity of her wristband.
"Human. Seven feet-feet-feet-feet-feet. " A monotone, robotic voice chirped loudly before the band sparked and smoked. It's voice changed to that of a little girl. "Look out behiiinnddd yoouuu."
Whipping around, the creature revealed it's true identity to the attacker in question. Lucy's face had mostly been plastered with motor oil now, but here and there showed fonts of her true color. It was that of a pale, green translucent with pulsating black veins. Her eyes were wide, the sclera was a deep muddy brown, the iris that of the color of rust. And her teeth. Her mouth was ripped wide with endless rows of razor sharp, clear teeth.
The gun fired once more, but Lucy didn't wait now. Letting out an earsplitting howl of pain and frustration, she bolted into action with devastating speed towards Kane. It took a fraction to close the gap between the two foes, though she might have been cheating a little. He would know just what she was cheating with as it lolled against his cheek. A long tongue thick and moist, with unexpected results. In moments his mind would tingle euphorically, hopefully it was enough to distract him from the gasoline soaked nails that were aiming to eviscerate.
James didn't get a chance to retort to Ertai before everything began to explode. Like Bigby, and unlike most of the others with him, James was no psionic. That, combined with his formidable willpower and prior experience with the abyss allowed him to resist Ertai's whispers in his mind, turn them away, block them out. The Artificial God's power of presence did James as much as it affected the others, especially the lady named Red.
There was one line that the daemonslayer found curious however.
Infernal: ”You will have your realms when I get what I desire from them. Do not play me as if I owe fealty to you... I walk these worlds as I see fit---As long as this realm remains intact our bargain is still complete. Now return to the slothful slumber of your existence or punish these vermin as I intend to do.”
James scowled, glancing at the Outsider. Whatever that truly meant, it spoke of a bargain between the two. The enemy of my enemy was not my friend, though they all fought against Ertai now, James did not trust the majority of people here.
'The Great Absolute'
With another swipe of darkness his features returned to their former glory. The rumbling beneath their feet would die down and in a sudden explosion, numerous orbs of stone escaped from below. The ground was littered with these small holes, each one bleeding out the same plumes of black smoke as what billowed from Ertai’s maw. These orbs hung in the air all around them, perhaps thirty or so about ten inches in diameter. That was when he shifted his eyes to Tres.
”The savior of Sigil…”
Rolling his shoulders Ertai would raise his right arm and the orbs would begin to spin.
”What will happen when the people see you die?”
Tres Ecstuffuan
"TAKE COVEERRR!!, Tres screamed as his crystalline left hand went for the underside of his right emerald gauntlet
"s**t" James spat, and crossed his arms up, tucking himself down for a guard.
Unlike Tres, James did not possess a shield. His defense was his mind, his body, his attacks, and his armor. All, however, were little actual help when the world around him exploded. The next moment, James found himself sailing back, landing roughly in a pile of rubble. Battered, but nowhere near broken, James picked himself up off the debris. His Daemonbane armor took the brunt of that hit, the daemonslayer picking out the more worrisome bits of stone and metal embedded in his armor as he made to rejoin the fight.
Watching as the drama played out in front of him as he sat on his floating platform, spectral versions of the Fighters and Ertai forming like wraiths around him and Red, his sapphire eyes glimmering with a malevolent amusement.
"Well that worked better than expected"
The Librarian mused as the wave of energy passed over him without moving a single hair on his head, lifting the mental perfection cup of coffee to his pale scar-ed lips and took another sip.
It was going to be an interesting experience to see what Red's limits actually were. Bravot spoke the truth to Red, but as usual there was another reason for his actions. If she was going to survive, then she needed to be focused.
And the woman had a real issue with not being all together there. And this was one of those times where you had to focus on one thing and one thing only.
Kill or be Killed.
Even if it was the humans fault this had to be this....destructive.
[EDIT] Listening to Ertai's simple statement, the Librarian just smiled on the Mindscape plane, the seven heads of his spiritual manifestation still becoming more and more real in that world, building in power.
"Oh Ertai....I'm sure that's the case but the idea that you'll survive to even get to me is silly.
But come if you must.
I'll have the tea ready"
[End Edit]
The Real World
Opening his eyes as Raven spoke again, the Librarian took a small sip of the paler imitation of what he was drinking with Red and soured slightly at the change between the two. The tastes never compared, but he was always searching for it all the same.
That perfect cup of coffee.
"I will watch over the Bael Kierdi with reservations. Me and Iris, that is. As to...Ertai, Milady Ravenna, that is something that Tresondros has brought on his own head. Ertai was his to kill or chain, much as Mister Kyle Baker was previously.
And we all know how that ended up.
Will Tresondros' hubris ever stop ruining this city?"
Bravot spoke without cruelness or rancor to his words. Just a man speaking the truth, however distasteful it might be. With a soft sigh as the nin appeared at his feet in a inky pit of shadows, the Librarian cracked his neck from side to side before speaking in flawless Japanese.
My Servant. It is good to see you in such times. The lady will have need of you and your kin in this fight to come. The Pariahs are gathering.
There was a strange flash of light superimposing over the Librarian in his black and red armor a very odd image of him sitting on a dais wearing a very formal kimono in black and gold, the mon of a long lost house flapping in a stiff breeze to either side of him, a war fan in his hand instead of a cup of coffee and his hair pulled back in a high ponytail.
As the brief flash faded as quickly as it appeared, Bravot turned to Ravenna and Drew as small orb appeared from the high ceiling, carrying a small matte black bell jar stasis casket. As it floated down to the Librarian, Ravenna, Iris and Drew could see that it had a symbol on it of a inverted horse shoe struck through with gold on a small sliding panel. It looked very akin to a sea lamp of some sort.
Setting his coffee cup aside, Thomas took down the lantern and a small smile appeared on his face.
"My Men will help you as best they can. Hayl will gather the Hallowed Five Hundred, My companion here's clan will do what they will. The Sister Pariahs will take time to bring out of stasis....but they will begin to gather and forcing Ertai's power back.
Unfortunately, I will keep them in reserve for now. Too many of the Enforcers and other fighters are of Psionic stock. And me taking away your power as well as Ertai's would be counter productive, I'd imagine.
But I do have this.
This is something that shall help you in your endeavour against the Artifical God, Milady Ravenna. Even if I consider this the folly of Humans and a psion who's hubris breaks souls, I have....obligations.
To you and the Mage Guild and this City.
But....this is something of a last resort weapon. Because if used in the vicinity of say yourself or Tresondros or Red or any other Psionicly-enhanced individual, it will kill you more than likely....in a very very violent painfilled way.
It is a embryo of a Omega-Minus-Minus level Pariah, Ravenna. I had a few extra when I made the current incarnation of Tonro the Bronze and put a few of these together just in case.
And it will be such a violent destructive death for such a creature as Ertai that Tresendros will not forgive such a outcome, even if it is to save his life.
Setting it down beside him, Bravot pushed the lantern over towards Ravenna slightly as he looked between her and Drew, picking up his cup of coffee again.
"I will be joining the fight in my own way. There are byblows across the Astral Planes that must be protected. The portals are at risk with such godly energies free in our world. And I am charged by those higher above with their....protection."
Shrugging slightly, Bravot took another sip finishing the dredges of his cup. Licking the sugar crystals from his lip, the Librarian mused as he turned towards the window staring out into the city.
This was not his fight. At least, not as he saw it. But it seemed he was going to be pulled in all the same.
The shinobi would rise in a single, fluid movement; detaching himself from the deeper darkness, and stepping into the light. Beyond the shadow, Hayato's features would become somewhat less obscure...
He was a shorter man, completely covered by his black shozoku; leaving only his unsettling eyes, and the shaded-skin around them, visible. His gaze, which seemed inhuman, would land squarely on the woman his Master had indicated.
Awaiting direction.
- - -
Outside, hidden in almost every alcove, were nine of the Hattori Clan's finest; similarly garbed, and geared, as their leader.
When the order came, as it always did, they would move...unseen...whispering death into the ear of whomever, or whatever, they were directed towards. It was their purpose.
It started plainly enough. A group of individuals almost like any other, coming in fresh from the streets. They wore long coats and plain clothes, scarves and glasses and gloves. They seemed so regular, except for the masks. Gaudy mache' masks made to look like serene faces, but altogether creepy and unsettling. Before anyone really had a chance to piece things together the mayhem would start. It was like a bank robbery gone wrong from the start - but the only thing to take from the pleasure house was life itself. The zealots were screaming nonsensically, hysterically, praising their Lord and ushering in a bounty of death.
Silvia Joynce exited her 'work area' to see what all the commotion was. She caught a bullet with her face for her curiosity, slamming against the wall in a fit of seizures before sliding down into a sitting position. Her body jerked uncontrollably as a geyser of blood sprayed out of the front of her skull. Automatic fire from small submachine guns like uzis tore into johns and hookers alike as the five holy zealots fanned out as a basic kill team. One of the men was more bloodthirsty than the others and laid into people with a machete and hatchet, bashing and chopping and amputating with wild glee. Another showed some measure of arcane power, weaving together a spell in a frenzy that made fire spray off his hands and onto the furniture.
Atop a roof a street away the red cloaked vampire watched patiently, and smiled.
"Tresondros, you will regret the path you have chosen."
Tonro the Bronze DragonZord
At a Crime Scene
Turning his attention to the Crime Scene geeks, Tonro replaced the shades and began to follow the scent-trail of the killer, his typical slouch making his way through the crowds.
Suddenly his phone rang.
"Ello? Huh....yeah...yeah....yeah. Kay."
Closing his old style flip phone, he dropped it back into the breast pocket of his white jacket as he began to make his way towards the Blacker Swan, the sad, pathetic knock off version of the Dark Swan, a place trying to cash in on the fame of the Black Swan of yonder year.
It seemed that zealots were attacking the place.
Which was odd...but amusing in it's own way. Seems that someone didn't know their way around the new city quite yet.
With a minimal effort, the Bronze began to jump from roof to roof, following the lesser screams, trying to ignore the giant pillar in the Mage Guild direction.
As it wasn't bravots place, it had minimal security which was their own downfall. But soon enough a group of Mooks from the Bravot Library began to draw closer to the establishment, cordoning off the area as they waited for Tonro to get here.
Frowning as he got a message that the Dark Swan was under attack, Tonro sighed as he began to make his way across the rooftops heading in the direction of the brothel.
This was such a pain....but there was reports of a red-cloaked man on a rooftop.
MEANWHILE at the Swan
The Zealots may have gotten the drop on some of the girls and the johns, but soon they would realize their mistake. The chest of the mage-zealot was suddenly blown out by a close range shotgun blast to the back as the bartender came to her feet from behind the earlier shattered bar.
Second time in a handful of days zealots had tried to ******** this place up.
Frankly, the girls were getting sick of it.
Seemingly something out of Sin City or any noir movie, the girls upstairs appeared at the balcony, a ridiculous amount of firepower aimmed down below onto the group of zealots. With nay a word, the group was shreaded by round after round of copp killer rounds fired from a plethera of guns down into the pit, with not a care for who the girls took out be it john or zealot.
It was violent, it was bloody and there was bodies piled up like cordwood for the third time this week.
The Dark Swan was going to have to change its name to the Bloody Swan soon enough if this s**t continued.
Crystal's lips twitched as she held back laughter. Her eyes were glinting with mischief as she watched Hartia with an amused gaze. "Do you expect anything less of me Hartia? I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself just fine."
Akako watched the two interact for a moment before she stood from her seat. The katana that was leaned up against the couch was plucked up and tied to her waist once more. Her crimson gaze then slid over to Hartia and Crystal again. "I take it you two have met already?"
Crystal's attention turned to the vixen at her side. "Ah, yes. We were acquainted in Valucre. I can't say I was too fond of him when we first met, but he grew on me." The elemental's eyes slid back over to gaze at the Cambion. Akako's eyes narrowed on Crystal before her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Of course... small universe I suppose." The dragon at Akako's feet stirred before lifting his head to look up at Akako. The kitsune wasn't fond of dragons, but this child was practically her own, for now at least.
"Hartia, any idea when Ursan will grace us with his presence again? I had business with him... but our timing hasn't exactly allowed for us to have a conversation."
Aria ran. She ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing after her—which, considering the situation, wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibility in her view. She was almost knocked off her feet by the explosions nearby, though the elan managed to quickly regain her stride. As soon as she got to the door she took one second to look back at the chaos that was unfolding, anger and sadness in her hazel eyes, before she slammed the door shut and paused to catch her breath.
Compared to outside, inside was not much of an improvement. While the screams of the wounded and the dying were lessened by the walls, she had merely exchanged the horrors of the battle for the remnants of another. While this section had been spared the worst (after all the roof and floor were still relatively intact), dust and debris littered the floor. There were no bodies here; the carnage had all taken place upstairs, or at the heart of the guild building itself. Yet still there was an uneasy aura about the place, one born of seeing a place once filled with people now desolate, the few survivors having fled or holed up somewhere to try and weather out the storm.
Or perhaps it was merely a result of being so close to the portal that was weighing on her mind. In any case, Aria pulled her robe closer to her as she went forward, her mind still focused on what she was there for: trying to find her ally. However, even she could not help but be distracted by the sudden surge of magic nearby as, unbeknownst to her, Jace managed to break free of the cell that was holding him. Though she would notice, as soon as she realized that it was no new threat, that the trail that she had been following had suddenly shifted.
Frowning, Aria quickened her pace. She was torn between curiosity and caution, for at this point there was no telling what she might find here. And sure enough, the trail eventually brought her within sight of a person standing amongst the rubble. At this point Aria hesitated as she tried to get a better look at him. As far as she could tell he was the one the message was leading towards. Yet as she reached out magically she could not help but feel that there was something off here. For as long as she had known him Jace had always been into some of the less common forms of magic, yet this particular combination was something she hadn’t felt before. Still, in every other respect it appeared to be him, so without taking the time to wonder if this was the perhaps best idea or not, Aria walked up to him.
”Jace!” she called out as she approached him. ”Nice to see you’re still alive,” she said with the hint of a grin on her face for a brief instant. Then it was back to being serious as she went on. ”Though I wish you would have picked a better time to turn back up. Things around here seem to be going to hell. Possibly literally, “ she added as an afterthought.
”There’s a creature outside that’s attacking people, and as far as I can tell it was also the one who did all... this,” she said with a gesture at the destruction all around them. ”Not sure how well you can sense it, but personally I’d put it at least on a demigod level. Maybe stronger.” X
─ R a v e e n a L a v e n d r a S e n a r i a ─────────────────────────── ♋ ─ ─ ─
Raveena made a conscious effort to modernize her speech and conjugation. Her lips had spoken the slang hundreds of times over, yet old habits died hard and she wished to sound more concise and less long-winded after listening intently, a serious glint in her dark blue eyes, "I-I understand. Don't...don't enter the fray personally unless you have to. My priorities..." She didn't have to explain that between Tresondros and Bravot, her ties to Bravot would win out and the neglect of her duties would complicate matters in the worst degree. Raveena stepped over to collect the lantern within her grasp, cradling it with one arm. Glancing to Bael Kierdi's child-like form, her gaze softened, "His injuries will need tending to. Mentally, physically." She grasped the young boy's shoulders, "When you are recovered, come find me."
To Drew she glanced before turning and crossing to him and grasping his arm, "Thank you...thank you for what you have done for Raven. It was not easy. You are a good man, it is that I can tell. The Matreyan greeting, 'Grieevos', means, 'I grieve'. It is the way we say we will grieve. Until next we meet, Andrew." She did not have the heart to admit there may be no next time. Steeling herself for a moment, Raveena inhaled. Wordless, the magic coalesced: a golden disc of light appeared at her feet before engulfing her. By the time it faded away, the Empress stood in civilian clothing, jeans, a red camisole, a black leather jacket and her black boots. Raven's signature fingerless gloves sheathed her abilities as an Empath, her hair had been french-braided down to the small of her back. Bravot's Japanese was flawless, his English accent adding an alluring twist to the language. The bright light left her squinting only for a moment, her blue eyes narrowing in anticipation. A shinobi presented himself at Bravot's word and Raveena half-smiled at the small gift of help. "I will do what I can." To the lone shinobi, the Empress exhaled slowly before nodding, the lilt of her own accent vanishing as she spoke her own command in flawless Japanese,
"Uizādo Girudo de aimashou."
The moment she finished speaking, a second disc of golden light rippled at her feet, the woman sinking into it with a lurch. She would travel through Gateways, wanting to waste no time to reach her destination. She sank swiftly, disappearing into the portal before it closed above her. The white span of existence. She felt her body falling, falling neither up nor down, left nor right. She could have fallen forever and never really known just where in her descent she was, or if she truly descended at all. Raveena concentrated on where she wanted to go, visualizing it in her mind's eye. A third Gateway would open beneath her, and Raven careened against the surface with a splash. Always she held her breath, as if unsure just where she would land. Now she could feel herself falling, the broken ground, wrought with smoke and rubble coming at her too quickly to recover. With a cry, Raveena felt the jarring pain of landing and toppled onto a broken piece of asphalt.
The air seemed to hiss and there was a haziness with a thin veil of dust and smoke. She could just make out the silhouette of the Mage Guild beyond such a veil, which did nothing to stop the screams of terror, the cries of pain and anguish permeated the air all around her. Coming to stand she brushed her jeans off, coughing harshly as she squinted through the aftermath of Ertai's assault. The dust was only beginning to settle, splashes of red splattering and decorating the building walls, the sidewalks, the streets. A man ran past her, shoulder-shoving her and Raveena grit her teeth as she took off at a run. There was too much debris to properly see what was going on! The Secondary lids of her eyes slowly crept over her eyes. A darkness settled over her vision, pitch black all around her. Bursts of humanoid contours sprang to life, a myriad of lines in the shape of a human in various colors across the spectrum, giving away the status of their biology and life force. She could see the swirls of aura around each one, the brilliant, nearly blinding light of Ertai, the blazing fire ki from James, the swirling grey of Red, The lattice-like appearance of Tresondros' arm. There were countless familiar and unfamiliar alike; It was easy to see who was sticking around, as they were the bodies that were not running. The Secondary lids retracted, the air more clear as dust swirled and wafted, coming to settle.
Raveena could make out the mechanical creatures that surrounded the UWP Enforcers. That would be her first task in undoing the knots of madness that was manifesting. The timid woman was already shedding away, easily fitting into the familiar routine of a leader that Raven had assumed as a General to the Enforcers. Already within the mind of the lead Shinobi her voice would ripple, encroaching his consciousness with the next command to receive when he and his clan arrived.
Kikai-tekinaikimonookorosu.Heishiokaihōshimasu.
─ ─────────────────────────── ─ ─ ─
☽ ♋ ☾
count_zantara
Slash Zinrai
Destructive Forces
Fierach
YummyBiscuits
Tres Ecstuffuan
Red the Ambivalent
The Great Absolute
Not Roen
Glory Sieg
Arbitrary Fate
"Let's meet at the Mage Guild."
"Kill the mechanical creatures. Free the soldiers."
200
200
200
