ℂℴvᴇᴎ: hell on vangare ⊰closed ⊱

[Satellite O Love]

Something was happening. Perhaps that was a bit of an obvious statement given the terrifying presence of screams and fire in the half-giant encampment, but it was true nonetheless. Larus glared toward the nearby circle of flames in the distance as he held yet another five wraiths in place and waited for Nova’s dance to reach them and sever their ties. He had some vague idea of what was happening mostly because it was taking longer than he had ever imagined possible to free all the enslaved giants and, while Nova was following him on foot, Larus jumped through the shadows to get a glimpse of what was going on where Vikar had disappeared. He couldn’t really see with the flickering flames (unpredictable, accursed light), but he had a sense of movement, of panic, and a sort of bloodlust that was familiar only because he was accustomed to dealing with his rampaging son.

“Father, I’m done,” Nova said cautiously, interrupting Larus’ thoughts as he padded over to the older man’s side. His bladed, hardened arms shifted unnaturally at his sides, clearly responding to Nova’s new, tentative control over their change. It was too bad the lady dragon couldn’t be expected to hang around their Coven or else Larus would have requested she take Nova under her metaphorical wing and teach him how to dominate that accursed demon the way he was currently doing. He had no illusions that this placebo effect would wear out the moment Nova was certain the blood he’d ingested from Tarien was gone.

“We need to hurry,” he responded, turning away from the ruins in the distance and settling his eyes on another pair of giants. Nova grabbed his arm before he could turn back into shadow, surprising him. Larus quirked an eyebrow and his son’s confidence faltered for an instant under his scrutiny.

“S-Sorry. I was just…I smell blood. That fire is familiar – from when I was nearly captured in Zhu…but the smell, I can tell even through the flames. I think that Vikar is in trouble.”

Larus sighed. He’d hoped the flames would have blocked out Nova’s enhanced senses, but apparently that would be asking for too much. “Yes, and I haven’t yet addressed it because there’s nothing that can be done. I could go past the wall, but I would likely be killed either by constant exposure to the fire or an angry Knight. I could even risk of being trampled by our ally; he’s not in a normal state of mind…“ Larus trailed off as he realized that there was something else wrong, something he’d been willfully ignoring for quite awhile.

”Oh…” Nova said, unconsciously tightening his grip on Larus’ arm as the flames seemed to dim and a large, familiar form emerged and began to stagger off.

“Not good…I also just realized…” Larus closed his eyes and tested the strange, uncomfortable bond that the young Granate witch forged to keep them in contact. He’d kept it mostly at the back of his mind, behind a mental wall as the last thing Larus needed was some upstart rooting around in his head without his permission. He’d ignored it so well, in fact, that he hadn’t even noticed when it had weakened. Attempting to hail anyone was an entirely fruitless activity. The seemingly reliable Knight Van Haden must have gotten into trouble.

Nova seemed to understand and he paled at the realization. “Mei Lun’s spell…” Of course he hadn’t noticed either, he’d been too occupied trying to keep his sanity in check while they did their work while spending the rest of the time worried about Vikar.

Larus let out a long-suffering sigh. He’d had a feeling, an awful, irritating sense that something would go wrong enough for him to have to take the time to contact headquarters, but he had hoped that things wouldn’t become this dire. He had a sudden urge to jump to Fang and find their remaining party members himself, but that would take far too long. He grabbed the arm Nova was holding him with and shook his son to get the youth out of his stupor.

“Your aliquam.”

Nova started, but the nodded and pulled the small charm off of his ear. Larus pointed his head in the direction of the last stragglers they hadn’t yet released and, thankfully, the young mage wasted no time in turning on his heel and rushing toward them. Larus would get there after he’d made the call. Getting Kozue’s private frequency wouldn’t be difficult using Nova’s as Larus had enchanted it himself during their downtime to ensure that he would be able to contact her in case of an emergency. It only took the suggestion of his power for the thing to light up and work. He took a steadying breath as the channel opened.

“High Priestess. This is Larus Cervantes. Our mission has hit some unexpected snags. Though we have managed to infiltrate House Fang, Nova and I have lost contact with the group lead by Knight Van Haden. The half-giants enslaved by the Fang mages have rebelled, but the Coven itself has mobilized to fend off the invasion. It was already a dangerous situation, but staying any longer could result in major losses for our Coven.”

He was glad Nova had gone so he could smile to himself (even amongst the blood and death, it was a relief to hear her voice as a touch of sanity in a well of madness) at the sound of her initial reply. But any easing of his own anxiety was immediately forgotten when he noticed how tense her own voice sounded. Not only that, she used one of their coded terms to indicate that she was facing a threat to the coven. It made his blood turn cold to not know whether or not she thought she could handle it alone.

“Rest assured that I shall gather the remainders of our team and locate the high priest so that we may return as soon as possible. Which was really all he could say because he didn’t want any potential eavesdroppers to know that he’d gotten the message. Larus had faith in Kozue’s abilities, but with so many influential members of Granate currently roaming the hallways of the Fang Coven, he had his doubts as to how much support a new high priestess would receive. Likely some would consider whatever threat she was facing as a rite of passage.

“Damn clique of moldy old perverts,” he muttered bitterly before sinking back into the shadows and moving toward his son.

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He was worried – worried about silence and confusion on the other end of the weakening mental link that the group had undergone to keep them in contact, worried about the pained figure out Vikar retreating in the distance and the corpses of burned half-giants he could smell who had died due to the Knight of Fang’s assault, worried about the tense set of Larus’ jaw as he returned to help Nova free the last of the half-giants that indicated there was something so important wrong that he was showing actual strain.

They parted the last of the half-giants from their bonds just as the original pair that the father/son duo had freed ran up to meet them. Nova looked to their lucid expressions, bright (though pained) eyes, and realized that Vikar must have told them what the two dark-haired mages were up to. At least they weren’t trying to kill him or Larus.

“Your…your comrade,” he started, gesturing back toward the decaying magical fire.

The closer of the two nodded, “Yes. Vikar told us to gather, but our brethren are scattered by this fire…we need to unite those that are still confused.”

Which meant they needed Vikar. He was the one who had been free the longest, he’d had words that they could understand so that the confused, angry giants could do something other than destroying the place where they had been bound for so many years.

Larus, who had been temporarily missing, appeared at Nova’s side and glanced at the two towering figures communing with him. “Vikar the Bull is heading away from here. I did not attempt to approach him because I’m unaware of his mental state, but I think that bringing him back would be an excellent idea. Nova –“

He felt the same old sting of apprehension the moment Larus said his name, but the look on his father’s face wasn’t the overcritical, stone-like mask that he was used to seeing. His eyes were clouded with worry, though that somehow hadn’t diminished their ability to see right through him. Nova nodded to indicate he was paying attention as he couldn’t quite find his voice.

“I need to retrieve our companions. I’m entrusting you with helping Vikar the Bull and his companions. At this point, we all need to retreat and if the half-giants can give us cover during their escape, we have a chance at getting whoever is left out alive.”

The notion that one or all of his other Granate allies could be lying dead at the hands of their enemies left Nova cold and trembling, but he knew that this wasn’t the time to fall to pieces. Larus was going to leave him to go do whatever he could and so all Nova could do was the same.

“Y. Yes, father. I understand. I’ll attempt to rouse Vikar and assist him and his two companions in getting the remaining half-giants out of here.”

The ghost of what could almost be a smile played about Larus’ lips and, for a brief moment, he felt the pads of his father’s fingertips gently pressing against his scalp as he ruffled his hair before he activated his magic and was gone like a whisper. Nova closed his eyes and took a long, steadying breath before he faced Vikar’s fellows again.

“Thaddius and…Velus? Please try and inform whoever is listening that we need to gather near that burned out ring of fire,” Nova started. “I’ll attempt to rouse Vikar and if not, I’ll return and find one of you to beg your assistance. I may…may not have confidence that I can help bring your people out of their current states, but I’ll protect you with my life if it comes down to it.”

As if to prove his point, Nova barely waited for a response before he turned toward the mage he could smell who was rushing over to their position and skewered the man before he could take so much as a single step through the (newly made) side-entrance of the burning husk that used to be the symbol of half-giant slavery.

He pushed forward, easily making his way toward Vikar with renewed focus. The half-giant smelled of that mage who had almost captured him in Zhu. Was the man dead? Nova hoped so as he didn’t want to encounter him again. He could dimly remember the look in his eyes when he’d encased Nova in a seal. While his experience could hardly compare with what these beings had endured, he’d felt a fragment of the same fear and helplessness in that moment; that passion fueled him and kept his mind alarmingly clear.

Nova skidded to a halt when he was within hailing distance of Vikar and he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, suddenly full of nervous energy now that he was face-to-face with the man in question. May as well try…

“Vikar? It’s Nova Cervantes of House Granate. Can you hear me? I-If you understand me, then please snap out of it. Your people need you.”

He was a fairly safe distance away as Nova wanted to make sure that he wasn’t going to be charged at in blind anger before he attempted to get closer. “You don’t need to fight anymore, you’ve done your part. We just need your words, your story to help everyone else get out of here as safely as possible…”

Now all that was left to do was hope (and possibly run).

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Somehow, Fang was even more of a mess than the former giant encampment. Mages were rushing around in a panic, some even hurting their allies as they turned a corner too quickly and mistook a rushing form for the specter of the enemy. Ironically, he’d run into several novice mages when he’d darted out of the shadows and hadn’t once been attacked. It helped that he’d grabbed the aliquam off of one of the dead guards in the encampment and so had that to show to anyone who he passed who was also lucid enough to want to know his identity.

Finding his missing party members was trying mostly because, while he’d gotten a decently accurate idea of the layout of the caves from Lestor, he had no idea where they would have gone in search of Simone Mesa.

Luckily, he heard shouting, and not panicked “what do we do?” sort of shouting, but someone having what was likely an intense personal moment before the echoing of boots on the hard surface of the cave drowned out the rest of the din and indicated that whoever this young man was, he was headed somewhere with purpose. Larus followed the sound of his voice and, surprisingly, found exactly who they’d been sent to retrieve.

Simone Mesa had apparently found her way through one of the many snaking passages of the cave and out onto the mountainside itself facing the coven residential area. She was covered in blood and shaking with suppressed rage over the remains of –

He cursed inwardly. The remains of Lestor Estravis. Unless the nervous intellectual had turned on them, that meant that something very bizarre was going on. The voice he’d heard before was that of a redheaded young man who was very passionate about trying to talk her down. Larus would have left him to it and only appeared when things were calm, but Simone wasn’t in a state to be reasoned with. Her eyes flashed with barely-contained fury and a sort of darkness that was foreign and toxic to Larus’ eyes. The hand holding her weapon tensed and he knew that she’d soon lash out at her apparent friend with either her magic or her bloodied sword.

He couldn’t exactly let that happen. Larus extended his power and though the two would be unaware of it, Simone’s shadow elongated on the rock wall behind her, growing in size until a pair of wings emitted from her form. Like a creature emerging from the deep, the blackness emerged from the wall and the feathers reached out like hands, briefly settling around the pair before they snapped shut tightly around Simone. The darkness rushed around her, pressing in hard enough to send her into confusion. Larus emerged from her shadow then and kicked the other man away before he wrapped his right forearm around Simone’s neck and pressed the hilt of his blade to the back of her head.

An adult woman, even one who was as athletic as Simone, didn’t require the same amount of time as a grown man to knock out. The pressure cutting off her windpipe and applied to the back of her head meant that Simone was unconscious in a matter of seconds. Larus let out a sigh of relief the moment she went limp and sheathed his blade before He pulled one of her arms over his shoulder and then the other. He cinched his left arm behind his back to support her legs and then stood fully up to regard the redhead he’d so rudely pushed away.

“You don’t look like a Fang mage,” he started. “I must thank you for distracting her. It’s a shame that she apparently had a falling out with our companion.” He casually inclined is head toward the remains of Lestor. “The man deserved better than that, but then it’s not as though any kind words are going to bring him back. Things are becoming quite chaotic around here, so I suggest you run.”

And with that, Larus turned and headed back down the landing he’d all but skipped. The only good thing about Fang’s cavernous headquarters was that he could move incredibly easily in them. There was nothing quite like a dank cave for darkness. Though he couldn’t literally melt in the shadows with his new burden, Simone’s covering in darkness allowed her to hide in plain sight on Larus’ back as long as no one paid too much attention to them.

He needed to find Ulrick and the others as soon as possible. He doubted that even Fang could fell a dragon so quickly and he had a feeling that the Knight was especially difficult to kill. He’d find them, locate Naito, and then get out of this hellish place.

OOC: ‘Clique of moldy old perverts’ is what Larus fondly calls the Granate Council. He used to go ‘and lady stettner’ in his head, but now that she’s high priestess, they’re just the clique of moldy old perverts of the highest order. He’s mad because he assumes that, as a new high priestess who was appointed rather than voted in, the council probably isn’t giving Kozue much support (despite her being a former member) and all the people who are duty-bound to help her (Knights, her peer) are in Fang or missing.

Regarding Cress: Larus has no idea who he is and isn’t really likely to take Cress’ word on anything than him being Simone’s friend. If he wants to get back to Granate, he’s going to have to convince someone else in their group to allow it. Larus isn’t a particularly mean person, but he’s also not particularly nice and is far too focused on his mission and getting out to worry about someone he can’t account for either way. He won’t do anything to prevent Cress from following him though.

Larus means business. He really wants to be gone from this accursed place. He’s also been bleeding slowly from that cut he got, so he’s exhausted and a little testy (as you may have been able to tell).

ALSO: I read this over, but I will edit and fix any mistakes later. I just wanted the post out ASAP!

Larus should be encountering the rest of the granate party fairly soon. He was jumping around too much to pay attention to everything he'd passed (it all sounded like chaos to him anyway). His usual focus is shot because he's worried about Granate, Kozue, and getting everyone else out alive. Losing blood hasn't helped.

BTW: Larus - hp: 50% | mp: 20%

[hot toddy with somebody]

➸Hallways ➸Diana and a strange Veshtun ➸Curious and Shocked ➸-----
ＨＰ: ▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆ (82%)

ＭＰ: ▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆ (81%)


Choosing to run away was a horrible option. Nilin's nose crinkled when she imagined herself and Diana waltzing out of Fang without a care in the world. "Safety? Diana, we're not in the Second Dimension anymore. The term 'safety' barely exists here unless you're a simpleton, huddling in the corner, preaching for peace." Shrugging her shoulders she reached under her bed once again to retrieve her weapons from their hiding place. Well, they would have been there if she had won against that Enforcer. A slur of curses sounded as she stared at the empty space next to her box. What a pain. Her swords were specially ordered, meaning she had to find someone else to create another pair just for her. She only had one weapon left. A simple dagger with an intricate floral design engraved on the hilt. In the palm of her hand the dagger felt balanced, ready to throw at a moment's notice. It would do for now. Grabbing the dagger she tucked it into the band tied around her right leg. If it came down to it Nilin planned to use brute strength. Since waking up she felt better than ever. Wanting to test her strength, Nilin flicked the stone wall. A small crater formed from the small gesture. Yup. She was ready for action. "Besides," smirked Nilin as she opened the door with Diana in tow, "I want to meet this other Veshtun that's wandering around, don't you? If it's someone we know we'll invite them for a cup of tea and chat about the good times. Or kill them if they're that big of a threat."

Why were there so many Veshtuns appearing in one place, even now of all times? Besides Diana, the last time Nilin saw so many Veshtuns grouped together was over thirty years ago, when the Arcana exiled her in their belief that she was a danger to their existence. Danger.... They were fools. All of them. Judgmental bastards had no idea what power was even if it stared at them. "High Priestess!" Out of nowhere a young man - a few inches taller than her - appeared from around the corner, out of breath, his aliquam clutched in his hand. She had one of those, didn't she? Where the hell did she put it? "What's wrong? I'm in the middle of something," Nilin stated, raising an eyebrow. If he wanted to tell her something dumb she planned on throwing him into the wall. End of story. Before he could speak though, his aliquam lit up and Reginald's voice boomed within the hallway. "Fang coven be on alert! We have been breached. All wardens and mages capable of fighting begin patrol. If you encounter anyone who you do not recognize and cannot produce an aliquam of Fang, engage them. You have permission to kill, though capture is preferred." Intruders? How exciting. Reginald's orders basically gave her permission to slaughter whoever she thought was an enemy. Without another word Nilin pushed the servant aside, saying "I understand. Now run along and hide if you know what's best for you." The sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind her as she moved down the hall, her hand reaching for the dagger she tucked away and withdrew it.

Better to be prepared than to wait at the last second. She had no need to assume if Diana's blade was drawn; she already knew the woman behind her would have the blade by her side. It didn't take long for them to run into someone. A silver haired man wandered farther down the hall, his back to them. Nilin's face broke into a wicked grin as she darted for him, grabbing the man by the shoulder and shoving him against the wall, her dagger pointed directly at his chest. "Well hello there. Lost, are we? You shouldn't be wandering around places you're not familiar with. It might get you killed." Her eyes veered down to his chest, and she blinked in shock. The Arcana symbol glowed brightly on his chest, right where she pointed her dagger. At a closer inspection of his face, she felt strangely nostalgic. She felt as if she were staring into her parent's faces again, and at the same time, herself. Another Veshtun stood before her but this one felt so familiar. She pulled the dagger back slightly so as not to let the tip stay in contact with his skin. "Did they send you after me too? How typical. Those bastards are quite persistent. Tell me, who the hell are you?"


Unedited Sky




Peacock Catastrophe

[Peacock Catastrophe]

+++✲ ██████ -
｡｡｡ This kitty is cursed ｡｡+++
+++ ⇘ ───────────────────── ⋙Sidekick (Nilin's Brother)
Location⋮Fang HQ Halls +++Currently With⋮ Diana, and Nilin +++OOC⋮---

+ HP: 100% ++++ MP: 97% +++

+++ What an odd name that was. Cresstus Edge. He wondered who had named the boy. But perhaps it was an insight into how unique the boy was. The doubt the red-head held for the concept of having family was a tad annoying. The mark was there as proof that the two of them were linked through blood. "Believe what you must, but I do not play mind tricks." he said with a frown. "The mark on your arm is proof that you have blood of the Arcangeli clan running through your veins." he wasn't going to argue it any further. The male seemed to be fed up and busy with other thoughts on mind. It had been ages since Naraku had been one to care for lolli-gagging with family, but something inside him was tugging at him to just reach out and comfort the young man.

+++ Naraku watched in silence as Cress explained he had another situation to tend to, and had to bid him farewell. So now he was going to be alone again. What fun. Wait. He could follow after him if he wished? This could very well be the chance to do something. Whether it be something helpful or not, his bored mind was itching to do something. "This could be fun..." he muttered to himself as he watched Cress hurry off. Without wasting another second, the male took off in pursuit of his nephew, and instead was grasped by another force behind him.

+++ Suddenly slammed against the wall, Naraku's face exploded with utter surprise by the sudden attack. His cat-like senses hadn't taken notice to someone approaching him. Much less two people. But behold, two woman stood in front of him, one who had him pinned against the wall and a dagger to his chest, and the other standing near as if some sort of escort. "I find myself in unfamiliar places all the time, and it hasn't gotten me killed yet. Perhaps it has been the luck of having nine lives." he joked. And as nice as it was to have been found by Nilin, the power and lack of hesitation she had was a little frightening. He was already beginning to prepare himself to fight back if need be. "My dear sister, if they had foreseen you to be a danger to be hunted down fifty years ago, then perhaps that is why I had been banished here." he answered casually. "But I do not think there is someone within our clan that holds the ability to see the future. The last thing I would ever do would be to harm you."

+++ Temporarily shifting his gaze to the dark haired woman beside Nilin, Naraku wondered who she was, though he could tell any wrong move on his part and this woman could very well act out on a protective instinct. "I am Naraku Arcangeli, your older brother. You may not believe me as you have grown up as if an only child, and that is because I was banished from our realm when you were just a toddler." he spoke as his eyes returned to the dagger pointed at his chest. " Now I must kindly ask that you lower your dagger, your son has run off into a possible dangerous situation and I do not wish for harm to befall him before I can give him some answers."

"WHAT GREATER GIFT THAN THE LOVE OF A CAT.”

｡｡

Chailya of Water

Unedited Sky

[Rocker Virus]

HP(90%)
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MP(30%)
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Ash waited patiently, staring to the door as if waiting for the tainted limbed brawd to return to pick up the important book in which she just left sit there. “Dim witted twit” he mumbled to himself. Though a moment later an all too familiar scene floated over to him. A grin played his lips as he plucked the feather midair, every word within the scriptures was written with them, the last had been torched by the Warlock that managed to get his hands on him. But regardless it was unmistakably Tarien’s. In the back of his mind he knew he should panic, since he on several levels, probably pissed her off like no other. But, there wasn’t time for that.

tab tab It seemed only moments later, a man had managed to take advantage of the distraction of the feather. And was, in some way, touching the male in one of the most private ways possible. Snapping upright he nearly called in a summon just for the action, though halted at the words. It was more or less his standing in the coven that kept him from harm’s way more than what he had to say. But before he could retort, this High Priest, was already wandering away with the scriptures, which on a normal given day would be followed by several blades into his back or a fiery death of some sort. But like a dog on a leash he followed.

tab tab Though even behind closed doors the conversation was drawn short once more as another stood before the males. And it didn’t take a genius to realize the tension in the air or the fact that this new stranger wasn’t welcome. While the paper man was in no hurry to jump into the fight, he was on the other hand ready to defend Reginald, but not for the reason the man might like. The statuesque male was free to die as far as he was concerned, but the scriptures were another story all together.

tab tab But quite the contrary to Ashleigh’s speculations, the female drew a blade on herself instead. Slowly dragging the length of the blade across her own throat, Ashleigh could feel a tear in the paper, though the results weren’t as the voodoo assailant had planned. Placing a clawed finger to his neck he rubbed over the tear. And his thoughts of the potentially bedding worthy stranger, crazy attire and all, quickly shot down the drain. “D-did you just try and kill me…” The look on his face was utterly shocked. Though it was soon replaced with a twisted grin as a glint in his eye told going up against him was not something to be taken lightly.

tab tab As if the opportunity had presented itself with the potential to not only stretch his wings but also cement himself an asset as well as a viable threat to the coven. “Paper man doesn’t bleed, b***h.” With that he rose a hand and acted as if stroking an invisible animalistic snout in front of his own face then whipped his hand down, droplets of his own man shoot to the ground like beads of water. Moments later a thunderous howl erupted and as if out of thin air, a hellish creature dropped in, the massive paws hitting the ground with a force nearly enough to stumble those near.

tab tab A heavy growl followed, emitted from the furry wall that now separated the room. Like a trained Doberman, it needed no command, Atroce was always summoned in with the intent of attacking the first thing he seen. While it could be troublesome at times, it was also quite effective in times of need. The massive blade it sported, most often used for those his curse turned came down with a mighty thud of its own as the beast man dropped it and stepped forward, anything shy of a mortal wound that his pray could managed to inflict on herself, and by therefore, onto him, was nothing but a fly in his face. Without cocking an arm, only an instant passed before the massive hand of the wolf man returned the annoyance of her actions as he back handed her, sending her figure like a ragdoll into the wall.

tab tab It was almost a strange behavior for a wolf man, defying his urges and desires. The curse plaguing an insatiable hunger for human flesh, yet at the same time the cannibalistic ideals that coursed through his head demined him, disgusted by the thought he held off as long as possible. The gentle padding of each step showed that keen hunter spirit of the wolf as he stalked the downed pray, but before he could do anything more than follow the motionless body a voice called out. “Atroce, Heel” It was no easy feat training a wolf, and the circumstances that he was in, it was significantly harder.

tab tab Demonstrating his control over his cohort summon, the floating male looked over to the newly appointed leg man. “Reginald, shall I let Atroce do away with her?” He questioned, mostly due to the tension in his words, they had some sort of past, but was it the sort that would condemn her to death, or were their relation something that might spare her. The thought of being reduced to such a level sickened him as he waited for Reginald’s response.

tab tab Though the sight of the wolf man returning to his side brought a sparkle to his eye. The day he met the man, it was indeed special. He hadn’t changed a bit, the same strapping figure, the drooling look every time he smelt human flesh, hell he reeked of death as though he just pulled the beast away from a meal. Atroce was a one of a kind specimen he was glad to have as a summon. As he passed by Reginald, the look in his eye begged for the man to be his next snack.

tab tab The massive orbs shifting to the floating red head. “About this curse, have y-” He was cut off as Ashleigh rose a finger to stop him. “Enough, this is not the time or place.” The beast gave him a fowl look before huffing and looking back to the other male. Waiting to heat the verdict. Sniffing about, Atroce turned his head back to the door, the massive tongue slipped from his maw before the wide lump of flesh slid across his lips, there was food on the other side of that door, and if this Reginald feller didn’t start talking soon, someone might need a snack while he waits.

[Okami Wolfen]

Reckless and weary,
The truth has been buried,
Held down by the hand,
That refuses to carry.
The burden you built,
The lies, do you hear me?
The insult, the white flag,
You refuse to carry.

Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO

Just before Shi could respond to anything Ember felt Mordred walk in, though also knew he had been listening behind the wall. Ember may be blind but she wasn't stupid. Being blind was also a gift to her other senses. Would stone may be a bit of a downfall for the blind mage but she could still feel vibrations from carpet for instance. Mordred had seemed to mess with her and being a "virgin" but Ember wasn't really sure why he was doing so. "I'm not all sure what you mean by virgin. Simone had explained it to me before but only told me it was a name for the purest of people. So if I am one then I shall accept that as a compliment." She said and took a swig of her water and wiped her face with a napkin. She had finished off her ribs not to long after he had sat down at the table next to her. Though as Shi pointed out he was a noble and shouldn't feed himself. So did that mean Ember should be more respectful towards him? She wasn't to sure, frankly she was still lost about this whole virgin thing and why it seemed like a big deal for someone to do this "flirting" with her as Shi put it. So it was good to be flirted with? Then Ember should feel pleased that someone like Mordred had done so. But she still wanted to learn more about this connection he was able to have with this Marcus fellow.

Once her partner had received his food he asked about where he and Ember could find Prince Ale ion's whereabouts. For a moment the white haired mage almost forgotten about their mission. She was so caught up in making sure stud over here was alright that the mission completely lost track on her mind. Once Shi explained where they could find the Prince, Mordred had insisted the female gather his old uniform as she caught it and bring it to him. He then mentioned something about her clothing and Ember got a bit flustered. Why should she looked all dolled up for a prince? She wore the same short fitting clothing in front of their priest and priestess. Mordred mentioned to her that she shouldn't take offense to his remark and just stated that since they'd get to meet this prince they should look well. Ember had to agree though, as long as Shi didn't find something to frilly to put the snowy haired female in then she would be fine. Though his last statement put her in awe. Did he really just offer himself to her? Why though? Did he actually find her attractive? That was new. Her cheeks kind of flushed as she just sat there unmoving after he left to the room. She turned to Shi, "could I wear something not to frilly? I dont wanna feel like a puff ball and I'd like to be able to fight in it if need be." Ember told the female as she got up and headed off towards the room as well.

Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO Oº°‘¨ ¨‘°ºO

I'm letting you go,
And all that you showed me.
I'm letting you know,
That you don't control me.
The feeling is cold,
And life is unfolding.
Reckless and weary,
I'm desperately holding on.
Erase My Scars :: Evans Blue.

♫Mood:: ...still lost
♪Location:: Kitchen
♬With:: Mordred and Shi
♩Hp:: 100/100%
♭Mana:: 60/100%
❖posting with phone...ugh

[bacchanalia bat]

Since early that morning, Kendall had tirelessly guarded Wall Kretch. It was simple to do what was asked of him when his task was mostly made up of mundane pacing and border skirmishes. He had been confined to the inner wall for days now, only leaving to briefly return home or fetch his meals from Favor, who almost vehemently insisted that she did most of the work. Despite knowing that it was their current housekeeper and nanny that took care of most of the cooking for himself and his daughter, he humored her. She was, after all, a small child with big dreams and aspirations. Who was he to crush what he held so dear with what little words he used? His wistful reminiscing had his thoughts going back to the previous day, where the little girl had fallen and scraped her knee. As children did, she cried at the small injury and begged that her daddy kiss it better. Unable to calm her, the nanny had brought Favor to him and let his entire squad witness his act of fatherly love; and, afterwards, she had been as compliant as a sleeping babe to return home.

This day was just as monotonous as the ones before it, though he supposed he was happy that the coven was safe and didn't need his combative prowess. To his left, he could see residents of the coven going about their business, and to his right, young wizards and warlocks were trained in the magical arts. At his height above them all, they looked like ants; he had just compared his perspective from the ground to his vision from the top of the wall and made his own assumptions about what the tiny people down below may be doing. When he was resting in the guard towers, he liked to make up stories about the little dots. He would think to himself, "my, that woman must be buying bread to feed her family." Some of the other wardens in his squad had garnered a god-like satisfaction from looking down on everyone, but he thought of it as an entire society that was benefited greatly by his and the others protection. He thought, what would happen if the wardens didn't have a place here? They would have to train higher-ranking officials to guard the walls; what to look for, how to spot trouble in an oncoming storm. Perhaps they would even give lesser opportunities to the magical children who were less qualified. He remembered as a young lad, he had chosen to take the warden position, even though significantly higher occupations had been offered to him. Without the glamour and fame of representing Granate as a higher-ranked Mage, he felt humble.

The rain that had begun to fall clouded his vision significantly, a handicap that he could very well do without. A leather tunic and cloak topped with a light metal armoring protected him from the harsh sting of raindrops, but he couldn't say the same for his hair, which was now a sopping wet mop of white locks. His nose and hands had gone numb long ago, yet he wasn't bothered. This wasn't the worst of conditions he had faced as a warden, and he was certainly prepared for worse. Most of the roaming people had fled to escape the rain, or were otherwise clouded by the damp mist. He was out of entertainment, keeping himself occupied by taking a brisk walk around his assigned area or rubbing his hands together to keep warm. Recently, he had been given a break to refresh the fires lit inside of the towers to keep the resting occupants from freezing. With the task came a definite lightening of his red gems, a stock that he almost desperately needed to replenish. Kendall was not a selfish or greedy man, but he couldn't help but wonder when his supplier and good friend Celeste would return from her mission. He knew that Favor missed her as well. She just didn't get along with the nanny he had hired as well as she had gotten along with Celeste. It had put his worried mind at ease when he knew she was looking after his little girl.

When the cold finally started to reach him in his bones, he retrieved his last ruby from the pouch and cupped it between his palms, blowing on the gem lightly. His breath caused a tiny flame to erupt from the ruby's smooth surface, licking at Kendall's fingers and sending fierce warmth through his body. With the immunity to the gem's fire, it merely felt like a warm tickling sensation between his fingers. He had used two of the Ruby's three uses lighting the fires in the guard towers, so it was of no surprise when the stone turned black and cold in his hands within minutes. Giving a sigh that turned his breath white, he tucked the gem into the "dead magic" pocket of the belt he kept all of his gems contained in. Even dead, they were still worth something money-wise, while they had no use to him. On the belt, there was a separate pocket for each magic that he used, and two empty pockets for magics that he had yet to discover. He, after all, was not a master of his craft. At least, not yet.

"Warden Rhett, there's some woman at the side entrance claiming to be Lady Celeste. She says you know her."

Turning towards the guard that had approached him, he gave him a quizzical look. What was this "claiming?" Didn't they all know what she looked like? It hadn't been that long ago that she left, surely not long enough to forget her face. "Claiming to be?" He voiced his thoughts in a quiet manner, staring down at the shorter guard as he fought to straighten his scrambled words. For some reason, his height tended to intimidate others who didn't know him properly. "We thought that her coming up to the side entrance was suspicious, we didn't make any assumptions-" the guard spun to find that Kendall had already began walking towards the guard tower, the silver sword at his hip gleaming as water rolled off of its shiny surface. "Side entrance of Wall Erin!" He called after his retreating figure. "I know..." Kendall retorted, his voice barely audible over the pounding rain.

In record time, he made it to the guard tower and descended the stairs that led up to it. Usually, he would give a brief greeting or wave, but his silence wasn't anything abnormal. The fellows had made a bet that they could get him to say more than two words, his response had been: "You lose."

Kendall wasn't social, so reuniting with one of his very few close friends was definitely one of his top priorities. Each step took him down two stairs at a time, which was rather convenient, though his metal armor slowed him down some. The temporary shield from the rain was enjoyable, but he was soon out in the downpour again as he set off at a brisk pace towards the side entrance. His progress was expedited significantly by the fact that the streets were nearly empty. When he reached the gates of the side entrance, he pushed his wet mop of hair out of his face to let the guards know who he was before they let him through. Yet, when he got through, the sight he saw was not anything like what he had expected. A drunken girl who he didn't recognize hanging onto a familiar face.

"Am I interrupting something?" As always, his tone was soft and quiet, but he added a hint of urgency to speed things up. He didn't know the drunken woman; therefore, he had no idea of knowing if she was dangerous or not. Kendall's stance wasn't necessarily defensive, but his expression was a mixture of protectiveness for Celeste and his coven, and curiosity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With: Minerva, Celeste, and some guards. Feeling: Weary, cold, surprised.
MP: 80 | HP: 100
Gem stock
[Water] - 2 Sapphires, 1 Apatite.
[Nature] - 2 Emeralds, 2 Peridots, 1 Tourmaline.
[Healing] - 1 Diamond, 1 Rose Quartz.
[Lightning] - 2 Agates.
[Fire] - 1 Ruby, 1 Garnet.
[Wind] - 2 Howlites, 1 Kunzite.



OOC

Wooooot. First post.
Gonna have to place Kendall again after the timeskip, but w/e.
Anyone who spots the history reference gets an A+
Ending is poo, I'm tired.





Peacock Catastrophe




IILovelyAmarathII

[Peacock Catastrophe]

+++ "You do not intend to cause harm and yet you engage in battle with Morded and Calypso? Even the innocent creatures have fled the immediate area presumably because of your presence. Who summoned you onto these grounds, demon? You should return to that which you came."

+++ What a nuisance the woman's accusations were "It was your two subordinates who came at me in an offensive manner." he answered. "As I take the life of things around me, it is a creatures natural instinct to run from me." Though the ability to drain the life of living things, it would sometimes happen without much of his recognition. After all, it was a natural thing for him to keep his energy stock full. "I do not recall being summoned, but if I had been summoned, then it would only further prove that humans are idiotic fools." However, he had no intentions of returning to the realm in which he had once lived.

+++ "Let me get this straight.....you made yourself known just to get a rise out of my family? To understand the fear of facing a demon? For the past ten years my family has been working hard to stop another group of idiots from raising Arianlord - and why do you think that is? Because we fear that blasted demon and don't want him stepping foot in our realm. In other words, we already know fear! So what, you want to rub it into our faces that we must fear demons? Why do desire to flaunt your power like a cocky teenager after his first bedding?" There it was again; the annoying buzz of a bug. It seemed his intentions were not clear and being misunderstood.

+++ Turning his dark eyes on the woman, the air around the demon seemed to grow even more still and sinister. Though as the winged creature hesitantly took off to follow the orders of it's green-haired master, Jecht simply ignored it despite how easy it could be slain. "I mean humans are weak and annoying, so they deserve to be killed. I want to destroy everything and create another world for us demons. Morality is only a weakness that brings a moral being to their demise."

+++ It would seem the woman had some other things going on with this "family" of hers, and though it was at her disadvantage to make a response to it, Jecht once more let it be and calmly wait for the woman to return her attention to him. "I have finished what I had come here for, and have explained myself." he stated as a set of black wings once more ripped out from his back. "Whether Arianlord is resurrected or not is up to you humans, but if his resurrection fails, then it will be me to sweep through and destroy your precious world." With that, the male took off into the night sky, quick to blend in with the darkness and disappear.

[IILovelyAmarathII]

The pouring of raindrops seemed to get a little heavier, but didn't bother the avocado haired woman at all. In fact she took in a moment to look through the sky her deep pink orbs watched the raindrops fall like snowflakes almost. The sensation of the raindrops hitting her face felt refreshing. She heard footsteps coming from the opposite side of the wall. Then a pounce from a very familiar friend. The woman was pushed backward and she was startled by the other turquoise haired woman. Catching her in her arms deep pink eyes met her hazel eyes. A slight giggle came from her lips. Hugging her closely she kicked her military's companion's forehead. "It's been far too long my lovely Minerva! How could I ever forget about you. Ah, I see you made yourself a spot in my home yes? Oh so much has changed in four months! "

As she released the woman out of her arms. She started digging through her wagon. Inside were the last bit of gems that she saved for Kendall. She moved them around to reveal her last bottle of Whiskey. The woman tossed the glass bottle downward to Minerva and grinned. "Please, love, take it! Let it be a welcoming give to you from Myself. Lady Greatness! "The woman's nose crinkled upward as she had declared her own nickname. She had her hand on her chest overly dramatic like. She looked downward towards the ground and bent down and ran her fingers through Minerva's hair as if Minerva were her own daughter.

"Have they been treating you right my dear? and tell me whatever happened to that handsome looking man with sparkling violet eyes. Gosh, I bet he had many woman flocking over him like bees on honey. What was his name... Oh I should remember this..we were all in the military together afterall!She snapped her fingers in realizing what his name was. "Ah yes! Mordred was his name, it would interesting to have see him here!She heard the clinking of metal coming towards them. She looked upward to see a cloak hanging off a very familiar face. His snow white locks dripping from the rain. For a spilt second her eyes darted outward towards Minerva as if she was giving her some sort secret signal. She placed a warm smile across her lips as she meet those soft amber eyes of his. His voice was rather soft and quiet compared to hers. "Am I interrupting something?"

A faint blush appeared across her cheeks. Walking up to him slowly she softly patted him on the cheek. Chuckling slightly and shaking her head no in response to his question. She said warmly. "It's been quite a while hasn't Ken? You're not interrupting anything." She gestured to the turquoise haired woman with the bottle of whiskey in her hands. Smiling back at Kendall she said.

"This is Lady Minerva Greaves. Former female general of Civok. It appears that she was recently indoctrinated into our home. Not to worry, She is a very close friend of mine."Celeste looked in the direction of the wagon and the horse. Smirking deeply she told him." I have small present for you. Let's just say this present will be more than useful."The woman turned back around on the balls of her heels and pull a satchel full of gems. Two of every kind. She walked back up to him and handed the satchel to him. Curiously, titling her head she asked.

"How is my special little witch doing hmm? Those long four months dragged on with out my little Favor to play with. I bet she has grown so big hasn't she?!"Celeste's voice came out a little squeaky at the last comment. She was thrilled to finally see Favor again. The woman handed him a copy of the report that she had made of the mission. "You know those twenty batches of gems that I had collected. The council has them in the vault. Please let the head warden know that at least half of them shall go to fortifying both walls. The other half shall go to any other witches or warlocks that use gems. Such as yourself. Please review that report and take that to him would you please?"Celeste pointed to the satchel of gems that was in his hands. She gave him a respectful nod. "Surely you would hand those with care, as I picked them out personally wouldn't you? Also, you must wondering why I took the side entrance aren't you? Well I feel as though something is telling me that something awfully wrong is happening. As I was arriving, I didn't hear a single sound in the forest. It was quite strange. I'm sure my older sister is on top of it of course, but Kendall dear shouldn't Minerva and I go check to see if everything is alright?"





☪ Location: Side Entrance of Wall Erin and Wall Kretch ☪ With: Minerva and Kendall ☪ Mood: Tired/very fatigued/surpised/excited☪Outfit : black armor that she was wearing. ☪ Her Sword: claymore ☪ HP:100 MP:100 /EN :50

Peacock Catastrophe

Kandy Kip

[Priestess of Athena]

XXt⋙⋊ ɌEGINALD ѶALERIUS ひ
SXXXXt≣≣≣ HIGH PRIEST OF HOUSE FANG ஐქხ

Xt═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗




Rather than answer Sorrow attempted to voodoo a slice out of Ash's neck. The paper man clutched his neck with a gasp shortly followed by a chuckle. A simple tear in the paper was all that had resulted, the woman had picked exactly the wrong target. A few summoning motions later and a beastly man appeared directly before the Voodoo witch. Before she had time to summon another voodoo attack she was backhanded into the wall and her frail body knocked unconscious.

Well that problem was quickly fixed. "No don't kill her. She wouldn't wander in here for no reason... she could prove to have usual information. If not then your little pet can snack on her like he so clearly wants to." The beast's hungry look directed at Reginald had not gone over his head, eliciting a slight smirk on the high priest's face. How foolish. Clearly the beast was all brawns and very little brains.

Reginald tapped his aliquam, "If anyone is close to my quarters-" He stopped speaking as two echoes of his voice came down from the hallway. A raised eyebrow and he walked down to find No name and Gabby immediately around the corner. Were they hiding? Didn't really matter. "I need the two of you to lock up the woman that's now lying unconscious on the floor in one of the cells in the dungeon. Then I expect you to go and assist your fellows in searching out our enemies." This was especially directed at No Name who should not be wasting her abilities chatting at corners.

Reginald turned back to the paper mage. Somewhat odd since he was an extension of the book. But no time to think about that. "My apologies, we'll have to wait to work on your separation. For now, we must address the intruders that are attacking my home. You and your pet are free to assist if you're so inclined." Robes billowing about he charged through the hallways, senses alert for any sign of intruders.





•ัﻬஐზ ჱ

╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════


§: HALLWAY OUTSIDE QUARTERS x §: ALONE x §: ON THE WARPATH
々MP々98%x ☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀
々HP々100% ☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀

OOC:

[Priestess of Athena]

The Rebellion

Yells and screams thundered through the air, interchanged with clangs of metal, explosions, and all other noises that come with magical spells being fired left and right. The creaking of wood filled the air followed by a crashing roaring through the battle scene. Some half-giants had toppled over the bakery.

Gorik walked through the remains of the building, the wood snapping like toothpicks beneath his feet. He grinned at Racha who chuckled back. The giantress lazily picked up a barrel of flour and tossed it at a fleeing mage, knocking him to the ground as it burst about him. Gorik laughed and followed in suite to knock down an approaching Fang warden. He wrapped his arms around Racha for a moment, smiling at her as flour powder filled the air about them. "Finally freedom." Her voice boomed,

"And a chance for revenge." He replied. He gave her a quick smooch before continuing on. He would crush the puny warden under his foot! He motioned to the other half-giants around who chuckled and followed him. Racha started to follow, but heard whimpering in an a still-standing part of the building covered in rubble. Tossing aside the wooden beam that covered the area, she found a child cowering. Her fist clenched, he was of Fang, But... he was young. Still an innocent not too tainted by the evil of this place. "Go." She barked. He scampered away, little feet charging away from the fighting. She turned to follow Gorik, coughing a bit from the flour dust that still surrounded them.

Nearby Shashana crouched behind the potions shop with another mage Wendall. The two were holding hands, muttering quietly with their spare hands pressed to the dirt by their sides. Magic barely visible shimmered from their hands to the ground before them in front of group of advancing half giants. It twisted about itself in lines forming a circle filled with runes. The mages finished their trap spell and watched as the hulking creatures unknowingly advanced towards their doom. One huge foot stepped over the outer edge of the trap. It was followed by a couple more. Finally the tip of one touched the dirt of the inner circle. The magic flashed brightly beneath the beasts giving them just enough time to glance down before the ground exploded and ripped their bodies apart.

"No!" Racha cried out as her husband was blasted apart before her eyes. Fury enveloped her being, and a roar filled the air. The roar was bursting out of her throat as she grabbed another barrel of flour and threw it at any nearby. Then she spotted the two mages hiding behind the building, with another war cry she chucked another barrel of flour at the two.

Wendall's hand shot out and with a shout flames swirled about them. "Stop!" Shashana yelled at him, but it was too late. The flames flowed straight to the flour barrel. As soon as they touched the flour within a boom of flame filled the air and all the flour dust in the air ignited to build upon it. The explosion thundered through the coven and a plume of smoke towered into the air as the buildings, half-giants, and people around laid in smoldering flames.

Inside the headquarters Reginald heard the muffled thump of the explosion. A snarl appeared on his face and he charged towards the source of the noise. Throughout the whole coven the wardens raced towards the battle.

[Grrrr the Gur]

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅
Gur Drikrtend
▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

Gur put two and two together and it didn’t add up to four, it added up to ugly.

He’d been mulling things over on the way back to Chi and Sker. Thinking about a drug that the Jaimen thought affected Magic Users more than the general population. A drug they were testing on children with no obvious magical abilities, who were at best latent wizards or witches. A Maizen soldier in prison garb who had escaped and then hung himself, who Chi had said was a drug addict. And at this point, Gur was guessing the man had not become addicted by choice.

Zhu military with a weapon they thought could win them the war against Maizen and Civok.

The entire picture wasn’t clear in his head, but enough of it was. Zhu wasn’t trying to win a war. They were trying to wipe out magic once and for all. There was a word for it. Genocide. It was an ugly word, an ugly thing. It was the Arianlord in a different form, as far as Gur was concerned; perhaps base humans would still exist, but magic users… his kind… would not. Gur wasn’t sure whether Chi would be susceptible to the effects of the drug or not; she certainly hadn’t been to the antimagic chemical Zhu was going to fire into battle. But regardless, he knew where she fell on the Zhu spectrum of natural vs. unnatural, and it was way on the wrong side of that teeter totter. If Maizen and Civok fell, there would be no place for people like Chi to hide.

“Chi, I know we have to move, I do, and I’m all over doing it as fast as possible. But this… what’s going on here, it could spell trouble, for us, for others. We could get Chikara back, get Sker’s body back, and still lose everything if this isn’t stopped.” A lot of that went to Chi through the bond, that this was scary stuff, that it could be more important than their immediate goals, than the discovery of Sker’s body and amazing ability to use Chi’s gauntlets, than themselves. And the bond also shared that he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

Chi’s eye’s narrowed. “And your plan is that the three of us take on the entire Zhu military?” He could feel that she was probing, hunting around, knowing something else was up but not really knowing how to ask.

“No, not at all. Just some scouting. Find this base the children are being taken to, find out a little bit more about the drug and what it does. Then we head for Granate with another potential feather in our cap to convince them to help us.” But Chi still looked suspicious. The bond was telling her that he had another motive, that it was a pure one, not something that would be to her detriment. In fact, he knew she could feel that he wanted to do this to help her in some way.

Because Chi was still broken. He could feel it, that Chi’s drive to push forward had more to do with being on the move, hoping that Granate would be a fix to all her problems, to fill the void of Chikara, to make her whole. To keep her busy enough to forget about the girl she’d killed in the farmhouse. But that wound wasn’t going away, wasn’t going to heal by ignoring it, wasn’t going to stop bleeding by adding Chikara back into the mix. Unfortunately it was also not going to be fixed by confronting it, by reasoning with her, by talking about it until she had an epiphany. He needed a way to turn the entire thing on its head, to give Chi some perspective. And then along came the Jaimen, experimenting on children, on the most innocent of the innocent.

Chi thought she was a monster. Gur wanted to show her what a real monster looked like.

[Satellite O Love]

The odd woman was in some sort of trance; either that or someone had finally mastered the art of ignoring Gabryel. He always joked that he had an irresistible personality, but really it was that he nettled people to no end. The magical aura swirling around her brokered no negotiation, though, and her closed-off expression likely meant that she wasn’t minding her surroundings.

Well, now what? He had no idea where he was (in the sense of finding anywhere else, as Gabryel had no sense of direction, not a memory problem) or how he could call for or bring back reinforcements. He’d blown up his Aliquam back at Zhu and they hadn’t allowed him to keep the one he’d borrowed from one of the guards to get through the rift. After all, if he’d had one, he would have used it to tell the other about Granate and wouldn’t have moved one step farther away from Luna.

Just as he was considering ripping up the hem of his shirt and trying to leave a trail of some kind, Gabryel suddenly felt the sharpness of nails as someone briefly slapped his rear. He started and, thank Ziiya, did not let out an undignified squeal in the process. Gabryel’s ends burned more brightly purple than unusual as he rounded on his attacker and nearly fell right into her. By all rights, he should have tasted her, but it was certainly not news that Gabryel was a little exhausted. He’d been so focused on trying to find an easy way out of this situation that a giant rebellion probably could have gone off behind him and he likely wouldn’t have noticed till something came crashing into him.

Gabryel didn’t flush when she mentioned that Josephine had a firmer butt than himself, he just shook his head and gestured back toward the woman he’d been tailing. “You know, Luna, I would actually believe you’re the type who has felt everyone in the Coven’s a** to make a ranking of whose is firmest. If I ever figure out how to jog a few steps without falling on my face, I’ll get right on a regular exercise regimen.” As it was, he was skinny because he so often because nauseated with his natural aversion to living – constantly eating the magical flavors of all the mages around him certainly didn’t help. He’d never forget the time he’d been a new recruit and roomed with a witch whose affinity for sea life made her taste like fish and a warlock whose magic rendered as the sweetest sugary-strawberry flavor he’d ever experienced. They told him he wouldn’t last five minutes in Fang about the fifth time he’d staggered out of the room for fresh air.

Luna wasn’t in need of redirection, though, because she immediately cabbaged on to the fact that he was currently stalking someone. He didn’t even bother to tell her to keep her voice down since he had yet to be subtle about it. “I have no idea who she is. I was lo—wandering the halls in search of you when I found her. I think we’re being invaded by Granate mages somehow…but that’s beside the point. While I was looking for you, I tasted something odd and..” he rested his back against the stone and crossed his arms, pausing for effect. “Just look at her. She may as well be trailing a banner saying ‘I don’t belong here and would greatly appreciate it if you’d bother me so I can spout bullshit at you.’ I followed her and this is where we ended up…”

The question was how to proceed. “It’s not as though I can just run in and attack her. I’d probably end myself before I got there and she’s constructed some sort of magical shield. I suppose now that you’re here we can…” Gabryel trailed off as something bitterly familiar hit his tongue accompanied by a familiar voice. He always assumed that Reginald’s taste would be identical to the experience of running his tongue down the body of a snake after it had emerged from a swamp – overpowering and decidedly unpleasant, but sleek. He peeked around the corner only to confirm that Reginald Valerius was walking down the hallway. There was a stranger trailing him, but the second man didn’t attract Gabryel’s focus for long when the man in charge of the Coven was about twenty paces away from the woman who was attempting to break into his quarters (or perhaps just waiting for him since she hadn’t moved in any direction).

He was going to open his remarkably small mouth (physically, not metaphorically) and greet the man with a comment of appropriate snidery, but the priest stopped and pulled out his aliquam to speak before he had a chance. Reginald’s voice reverberated twice, once in the echoy hallway and from Luna’s aliquam right behind him. He confirmed that they were being invaded and that the Coven would have to get up and take notice of all suspicious parties. After he’d cut off the message, Reginald’s words to the intruder were a little puzzling. So was she a part of the Coven after all? He mentioned removing her memories and finding the Coven “again,” so she’d likely been exiled.

Questions would have to wait for later as it seemed it was finally time for action. The woman turned just as her power swelled, flooding Gabryel’s tongue temporarily. She drew a blade and though she pulled it over her own throat, the man who was traveling with Reginald’s neck tore like dry parchment. That got a raised eyebrow from Gabryel. Paper…and the voice that emitted from the redheaded man sounded bizarrely familiar.

“Luna, do you know who the redhead is? Is he a part of the Coven?” Yet another person he’d encountered in the past few minutes that he couldn’t place. He really needed to get some sleep. As if to remind him that rest for his mind wasn’t the only thing in order, Gabryel’s feet throbbed in pain.

The redhead was obviously a summoner of some type given that he brought forth a beast of a creature from nothing that howled and padded ferociously toward the woman who had so irritated Gabryel. It only took a single strike to slam her boneless body against the wall and part the woman with consciousness. The beast shook and drooled, clearly ready to go in for a meal, but the redhead’s command brought it to a halt. Though the words calmed the creature, its head was inclined toward the place where Gabryel stood with Luna. He gritted his teeth and turned back to his companion. “The high priest and his…paper ally seem to have this well in hand. Perhaps we should get away before he finds us and makes us do something unpleasant. Or worse, before the other man inadvertently sics his ravenous-looking pet on us.”

As though Gabryel was suddenly a summoner of all things unpleasant, Reginald rounded the corner to find the newly-appointed knight and the probably-written-off-as-dead mystic who had been standing around and doing nothing while the high priest’s life was being threatened. And in Gabryel’s only stroke of good luck for the past decade, Reginald chose to ignore the fact that they’d been loitering and instead ordered them to take the strange woman to a cell. Of course, that was also completely overlooking the fact that Gabby was a brisk stroll away from death and that Luna wasn’t exactly the most obedient soul.

“Nice to see you’re alive too, Reginald. The blissful sense of camaraderie and belonging is definitely the main reason I joined this wreck of a coven in the first place,” Gabryel said to his back before he pushed off the wall and gave the unconscious woman a pensive frown.

“How in the world are we supposed to take her all the way down to the cells?” Then it occurred to him that there was an even more important question. “Wait, where ARE the cells? I certainly don’t have the temperament nor the muscle to be a warden, so I’ve never been. It takes me three hours to get to the practice grounds as it is…”

If it weren’t for the fact that the crazy intruder was probably a genuine security risk, he would have suggested they go off to find someone who could do heavy lifting. It wasn’t that she was particularly heavy-looking, just that Gabryel was barely able to carry his own weight and he was sure Luna would claim her delicate-flower status. Before he could come up with any concrete ideas, the sound of an explosion echoed through the cave. Gabryel clung to the wall even though the ground hadn’t moved and glared in the direction it came from.

“What in the world is going on out there?” Actually, he wasn’t all that curious, but had a feeling that the prison might end up being one of the safer places to go. “Are you up to bringing Manny back? Unfortunately, I cannot be his passenger, but I think you could convince him to carry Reginald’s newest guest.”

Location: Outside Reginald's Quarters


Mood: Slightly Exasperated


Company: Luna, an unconscious loon


▶▶▶▶▶▶▶▶▶▶ hp

◀◀◀◀◀◀◀◀◀◀ mp

OOC:Sorry that this is a bit of an uninspired post, I just had a lot to address. Gabby's feet may fall off at this rate (and Luna CANNOT have the skin, so apologies all around)

[Koko the Boss]

The capacity for sacrifice dives deeper than superficial martyrs of old. From birth a Direclaw pup was taught to defend the pack at all costs. Not necessarily through death. But through sacrifices that made one vulnerable, to test every crevice within ones set of virtues. Alecion was raised to question his purpose while standing on the edge of his morality and even mortality. Like an ancient tree rooted deep in the earth's core he continued to appreciate the beauty in struggle and the peacefulness in the discipline of truth. Contrary to his remembrance the younger years consisted of lessons that bounced off a spectrum ranging from democracy to the cruel topic revolving around the ownership of lives. Since the beginning of the Kingdom's first breath the slave trade had been engraved to its heart. But such a tradition and culture seemed to be changing with the tides of war and even from within the kingdom itself. Alecion could see the distaste for the hierarchy and customs, while he had been indifferent for many years his own opinions began to change with the introduction of Umbra into his life. While she barely spoke in front of others, her actions amplified louder than any string of words that made the Prince re-think his own upbringing. Many changes were to be made if he became King. That is, if he survived this war long enough to see the crown.

The mandatory draft decreed by his father, King Thomas Direclaw, demanded the movement of all males 18 years old and over, including slaves and free-born, are to join the ranks of the Civok Military. Alecion and his brother Prince Saros suggested that former slaves become fully qualified citizens of the kingdom if they joined the military and compensation given to their family's for years lost if they were separated during their time as slaves. King Thomas took some convincing, fortunately the power of persuasion had been gifted upon their tongues. Why the Maizen Kingdom betrayed them with the assassination of his mother, he wished he knew. Queen Emera Direclaw had worked hard to keep up positive relations with both Maizen and Zhu. What went wrong? Now the Prince found himself on the Civok and Zhu border preparing for battle. Lives were to be lost. ' There is no real winner in war. Both sides lose no matter who claims to be victor. ' Words of his mother rung in his ears as he mounted his trusted horse, Aphelion. Umbra ran across a worn path towards Alecion and wordlessly jumped behind him with grace. The moon, stars and several torches lit her way. The slave elf now wore light armor and a silky tunic that complimented her frame. Her leather boots tapped against Aphelion's muscular build as she climbed on with her tan fingers wrapping around the General's armor to stabilize her balance.

"Stay close to me Moka-ar. The Zhu people are not fond of magical creatures, elves like yourself will be scorned but pay no mind to any mindless prejudices. I will act if there is a threat, and you've been doing well in your combat lessons."

Umbra nodded quietly in response earning a slight smile from the Prince. The Civok stead Aphelion neigh-ed as he stormed off through the night with the Prince and Umbra on his back. It took nearly two hours to cross the field between the two while avoiding the visible traps and defenses. Another soldier holding a blue and white flag had rode ahead to signal the Prince's approach for the traditional meeting between leaders. Several figures lighted by torches became visible as they drew near.

"Trust Civok to try and manipulate an ancient tradition to their own advantage." A familiar voice reached Alec's ears. His eye narrowed ever so slightly. He knew who it was. Adara Neptane. The Neptane's had served for generations, often as leaders and soldiers within the Civok military. Adara had been part of the military herself as one of the four General's until her husband Wes Neptane and Tomas Neptane were killed. Prince Alecion had yet to climb the ranks in the military back then but he recalled the older woman reaching out to his father and mother, the King and Queen about her situation. She claimed there were organized mages, cried of their evils and blamed them for the deaths of her husband and son. Unfortunately she was dismissed and very much like his stern and ruthless father, the King threatened to have her become a slave if she did not stop her bantering and accusations of nonexistent infidels. Prince Alecion himself took initiative to research into the emblem she provided but nothing came up in the libraries throughout the cities. Prince Alecion spotted her red hair and smirked. He dismounted Aphelion gracefully and handed over his Scythe to Umbra to hold. Adara had been a leader with Civok, no surprise she became one with Zhu.

" Greetings, Adara Neptane. I presume we can speak civilly without any problems? I come in peace for now. Discussing the terms and conditions are important for every battle and we Civok soldiers honorthat unless you have forgotten the values of your homeland?"

　


♚　　　　OOC　prince wolfybutt　❚　COMPANY Umbra, Army and Adara Neptane ❚　LOCATION　Zhu and Civok border　❚ ↙ ↙ ↙ P R I N C E o f C I V O Kprince. prince. prince. prince.　
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Prietess of Athena

We don't have to go into full out detail with their conversation XD! Though I'm posting the time skip today (August 8 at 8pm EST) so if you can't post before then just let me know.I've decided to have two days pass soooo two days of fighting!

||LovelyAmarath||

I edited out the Morded x Ember part so that they can just meet in the morning after the time skip. Besides it may have realistically taken them two days to do all that traveling from Granate.

[Otiax]

Vikar The Bull

⇥ Where: Home / Half-Giant Encampment
⇥ Whom: Nova
⇥ What: Rallying his people, causing chaos
⇥ HP: 5 %
⇥ EN: 5 %
⇥ Conditions: Bleeding, Deep Wound, Burns, Broken Ribs, Cracked/Broken Femur, Multiple other wounds
⇥ OOC: I hope this works as a post before the time skip.

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Vikar legs remained shaky, stumbling around he found a building and used to support his massive frame as he walked forwards. He still wished to head to the gallows, it had been their agreed meeting locations. At this moment he wasn't thinking, merely lost in darkness. Although upon hearing a voice, his head turned slightly. "Food" he muttered to himself. Slowly but surely he managed to rotate his body to face Nova. Marching forwards he made it one or two steps before falling forwards. Slamming against the ground, he stopped moving for a few seconds before dragging himself across the ground towards Nova, a lifeless look in his eyes. Upon hearing his last statement he stopped in place for the time being.

"Words.....words....people...need...you" Those words echoed through his mind as he rested there. What was he doing? Becoming the monster that Fang wanted him to be? No he had delved into darkness to survive for his people. His hands let go of the ground and soon gripped his charred head before howling. Vikar would thrash around for a moments, grunting and snarling, fighting for control. His body would go limp after a minuet or so as his mind was finally able to relax. He appeared dead but would stir to life soon enough, coming to a sitting position. His eyes wandered to Nova.

"What happened, where is Marcus" he asked as he cringed from pain. Looking about his body it didn't take too long to figure out what happened, he fought Marcus and almost died it seemed, as he was still standing. It was then it hit him what he had done. Vikar leaned over to the side and heaved quickly before vomiting a little. He coughed up part of Marcus' outfit and perhaps a bit of him but he didn't care to look. "Well that answer that..." he said in a grim tone. Honestly he hated munching on humans but sometimes it was necessary or so it seemed. Shaking a little bit he felt slightly disgusted at himself. Turning away from the area he threw up in, Vikar tried to stand up once more but his right leg gave out almost instantly. Falling he hit the ground hard before rolling over onto his back.

"Where are my people" he asked but a familiar voice soon called out to him, Thaddius joined by a number of half-giants. "Taking a break while the rest of us are working huh" Thad joked. "How about you just help me up" Vikar said as he tipped his head to look at the other Giant. Right now he couldn't stand or walk let alone fight once more. His rage allowed him to move but right now he didn't want to live. Soon Vikar was back on his feet after letting out a roar of sorts to vent some of the pain. His flesh was still badly burnt, the right side of his body refused to move for the most part and the feeling of cooking hadn't faded. Shifting his feet a little he found a stable position with Thaddius by his side. "Where is Velus" he asked in a whisper to Thad. An answer was delivered in much the same way. He waited for a few moments longer while conversing with some of the others.

Once enough of them had assembled, he nudged Thaddius and began to walk towards the head of the crowd. They made space for the pair as they moved, catching slight of Nova he stopped for a second. "You have my thanks little one for everything you have done this day, I will repay you" he stated before marching forwards. Once in a good position he gestured for Thaddius to move to the side, to see if he could stand. Putting pressure on his right leg he wished to scream but used this pain to drive him forwards. Closing his eyes he took a breath before speaking.

"Brothers and Sisters for far to long we have been ravaged, smashed and beaten down, our blood has irreparably tainted the ground below us. Nothing remains in this dark place expect for our faith, which has not been misplaced. It will become our blade! On this day we have been given a chance to rewrite our history! To take back what is rightfully ours...our Freedom! We shall launch a crusade against our oppressors and they shall face the ultimate punishment.... Stain the Gallows crimson with their blood! Burn their bodies! Show them the meaning of suffering! I ask that you all gather where I go and take up arms, because I shall lead you to victory or glorious martyrdom as one has already fallen... Marcus has been slain by my hands and found his place within my belly. To the Crusade! To our Freedom!" Vikar stated in a booming voice before letting out a cheer.

The group erupted in a clamor of noise but soon a feeling a malice filled the air. Vikar had managed to rile them up, they were finally free and able to cause the havoc they wished for. "This land shall be cleansed of them and any who seek to control us. Gather what you need for we march this instants towards our Future!" he added in the moments to come. From there he took a few wobbly steps forwards before reaching for Thaddius once more. He would lead them from there, even in his wounded stated as this rebellion had been his doing.

From there the half-giants would begin their onslaught of horror, quickly removing any Fang presence from the encampment. He hadn't warned Nova or the others of what was to come. Despite their new found freedom they still fought and acted like brutes, even partaking in a mid battle snack to regain energy and health. At this moment the rebellion was in full swing and chaos would soon consume the Coven.

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[Priestess of Athena]

ADARA NEPTANE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
HEAD GENERAL OF ZHU

Out of the darkness prince Alecion emerged. Adara's eyes narrowed against the glint of the torches, her mouth barely containing her sneer. He may not have had a direct connection to the royalty's dismissal of her call to action, but he was their blood and just as guilty as them for that reason. “Of course I remember Civok traditions, as well as their trickery. Zhu has many of the same, but they hold to them with honor and civility." Her eyes roamed over his entourage and she gritted her teeth when she saw his attendant. “And they especially don't taint their company with any of sullied blood.”

Her eyes returned to the prince's face, determinedly refusing to acknowledge the disgusting beast's presence anymore. Any creature of magic was born a murderer. “Now, there is only one way that we will dismiss the cowardly and treacherous actions of your country against our noble homeland. All mages must be banished, purged, or enslaved. And give us open borders to assist you in exterminating the pestilence plaguing your country. Especially any covens that may be within your borders.” She motioned to one of her attendants whose horse trotted forward so he could hand off a scroll with the official terms outlined to one of Alecion's attendants. If Alecion had any idea of what was good for his country he would accept. But Civok's royalty never knew what was good for their country. Lucky for them she was here with Zhu forces to purge them, whether they were willing or not.



EN: 100/100 ▪ HP: 100/100
CIVOK/ZHU BORDER ▪ ALECION, UMBRA, NPC'S
OOC: Short, but couldn't think of anything else to put in that wasn't just pointless filler.