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 Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:53 am
Selia's eyes widened. "How did they take him?" Her voice was steadier now, filling with terror and confusion. Valik was so strong, so fast, so much more than anyone she had ever seen. Her heartbeat picked up as her thoughts raced. There was always legends about certain beings having incredibly vast and strange powers, but that girl was even beyond that. None of this made sense, it was all too sudden. Marcus stood outside of the castle gates, looking at the few dozen that had gathered, 100 at most. All of them were men. "Okay. Why are we here?" One of the younger ones, probably only a year or two older than Marcus, called haughtily from the crowd. The men turned to look at him as he made his way to the front. Marcus felt himself grow into the military ways he had learned before. "We are at threat. Princess Selia has returned an-" He was broken off by calls of curiosity and protest. He raised a hand to call order again. "And, we are too help. This involves all kingdoms, all people. It's not just us, but we are a target." His voice rang clear in the area, the men silent as they listened. The boy who moved to the front eyes narrowed. Marcus noticed. "And who are you?" He stood closer, a few inches taller than the boy. "Andrew. Andrew Clovet." His stance did not change when Marcus got closer. "Walk with me, Andrew." He said, then dismissed the others, giving orders to get weapons produced and training started. They were to leave in the morning. It was the afternoon now, around 3 or 4. 
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:03 pm
Boothe shook his head slowly, lost. "Valerie," he breathed, pushing his body to stand. He was so weak. "She could be in trouble." Boothe began to walk, but it looked as if he was dragging himself along. Again I have failed Valik. he thought. Boothe had no idea where she was by now. He felt so lost and so confused. What could they be doing to Valik right now? His mind was so scrambled. He didn't know what to do.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:19 pm
Selia stood and followed Boothe, looking at the surroundings. She finally took one of his arms and draped it over she shoulders, offering support. Night was falling soon, the light coming from between the leaves dimming to a pale orange. They weren't moving very fast, but they covered a decent amount of ground. There was a break in the trees, offering more light and a small pool of water. They could see the mountain clearly from here.
Valerie stood now, emerging from the shadows and looking at the forest below her. Something glinted in the sun, catching her eyes. Blonde hair, maybe, or a sword. She focused closely on the shine near the forest floor. It was close to a break in the woods, were the trees began to thin and rocks took their place. Valerie climbed over a few dozen feet to get a better look. It was Selia and Boothe, both looking beat up and worn down. How do I get their attention without using the flare... Valerie chewed her lip while she thought and began to descend. If she ran, she could catch up to them soon. That seemed to be the best plan.
Marcus had taken Andrew into the castle grounds, asking him questions. He was 22, a newcomer to the village. Originally a fire elf, but raised out of the country by his parents when they fled decades before his birth. They had died by a neko attack, Andrew had explained, giving him drive to join this makeshift militia. Marcus liked him so far. "Well, Andrew, I'll provide you with a horse and supplies, as well as a map. You know these creatures, and I have friends out there now. Some very important to me." Andrew nodded to Marcus, understanding the gravity of this task. Reins were placed in his hands, a new sword of dark metal, and the map that had first shown this army approach. Andrew left immediately after, only stopping to say goodbye to his lover for a moment. She wept, asking for him to stay. But before long, Andrew was gone into the woods, heading down the path that Valik had taken.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:36 pm
In the distance, Boothe made out a dark figure running to them. "Is that her? Is that Valerie?" he said, worried the strange new enemy had returned for them. He slowed his pace, his stance firm in the patch of grass. He was reminded of the vision that appeared before him of his brother. 'It will happen,' she had said. But Boothe didn't even know what had happened in front of him. Whatever it was, just the thought of it made him shutter and his knees buckled.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:46 pm
Selia looked at the running figure and grabbed her sword, holding steady as Boothe fell to his knees. It was Valerie, she was about a mile away now. She waved frantically. She looked just as bad as they did, bruises covering her figure and blood matting her hair. She was at the edge of the clearing by the time Selia had replaced her sword and sat down heavily. "Valerie.." Selia lay down now, closing her eyes and breathing heavily, trying to wrap her mind around the girl again. Valerie sat in front of her friends, concern on her colorful face. Blue bruises and red blood on the white contrasted greatly, giving her a sinister appearance. She, too, laid in the grass and tried to catch her breath. Selia and Boothe looked like they'd seen Hell, both of them seeming to have a terrorized blank expression. "What... happened.. with you guys?" Valerie was finally able to say, gulping in air between words. Selia just shuddered, scared to remember.
Andrew rode on, cutting at the trees and vines that grew too thick to just push through. The map showed some sort of gap in the trees a few miles ahead, but the sun was going down quickly, and temperatures dropped. The shadow of neko's grew slightly, giving him a strike of anxiety. s**t, what am I doing? I should've just ditched Mary and went back. Andrew thought, remember his home many leagues away. It may have been attacked, but it was safer than this. A cold sweat broke out on his neck as he got closer to the mountain side.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:46 pm
Boothe's body relaxed at the sight of a friend. "I don't really know, actually.." Boothe replied, his voice drifting along with his mind. Boothe sat up from the ground, looking at Valerie's many wounds, wondering if what had attacked him and Valik had also attacker her. "What happened to you, exactly?" Boothe asked with concern. Looking at her wounds made him wonder what wounds Valik had been given, making him shutter at the thought.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 6:16 pm
Valerie sank deeper into the grass, breathing in deeply again. Her stomach turned, and she sat up and vomited. It wasn't violent, or much even, just spit and stomach acid. She coughed a few times and cleared her throat before answering. "Neko. A big one." She couldn't put more into her description. The image was burned into her mind, but God, she didn't want to remember. The thought of Neko creation had struck her while she was on the mountain side, making her shudder. Selia looked over at Valerie, eyes worried. "It's getting worse, isn't it?" She said, not wanting an answer.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 6:23 pm
Boothe sighed, his hands just above his ankles, eyes closed. The blood on the sides of his faces had dried now. Boothe already knew what Selia was referring to after taking a small peak into her and Valerie's thoughts, but he did not venture anywhere else in their minds.
Boothe pushed himself to his feet. He adjusted his sword's strap and looked at the girls. "I'll go on from here. You two should head back to Scariville." his hand was raised just above his eyes, blocking the sinking suns final rays before the rise of the moon. "Not sure when I'll return." he added quickly. He would go searching for his brother after seeing Sebastian and resting for a few hours to allow his body and mind to recover from the events today. He would not rest more than a day, though, not while his little brother was out there.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 2:47 pm
Selia looked at Boothe with a raised brow. "Yeah, that's not going to work. One of us will be going with you. Splitting up didn't help any of you the first go round." She stood as she spoke, grunting at the muscles in her legs that were weak. She hadn't even been hit, this was all mental.
Valerie nodded in agreement. "It's not safe, Boothe. Something is very wrong out here. Something much more than we anticipated." She was still trying to work out the smoke from earlier, the dissipating cloud of fog, the massive size of the nekos. It all didn't add up, or maybe the answer was too far gone to grasp.
Andrew dropped from his horse, silently walking towards the break in the trees. He could hear voices, talking softly, just inside the field. Blonde hair glinted in the sunlight through the branches, making him go quiet. Andrew knew how to be hidden when he needed to be. His sword was drawn. But he miscalculated his final step, snapping a frozen twigs.
Selia whipped around at the sound of twig, sword pointed towards the woods. She scanned the trees, seeing a dark figure hidden in the shadows. Red hair showed in the patch of light that shifted with the setting sun. "Show yourself." Her voice was severe, protective. Andrew emerged, hands out, sword pointed down. "I don't mean harm.. Marcus sent me." He stammered, terrified of the bloodied trio. None of them were what he expected at all.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:05 pm
Boothe shook his head. He was going to begin protesting, but then there was a snap. Boothe did the same as Selia, almost immediately taking his bolster sword from its holder and raising the heavy sword slightly above the ground. When the man spoke, he lowered it to where it rested on the ground, but he still gripped at the sword tightly. Boothe tilted his head slightly. "Why has he sent you?" Boothe questioned the stranger. Boothe could see the look of horror and fear on the boy's face. Can't blame 'em. he thought.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:16 pm
Andrew's voice still shook. "I- he- The Nekos. He saw the Nekos, and said his friends were out here. The army keeps getting bigger. That's why the Princess came out here as well. Where ever she is." He sounded confused, overwhelmed. Selia smirked at the last part. He wasn't young, just ignorant. "Well, you found us." Valerie said, hardly taking her eyes off of him despite the glare of light. Her eyes were cold and hard, closer to dark stones than an iris and pupil.
Lilyann and Marcus spent the day training soldiers, teaching them how to shoot an arrow, properly handle a sword. It came quickly to most, seeing at Scariville was once a city of warfare. Some of the magic practicing people joined as well, learning new spells of defense and healing. Progress was fast paced, and soon, the makeshift army was gathered at the castle dining hall. Marcus stood on a table, getting a clear view. We don't stand a chance... "Guys, attention." The hall silenced immediately. "We leave at dawn." Everyone nodded, exchanged looks of shock, or stood and left to tell their loved ones.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:31 pm
Boothe chuckled. "It's alright, boy," he began, placing his sword back into it's holster along his back, "the princess is right here." Boothe's hand motioned to her. Boothe stood quiet for a few moments to allow him to process the situation, or maybe it was so he himself could collect his thoughts. "Well," Boothe said finally, "I need to get going. Sebastian is probably crapping himself right now. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he's heading here now." Boothe nodded a good bye to the man and walked past the girls. Boothe could hear his brother's thoughts, even though Valik was probably leagues away, but the thoughts Valik was sending were incomprehensible.
Suddenly Donnie halted, causing Sebastian to slip in the mud behind him. "Donnie?" Sebastian looked up at him strangely. Donnie put his weight against a tree, his hand going to his head. He stayed silent for a minute or so then slowly turned to Sebastian. "Tomorrow," Donnie breathed. "The final day is tomorrow. The valley." His voice drifted for a moment, along with his mind it seemed. "Lady has already been informed." Before he could even finished the sentence, Sebastian and Donnie heard the beat of running hooves in the distance behind them. "Lady and Wise Woman's armies are gathering at Scariville." Sebastian looked at Donnie with wild eyes. "Hold your breath," Sebastian said suddenly. Before Donnie could question it, Sebastian lifted Donnie onto his back and sped towards Scariville along the river's side.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:41 pm
Valerie looked at Selia with desparate eyes that screamed 'What do we do?' Selia mouthed to her "go." With that Valerie walked quickly to Boothe. She didn't say anything, just walked by his side and into the forest. He looked to deep in thought to be interrupted.
Selia looked at Andrew. "Alright, kid, let's go." Andrew snorted quietly, knowing that Selia was only a teenager. He turned and led her to the horse, climbing on and offering a hand. She did not take it. She instead ran past him, a streak of blonde hair and dark clothes. "Alright then." Andrew turned the horse towards the city and pushed to a full gallop, seeing Selia always a few trees ahead. She was leading them home the fastest way she knew. They were back by nightfall.
Marcus and Lilyann took lamp duty for the night, just walking through the alleys while Lilyann used her magic to light the wicks. Andrew and Selia stood at the gate, both breathing heavily. Marcus's eyes widened at the sight of Selia. Her face was covered in blood and grit, her nails crusted as well. She looked like hell. He didn't ask questions, just ran to her and pulled into a strong embrace. Lilyann was speaking to Andrew quietly, asking to see the map. What she saw was horrifying. The valley, only a half days journey from the city gates, was filled with the dark swirls of the neko army.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:01 pm
Sebastian took no breaks. He was exhausted, yes, but he would do everything in his power to reach his friends. His eyes were drooping and he began nodding off but continued to sprint, Sebastian merely a quick blur. Then he slammed into something big. Boothe was knocked into the air, landing on his a** a few feet away. He yelled cuss words in Russian, but suddenly stopped and laughed at the sight of Sebastian. Donnie was thrown back behind Sebastian, but quickly stood. Sebastian stood with a smile on his face, but it quickly dropped. "You two..." he looked between Valerie and Boothe, looking horrified at their poor state. Boothe nodded and placed a large hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "We'll talk later. Since we're here, I suppose we should head back to Scariville." Boothe said. Sebastian only nodded and began walking with Boothe. Boothe kept a smile on his face, but inside he was screaming for his brother.
Donnie walked next to Valerie, looking at her over his grey parka's hood for what seemed like a long time. "You are carrying." Donnie said in his rough accent. In case she didn't know what he meant because of his poor english, he glanced down at her belly. "You'll be fine." He nodded to her with a small, forced smile on his face. He then looked away from her and picked at his canines, holding his spear tight in the other hand.
Lady and her new ally, the Wise Woman, reached Scariville's gates. They had passed Sebastian and Donnie barely, for her horses were made of ethereal beings. Her army of five thousand stood behind her light, wearing golden armor and helmets with red leather, holding various golden weapons. Wise's army of two thousand stood behind her as well, dressed in blue and black, their armor made of leather and wool. Most of her soldiers held spears and bows, a few held swords. Wise's army was made up of many villages while Lady's a whole kingdom. Lady dismounted her white mare and strolled to the guard, dressed in golden silk, a golden amulet with a ruby in the middle resting on her head, her golden staff in a hand in which she put in front of her as she walked. "We are here to fight." she said simply, her angelic tone seemingly ringing. Scariville and Lady's kingdom, Amora, had never been allies nor foes before. But this was a matter that called for all people of the realm.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:13 pm
Selia stood in awe for a moment, completely amazed by Lady's presence. She was so beautiful and regal. She shook her head and regained composure, standing a little taller and taking a deep breath. "Thank you. We can take you and your troops to the palace for the evening. There is plenty of food and room for rest." Selia was standing her ground, realizing her place more and more. She could be as dominating at Lady, but with just as much kindness and grace. Andrew still had his mouth agape, but Marcus shook his shoulder from behind as he returned to Lilyann's side. "I'm sorry that you are seeing Scariville in such a horrid state, miss. You'll forgive our roughness, hopefully. It's understandable at a time like this." Lilyann spoke for Selia, coming to her right side and grasping her hand despite the ink. It swirled madly, but stayed on Selia's skin. It was contained, growing in power on Selia alone rather than others. Lilyann sighed with relief on the inside, glad to see it wasn't as reckless as before.
Valerie looked at Donnie curiously, wondering why he, and everyone else it seemed, was so concerned about her pregnancy. It was simply a child growth process, the father dead and mother terrified of dying in the coming hours. Chances weighed heavier on lack of a child than one living. She nodded when he did, placing a hand on her stomach. It was bulging slightly now. This part of the pregnancy went fast, and the last section even more so. The baby would be born, if it were to be born, by the end of winter. She walked along side Donnie, looking at him every now and then. They reached Scariville quickly, their pace faster than it seemed.
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