-╪ Tuatha De Dannan ╪- [ Medieval Fantasy / Steampunk ]

[Urban Thorne]

As the Weave around them shifted and realigned, Asmyrra found herself unconsciously reaching for the missing swords that usually hung at her sides, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she tried to judge the strength of the walls enclosing them. The effort was quickly dismissed, however... Of course they were significantly stronger than she could manage to dispel. They were within the Kae'Dryn's tower, and now within one of her traps...

Instead, she began backing towards the center of the enclosed nautical star, those slanted violet eyes searching the quickly darkening staircase for the origin of the ominous voice. She couldn't make herself believe that the ancient magi would simply destroy them outright, without even bothering to set eyes on them... No matter how much tactical sense doing exactly that would make. The importance of their mission, the distance they'd traveled, the risk of what was at stake if this lead turned out to be just a deathtrap...

As those eyes wandered up the spiraling staircase, however, a soft gasp escaped from the blue-hued woman as her unconscious steps came to a halt... Those violet eyes focused on the same chandelier that Talise was noticing. It wasn't the chandelier that made the blood in her veins turn to ice, however... It was the immense amount of energy that was beginning to pool there, constrained by a very destructive-looking shaping of the Weave...  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Ky's reaction to the drastic change in situation was not unlike his commanding officer's. His hands went instinctively to the hilt of his blade and nearly drew it. It was the tightening grip of the elven traveler at his arm, and the realization of his actions futility, that stayed his hand.

It didn't take long for him to realize they had practically gifted themselves into the Kae'drynn's trap. It frustrated him to no end, but not as much as the ancient weave shapers mere precence stunned him. No, not stunned. Terrified, excited, awed, stupified...or perhaps some unmade term that pieced these words together neatly.

A quick glance at his companions told him that his attention should also be brought to something other than the woman that had them at her mercy. His eyes trailed to the elaborate and deadly fixture hanging from the ceiling above them. Never before had he been in a situation where he was so helpless. Though his eyes remained alert and his expression hardened, he was doing everything in his power to keep his free hand from trembling more than it already was.  

[BeaMichelle]

Urban Thorne

Never did an encounter go perfectly, however... As was amply demonstrated when the wind whistling around the crude studs of one such club brutally terminated against a man near Kari who almost managed to dodge to the side... His body almost knocking Kari to the ground as he was sent tumbling through the air to crash against a nearby tree with an agonized scream, pursued by the earth-shaking stomping steps of one of the giants...

Kari stumbled momentarily as her compatriot nearly missed her by a mere arms length. She barely heard the impact of his body against the tree over his tortured scream. She didn't have much time to dwell on his current pain. The source of his impending death stampeded toward him at a frightening pace for something so large. Her heart sank for only a breath, before the battle mind resumed drove her to do what her clan was made to do.

Kari wasn't the strongest woman in her clan, but she was easily considered one of the swiftest. The fury of battle fueled her sprint as she sped toward her fallen comrade. There was a moment where she doubted she could make it to the man before he became a smear on the woodland floor. "No." she affirmed to herself between breaths. She could make it. She would make it.

The man was shuffling on the ground. Kari knew that the most likely method of attack for a Giant on a fallen man would be an overhead swing. It wasn't a certainty, but in this case she was forced to play the odds. It would be close, but she had to take the chance.

The guardian stepped just in front of the fallen man and dropped to a knee to brace herself. She brought her shield to bare above her head at an angle to deflect and guide the incoming blow away and toward the ground.  

[Cheshiyre]

Ash's pale grip tightened unconsciously on the silk rope wrapped around her palm as she watched the visitors below react to their suddenly erected prison. Her gaze darted to find the shadows she knew enclosed her friend within. Biting her lip softly, the angel once again reminded herself that she trusted the magi completely. Completely.

Feeling a little more reassured now, she leaned against the railing to examine the newcomers. Despite how quickly they seemed to have found their way to the tower, one could tell through simple observation that the path had not been uneventful. The poor ragamuffin group looked like they had seen better days. Hopefully when she was done with them Relm would allow them a few nights rest and to clean up a bit.

A soft smile touched her lips as she noticed that Ky and the gypsy seemed to have already made friends. It didn't surprise her really. The young soldier's optimistic temperament allowed him to endear himself to others quickly. That and the ladies often seem to appreciate his knightly mannerisms and naivete. With the present threat looming over them, Ky's instinct to serve and protect had already reared in full. The sight warmed the angel's heart. He'd come so far.

As azure eyes flickered between the guarded soldier and Asmyrra, she could not help the sad thought from crossing her mind.

Will they ever know the truth? Will they ever be able to know... me?

 

[Urban Thorne]

There it was. She knew it was coming. The moment these knight folks set foot on her ship, she knew how it was going to end. And the moment those opaque force-walls popped into existence, she finally allowed those stupid weights trying to drag her eyes closed to succeed.

DOOOOOOOOM!!

Her uncle had been a smart man, though. He always said something about demanding sugar if life gave you bitter citrus fruits. That, or threaten to burn their house down with the fruit... But that was neither here nor there. This place was stone, after all. Besides... The sound of whatever person was above them sounded really kind of serious... And they probably wouldn't respond well to threats.

Squeeeeeee...

Plan "B" it is, then.

Tilting her head back, the little tinkerer let loose with the most pathetic-sounding whine she could muster (and she could muster a good one, with how miserable she was!!), her high voice calling upwards to the menacing mage person about to blow them up.

"Nuuuuuuuuuuuu....!! Rosso is not for cooking! Not until get an--... erm... Answers! Cook after answers, but not before!!"  

[Urban Thorne]

Surprise painted the shadow-enshrouded features of the ancient magi as one of the four so neatly contained in her trap finally gave voice to their predicament... That was not what she had been expecting. Usually they cried out pleas, or screamed in terror of their inevitable fate, not issued demands or conditions to their doom. Indeed, a faint smile started to curve the unpainted lips of that shadowed figure as she contemplated the words that only could have come from the fourth member of the group below, the only unheard voice to this point.

Impertinent as the demand may have been, and amusing as she might find it, the Kae'Dryn's steps did not slow as she continued to descend, her concentration still focused on powering the various means of death arrayed against those below. She was an old hand at such things, however, and more than able to accomplish multiple things at a time when she so wished. A faint exercise of will banished the amusement from that crystalline alto as she offered a reply to the petulant whine below.

"Then perhaps the merry little band trespassing in my home should offer me a reason not to simply end the intrusion, yes?," came the quietly menacing reply, the energies building in the chandelier finally climaxing and exploding to life, flooding the center of the tower with fiery brilliance...  

[Talise Anora]

Nae Nae was surprised to hear the tense silence pierced by none other than the little droopy one and her passionate whine. The impertinent plea actually shocks her to such an extent that Nae is left speechless for a moment.

No one had EVER reacted like that before! She had no idea what the mistress would do. None of the apprentices were insolent enough to whine to the Kae'dryn!

The answer from the mistress, of course, came swiftly enough for the distracted elven maid. Misconstruing the sudden and brilliant flare of the candles as some sort of firey spell, Nae Nae doesn't even bother looking up to confirm the danger. Letting off an startled shriek, she bolts from the bottom of the stairs and flees down the hallway towards the apprentice quarters. She must find help before the mistress's wrath fries them to a crisp!

I am a leaf on the wind...

 

[Cheshiyre]

Enshrouded by the shadows above, the melancholy angel was caught by surprise with the ensuing whine that broke the silence. A smirk briefly touched her lips as she suppressed the giggle that attempted to escape. She didn't know who the little squirrelly one was, but she liked her immediately.

Thinking she might try to get a better look at the dramatic young lady below, Ash absently brought the silk rope from one hand to the next so that she might position herself for a clearer view. As the chandelier flared to life, the unexpected burst of light directly above her startled the distracted angel mid action. Noticing that the shadows protecting her were now gone, Ash felt a sudden wave of alarm ripple beneath her skin.

I am exposed! They will see me!

In a panic she discarded the forgotten rope, thinking she might dart away to the safety of one of the rooms along the hall. However, those hurried feet barely made a step before movement near the banister draws her attention once more. As her gaze returned to the center hollow, shadows along the wall were swiftly rising all around her. A glimpse of the firey object as it dropped below the banister's rail was her only warning, and the angel realized with dawning horror that the chandelier was now plummeting towards the trapped visitors below.

The rope! It was holding... the frantic train of thought finally reached her conscious mind.

With a futile hand extended to grip the railing, she cried out to those below."COVER!!!"
 

[Talise Anora]

A beautiful roaring scream, of joy and sorrow so extreme...

The responding request from the magi to Domini's demand sets the young gypsy's mind working and she drags her front teeth over her bottom lip to prepare for a full concentration lip chewing. Their answer has to be quick, concise and entreating or they will surely be cooked where they stand. Unfortunately before the clever lass gets a chance to come up with something worthy of saving their sorry arses, the unspeakable occurs.

If you asked her afterwards what went through her mind when she heard the frantic shout from above signalling their impending doom, she really couldn't answer. There was no thought. She wasn't sure when she released Ky's arm or when she pulled the tired inventor to her. She couldn't remember how they ended up against the opaque barrier, crouched on the ground, her arms encircling the smaller woman protectively. All she knew was that when death was immenent, there was no other person she'd rather be clinging to in her last moment.

There was even a chance that she might deny (aloud) any memory of the soft words that escaped her lips as she pulled Domini's head tenderly against her chest and buried her face in the touseled locks gripped between her fingers.

"Together.. Always"

There is a love in me raging. A joyous, magical feeling...

 

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Ky barely had time to breath a sigh of relief. The little pilot's demand had bought them some time, or so he was apparently fooled into believing. He hadn't taken his eyes off of the scenery above them but for a moment to bring his attention to the Kae'dryn. He had seen the deadly fixture begin it's terminal descent from the corner of his eye.

He registered the warning from above just before Talise let go of his arm to reach for their diminuative companion. He lunged out and grasped Talise's arm in tandem with her grasping Domini's. He wasn't thinking, there wasn't time to think. The young knight's mind was commanding his body in a state of battle mind. In the most dire of situations, a soldier reverts to his training.

Ky pulled and spun the two women into his arms once Talise had her arms around her dearest friend. He used the momentum to harshly direct them to the edge of the weave constructed barrier. Once they were as small as they could get he threw his hands against the barrier, placing his body between the falling chandalier and them.

Only then did his commanding officer come to mind. Ky knew she was a capable soldier and weave shaper. The urgency of the situation demanded that he do what he could to save the non-combatants. There was little he could do for Asmyrra.

He winced and braced himself for what would undoubtedly be an incredibly gruesome death. In desperation, praying that she had a plan, he called out to the azure skinned woman.

"Commander!"  

[Urban Thorne]

Years of training on the battlefield had granted Asmyrra more than just a keen mind in tactics and a deep understanding of reading troops. Like any person who spent time on the field, medic or soldier, certain reactions became an unconscious given, an automatic movement. The shout that echoed from above was often the command shouted when arrows were loosed, or another such aerial weapon was employed... And her body responded like any well-experienced combatant.

Her legs unthinkingly propelled her in the direction that, by happenstance, ended up being the point where Talise, Ky, and their odd inventor huddled, her knightly compatriot valiantly positioning himself to shield the two women. Skidding along the ground (for her leap had been more intent on distance than control), Asmyrra found herself slamming back-first into the opaque barrier surrounding them with enough force to knock the wind briefly from her lungs. Ignoring her body's sudden complaint, those violet orbs closed as she forced her will to focus.

Most did not know of Asmyrra's ritual every few days... Most did not really know why she insisted on being awake hours before the rest of them rose, and so readily took the last watch of the night. It was during those hours, every few days, that she spent considerable time and energy shaping a magical... field... around herself. Latent with numerous protections, and several prepared spells simply waiting to activate, it manifested itself as an almost tangible aura of power around her (no small part of why horses were so incredibly unhappy to bear her)...

It was into this mantle of energy that Asmyrra's concentration dived, and it was from that very Weaveshape that a fiery-hued opaque sphere snapped into being. It lacked the appearance of solidity present in the ancient magi's weaving, instead appearing almost like a flame-hued soap bubble crossing behind Ky and in front of it's shaper, it's glowing edges just clearing Ky's hands before touching against the wall the older mage had entrapped them in. Once that aura of protection was in place, Asmyrra's mind turned to the struggle her still-healing lungs were trapped in, desperately hoping that whatever debris blasted forth from the falling chandelier would at least be partially deflected by Ky's armoured form...  

[Urban Thorne]

Kari did not have time to rethink her action, for as soon as her knee made contact with the cold earth beneath her, something slammed into her upraised shield with indescribable force. The blow instantly numbed her arm from fingertips to shoulder joint and beyond, as well as transmitted enough force through the shield to knock her to the side and backwards. The giant, for it's own part, roared in absolute fury as its blow was deflected to the side, the heavily studded wood burying itself into the root system of a tree beside the two fallen humans.

The moment of respite was sadly short, however, for the giant managed to rip it's weapon free of the tangle of smashed wood that was once an exposed knot of roots with a few abrupt jerks. Raising the heavy weapon in both hands again, that tear of a mouth exposed half-rotten, broken teeth in a roar once more as the club began it's humming path down towards them...

_____________________________________________________________


...only to be interrupted by the rushing, shadowy form of another tree colliding with the looming figure of the giant from behind, the weight of the towering tree smashing the giant, and it's club, flat against the ground. This errant falling tree came to rest, giant underneath it, bracketing the fallen warrior and Kari, it's branches sheared off by the tree they were beneath. The sudden crash of branches and trunk was followed by moment of stunned silence falling over the immediate area, before a pained half-whimper, half-groan emerged from the pinned giant.

One of the nearby Clansmen responded with abrupt swiftness, his surprise that the giant was still alive eclipsed by the experience garnished in several of these skirmishes. His right arm blurred towards the trapped giant, the simple broadsword bristling from his fist burying it's blade into the now-vulnerable (and reachable) neck of the creature, silencing it's groan and stilling it's movements.

The surprise caused by that falling tree was taken heavy advantage of by the other Clansmen, the battle between them and the giants quickly turning against the marauders. After all, the giants had been just as surprised by that tremendous crash... And they were not even close to the mental equals of their tiny foes...

 

[BeaMichelle]

The guardian's eyes surveyed the strangeness before her. She had no idea where that second tree had come from. She had been preoccupied trying to will her disobedient left arm into bringing her shield to bare. Now she was surrounded by oversized kindling, her fallen comrade, two trees, and a very dead giant.

She couldn't help but chuckle a bit at their fortune. Their ancestors had indeed been with them that night. She didn't dwell on this long, though, there was still much to be done.

She rolled over and quickly examined the man laying before her. Unconscious, breathing off rhythm, but his heart was still at it. Normally she would do what she could to drag him to safety, but her left arm wasn't having any of it . She could barely manage the weight of her family's shield, let alone the additional strain of pulling a farely large clansmen. She would need help.

She looked up toward the warrior standing by the fallen giant. She hid her pain well as she spoke in their native tongue. "Go, there is still a charge to stop. I will signal for help and stay with him until they arrive. I'll catch up once they do. May your ancestors guide your sword."

Affixed to a leather belt around her waist was a wooden animal call. Kari drove her sword into the soil beside her, then reached down and undid the lacing that held it to the right side of her hip. She took a deep breath and pressed her lips to the small end. The sound produced by it was similar to a bird that was no longer indiginous to the lands they called home. They had left long ago with the Dragons. Now their call was synonimous with distress and a need for assistance.

She dropped the call and took up arms once more. With a squelched grunt, she rose to her feet. Her emerald eyes looked around the battlefield. They glistened with pride as she witnessed the clansmen gain the upper hand. Though her body screamed to be allowed to rest, the guardian ignored it. She would not rest. Not so long as she bore the shield of her clan upon her left arm. As the wolves of her family crest stood back to back, so she would guard the back of those who depended on her.