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 Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:38 pm
The forest surrounding the town nearby the Muffin had been growing darker over the past few weeks. Many of the trees had begun to wither and die, and the sky was now perpetually overcast with rumbling thunderheads that never released rain. Worst of all were the undead who had mysteriously been appearing from deep within the forest. Merchants and travelers were growing wary of traveling to the town as even the most well guarded roads had begun to be raided by the undead beasts.
Yet as the town continued to grow in despair there was a growing glimmer of hope amongst the townfolk. There were tales being spread of a silver haired young man who rescued people who find themselves lost in the woods and surrounded by monsters. Supposedly he wielded a whip that could slice through the hide of beasts all but immune to the sharpest of blades.
Still Lexi traveled to and from the town each day, often accompanying a member of the Muffin who was visiting Lady Ellen in the hospital. Unfortunately the poor girl's condition just would not improve.
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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:17 pm
The bald priest in dark robes made his way down the hospital ward, visiting the patients and offering the comfort of his religous counsel where it was welcome. As he continued down the hall he spotted the young man clad all in black leather who was a frequent fixture in this hospital.
Lexi stood in place across the hall from the door that leads to Miss Ellen's private room. Lady Alyssa was in there visiting her sister as she did everyday, and until she came out Lexi would allow nobody to enter without checking with her first. Hearing footsteps, he looked up the hall to see Father Imam striding towards him. The priest had stayed at the Muffin for a brief time when he arrived in the area, but he mostly kept to himself while he was there. In fact Lexi had seen him more in the hospital than he had at the inn.
"Good Morrow to you Lexi," the priest said in greeting as he walked up next to Lexi. "How is young Ellen fairing today?" the man inquired.
"Good day to you Father Imam," Lexi replied, ignoring the priests inquiry. He knew that Alyssa would not like this, or any priest, to be involved in her and her sister's affairs, and though he never got an answer the priest inquired about Ellen everyday without fail. How he had learned as much as he knew was still a mystery to Lexi, perhaps the man was able to glean it from the nursing staff, or he might even have spoken with Richard or Corrinne.
"Severe as always I see," Imam said lightheartedly. "You might consider lightening up a bit."
"This is a hospital," Lexi said simply, fixing his unblinking gaze on the man, and hoping that he would be gone before Lady Alyssa came out. Lexi knew how she disliked things that couldn't be fully explained or proven, and didn't want an encounter with a man of the cloth make her any more upset than she was every time she visited her sister. Lexi rarely went inside with her, she insisted she would be fine on her own so he opted to guard the door to prevent unwanted intrusions, including a visit from her aunt and uncle. Such confrontations could wait until they were back at the inn where they would bother much fewer people, and more importantly where it wouldn't have a possibly negative effect on Ellen's condition.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:22 pm
"Against the law?"
Alyssa talked to Ellen, some times. Little things-she knew that Ellen couldn't hear, according to medical science-but she spoke anyway.
Richard had done a lot of magic to prevent the worst of the disease that had struck Ellen as an effect from the Wizard's magic during the betrayal-but it wasn't enough. Alyssa was doing all she could too-she didn't come out of a need to, anymore-but to try and prevent the unpreventable-Ellen's death.
There was hope though, that either she or Richard would stumble upon a way to reverse it-so time was all they needed.
Everyday, she was advancing in her research. But she can't lie to herself, like other children did-she was watching her sister die.
Alyssa held Ellen's hand, watching the labored breathing, the oxygen mask over her pale sister's face. "I'm so sorry." Alyssa whispered, as she always whispered-she wished she were dying too. The guilt wouldn't be so bad.
But she wasn't dying. She was a freak, unlike Ellen. Alyssa gently moved a dark curl from her sister's face-Ellen had been awake for a few minutes-long enough to ask how Alyssa was.
That was Ellen-always caring, always gentle, always...everything Alyssa wasn't and could never be. Mother had loved her younger daughter more-and Alyssa couldn't blame her. Ellen was...beautiful in all aspects.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered again. And if Ellen knew how sorry Alyssa was, knew what had caused this-she would have forgiven her. But Alyssa couldn't ask. Alyssa couldn't tell her while she was awake-because Alyssa didn't think she deserved it.
She let go of Ellen's hand, kissed her sister's forhead-then walked around the bed, to the door-wiping her eyes carefully, expression reforming itself, composed.
She opened the door, stride brisk and business like, not the stride of a little girl at all, and nor were her eyes.
Those vibrantly colored blue orbs lit on the priest immediately, flickering up to his face. One might note Alyssa rarely tilted her head back to look up to an adult or one taller than she-always just her eyes, standing far enough away to see them fully. She simply watched him, and it was kind of...off. Girl bristled, feet spacing slightly apart as if she'd physically attempt stopping him, if he moved to go inside Ellen's room.
Last rites were not needed-Ellen had her faith in God, sure-but Alyssa had none. "She's sleeping, you will not intrude." Alyssa half commanded, half challenged. Men of cloth did indeed get on her nerves-hypocritical, faith toting-...but she would not let him go in there. Just no.
Then, demeanor changed. He couldn't go into a private room without permision, surely-and Richard was here, so...no need. Richard kept an eye on Ellen, was good for that much, at least. "...I want to go now, Lexi..." Alyssa said, looking away from the priest, down the hall, where Richard sat holding a cup of coffee. He had relented about the visits, mainly because of Corinne-and because, somewhere-he pitied Alyssa, much as he distrusted her.
Alyssa's gaze bored into Richard's form, but the wizard didn't look up.
"You're seriously warning me of that? Seriously?"-Arian Lennox
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:35 pm
"Against the law?"
((Done editing!))
"You're seriously warning me of that? Seriously?"-Arian Lennox
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:54 pm
"As you wish Lady Alyssa," Lexi said, bowing his head. "G'day to you Imam," he said cordially before escorting Alyssa down the hall, nodding to Richard as the passed.
Father Imam watched the odd girl carefully, not saying a word. She was rather intimidating for such a small child. Still he was rather certain she would not be much of a thorn in his side. He waited patiently after she left, hoping that Ellen's actual guardian would give him permission to see the child.
Nathaniel Graves IV made his way towards town. The night felt more off than it had recently. The undead that had been plaguing the area were strangely quiet tonight. For some reason he could feel that something was going on in town. He had long since learned to trust his instincts though.
((Fixed))
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:20 pm
"Against the law?"
Richard kept his gaze averted from them both as they passed, only turning his head to watch them leave. Alyssa didn't look back at him again-but he had the feeling she was watching him, for some reason.
Richard drained the cold coffee as he stood, walking down the hall to drop it in the trash, large man's shoulders slumped.
He was rather tired-he would go home to Corinne after visiting hours ended, and then...he'd get up and come back once they started the next day. "Good evening." Once upon a time, he might have called the priest Father. Not today-religious, yes, catholic, no.
Richard summoned the weakest of smiles and inclined his head. Permission to accompany him into the girl's room, apparantly. Or...er...something.
Alyssa did not hold Lexi's hand, nor anything of the sort-she was most likely leading, actually. Girl moved fast, for one so small. "I don't like that priest." She was saying, the town's darkness neither feared nor cared about. "Hovering around, offering 'comfort'. Comfort to fools, Lexi, and I bet he knows it." She was usually like this, after a visit to the hospital. Either she would talk about the brink of new discoveries to fill the silence-or she would irately state her displeasure or disbelief in something.
She couldn't stand to think too much on her sister on the walk back-it might have been the only time she WASN'T thinking about Ellen, except when Lexi forced her to bed. And even then...
"Men of cloth are fools in general-using religion as a crutch-or even a mask to condemn others-stupid, all of it absolutely stupid."
"You're seriously warning me of that? Seriously?"-Arian Lennox
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:37 pm
"He does seem to be a bit off," Lexi said calmly, giving Alyssa enough time to start complaining about the man some more if she so desired. "He has been quite interested about Miss Ellen recently. I suppose he has heard of her condition from some of the nurses."
"Good evening Sir," Father Imam said, approaching Richard. "My deepest condolences, I have heard about your poor niece's condition. I was hoping that I could, perchance visit her a moment to offer a prayer for her well being." The man was tired, and the spell that would make him a bit more amiable to his request was already a subtle one.
Nathan glanced up as he approached the two on the street. There was something about them, especially the tall one. They were not quite natural, but didn't feel readily dangerous at the time. Still he cast them a wary eye as he neared them.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:54 pm
"Against the law?"
Alyssa bristled at that, eyes sharply flicking to the side, head turning slightly, tipping back a little, but not much. "She's NOT going to die." She said vehemently, like she alone could prevent it by refusing to believe it. "He needn't hover around waiting to give last rites for a soul that doesn't need it." She turned her head back down, maybe due to the approach of Nathan, but Alyssa had never discussed nor revealed how she knew of things, what she sensed, and just how much, exactly, she could determine about other beings.
As for her own 'aura' there wasn't one. She looked and seemed a perfectly normal girl. Eyes said otherwise, but one could attribute that to fast maturity. She hid her magic presence, some how-and hid it well.
Even from Lexi.
Alyssa turned her head to see the man's back over her shoulder, still speaking, not going silent just at the passing of some random male. "I'm glad you don't let him in while I'm there." Yes, yes she was glad-the priest was an annoyance simply for existing. Allowed into the room, she might have killed him just out of principal.
...not very polite, but she was digressing. "Either way, he's a creep, I don't trust him." She ended her assessment of the priest. Then again, Alyssa didn't trust anyone in the first place-and was generally cold towards others. Her only friend was Lexi. She showed no interest in anyone else, save her sister.
Richard's expression was tired but serious. "You could do that." Richard permitted, inclining his head. It didn't, for some reason, occur to him to refuse-sure, the man was a priest, but Richard normally would have been a tad more reserved about allowing a stranger into Ellen's room, especially when Richard was so near to leaving...
But he didn't so much as sense the spell. Normally, Richard was resistant to most magics, at all times-but when tired, and especially after using most his energy on different things to help his niece or to try slowing down Ellen's disease-and the usual mental battles that he and Alyssa engaged in, silently, unknown to anyone else-he was drained. Guard was down and he honestly wasn't shielding himself as well as he normally would.
Richard was powerful, but he was too trusting a person, sometimes. Too laid back.
"She likes prayer...I'm sure...it might make her feel better, to know she received one...as for me, I must go-visiting hours are over..." He was watching Ellen as he said this, and as he rose, he forced himself to look away after gently kissing her forehead, patting her small hand-and moving towards the door, shoulders slumped and posture shot.
((Sorry...*Wasn't sure what to do, hopes this is okay*))
"You're seriously warning me of that? Seriously?"-Arian Lennox
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:09 pm
"Of course," Imam said, approaching Ellen's bed his guards started to slip, but for different reasons than Richard's lax defenses. He was close to what he needed. So close he could taste it. Laying a hand upon the child's forehead he gazed into her mind, body and soul. Everything was perfect. Her personality, heritage, and current condition of health all made her for the perfect choice for what he needed. "The perfect sacrifice," Imam whispered and lightning roared across the sky unleashing a deafening thunder as the medical equipment was hurled across the room. "I'll be taking her now."
Nathan stopped in the middle of the road at the mention of a priest. He wanted to inquire further, but it was obvious he wouldn't be able to glean any more information from them. Still, the man bothered him, and the fact that there was a seemingly normal child with him made it more peculiar. When lightning struck however his head whipped away from the hospital and to the forest where an immensely evil magic was radiating.
"Do not let it trouble you too much, Lady Alyssa," Lexi advised. "You are tired and you need your rest. Nothing is going to-" He was interrupted by the thunderbolt and turned not towards the forest, but to the hospital.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:34 pm
"Like I care-"
Alyssa's head snapped up at the noise, a curse issuing from the girl's lips, and then a second word that also sounded like a curse as the girl broke a small glass capsule in half, drawn from the front left pocket of her dress-she was gone the instant the small puff of white smoke was released, the glass halves clinking to the ground where she had stood moments before.
Alyssa appeared in the hospital room, her feet three inches from the ground as she fell back to the tile, vibrantly colored eyes wide.
"Ellen!" Her sister-she was, it had to be?! But how?!. Alyssa climbed hurriedly over a piece of medical equipment, heart thudding in her small chest, girl going to the window, staring out-the forest.
Richard stepped off the elevator, mind weighed with the things he had yet to do-he felt like a failure for still not having a cure for Ellen. He was looking forward to going home to his wife, to a long nap-and then his head snapped up to stare at the ceiling with widened, surprised frost grey eyes.
Ellen! He pivoted, jammed the up button-but it didn't move fast enough for his liking, and Richard rushed to the stairs.
Ignoring the protest of his battered heart, Richard bolted up the stairs, making a lot of noise due to his weight and speed-but not caring. That magic had been in his niece's room-and if it hadn't, then it'd been the same floor, he thinks, and so might be posing a danger anyway.
He had no idea that it was the priest-only that something had happened, and he must get there, because the daughter of his sister was there, vulnerable.
He made the hall in record time, sprinting down that hall too, sweating-and skidding to a stop outside the room, blowing the door open with a spell-and coming face to face-well, sort of, she's small-with his older niece, who blinked once up at him, taking a hasty step back. "Richard-" She said in a measured tone, but Richard was deaf to her. "What did you do!?" He demanded, hands lifting-and Alyssa disappeared. Popped right from view, and Richard's spell hit the window and shattered it. Where was Ellen? What had Alyssa done to further threaten the little girl?!
He moved to the window, quickly throwing another spell up.
Alyssa popped back into existence not far from where she'd left Lexi's side-and whirled to find him, expression half panicked and definitely terrified. "Ellen's gone!" She said panickedly, and even as she was finishing shouting the words-a bright flare of light in the darkened sky, where what appeared to be a flare going off, except at the end was a large, golden orb that resembled an eye by the red iris and black pupil on one side. "Richard-dammit, the fool thinks I did this!?" Alyssa was angry and panicked about that too. She didn't have time to fight Richard-but it'd be inevitable. The eye swirled, seemed to spot the Lexi and Alyssa, along with Nathan. The red pupil glowed now, and Alyssa seized Lexi's hand, trying to pull him. She's too small to run very fast, but they'd better. "You sensed what I did-" She accused of Nathan, other hand pointing to the forest.
"You know something, and if you stand here to get fried before I know what it-" She cut herself off to begin a spell, still running to get behind a building, out of the 'eye's' sight and to begin going into the forest to figure out what the HELL was going on.
She was right to seek shelter from the eye-minutes after it started to glow, a great circle of what seemed to be fire flared into existance where the eye had spotted them, as if Richard had seeked to trap them, and had failed. Why? Because Alyssa had turned the magic of the eye to her own purpose, fooling it into believing they had remained back there. That wouldn't fool Richard though. He'd be coming, and she didn't dare to underestimate him enough, even though she knew he was drained.
Richard was a very powerful wizard-she outstripped him in sheer power, but Alyssa was aware that wasn't always enough, and she, unlike him-had to keep iron control over herself.
((I want to have a fight with Richard? Can we do that?
And if this post is bad, let me know so I can edit.))
"You've made me angry, you're as good as dead."-Alyssa Saverell
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:31 pm
"Like I care-"
((Sorry Tri-but I can't really do much with what you've given me? I need to know where this is sort of heading...if Alyssa or Richard reaches the room with the priest in it...*shrugs*))
"You've made me angry, you're as good as dead."-Alyssa Saverell
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:31 pm
It didn't take much tugging to get Lexi to move with Alyssa. He wasn't sure of what was going on, but the energies pulsing outwards from the forest were quite unsettling. Watching the flaming eye carefully, he flinched when the circle of flame burst to life. "Are you alright Alyssa?" he asked concerned for her well being. He was worried that the tensions between her and her uncle Richard had reached a dangerous high.
Nathan watched the two of them retreat briefly before turning to the approaching eye. One hand went to the grip of his whip while the other reached to a card case strapped to his belt. The flaming circle briefly blocked him from view of the others. That is until a four quickly orbiting spheres of ice created a gap in the circle just large enough for him to walk through unharmed. "What is going on?" he asked aloud, turning to watch the fire and the eye as he backed away from them, the spheres of ice disappearing.
Imam carried the limp form of Ellen's barely living form down a dark corridor inside the castle. He was vaguely aware of the magic battle that was begininning near the outskirts of town, but it did not concern him. For inside this castle they would have to play by his rules. Not that they would get that far. With a mental gesture he triggered the release of more powerful demons than the undead like ones that had been plauging the town. Agile werewolves, massive golems, and swift avions all swarmed from the shadowy, ruined castle that had appeared in the forest.
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Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:21 pm
"Against the law?"
"Who cares about me-someone has my sister!" She didn't want to jump immediately on the assumption it was the priest-but that's who she thought it was. "We have to hurry-he thinks I did something-" She wasn't paying attention to the eye, but her free hand was out, fingers splayed out in it's direction.
She was clearly doing something, but her attention was on the forest. And on Richard's own pullings. He was coming-she needed to move, and quickly. The eye swiveled, faster and faster-until it disappeared in a puff of white smoke.
Inside the hospital, Richard was rushing down flight after flight of stairs, making the ground floor and bursting out of the hospital, ignoring the frightened nurse's inquiries.
No doubt, he did look kind of wild.
Richard tore off his tie, throwing it in the street as he pulled up his sleeves, glad he had grabbed his shoulder bag, pulling materials from their organized packets and capsules, aware of his own intentions.
Alyssa had gone one step further-and Richard had to stop her.
"Hell, what isn't going on?!" Alyssa responded heatedly to Nathan, bringing her attention back to the town. "Lexi, something's in the forest-“ She wanted to head in that direction. Now. “Richard’s coming to kill me. Maybe you too-“ She kept getting distracted by something in the forest, and then Alyssa’s eyes narrowed.
“She’s there.” And she let go of Lexi’s hand completely, hurried to move into the woods. That’s all that mattered. Ellen. Get to her sister, hurry-even though she was aware of Richard moving to intercept her. Damn him!
She hurried onward, throwing a spell, blocking ones that were coming from the trees, Richard not seen yet-but he would be. He was building towards something, but she’s got to keep control and also keep an eye on Lexi-never know with a damned wizard…
She also didn’t want to fight Richard in the damn town. She knew he’d attack her directly somehow, the instant she failed to throw up the right defense at the right time-
((Optional part))
And sure enough, such a hit occurred.
The girl cried out, dully aware of falling to her knees as her left hand moved to her eye. Blood was everywhere it seemed, pain enveloping her mind, chaos reigning. She had to think- Richard was going to kill her. He was going to kill her, and she knew it, and she knew he could do it, and would do it, because he was driven on the belief that she was utterly and unchangeably evil. She opened her undamaged eye, a whimper escaping her lips at the pain that caused when her other tried to open it too. She grit her teeth against any more sounds of weakness. The magic was burning in her chest, the pain pushing her to a dangerous precipice. Rage was leeching into her mind. Into her sight even. Alyssa’s skin started to glow faintly, energy leeching off her body. Her sister would die. Would be gone, just as her mother was gone. If she failed Ellen…but…what if she’s already dead?
Either way-Alyssa would not die by this man’s power. Damn him to hell-to accuse her of such horrible, horrible crimes. Damn him for making such assumptions. The magic was furious. She was furious. And one should always be calm or else she’d destroy herself. Too late. Too late to worry about that. Her sister was dead or dying. Ellen dead? Dead? “Lexi?” She managed, unable to think past the pain and blood. Richard would kill her-she won’t let him. Ellen needed her-either for rescue…or for revenge.
Richard no longer knew what he was doing here. He was in view now, could see his target. His spells weren’t for fighting these days-what was he doing here? He simply was, and the inherent evil was forty feet away. He couldn’t pay attention to his heart. He couldn’t even think of Corinne, because doing so made him so ill he couldn’t stand himself. What would she think-his attacking of a child? She was not a child though…no…no child possessed that amount of magic, no child could coldly sit through the explaination of her mother’s death, the illness of a sibling... This girl, this child-woman, his relation no less-was evil. A strange abnormality had twisted her. She had to be stopped. She had to be destroyed before any more of his family suffered from her cold, cruel logic. Who would be next? Corinne? Richard’s heart ached at the thought. No, he had to end it, and end it now.
Ellen thought she was being moved...yeah...she thinks so..."Uncle?" The little girl inquired in a weak, bell sounding of voice. Brow furrowed slightly, the weakened girl not entirely able to remain conscious-it was a strain.
"You're seriously warning me of that? Seriously?"-Arian Lennox
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:53 am
"ALYSSA!!!" Lexi screamed, dropping to her side and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Gently he pulled her hand back to survey the damage. It was severe to say the least. His head pivoted too far for a humans to spot Richard approaching. How could the man do this to his own niece?
He gave Alyssa a quick squeeze before standing up and placing himself directly between her and Richard. He knew the gesture was meaningless. Richard could easily cast around him, or worse just kill him outright. Lexi was pretty certain that Richard knew exactly how to do that. "Do you have anything that can heal her?" he asked Nathan briefly before taking a few steps forwards and drawing his sword. "Richard! Stand down!" He ordered, his voice carrying an authority that it had never held before.
Nathan watched the scene play out cautiously. What he actually saw was horrifying, but he managed to push past that and quickly analyze the situation. So far it seemed to be a one sided offensive against this little girl. No, he couldn't think of her like that. It could very well be a disguise. She could be the real mastermind behind this and be using the priest as a tool. But on the other hand her sister had been kidnapped. It didn't rule her out, but it did mean her presence may be invaluable depending on what ritual the child might be needed for. Still the girl was no doubt dangerous, her magical energy spiked drastically. Despite that though she had at least one ally who believed in her, and this peculiar man seemed utterly incapable of deceipt for some reason. She also had at least one foe who it could be presumed was responsible for the glowing eye and ring of fire earlier.
"Here," he said, a second after Lexi asked his question. "This should be able to stop the blood loss, I'm not sure about fully healing the eye though," he explained, pulling a vial filled with blue liquid and setting it on the ground next to Alyssa before backing away slowly. They needed to talk, but it would most likely have to wait until after things calmed down a bit.
Imam managed a fatherly smile at the girl's inquiry. "No my child, but worry not for soon your pain will be a thing of the past," he said gently. If Ellen was able to see and think straight, she would probably find the dark stone hallway with the occasional flickering torch incongrous with the man's attitude, and the occasional demon that speed by in the other direction most unsettling.
Corinne hummed a peaceful tune to herself as she packed up a meat pie that she had made. Well, Lexi had helped her through it, but she was far beyond the point of making cereal catch fire. Letting out a sigh she glanced towards the door, hoping that Richard would step through it so she could help him relax and get some sleep. Alas, that was not the case. Reasoning that the unexpected lightning storm had caused him to choose another night at the hospital lest the power go out, she closed the small picnic basket and stepped towards the door. Looking outside she frowned, it was far darker than it should have been. Seeing no reason to make the trek to town in this peculiar weather, she merely convinced herself and her current possessions that she was already on the outskirts of town, and sure enough she was.
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:32 pm
"Against the law?"
The poor girl's mind was foggy, but the man smiled at her, and she realized, after a moment, he was a priest. "Father...I'm seeing things..." She half whispered, and then...slowly...she realized she actually was seeing those things. "Father?" And now she sounded slightly more disturbed, frightened. Where was she? Where was her sister? Uncle Richard?
Lexi was ignored. Richard didn’t care, he’d deal with the Legion shortly after his niece. He wouldn’t kill the being, if he could help it-Alyssa’s influence was no doubt powerful with or without magic, and definitely if she was his creator-though Richard had never proved that and somewhat doubted it. With a flick of his wrist, an invisible wall slid from Lexi’s right, smacking into the Legion’s middle to push him aside quite a ways-if Lexi moved to get away from it’s influence, he’d find it was actually an invisible box, encasing him.
Richard pulled his energies to him again, rapid hand motions being made as he murmured incantations. There was a loud cracking noise as the trees around Alyssa simultaneously began to fall inwards towards the small girl. A distraction. Richard spoke another incantation, his severely drained magic being pulled from his deepest reserves, a ball of golden flame issuing from his person, building until breaking loose to fling itself in her direction, tearing up earth as it went. Wizard’s fire.
Alyssa had managed to get to her feet, blood flow stopping at least-she’d taken a stranger’s potion, something she’d never done before-but her eye was gone, practically. The small girl forced her other eye to look-the trees flared to ashes at a word, the spike of even stronger magic felt-the ashes still in the shape of the tree before flying away. The amount of energy radiating from the girl was being reigned in, like Alyssa was struggling to repress it still-and then her head jerked to see what she sensed.
Time slowed a little for her a moment, uninjured eye widening as she threw up a last ditch spell-and then the Wizard’s Fire struck some sort of barrier and spiraled around it, concealing Alyssa completely. Hiding her body-but not able to blot out her screaming.
Richard staggered back, the screaming literally wrenching holes in his soul. Rachel, forgive me…. But the child wasn’t a child-he knew it and now had ended her, but how Richard suffered for it. Killed a little girl. Killed his sister’s eldest daughter. It didn’t matter that she was an evil being-only what he had done.
He knew that she had tried to block the fire-but that wasn’t all Richard had thrown her way. He was literally ripping the magic from her body. Not taking it, not suppressing-ripping it, and it’d destroy her. She was resisting, and strongly, but he kept focused on it, Lexi freed from his invisible prison as Richard had to work to keep Alyssa trapped. She was powerful, but so was he.
Richard was suffering both from the energy used and being used in that battle, and from the emotional impact of it-but he was already committed to his task. Damned or not. He turned his body to face Lexi head on, frost grey eyes haunted by the screams yet grimly determined-and Richard, exhausted as he was-still had some magic to spare, despite the amount of power he had just used to kill Alyssa. She was already dead. Once that spell was executed, once it overcame her initial defense-there was nothing anyone could do, it was already destroying her beyond saving. He tried to make it faster. He didn't want her to suffer, even though he believed her to be evil...
How he hated himself, right now.
“You fight a lost cause.” He told Lexi, with all the angered hopelessness of a condemned man. Like he honestly didn't care if he was killed at this point or not. Richard bent to press a bladeless handle against the ground, and then drew a sword from the ground, the blackened blade not having been used since he was a young man fighting the wars of his house. He summoned a similar barrier that he’d used to trap Lexi beneath his feet, to avoid what he suspected the sword could do. Then he stood, grip on the sword loose, face grim-waiting.
…Richard, was a battle mage once again.
((Alyssa can’t be freed or helped. *Nods* But don’t worry~))
"You're seriously warning me of that? Seriously?"-Arian Lennox
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