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 Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:47 am
Phibrizzo took a few steps closer to peer inside the bag. He performed a quick mental tally of which were present. Luckily it seemed they had only brought back authentic items and no random junk. He took a single step backwards with a small and slightly sinister smile spreading over his face. He located Xelloss once again, it was just about time to explain to the Under Ground what was really going to happen. They didn't get to know where the other treasure was. They had done exactly what he had wanted them to, though, and although it had taken them longer than he had expected he supposed it was enough to let them live.
"Xe-" He started to say before a loud rustling in the brush near by interrupted his thoughts. Immediately he turned to look at them with an icy look. It didn't matter what came out of there, it would be no match for him.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:19 am
It had been a long year for Othelia and she had spent much of it in seclusion. It hadn't been the wisest move on her part, it was hard to hunt with a belly and harder still with baskets to worry about. She had lost weight but now with her children out of their baskets she was finally, more or less, free to move and hunt. She had brought them with her in a search for their father that would bring them near to the Under Ground that she had left behind. She knew that they were involved in some sort of plan of the mazoku which led her to believe that there was a good chance Xelloss would still be lingering near.
As Othelia took a turn off of the path she followed she caught several familiar scents. Quick as a flash she ushered her children into a cluster of bushes where they could hide before making a beeline toward the scent of Carmine, Xelloss and the others. She forced her way through the trees and brush until she slowly stepped out into a clearing her golden eyes glinting fiercely. They were all there: Carmine, Xelloss, Beryl, Wolf, Slipsand, Lorenna and the one known as Phibrizzo. A bag containing the things they had collected was there as well.
Othelia focused her attention on Xelloss. Was this it? Was she just in time to witness the fall of the Under Ground? She wasn't sure that she liked that idea and she scowled.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:45 am
Lorenna watched Phibrizzo suspiciously as he approached the sack and examined it's contents. She was waiting for the trick, the catch, whatever it was that this child was up to. It didn't come. He only took a step back and smiled. It was a dark smile that made the hair's on the back of Lorenna's neck prickle but he still hadn't done anything. What exactly was it that he was playing at? She thought she was about to get her answer as he started to speak but he was cut short.
If Lorenna were to be completely fair she would say that Phibrizzo had good reason to pause as Othelia stepped into the area. Lorenna's pale eyes widened in disbelief. The kalona mare had vanished only to turn up now looking like she'd been through hell. Her mane was coming out of her braid and she looked like she hadn't eaten a decent meal in months. Lorenna couldn't even find amusement in her poor state at the moment. She was too much in shock.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:03 pm
Xelloss flared to alertness at the sound of his name from Hellmaster. Now was the time to- Othelia?
A different energy shot through him. Othelia had the worst. Timing. Ever. Now that Phibrizzo had what he came for it was going to get ugly. He wanted to tail whip her back into the underbrush. Had she brought their foals with too? All three of the colts could die along with their mother if she defied Hellmaster. This was bad. His wings twitched along the length of his back. Was this all going according to Hellmaster's plans?
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:19 pm
Beryl's jaw dropped. Othelia was back! She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen their kalona companion... and she looked like a wreck. "O-Othelia!" She bounded closer to her, but stopped before she drew too near. There was something about Othelia's haggard look that made her look more feral and less friendly, not that she had been particularly friendly to begin with. For the first time since meeting her, Beryl felt threatened by her.
Slipsand's cheer disappeared in a blink. She was confused and distressed now. Othelia was back, but others weren't happy. No one looked happy! Othelia didn't even look happy. She looked like she had been ill. Maybe she was still sick, though she didn't show any signs of it other than her thinness. What was going on?
"Are you okay?" she squeaked nervously. The sudden change in mood spooked her almost more than Othelia's apperance did.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:30 pm
Othelia turned at the sound of her name to look at Beryl. She looked different. The kalona narrowed her eyes, she looked scared. Slowly she looked around at the group again. Surprise, fear, it was on all of their faces, they no longer knew what to make of her and she no longer knew what to make of them. This...this was what letting go felt like. It felt like nothing.
"Yes." She said to Slipsand after a long delay. Yes, she was okay. She could do this betrayal. It wasn't really a betrayal any longer anyway. Nodding her head at Phibrizzo she picked her way around the Under Ground to stand near Xelloss. Whatever was going to happen it didn't look like it had happened yet. If she could help with it now then she would.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:42 pm
Carmine was completely flabbergasted. Othelia was back? A million questions flooded her mind as she watched the kalona mare but not a single one made it past her lips. She wanted to race over and rub against Othelia just to make sure that she wasn't an illusion but her feet were rooted to the ground. There was something peculiar about the way Othelia was acting. She had been absent for such a long time but she acted like nothing had changed. She still skulked about and she still took to Xelloss like flowers to sunlight. Was Carmine supposed to act the same too? Was that what Othelia was nodding at? With hesitation she turned back to Phibrizzo and cleared her throat with a shrug of her wings.
"She was just...a little late to the party. So, about the treasure?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 1:56 pm
Phibrizzo's eyes widened slightly at the appearance of the kalona mare. He hadn't been expecting anyone else to come and clearly none of the others had either. He watched her carefully now as he never had before. This was the little half-mazoku Xellas had told him about, the one that stuck near her favorite servant. She was a ratty little thing with stunted wings and Phibrizzo didn't see how she had much potential. He'd seen her once before but she hadn't left much of an impression on him and clearly that was because she was nothing special.
When Carmine spoke he finally looked away. That was a nice interruption but now it was time for the real show. "Ah yes, about that." He purred flashing Carmine and Lorenna a pretty smile. "Xelloss, kindly take this bag to Xellas. She has the other one."
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:04 pm
Lorenna continued to watch Othelia out of the corner of her eye even as Carmine began to speak. It wasn't until Phibrizzo chimed in that a strong sinking feeling hit her. She looked back at him to see a grinning mouth full of sharp teeth. No. She heard it, she had been expecting it but somehow she wasn't quite able to believe it. The kalona were in on it together, just like she had said from the beginning. She glowered at Phibrizzo. "I'm assuming we're going to meet you there to get our share, correct?" She asked not making moving so much as in inch to block the bag. She wasn't fool hardy enough to tangle with two kalona and a kalona-cross. He'd probably been waiting for Othelia to show up to pull this stunt.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:08 am
Othelia was full of surprises today. Xelloss didn't have much time to attempt to interpret her actions, but they seemed clear enough. She was abandoning her friends for her bloodline. It was heartless and cruel to do at a time like this, which meant that she truly was worthy of being called a mazoku. Oh, how I underestimated you. If I had known you were capable of this, I would have told you what you were when I first met you. He almost felt fond of her, but of course, mazoku weren't allowed to feel fond of anyone.
He stepped forward and wrapped his tail through a loop in the bag. It wasn't light, so he lifted it with mild strain. He didn't say a word to Phibrizzo, but started walking away from them to where his mother was waiting. Right before he was out of earshot he turned around, casting one last look over his temporary companions. He flashed them one of his trickster smiles, tainted with the smallest amount of regret. "Goodbye now!"
And then he was gone.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:12 am
Now Beryl was starting to feel very uneasy. She had the feeling that they were just now pulling off a blindfold that had been covering their eyes for the past year. Had the kalonas just scammed them? She had dealt with dishonest business partners before and had indeed herself been the dishonest one at times. She could deal with being swindled, but she wondered if that was all that was going on here.
"Let's just get our share and get going," she gruffly suggested.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:17 am
Slipsand stared wide-eyed as Xelloss left them. She also didn't understand just what was happening, but she was already filling with hurt at the betrayal. She had considered Xelloss and Othelia friends. While they barely knew the kalona-flutter foal, she had put her trust in him as well. She bit her trembling lip and scooted sideways to stand closer to the massive bulk that was Sio. The mountain of hair and horns made her feel safer, but did nothing to stop the sad confusion that threatened to overwhelm her.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:30 am
Carmine's jaw dropped. What had just happened? Xelloss was in on it? How long had he known that they were just going to take the treasure. She tried to make herself laugh as Xelloss took the bag but it came out as an odd choking noise. He wasn't joking. Xelloss smiled like he did when he was playing one of his stupid pranks but he left all the same. She wanted to act like this was all a game but she knew better. She just wish she didn't.
Carmine swallowed looking over her shoulder at the other members. She couldn't just leave without nothing, not with all of that work. She nodded at Beryl before meeting Phibrizzo's eye. "So, about our share of the treasure? When do we get that?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:39 am
Wolf frowned. Xelloss was taking everything they had worked to get and no one was going to try and stop him. No one was foolish enough to try and stop him. Wolf shifted a leg to get her bird's attention. No one would try to stop him but that didn't mean they had to let him vanish. She nodded at Raven and then at Xelloss as subtly as she could. Her bird got the message and took off after him. With that taken care of Wolf shifted her attention to Othelia. They had been comrades once but it seemed that was over. If things went a bad way then Wolf would be ready. She knew Othelia's moves already, she could handle her if it came down to it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:47 am
Phibrizzo was grinning as Xelloss took the sack from the group of mares. These were the looks he had been waiting to see. They had been betrayed and they knew and oh how it hurt them. It was elating to see it so close. The reactions were always the best when something was made personal and Slipsand and Carmine were putting on the best show of all. The little nixie had sidled over to the buffalo in their company with a trembling lip and such a sweetly distraught expression that it was giving him chills. Carmine on the other hand seemed to be making an attempt at denying what was staring her right in the face.
Phibrizzo shook his head sadly and clicked his tongue. "I don't think you're understanding the situation." He said putting on a disappointed face. "I knew you were a bit dull from the beginning but I still thought you were sharper than this." He smirked and started walking off after Xelloss. He'd gotten what he had come from and they had given him enough of a show that he could grant them their lives at least.
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