PAN [Protect Against Nightcrawlers]: The Sequel

[Consistent Spontaneity]

Not far away from the stone an unconscious boy had fallen through--through?--Vera was doing much better than her cousin. If it weren't for the endless onslaught, she might actually be enjoying this.

She was about to send the stone-figure after the unconscious idiot--she had seen him hurl himself right into the battle--when a shadow swept over, slicing the nightcrawler in two and taking the dolt across the clearing to the tree Evangeline was under. Good for him, she thought, whirled and punched, sending the stone-figure's fist through a nightcrawler's brain. More like nonexistent brain, she thought with a touch of amusement.

The stone figure had lost an arm in this though, and Vera abandoned it completely. The rock simply faded away towards the original stone, as if melting back into its source. Vera then dashed for a giant tree across the clearing from Evvy's tree and with a few confident layups, pulled herself into a safe crook of the branches. Soul of Tree, she thought audibly, Allow me to take a part of your system for this battle

A root jutting out of the ground and sweeping through at least a dozen nightcrawlers indicated the tree's response.
------

Evangeline ducked, throwing shield after shield around herself and cowered against the tree. There're too many! Why are they all here? Is this their meeting spot or something? she wailed mentally, cringing as a nightcrawler reared its ugly head at her. She yelped as she saw its fangs in the moonlight, but a black shield suddenly went up, beheading the monster and protecting her from further attacks.

When she turned she found herself next to the demon that was in the tree and who was checking over an unconscious boy next to her. It took Evangeline six deep breaths to calm herself enough to think clearly and another three before she found her voice."T-thank you for saving me..." Another two seconds passed before she crawled over to the unconcious boy. "C-can I-I h-help? Some--how?"

((lol are we all meeting at Stonehenge? Does anyone want to launch a mission into the nightcrawler's underground network? twisted ))  

[amac4]

Katanara was wandering through the island of England, not really sure (and not really caring) where she was. She had hitched a ride from Greenland to Iceland and finally to Ireland from a band of faeries who were on a quest to try to find the Lia Fail, or some such idiotic legend like that. Then she had saved a water sprite from a couple of nightcrawlers, and in return the sprite had agreed to land her on the shore of England.

Coming to England wasn't just her usual wandering, though. No, she wouldn't have gone to this much trouble to leave the icy wasteland she wandered through without good reason. She had heard from a couple of well-traveled vampires from Russia that the nightcrawlers seemed to gather somewhere in the middle of England. So here she was, chasing them down, hoping to find the Royal Court she had heard so many legends of.

Maybe I'm no better than those faeries, she thought to herself, amused. After all, I'm chasing a legend too, aren't I?

Hearing a sudden sound, she stopped. Flicking the pointy tips of her elvish ears back and forth, she caught the direction and distance of the sound. Aha! Those are nightcrawlers fighting, she thought. Time to go explore. She set off toward the sound at a sprint.  

[Illuminate Shadows]

"This is a major portal to their home." Akahana said without turning around to face the girl, mind-reading was an ability she had eventually picked up from being around Exy and Artemis so much, "So often after feeding, most of them come this way. You can see to it that he stays out of harm's way, and try to contain your fear. Nightcrawlers like to feed off of that emotion." Akahana instructed crisply sitting the boy up against the tree, I've never seen so many nightcrawlers since forty-four years ago...I should probably try to contact Artemis after this. her eyes flickered dangerously as she turned back to watch the battle, fingers sparking with black energy.  

[Consistent Spontaneity]

"T-they feed off fear?" Evangeline stuttered. She can read my mind! she noted anxiously. Control your fear. Control your fear. she thought desperately, moving the unconscious boy towards the tree. She tried to breathe calmly, but knowing the enemy was drawing power off her weakness only made her more scared.
------

Branches and roots flew threw the air, shooting through nightcrawlers and sweeping others through the portal. With the two forsaken and that idiotic Zetes boy all battling well, the nightcrawlers that had a grain of sense were heading straight for the portal without bothering to attack. Cowards! Vera bellowed at them mentally, cackling with glee as a leaf-bare branch knocked a group of returning nightcrawlers off their feet. A few flying creatures swopped down on her tree, but more branches swept up and lashed them out of the air. I'll clean that up later she promised the tree and three buckets of tar-like blood fell from the sky and stained the trunk.

((@Yuki--If Akahana does contact Artemis later, I'll be fine with writing for Artemis or Exy wink ))  

[separated by a scream]

Dekka saw the blood stain his shirt and felt slightly guilty for doing it, but a second later she reminded herself that something worse might, correction, would have if she hadn't done it. Yes, the stranger definitely deserved it.

The shocked expression on his face almost made her want to laugh, but she contained it. He obviously was not expecting her to have a weapon with him.

Dekka watched him speak with a raised eyebrow, and just before she could formulate a response, he ran away. With a shrug, she coiled her whip back around her wrist and hailed a cab. Now it was off to Stonehenge.

Thankfully, the cab ride was shorter than she had expected. After paying the driver, she climbed out of the cab and saw the fight errupting ahead. What the hell?

For a second she watched the battle before bolting off to join. Whoever was fighting looked like they could use an extra fighter. Dek made it to the heart of the battle before she felt something grab her. She kicked and launched fireballs at the monster until its fight disapeared. With a triumphant smile, she concluded that it was dead.

Glancing to her left, only a few feet away, she saw the man that she had encountered earlier. The gashes on his arm made it extremely clear. "You have got to be kidding me." She muttered, her smile disappearing. All that's left to do was hope that they didn't have reason to talk.

((@ePhyllis: Totally fine, don't worry about it! . (: ))  

[Your_Last_Wish_For_Death]

Nightingale was beginging to get very frustrated with the idiotic people around here not trying to kill these monsters. "ENOUGH OF THIS!" She screamed out in her dark angelic voice. Rising into the air with her black feathered rings she went above the tree tops.

Spreading out her hands in the air while above the trees she hesitated for a moment. Doing this is risky. It will drain me almost to death. Do I really need to help these mortals? No. I have no ties with them. But the nightcrawlers need to be sent back to their prison of dark. Do I have much choice? Although I may not have to care for these mortals, I still have a sence of loyalty for the heavens. I have no choice then...

As these thoughts passed breifly through Nightingales mind she shut her eyes in consentration.

"UMBRA TERRAE PLUANT FUROREM!"

As she screamed this phrase a black circle of shadows rose((sp?)) around Nightingale engulfing her body, but spreading over a good portion of the forest where the nightcrawlers were attacking. Then almost as if time could've stopped, daggers of shadows rained down from the sky.

She continued this assult on them as long as her body would allow. After a few moments though her energy was begining to fade faster than she had hoped it would. Unsure if she even hit some of the nightcrawlers, she began to plumet towards the earth. her wings wrapped slowly around her body to encase it and brace for impact.

((The latin says "Shadows of the earth rain down your fury." ))  

[Consistent Spontaneity]

She should not have done that Vera thought, making the tree shrink back to its original state as she slipped back to her own body. She crouched in the branches, gazing the the shadow-daggers in awe. When the forsaken that had caused the raining shadows started falling though, Vera made no move to help.

Unlike her cousin, Evangeline was not in awe of the raining daggers--she was just scared silly. Nightcrawlers all over the clearing shrieked and disappeared through the stone portal--if they were not crushed by a shadow first. But when the falling daggers started to ease and the black-wings girl fell, Evangeline summoned what little courage she held in her heart and raced for where the dark angel looked as though she were going to fall. I can do strong magic too! she thought determinedly. She chanted something inaudible and finally called, "Aer! Recolligo ut is may cado leviter!"

Winds spun around her, chilling her to the bone and making her wish she had picked another way to soften the landing, but she held the spell out.

((I copied the latin as the base of magics language thing ehehehe smile It says "Air! Gather so that she may fall lightly!"))  

[Your_Last_Wish_For_Death]

Hitting the air cushion that Evangeline supplied Nightingale didn't completely crash. Laying on the ground with her wings still around her she was still glowing with the power she had used with the shadows. She saw black swirls and the tree tops then collapsed into unconsiousness.

Just before she felt the life energy in her start to fade and her body start to die she had a vision of a voice in her head. You shouldn't have done that Nightingale. You're out of the energy your body needs to be sustained. You're a disgrace and a fallen angel. Why and I helping you now you may ask? Because I can't let you die when you hold promise of defeating the nightcrawlers.

Still in unconsiousness she felt some energy be like dropped into her, but only enough to sustain her body. Thankful enough for Nightingale her energy would eventually return after a while. For now though, she was incompasitated.  

[Illuminate Shadows]

((@Silver: Be fine with me if you RP Exy and Artemis. biggrin ))

Akahana watched the fallen angel falling without moving to help, for one, angels didn't sit well with her. Especially this one, she was too rash, nightcrawlers couldn't be terminated completely as long as there were others still living and the attack that the fallen one launched was very demanding on power. It could have killed her if she wasn't careful. Dark nudged one of her wings in a questioning gesture, "She doesn't need help. With rest, she'll be fine. After all, she is an angel, fallen or not it's rather hard for her to die." Akahana spread her wings, dismissing the shadows whirling around her, after they had fallen flat again she backed up against the tree and whispered, "Pons saecula supernaturalis, amici trahentem sermones meos dare..." A silver glow enveloped her mind...connection made.

Artemis? Hey it's Hana, nightcrawlers have just finished an attack on some newcomers. The strongest in years, anything new I should know about? Counted about 89 in this clearing alone and according to the rise of human injuries reported, there are certainly more popping up. Akahana surveyed the clearing as she waited for a response.

((Not sure if the latin is really dead on but its supposed to mean, "Bridge the worlds of the supernatural, trace my friend and give her my message."))  

[Consistent Spontaneity]

Evangeline shuddered before kneeling next to the Nightingale, checking her wings for punctures and her skin for unlikely scars. Vera appeared behind her. The Soul shook her head when Evangeline looked up for help and murmured, "There's nothing I can do. I wouldn't if I could either. Rest is the best medicine right now." Evangeline nodded and leaving Vera by the dark angel, went to check on the unconscious boy--now that she looked closely, he looked older than everyone else in the clearing; the unconscious man then.

------

Artemis, who had returned to Heaven expecting her old messenger job, was recovering from a battle of her own when a message tapped through her mind, begging entrance that she swiftly granted once knowing who it was from. She listened gravely to the news of the return of the nightcrawlers.
I am on a dead planet now, where there is a war between the forces of nature and the dead. I doubt this war has anything to do with Earth, but what I do know is that there are rifts in the tunnels here that pass between this land and Earth. I will personally check them soon for signs of nightcrawler activity. she paused, thinking hard. Her half-sister appeared out of the shadows and Exy onlined her so she would be able to speak to their old friend as well.

Could it be that demon Desdemon again? the vampire asked to both of them. Perhaps we should contact him? Either way, PAN must be rebuilt to protect against the new nightcrawlers. Akahana, do you need any help on Earth?  

[Your_Last_Wish_For_Death]

Nightingale stirred instantly a few moments later. "Get away from me." She said to anyone around her. Slowly getting to her feet, she stumbled towards a tree away from anyone. She noticed that the Demon hadn't desided to kill her when she was weakened.

Deciding to try a new riskier idea and power Nightingale looked towards the demon girl. Why? She asked trying to send a wave of her aura over to the demon. That's all she sent was the emotion of questioning. She wasn't expecting an answer from the demon. It wasn't likely, after all demons and angels were supposed to be enimies.

Unknowingly though, Nightingale didn't have the control to send the feeling just to the demon. It spread weakly within a few feet of her. Changing back to her human form, she sat there against the tree hoping to get some sleep, or maybe some energy back.  

[ePhyllis]

Amused by Hopp's urgency, Lilian shook her head. "Those monsters were all over the place tonight. No, I probably don't know much more than you do. You're on the way to Stonehenge, the meeting place for PAN, right? Let's go there together. I'm sure the old members there will be able to shed some light on this."

She turned her back on him and continued on her way to meet the others.

----------------
(*this was written starting from before all of the nightcrawlers were eliminated)

Zetes whooped as each haphazard grab and twist wrought more black blood from the air. Who knew that nightcrawler-killing was so much fun? They were not quite as soft as humans and a lot larger, but perhaps not as intelligent. Or were these just the small fry? Suddenly unconcerned with the nightcrawlers around him, he began to push closer to the monument itself. But at that moment there was a cacophony of sound from above, and he glanced up to see black objects raining from the sky and begetting more nightcrawler blood. The area was suddenly deathly quiet and clear of the beasts.

He looked around and spotted the girl with the whip from earlier. "Hey!" he cried, sticking out a hand for her to shake. He noticed the bloody sleeve and switched hands. Seeing that the other sleeve was also dirty, he laughed sheepishly and settled for an awkward, jerky little bow. "Are you looking to join PAN, too? Let's go meet up with the others."

Without waiting for a reply, he bounded the rest of the way up the the girls and the unconscious man lying near the monument. "Am I late for roll call?"

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

Jule scraped the tip of the rusty sword against the bark of the trees as she passed through the forest. Near past the sixteenth the blade snapped with a dull clang and clattered to the floor. She scowled. A kitchen knife would have been much more useful. She raised the half-blade to eye level and glared at it, half expecting it to grow back a shining replacement. No change occurred. As she shifted her focus to the landscape above the sword she noticed that the sky was clear and the sounds of fighting had stopped. Well. It looked as if she didn't need a sword after all. She tossed the blade over her shoulder and quickened her pace toward the group assembled on Stonehenge.

"Who's the leader here?"

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

(**Vaness will stay unconscious for a while**)  

[Consistent Spontaneity]

"There's that again," Vera said impatiently, glancing at each person as they joined them by the old oak tree that somehow had not been badly hurt in the battle. "I don't think this is a cooking convention of some sort, and I certainly don't see any pans. What's going on?"

Didn't the demon girl say this was a doorway to the nightcrawlers's home? I thought they were the enemy! Evangeline, looking up. The man seemed unhurt, but still asleep. There was nothing she could do for him. She turned around and watched the others gather.  

[Illuminate Shadows]

In order to preserve the link to her friends, a mental shield instinctively had gone up when Akahana sensed another message coming, so she hadn't caught the questioning aura at all. However, she noticed the incredulity on the angel's face in finding Akahana hadn't made an attempt on her life. She inclined her head toward the fallen one as a small gesture of greeting and shrugged her shoulders, as far as killing and the feud between angels and demons, Akahana was still too young to truly understand the fierce hate between them. After all, Alec wasn't too bad and he was a fallen angel... Akahana started when Artemis' and Exy's messages came and replied to it as soon as they were done speaking, I highly doubt Des was behind this, the nightcrawlers wouldn't have tried to attack in such random patterns if he was still involved and I would have sensed his presence by now. PAN doesn't need help reforming, it's kind of reforming on its own. And please do check those rifts, Artemis, Father used tell me about those pathways to Earth and they would be an easy way for nightcrawlers to come back to Earth.

After sending the message, Akahana answered Vera absent-mindedly, "Not the cooking pan, PAN is an organization that used to keep nightcrawlers down to a reasonable number. It disappeared a while back due to the sudden disappearance of these creatures, this is a major portal of theirs." Dark swirled around its mistress' head, confused by all the people around it.  

[Consistent Spontaneity]

I will. Good luck! came Artemis's reply before the connection ended completely.
------

"I didn't ask to join this!"
"It would be an honor to join," Vera and Evangeline replied at the same time. The orange-haired girl snapped her head around to glare briefly at her cousin, but did not say anything else.

Evangeline glanced around nervously and finally poked her cousin tentatively as if questioning what they could do. Vera sighed and glanced around as if she were resigning herself to something she'd rather not do. "Well." she glanced around again and said bitterly, "Thank you...all...for fighting the nightcrawly things. I suppose I owe you a name." Again she hesitated before introducing, "I am called Veraline Suis, and this is my cousin, Evangeline. It's...nice to meet you...." The last sentence she forced, as if she was being forced to eat an unpleasant slime. Evangeline on the other hand, smiled shyly, gave a little wave, a quiet "Hi," and returned to being mute.