Welcome to Gaia! ::

The chaos of sound and movement was overwhelming. Nadia struggled to discern ally from foe, comrade from opponent. After a few seconds of sensory over-load and a desperate attempt to just figure out what in Jack's name was going on, Nadia gave up. In the mess of bodies and metal and pain it was impossible to focus on anything, impossible to think. The only thing the Reaper could do was to turn towards the nearest human and prepare to attack with a spear she picked up just a minute before. Her brain shut down as she focused at the adversary before her. Her battle instincts took over as the world narrowed to a small stretch of land, with only her and the human on it. Nadia lowered her spear and prepared to fight.

Her final battle was the only one Nadia could even describe with words other than,"I don't remember," She could still remember only flashes, and they were only just a bit clearer than the previous ones, but there were quite a few. Her standing, spear in hand over a bloodied corpse. A human, stronger, angrier than the others, mounted on a snow white horse, standing out from the bloody, dirty mess that was the battlefield, charging towards her, battle cry on his lips, face contorted with anger. She was now crouching, coiled like a snake, ready to snap out and strike out with her spear. The human falling, slain by Nadia's weapon, but jerking her spear out of her hands with his last burst of strength. The brilliantly white horse's hooves, crashing against her body, bruising the flesh and breaking bones. And then, nothing. Just white.

It was discouraging, really, how inept Herryk felt when it came down to actual battle. No matter how desperately he yearned to carve a path through the fleshy bodies of the armor-clad humans that spread before him like a thrashing ocean of death and destruction, Herryk was soon fatigued. Fatigued and weak; it was a feeble emotion, and one that Herryk felt almost poignantly deep in his chest. Wearily, Herryk gave pause and knelt if only for a moment; just long enough to find the will to continue forth once more.

However, above the din of battle rose a voice sang out; it carried to Herryk, leaving him refreshed and even more determined than before. Rejuvenated, replenished. He was not yet finished here.

As the strength to proceed filled Herryk, the draugr rose to his feet once more, hefting his axe with renewed purpose.

Perhaps the humans were driven by vengeance at the sight of their fallen brother in arms, or perhaps they were just as bloodthirsty as Herryk himself. Whatever the reason, the draugr was soon overwhelmed by a small herd of humans. Their weapons bit into the flesh of his body, delivering cuts and gouges that drove Herryk to his knees. How he was able to escape, Herryk would never know; but as he limped away from the scene, he was suddenly aware of his own incompetence on the field.

He had killed a man, but there were many more men; they seemed to fight with a purpose that Herryk and the others did not have - or perhaps they fought for reasons greater than Herryk could comprehend. What were they protecting?

Herryk withdrew far enough that he could recuperate, regain a little strength back before returning to the battle once more.

The death of a second human at his hand was just as exhilarating as the first. It was something the draugr could easily get used to; however, such things were not embraced back home. They had no reason to kill humans, or so they'd been told - the humans created the Fear that Halloween itself was powered by, so to kill the humans was almost counter-productive.

Herryk was not thinking about productivity when the honed blade of his axe slid through the neck of another man in one quick, faultless motion; the man's head landed on the ground with a dull thud, eyes glazing almost immediately. The headless body soon followed, spewing blood as it fell to the earth with a wet, gurgling sound.

Mandy when she arrived at the meeting place looked tired. She felt like she hadn’t slept a wink last night, all that constant banging from the forges combined with her hearing led to a major headache and restless night. So, as it was, she only had time to crinkle her nose, wondering what the incense was, before she was out like a light.

When she blinked her eyes open again and looked around the white expanse they all now found themselves in all she could think was now I know who to blame for that Jacking nightmare. She tried not to let her growing displeasure with Death clan show but honestly if given the choice she would run back to Famine right jacking now.

She may have huffed just a little bit as she trailed after the Priestess through the door.

At which point she shut the hell up with her huffing because unholy jacking hell what was going was this a battle omj this is AWESOME.

Mandy had thought she was in for more horizon expanding, which was cool and all, but SQUEE A BATTLE. She loved battles.

Especially ones where the possible fate of the school/Halloween didn’t hang in the balance.

She practically skipped over to a spear, the closest thing to the more traditional staff a humanoid Drop Bear would use, giving it a few test twirls and thrusts before falling into line as they moved on.

Time to kill some rebels~

(She would not be mentioning this to D.E.T.H)

(Ever)

Right after her arrival on Death, Shenny was waiting for the class. Just a glimpse of the atmosphere and lifestyle of the clan made her completely fascinated and infatuated. It was nothing like Famine, or like Halloween, but it was magnificent: every second of her staying here, especially in the Temple of Guidance, the ghoul couldn't help feeling the familiarity of everything: landscape, architecture, clothes, air, scent... THIS SCENT. Sweet, luscious, yet very appealing, it was hypnotizing her. Since her first minute here, the scent of incense filled her nostrils, her head, and her mind. Shenny felt a strange pain somewhere deep in her heart, something very nostalgic, though the pain wasn't disturbing at all... in fact, it was nice. The sorceress couldn't explain it to herself, but she was enjoying the ancient pleasure of pain.

She was ready for the Guidance. A "Trance" part of what Medea was saying sounded indeed interesting, but Shenny felt guidance is what she ultimately needed. All her life she was swimming in the pool she had been thrown into, learning and studying from the very basic experiences without any major course, or goal. Hmm... Shenny wondered for a moment, whether she was always thinking this way?.. Wasn't she more certain about herself and her place in this world?.. Could that be that Death, and may be this scent, is just hypnotizing students?.. No, of course not. It was so familiar, it felt like a Home. They want to guide her, guide the students, they wouldn't want to harm them...

Shenny felt strange, like she was asleep; it took quite a lot of willpower to concentrate and wake herself up. The sorceress shivered gazing at Medea: this lady had an enormous Fear pressure, it was just so soft and calm one could easily overlook it.

As the students were walking into the most ornate door, Shenny wondered, if the doors were always there... She spent all the day before the classes in the Temple, and was almost certain she hadn't seen them in this place. They stepped right into NOTHING, the pure white. The ghoul felt like they were a few drops of oil poured on a canvas, and the very moment she could touch the NOTHING, it took the form. A tiny moment passed, and they were standing... Bloody Mary! Where exactly they were standing?

Then it all went very fast. Centaur, Theseus, Chiron, Athena, ambush, humans... As most of Halloweeners Shenny didn't have enough knowledge of the humans. To be honest, she had been in the human world only once, during the Famine trial, with other spectators, though the place they were right now didn't look very similar. No sand, no hot arid air... Human world, as she remembered it, looked more like Famine island, with no pleasant green valleys. However, this big vivid thing in the sky... yes, this one was similar. The whole setting was quite hectic, and everything around - people, landscape - smelled of history, of something ancient. It was almost the same feeling she experienced in the Hidden lair of Famine. Was it just her imagination?.. But well, everyone here was dressed in a very odd old-fashioned way, you could sometimes see in the old manuscripts.

But.. fighting with humans!!! Candlejack! That's fantastic! The ghoul couldn't desire more. Shenny loved fighting more than almost anything else: the frenzy of the atmosphere, cries of pain, chaos! Yes, the chaos of battle, that's what she loved about it. The ghoul quickly examined the weapons: most of them were rusty and half-broken, but she managed to find quite a good sword there. Anyway, from all the possible weapons she's mostly skilled with a sword, and she really got used to it. She swiftly cut the air checking the balance.

She was ready to move on.

((Weapon of choice: sword))

Whirlwinding between human soldiers she was showering blows on their massive bodies. Another human died by her head, their fear filled her body, her entire existence empowering the sorceress.

However, she quickly realized that no matter how brilliant was the feeling of absorbing human's fear, it might have its own limitations. It couldn't turn her into a goddess of the fight, after all. Soon enough her mind, her very consciousness sort of left her body: she was fighting, and at the same time thinking and analysing the situation emotionlessly from above.

And actually, it was pretty bad. Shenny could easily say they were outnumbered. Perhaps, they all underestimated their opponents (but well, at least students had no idea what to wait). Humans were strong, fast, experienced and well prepared for their attack. What was more important, they were much, much better organized attacking in groups and covering each other's back: students, even best of them, simply lacked the experience of team fighting, and experience of a real war, not that one of a duel or little fight.

For a moment, Shenny stood frozen in the middle of a bloody bath. Just a second, but it looked like all of a sudden everything around her was still. Shenny realized that death is inevitable. It was suddenly very clear, very obvious. She will die here, and all of them would die here. They're just too few of them, and they aren't prepared properly, and there're too many humans. Unless, and army of horsemen will come to rescue, in which she had a strong doubt, it will all be over very soon. However, this thought wasn't frightening at all. Every creature shall die sooner or later, no news here. And dying in the battle, dying with fellow Halloweeners, Amytiville students, wasn't it a good way to die? No, perhaps, it's the best way: not painless, but honourable. She has nothing to regret, and nobody to mourn for her. Shenny moved her sword to the left hand preparing to sell her life dearly.