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 Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 2:30 pm
Ephesus knew they were in trouble the moment they felt the energy signature immediately after powering up. He and Elliot had waited to get to the park and made sure there was no one around, but while Ephesus was relatively certain they hadn’t been seen, they were incredibly wrong about being alone.
The aura of a Negaverse Captain was nearby, but with sinking dread, Ephesus knew that if they powered down to try and hide themselves, it would be incredibly easy to be found if the Captain came looking.
“Should we run?” he squeaked to Amarynthos, his voice breaking with the panic that made his heart race. They were Squires, but they also knew they were not very experienced, and Effie certainly wasn’t a very good fighter. There was a chance that the Captain would be scared away, not wanting to take on two Squires at once, but.
“Is… is that someone in trouble?” he whispered then, not sure if he heard the sound of someone whimpering or begging for someone to stop. The color drained from his face. They couldn’t just leave someone who was in trouble, even if it meant that they would be in trouble.
It took just a moment, but because they didn’t know what they would run into, Ephesus opened his subspace pocket to reach for the pen Soleiyu had made for him back before he was a knight and pressed the button on it to alert Devyn that they might be in trouble.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 3:28 pm
Amarynthos felt the cold wave of Chaos immediately, and it crashed against him and stung like needles across his skin. Even if the idea to run had been a good one, the moment it sounded like someone was in trouble, his legs felt like lead. He couldn’t run.
His heart was pounding in his chest, even if he had been practicing. He knew the Negaverse was dangerous, and he trusted when Michael and Devyn both warned them. Even if he was usually confident in his abilities, he wasn’t arrogant.
And, he wasn’t going to get Atticus hurt by thinking he could handle more than he was ready for.
He took Ephesus’ hand and squeezed it firmly before he stood up straight.
Effie was clever, and always prepared. He was calling for backup even before Amarynthos could suggest it.
“If someone’s in danger then we just have to buy time. They’ll be here soon.”
It wasn’t a guess, it was a fact; any other time they’d needed help, Michael and Devyn had been there in less time than he thought humanly possible.
…So he hoped this time would be the same.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:04 pm
Starseeds were funny little things. They looked so delicate, and yet they were steeped in so much power.
The whimpering ceased, and Carnallite left the inert form of a Senshi beneath the shade of an evergreen. In her hand she held the Senshi’s twinkling starseed; it caught the moonlight, glimmering like a jewel. Easy to steal, easy to break, it seemed ridiculous that their lives should be attached to it.
The sudden flare of two more auras nearby disturbed her musings. Carnallite stood from her crouch and banished the starseed to subspace. She focused on the auras — White Moon, each equal to her in strength.
Another Captain might have left. Roselite would have, being outnumbered. Another Captain might have determined they’d done enough for the night. She’d fulfilled her obligation. The Senshi at her feet would not present an issue again.
Carnallite stepped out of the shadows. She tracked the two auras, crept close enough to have them in her sights.
Two Squires dressed in unfamiliar colors; Carnallite was not yet close enough to determine which symbols they bore. They seemed young. Not new, if they were Squires, but certainly green.
“Bit late for the two of you to be out here alone, isn’t it?” she asked.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:05 pm
The sound of someone in trouble stopped. Ephesus felt a sinking cold sweep over him, but hoped that meant their presence disrupted anything that the Captain was doing. Because soon, a woman with light hair stepped from the shadows.
Ephesus tried not to shrink close to Amarynthos. He was a Squire! He could handle himself. They’d been training, after all. And Michael and Devyn would be there soon. As soon as they could be, so they just had to wait.
“Hello,” he greeted, swallowing down the fear that chilled him. His voice was a little wobbly, but with the pen stored back in his subspace after letting the GPS ping where they were to Devyn, he raised his free hand to show he was unarmed.
Maybe she would be like the other Negaverse agents they’d heard about and just want to talk. Amarynthos’ dad was able to make friends with one, after all! They couldn’t all be bad.
“We just wanted to make sure-- um… that if anyone needed help. That we could… help, I mean,” he stumbled over his words in his nervousness.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:22 pm
Amarynthos instinctively stepped forward to make room for Ephesus to take any amount of protection behind him. He didn’t waver in the Captain’s presence, and he stood tall and firm, almost like he wasn’t actually afraid of her.
Did he fear her? He didn’t know, maybe. His adrenaline wasn’t giving him much room to think about that. She wasn’t good news, he knew that much. Not if someone had just sounded hurt and she still looked just fine.
He was a bit more reluctant to seem vulnerable in front of her, but he hoped Ephesus was convincing enough to encourage her to lower her guard. Maybe this was just a misunderstanding.
His heart was pounding, so he didn’t think they’d be that lucky. But, maybe.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Sorry if we interrupted anything. Are you okay?”
Did he care if she was okay? Was she the one making people not okay?
His mind was racing, so he drew in another breath and tried to force himself to calm down. He wasn’t going to be any good if he was too worked up.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:30 pm
Carnallite laughed. It wasn’t loud or vigorous. She didn’t throw her head back or gasp for breath. It was short and cold, soft, almost mocking.
“Sweet of you,” she said. “Wanting to help.”
They were young. School children, really. Probably not even old enough to drive. The fair one — he reminded her of Roselite. Nervous. Stammering. Pathetic. The protective one was a better actor, at least. If he was afraid, he didn’t immediately show it.
Carnallite thought she could sense it anyway.
She stepped closer, looking for symbols and finding crescent moons.
“Don’t waste your concern on me,” she continued, feigning friendliness. She did so poorly. Her voice never lost its cold edge. “Save it for yourselves. You’ve spared me the trouble of having to hunt down more of you.”
Carnallite’s lips twitched into a venomous smile.
“Go ahead. I’ll give you the chance to run.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:31 pm
He didn’t like her. There was something about her that made his heart race and his stomach twist. Maybe it was the way she laughed, or maybe it was the way she looked at them, or the way she smiled.
“Mary,” Ephesus whispered, choking on Amarynthos’ name. He held his hand tightly, and while he didn’t want to shrink behind him in fear, he suddenly felt very small and helpless.
He didn’t know if they should try to fight, or if maybe they should run. But he knew that she could probably teleport. Most of the higher ranking Negaverse agents could.
The problem with running -- and he knew Amarynthos knew it was a problem too -- was that he couldn’t run very fast. The last time they had to run from the Negaverse when Elliot’s house had been destroyed, he ended up carrying Atticus most of the way to Michael’s house.
Running meant that if either of them hoped to have a chance at escaping, Amarynthos would have to leave Ephesus behind. And while Ephesus would be okay with making sure Amarynthos got away, he didn’t know how well his weapon would hold up to… whatever hers was.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:33 pm
The second she laughed, Amarynthos was struck by how cruel she sounded. Mocking, insulting. She sounded condescending. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to act nice or if she just enjoyed being unnerving.
In the end, it didn’t matter.
Her smile made him think of an illustration he’d seen in a horror story.
She said they could have the chance to run, but he doubted she had any intention of letting them get away. Not when she’d just talked about hunting them down. Running was useless when she could just teleport, and if he tried to keep the same pace as Ephesus it just meant they were a target, together.
If he tried to run separately, he risked leaving the other Moon Squire open for attack.
He wasn’t going to leave Ephesus alone or vulnerable.
Michael and Devyn were on their way. He didn’t have any doubt whatsoever. He just couldn’t tell if it had been minutes or seconds since Ephesus called for them, and it already felt like they’d been waiting for an eternity.
“We don’t want to run,” he said firmly, and squeezed Ephesus’ hand tightly. Whatever nervousness he’d had, he shoved into the pit of his stomach. “We’ve been looking for someone to talk to. Everyone says you’re dangerous, but one of your agents saved my life. How do I find them?”
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:36 pm
Either they were brave, or stupid. Maybe a combination of the two, though Carnallite preferred to assume they were more suited to the latter. Two young boys who thought they could talk their way out of this, as if they could become acquainted, as if she would ever help them.
Oh, well; there’d be no games tonight, then. That was fine. Less energy she had to expend proving they stood no chance.
Maybe they were smarter than she gave them credit for, for knowing that.
“Mary,” she said, mint eyes gleaming. “Sweet name for a Squire. I don’t know who saved your life, Mary, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you how to find them. That’s not how this works. You are a knight. That makes you an adversary, not a friend.”
Whoever saved him should have known better, should have left him for dead or killed him themselves. That they hadn’t put a stain on the Negaverse. Letting their enemies wander free…
Unless they hadn’t known. Perhaps this Mary hadn’t been a knight at the time.
Perhaps he was lying, trying to stall her.
Carnallite sighed. She laughed again after, caustic and abrupt.
Then she lashed out without warning, aiming a lightning fast kick for Mary’s ribs. She didn’t hold back, but put most of her strength into it. It was best they understood who they were dealing with.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:38 pm
Ephesus had to keep his expression frozen. His heart had leapt into his throat when Amarynthos said that a Negaverse agent saved his life. When did this happen? Did Amarynthos not tell him?
No, he would have told him everything, especially with the Negaverse involved. Which meant Amarynthos was making it up, probably trying to stall.
It didn’t matter though.
His heart leapt again when he realized she heard him say Mary’s name. He hadn’t meant for her to hear him, but he was growing increasingly more scared of her that he couldn’t help it.
And then she sighed. And laughed.
And moved so quickly that Ephesus almost didn’t see her at all.
“No!” he cried, tears springing to his eyes as Amarynthos was kicked so hard that he was knocked out of his grip.
Okay. Okay, he would just have to make sure he could buy Amarynthos enough time to get back up.
Ephesus quickly put himself between the woman and his boyfriend, his honey dipper called and held tightly in his trembling hands.
“S-stay back!” he choked on the words, tears making his eyes hot and vision blurry. They just had to wait for his dads to show up. Just a little longer.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:51 pm
Amarynthos had been hurt before. Maybe it was just some accident or training gone wrong.
He’d never been kicked in the ribs like that. She’d moved so quickly that he barely had time to raise his hands to intercept the kick, and even that had done little to soften the blow. His hands stung. His ribs hurt. He couldn’t really even think about how much they hurt.
The force had been enough to send him stumbling backwards, and he hit the ground, hard. His breath had been knocked out of him from both sides, and briefly he saw black. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, but it was enough to hurt.
The fog in his mind made it hard to focus. He felt rattled and sluggish, and trying to move felt like trudging through swamp water up to his neck.
He heard Ephesus, though. Saw him move.
He wanted to tell him he was okay, even if he wasn’t really sure about it right now. He didn’t want to stay on the ground for any longer than necessary, and even if his body protested, adrenaline gave him the strength to push himself up. He tried not to grab his ribs as he moved, but he felt like he could hear bones clacking around inside, and breathing was a greater struggle than he’d ever admit. His breath came in short, quick bursts; taking a deep breath was too uncomfortable. He gripped the water mister tightly, as if digging his nails into his weapon could help ground him.
He stayed quiet, though; he didn’t want to let her know, and he didn’t want Ephesus to hear the abnormal breathing pattern and worry.
Amarynthos could already hear the tears in his voice.
Maybe they’d bought a few seconds, but they still needed more time. He wanted to think that those were more energy signatures–friendly energy signatures–on the horizon, but his head was swimming so much that he didn’t really know what was real and what was wishful thinking.
What he did know was that he had magic, and it was meant to be used.
Quote: Squire Magic: Moonlight sparkles in the air around Amarynthos and all enemy targets within fifteen feet will feel enlightened; they will become hypercritical of their flaws and shortcomings, and may rapidly be filled with regret for instances where they failed in the past. The forced introspection can be incredibly distracting and make targets feel overwhelmed and unable to interact with the present. The magic can be channeled for up to 45 seconds; the circle will move with Amarynthos but if characters leave the radius the effects will fade.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:55 pm
The one called Mary fell, and the other placed himself between them.
Carnallite stared down at the fair one, her gaze impassive, unimpressed by the attempt to defend. He was a small boy. Fragile. Teary. Weak. His wet eyes didn’t faze her, except to grate on her nerves. His trembling voice reminded her again of Roselite.
This was what the universe had determined was worthy of being a Squire?
Something happened then, before she could decide on her next move. A shimmer in the air, then a loss of focus — or a change in one.
What was she doing? A Captain with her level of proficiency, playing with two young Squires instead of immediately disposing of them? She could’ve done so in seconds. They were woefully unprepared. Fate had done them a disservice by dragging them into this war. Neither of them were a match for her. They should’ve been dead the second she set eyes on them.
That was her duty, after all. She hadn’t done enough before now, hadn’t proven herself the way she’d meant to. Wasn’t that why Roselite had been promoted before her? Roselite, that sniveling, servile, fawning little mouse of an agent. He was nothing, yet he’d somehow earned respect, and Bloodstone’s favor, too, while Carnallite got the lectures.
Go on more missions, Carnallite. Take more initiative, Carnallite. If you want the power, you have to earn it, Carnallite. What’s your excuse? Oh, you have a job? You have a life? You have… what? A family? You don’t care enough about them. This is what you were born for. You’re wasting your potential.
Did it matter now? What good would dwelling on it do in this moment?
Why had she thought of it at all?
Carnallite shook her head like she could clear her thoughts. She looked from the fair one to the one called Mary, and noticed again how the air seemed to sparkle around them.
Magic.
But which one was using it?
She knew how magic worked. It was a finite resource. There were always limitations. She could put herself out of range — or let it continue, drain their reserves until they had nothing left.
Carnallite let out a disapproving ‘tsk.’ She teleported, and found relief at a nearby tree, some twenty feet away.
“A clever trick,” she called to them. “Would you like to see one of mine?”
Clear of mind outside of the magic’s influence, Carnallite vanished again a second later, reappearing behind the fair one. She reached for him, let her hand sink into his chest through his back, and wrapped her fingers around the funny little thing that made him a knight.
“You poor thing,” she said, with cold derision more than sympathy.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:57 pm
Ephesus was ready for the woman to attack. To kick him like she’d kicked Amarynthos. He braced himself for any kind of impact. Maybe if he ended up on the ground, he could help Amarynthos get up faster.
But Amarynthos was already up. Ephesus saw him move out of the corner of his eye, and the relief he felt was enough to draw out a quiet sob.
Even better, the woman seemed to hesitate in her attack -- because of Amarynthos’ magic?
It gave him enough time to turn back to Amarynthos and reach for him. He quickly looked him over for any visible injuries, even though he knew his stomach and ribs must have been hurting a lot.
Amarynthos was so brave and always knew what to do. Ephesus reached for his arm, not to pull on it just in case it caused him more pain, but to make sure his boyfriend knew he was there to help however he could.
Then the woman teleported away--
But not so she could leave them, he quickly realized. She just wanted to get away from Amarynthos magic. She was suddenly back, and Ephesus couldn’t even cry out in pain when the hand went through his back. All he could do was look desperately at Amarynthos, his eyes filled with fear and tears.
He could feel her hand around his starseed.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 7:06 pm
The pain that Amarynthos felt was immediately forgotten, replaced by an instant numbness.
He saw the Captain. Saw Ephesus’ face.
Panicked.
For all the calm he tried to muster before, it was gone. He didn’t like the Negaverse, he’d never liked them. Not when they’d already tried to kill Ephesus before. Not when they’d destroyed his house, tried to kill him, tried to kill his parents.
But she could teleport. It was faster than he’d thought it would be.
He moved before he’d thought about it, but he didn’t know what he could do. She was too close to comfort and he couldn’t tell exactly what she’d done, but it was bad.
Amarynthos lunged forward as if he’d meant to hug Ephesus, but his arms didn’t quite wrap around him. As one arm swung around him, he’d grabbed the Captain’s wrist with as much force as he could and desperately clung to it. He didn’t care if he broke her wrist. He didn’t care if it made her bleed, he didn’t care if it hurt her–he wanted it to.
He wanted her to let go and back off. He knew she was strong, he knew she had weapons, but he wasn’t going to lose Ephesus.
They just needed a little more time.
He’d have swung to hit her if he thought his weapon could reach, but he didn't want to risk hitting Ephesus. He just needed her to back off. Ephesus didn’t deserve this. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and Amarynthos wasn’t going to lose him.
He drew his free arm back like he was going to try and swing at her with the metal rod he’d been given, but the weight was different and it startled him when it felt like it caught on something behind him. He didn’t see the way the weapon had lengthened, hadn’t noticed the change in his uniform. He didn’t even think he’d had a cape for it to tangle on.
The adrenaline coursing through him made everything feel so fast, except he hardly had a thought in his head outside of just keep Ephesus safe. He didn't notice the fluctuation in his own power or strength.
He didn’t really know how to do that when her hand was in his chest, and he gave up trying to strike her in favor of pushing his magic on her, stronger than before, and more desperately.
There were no words he could give to Ephesus, he still felt like he couldn’t breathe. The pain from his ribs felt like cracked glass that had just set ablaze.
He hoped the closeness would be enough for him.
Hoped whatever they could do to get her off of him would be enough.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2023 7:09 pm
Carnallite snarled as the one called Mary became a Knight.
He had her wrist. He technically had more power, but she’d taken on a Knight older and larger than him when she’d had even less. She could shake him off, hurt him, break him, kill him, leave both of their bodies here for a random passerby to find.
Then, out of the dark of night came a bright beam of golden light. It struck Carnallite’s arm with enough force to leave it momentarily numb. Her hand slipped free with the starseed between her fingers, but the shock of collision sent it falling before she could secure it. A speeding ball of ruddy fur came careening into her flank, knocking her off balance.
The starseed landed in the grass, twinkling beneath the silver light of the moon.A foul woman with a foul aura, Lucasta felt no guilt as her running leap sent her crashing into the Captain, claws out to dig into the meat of her thigh where the skin was exposed.
Out on a brief excursion around the city, seeking out those who might require her guidance, Lucasta had only just found a familiar figure when the auras in the park called both of their attention. She hadn’t known who they were, only that they might need help. Coming upon them, seeing Amarynthos and Ephesus, spurred her into immediate action.
Lucasta landed, inelegant with rapidly growing fatigue, and went in for another attack, aiming a headbutt for the Captain’s boots in an attempt to take her legs out from under her.A cat?
Carnallite stumbled again. She didn’t miss the renewed shimmer in the air, but the sudden arrival distracted her from it enough that the magic took hold.
Why did she continue to allow herself to become distracted? She would never earn another promotion like this. Two boys, practically children, completely at her mercy, yet she had nothing to show for it. Now there was a cat. A cat. Carnallite didn’t often interact with the Mauvians, but she respected them. All of them. Wouldn’t this one look prettier in black? Wouldn’t she be more useful under Metallia’s rule?
This was insanity. She was faltering, she was bleeding, because of a cat. Because she’d been too slow, or too arrogant, or too complacent. Carnallite had no one to blame but herself.
Why was her heart racing? Why was she suddenly so tired, so weak? Her arm ached. The claw marks along her thigh burned more than they should.
She couldn’t be weak. She wasn’t. None of this made sense. Was it that ******** magic again?
Carnallite sent a burning glare toward the one called Mary.
It was him. The Knight. It had to be.
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