Titania curled up in her chair, drawing her legs up underneath her like she had as a little girl. She pulled the bowl of water towards her, waving her finges over it. "Yorick." She spoke to him quietly, giving him the details of what had happened. "Very well." He responded, stroking his beard. Titania frowned; she could sense the old man was holding something back. It must be wearing off. "I think it would be best if you came to New York yourself. After all, a Nephilim has not been turned for centuries." She purred, her finger stroking above the surface of the water, as if to caress his cheek. He nodded slowly, his brow furrowed. "I should come to New York to handle this myself." Titania smiled, but it dropped a little at his next sentence. "I'll bring Luce to help Corvo." While she knew the girl was capable, that was the problem. The spells that worked on most minds, weren't always successful. Corvo and Luce were two of the more strong willed victims, and hadn't yet succumbed. "If you think it best." She murmured before waving her hand over the water to try to scry another. Even after a thousand years, her mother remained hidden from her. Tonight was no different. She raised her hand and threw the bowl on the ground, the shattering noise echoing through the chamber. This caused the Seelie Knights to enter. She looked up before pushing her hair back behind her pointed ear. "Find me Cinead Coldspring." The Knights bowed as one and left again, leaving her to her solitude. She sighed as a plant drifted from the ceiling, brushing against her cheek with a feather light touch. She rubbed her fingers along the powdery ferns that covered the thing, the dust lingering on her fingers. "They could become a nuisance." She murmured. "Perhaps I'll rid myself of them soon." Clarity remained in the room as Rhett left her and went to Brianne. She didn't intrude on their conversation, only remained in case Brianne..had an urge. Violence and rage were part of the Change that was coming, and while werewolf venom couldn't affect her, she wanted to protect those it would, and could affect. Shadowhunters took counter measures, she knew, but there was always a chance. As long as she had been alive, she hadn't recalled of hearing of such a thing. Perhaps it was spreading through Brianne so quickly because of the angelic blood in her veins. After all, angels and demons always seemed to be pushed and pulled together and away from each other. Maybe that same need/hate relationship made her Change come upon her as fast as it did. She swallowed past the ache in her throat, seeing the pain Rhett was in, the pain Brianne was in, and feeling the hurt that she did because three of the closest people to her were in a miserable situation. And there was not a damn thing any one of them could do. Alarick only made it halfway to the safe house, letting go of Nick, before turning and slamming his fist into the wall of a nearby...he checked the sign. Library. It was a library. It didn't hurt nearly enough, so he did it again, a muffled yell trying to escape past his teeth, which were mashed together. "Goddamn you to hell. FUCK!" He let out the anger and rage, punching the wall again, cracking a knuckle and causing the others to bleed. "What the fuck do you think?" He growled in response to Sien, wanting to strangle the warlock for the stupid question. But it wasn't Sien he really wanted to hurt. Sien had been his friend a long time. Anger gave way to pain, and Alarick abruptly walked down the nearest alleyway, throwing up a Barrier and Silencing Rune behind him. "Go to the safe house without me. I'll be right behind you." He told Nick and Sien before backing up into the shadows. Morrigan watched Ash work before returning to her own designs. Well, her copied markings of Ash's designs. "No one knows why she left the court. Or those that do don't talk about it." Morrigan murmured, focusing on the intricate lines. "She's simply a legend, one of the few fey that managed to walk among the humans and be revered for it. Her kindness is paramount to her story, but I can't imagine actually meeting her. It would be like..." She paused, trying to think of the mundane equivalent. "Meeting Jesus, I suppose. And she probably knew the human who went by that name." The fairy sighed. "She must have so much knowledge, the stories she could tell." Then the conversation changed back to the topic of a vacation, only in a different form. "Can you retire without having an occupation?" She teased, glancing up only to have her cheek marked by the warlock. She stopped, blinking for a moment as her mind struggled to comprehend a playful gesture coming from Ash. Leaning down, she gently turned his face towards hers, leaning in....before poking him with her finger, right between the eyes. "Careful that you start something you can't finish." She warned, before setting the paper down. "I think it's almost done." She turned back to Masque. "Are you ready?" There was no question in her mind that the warlock was accompanying them; he was. "Are you coming with?" She asked the until now silent Valister, raising an eyebrow. "What am I supposed to do?" Brianne's voice rasped out, gritty with tears that had already been shed, and those that hadn't. She felt such pain in her chest, it was as though she were being torn in two. And she knew this had nothing to do with the Change, at least not yet. "Tell me, Rhett." Her voice cracked, and she swallowed, feeling the tears spill out over her cheeks. "This is taking everything from me." She had dropped to a whisper, unable to manage anything more. Holding out her hand, the blackened veins only an inch from her hand, she could only stare at it for a moment before the salty liquid blurred her vision, and she dropped the limb. "One of my best friends tried to save my life, and ended up destroying it. As a Shadowhunter, I came from a good family. I had a good position. As a werewolf, I'll have nothing, no one but those that stay with me.." her eyes flicked from Rhett to Clarity. The ifrit looked as though her heart was breaking. "I won't be able to hold my stele, something granted me more then ten years ago, passed through my mother's family for generations. My Seraphim blade..." she bit her lip, refusing to break down just yet. "And you come here. Telling me you're sorry." She could feel herself quietly shattering into pieces tinier then dust, but refused to let it show. Not yet. "And the fucked up part is that I feel bad for you. You did this to me, and I want to make you feel better." The tears were rolling out once more, flowing free and fast. "What am I supposed to do?"
Yorick listened to Corvo's requests with an impassive face before nodding slowly. "Luckily, Inquisitor, I happened to foresee this turn of events after Alarick failed to deliver Masque." He turned to face Corvo. "I shall have your armaments delivered before the morning. I will personally see that they get there. As for Roxanne joining you...." he nodded. "This is good. But I must be the bearer of bad news." He stroked his beard before letting his hand drop. "I have been advised of your current predicament. I would advise you complete the assassination of Brianne Lightwood as quickly as possible, in order to appease our Downworlder allies. Brianne has broken the Accords both knowingly and unknowingly, but that is beside the point now. Within three days she will no longer be a Nephilim, and to kill her then would be to break the Accords ourselves. You must be swift, Corvo." He paused. "And make sure to take the silver bullets." He waved his hand over the mirror, and turned to his assistant. "Ready my things, and ensure the weapons are packed appropriately. I expect to be in New York before dawn." Luce looked at Yorick with a smile. "At once, sir." She bowed from the waist before moving away. Yorick had the foresight to have packed Corvo's necessary weapons, minus one thing. Luce didn't understand why Yorick had been so adamant that the iron bullets be removed, but she had done as her master had asked. After all, to disobey him was to disobey the Clave, now. And Luce had higher aspirations then simply being the assistant to the leader of the Nephilim. Clarity looked up at the sound of Rhett's voice, feeling Brianne tense next to her. She didn't say anything, didn't need to as she stood up, brushing Brianne's hair back from her face before striding to the werewolf. If she had been in better shape, she would have punched him. As it was, she grabbed his collar, pulling him to an inch from her own face. She could smell the scent of blood, but it was no longer a danger to anyone in the room. Her eyes burned as she stared up at the werewolf. "What the fuck have you done?" She whispered, no venom in her voice, but no pity either. She was angry, and scared. Angry for Brianne, and scared for both Brianne and Rhett. There were going to be major consequences for her friends...if Brianne even survived. "What did you do, Rhett?" She dropped him, shoving him back and gasping at the pressure it put on her still healing ribs. "Do you understand what I had to do to make sure Alarick didn't try to murder you then and there? I had to lie to him. Do you know what happens when you lie to Alarick Lightwood?" There were tears in her eyes now, but she dashed them aside, gritting her teeth. "The virus has spread from her finger to her hand, in the span of an hour. What do you think is going to happen when it makes it to the veins in her wrists? To her aorta?" She paused, glancing back at the girl in question. "What have you done?" She repeated in a whisper. Brianne ignored Clarity, ignored Rhett, ignored the pain her chest or the headache in her skull. She stared at the blackened veins in her finger, watching as it slowly, inch by inch, spread to her hand. If she would guess how much time she had left.....two days? Two days, when I used to have a life time. The only gratification was that Alarick wouldn't be here to see it happen, or Nick. At least they didn't have to see her that way.
Treasa lifted the cloth, doing her best to keep her eyes focused on Derrick's injuries. Swallow didn't immediately heal them, not by any means, but coupled with the regeneration qualities witchers already possessed, it quickened the process. She was mesmerized as fresh wounds slowly became physically comparable to those that had been carried for weeks. "A simple human.." She repeated softly, tearing her eyes away from his back and shifting, indicating she wanted him to sit up and give her some space. For some reason, the words hurt her, but she couldn't understand why. "I guess not all of us are helpless blobs of skin." She finally replied, pulling her knees up to her chest and breathing deeply to try and clear the head swimming that was slowly coming back. Tessa was swept up by the crowd before she realized it, momentarily separating her from Seth as she was pulled towards the center of attention; the king. Tessa stared up at him, her jaw opening slightly in amazement. She had always heard of King Archon, Bryce had even wanted to go to him for help at one point to appeal their situation. But never had she imagined that he would look like that. That was when she noticed the tense air in the crowd. This wasn't right, or good. Clenching her fists, Tessa waited to hear the king's words, gaze unflinching as she stared up towards their sovereign.
Bryce would have most happily responded to Aedan's words, and even helped him look for...whatever Aedan was looking for. But, as Aedan has previously mentioned, Bryce had gotten no sleep the night before. And now that the soldier found himself off his feet, in a somewhat comfortable position, (or at least more comfortable then standing), he had promptly passed out and was dreaming sweet dreams of sweet rolls and passion fruits and oranges.
Teliana didn't suppress the smile on her face at Vyle's reaction to her affection, but followed him without a word. Just like her own healing process, his would time. She peered through the fog, calling a small amount of flame to her hand to act as a torch. "I've never seen anything like this." She admitted, the unease spreading through her just like the dampness in the air. "This isn't natural, whatever it is." Veera tensed when Keenan touched her. Little sister, was she? If Keenan professed to know her so well, then he would have known better and not touched her. She aimed a punch at his stomach before turning away and stalking back in the direction of Pontarsfork, leaving both men behind. "Men." she snarled, her hands clenched into fists. If it wasn't Kruez being obscure and strangely flat, it was Keenan appearing and being overly familiar. She missed Derrick. She missed Aaron. She missed...her stride broke into a run, and she took off towards the town by the river. Treasa was tempted to smack Derrick, but she had a limited amount of time to work, for his sake and her own. Reaching up, her fingers barely brushed the horse's saddle bag. She grimaced, knowing she would be unable to get to her feet. "Sorry for this. Actually.. not sorry at all." Using an arrow from her quiver, she slashed it through the bag, letting the potions and oils fall to the ground next to them. Thankfully, the grass provided soft cushioning, keeping the bottles from breaking. She sorted through them with shaking fingers until she found the one she was looking for. Swallow. She uncorked it, careful not to spill any on herself, and placed it in front of Derrick. "Unless you want me to feed you like a baby, I suggest you drink that." She could have used a healing potion herself, but there were none to be had. She was just going to have to put her...trust in this witcher. As much as she didn't care for the idea, her mind flashed back to how he had defended her from the monster. Perhaps it would be alright. Ripping off the lower half of her shirt, she pressed it to the gashes on his back, a little harder then necessary after his comment. It didn't fail to catch her attention that she and Derrick were more alike then she would ever care to admit out loud. Her head swam, and she knew she was bordering on unconsciousness, but should she sleep, she would probably never wake up. And that was a frightening enough thought to keep her awake, for now. And for now, she would just have to hope the Swallow worked quickly on Derrick's injuries. Zack watched the army approaching the city shrouded in fog. His brow furrowed, his eyes narrowed, he strode back towards the camp with Riel. "I'll gather the council. Spread the word to start packing, quickly and quietly." He emphasized the word, knowing Riel would get the message. "We need to leave. Now." It seemed they would have to go searching for help, instead of waiting for it to come to them. Tessa followed Matilda, much more at ease now that she had a dagger at her side. Having Seth with her helped too, but she was used to wandering the streets of Oxenfurt alone, how much different could Novigrad be? It turned out; very different. Novigrad's streets had a bustle that was all its own, the priests of the church chanting, mercenaries standing around waiting for work, and civilians hurrying from one stall to the next. She found herself fascinated, and distracted in turns as she tried to see what a merchant was selling, or a blacksmith was hammering. There was so much, and she found she loved it. But a roar went up, some distance away, and she stopped, craning her head. "Hey, do you hear that?" She asked Seth, her eyes turned in the direction of the sound. Something was happening...and by the sounds it, it wasn't good. The need to know what was happening overcame her fear, and Tessa started towards the sound earnestly, her white blonde hair flying behind her.
Bryce felt Aedan's hand on his shoulder, but his focus remained on the drake. He would not let any harm come to the Citrus God, not when they had so much at stake. It wasn't until Aedan spoke that Bryce turned wide eyes to the druid, who had already squeezed his shoulder and turned away. "A.....doctor?" Bryce whispered with awe, his knees shaking. Of course, with the god being in human form he had nearly forgotten that Aedan was in fact, omniscient. He walked towards Aedan, then fell to his knees, pressing his forehead against the floor in supplication. "Forgive me, Citrus God. I have erred in not trusting your holy words. Please forgive me." He muttered against the cold floor, palms flat on eithr side of his face. Tessa sensed the irritation in Laurentinus' voice and turned to face him, struggling to keep an eye on Alice at the same time. "It's been me, Rayyad, and Conrad. No one else." If she would have had hackles, they would have been raised. "Is there a problem?" She asked through gritted teeth, her hand resting on her staff. She wasn't completely sure why, but she felt vastly uneasy about being here with the others. Perhaps it was that there were too many people. Perhaps she was displacing her own unease at first being introduced to the group into this situation. Nevertheless, she couldn't shake the feeling, and kept herself standing close to Rayyad, ready to jump to his defense. Although....what did he need defending from? Kara blinked at Tessa's sudden leap to aggression. "Hey, Doe Eyes, calm down. Ren isn't going to do anything to Spidey, is he?" She turned her gaze to Ren, narrowing her eyes to emphasize her words. "And neither is Alice." She was tempted to flip the girl off, but instead paid her no mind, it was better that way. "We just all need to get along here. So what's with the statue?" She decided a change of subject was in order, though she surreptitiously moved closer to Tessa, just in case interference was necessary.
"Produced it." Clarity replied, but she was grinning. "Also wrote it, and dragged the singer from a crack filled alleyway. But that's a story for another time. Right now, I wanna know why-" She was cut off as she heard Brianne shouting. Shouting. The ifrit exchanged a glance with Alarick, who looked equally worried. "Nick, lovely to meet you, you're a liar, I can smell it on your breath." She reached into her pocket with some difficulty and tossed him her last stick of gum. "It's not safe to drink and hunt demons, you know. Might want to check him for demon pox. Slowly" she suggested to Alarick with a wink before striding after the female Shadowhunter. Alarick raised his eyebrows at Clarity's comment about Nick's breath; and she was right. How could he have missed that? Because your sister is more upset then you can recall ever seeing her? Yeah, that would probably do it. He gave Nick an appraising look, one that told the other Shadowhunter they would discuss this later. He was a little hurt that Nick wasn't telling him everything, if he was honest, but that would have to wait. He followed Clarity into the backroom where Masque had been held, sealing the door with a rune behind him. When he turned, his heart sank and his stomach tightened. Brianne was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands, sobbing. Clarity knelt in front of her, light eyes unusually solemn...and scared. "Brianne..." he stopped as she held up a hand. Two small gashes lined the insides of her ring and middle finger. Nothing to be concerned about..except...He peered closer, then snatched her hand. Black lines spread from one of the gashes, nearly reaching the back of her hand. "Where." He said, his voice tight, his own hands shaking. His mind was a blank as he stared at the sight in front of him. "The werewolf bar on the corner of-" "Who?" He dropped the hand as Clarity stepped forward, her eyes only on Alarick. Brianne didn't answer, clutching her hand to her chest. "Who?" He asked again, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. Still she would not answer, only confirming his suspicions. He whirled around, yanking his bo staff from its holster and striding forward. Small, wiry arms wrapped around him, a grunt of pain accompanying the action. "Let go." Alarick said, quite calm. Clarity rested her head against his back, speaking quickly, and quietly. "You know he would never do anything to hurt you. You know I wouldn't lie to you, and I've seen the way he cares for her. They're friends, it was probably a mistake. You need to calm down Alarick, you need to think. If you hurt him, that leaves Brianne without her creator. Without her creator she will go mad, and you'll be tasked to kill her. At least with him she has a chance, Alarick." Was Clarity crying? The wet spot on his back gave him his answer. "If you do this, you damn her to a far worse fate." The arms tightened around Alarick. "You're going to find the Mother of Fairies, right? She's been around for thousands of years, since the beginning. Ask her. Maybe there's a way she can save Brianne." Alarick paused, and slowly, his mind began to work once more, analyzing and debating the angles to everything Clarity had said. With a sharp nod, minutes later he finally slipped his bo staff back into its holster, though the pit in his stomach remained. Clarity untangled her arms, and left to sit next to Brianne. "I'm staying in New York, I'll be with her. Never leave her side." She promised the Shadowhunter, wrapping an arm around Brianne. Alarick knelt in front of his baby sister, and she touched his face with her uninjured hand, tears in her eyes. "I'll find a way to help you. I swear it." He intoned, his voice low and gravelly. "I'll never abandon you." He reached up and kissed her forehead before leaving, carelessly shattering the Containment Rune as he went. Stalking through the great hall, he ignored everyone, but Rhett. Staring at the wolf with a look he wished would have killed, he turned and grabbed Nick. "We need to go, before I paint the walls with his blood." The younger Shadowhunter's arm in a vice grip, he pulled him out the door and onto the road, back towards his safe house. "Sien, let's go." He didn't wait for the mage to follow in his haste. Morrigan offered a gentle smile towards Masque before turning to help Ash. taking the paper and some of the powder. "Vacation is a word that mundanes invented. I don't think it applies to the rest of us." she replied, focusing on the paper with her brow furrowed. "And I don't know if Gaia would have agreed to meet with us if we hadn't shown a unified front. I just....have a feeling." She started to draw the lines, being very careful not to make any mistakes. They didn't want to end up in the ocean, after all. She had the strangest idea that Masque couldn't swim. Brianne remained in the room with Clarity for a little longer, leaning her head on the ifrit's shoulder. "You handle him well." She murmured. "It's a shame you're not his type." "Judging by the way he was looking at Nick, I'd say I'm the entirely wrong gender." She sighed, stroking Brianne's hair with a grimace. "You know he won't make it back in time." Brianne shut her eyes. "Yeah, I know." In a land not so terribly far away... Gaia rubbed the plant leaves between her fingers, the sharp scent of aloe lingering in the air as she dabbed the juice along the sunburned back of a child. "Mahadsanid." The child said in her small voice, to which Gaia responded with a smile and a pat on the girl's head. As the girl scampered off, she dipped her hands in the nearby river, letting the cool water run them clean. To the humans who lived here, she was a kind woman who knew a little about plants, and stopped by to help them. She was glamoured to mimic their own physiology, though her own skin was much lighter, and her hair a different texture. She would stand out much more in her actual form then the one she now carried, and though she didn't think the locals would mind, Gaia had decided that centuries of being worshipped as a goddess left little in the way of actual human interaction. And though they were human, she couldn't help but feel a mothering instinct towards them. Leaving a basket of potatoes and carrots with one of the women, Gaia made her way back towards the Seelie Court. It wasn't the original, nor was it as fine as the one she had left behind, but she found the naturalist take was much more to her liking. Her people, a combination of fey and Downworlders had built their homes into the giant trees that reached above the earth, ensuring they would never be found, if they didn't want to be. Pausing by a tree, Gaia pressed her hands to the trunk, accelerating the growth of the already mammoth plant. It shot up, the wood creaking as it expanded much more quickly then the years it would have taken. She smiled, turning away as the tree continued to grow in the form she wished, that of another house, though vacant. After all, they would need a place for their guests of honor to stay.
Veera was, for once, left somewhat nonplussed. "I suppose you decided with the short version. That's fine, but ho-" she paused, frowning as something tickled the back of her mind. Veceslav's voice, whispering. She sighed, and brushed it away. She didn't want more of his hypocritical apologies, or to hear his regrets. She knew she had messed up, and she knew what she had to do to fix it. He had already taken away her home, what could he really say to make up for it? Shoving the thoughts away, she turned her gaze back to Kruez, but this time, remained silent for a bit longer. "We should arrive by afternoon." Veera replied instead, looking back down to the tracks. She had a job to do, and by the gods she would do it. "I hope you don't mind the smell of rotting flesh." Or the sight of whatever happened to the people he decided weren't good enough. Treasa stumbled to her feet, one hand pressed against her head. She kept her bow clenched tightly in her hand as she wove her way to Derrick. She had never been drunk enough to consider herself unable to walk into a straight line, but did a concussion count as a first time? She would consider it later. Dropping to her knees next to Derrick, she shook her head, giving herself a pounding headache but clearer vision before yanking his armor off, reaching in her pouch for whatever she had left. It wasn't much. "Call your horse back." She grated, wiping the blood off her cheek with the back of her arm before pulling Derrick into her lap, free of his chest piece at least. "If you pass out on me before I get these stitched up, I will never let you forget that a woman remained conscious long after you. And every time you try to get laid in the future I will be at your shoulder, telling the poor girl all about how you fainted at the sight of a little blood." Tessa nodded, blushing with pride as she turned and used the money that Sigmund had given her to pay for the blade. It was more expensive then she had thought, and took nearly all of the coin he had loaned her. She gritted her teeth on such frivolous spending, but it was one of the few things she felt she had bought herself. She could afford it, just this once. And if it ended up saving her life, all the better. The dagger came with a small sheath that she buckled to her waist, although it also shrunk to fit around her thigh, useful if she was planning on wearing a dress in the future. "All set." She said with a smile, letting her shirt drop over the dagger to keep it hidden. No sense in telling the world she was armed if she could help it. She didn't look like much, and Tessa knew it, but she had and would continue to use that to her advantage. She led Seth back towards Matilda and Greg, hands clasped behind her back. "So where do we start?" The basilisk attacking Alastar screeched as the axe bit into its side. Turning to snap at the witcher's arm with its beak, it fell over and rolled as a massive blast shook the ground. Getting to its feet, the creature screeched to its mate and turned, flapping its wings and taking to the air. Even the beast knew that something was massively wrong, and it felt the animalistic urge to flee. The basilisk attacking Olivia took off into the air to avoid the Yrden. It keened as its mate was attacked by the other, and circled, turning its beaked head towards the pillar of smoke rising to the east. Flapping its wings, the bird careened higher into the sky, waiting until her mate had joined her before they took off, flying as quickly as they could back to their nest, further to the west. It was time for them to pick safer hunting grounds.
Treasa gritted her teeth, struggling to get her swaying vision in focus as she held herself upright with her bow; not the most idyllic of situations, but never let it be said she wasn't adaptable. As Derrick yelled in pain, she pressed her nails into her palm, absolutely hating the idea of being unable to do anything. With her worsening sight it would only be more hazardous to try and shoot more arrows at the monster; she could very easily hit Derrick instead. Alternatively, there was one thing she could... Getting to her knees, Treasa whistled, grabbing the creature's one eyed attention. Slowly, her hand shaking to the point of incapability, she made the sign for Axii, praying to the gods it would work long enough for Derrick to finish off the monster.
Bryce watched as the strange woman left. Ignoring Sanderson's sideburns for now, he crept forward, eyeing the body on the table. Up until now, he hadn't noticed it for some reason, but now he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of it. It wasn't the same fascination he held with fruit; that passion held joy and wonderful taste, and the fulfillment of a life long desire sated every time he tasted the tangy flesh of....he frowned. What had he been searching for all this time? The smell of death brought him back to what he had been doing. "Are we sure its dead?" He asked, jabbing the body with two fingers, hard enough that it rocked gently on the table. He jumped back with the movement, half expecting the beast to come back to life. Tessa remained near Rayyad, remembering how overwhelming it had been when she had first met all these people. Hopefully he could hold it together, although to his credit the hermit was doing quite well. She frowned at the mention of the spider bite, remembering exactly what her experience had entailed. She would have asked Laurentinus about it, but Rayyad had already burst into questions about his spider. She was content to remain quiet for now, watchful and waiting, though she did step a little more in front of Rayyad at Alice's words, just in case they were indicative of the girl's intention to attack her friend. It hardly mattered to her how they had gotten here, or what Rayyad's intentions had been. He did what he had to, and she would now, in protecting her smallish pack. Kara rubbed the back of her neck, frowning. "Shady started screaming when we went into the house. A voice was echoing around the caverns, talking nonsense, to me anyway. Shady's eyes were...doing something weird. Changing color. Ren tried to touch him, and Shady bit Ren and took off..." she paused, pointing towards the direction the spider had scuttled. "That way. Speaking of taking off...." She looked around, teeth worrying her lower lip. "Where's that stupid soldier guy and Shyra? Shouldn't they have arrived by now too? Assuming all caves lead to this place, since Lumen and Alice seem to have made it, and we made it, and Tessa and Conrad..." she drifted off, crossing her arms over her chest. "Shit." She said finally. "If we don't have Shyra, how in the hell are we going to get back home? I think she has the only map."
Ana smiled a little at Zephyr's response, though her heart weighed heavy. She waited until the kid was far enough ahead to quickly stand on her tip toes and press a kiss to Vyle's cheek before flashing a quick smile at him and heading after the mage, Whatever was in the city, she was sure they could handle it together. And with every day, she would regain a little bit more of herself. Milosh will not win. Veera glanced over at the mage; his emotionless statement was a little disturbing. Not so much the words, it was a common story these days. It was more that he said it so factually, as if it had happened to someone else, and he was simply retelling the story. "So how did you find your way to the Kaer, all that time ago? It seems ironic we meet again, and this time you're leaving with me." This time, I won't fail the person who follows me. Treasa could only watch from her knees as Derrick scored a massive wound against the creature, effectively cutting off its means of charging. With only two useable limbs, it would be hard pressed to go anywhere quickly. The monster turned, using its claw to smack against Derrick. While it shattered the Quen, the witcher was left standing. She sighed in relief, before attemping to get to her feet a third time. While the monster was easier to defeat, the battle was by no means over yet. Unable to walk, Treasa crawled forwards, reaching her somewhat intact bottle of Relic oil. Whether it had helped or not, she couldn't do much more with it anymore. "Derrick!" She called out, tossing the bottle towards him. The monster turned towards her with a howl, then back to Derrick, as if it couldn't decide which target to attack. She slumped to the side, her vision wavering as the blood streamed down her cheek. A concussion, most likely. Just perfect, given her main weapon was a bow. She pulled an arrow from the quiver, taking a deep breath to fill her lungs with oxygen before aiming one last arrow. "You can do this." She whispered encouragingly, though to herself or the witcher, she wasn't sure. One last time, she let the arrow fly, aiming for its remaining eye as the bow dropped to the ground, her body slumping over. The remaining strength she had went into staying conscious. If she fell asleep, she might never wake up. Tessa watched Seth, unsure if she should believe him or not. She wanted to...or did she? Sighing, she took his hand, deciding to put it out of her mind for now as she walked with him and Matilda and Greg. Soon enough, they arrived at the blacksmith's and as she hovered over the man's wares, deciding on what to choose, she blushed at Seth's joke. "You'd have to buy me dinner first. I have standards." She teased in return, finally selecting a longer dagger made of iron. It had small trees engraved on it, giving it a more decorative look then the rest of the plain ones. If she was going to stab someone, she at least wanted to feel pretty while she did it. "What do you think?" she asked Seth, holding it out to him. The basilisk attacking Alastar screeched, now sporting a wound along its left side. It wheeled around before landing in front of Alastar, reaching out with its beak to try to grab the fallen witcher by the leg. The basilisk attacking Olivia swung between her and Alastar, keeping them separated as it took a second to screech at her, making the witcher's ears ring. She then ran forwards, using the hooks in the wing joints as front legs to gain speed as it charged the female witcher with the intent of knocking her down.
"I have had..." Titania turned, and in the blink of an eye had Corvo by the throat, her nose nearly touching his, "enough of your disrespect. Shadowhunters may not teach their inferiors the art of respect," her eyes were brighter then luminescent paint, "but I assure you, Corvo, continue to press me, and you will not live long enough to understand the nature of your mistake." She shoved him away as the Seelie Knights closed ranks in front of her, their emotionless faces watching the two Shadowhunters. "Get out." Titania turned, striding to the far side of the room. "You said you're a guardian of the Nephilim, Corvo. Well I can't imagine that should be a hindrance for you in this task." A tree burst from the ground, shaking the room as it grew, the trunk becoming large enough it would be a struggle to circle her arms around it. With a twist of her fingers, the tree shaped itself into a shape similar to a chair, where she lay, snapping her fingers once more. A small once human girl appeared, kneeling as she held a bowl of water in her hands. The Seelie Queen traced the surface of the water, preparing it for contact. Brianne massaged her hand with the other, the small ache beginning to annoy her. "Leave, stay, whatever." She snapped. "There will be no fighting, not when there's bigger issues to work out. I expect you both to have resolved this issue like adults, by the time I return. Am I f*cking clear?" Not bothering to wait for the reaction from either Felicia or Rhett, she strode away, slamming open the door to the room that had previously held Masque, Sien, and Alarick. The shards of the broken compact yet remained as Brianne collapsed onto the sofa, rubbing her head with one hand. She went back to massaging the cramp in her hand, gritting her teeth. She would remain here, knowing Alarick and Clarity would come when they were ready. She might as well leave it up to them, because she would never be ready. Not for this.
Clarity jumped at the sound of the voice over the loudspeaker, then sighed. She would go to her post, if she knew where that was. Choosing to go left, Clarity rubbed her thumb over her forefinger as she walked, a nervous tell of hers. It was made both better and worse that she appeared alone in the hallway as she kept walking, checking around each corner before taking another guess as to whether left or right would be the correct way. After all, no one around meant her embarrassment wouldn't be witnessed by others, but it also meant she had no one to ask for directions. "Oh the struggle." She remarked to herself, stopping to lean against the wall, her head tilted back. "It's so real right now." She had no idea if she would actually be missed in the medbay; they might not even know to expect her. "That room isn't going to find itself." With a sigh, she started off again, her thumb hidden inside her clenched fist. There was only so many rooms on this ship. Eventually she would find the right place. Brianne nodded to Ygritte, and narrowed her eyes at Quint. She was saved from trying to formulate any sort of reply to his strange answer by the Captain's arrival. She saluted the other woman before moving to stand by her, watching the other crew members do their work. "He's a cryptic one." She remarked to Almira, her eyes remaining on Quint for a second longer before roaming the rest of the deck. "Captain, if I may ask, why are we being sent on this particular mission? It seems strangely unfit for a crew of our caliber."
Tessa was musing to herself on the way back when Rayyad began to speak. Just as she opened her mouth to respond to him, he was behind her, hiding around the corner. She turned, smiling gently as she took Rayyad's hand in her own. "Come on. They're nice. We got you." She reassured him, gently tugging on his hand. Kara, bored with waiting, had sprung up from the bench and began to pace, her eyes focused on the ground as she thought about the ten different ways to pick locks that she didn't know. That was when she heard voices, or rather a strange voice. Then a quiet, familiar one. "Tessa!" Kara had never been so relieved to see someone she barely knew as she ran towards the girl, weariness and stress forgotten. "And Conrad. Hey Wolfie." She smiled up at the man, winking at him before turning back to Tessa. "Oh? Who's this?" She bent over, peering at Rayyad with one eye open, then the other. "A new friend?" He seemed shy, his demeanor comparable to that of a child. "Are you the scary person they're talking about in town? We thought you might have kidnapped our friends." She looked at Tessa, who's cheeks flushed, and grinned. "He's cute." She told the other girl with a conspiratorial wink, then jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Tessa, looping one arm around Conrad, ignoring the giant burden he carried. "I'm glad you both are okay." She told him quietly, before letting go only to grab Rayyad and hug him too. "Thank you for not letting them get themselves killed." She said, grinning. "Come on, let's get you introduced to the others."
Treasa smiled with satisfaction as her arrow hit its mark, thanks in part to Derrick, who was now back on his feet. She had little time to wallow in her triumph however, as it bellowed and turned. She tried to roll out of the way as it charged, the force of its head against her chest shattering her Quen shield with a crack. She tumbled through the air before slamming into the ground, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop. She heard the creature bellow, and raised dizzy eyes to see the monster turning to try and catch Derrick, only for the witcher to roll away. She felt warmth on her face, and reached towards her cheek with her fingers, only to have them come away crimson. Starting to her feet, she dropped back down to the ground, hands flying out to catch her as she landed on her knees. The world spun around her, and she felt her stomach twist with nausea as her hold on the grass tightened. Pushing herself to her feet once more, she stumbled, raising the bow and drawing another arrow, letting it go. It hit the monster's horn, and glanced off, but it was enough to direct it's attention to her once more. "Please take the shot." She whispered, knowing there was no way Derrick could hear her as she drew Quen while the creature prepared to charge. Even on one leg, another blow would be devastating if he didn't stop this attack. The basilisk attacking Alastar landed on a nearby mound, screeching at him before jumping into the air and diving towards the witcher again. This time, he drew his claws up, tail scraping and sliding along the ground to catch the witcher and knock him further away from Olivia. The basilisk attacking Olivia hissed as the Igni caught her on the neck before whipping her wing around, knocking the female off her feet. The basilisk turned full circle and jumped closer to Olivia, bearing down.
Ana stepped up to Vyle, squeezing his hand gently. "Where you go, I go." She told him with a soft smile. Glancing over her shoulder she raised an eyebrow at Zephyr. "What do you say, kid? Ready to brave the dead?" And the monsters that go with it. Veera followed the tracks, continually leading to the east. Her sensitive nose picked up the smell of rotting flesh; most likely scraps of the zombie's feet being left behind in the ground. No matter how disgusting it was, it meant they were on the right track. She stopped, rubbing a hand across her face. With her endurance, she would be able to sprint to the village in an hour. There was no way Kruez could match that speed, mage or not. She whistled, the wind carrying the sound further. It was a half hope, barely even, but they had to keep moving, and faster if they wanted to catch up to Solomon. Hearing nothing in return, she sighed, and carried on walking. "So, what's your story?" She asked the mage, her eyes flicking towards him briefly. "F*ck!" Treasa screamed as Derrick was knocked back, landing solidly on the ground. She winced internally at the sound his body made as she darted forward. "Over here you stupid ugly sh*t!" She yelled, aiming her bow and firing as she ran. It was a little off, glancing off the beast's shoulder, and it failed to get its attention as it slowly moved towards Derrick. "I am not letting you die!" She jumped in front of Derrick, breathlessly raising her bow to aim straight at its face as it started down at her, only a few feet away. Oh gods, it was huge. She let the arrow fly, and jumping to the side. It followed her, bellowing in anger. Good. She thought grimly, turning and running further away from the fallen witcher. She turned to unleash another arrow, and her heart stopped as the beast charged her. How can it move so fast?! She threw herself to the side, screaming more curse words then actual words as it barreled past her. Getting to her feet, wheezing for air, she shoved her hand inside of her pouch, grabbing a small bottle. Relic oil. This thing might not have been one, but it couldn't hurt to try. Casting Quen over herself, she quickly dunked the arrowhead in the bottle before kneeling on the ground. It was a risky move, giving her a better view of the creature as a target, but limiting her ability to get away. She aimed for what appeared to have been the most effective target; its eyes. It had gone into a rage and followed her when she had done so before,perhaps this time she would have better luck. "Please f*cking Goddess of the Godda*mned Skies, get us through this alive." She prayed, feeling the feathers of the arrow brush her cheek as it flew past, her fingers letting the oil laden missile free. Tessa shook her head at Sigmund. "Thank you!" She said brightly, turning with the money towards Matilda. "I mean, if you want to." She replied dubiously to the girl. "But you also fixed us up, so I'm sure it evens out somewhere." Seth seemed quite distracted, but by the time Tessa turned, he was joining them. She watched him, tilting her head to the side."What happened?" She asked, hanging back with him to let Matilda led.
Titania stared into the bowl, her hands clenching the side as the movement of the plants became more erratic, more violent. She waved her hand, watching the scene over to completion. Then again. And again. When Corvo spoke, it was the end of the line. She slammed her hands down on the table, the wood disintegrating and running in small, sand-like particles down the sides of the stone. Whirling, she moved faster then the human eye could follow, standing front of Corvo with eyes that leaked green light. Vines shot from the wall, the wooden beams creaking underneath the weight as they wrapped around the Inquisitor, pinning his arms to his side and lifting him off the ground. Roxanne was put in the same predicament, thorns pressing against their clothes and neck. The Seelie Queen hissed, her hands clenched at her sides as more and more plants filled the room, leaving barely enough space to breathe. Spoiler: it gets a little rough from here kiddos One Seelie Knight wasn't so lucky, his scream echoing off the walls as the plants shot up through his feet, both rooting him to the spot and threading their way through his body. His comrades tried to hack him free, but to no avail as the roots shot out spines. Titania glanced at him, barely giving him a second of her time before she turned back to Corvo. The Seelie Knight screamed one last time before exploding, little chunks of fey landing everywhere. The vines, glistening with blood and organs, continued to work their way upward, becoming a pillar of death. She turned to Corvo, her gaze sliding up to his face as she examined the now captive Shadowhunters."She," her gaze turned to Roxanne, and she smiled now, an angry, deadly smile, "is next. And I'll be slower. Much slower." Grabbing Corvo's chin with her hands, she brought her face very close to his. "Hear me now, Shadowhunter, and hear me well. I was ready for you to be a disappointment and a disgrace, but I was not ready for the stupidity of your associates, or the Downworlders. Believe me, they will pay." Her grip tightened to the point of drawing blood, her eyes never once leaving his face. "You will kill Brianne Lightwood. As long as it's painful, I don't care how. I don't care where. But best believe me when I say if it's not done soon, well..." she smiled sweetly, kissing Corvo's cheek before letting go, stepping back. "It would be interesting to see what would happen if the girl ran out of time, wouldn't it? Oh, and if you don't do it..." She paused. "I've got quite a bit of curiosity, concerning the Nephilim physique. From what I've heard, she's quite the speciman. I was far more excited to have you, dear." She addressed Roxanne. "But it seems even a Queen can't get everything she wants." The vines slowly withdrew, depositing the two Shadowhunters on their feet. "Three days, Corvo. I look forward to you disappointing me this time." Clarity stayed behind, raising her eyebrows at Felicia's back before turning to Alarick just as her phone buzzed. "Something's up." she told him, frowning. "Brianne wants to meet alone before you go." She sensed an immediate rise in tension from the Shadowhunter, and sighed. If Brianne was telling her too, it was most likely not good. Had she gotten pregnant? Poisoned? Clarity could feel a headache coming on. Only she and Brianne had been capable of calming Alarick when his rages came around, and she shuddered to think what would happen if he went to Somalia and things went south. But she knew that Alarick wanted her to stay with Brianne, and she wanted to stay with Brianne. Alarick was far more capable of protecting himself and those around him. She opened her mouth to try to reassure Alarick, when a strange voice echoed from the front hall. Alarick strode out into the hall, Clarity in tow. He recognized the voice immediately, and gritted his teeth. "Good to see you've still got your humor." he said gratingly, folding his arms across his chest. "Where were you? And why have you changed?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. He could feel Clarity's eyes on his back, but ignored her. This was none of her business. This was between him and Nick. Perhaps the Shadowhunter had changed his mind about going to Somalia. If that were the case, he was going to have to recruit Clarity, something that set his teeth on edge. "Alarick, you're being rude. And I'm the one saying it." Clarity stepped forward. "Ifrit. Friend. I like to drink. And Alarick is upset, so please forgive him." He wanted to smack her. Very badly. But that would not end well for either one of them, especially in a room full of werewolves. He turned, seeing Felicia in wolf form, opened his mouth to ask, and then closed it. Clarity's smile flickered over her face before she turned back to Nick. "If you need a teacup, I've got....fifteen." She pulled a knife out of her boot and offered it to Nick. "Clarity. My name." Morrigan listened to Ash's tale with a growing horror, though she kept it hidden behind a smooth and emotionless face. It was only at the end, her eyes lifted to his and she stilled, feeling her face pale. She might have fainted, or at the very least collapsed under the weight of those few words, but luckily for the fey, the warlock behind her gave her something to grab onto. Literally. She whirled around, wrapping her arms around Masque and pressing her hand to the back of his head. "You're not a thing. You're not a that. You're a person. And I see you." She whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks, tears she wouldn't let Ash see. She wiped them away quickly before pulling away from Masque. As much as she wanted to cave in on herself, as much as she wanted to replay what had been said over and over in her mind, analyzing and trying to understand why he had said...but she couldn't. Instead, she turned to Ash, the color still gone from her face but her eyes full of indescribable emotion that only lasted for a few seconds. Such strong feelings were weakness, and she couldn't afford to reveal that particular weakness for long. Not when it meant so much. "I think the one called Brianne left with Rhett and another to get help and then go on to the Institute. Should we go make sure they're alright?" She asked quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. She needed the support, at the moment. Brianne glanced over at Creed, both surprised and grateful for his concern. "Thank you. I'm...." What was she? She wasn't okay, she wasn't even close to okay. But he couldn't know. No one could know. But they would soon enough. She didn't know what to do, she hadn't been trained for this, she hadn't even imagined this...."I'm alive. That's enough, right?" She replied quietly, reaching out her uninjured hand and squeezing Creed's. The Institute was just up ahead, and she withdrew the gesture of affection as quickly as it had come. Stepping inside, she noticed the wolf; familiar in its markings. "There's no need for that, unless you're here to tear my throat out." And it wouldn't make a difference in this case. Turning, she saw Nick, and breathed a sigh of relief. Alarick and Clarity were also there; the latter looking a little worse for wear, but waved when she saw her. Brianne nodded and turned back to her immediate problem. "It would be more helpful if you could be a human. I don't imagine Rhett is going to come in speaking wolf." She commented, folding her arms across her chest, hiding the bloodstained bandage under her arm. It wouldn't mask the smell, but at least she wouldn't have to look at it.
Titania's lips curved in the barest of smiles. "Leaving? Oh, I don't think so." Without any discernible movement on her part, five Seelie Knights stepped forward, circling around Corvo and Roxanne. "I was promised something in return for my help. And now you think to deny me?" She tutted, stepping towards Corvo and brushing a fingernail down his cheek. "That is unwise, Inquisitor. I thought you to be a more intelligent individual then that. You're lucky I'm used to being disappointed in that regard." She stepped back, the smile disappearing in the flickering of an eye. "No, I expect to be repaid for my help, and unfortunately for you, I learned a thousand years ago to stop taking...how do you say? Rain checks." Something flickered in the back of her mind, and she stilled, before whirling around, walking quickly to her bowl. The plants began to move around her in agitation as she waved her hand over the water, creating ripples on the still surface. Her eyes glowed an ethereal green as she stared into the depths. It's not possible... Clarity glanced at Felicia, raising her eyebrows. "They don't yell at me because of my impressive breasts, of course." She heard Alarick choking, and let the barest of smiles cross her face for a moment. At least that would distract him from his anger. "And because I don't stroll into their homes and insult them. I usually knock first." She lay on the bed, turning her face to the ceiling. "You'd best get your... pack, under control, Felicia. We've got a couple or friends coming, and they're bringing some....rivals. Wouldn't want you to get blood all over those clothes of yours." Clarity had no intention of getting in the middle of a pack fight, but neither did she deliberate on putting her entire faith in one side. Felicia had plans and ambitions. Ash wanted Rhett to have plans and ambitions. Both would involve bloodshed. Somehow, the ifrit was determined to make sure the majority of the people she cared about survived the next ten minutes. Somehow. Brianne smiled thinly at Creed, her uninjured hand unconsciously clasping the wrist of her injured one while she listened to Rhett. He didn't act like an Alpha, but he sure could pull out the commanding voice when he needed. She watched the other werewolves, wondering how well it would work. For her sake, for Rhett's, for Clarity and all the others she needed to protect, she hoped it would help them. If they decided to turn on her, Rhett and Creed, she wasn't sure they would make it out. She flexed her injured hand, her breath hitching as the injury twinged. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since the battle, and the tempo felt like it increased. Despite that, she remained where she was, feigning calm and patience as she watched Rhett's words work on the wolves around them. "Come on," She whispered to Creed, heading for the door. "He'll follow us with the wolves." She pulled out her cracked phone, sending a quick message to Clarity. Be there in a bit. She hesitated, then sent another one, her hand shaking before she turned her phone off and stowed it back in her pocket. Need to talk to you and Alarick. Alone.
