Nick stood up, wiping his brow. He'd done it, he'd beaten a demon! "Did you guys see that? I just beat a demon! A demon! of course, uh, i couldn't have done it if you guys hadn't shown up" Nick sat back, and looked down at the two human bodies that were still on the motel floor "Mystery solved I guess, but now there's a bigger mystery... what is this mortal cup thing? I feel like, uh, I should know what it is... but I may not have been paying attention..." Masque relished her curses and defiance, so beautiful, there was something so very poetic about the way the soul clung on with determination against impossible odds. That was when she hissed a battlecry and stabbed towards him. Masque tried to stepped out of the way but the sword still cut him in the arm. He held the injured arm and hissed in pain "Why would you say "for my sisters" before attacking?" he screeched angrily "That just makes it obvious that you're attacking, are you an idiot? I don't want you to be an idiot, I want you to be my masterpiece, why does nobody live up to expectations?" Masque stomped his feet and cursed Mama had not returned in a while. The child looked at the clock expectantly, perhaps she was simply busy. The child patiently waited at the dinner table. Every so often he would look up, to the tiny square of light coming from the basement door. She would return. She had to. The next time the child looked at the clock an hour has passed and mama had not returned. She was late, that was it. The child left the table and returned to his drawings, he had been trying to draw the potted plant in the corner of the room for the whole day, various attempts were spread across the floor, each a different and unique take on something that seemed simple. The child's gaze darted from the plant to his paper, he was dedicated to this picture, he felt like this could be the one, the perfect picture. Momentarily his eyes darted over the clock. Two hours had passed. This was such a shock the child twitched, leaving an ugly mark across the paper. For a moment he just stared at the mark. Ugly. Imperfection. Out of place. He ripped the paper in two and threw it away, and in that moment he understood. Mama had left him. He was ugly, imperfect, out of place. Who would want him? He looked up at the square of light in the basement door, a small part of him hoped she would return, but he knew she wouldn't. the child crumpled the to the floor, sobbing, tears falling to the floor. Another hour passed, the child sobbing on the floor. There was a knife in the kitchen, he knew. the child walked with depressed purpose, his steps heavy, his hands reaching for the serrated blade. These horns. They had to be removed. Masque kicked the fairy "Stay. In. Position!" he commanded, shoving her back into place "Now stay there for when someone finds you" After this demand, he became invisible and wandered into a nearby bush, watching over whatever would happen next.
Darklight Disturbance Darlight Caverns, Arak'Un: Rayyad was calmed by Tessa, he sighed and began to explain "You see, I can't break the curse without having the totem, but I can transfer it. I wanted to capture someone and trap them in the caves to take over my job. That way I would be happy and The Gathered would be happy... but I expect the captive wouldn't... I'm feeling like that plan is a bit selfish and rude" Suddenly Conrad had a brilliant idea, the totem could be down in the mines, Rayyad gasped and grabbed the man by the shoulders "You are a genius!" He hugged the man tightly "Oh, but it's hopeless anyway, if we break the totem The Gathered will come after me, they'll want me dead... But wait..." stepping away from Conrad he stared at the two adventurers "You said you were part of an expedition, so there are others? Could you... help me? Protect me? Please! I'll join you! I'll do anything!" Ashten Village: "Dark skinned man? A Hirokiri? Curses, they're getting confident, I didn't expect them to be wandering out this far. Could this be because..." Shyra thought back to her last adventure "... no. No it's probably not. I'll speak to the regional guard around this place. We may have to go into the caves slightly early, In the meantime, I suggest you make good use of that money and get something from the village" What's in the village: Inn Blacksmith Bakery Butchers Guard's Garrison Tailor Grocer Stables Herbalist/Alchemist Mage's Shop
"Brianne, you don't have to tell everyone" Nick grumbled as the more experienced Nephilim explained his preferences. So Roxanne knew this demon? And it seemed his colleagues were leaving this situation up to him. Gulp. "Like I needed your permission" Nick muttered in response to Roxanne. Hands still cuffed he couldn't do much, and his weapon was a large piece of wood. Great. As the demon whipped its chain towards him he yelped and tried to move back, wich was difficult in his position. The chain slashed across his chest, cutting the skin, but Nick was more worried about his clothes "That was my best tie!" Nick launched himself at the demon, he swiped at the creature with the bedpost and swooped behind him. Letting go of the post, he jumped onto the demon's back and brought his hands over its head, so the chain of the handcuffs was choking it. She slapped him across the face, wonderful. It was glorious to see such an act of defiance, weakened by the poison "Heard of me have you?" Masque kneeled down to look the fairy in the eyes. He gently put his gloved finger on her lips "Oh, you knew my last muse. You must be so sad for her passing. Let me tell you a secret" He leaned down even closer "She was nothing before I arrived. I made her famous. She was a wreck, a drunk partying wreck whose life was filled with bad decisions. I captured her in her moment of perfection, and made her art" Slowly he began to lift up the mask to reveal a hideous mouth "You look like someone with regrets, burdens. Wouldn't it be lovely to let them... float away? When you are gone, people will relish their good memories of you. Memories are like photographs, they capture the most interesting moments" Masque opened his mouth wide, a faint trace of energy could be seen going from the fairy into Masque's mouth as he devoured her essence. He savored the emotions brought in from her, and licked his lips. Stepping back away again he replaced the mask, and wove in the air a perfect copy of the fairy. The illusion stood above Morrigan, looking towards the sky while the fairy looked towards the earth. He shifted the angle of the light on the pair and adjusted the illusion's position, he needed to get this perfect. Finally it was complete, and Masque took a picture to capture the beautifully disturbing sculpture. "Wonderful. Have you ever looked any better than this?"
Vyle brushed the tears away from Ana's face. She was so beautiful, he hated to see her like this "Ana... I..." Suddenly there was the unmistakable thwish sound of crossbows firing. Time slowed, he watched in horror as a crossbow bolt pierced her shoulder, then another. Reacting with incredible speed Vyle turned and lunged to the side. One bolt glanced off his arm, another missed him completely. The last hit his arm and he felt an explosion of pain flare up as the bolt penetrated his skin. Dimiterium. Crossbows, the coward's weapon. But it was lucky, because now they would have to take the time to reload, giving Vyle time. He wanted to turn back and murder them all, he wanted to pile up their bodies and set them on fire... but could he leave Ana? No. Reaching over to the bolt Vyle grimaced as he pulled the bolt from his arm. the barbs dug into his skin, ripping it apart as he pulled. Throwing the blood-soaked bolt away he hurriedly transformed. It wasn't good for him, shifting this quickly while injured, he would have to rest when he got back. If. No. When. Picking up Ana Gingerly with his clawed feet he tried to be as gentle as possible, and began to flap his wings and fly away. One wing was injured, the injury carried over from the bolt. He was slower than he would have been but the moment he got into the sky he would be safe from the crossbows, they weren't good when it came to range.
Darklight Disturbance Darklight Caverns, Arak'Un "Hmmm, if I remember rightly the Prophet Azjol arrived and lead the people of the kingdom further underground, through the mines, to find enlightenment. That's kinda why I'm scared to go any further down... I don't any enlightenment, I just want to live normally. Arak'Un worshipped the dark gods, particularly The Deciever, dark god of lies and secrets. Azjol was a legendary figure, champion of The Deciever. Honestly, not sure why they trusted him. Anyway that was hundreds of years ago" Rayyad lay down cups of tea for both of them "No milk, sorry. There aren't any cows down here" As Conrad mentioned sealing off the passage Rayyad shook his head "Impossible. The Hirokir have great powers of Earth Magic, they could get past most barriers. The only way to block off the passage would be to collapse it... but I wouldn't be able to bring myself to destroy the wildlife down here" Rayyad softly stroked a spider which had crawled onto his shoulder "As for the artifact... well... I'm not entirely sure. I've been around this whole city and haven't found it. It's a Totem of Binding, it's not the easiest thing to hide. If you find an eight foot tall chunk of wood with faces carved in it, do tell me" Rayyad requested with a chuckle. As Tessa spoke he nodded agreeably but did not reply. When Conrad mentioned the Darklight Caverns expedition Rayyad opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a different voice coming out of his mouth "None from the heathen lands of Tyrrus may enter the caverns" Rayyad looked around the room in dread for a moment "I am the Webber Prince! I rule the ancient lands! I am so sorry, that was not supposed to happen" Rayyad shifted uncomfortably, and backed away to the other end of the room "It's nice that you're trying to help... but I can't let you. I made this plan and I have to, I want to, complete it" Big Game Hunting The Northway Inn The Night was dark, and full of terrors. Well actually it was morning, but it would have to do. The Night Knight was surrounded by enemies once again, but he would not let go of his precious prize. "Who are you calling young man? I'm 19 this month!" Flint pouted "Ooh, look at me! I dress up in plants!" he imitated Aedan "I have friends you couldn't possibly imagine! HA" The Night Knight snickered "Your imaginary friends are nothing, compared to ME, THE NIGHT KNIGHT! Legacy of the ancients! Descendant of Nekrus the Runic King! I am all powe-GAH!" Flint was suddenly tackled, spilling the bacon and eggs all over the floor "My food! You... you... you meddlers! I'll kill you all!" "OI!" Yelled Gertrude. She promptly slapped Flint and Bryce "Kill them all outside, no fights in the inn. If you swing that sword around in here you'll probably smash the tables. And don't get me started on you" she prodded Bryce "Have you no manners, young man? These cups are expensive! Break another one and I'll get my husband to break your wrist" she pointed to a burly blacksmith behind the inn counter "Out! And take your Dragon Fruit with you!" Flint begrudgingly got up and walked towards the door "Oh by the way mister cup-breaker, I took all your money. If you want it back bring you've got to fight me!" Flint exited the inn laughing and stood outside, sword at the ready. "Well he seemed nice" Sanderson smiled "Nice to see a young lad with initiative... and apologies dear innkeep, some of my recruits need to be taught some self-control" Sanderson smiled as he turned to Aedan and Bryce "You shouldn't let anger get such a hold over you, it is the most horrible emotion and brings out the worst in us. Trust me lads, I know this better than most" though Sanderson grinned at his recruits, sadness could be seen in his eyes "Well... how do you want to deal with this conundrum? It's your possessions that were stolen. And worry not Aedan, I'm sure I can get Miss Gertrude to cook you up some more breakfast" Darklight Disturbance Ashten Village: "Kara, Laurentinus" Shyra called out as she approached "Have you seen Conrad and Tessa? I've looked everywhere but I can't seem to find them!" Shyra, for once, did not look cold and distant as usual. She actually looked worried "Everyone else is accounted for, where are those two?"
"Are you okay?" The centaur asked with concern "We can take a break if you want, we have plenty of allies killing off the other titans" He certainly didn't want his newfound ally dying in their first battle. But while he was distracted he didn't notice another titan lumbering towards them, swinging one massive arm at them with all the intent of crushing them. By the time he noticed he couldn't get them away in time, there was only one solution. Raising an arm Galadorn summoned a shield of energy, the titan's fist hit it with a CLANG and it was deflected off. That took a lot of energy from the centaur and he slumped slightly after he'd deflected the attack. he didn't have the energy to fight right now so galloped away to a safer place "I think... I think we should rest a moment"
Why was she asking this? Did she feel the need to check it was him? She must have been through a lot to get this paranoid, Vyle clenched his fists, he would kill whoever did this, and remove any trace of their existence. "Ana, it's me Vyle..." he felt a little disheartened she didn't trust him "Solomon... you made me let him go" he smiled as he remembered their first meeting, as troubling as it was. He reached down and picked her up "I'm going to take you to safety, don't worry, it's all going to be fine, we're going to get those shackles off" he gently brushed the tears from her face as he began to jog back into the city, he couldn't move as quickly while carrying Ana but he was sure he could escape the witch hunters, he had to.
As they walked Conrad the Killer apologised for his actions and Rayyad was touched. He didn't reveal it but he kinda felt bad about shouting at the man earlier. "I see. I understand. Humans kill each other all the time, I guess I just didn't understand how much danger I was putting them in" Rayyad ceded. It seemed Tessa understood better, he was glad to finally meet someone like him. By Azjol, he was glad to meet anyone at all. As they exited the tunnel they arrived in a massive cavern, filled with ancient stone buildings and plant life that somehow bloomed this far underground "Here we are, my great kingdom... I'm sure it was much more impressive back when people, you know, lived here. Now it's mostly populated with wildlife, which is nice, but conversation with rabbits gets boring after a while..." Rayyad lead them along an avenue which looked slightly less decrepid than the rest of the ancient city "I've tried to maintain this area in particular. Just for my own sanity's sake I guess. Look, there's the palace!" Rayyad pointed out a large impressive structure "My ancestors sat on the Throne of Secrets within that very palace. Personally I think it's a bit grand for me. I live in this little house here" Rayyad led them into a slightly cramped stone house that was much better furbished than the rest of the city and had actual furniture. The house seemed to consist of three rooms, a dining room/kitchen, Rayyad's bedroom, and a privy. "Sit down, I'll make you some tea... where did I put it?... Sorry, I'm not used to having guests" As Rayyad made the tea he began to reveal why he'd brought the people in "Let's start from the beginning. I assume you know about Hirokir? Our countries have been separated by these mountains for centuries, and the moment someone figures out a way to get through they declare war on each other. Typical humans. I swear, humans are the most territorial animals I know. Anyway, I was born in Hirokir and spent most of my life in those forests, until a couple of years ago when The Gathered approached me and told me I was this "Webber Prince". See, I think they needed someone to guard the passage between Hirokir and Tyrrus, and who better than the descendant of the kings who used to live there?" Rayyad finally found the tea and began to brew it "They've hidden something around here as well, an artifact, it ties me to this kingdom, I can't move more than a few miles away. I can just about reach the edge of that village before I can't move any further. So that's why I'm here, why are you here? I mean, why did you come to the village, I haven't seen you around here before"
Vyle hissed as the drowners appeared, he had feared this would happen, luckily Veera was dealing with it. He would have stayed behind, but he needed to save Teliana, and quickly. He feared for what those horns meant, but tried to be optimistic. Nodding to Veera with appreciation, he ran onward. They soon arrived at a door, it was locked. No matter. Vyle kicked a massive hole in the wooden door and ripped away the boards. Nothing could oppose the vampire. Sprinting out into the night he sniffed the air. Drowner pheromones? Ah. Vyle put two and two together, the reason he couldn't smell the traces of the witch hunters through the sewers became clear, they were masking themselves as drowners. Clever, but now they were out of the sewers this just gave him a path to follow. He left behind the others, they were just slowing him down now. After a long time running he arrived at a pond. Curses. They'd washed off the scent, but he was close now, closer than he'd ever been. And the horns were still blaring. Transforming into a massive bat Vyle took to the skies, his advanced vision scouring the landscape. There. Witch Hunters, running through the forest. It seemed they were on a chase. But who were they hunting? Vyle felt sick to his stomach as he feared the worst. These wretched creatures deserve no mercy. He spotted a pyre, and there, there. She was there. Alive. At last. And she was in danger. Vyle's vision went red as he focussed on the witch hunter raising a sword to attack Ana. WHAT HAS SHE EVER DONE TO YOU? Tucking in his wings, Vyle dove down with incredible speed, the air rushed past his ears and howled as gravity accelerated him towards his target. As he approached the hunter he saw the man look up, and a look of horror briefly crossed the man's face, but the man didn't have a chance to do anything. Vyle collided with the man with such force that the witch hunter was instantly crushed. But Vyle was still angry, furious at the witch hunters. He ravaged the broken man's neck and feasted on the blood. When he was finally finished he turned to Ana. the rage gone, he felt shameful about his behaviour. But this was soon overwhelmed by the relief of seeing Ana alive. Transforming back into a humanlike form, Vyle hunched over her "I'm so so so so so so so so sorry for leaving you, I'm so so so sorry I took so long to find you..." was he crying? He'd never cried before in his life... he'd never cared about someone this much before in his life.
Thank the angel, Brianne was here... and Roxanne... she made him uncomfortable. But not as uncomfortable as this policewoman. She was distracted now, time to take this opportunity. Nick's arms were bound, but not his legs, he kicked the policewoman in the face, then pulled hard on the handcuffs. The bed frame was wooden, and not best quality. with a CRACK, the bedpost split and Nick pulled it forward, smashing it over the demon's head. "Get off me you creep!" Masque stared at the fairy with a wistful expression. The words boomed over the world, but he wasn't paying attention. That face... he wanted to see it slowly die. In his mind he imagined the expression of shock she would experience, then the slow realisation... and the eventual destruction. Masque took out a long needle, he'd been saving this for something special, now was the time "Please, don't struggle" he said calmly, as he viciously stabbed the fairy in the side, piercing her flesh. The needle was poisoned with a special toxin Masque had managed to acquire. Masque took out a camera "Don't smile" he asked as he captured the moment. Perfect. A wonderful representation of shock and horror.
Lord Arval Galaharram: The guard commander was rather confused by the performance "Oh, Duke Rention, Apologies I didn't recognise you, your lordship. The disguise is very effective clearly!" Arval bowed, internally he was scouring his memories, trying to remember exactly who Duke Rention was. "The dark-skin Hirokiri man who's been seen in the forest, he must be this rumoured assassin! Those savages from Hirokir, just the kind of people to try and assassinate our nobility, slippery buggers, if you'll excuse my language your lordship" Arval stated "Yes, we'll make sure you're kept safe, my lord" Arval saluted as the duke and his secretary strode away. Only when they were out of sight did he question what exactly a royal duke was doing in a tiny village like this, and what he was doing with such strange company "I've never heard of a Duke Rention before, sir" one of the guards pointed out. Arval grumbled "Well that's because you don't mingle with the high classes, like me. I wouldn't expect you to know such high nobility. Duke Rention is Lord of the Western Seas! A powerful Admiral" Arval made up on the spot "I've never heard of the Western Seas either sir" "Stop talking, you're embarrassing yourself" Arval was not willing to admit that he had no idea what the Western Seas were. Bjorn the Blacksmith: Bjorn wiped his brow as he finished bending the steel into shape, and dipped it in the oil to temper the blade. Looking up he noticed a customer "Aye, what are you 'ere for lad? Come to take a look at me wares?" He wiped his hands and walked over to the counter, where a lot of weapons and armour was on display Note: This is just the stuff that Lumen can use, there is more in the shop but it's stuff that would be useless for Lumen Iron Broadsword - 35 Silver -Big one-handed sword. Not the best quality, but the same weapon tier you already have Iron Arming Sword - 30 Silver -Lighter one-handed sword. same weapon tier as you Iron War Axe - 35 Silver -a heavier one-handed weapon. Same weapon tier as you Iron Estoc - 45 Silver -Lighter two-handed weapon. Pierces armour. Same weapon tier as you Steel Arming Sword - 60 Silver -Higher tier arming sword Steel Polearm - 75 Silver -Lighter two-handed weapon, has greater range than other melee weapons. Higher tier Steel Longsword - 75 Silver -Higher tier longsword Steel Estoc - 75 Silver -Higher tier estoc Galaharram Longsword - 50 Silver -An old iron longsword, with a strange enchantment that gives it a chance to silence struck enemies "Aye, Lord Arval Galaharram sold me this when he arrived. It's an old piece, looks like it's about to shatter, but it's all magical like, see? Stops 'em casting spells" Galaharram Broadsword - 45 Silver -An old iron broadsword, with the same enchantment as above Chainmail Tunic - 60 Silver -Light armour for torso of a higher tier. Heavier than leather, but offers more protection Chainmail Pauldrons & Vambrace - 50 Silver -Light armour for arms of a higher tier. Heavier than leather, but more protective
Rayyad smiled at Tessa, she was making some sense "Oh I'm so sorry, is the web making it hard for you to breath? I'm so sorry, I didn't want to hurt you" He lightly loosened the web, just enough that it still kept hold of her. They eventually arrived at a large stone door "Hang on, this is my way into the caves, much better than the other way" he waved his hands in some sort of ritualistic fashion, and the stone door slid open. Rayyad and Shadowweaver brought their captives in, and Rayyad closed the door behind them. Once they were safely trapped, Rayyad removed the webbing "Sorry again, but it was necessary. Uh. Well. Welcome to Arak'Un! It's an ancient kingdom based within the mountains between Tyrrus and Hirokir. Everyone's long dead now, but I am directly related to the last king of Arak'Un. That makes me the Webber Prince, The most powerful shaman in this world" Rayyad's voice suddenly became deeper and resonating in that last part, and he seemed shocked at himself that it had happened "... I'm not sure I really want to be the Webber Prince, not with what responsibilities come with it" Rayyad smiled uncomfortably. He looked around the damp, dark cave "Uh... let's head to my room, it's much better than this. Also I'll tell you more about why I've brought you here" With that, he began to walk down the tunnel, gesturing for the others to follow him.
Nick squirmed uncomfortably, he really should have prepared. He hoped that this policewoman was a demon, or a warlock, or maybe even a fairy. If she was just a human this would be sooo embarrassing. Nick blushed but remained quiet as the other police entered. Once they were gone Nick attempted to put on a brave face "I... I... I have reinforcements coming! They'll come save me! They're probably caught in traffic, heh" Nick smiled uncomfortably, trying to inject humour into the situation "Uh, these aren't weapons they're... uh... replicas. Replicas of... weapons... from my favorite TV show, Dominic Sherwood is in it, he's pretty hot... I shouldn't have said that" Nick tried to crawl back as far as he could, he hoped someone was nearby who could help him. Meanwhile in an alley on the other side of the city, Masque walked for the last time from the door of his temporary hideout. He had no regrets about leaving, it was about to be found, and that was the greatest part of the performance. When the shadowhunters, or mundie police, arrived at his hideout they'd find him gone, leaving nothing but the disembodied heads of his most beautiful victims. He made sure to remove all other traces. Masque was back in his red robes, the suit disposed of. He rubbed the scars on his arm and looked around the city, Where to? Central Park was beautiful this time of year, truly a tranquil scene. Of course, its true beauty was brought out when that concord was disrupted. Masque strode out towards the park. Occasionally he came across the odd human, and tried to keep himself out of view. Their disgusted looks, of fear and prejudice. He couldn't stand it. The boy finished his drawing proudly. It was a beautifully detailed pencil drawing of the young boy, standing by an older woman, his mother. It was very impressive for a boy of his age, but what was striking was the dark background. Whereas normally one would depict the happy family in the light, the boy had drawn them in darkness "Look mama!" he held up the picture proudly, the woman smiled kindly "That's a very good picture young one, very accurate... my child... why did you draw your horns?" the child's expression suddenly fell. He felt the bumps on his head "Because... that's what I look like" "Oh but child, don't you want pictures of you to look nice?" the child tore the picture in half. He was in tears "Child! Why have you ruined such a beautiful drawing?" the child did not respond, sulking in a corner of the room "Mama... why won't you let me outside?" Masque shook his head. The past was gone, the present was all that mattered. Finally he arrived at Central Park, and began to gaze in admiration at the beautiful scenery. So taken in by the scenery, he was, that he didn't notice as he bumped into a fairy (Morrigan). Stupid Masque, stupid. Watch where you're going. "Oh. Greetings. OH... my" Masque greeted the fairy, but was caught off guard as he saw the woman's face. That face. Not a face of beauty, but a face of strength and defiance. She was a fighter. Masque would love to see that defiance broken down...
"Oh no, I think you misunderstand" Rayyad replied to Conrad "I'm only going to take her back to my home in the caves. But I need you for a different reason" he explained as he took them through the forest "See, I need someone to do a, uh, job. Not a nice job, which is why I've chosen you, Conrad the Killer. That's what the spiders call you. They also call you even meaner names, but I won't repeat those" Rayyad scowled playfully at Shadowweaver the massive spider "Too bad the other girl isn't here, the thief. Kara the Killer. Anyway, yeah, trust me, if I could go out that far I would have tried to scare you away myself, but I'm kinda restricted" looking at Tessa he frowned "Are you uncomfortable there? Really sorry, but I don't want you to run like all the others, we're close, don't worry. I'll make you some tea when we get there" Kara and Laurentinus were rudely interrupted by the sudden appearance of an armoured man accompanied by some Eredanos Regional Guards. "Excuse me fellows, you're new around here, correct? I saw you arrive yesterday in your carriage and I feel I should give you a warning, and question your inexplicable appearance" the man stated with authority "I am Lord Arval Galaharram, Commander of the Varewyn Regional Guard. That means I'm more important than you. Do you know anything about the events around the Darklight Caverns? Do you know the strange dark-skin man who wanders around the forest? More importantly, what is your group's purpose in this village?" Arval questioned relentlessly Gertrude welcomed the strange people from the previous night into the common room and, after recieving coin from Sanderson, gave them their breakfast. Bacon and eggs, cooked perfectly. "If you need anything else, just ask" she told the group. The common room had several other patrons, mostly merchants and travellers. However, one figure was very mysterious. He wore a long black cloak and had long black hair. He had heavy armour with moon insignias covering it, and wielded a truly enormous sword, one so massive it must have been impossible to wield effectively. Suddenly, the man stood up, sweeping his long cloak behind him, and lunged forward, grabbing the plate of bacon and eggs from Aedan "Aha!" the man exclaimed "The Night Knight strikes again!" he smirked as he held up the plate triumphantly "What are you doing young man?" Gertrude scolded "Give that man back his breakfast now!" "NEVER!" The man exclaimed. He seemed to exclaim dramatically everything he said "I am the greatest villain the land has ever known!" "Who are you?" "You must have heard of me, THE NIGHT KNIGHT!" "That's a stupid name" "SILENCE WOMAN! Or I shall slice you in twain!" "I'd like to see you try, can you even lift that sword?" "I CAN TRY!"
Time paused for Ransak. Soldiers surrounded him, the airship was about to take off. All he had to do would be let go of the artifacts, it would be so simple... But... They were valuable. Ran closed his eyes as his fingers hovered over the button. He pushed one at random, blue. Now, what the hell would happen. Timothy watched Kala's transformation with emotionless glowing eyes, and only one thought came to his mind "It's clear you've been eating properly Ms Kala, you're growing well! But I think you should calm down for a moment, you'll disturb the neighbours" Reqiuem watched the transformation with fear, never before had he seen something like this happen. Letting out a high pitched note he began to run away as fast as he could, he didn't care about Veera right now, this was self-preservation Nighthawk b*tch? How dare he call her that? And that dwarf had quelled her short rebellion. She hoped Jayce would realise his mistake soon enough, but at the moment she had to calm down. They had to begin planning their next strike against the Shards, they could not get complacent. Scornfully Ashleigh turned to the strange woman "Stop that dreadful tune, I won't let your musical magic get to my head. Is this the sort of peace you want? One where people are forced into tranquility?" Ashleigh scowled, and began to get on the Valiant. From his knocked-down position Anthem watched with despair as the craft flew away, there was no chance of catching the Shards now. He did not listen to the false leader's lecture, standing up slowly and glaring at the man. He reluctantly emitted a low note of submission, to keep the man happy. Ashleigh was the true leader of the Order, not this pretender.
Rayyad ignored the heavily armoured man, he was probably just another city person, not nearly as interesting as the girl "I don't exactly live in the woods, I just like wandering around here. These woods are much nicer than the rainforests of my birthplace" He explained "Nice to meet you Tessa, I wonder if you'd like to come visit my home someti- GAAHH!" Rayyad stepped back in shock, pointing aghast at the man. he hadn't been paying attention, but now he recognised this despicable man. "YOU!" he shrieked "YOU MURDERED THEM! YOU KILLED THEM IN COLD BLOOD! YOU COULD HAVE LET THEM FLEE BUT YOU DIDN'T!" Rayyad was hysterical now, and the woods seemed to be reflecting this. From the undergrowth rustling came, skittering shadows could be seen "You heartless *******, I was only trying to scare you, I didn't want anyone to get hurt!" From the woods could be seen glowing malicious eyes, and behind Rayyad a dark shadow approached. The dark creature slowly came into view, it crawled along the forest floor on eight spindly legs, dragging an enormous abdomen. The creature's head bore eight angry eyes and mandibles that dripped with venom "Shadowweaver!" Rayyad called out, the creature shot forth a stringy web at conrad, and pulled him back towards its mouth, where it wrapped the helpless man in silk with its mandibles. Rayyad turned to Tessa "Really sorry about this, but you'll run away if I don't" He shot webs from his hands, which encapsulated Tessa and held her down, so she could not run, or even move her arms. "Shhh, please don't scream, I'm going to take you back to my house. You'll love it, I'm sure" With that, he hefted her over his shoulder and gestured for Shadowweaver, who carried Conrad, as they strode into the forest. With Laurentinus and Lumen dealt with Shyra went into another room, where she expected to find Alice and Tessa, but found neither. Conrad was missing too. By the five realms, where were they? Shyra was rather agitated. Did they sneak away? Did they not like her generosity? She'd paid for their rooms and food, and they just threw it back in her face. Slightly angry, she walked out into the village. She ought to buy some provisions for the cave expedition, if they actually got around to doing it.
Vyle ignored the fracas with the witchers, he was sure they could sort out their own problems, they didn't seem to understand the urgency of the situation. Without a word Vyle shoved the doppler forward "You're our guide, take us out of the city, the route the witch hunters would have taken" he commanded aggressively "If this seems cruel, that's because it is. But I'll make sure you're rewarded after this"
Vyle sprinted along the streets, trusting the witchers could catch up. He knew the streets of Oxenfurt well by now, he'd run back and forth so much. Vyle hated that he'd been wasting so much time, Ana could be dead by now. But there was always the chance that the Witch Hunters would be savoring keeping Ana alive, Vyle grimaced as he considered what the witch hunters would be doing to her, he'd heard stories of their torture methods... he didn't like thinking about it, but it was better than thinking about her death. Eventually Vyle arrived back at the scene near the building and grabbed the doppler he'd previously grabbed (Zack) "You. Doppler, right? Come with me" he pulled the man into the building, to the secret hatch "Did you work out how to open the secret passageway? Because this doppler can guide us through the sewers, presumably. I'm certain the witch hunters would have used these sewers to get out of the city, so you just have to guide us out" he poked the doppler in the chest. He was getting slightly infuriated and losing self-control, he knew, but he had to find Ana.
"Stupid, isn't it? Humans have so much strange underlying meanings to what they say and do" a voice responded to Tessa from the other side of the tree "Wait, who are you?" a man appeared from behind the tree. He was dressed in almost shamanic, primitive clothing, with a wooden mask that had several eye symbols etched onto it. His clothing was mostly brown and green, with some symbols in various places. His skin was dark, much darker than the typical pale skin of Tyrraneans, and his hair was red-blonde. "Uh, I should introduce myself, I hear that's polite. My name is Rayyad Khayrat. And you?" Rayyad stood awkwardly, as if he wasn't sure what to do with himself.
Nick was surprised when the policewoman suddenly noticed him and started ranting at him "Ah... well... you see... if you'd stop talking I can actually... would you let me get a word in edgewise?... I see... well I GAH!" Nick yelped as he was handcuffed "Wait a second... you're not a policewoman!" he realised, confused. He blushed as the woman brushed her lips against his "Uh, you see... the thing is... I'm not really interested" Nick stated, flustered and squirming. He wondered if he was strong enough to break the handcuffs, and concluded that he probably wasn't. Was this policewoman secretly not a human? Was it a demon? Oh god, what kind of mess had Nick got himself into this time...
