So is your RP done for? I've noticed you haven't been posting and since it's only been me and Aelin really doing it, I'd rather know sooner then...
"Correction; I wouldn't have needed to tell everyone, if you hadn't let yourself become captured by a demon." Brianne spoke to Nick over the sounds of battle as she traced her stele through the air, performing a quick healing rune for Roxanne. It wouldn't do more then coagulate her blood and stop the wound from killing Roxanne, but it would have to be enough. The girl didn't deserve immediate attention for her indiscretion, though Brianne could hardly blame her. Still, she was hardly going to leave her post and let the demon escape. Clearly Nick wasn't the only one who had lots to learn, but this wasn't the time nor the place. If he didn't have the skill to end the creature soon, Brianne would do it herself. They needed to get back to the Institute yesterday. Morrigan tried to scream and curse as as the warlock stole her very soul, or at least a part of it. Her will was the only thing that kept her sitting upright, hands clenching handfuls of grass in an effort to keep from falling over. "I refuse to die." She spat at the warlock's feet, trying to find the strength in her body to push herself to her feet, just as the moon revealed a small amount of its face, the light shining on her skin. She sucked in her breath, and with it, the power of the moon, drawing the strength from the foreign orb in order to stand. She had one shot at this, and only one. It was ironic, or stupidity. Probably both. She drew her sword from the sheath tied to her dress, letting the blade shine in the moonlight as she gathered the little power she could. This last burst of defiance, this last call to the magic was likely to kill her. She could feel it accelerating the poison through her body, into her bloodstream and towards her heart. "For my sisters!" She hissed as the sword hummed, now glowing with its own light. And for me. She stabbed towards Masque with the sword, aiming for his heart.
Kara sighed and crossed her arms at their leader's appearance. So much for making a clean getaway. Still, Shyra did seem worried. "I wouldn't bother." Kara waved her hand before strolling back towards Laurentinus, just in case he was thinking of bolting without her. "They're probably snuggling under another pine tree somewhere, further away from the rest of us." she grinned. "Given how rudely I interrupted them this morning." Tessa was on her feet the moment the strange voice came out of Rayyad's mouth. Her expression changed from one of alarm to one of sympathy as she crossed the room and knelt down in front of Rayyad, holding out her hand to him. "It's okay." She murmured, using the tone of voice that helped her calm down frightened animals. "What plan did you make? Perhaps we can help you, and then you can be free." She looked back at Conrad with a pleading gaze; whatever it was, they had to help him. No one deserved to be caged forever. "Maybe if all three of us are looking for it, we can find the idol together. Or perhaps there's a spell or another item we can get to help you break the curse forever." She offered, turning back to Rayyad with a small smile. She felt for the forest man, she really did. Perhaps if fate had been just a little different, she could have been trapped, same as him. Bryce blinked for a moment, nonplussed. I had gold? His trance, brought on by thinking too hard, was broken by the innkeeper smacking him over the head. He managed to look properly ashamed as she yelled at him about breaking something or other. But he was stealing food. Bryce protested mentally. This shamefulness also ended, when the innkeeper mentioned his favorite fruit. "You have one?" he sat up excitedly, though when her hands were revealed to be empty, he hung his head. "You're a liar." he responded to the innkeep mournfully, his mind going to the wonderful taste of dragonfruit. Then Sanderson started speaking, and boy did he use a big word. "Uh......I'll fight him. I need to make up for not having my dragon fruit." He told Sanderson before walking out the door, grabbing his battle ax where it had been resting helpfully by the door. "Good boy.' He told the weapon, kissing the handle. "Now we go play." And maybe there'll be a dragon fruit at the end of it.
Veera's last view was that of the sky, and Derrick looking down on her. I have lost. She let her anger cloud her judgement, and she was going to pay the price. Well if this was going to her last moments on earth, then she had something she should have said a while ago. She looked up at her witcher brother, and opened her mouth. "I-" the sword came down quicker then her lips were able to move, and she was painfully removed from consciousness. Zack sat by the city gates, tossing a rock into the stream. The guards had refused to let him in, on the basis that too many suspicious characters had come through recently. Right. He tossed another stone, staring into the freezing water. It would mean eventual death to jump in, but it might be the only way, if he couldn't get past the guards. Zack decided to wait, watch, and see. Perhaps it would be the one decision he made right today. Tessa looked up at the bartender, vision slightly bleary. She wanted to say something, anything to Seth, but really, all she wanted was to lie down. The idea of sleep terrified her, but it also called to her. Torn in two, she could only cling to the doppler and hope that this turned out for the best. She just wanted to lie down. Or had she thought that already? Her mind was starting to muddle, taking comfort only in Seth's touch and his whispers in her ear. But those had both stopped as they waited for the barkeep to answer. Ana cried out as the arrow struck her shoulder, and raised her hand, instinct telling her to burn the other arrows. Instinct didn't plan for the dimeritium shackles, and she gasped as the arrow pierced her hand, nearly knocking her mind into unconsciousness. It'll never stop, it'll never end. The despair she felt was nothing to what she was going to feel if Vyle suffered at her hands. "Go." She whispered, cradling the injured hand in her lap, every movement causing the blood to ebb from the wound. "Please, leave me. Just get away." She wished she could take back her plea from earlier, and put on a braver face, but it was too late. She was slowly despairing she would ever get away from these hateful creatures, but even if she didn't, then Vyle could. It was getting harder to breath, and she coughed, panic bubbling in her throat. The arrow put enormous pressure on the muscles in her chest, and each breath hurt worse then one of Milosh's turkas underneath her fingernails. Bryce listened to one of his birds, before a smile spread across his face. Not only were his followers ready to strike on the morn, but the witchers appeared to be fighting against each other. If only he had known their bonds of comradery were so strained, he would have struck sooner. Ah, but the timing would still work. He had a plan, after all. And it seemed it would work so much better then he had originally thought. He leaned back, staring at the wooden ceiling. After spending so much time underground, he longed for the sun and fresh air. But that wouldn't do much, except make him an easier target. Should anyone come after him, he wanted them to work for it. Inevitably, his thoughts turned to Tessa. Had she survived the horrible wound he had given her? A part of him hoped she hadn't, just as strong as the part that hoped she had. This world was a terribly cruel place, and he had tried to protect her as long as he could. Originally Sanctuary had been a much more pure place. Dopplers had been safe there, and that was how the name had been chosen. But all good things came to an end, and his happy days with Tessa were gone far too soon. He sighed. However it happened, Tessa would not be part of the battle tomorrow, and that was what mattered. Nothing to distract him, or deter him. In the end, he would win. He had been planning far too long to fail.
Kara smiled, and curtsied to her "Lordship". "If the Lord is going to ask the opinion of a lowly servant," she began with a wicked smile, "then I think we should skip the meeting and see for ourselves what there might be. Between the two of us, I think we can handle anything out there." She winked, and strolled off in the direction of the forest, looking over her shoulder coyly. "Does his Lordship agree? Or shall we go back and share our adventures with the others?" Tessa smiled a little as Rayyad puttered around his small home; in a way he reminded her of herself. "It must be terrible, to be stuck here." She commented, sitting next to Conrad. Despite being upset over his earlier actions with the spiders, and confused at what kept pulling them together, she was comforted by the warmth his nearness provided. "I'm from a..forest, somewhere far away. I went to the town where the guild was because a flyer was left behind and well..." she sighed. "I'm sure you understand the loneliness that the forest provides. Although I've never been bored with a conversation with the deer." She laughed a little. "Much better then the birds. All they talk about are mates and how great they are." Bryce had been on his second helping of eggs when everyone else had decided to arrive. Well, that was unfortunate, because he wasn't about to save any for them. Then, just as he began his third helping of bacon, a strange man came in, and stole Aedan's food. Oh my god. Why would you do that to a man? Bryce was indignant for his companion, who began arguing with the stranger. Bryce responded by shoveling in one last helping of each of the food before dropping his plate to the ground and grabbing the pint full of...something. It was sweet and good and that was all that mattered. He chugged it down, wiping his mouth as he dropped the cup on the ground and smashed the pottery. "Another!" He shouted before jumping over his table and moving in to tackle the Night Knight. "Unhand that man's portions! He needs to fatten himself!" Bryce yelled as he leaped towards the stranger.
Veera dropped the silver sword after Derrick parried the blow, having enough time to draw Quen before he punched her in the face. She flinched with the blow, which broke the Quen, but after he followed it up with Aard, she was blown backwards. Rolling to her feet, she switched her iron sword to her right hand, remaining crouched for a moment to assess the situation. To try to calm down. Her focus needed to be on the doppler she was meant to kill, not on Derrick. As angry as she was, as stupid as he was, she didn't want to kill him. But she would, if he wouldn't get out of her way. She took a deep breath, and then he opened his mouth again. "Have you forgotten everything you learned?" "Of course I bloody haven't! You're the one who's forgotten! You and Veceslav! You've turned on everything! I didn't want to carry this burden alone! I wanted us to do this together!" If the witcher could have cried, she would have, but despite her eyes aching, nothing came. She swung her sword as she stood, wind tugging at her hair before she created the sign for Igni, forcing the flames in a wave in front of her as she chased them, jumping up and over them to attack Derrick from the sky as the flames attacked from the ground.
Veera stumbled as the sword sliced through her leather pants, opening a small wound. She turned, adjusting her grip on her own sword with her left hand before meeting Derrick's eyes once again. Pure rage burned inside of her, and she hissed with frustration, circling Derrick before swinging her sword in low, aiming for his right side with her left hand as she drew her silver sword with her right, flicking the leather strap off. She turned in a pirouette as she pulled the sword from its scabbard and followed up with another blow to the right, aiming for his shoulder instead of his side. "Old friends don't betray each other." She retorted, face twisted with anger. "And families don't turn against each other!"
It was like a switch flipped off in her brain. Veera felt nothing but numb. If she could have set Derrick on fire with her gaze, she would have done it in a heartbeat. And Igni took too long to draw. "You are dead to me." She whispered, her face like stone, as she cast Quen before charging in, drawing her iron sword. He chose a doppler, a doppler over me. Over everyone. He doesn't know what he's done, and I can no longer make him understand. She needed to take care of Derrick so he couldn't stop her, and then she needed to go after the doppler to stop him, if there was enough time. But she could suffer this insult no longer. I am worth more then a doppler ever will be.
Veera cut another drowner in half, hissing as the blood splattered her chest. She had just cleaned this. Whirling, her sword cutting a circle through the air before decapitating a second. They were thinning out, and she smiled grimly, dispatching with a third before the rest finally broke away. Wiping her sword on the lower half of her leather shirt, she sheathed it, and started towards the shattered door. Clearly, the vampire had taken her advice. She took a moment to wonder why exactly he had been after that girl. Was she his blood meal? A favored slave? Well it mattered not to her. It was on Derrick's head that they had helped instead of hurt the monster, and to be honest, she was dealing with enough of those in human form to hardly need another on her plate. Speaking of which...she tracked the group through the marshy ground, onto the road, and towards the pond. The vampire was gone, once again, hardly a surprise, but now it was only Derrick remaining. She clenched her fists, knowing the answer even as she asked the question. "Where is the bloody doppler?" He had let him go. Since Derrick was hardly incapable of dispatching a single creature, it was the only logical answer. "Where. Is. He." She asked slowly, tension thrumming along her body. He's going to tell Bryce our numbers, our strengths, he's going to bring us all down. And it was Derrick's fault. Zack's eyes widened to an even larger size, if that was at all possible, as the vampire changed shape and flew off. "Um...." He glanced at Derrick, who all but shrugged it off and continued. Zack followed the witcher, for lack of better things to do, until Derrick turned to him, next to the pond. "Run, my doppler friend." He said. Zack hesitated, then looked up at the sky. He must mean the vampire....if the vampire had been too late, there was only one person he could honestly blame. "Thank you." Zack whispered before hightailing it back to the city, this time circling the wall instead of taking the sewers. He didn't like those tunnels, anyway, and he hardly wanted to run right back into the group of drowners the female witcher had been slaughtering. Once he felt he was a safe enough distance away, he slowed to a walk, and followed the river towards the gate. He wasn't at all anxious to return to the scene before hand, but if he was safe anywhere, it would be with Veceslav. Hopefully Tessa was still recovering, and he and Seth could take her somewhere safe. Then they could find out a way to get to Bryce. Zack's mouth tightened into a grim line. Whatever little courage he had when he was alone, with someone else it seemed to become ten fold. I promise Tessa, I'll right my wrongs and find that doppler. And I'll make him pay for what's he done to you, and all the others. Teliana pressed her face into Vyle's shoulder as he picked her up, smiling in spite of herself even as the tears flowed faster. It's him it's him it's him. She was saved, she was safe. It was over. "You found me." She whispered into his coat, her breath catching in her throat as she turned her face back, only to press her palms against her eyes in an effort to stem the tears. "I didn't think anyone would find me." Then he mentioned her shackles. "They're dimeritium, don't touch them." she shuddered as she lowered her hands to stare at the metal that burned her skin, that stole her magic. The memory of what had been done to her wouldn't fade, even as the scars healed. "Please don't let them find me." Ana whispered as she stared at the shackles.
Teliana's prayers had been answered, perhaps not in the way she had intended them, but she couldn't be more relieved by the result. A winged something dove from the sky, colliding with the man in front of her and blocking out the light for a moment before liquid splattered her face. She reached up her fingers to wipe away the blood, staring down at the red with silent confusion. Where had this come from? Had the sword landed, and she was simply dying? No, she felt fine. That ended when the creature turned to her. It looked similar to a large bat, and she could only stare at it, emotionless. Had the gods sent their own messenger to kill her? That seemed a little over the top. It approached her, and she couldn't look away, not even when it transformed into a very familiar shape. No...this is too cruel. She hadn't thought the witch hunters would do this, would stoop this low. She had thought Zephyr would escape, only to prove that she had been wrong. She had thought Milosh would let her go, only to be cut down and hunted in the woods. And what better way to torment her even more, then to conjure up the image of the man standing in front of her? Teliana squeezed her eyes shut, rather then let more tears fall as the figure hunched over her, once more blocking out the sunlight. But then he spoke, and her eyes re opened, widening as they looked up at the blood stained face above her. Illusions don't speak... She reached up, tentatively touching Vyle's face with her ruined fingers as she examined his features, looking for anything that was wrong, anything out of place, anything that might give away that this was a disguise, and Milosh would simply rip it off before killing her. She forced her dry lips apart, to ask a simple, important question. "What did I do to the man you were hunting, the first time we met?" She asked, her voice trembling.
#foreveralone
Brianne flicked her fingers in silent command for Roxanne to guard the exit while she circled towards the bound Nick and "police officer". "As far as I know, my friend there doesn't prefer the company of women." She told the police officer calmly, her stele hanging by her side. "And besides," She raised her arm, showing the glowing runes. "Humans can't see us." That was when Nick broke free, moving to attack the demon with the headboard. Brianne took the moment to dart around, so that the demon and Nick were caught in between her and Roxanne. She was content to let Nick handle this, but remained at the ready, watching the fight. He needed to learn from his mistakes, after all. Her eyes flicked to Roxanne for a moment, assessing the other girl for any obvious injuries. Seeing none, she gave a mental nod of satisfaction before turning her eyes back to Nick. "Please don't struggle." The stranger said as he approached her with more speed then she could have imagined. Morrigan, distracted by the strange voice overhead, didn't notice the needle until it was too late as it pierced both dress and skin. She gasped, blinded momentarily as the flash of the camera stunned her, before turning, calling the magic of the moon into her fist to knock this Downworlder's head off. Her fingers tingled, but not with the familiarity of magic, and what should have been a powerful magical attack was turned into a slap across the face. She stumbled, falling to her knees as her feet began to tingle as well. "What have you done?" She gasped, holding her side as though to ease the throbbing pain that had begun there. What was wrong with her wasn't in her ability to fix, on the outside. No, something was very very wrong inside of her. Her hands clenched, handfuls of grass caught between her fingers. "What have you done?!" Morrigan demanded, slowly rising back to her feet as a terrible thought struck her. "Is this...are you...." She began to sweat, the perspiration shining off her skin. Masque. Her mind made the connection that her lips could not. It's him. Not many others attacked the fey. No one, other then demons.
Kara hid her smile as Laurentinus played along, before turning on his heel and walking away. She followed, keeping her head demurely inclined until they were a safe enough distance away before she burst out into laughter, clapping her hands in happiness. "Did you see the look on his face? He totally fell for it." She held her sides, gasping for air as the laughter began to cause a shortage of oxygen in her lungs. "Oh my gods I haven't had that much fun since I took that stuff last night." She stopped laughing, sitting on the ground as she looked up at Laurentinus. "I wonder if he's missing his stuff by now." She mused, tapping the pommel of her blade. "Well that's gonna be our secret, right?" A part of her was actually worried that Shyra would rat her out to whoever was undoubtedly complaining to the innkeep now, but she would have to deal with that if or when the time came. For now, she smiled up at Laurentinus before getting to her feet and brushing the dust off her clothes. I think I've just found a new partner. Tessa relaxed as her lungs filled with the proper amount of air. She could wiggle her fingers now, too, but it was of little consequence as the webbing still trapped the rest of her body. As Rayyad led them through the stone door, his stone door he said, she vaguely wondered what made it nicer then the other entrance, and then resolved that she didn't necessarily want to find out. After they had apparently arrived, Rayyad removed them from the webbing as he continued to speak. Tessa, to her credit, paid attention as she finger combed the last of the sticky stuff from the strands of her hair, freezing when his voice echoed and boomed across the caverns. The Webbar Prince? She felt like she had heard this name before, and tried to remember as she followed the forest-man and Conrad down towards Rayyad's room. The Webbar Prince....She was chewing her lower lip, trying to think past the fog of the last few years. "It must be a heavy burden, to be alone." She said softly, after Conrad offered his apology. To his credit, she believed him, and she hoped Rayyad would too. "I mean, not that we've been alone. We're surrounded by the animals, but they have their own plans, and families and struggles. There's no one to really understand our plans or struggles."
Brianne ducked once more underneath the vampire's grasping hands before using her stele to nearly split him in half. "Roxanne, I'll meet you there!" She called out, seeing that the girl was still busy with her foe. And knowing Roxanne, she wouldn't appreciate interference. Brianne bolted up the street, towards the hotel. She quickly spelled out her last rune, one of glamour, to allow her to slip past the human police unnoticed. She bolted up the staircase, taking two at a time. She hadn't seen Nick outside, and her panic was slowly mounting when he wasn't waiting for them. Because of course this night had to get worse. And then she froze in the stairwell, unable to move as a voice boomed over head. "You're all fools." The voice intoned, distorted and low. It echoed across courtyards, down subway tunnels, and through the streets, reaching the ears of every Downworlder and Shadow Hunter in New York City. "You have cowered from the Nephilim for so long, allowing them to govern you, to kill you. Now.... now they will cower from me. For I have taken the Mortal Cup!" There was a dramatic pause, and the voice chuckled. "I have taken the Mortal Cup. How sweet these words are to me. They'll be sweet to you too Downworlders, for there is one more Mortal Instrument to be taken. I shall bide my time, and reclaim the power that should have been ours, but in the meantime, I will handsomely reward whichever of you bring it to me." Another pause. "The Nephilim are not as strong as you think they are. Kill them like your families have been killed. Hunt them like you have been hunted. For our time, is now." Brianne grasped the railing for strength as her legs nearly failed her. The Mortal Cup? Gone? Those two in the alley.....she shook her head, and raced up the stairs. She had to get to Nick, and then she had to get to Roxanne, and send them both back to the Institute. Then she would go for Hendrik. Hopefully she hadn't been the only one to hear the voice, and he was already on his way back. Brianne shoved the door to the hallway open, and bolted through, pausing. None of the doors were open. She listened, then kicked open the door to her right where a man and a woman were- "Shit." she whispered as the couple stared at the door in confusion, not understanding why their door had just blown open. The next two doors yielded results that were similar, but none nearly as graphic, thank the Angel. The final door, Brianne took a deep breath, and shoved open. "Nick!" She shouted with relief, before her eyes widened. "What in the Angel's name?" "Apologies." Morrigan told Masque, bowing her head slightly. "I was not paying attention." She turned to walk away, and startled, her fists clenched as the voice boomed above her. The Mortal Cup? The Shadowhunters would be out in force, interrogating every one of them. Whoever had done this had done the Downworlders no favors, instead the Nephilim would come down harder then they had before. And once they found out which of the races had taken the Cup....she shuddered, shutting her eyes as the message finished, and faded away into the chilly night air. It would be genocide. "Did you hear that?" she whispered to Masque, looking up at the clear night sky. What had started out as a peaceful evening in the park was quickly becoming a torrent of events that she was hard pressed to keep up with.
Veera scratched her head, then shrugged. "Well, today you try something new!" she said cheerfully as she shoved Veilen towards the edge of the wall, with enough force to push him over, before hopping over herself. She fell for longer then she had anticipated, but luckily landed in something soft. Sheep's wool. She thought to herself with some amazement. Thousands of pounds of sheep wool. She looked over to see if Veilen had fallen beside her. Kara didn't have any such inhibitions as Runa. Sure she was impressed by the girl's lightning prowess, but honestly, what good was power if you didn't kill with it? She darted forward, fire wrapping around her hand as she shoved it onto the nearest man's face and burned him alive, ducking a sword blow from another and blocking it with her weapon before backing up, twisting her fingers to make the fire leave her palm for a moment and shoot towards the attacker, before coming back to her once the man was suitably set ablaze.
Kara turned, opening her mouth to say...well she wasn't really sure. Yes, Laurentinus was thanking her, and while she wanted thanks she didn't want to have to say that she wanted thanks. She just wanted them to say thanks....oh good gods she was such a woman. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the voice of a man who was apparently standing behind her. A city guard. A typical city guard. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot until the man was done speaking before smiling sweetly. "I didn't realize you thought you were more important then His Lordship, Duke Rention of the Western Seas." She turned and curtseyed to Laurentinus, hiding her wicked smile as she bowed her head. "My Lord, I apologize for this man acting so coarsely. He did not mean to insult your royal person, and I humbly beg that you forgive him for his simple ways." She winked at Laurentinus before turning around, staring at Arval. "Lord Rention was traveling under the guise of a simple city guard in order to hide his royal person. He is here to survey his lands without drawing attention to his person." she sighed. "You might be wondering why I'm telling you this." She drew closer to the guard commander, fluttering her eyelashes. "Well, we've received word that there's going to be an attempt on his person, and we need to make sure this city is adequately armed in case of an assassination attempt." She smiled slyly at Arval. "Though I'm sure such a handsome soldier as yourself wouldn't have any trouble with one little assassin." She purred. Tessa shifted, then froze, the web yanking on her hair. She settled for simply trying to talk her way, and Conrad's, out of this. "You shouldn't make him do this on his own, he has a better chance of succeeding if we both go." She tried to reason with Rayyad. "We could all have tea together, and you could show me your lovely home, and then we could both go and complete it, and come back and you could show me around the forest." She offered Rayyad a small, sweet smile, though her lip trembled. It wasn't because of fear, or really even anything. She was just having a hard time breathing as the webbing restricted her movement.
Veera blinked once, then twice. Well.....shit. She had not expected that. Clearly, neither had Requiem, as the thing took off, squealing out high notes in panic. "I'll have to tell Ashleigh not to expect you back." She turned towards the third party in this matter, the one firing the gun, and strolled towards him, holding her sword out. Once she was only a few feet in front of him, she raised her sword and pointed it in his direction. "I think that poor fellow is having a hard enough time with the girl, don't you?" She asked, her eyes nearly glowing with repressed violent urges. Her own self was in control now, having been shocked back into existence by the appearance of a demon. She lowered the sword, planting it in the dirt and resting both hands on its pommel. "You should come back with me. It's not safe out here, and quite frankly I'm going to need all the help I can get, capturing that girl. If not to keep her from murdering my comrade's protector." She sighed. "Will you please help me?" Kala was no longer Kala. She no longer thought like Kala, or feared like Kala. This new her, she wanted that soul inside that armor. There had to be one, and she wanted it. "Mine." She hissed, chasing after the thing on four legs, occasionally leaping into the air to gain more ground. The harder Requiem tried to run, the more excited She grew, and the quicker she chased. It didn't take much longer for her to pounce on the back of the armor, tearing and clawing at it while she screeched in rage before sinking her teeth into the helmet, shaking it this way and that as she tried to rip it off, tried to get to an inch of bare skin so she could make it pay. She let go of the helmet just long enough to scream in Requiem's face, protected by metal. The sound was loud enough to deafen even her, but the darkness inside of her raged that she make it pay. "MINE!" She screamed before tearing at its chest plate, helmet, anything within her grasp, the claws scratching the metal and digging into any hand hold she could find as she assaulted the musical soldier.
Zack kept pointing the female witcher one way, and then another, praying in between the cross roads that he was indeed right. The gods must have smiled on him at last, because after what seemed like minutes of walking through sewage that was best left unidentified, he saw light. The woman beside him saw it too, and her pace quickened. They were almost out, when shadows stepped in front of them, halting their progress. Veera cursed and shoved the doppler to the side, holding her silver sword in front of her. This would be easy enough, and she exhaled, already preparing for herself for the task of killing, when the sound of a horn echoed faintly. Then again, and again. A hunt? This close to Oxenfurt......a shiver ran down her spine. Oh no. "Vampire. Doppler. Derrick. Get out of here. Go towards those horns. Run." She lunged forward at the drowners and then to the side, drawing their attention away from the others in the group. "I've got this." She cut off the first one's head, and split another in half, drawing them back to the tunnel to the right. If she got lost, so be it. These tunnels all had to lead out somewhere, after all. Tessa gladly clung to Seth, trying to put as much of her own weight on her feet as she could. "Take this alley." She whispered, her face tight with fear and pain. Was this witcher the one who killed all of those before? Had he been looking for Seth? She desperately hoped Veceslav would hold him off until they could escape the city. She couldn't even consider where they were going, just that they had to get out. "Keep going straight, take the next left alley, and then go straight and we'll be there." she said, hiding her face from passersby in Seth's shoulder. The last thing she needed right now was for a patron of the bar to stop her and ask what had happened, or worse, assume Seth was there to hurt her. Teliana stumbled when Jaroslav let go of her. She hadn't had time to get the questioning words out of her mouth before the sharp, now familiar pain of a blade slicing her skin caused her to try to crawl backwards. She ended up collapsing in the dirt as the witch hunter turned away, her ruined fingers going to the incisions on her legs as her dress, already stained, now turned red with blood. Behind her, she heard the sounds of a horn. And another, and another. The jeers of men could be heard, and her blood turned cold. She got to her feet, slowly, painfully and began to run. If you could call what she was doing a run. The two shackles on her hands clanked with each jolted movement, ebbing the flow of her magic as she wandered, heart pounding in her chest. She could hear them coming from behind her, and her terror made her whimper as she stumbled over a log. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and she found a small pool of strength. With this, she picked herself up off the ground, and ran. The pain from her wounds faded as her fear took precedence in her mind, and she ignored how much ruckus she was making, focusing on covering as much distance as she could. No matter how fast she tried to run, she wasn't fast enough, and she didn't have enough strength. She didn't have the courage to stand and fight either. Well, fight with what? Her bloodied, bruised and burned fists? She heard a twig crack to her right and cried out, ducking away from an imaginary attack. The act cost her the momentum she had gained, as she fell into a pit. Dust covered her hands, making her wounds sting and soaking in the blood that oozed from the wounds on her legs. She scrabbled forward, her hand grabbing at something, anything for a weapon. The branch she found crumbled in her hands, charred black. That was when she looked up, and quickly crawled backwards, her mouth hanging open in horror. Above her was the blackened corpse of what she could only assume had been a mage, their arms nailed to the crosses on the wood, forms twisted so far beyond recognition she couldn't even tell if it had once been human. A rough hand spun her around, and she was tossed against what remained of the pyre as a witch hunter stood over her, grim face hidden by shadow. She tossed ash in his face and turned to go, but he only dragged her back by the ankle, her fingers scrabbling in the dirt as she screamed. She was flipped over, the act knocking the breath from her lungs as the hunter stood over her, raising a sword above his head. This was it. "Please, goddess make it quick." she whispered, putting a hand up to shield her face as the blade came down.
Kara picked out a small roll stuffed with ham and cheese, chewing on it slowly as she examined their surroundings while Laurentinus paid for their breakfast. She hadn't realized how tired she was once the food filled her rumbling stomach, and rubbed at her eyes with her free hand, the other clutching the sack. "You know, I wouldn't have minded sharing that stupid score, if Shyra had only just asked." she said, staring up at the sky. "But just because I'm here, she assumes what's mine is everyone's. How is that fair?" She swung the sack gently back and forth, chewing on her lower lip. "Nothing has ever been given to me. Nothing's ever been mine." At least not without a price tag. "Whatever. Do whatever you want with the money." She told Laurentinus, hoisting the bag over her shoulder. "I'll quit bothering everyone so much and go make myself useful." Whoa, where had that come from? Maybe Conrad's words had gotten to her more then she thought. She shook her head and turned away, setting off down the street in search of....something. Tessa had been smiling, until Rayyad began to panic upon seeing Conrad. She put her hands up, trying to calm the man like a skittish deer, when the giant spider appeared behind him. Tessa reached for her magic in order to protect herself and her traveling companion, when Conrad was covered in web, and the same happened to her. She didn't struggle; this hadn't been the first time she had been in this situation. Struggling only helped the web ensnare you more. She could hear Conrad apologizing somewhere close to her, but the web was sticking to her hair and she was unable to turn her face away from Rayyad's, who was also apologizing as he picked her up, following the spider deeper into the woods. You know, I would have come to see your home if you had just asked. She thought to herself, shutting her eyes in order to keep from getting a rather awkward view of the stranger. She didn't dare speak as he ran through the forest, to keep herself from biting her tongue. And though she would never admit it out loud, she had been touched that Conrad tried to bargain for her release.
Veera brushed off Derrick's words with the same cold air she had his gesture, and narrowed her eyes at the vampire. "I'll go first." She told the group before descending into the dark cellar, pausing for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the nonexistent lighting before walking further. To her eye, it seemed like the room was bare of anything but the stones that were the foundation of the house, and well the passage that extended into the dark. She followed it warily, one hand going to her silver sword. If this went where she suspected, there would be more to worry about then tripping over a stone here or there. A sound echoed through the tunnel, and she froze, eyes scanning the way in front of her. "Just a toad." She called back, her grip tightening around the pommel. Toad or not, she didn't want any more surprises. After minutes of walking, she arrived at a crossroads. A tunnel ahead, a tunnel to the right, and a tunnel to the left. She narrowed her eyes against the stench of Drowner pheromones, and pulled her silver sword out, holding it at the ready in front of her. "Doppler." She called back to Zack, her voice tense. "Come stand by me, and tell me which way to go." While she didn't necessarily care if the doppler himself was maimed, it wouldn't be helpful to the vampire if their guide died. Helping a vampire. With Derrick of fucking Kaedwen. Of all the irony, there couldn't be a situation that fit the word much better. At least she was away from Veceslav. For now. Zack stayed mute and hunched over, just hoping for it all to end. He was surrounded by witchers and being poked by an angry vampire, this day could hardly get any worse. Well, it did when Vyle pushed him roughly towards the dark opening, demanding he showed them the way. What have I ever done to you? Zack glared at the vampire through his bangs. Besides blame you for the death of your friend. Thankfully, the female witcher had some charity in her heart, and offered to go first. Maybe this day would start looking up after all. A half hour later, sloshing through sewage and muck, Zack decided that it would be a long time before this day started looking up. He cringed when the toad croaked, and once more when the witcher in front called his name. Keeping his head down, he walked past the vampire and secondary witcher to stand at her side. "We have to go left." he muttered, pointing and then flinching out of the way as the witcher proceeded in the direction he had pointed. They came to another crossroads, at which Zack pointed forwards. It was going to be a long walk, and he sighed. Tessa felt her heart drop in relief, and hobbled along with Seth, leaning her head on his shoulder. We're going away, we're getting out and we'll both be okay. She exhaled, and that was when the one good moment in the day decided to fall apart. One of the witchers had turned on Seth, and was coming towards him, quickly. Seth let her rest against the wall, putting the money in her hand. "But I don't-" he cut her off by ordering her to leave him there, and get to the meeting place. "Like hell I will." She muttered, reaching into her bodice. When Veceslav had held her down earlier, she had used the opportunity to snag one of the daggers hanging around his belt. Bryce had taught her how to do that. She had been saving it for a weapon, since she assumed Seth had nothing but the dress he wore, and she had lost her own in the river. Tessa normally would have felt bad about taking something from the man who had helped save her, but that Tessa had died, while the new Tessa lived. And the new Tessa would do what she needed to keep herself and Seth safe. Gripping it by the hilt, she took a deep breath, and threw it towards Aaron, the act causing her to whimper with pain as she slid down the wall, her vision blurring for a moment. Hopefully the witcher would pause just long enough that Seth could get away. "Run! It's not me he wants!" she screamed, holding her side. Spoiler Ana lay panting, a whimper the only sound she could make with each breath that escaped her body as Milosh was pulled aside by a second. Just when the pain had seemed never ending, the gods, or luck had given her a break. Her body shivered with each throb produced by her ruined fingers, the only way her mind could cope with the pain. She was pulled out of the haze by the sound of Milosh's voice. "No! PLEASE!" She struggled against her shackles, her eyes swollen from crying. "Please leave him alone! He doesn't know anything, and I've told you everything! Please..." her words were broken off with sobs as Milosh shrugged off her words and entered the next room, where the sounds of what she assumed was Zephyr being tortured echoed out into the hall. I'm so sorry, so sorry so sorry. She hadn't helped him get away after all, she had only made things worse for him. Time seemed to fade out of her mind as she dozed, shivering from the pain and the cold, her muscles cramping as she was forced to remain on the torture table. She was woken from her stupor by more pain, and as her scream echoed through the room a hand clamped over her mouth. "Be quiet." A voice stirred the hair by her ear. "We don't have much time." It was one of the other witch hunters, cauterizing her wounds. She gritted her teeth and nodded, doing her best to keep quiet as he finished, and released her from her shackles, leaving only the ones around her wrists. She fell to the ground, her legs unable to support her. Jaroslav caught her before she hit the ground, and hurried her out of the room. She was fuzzy on the rest of the details of the place she had been held as they stumbled out into the woods, twigs breaking underneath their feet. "Wh-what about Z-" "There's no time." the witch hunter told her, his voice harried. "We have to go now." She bowed her head and put her remaining strength into helping Jaroslav half carry her into the woods. She could mourn Zephyr later, but right now the gods granted her the chance to escape, and if she didn't take it, she doubted there would be another.
