• Graded • A City of Villains and Lies (Guest Mod - Night!)

[Vluharqih]

Valyeria kept close to the pair as he spoke of his "pet". She watched the whistle come out, wincing before she realized that it wasn't making any noise. Her head cocked as she tried to look at the dark woods around them, but the torches held by the mob had ruined her night vision.

The cracking and snapping as the beast approached told her that she was best to stay where she was- whatever it was, she didn't stand a chance against it. She made sure to keep her face neutral as the animal tore into the crowd, blood spattering the ground near them, a hand flopping down at her feet.

She hadn't noticed the others with her disappearing- it wasn't often that she was so distracted. The blade scraping against her throat made her tense up as she realized she had missed yet another important fact; these two didn't trust her.

"W-What are you doing?" Valyeria hissed, tilting her head up to try and get as much space for her neck as possible.

She followed as best she could, feeling forward with her foot before stepping. The last thing she needed was to fall down and reveal herself to be a Yludih- neck wounds, while annoying, weren't fatal for them.

Soon they stopped, Valyeria looking over to the dim outline of the man. "What do you want?" She hissed, before a nearby bush exploded into action and sound.

[Gangui]

Gangui was too confused and cautious to make any moves against the unknown entity whom was under the cover of the black forest. The warrior noticed the voice was feminine and precise. He couldn't make out the exact features of the person, however he could intuitively grasp at the faint outline of the form.

"Stay back!" Gangui back pedaled in fear. Bumping into the tree, the barbarian flipped his hips towards the road, or at least where he thought it was located. Normally his mental cognition and memory would allow him to remember his barrings despite being in the blackness, however his current confusion and exhaustion overcame his common sense so he ended up running the opposite way.

Bluffing came naturally in the state of panic, "I-I-can see in the dark! I'll stab~you! Fuck off!"

Gracefulness and caution were discarded as he ran in fear. Picking his knees up as high as he could, the barbarous man noisily stepped over bush and branch alike without care for his own body's harm in the process. The adrenaline coursing through his veins allowed him to accomplish this without anguish, until he bumped into a thorny tree. A cry from deep inside his stomach escaped as pain burned him, "ARGhghgHGHhh!!" Ripping himself free from the tree hurt a lot, but there was no patience left in the barbarian for caution.

Anger swelled up as he realized he had gone the wrong way, but the move put his barrings back into perspective. Turning around towards the road he saw the twinkle of a single discarded torch. Utterly focused on obtaining the source of light, Gangui ran back towards the road. The jog in the blackness was still terrifying despite gaining some mental clarity. Although almost falling down several times on his way back onto the road, he began to get a feel for body momentum in the blackness. The soft edges of glow that emanated from the torch also helped him too. He made the mental realization then and there that he needed to constantly have bodily anticipation for what was happening on the terrain within the darkness, not mere present observation.

Finally he laid hands on the torch. Swooping down to pick it up, he flipped his hips into a backpedal in expectation of a martial assault. Gangui growled in fearful anger, "DECLARE YOURSELF!"

There was no response except for the buzz of distant insects. The wild man still felt the presence that had startled him in the first place. Eyes darting around frantically, he spotted the glimmer of a sword. Grunting loudly, he darted forward and knelt down alongside one of the monster's victims that had been thrown side.

"DECLARE YOURSELF!" He screamed with a hoarse, trembling voice. Some amount of water leaked from his mouth as he spoke. Clenching the cold fingers of the corpse, he wrenched the death grip open and looted the sword in it's possession.

Immediately a sense of calmness flooded over Gangui, like giving a child their stuffed toy. Now that he was armed with a familiar weapon, he could overcome the fear and pacify his heart with the comfort of steel. To the young warrior, this was his way to maintain courage.

"SO BE IT!!!" The barbarian yelled to rebuke the entity who hid in the forest watching him. Turning down the road, Gangui began to jog away holding the lit torch in one hand and the sword in the other.

~~

The barbarian had jogged for not more than a couple bits, before working up a sweat. The disheveled warrior was littered with minor scraps and scratches over his bruises. His energy was waning, but the frantic nature of the events kept his adrenaline levels high. His red hair was all screwed up and his beard wet with sweat. Stopping to gain his breath, the piercing shriek of a man echoed through the air, no doubt another victim to the horrible monster.

Circling around the road, he waved the torched about hoping to see something. Far behind him the blackness, he caught the glimmer of two eyes, it's owner the same presence from before. A slight anger swelled up inside him, "Declare yourself or stop following me damn-it!" There was no response from the being however.

Shrugging it off he continued down the road at a very slow jog wandering what his next move was going to be. Not only was he unsure of the direction he traveled, but there was a horrible monster out for blood somewhere nearby. On top of that, there was some roguish character following him in the dark. Gangui hadn't been in such a dire predicament since his father's company was captured in Sirothelle.

Things were not done spiraling out of his control though. Coming up on the road was yet another group of people. Cursing the Immortals, anger fueled the desire to push forward in his heart. The barbarian felt like he was entirely surrounded by enemies that would immediately kill him.

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

Another trial in Cylus, a good one that is, was another trial F'mos would be indoors and warm. There were times he had no choice but to suffer the cold, like on Rowan's 'invitation' to hunt, but there could be any number of worse situations he could have found himself in; those flayings for example. Fortunately there was a luxury in his arrangements as one living in the city and the most important for him at that very trial, protection from the unforgiving cold of Cylus.

But the Aukari's wants for the trial could change, just as easily as the circumstances he found himself in...

It happened too quickly for F'mos. One moment he was at the market stalls for the necessities which would last him the next few trials and the next, the yells; which was of course ignored by the Aukari who had grown used to the loud barks of the 'dogs' of Etzos. Dogs he expected to be beaten back and disciplined by the infamous Black Guard once they went out of line.

However the events that trial went differently as even the guards lost control. F'mos soon found himself surrounded by many bewildered Etzori and quickly had his hood up, an instantaneous reaction to the excitement of the violent racists. It was alarming he became used to these incidents and was aware his red hair would make him a target. However, the Aukari knew the best thing he could do was to not draw any attention to himself while he planned his escape.

Unfortunately, F'mos was unable to get away from the crowd and was herded to the front along with the more eager of the mob. They effectively communicated to him their belief that if he was not with them, he was against them and he was only left to nod as he lacked the same brand of fervour. He had not expected to join a mob that trial and had a job to get to, so he decided it was better to appear as ill-equipped as the next impressionable Etzori when he was pressured to take up arms; in case he could be excused from the entire fiasco.

The random objects forced into the indifferent Aukari's hands were like the rest of the mob, tools specifically picked for a lynching. They were definitely no good against the firebreathing monster that appeared, just like the weapons he hid on himself like a proper Aukari should. With newfound zeal, F'mos rushed with the wave of bodies at the gates. He could hear some yells again, but no longer were they from confident Etzori out for blood. On the bright side, those racist rubes had a chance to experience the fear which all Aukari had.

He found himself outside the gates and in the darkness and chill of Cylus. Once he had a chance to catch his breath, F'mos scanned his surroundings and found fewer participants of the mob. He decided to use the darkness of Cylus to make his escape but was promptly caught. Accused of being a traitor, spy and coward by the hatemongers, he was forced to set aside any ideas of escape, for the time being...

He hoped the mob would find some unfortunates and call it a night, which F'mos anticipated would be the new group although they seemed mad with their talk of pets. The time he was out took its toll on him; despite his attire and natural heat. His breath made visible by the cold convinced him to slip away while the mob was distracted. His pace quickened once he heard the unnatural cry and he was about to run, but his legs stiffened as his eyes fixed on the grotesque creature which appeared.

As a chef, F'mos was no longer perturbed by the ugly remains of any beast which made its way to his kitchen whether because of the sight and smell of them- but this...beast...! It was enough to make him swear off any meat. However reevaluating his lifestyle would have to wait once -if -he made it to his next meal and there was only one method he was sure would work.

"RUN!!!"

With the monster occupied by those Udavi dularesi têskêth, F'mos took his chance and ignored the cries behind him. It may be a mad dash, aimless, in the dark but instincts familiar to all living beings prompted him. It may be his imagination but he saw it in the sky, a long streak of light in a brief flash which he would not have noticed had it not shone like a beacon against the darkness of Cylus.

He had to go for the light! The light represented life and if not one which would save his own, perhaps one which would distract the creature long enough for him to get back to the gates. However, terror had confused him and he could no longer tell where the light had been which only left him with one other option. At least those angry shouts he heard were on the opposite side of the shrieks. Hopefully, the anger also measured the shout's owner's martial capabilities and F'mos would be able to use the fool to protect himself.

► Show Spoiler

Black wool coat w cord: 23.2 gn
+ an undetermined amount of foodstuff
To make it an easy total of 30 gn

[Neronin]

Neronin ducked behind the nearest tree, slamming a shoulder into the bark as the chaos erupted around him. He liked to think of himself as a dangerous man, but at such short range he was next to useless. Neronin hoped Mongrel would be able to keep him alive. For good measure he yelled into the darkness "Kill them! Help!" The mage let the energy he had been building up within himself explode from his clawed hands in a nova of darkness, a chaotic Sap meant to drain any and all around him. He stumbled across the light of a fallen torch and saw the flash of an arrow sprout from the nearest chest. His Sap had at least reached one man, its lethargy keeping him from responding to Mongrel's arrow in time.

Neronin dove headfirst into the darkness of a bush, his robes catching on a dozen tiny twigs as he did so. He could feel the skeletal Marrows nearby. Their indiscriminately hunger made it hard to keep them from tearing apart the entire group. Even in the throngs of battle Neronin kept the minions in the darkness, not wanting to play all of their cards so soon in the night. He began to gather his energies again for a second Sap. Apparently it was not needed however. Mongrel was stepping from the forest's darkness with his bow in hand as the last of their attackers fell.

Neronin caught his breath and adjusted his robes as Mongrel spoke. He chose to ignore the spectacle of fear he had been during the fight. Next time it would be better, he'd be ready. What did they expect?! He swirled the energy within him, keeping the Sap ready on the tips of his fingers incase. He waved a hand as he turned to the Don, the motion not meant to signal anything to the living near him, but more a physical gesture to go along with the mental command to the Marrows. Even as he spoke, they lumbered forward to stand just outside of the vision of the group. Neronin could feel their attention on the Don even as he spoke.

"Ah yes, Don. This is my colleague, Mongrel. I am Marrow. We're big fans of you and all you do. We certainly wouldn't want any of these ilk to accidentally kill you now." Neronin said, he wagged a finger as he spoke. He wore a mask and a robe, but he was still worried about recognition. The mage let his voice and physical mannerisms change slightly as he spoke. He was not used to the skill and found it difficult. He depended heavily on the mask to keep his identity hidden.

"I have a feeling that those people out there are not of a like mind." Neronin said, agreeing with Noth's words. "I'll lead the way... ah, follow then?" Neronin said, glancing at Noth. He moved to walk past his compatriot, whispering as he went. "You should be behind, better eyes for the watching. Don't let this mouth-breather stab me in the back, eh? I've got our other two friends on the flanks." Neronin finished, glancing down at the dead bodies around them. "As a matter of fact, I think we could use some reinforcements." He said, his voice returning to normal. Neronin glanced back at the Don, wondering how he would react. He hadn't done his magic with any witnesses besides Mongrel and Maw so far.

Neronin let the energy he had been swirling around in his fingers alter slightly. He forced it out and towards two of the bodies now laying dormant, ready for the command. He felt the energy pour forth, making his arm flicker with green light. His vile witchbrand momentarily lit up the darkness as the two corpses stirred. Neronin sighed as his mind was once again tied to the two thralls. He commanded them to rise and watched as the two former enemies, now loyal servants, stood and stared angrily at him. Their expressions could only be described as ravaged.

"Okay, good." Neronin turned back to the darkness. He began to walk, leading the way away from the distant mob. "We're off then."

[Maltruism]

Attunement told Vuda that Carlos, the Defier was to be the next one he'd have to deal with. He saw that Tirta was ripping the blood from a dying horse; using the liquid element to wreak her vengeance upon Remna. His smile broadened with a genuinely heartfelt wish of luck. Fury had a strange capacity to be both soothed and inflamed by the grunts and gasps of a battle where his partner was slowly gaining the upper hand.

Tirta had a definite edge by being bound to him through the ring. Remna had no way of knowing it, but with the ring's power being based upon Empathic empowerment, it granted a natural buffer, which was further reduced by the pairing of minds it was attempting to dominate. The weave of Tirta's mind was confusing to the Empath, as the paths it sought to twine were inconsistently patterned by the ring's link with Vuda's mind. This was compounded further by the fact that Empathy was one of the domains Vuda had blockaded with his Nemesis shielding.

Really, the only true danger to Tirta was the degree of rage that may have taken root in her heart. Vuda was well aware that the ship captain had the capacity to turn vicious against those that wronged her. It was her own overstepping against a trio of would-be rapists that had made her vulnerable to his manipulations. It had been a simple matter to exploit her overstepped condition a season or two ago and trick her into putting on the ring.

He'd told her she'd been abandoned by her element, in its shock over her violence. He had then told her that the ring would reconnect her with it. In truth, he'd used his Abrogation to sheathe her from her element, so the lie would convince her. Nonetheless, she HAD overstepped, she HAD fallen into a killing rage against her attackers, not that he blamed her. They deserved no better. But she'd better try to hold back this time. Even HE was a bit intimidated by the way the horse's corpse was turned nearly inside-out by the force of Tirta's demand for water to wield.

But he had more immediate concerns. As his attuned vision perceived Carlos' focus of ether control on the ground, he set his own control on replicating the surface of the same spread of soil, hardening it against the Defier's manipulation. Both men stood grimly still, eyes locked upon each other, bodies trembling with the mental effort of trying to overpower the hold the other had upon the ground.

Vuda's well still had Anita's ether twisted off against her ability to shift into any form. But he could see that she was finally thinking beyond that limitation. She snarled suddenly in anger, a gibbering giggle of manic anticipation as she simply drew blade and rose to her feet to charge him. The timing was perfect. Vuda connected anew to the well, retasking it to maintain his replicative hold on the earth at Carlos' feet.

As Anita began to close the distance, the blade gleaming in her hand, he tore open the plane of the forest near her, in a rupture portal connecting a spot that was quickly becoming his favorite. Naturally, she was not going to enter it willingly, but the level of pull he empowered it with, and the nudge of sovereign he slapped her with sent her tumbling into it, screams of realization quickly echoing into grim croaks and gurgles of horror and death.

The previous Saun, the traditional Underground Race had been turned into a death race by the invasion of the Shadow beasts that had beset the world at the behest of Lisirra, Syroa and Aelig. Attempts by a small group of Black guard had resulted in a massive explosion when they sought to light an inhibiting fire, but had inadvertently ignited several barrels of Alchemical fuel. Vuda had long had a portal instinctively attuned to his lab, where the fuel had been stored.

In the resulting wreckage, the very spot where his portal exited now had a thick metal beam running through it. Anita was now the latest to discover how it feels to reform after a rupture blink to find her body form with a tubular portion of her chest fused with this same iron beam. It was not quite the same as being stabbed. Since the flesh actually formed in the same spot, there was no actual piercing or penetration. The metal was simply sharing the same reality with a few of her ribs and vital organs.

The actual pain came from her own body weight causing a large portion of her chest to tear away from the fused flesh to sag below the metal, while a large portion above was squished against it. Vuda did not feel any vindictive need to peer through the portal to see the horror on Anita's face as she slowly died. He'd seen it often enough before on other faces. His focus was more on the horror of her fate being displayed upon the face of Carols, who was in position to see it quite easily.

His face paled noticeably, even in the darkness, and he relinquished his hold on the ground. Having seen that Divinya had had the wisdom to flee at Vuda's initial arrival, he decided she'd had the right idea. Vuda let them go, now turning his attention to the battle apparently still going on between Tirta and Remna. He stalked menacingly to where the contest had been going on, intenting to make his own contribution to his minion's efforts to hasten Remna's end.

Ether was already responding to his call when he stopped short, finding nothing but a massive pool of blood, streaking back to a somewhat deflated-looking equine corpse. He focused briefly on the ring, which would betray Tirta's location. There was a brief flash of concern that he'd overstepped himself, despite his use of one of his wells, since he only felt the ring's connection to a spot right at his feet, where the blood was pooling in a shallow bowl of earth.

He reached down in a shocked, autonomous fashion and dredged up the ring, where Tirta's body should be. He stared in confusion. Where was she? How could she have taken the thing off? It could not have happened unless he'd willed it, and he was certain that no such thought had entered his mind. The only other way would have been for her to cut off the finger upon which it had rested...

Sudden shock assailed him, along with a strange sensation he'd not felt for a long time...regret. Had she done it? had she given into such heinous rage that the element had back-lashed on her to the point of 'Consumption'? Had her whole body been engulfed and become solvent with the element she'd offended? He cast his attuned vision all around, seeing only the retreating image of Carlos. He swallowed hard, finding an obstructing knot in his throat.

When he caught up with the Don and his underlings, he had fully intended to switch her ring with the one that only imposed communication. Tirta had actually served him well, and with no overbearing level of sniveling over her station. He had come to appreciate her more than he'd realized. He felt a distracting tightness in his chest and shook his head to dispel this odd sense of loss. He actually found tears starting to form in his eyes.

But rage soon re-purposed those tears. The Don! The Rioters! The Mages! Why couldn't they have kept their peace and their place? Then he'd have had no reason to send Tirta into the fray. His face felt hot, and his cheeks began to ache with the intensity of his scowl. His breath came in ragged growls, his fists forming quivering claws. Tirta had been a tremendous asset, and he'd now been robbed of the opportunity to show his appreciation for the level of cooperation she'd shown, for one having been tricked into collaboration. He was a man that rewarded loyalty, but he'd failed her.

He now felt into his other ring for a connection to the ring held by the Don's stooge. Tirta was gone and he would make them pay. ALL of them...

[Nightshade Eld]

After Tirta and Remna were both flung off into the gaping darkness neither Winhelm or Nightshade were quite sure of what to do. That was until a certain someone spoke up, offering his choice of action for the situation. "Are we not going to address the fact those two just went barreling off to their almost certain dooms!?" The half breed squawked with a look of disbelief. She didn't understand that was exactly why neither Kovic or Winhelm wished to address the situation.

"Not really much to address, they're gone now," Winhelm said before looking towards Kovic. He nodded to the other man. "Come on," he said in regards to Night who stood there. She gazed at the both, rendered into a form of speechlessness. Not a single muscle inn get body wished to move.

"No," she said. Winhelm turned to her with a cocked eyebrow. "What do you mean no? You're the one who vouched for this man. The least you can do is follow him with me," Winhelm said. He looking the half breed dead in the eyes but instead of convincing her to back down she instead shook her head. The stubborn set of her features turned even more stubborn as she flicked her head away from both of them. Winhelm already knew he wasn't going to win this conversation.

"I mean I'm not just going to abandon someone because I'm too much of a weak coward to try and go looking," she said, her voice slowly growing in volume to that of a roar. Her eyes blazed with anger, anger that was met with the chilled ice of Winhelm's expression.

"Now you listen here-" Winhelm started. A bit of a his own temper starting to show after having been told plain and simple he was weaker than the half breed. Said half breed gave him little consideration though. She flung her wings outward and with a great beat launched herself into the air. If Winhelm wouldn't help then she'd figure out this mess on her own. She'd find Tirta and the Don ask by herself if that was what needed to be done.

Winhelm sighed and turned to Kovic as the half breed quickly disappeared into the expansive darkness all around them. "You'd think she of all people would know to be cautious. Damn half bird," Winhelm huffed with a sigh. A small part of him knew that she was right though. It was wrong on so many levels to just abandon those girls because the situation had turned a little more for the worse. But at the same time the Don still had to be caught, and as quickly as possible he might add.

"Alright, lead the way," he said.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

Gamaguchi looked around at Arloe, something in the air seemed to be tense. Unfortunately the half Lothar noticed just a moment to late as the bush seemed to explode into life. An arrow flung itself through the air, striking Arloe in the shoulder. The man gave a yelp of sorts and Gamaguchi moved into a battle stance, only to quickly be waved off. He turned to Arloe with a look of shock and confusion.

"Run, I can distract them long enough. This entire mission has gone under. Forget your father and salvage what you can. After all, the family still needs you. Don't let them die just for your own desires. It's the first and most important lesson you need to learn as the new Don. I'm sorry to tell you this Gama, but just run," Arloe said. His voice was a mix of fury and a distraught desperation. Gamaguchi paused, just for a moment locking eyes with his old friend. The two looked at each other and Gamaguchi finally nodded. He dropped the battle stance, instead moving to a body position where he was ready to spring.

"It doesn't matter, these losers aren't gonna be getting very far anyways. I refuse to die like a dog, not here," Arloe said with a laugh. "Alright girly. You aren't gonna be able to wiggle your way out of this situation, i'll make sure of it. So you better fight with me," Arloe said releasing his grip on the woman. If Val decided to look at the shoulder wound that Arloe had sustained then she might just notice the thin trail of light leaking from his body, implying that Arloe wasn't everything that he seemed. A small group of fighters about three strong appeared. It was impossible tell exactly who these people were intended to be working for, but it didn't matter. In the darkness that was thick with blood anyone and everyone was an enemy.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

The Don smirked as Noth approached. "Well, well, well, looks like someone finally appeared with some sense of tact and intelligence," he said with a laugh. "Very well, it's best we be off". He didn't seem to have a single care in regards to the two when it came to caution and appropriate amounts of fear. However just as he had stated he did make sure the two stayed a couple feet away from him each. He was still ready to beat the tar out of someone with his own two hands, despite his pudgy appearance. The man waddled at his own pace, shockingly enough heading back towards the city. "We need to loop around and be careful to avoid anyone else that isn't part of the family. After we pick up a couple, extra recruits, then we can start heading out," he didn't say exactly where they would be heading to afterwards, instead allowing the idea to hang in the air.

Don continued to waddle along not really giving second thought to Noth or Nero. They were just there, just existing, just meat shields like the rest of the mercenaries desperate to join his family. His opinion was subject to change, but for now he gave them the same amount of consideration and acknowledgement as anyone who wasn't a part of his family. "Boss!" A cry suddenly went up as a couple men came racing forward. The Don held up a hand against Noth and Nero, to try and help imply they were friends. A strange look cast across the Don's face as he looked at the scene. "Carlos? Where's Anita?" The Don asked.

"She's.... She's gone. Everything is gone. The old bastard running the city got upset when we messed with his new bitch," Carlos sneered. His expression became a hateful and angry one as he shook his head. He was trying his best to banish the anger and keep his expression calm for the sake of the Don, but he couldn't. "Why her!? Why did it have to be Anita," the Defier snapped. In his anger he triggered a small torch in the hands of one of the underlings to burst into brilliance.

"Stop that you idiot! Do you want to give us away?" The Don said quickly snatching the torch and throwing it on the ground. It was easy enough to stamp out, little effort was required.

"Sorry Boss," the magic user said. He turned away from the Don in shame. Unfortunately it seemed that the small group was going to have more problems than they bargained for. After all, they'd already been caught.

The beating of wings was the first thing they heard. Except for one of the people Carlos had brought with him. For him it was the last thing he heard as claws sunk deep into the flesh of his neck. He could no longer feel himself being lifted into the sky. A lantern shattered against the ground, glass shards flying. The flame caught against the earth and began to grow revealing it's prior master.

"Don. You have been found guilty off crimes against Etzos. Come with me and repent for your crimes or face your judgement here!" the half breed crowed, landing with flourish. Her entire speech however was thrown of by the presence of one alone. "Noth?" she asked looking at her fellow half bird.

She wasn't sure exactly what to do now. She shook her head deciding to ignore Noth for the time being.

I am so, so, SO sorry about how long this post took. I frankly have no excuse. Again, I'm so sorry to everyone.

[Noth]

There was little doubting that the Don was satisfied with the appearance of Mongrel, Marrow, and their assorted thralls, though Noth wasn’t entirely certain that those had been noticed as of yet. Admittedly, the hybrid knew that the end of their master scheme didn’t end well for anyone but themselves, but despite that, he couldn’t help but to feel somewhat happy at the idea of being complimented on his intellect. He wondered for a moment why his allies never commented on it, but honestly understood that it would just give him a puffed up sense of pride, and that could be disastrous for any future operations they undertook. It was better to be undervalued but capable, then to be appreciated and worthless.

It was somewhat true that the Don would be better protected under the care of the two, especially given that they had ulterior motives which relied upon his survival, but there was little doubting the paranoid caution that crinkled across his face anytime one of the pair inched forward. It was clear that they needed to keep their distance, or else their newly acquired prize would quickly turn hostile. That thought brought on another, more violent idea, and Noth considered what it would be like to fight the Don. Physically, he seemed only somewhat imposing, especially with the way that his back creaked like a badly constructed door, and yet the stories that surrounded him seemed to paint him as a master at arms. Still, the hybrid knew he could beat him quite easily, because he knew he would be willing to do the one thing that the Don’s opponents never did; cheat. He had no qualms about standing fifty yards away and burrowing an arrow into his chest from that distance, and he genuinely wondered why anyone would ever give up a ranged advantage solely for some sort of glory or honor, it was ridiculous.

The cry that erupted out of the woods immediately caused Noth to notch an arrow and turn to face whatever person had decided to interrupt their scenic walk. He wondered whether or not Marrow had his thralls waiting just out of sight, ready to hunt down whoever had intruded upon them, and cast a knowing look towards him, wrinkling his eyes in order to signal an interrogative. The Don held up his hands, and though the hybrid understood the meaning, he only barely lowered the deadly bow’s aim; there would be no lack of caution on his part, especially when money was involved.

One of the intruders was identified as Carlos by the Don, who quickly questioned him as to the location of someone named Anita; presumably another of his underlings. Noth could have answered the question before the man ever opened his lips due to his familiarity with the signs of loss, but nonetheless, he listened as Carlos spoke about her having been lost to what was almost certainly one of Vuda’s ilk whether they be a personal minion, or the local law enforcement. It seems inconceivable to him that someone would have died throughout the crises unless they had run astray of the beloved advisor of Etzos. Certainly, rival gangs might have also caused the occurrence, but something in Noth’s gut led him to believe that was unlikely.

Plans were formulated within the hybrid’s mind on how he might defeat the two men if they proved hostile to his purpose. Crimson eyes analyzed them carefully, predatorily tearing into them as Noth came to the conclusion that they would be easy prey should it come down to it. He out-armored the pair of them, and besides that, he probably outclassed them too. Whilst he watched, one of the men let loose a fiery torch within his palm, apparently incited by his aggravation at the loss of a close friend, and he was quickly set upon by the Don who attempted to hide the beacon of their location. The chastisement was just and not at all cruel, because were they to be discovered, it would lead to far greater trouble than had already plagued the band of scum.

Wings were something that the hybrid had learned both to identify and to despise, and he pulled back on the string of his longbow, allowing it to become taut as he attempted to identify the source of the encroaching noise. It very clearly belonged to an Avriel given that it could be readily heard. There was a shattering noise that drew his attention, something akin to glass breaking, and the loose flame lapped hungrily at nearby vegetation, quickly revealing the threat to their existence.

Her voice was dreadfully familiar, and he very nearly shot her out of pure surprise. Noth had known that her work might have interfered in the future, but he never expected it to be so soon after their last encounters. No. It couldn’t have ended any worse, and he despised the idea that he would be forced to combat his only friend. He didn’t know if he could beat her, unlike the others, because there was an emotional attachment that flooded into his soul as she uttered his name. Curses, he had hoped that his mask would keep him from identification, but really there were quite few one-winged black hybrid Avriel running amok near Etzos, and so it really was no surprise.

He outranged her. He had the clear advantage, but he didn’t want to use it.

“Marrow. Ensure that the Don gets to safety. I can deal with our threat here. You, Carlos. Stay.”

Crimson eyes never left the feminine bird.
“Nightshade. Go. Get away. Don’t interfere with this.”
“Don’t make me shoot.”

[Vluharqih]

Valyeria didn't even see the arrow, though the jerk nearly slit her throat. Instead, the man holding her hostage relaxed his arm slightly, giving her the space to breathe.

She drew her dagger slowly, giving it a little twist as she did to break the small glass vial held inside her sheath. The poison inside should smear across the blade as she drew it out, though it would be invisible in the darkness.

Her erstwhile captors were focused on their own discussion, one which Valyeria missed most of. Her eyes were instead focused on the darkness, where the arrow had come from. There was more shuffling and a second arrow flew out, just missing Valyeria's shoulder.

The man holding her seemed to want to fight, and she wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, she didn't want to fight, and these bastards had held her hostage. On the other, her blood was up and she wanted to kill.

She growled, conflict warring inside of her.

Val sprang away from Arloe, her dagger fully drawn. Three men rushed from the bushes, weapons held in their hands, and Valyeria made her choice.

She moved forward quickly, shifting her weight around her foot to avoid a stab, which was only partially effective. The dagger scored a line across her waist, but she had already cut a thin line across his chest, and the man's muscles began to lock up immediately. She ignored the crumpling body behind her, and moved for the last man that was coming her way.

This one had a bit more experience with the club he was holding, and Val nearly lost her grip on the dagger as the wood smashed into her wrist. She leapt backwards, and the man seemed content to weigh his options, glancing between her and Arloe.

One leap forward, her wings unfurling to beat heavily, and Val slammed the blade of the dagger deep into the man's chest. The move was unexpected, the distance far beyond what any human could cover in that short of time. The man's gasps were pitiful, and the poison on the blade made his muscles tense and lock up.

She removed her dagger, drawing it across the man's throat, and returning to the other poisoned attacker to do the same. Finally, she turned back to Arloe.

"Am I allowed to go now?" She said, spite dripping off her words.

[Maltruism]

Vuda did not wait to see if Tirta or Remna returned. He felt a call of danger, through the second ring, from the thug accompanying the Don. By the time he was able to direct his concentration into accessing the communication function of that ring, all he got back was a dying sense of '...ambush...'

He considered returning through his current portal for only a moment, as it would save him some ether expenditure. The Panel array back in the tower was what was powering the portal through which he'd come to Tirta's location. To return, and reuse it to connect to the spot where the Don's stooge had apparently just died, would save him ether a second time.

But angry impatience got the better of him. He dismissed the old portal, not considering that it may have lit the area enough to be noticed, and prepared to open one to the location where he suspected he would find the Don himself. Anyone else he found there was sure to be an enemy. And if they had managed to kill off the crime boss' escort, they must be formidable themselves.

He'd already tasked one of his wells to "tie off" the enemy Becomer's ether. A second had been used to maintain the flipped field to stymie the earth mage's aggression. But his snuffing of the fire with hardened air had been his own effort. And both the portal to his death trap impaling site, as well as the nudge of sovereign, to shove the charging Becomer through it, had been his own effort.

He was aware that he was starting to reach a point where he'd best slow down the use of his own ether usage. But he could not afford to simply charge through to what was sure to be a hostile situation. He still had several wells, and the two he'd already used were not fully spent yet by any means.

He took a moment now to task two more wells for defensive purposes. The first bolstered a replicative layering of his skin to turn it into virtual armor; the second being tasked to create a hardened air bubble around himself. This done, he decided to task one last well to generate the portal to the Don.

The air split into a widening rift, with a fiery roar. The mage stepped through to find several people facing him. The fire from what appeared to be a broken oil lamp made it difficult to discern the presence of any beside the seven standing and the several scattered upon the ground, apparently dead.

Two appeared to be avriel, though one of these two had an oddly asymmetrical, single-wing look to him. The bow in his hand did not make this appearance any more appealing to the Chief Adviser. But he expected his skin and armor to be able to handle that detail. The other seemed more in tune for a close-up sword fight, though he was surprised to see this more feral approach embodied by a female.

But he gave her no more than a scowl as he took in the Don, his necromancer minion, Divinya, and one other human male with the look of a caster about him. This was primarily due to the lack of any weapons in his hands. It now became clear that the other two standing figures were necromantic thralls. Vuda assumed them to belong to Divinya, though it did not really matter, as Necromancy was one of his Nemesis domains.

It presented a ripe opportunity for him. As a Nemesis domain, it only took half the ether effort to place a "Strangle" barrier around Divinya. If the thralls had been hers and not Neronin's, they would have either immediately collapsed into mere corpses, or if well-powered, suddenly been cut off from the source of their control. This latter was what Vuda was hoping for, as they would simply attack the nearest living body, serving his agenda in the process.

It took only a moment for him to realize that neither result occurred. By this, he realized the unarmed human male must be in control of the thralls and tagged him a necromancer. That simplified things greatly for him. He needed only to impose a preemptive field against necromancy and he would nullify both foes. Of course, by this time, chaos was already breaking loose. But he counted on his replicated body and hardened air armor to protect him until he could lay down the field.

It was more the matter that he could begin to feel the twinges of overstepping. Because he had to consider the possible need to make a quick escape, he kept the portal open; not considering that other wandering members of this fiasco might stumble through to get caught up in what was sure to be the last confrontation...

[Gangui]

A blood curdling shriek pierced the thick motionless air around Gangui. A large bead of sweat rolled off his brow and down his cheek. A deep sigh escaped the man's lips as he flipped his hips around trying to eyeball the sound. The ability to anticipate anything specific was long gone from his brain. He could only react now and lean on the iron in his blood.

A tall, hoodednmale appeared from the darkness seemingly right behind him. There was no outward signs of anger or intent on his face, but Gangui was not one to trust his own feelings. Without speaking a word he pointed at Nauta, then raised a open palm motioning him to stop and listen. A second piercing shriek broke the thick, coldness of the primitive road, cutting through the twilight air like nails across a blackboard.

Head shaking and sweat pouring, the barbarian grinded his own teeth as fear enveloped him; the terrible creature summoned by Gamaguchi was upon them. It smells me!, Gangui knew it. Locking eyes with the stranger, he yelled deeply, "Run, run for your life!!"

Gangui had now entered a place that few people dared willingly. He unlocked a door into another dimension that existed only in ones mind. A place were time and space and reason were lost to confusion and shadow. Despite the glow of his torch in the blackness, he was only allowed to see mere yards. Sweating hands made his grip on the discarded longsword feel weak and useless. Icy tendrils stung every inch of his heaving lungs. Fire coursed through his legs, threatening to lock them up into useless stumps. Gnaws and gashing littered his slick, sweat covered body. Madness consumed him, his eyes spiraled out of control, his reasoning thrown to the curb. A barbarous animal seeking mere survival was in control now.

I will never surrender! Huzzah! The amalgam monster's hot breath could be felt by the hairs of his neck now. Suddenly, he dared to look over his shoulder. The hooded man, Nauta, was right behind him, much healthier looking to say the least. Grasping Gangui's arms, the man shook him and tried to calm him down, urging him to use a vial of poison against the monster that chased them. The concept was foreign to Gangui and in his frantic state he had entirely lost his ability to discern the stranger's motive. Despite this fact, he had nothing to lose so he allowed Nauta to apply the poison to his sword, the blue liquid quickly dried up on it's edge.

The glass shattering roar of the amalgam monster could be heard mere bits away. Proceeding into a run again, Gangui pushed forward harder than ever now. The road turned left, but he didn't see it until the last moment. His hips wanted to keep going straight, but he pivoted and turned right into a Rupture portal laid out earlier by Vuda.

"Om-" Stepping through the Rupture Portal completely threw off the barbarian. Ears popped immediately as he changed locations without any sort of anticipation. The ground under him completely changed, making him stumble and fall under his awkward footwork.

"Huu~auuughhh," Continuing forward in a bear crawl despite being grounded, he dug in with his elbows and pushed up with long, deep strides.

Following Gangui through the portal was the amalgam monster and perhaps Nauta as well. The hideous creature was immediately struct with confusion and stopped in it's tracks. Clambering to his feet, Gangui briefly looked to his right, only to meet eyes with Vuda for moment. Next he shifted his gaze left spotting Noth pointing a longbow and Neronin's minions. He didn't recognize any of these people right away, but he was standing directly in-between all three of them. A moment of respite filled the scene allowing everyone to take maybe half-a-breath in stillness.

The horrible creature, Gamaguchi's pet, was upon him within moments of it's delay. "HAH~" Gangui pushed the torch up in the air. Freeing up his left hand and shooting it across his torso to link up with his sword, the barbarian formed a two handed grip.

Now bringing the sword well behind his body, Gangui swung with all his might; coiling up his hips, legs, and core, he unwound them into a single point in his pommel. Aiming his weapon directly at the amalgam's face, he flipped his wrists at the last possible moment trying connect a power cut.

"Heee-yaaaah!"

As the torch fell through the air, the light reflected off steel sword and rippled through the black Cylus air like a magical vibration. The green-slime infested teeth of the emotionless cat-like features met mere feet apart from Gangui's desperate and battered face.

OOC

*coughs* magic sword please *cough* #notsosubtlehint
After discussing with Nauta in chat, I got permission to describe what he said his character would do in the situation.