• Event • When Lightning Cracks the Sky [Ymiden Seasonal - Group 2]

[Arlo Creede]

It was unnatural that any man ought to be able to outmaneuver a bolt fired out of a pistol crossbow at top speed, or a swords-woman of Vega's caliber either one. But both of them together, with only a scratch to show for it? Even after seeing it for himself, he'd still maintain it was impossible. Truly at that point, Arlo only cared about what had befallen Vega. But as for the mage, the traveler wasn't done with him yet.

Vivian's bolt of lightening knocked the mage off his feet and left him moaning, groaning, and as vulnerable as he'd ever be. "...you don't understand," the man began to say. Arlo didn't give the mage any more time than it took him to utter just those three words. No time to reach for the vials or bottles on his belt, no time to vanish into thin air and no time to hurt anyone else. , as he swiftly nocked another bolt into his crossbow, took aim and fired off a killing shot. And if that one didn't do it, he'd keep firing until the job was finished.

A dead mage was a dead mage. It was the timing that was important. But deadly fog or no deadly fog because he'd beat the mage to it, Vega was still caught and Arlo quickly made his way to her. He couldn't care less about the woman who'd abducted her, or her ultimate fate. But Vega was right. He wouldn't leave. "Not yet. Be still," he said, putting a hand on Vega's arm to still it. Just a trill was all he needed. It was all it would take to know if what he was planning would work.

The mage was dead and already there, crumpled at the base of the offending wall. Arlo then thrust forward his hand, curled into a fist, the one that the ring of earth adorned; intending to cause the earth beneath and around the mage's body to heave upwards and outwards. It would only last a few trills if it worked. But if it did, the buckling earth and rock should cause the offending wall to crumble apart, therefore freeing Vega's arm without a struggle and without injury.

Two trills, maybe three was all the time he needed. It either worked, and Vega came away without injury, or at least a minimal amount. Or it didn't work and then their options would depend on whether or not he'd managed to prevent the mage from releasing that deadly fog. Without that fog creeping in, there was plenty of time to wait for the wall to crumble on it's own, for them to chisel away at it, or finesse Vega's arm out another way, all without causing a lasting injury. But if they lacked the time, then he'd take hold of her like she wanted, lend his strength to hers and together they'd take the brutish approach.

► Show Spoiler

sorry for all the conditionals. considering all the ic time constraints, or lack thereof on the other hand, it was as graceful a way around them as I could manage.

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian saw Vega's hand get captured by stone out of the corner, but she dared not stop her own attack to attend to her companion. She smiled as she saw Arlo behind their foe, glad to have the assistance, and between them they had their foe disable. "I understand plenty. " she said, her tone as cold as the bitterest days of Cylus, before she saw him reach for his bandolier. With a cry, the Lightning Knight lept forward, attempting to sever the alchemist's hand before he could reach the bottle. If either her attempt or Arlo's succeeded, she take the time to Vhasta before she moved to help Vega get unbound if they weren't going to wait.

However, if they were unsuccessful, then there were other matters to attend too. She nodded at Vega's orders and dragged Vhasta out of the room as best she could, avoiding the poison. However, as soon as she was clear, she went back in to help if she could. She saw what they were doing to try and free Vega's hand, and if Arlo's ring worked, all well and good. If not, she'd try to help them with the brute force method if they had the time to make that work.

If they ran out of time, though, she still had one thing they could do to free Vega. If all else failed, Vivian would draw Shiryu and bring it down on Vega's wrist, severing the trapped appendage to save the redheads life. Of course, out of courtesy, she'd warn the two beforehand, and help get Vega out of the range of the poison after she was free, whichever method they used. Once Vega was free, she'd attend to the binding of her prisoner, however, if they'd had to escape the poison. She had questions for the traitor, and she would have her answers one way or another.

[Oracle]

The mage was completely and utterly dead. Arlo’s shot had finished the job but he had been just a trill two slow in firing to stop the falling vial. The gas filled the room and Vega was still very trapped in the warped stone wall.

Thankfully Arlo was there and employed his ring. The earth rose and the wall cracked sending bits of rubble toward the pair. Vega would be a bit bruised from the entire ordeal but her hand had remained intact and unbroken and she was now free.

Vivian on the other hand was quick to get her hands on Lieutenant Vhasta so that they woman could be taken in for questioning. The dark haired woman was beginning to stir but remained fully unconscious as Vivian took hold of her.

They were all free and moving away from the encroaching fumes, however there was a new and deadly problem developing. There were cracks forming throughout the walls and ceiling of the old sewer system that had been caused by use of Arlo’s ring. The structural integrity of the tunnel was failing. The group were pelted with clumps of dirt and falling stone. Behind them there was a loud crunching sound as the damage done to the wall was multiplied as cracks expanded in the old stone wall and the ceiling began to crumble in large chunks. They had less than a single bit to get out of there.

Thankfully Arlo and Lyova knew the way. Vega and Vivian on the other hand would require a bit of guidance to make their way out of this labyrinth of tunnels.

___

Outside the entrance in the remains of Azurewind Market the Lightning Knights and Thunder Priestesses had managed to get the situation under control. There was a medical tent where wounded were being treated and all civilians had been removed from the area aside from those receiving medical attention.

A young member of the Order of Adunih was collecting water near the door where Arlo had entered the sewers when she quickly came to her feet at hearing a rumbling from underground. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen years of age; she wore her blonde locks pulled back in a smart bun and was garbed in a simple brown dress with an apron. The girl ran from the door and toward her Yellow cloaked superior who was speaking with a nearby priestess.

“Something’s happening!” she exclaimed with a fearful waver in her voice.

“Under the ground, something’s happening!”

The healer in the yellow cloak turned from her with a dismissive wave and the girl turned to watch worriedly as the rumbling grew louder.

!	Message from: Oracle
	Sorry for the delay. You have 1 bit to escape, best of luck!

[Vega]

It took a lot for Arlo to kill a man, Vega knew that. She'd seen him fight, she'd stood by him, fought alongside him and his preference would always be for non-lethal. It was his way and she loved him for it, for his compassion and understanding. And more than that, she loved him for killing that mage and not hesitating. His hand on her was all that was stopping her from tipping over, she knew that. Hysteria pushed in on her and she wanted, more than anything to just give in to it, because then she could just sob and hide and not face the terror she felt. Of course, she wouldn't do that, she was too stubborn and prideful by half, and there was no way on Idalos that she was letting him down, but it was a struggle. "Arlo? Arlo, my legs. They're really hurtin'." She looked into his eyes and she saw there the calm he was holding on to by a shred. Because he wasn't calm, not at all, but he was holding it together for her. "Still. I can be still."

Not sure what he was going to do, Vega didn't look there, choosing instead to look at him.

And the earth reached up. The very earth itself and she felt her legs buckling beneath her as she realised that the earth was coming up to grab her again, it's hand would wrap around her and then she'd be dragged, she knew, unable to breathe through the earth and rocks which would assault her nose and mouth. The world undulated and Vega couldn't hold in the low and rather pitiful sounding moan which accompanied that.

Yet, what she expected didn't happen. What she was already half way to convincing herself was happening, didn't and her arm pulled free. She looked at Arlo with wide eyes which were solid black with terror and then, the building started to collapse. The noise Vega made was somewhere between a hysterical bark of laughter and a sob. But she pulled her hand back and she looked around, wildly.

Then, she reached out and grabbed his hand.

It helped, all of that helped. She held on to him as he got out of there. Vega was focused almost exclusively on Arlo. She had to because the one thing that hadn't happened thus far - the building collapsing around them - was, of course happening and she was about to lose her mind. As soon as they were out of there, though, Vega wasted no time at all. "Get BACK!! GET AWAY!" If needs be, dropping Arlo's hand she'd grab that young girl and carry her, but she was shouting, covered in dust and dirt . She wouldn't go far from Arlo and, once they were away and out of the way of the collapsing ground, Vega would turn and bury her face in his shoulder, sobbing in relief and fear. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, a moment later, trying to get herself under control. "There was fire, an' this woman, an' I had to jump through the fire to get her, but I did an' then, I was just tryin' to find you an' then I was tied up an' drugged. Are you a'right? You're not hurt?" Her eyes were solid black, no other colour at all as she looked at him and the terror she'd felt - and was still feeling - meant that she was shaking from head to foot.

But, she was still very typically herself. So, she wiped away the tears on her face and breathed in. "We've got to help people, Arlo. Were there people in there? Is anyone trapped?"

[Arlo Creede]

He'd finished off the mage, but they were still racing against borrowed time. Too little of it, based on the speed with which the strange fog was spreading. To maintain a dead sense of calm wasn't easy, especially when the emotions of others, Vega's in particular, were contagious thanks to the connection they shared. But knowing what would happen, what they had to lose if they didn't act quickly, was enough to get him the focus he needed.

But he could only focus on one thing at a time. And the woman who'd taken Vega, hurt her and locked her up, was the least of his concerns. She could be crushed by the crumbling wall, for all he cared. "I know," he said when Vega worried about her legs. The fear she was experiencing and the near sense of panic was flowing out of her like a torrent and he had no choice but to shield himself from it. For her sake. "You can," he said, when she said that she could be still. She could because she had to. Because there was no other choice, and therefore she would.

When the ring worked, and the wall began to crumble, Arlo reached out with his spare arm and wrapped it tight round her waist, ready to pull her out of the way if the wall began to fall towards her, rather than away. "It's alright. I've got you," he said when she pulled her arm loose. But then of course, the wall never stopped crumbling and if any of them were to make it out in one piece, they'd have to run, and run fast.

"If you drag her along you'll never get out of here in time. There's nothing she can tell you that's worth your life," he said to Vivian. His focus was on getting Vega safely out after all. He had no interest in risking the lives of anyone else to save the one who was responsible for them being here. So hoping that Vivian would follow, Arlo held tight to Vega's arm and ran. "Run! It's going to collapse!" he shouted to those who were nearby the entrance when they went bursting out of it and into the sunlight.

"I'm fine. I'm just fine," he reassured Vega once they were out and away from immediate danger. "Don't you worry about me. You've found me now, and I've found you." And now that they had? If anyone else had been caught up in the rubble, now that Vega was safe he'd be happy and quick to lend a hand.

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian let out a sigh of relief as Arlo's ring worked to free Vega, though when it started to break the building, she became a little more concerned. "Oh, that's...grand." she muttered, before looking at the other two as they started to head up the stairs. "You two go. I can't leave her here. If she knows something, not getting that information could endanger everyone in Rharne." she said, dragging Vhasta over towards the exit. Then she paused for a moment and considered Vhasta's armor and her shield. Arlo was right, dragging would never get her out of there in time, but she didn't have to just drag, did she? After a moment, Vivian nodded to herself and set her shield on the ground, put Vhasta's head on it to make sure she wouldn't suffer head injuries, and gathered the lightning under her feet. Then she jumped forward.

To her surprise, it worked quite well and the pair were suddenly 10 feet farther ahead than they had been and hadn't crashed into the ceiling. "That actually worked? I'll have to remember that." she said as she gathered lightning under her feet and jumped forward another ten feet. Rising Lightning didn't appear to have a cooldown time like Elemental Manipulations, so she just shrugged and gathered lightning under her feet again, then lept forward again, dragging Vhasta behind her with each leap. It took a fair few of these leaps, but they were quick and she was actually close behind Arlo and Vega when they exited the tunnel. Just as a precaution, though, she used Rising Lightning one more time just to be sure they were out of the collapse range.

When they were done, she looked around the market, then gestured to some of the Lightning Knights in the area. "Miriam Vhasta has betrayed us. I'll hold one of the memory crystals myself to prove it if need be. Bind her and take her up to the cathedral." she said, her tone blunt and harsh. Then, after using a memory crystal to prove it if need be, she bent down to pick up her shield, tching at the scorch marks on the steel before she looked up at the Glass Quarter. "And go see if there's been an attack on the bank, would you?" she asked one of the knights, before looking at one of the priestess. "Ready to help with the recovery here in any way I can." she said, her tone weary, but firm.

[Oracle]

The young healer with her bright blond locks and pail of water squeaked at Vega when the woman reached to scoop her up in her arms. Tremors rocked the earth and cracks raced up the face of the building positioned unknowingly above the old sewer system. The medical staff flooding the market cried out in fear, their expressions frozen in horror as Lightning Knights sprung into action to help carry the wounded away from the quickly crumbling structure.

It was a warm clay washed apartment building, the sort that commonly dotted the streets of the Earth Quarter. Cries and shouts of surprise could be heard from within as glass shattered and the base began to sink downwards into the quickly collapsing sewers.

Within mere trills the building had come to rest, with the bottom floor collapsed and the rest of the four levels creaking with substantial damage. The building was decimated, and any false move would see it collapse further.

Vivian and Arlo emerged on Vega’s heels, the Lightning Knight woman carrying Knight Lieutenant Vhasta in her arms. The traitor hung their limply, her head and arms dangling loosely around her unconscious body. A Lightning Knight Guardian swept forward, it was an older man with a sparse beard and a graying mustache. He helped Vivian get the disgraced Knight away from the chunks of falling debris before laying her down to the side where the cobblestone bore streaks of ash from the earlier confrontation with the Defier.

“Meriam a traitor?” the older Knight muttered as he reached to his belt to remove a pair of restraints. “We’ll sort this out at the Keep lass, stay here and help clean up this mess. I’ll let the Knight Commander know what you said.” The grizzled Knight waved over a squire. Although the young boy’s face was smeared with smoke and mud, he looked very much like young Tobias that had fallen earlier that day. “Come now Farren, lets get her up to the Commander and let her know about the bank, I’ll keep an eye out for your brother.” The squire looked at the old man woefully before going to do as he was told.

In the ruined apartment building people were whimpering for aid while others were desperately trying to escape down crumpled staircases and shattered ladders. Rescue workers began dropping what they were doing to rush forward to offer whatever aid they could to help get the residents of the building down to safety. No one could be certain if the people in the lowest level of the structure had survived but it seemed that most considered them a lost cause and focused on those who were clearly still alive.

!	Message from: Oracle
	One last post from you all and I'll grade. Thank you all for participating. Use this chance to recover or go into the building to recover wounded. You will earn extra rewards for helping with the rescue effort.

[Vega]

Vega did the only thing that she could do in this moment in her life. Namely, she held on to Arlo and she moved as fast as she could. It was a supreme effort to do that, the fear which gripped her meant that she wanted to curl up in a ball, preferably in a corner somewhere. But that was simply not her way and, as Arlo took her hand and they moved, she went with him. Her own stubbornness, her determination not to be weak and not to let that Earth Mask and Fire Masked and each one of those losers - not one of them would win, Vega was convinced and adamant. But by U'frek, her legs hurt. Really hurt. That, too, was a lie, she knew and she kept her focus on moving with Arlo. Once they had started getting out, she couldn't stop - she'd built up momentum and that was that.

They got out and she breathed in enormous gulping breaths as they did. They had to keep moving, though and soon the alarm was raised. Vivian had brought the false Knight with them, which Vega was pleased about, although she understood why Arlo had suggested it wasn't a good idea. Thankfully they were out and none of the three of them were hurt. But there was no doubt that others had been injured, maybe even killed and Vega felt a pang of guilt about that; after all, the thing had collapsed because of them. Quickly, though, she dismissed that thought. That had happened because of the "Knight" Viivan had just pulled out of there and the alchemist loser and everyone else involved in this rubbish.

She grabbed hold of Arlo once they were out and pulled herself to him in a brief, fierce hug. She didn't say anything in response to him, but that was largely because she knew there was nothing really to say. Not between them. But there was work to be done, too, and once they were both safe, Vega turned to Vivian as she listened to what they were doing with the false 'Knight' and she spoke in her usual blunt manner. "She's supposed to be a Lightnin' Knight. Right now, the only one o'them that I'm prepared to trust is you. So, do you wanna go with her, or shall I?" Vega looked angry, but her eyes were the wrong colour of course, although Vivian wouldn't know that. She was afraid and she was tired and she was emotional in all sorts of ways.

With a slight smile to the woman who had worked so hard in there, Vega motioned. "I'll go wherever you think is best, Viivan. But one of us should be with her, because then we know she's gettin' where she's got to go an' you should be with her when they question her, if they do." Vega was entirely untrusting of just about everyone and everything at the moment and that was for reasons which were, presumably, obvious. She was shaking from head to toe and she knew that she looked a mess. She didn't care, but she knew.

"So, what'cha wanna do then?"

It was simple to her. If Vivian went with their prisoner, Vega would help with the relief effort. If Vivian said differently, Vega'd go with the prisoner. Because, there was no way in the oceans depths that Vega was letting that woman be anywhere alone with another Lightning Knight who might well just be as crooked as the prisoner was.

[Arlo Creede]

Arlo's focus was on getting them out in one piece, all of them. But his every sense was particularly in tune with Vega, and how tightly she held on to his hand as they ran towards the exit. Her grip was matched by her own and she needn't worry. He wasn't letting go. Not ever.

It would be a miracle if they reached the opening before the whole thing collapsed on top of them. But he and Vega had always enjoyed a strange sort of luck. So far, they'd come out of as many scrapes as they'd gone into, mostly intact. It wasn't just him and her however, but Vivian and the woman she was hauling along with her. But as it happened, luck was with them. Just barely. Once they were out in the open and he'd shouted a warning, when Vega flung herself into his arms he held tight and whispered into her ear, "You are the bravest person I've ever known." She was, for all that she'd been through, and survived, since they'd first met.

Arlo also wasn't surprised that Vega offered her assistance, when it came to how the false knight would be handled. And he agreed. It either needed to be Vivian, or Vega, but one of them at least should oversee the woman's handling. Trust at this point, so far as the other knights were concerned, was a tricky thing after all. As for him, Arlo knew where he'd be most useful. And that was with the rescue and recovery efforts. There were people who hadn't moved quickly enough, who couldn't have got out of the way, and had been caught up in the collapse.

Due to Cassion's gifts, he was stronger than most men. Deceptively so, and so he put himself where he could be used best. Digging through the rubble, carefully moving aside what needed it, and freeing whoever might be trapped beneath it all. He'd keep at it until they'd accounted for as many as could be, be they dead or alive.

[Vivian Shiryu]

When the other knight took charge of Miriam, Vivian nodded and saluted, then looked at the squire next to him. She recognized him immediately and let out a quiet sigh, putting her hand on his should. "I'm so sorry." she said, her voice saddened at the memory of Tobias's death. Then she turned and headed back towards the building their escape attempt had damaged. When Vega stopped her and voiced her concerns about the trustworthiness of the rest of the lightning knights. Vivian sighed again, but nodded. "I wish you were wrong, but you aren't." she said, pausing a moment to think on who should stay behind and who should go. As she did, she looked at Vega and noted that the other woman seemed worn. She had done most of the fighting before they were captured and had been the one who had been caught by the stone. It made sense that Vega might be more worn out than Vivian was. Add on to that the fact that Vivian was a career soldier who did this sort of thing as part of her job and Vega wasn't, and the choice was clear to her. "I'll stay here and help with the rescue efforts. I'm under orders to assist with the rescue and am bound to obey them. You keep an eye on Miriam. When you get to the keep, you can probably relax. That place is run by zealots, and none of them would think to turn on Ilaren." she said, before working her shoulders.

"Be careful, though. Someone may try to hit you on the way to the keep." she said, keeping her voice quiet in case she gave someone the idea. Then she turned her attention to the rescue efforts alongside Arlo. While the wanderer used a strength that Vivian might not have guessed from him, she put the powers gifted to her by her liege to use. With Rising Lightning, Vivian was able to reach higher areas than many of the other rescuers, allowing her to get to people who were on the upper levels of the damage building easier.

Still, it was hard work, and Vivian found herself glad of the extra muscle that came from wearing plate armor and swinging a sword and shield around all day. She didn't focus her training on her strength over much, but she was still stronger than the average person by a decent chunk just by virtue of training, which allowed her to deal with problems easier. She was more tired than she was letting on as well, and her head was pounding from being knocked out earlier. All in all, it was miserable, heavy work, but Vivian did it without complaint or comment. These people had just lost their home, and they needed help, help she could provide. So Vivian stayed silent and did the duty that made the knights of Rharne the defenders and caretakers of the people that they were. Or at least, she mused as Miriam's treachery crossed her mind, what they were supposed to be.