[hider=All fall down][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/i60t4Yi.png[/img][/center] [b][u]Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: Courtyard[/u][/b] As Lucifer’s body fell from the air, tumbling to the ground, the rest of the Pride began to move towards it- making no concessions in being certain that the battle was done and the mission had been won. Celeste, Julius and Lucien’s bear moved from the south, with new prized wasp daggers materialising in Celeste’s hand courtesy of Dylan’s magic, whilst from the north, Moira and her exhausted companions Syed and Lisette marched forwards. [img]http://i.imgur.com/VQL4rMN.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/5LzOyhI.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/fQWT986.png[/img] Selan remained with Trent, and Nikki and Trixie stood still too, watching the space where Lucifer fell, staring at his prone body and hoping for the best. The figure didn’t move, instead lying perfectly still, his wings flopping about his side. From all outward appearances there could be no doubt whatsoever what fate had gripped him, but even then, they prayed. [img]http://i.imgur.com/JO4B0vT.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/R0dMlyP.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Na1JGZp.png[/img] Amy, meanwhile, cast another prayer altogether. A prayer coalesced in the form of a meditating spell to rejuvenate her own exhausted energies, so that she could then move on to heal their wounded comrades. Whilst a battle’s end might result in the others being able to lay down their arms and rest, Amy was afforded no such luxury, her work continuing long afterwards. But please, let that be it… Celeste’s trio were the first to arrive. [img]http://i.imgur.com/COh55ZM.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/cfXWu5X.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/9iZrspN.png[/img] Skidding to a halt besides Lucifer’s prone body, Celeste maintained a safe distance, staring at him with abject confusion. She glanced towards Julius, whose expression returned was as monotone as ever, which was both comforting and frustrating at the same time. Comforting that he didn’t appear worried but… also frustrating for the same reason, damn it! She was scared as heck, here! Lucien’s bear paced around the body, looking at it from every angle and ready to lunge forward and protect Julius and Celeste the moment trouble reared its ugly head. But so far, Lucifer continued to remain still. A twitch of his nose also revealed a stench of absolute death - but even that was no confirmation. “No one could survive something like that,” Celeste muttered as she walked towards Lucifer’s head, and prodded it with her foot. It moved back and forth in time to her foot, lulling just so. With trepidation she brought it back, and took a quick look towards Julius. He nodded, and turned his head to silently signal Celeste to move back, before taking a step forwards himself and gazing over the body. He didn’t enjoy the thought of it. Not after everything they went through in Weir. Not after everything Celeste went through fighting Megaera. Not considering how it stood against everything that being a Guilder meant. But they had to be sure. Lucifer… a being as dangerous as him couldn’t be allowed to continue. He crouched down, searching for Lucifer’s pulse. If there was any life remaining, then he would do what Elaine had done before him – and silence the threat for good. But there was none. No pulse, no sign of movement, a gaping hole carved straight throughout his body. As much as a grotesque monster as Lucifer looked, it was impossible he could still be alive. They had done it. They had won. [img]http://i.imgur.com/wv6nkSY.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/T07Xw1w.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/q5PjiIP.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/H5KaVNz.png[/img] “So what’s the score?” Moira asked as her trio arrived amidst huffs and puffs. “And what is with the bear?” Lucien’s bear raised a hand up and groaned. The other five Guilders looked on in confusion. What was that? It almost looked like a thumbs up?! “Dead.” Julius replied. “Not breathing, not moving, no pulse. And there’s no way he could take what you dealt and still survive. He’s – ” [b]“Being dead doesn’t mean I cannot survive your feeble attacks.”[/b] The ground was torn apart beneath everyone’s feet. What happened next was a simple blur, the actions following occurring far too quickly for anyone to react to, much less make sense of things. As soon as it began, it was over, and over in such a horrible fashion. Were time to slow to a crawl, the distant Guilders Selan, Dylan, Nikki, Trixie and Amy would be able to see things more clearly, other then its horrifying aftermath. Lucifer’s body having suddenly risen from the ground and twisting as he reached his feet, his hand turning and his claws raking the air. The wounding gashes crossing along Celeste, Julius, Lucien, Syed and Moira’s body, stopping short of young Lisette. The shockwaves from the sudden violent attack blowing across the whole battlefield, even pushing the distant Guilders back and making them almost stumble to their knees. The bodies of the five Guilders now falling to the ground in slow motion, as Lucifer’s own moved forward. His dark obsidian hand reaching out for Lisette’s throat… In the blink of an eye, the Pride laid fallen on the ground, Lucifer and Lisette having disappeared. Kapi landed on his back, and struggled to right himself up as his miniature legs wriggled back and forth. “AHH! Motherfucker!” Moira bellowed in-between clenched teeth. The wounds were shallow but sharp, enough to hurt, but also not enough to force any of the Guilders unconscious. She, Syed, Celeste and Julius all grabbed their injuries with tears mounting in their eyes, whilst Lucien’s bear form flickered in and out of existence. “Lis… sette…” Syed gasped. “No!!” Trixie screamed, her eyes bulging wide. What happened?! What happened?! How… what… NO! Amy’s mind echoed the same feelings, disbelief and horror creasing the beautiful cleric’s features. Not all at once. This couldn’t be right. It just couldn’t, it was impossible, it was- [i]“Haaac---accck--- ackkk…”[/i] Rain and tumultuous winds eclipsed the courtyard. Flashes of chaotic lightning screeched across the sky, illuminating the most horrifying scene imaginable. Suspended high in the air, far, far above any of the Guilders’ bellows reach, Lucifer was held aloft, his wings beating back and forth, back and forth, his hair billowing in the wind. And with his arm held out aloft, his hand tightly squeezing around the flesh of innocent, tender skin, Lisette struggled amidst choking tears against the monster’s ferocious grip. Her body kicked and thrashed and struggled to no avail. [b]“You… actually hurt me.”[/b] Lucifer sneered. [b]“I think it would be best if you were taken out of the game first… yes?”[/b] [i]“Hnngg… gah…!”[/i] [b]“Not without fixing the damage you’ve done first, however…”[/b] And then Lisette was bathed in an indescribable sensation. Cold, clingy, rough and terrifying. It felt much like the pulsing black walls she had crashed into several times, except magnified a hundred times. It was horrible and gut wrenching, but atop that, she also felt something… hopeless. She felt the energy in her body begin to flow and drain from her body, to her neck and into Lucifer’s hand, as he repeated the exact same process he had used on Trent before. And the result was that the wound that bored through his body, started to shrink, close and heal. [i]N… no…[/i] [b]“LISETTE!”[/b] Dylan howled from below. He was the only one still able to even shout. Everyone else was too exhausted, too drained to do anything. Nikki had left Trixie’s side and skidded besides Moira’s group, doing her best to help Syed up. Out of everyone, he was the only one who had the ability to attack at range. He could use the lightning again, couldn’t he? Couldn’t he…?! But Syed’s body was too damaged and depleted to do much at all. Was this the end? It couldn’t be! [b]It couldn’t end like this![/b] [b]“Get the hell away from my friend!!!”[/b] A loud roar shot across the sky, and Lucifer’s head turned sharply, his golden eyes widening in surprise. At the same time, a sensation of pain raced across his outstretched hand, and a thin line suddenly formed across the top of it- black blood then spurted free from it. For a brief moment, Lucifer’s grip hesitated and failed, and Lisette’s throat became free. She could now breathe… but her body started to fall. [b]“What…?!”[/b] Lucifer snarled, snapping his attention in the direction of the voice and his attacker, his eyes bulging and focusing on the illuminated figure falling from above. Gripped in an ethereal green glow pulsing from her metal sword, a young woman with bright red hair fell towards him. Indignation and fury painted across her face. She stared directly towards Lucifer, free of fear or pain. Only one emotion consuming her entire body. Only one need, one desire. [b]“What in the…? How?! You’re…!”[/b] Lucifer’s body turned, his arms swinging to greet his adversary with the same sharp greeting as he had to so many of the Pride. But Lucifer was unable to, as a bright new, overwhelming light suddenly burst forth in front of the woman’s necklace, growing bigger and bigger, brighter and brighter. [b] “INVOKE! GIANT MARI!”[/b] The giant ball of light grew bigger and bigger, growing in volume and mass, blanketing Lucifer’s entire vision of the sky above as it descended towards him. The mass pulsed and morphed- the sphere growing new appendages that quickly formed and solidified into hands, feet and head- into a person. A big, BIG person. A giant! A giant with a very familiar shape and appearance, as the light dimmed and stopped, to reveal a clone of the Pride’s diligent secretary, only so incomprehensibly big – and a giant fist brought behind her back now launching straight forwards like a cannon. [img]http://i.imgur.com/2oDuuET.png[/img] Lucifer felt the full, unbridled force of the punch, and was sent crashing into the ground again like a meteor as Giant Mari landed atop, the ground cracking and quaking in all directions around. Her fists then began to rise and fall, as she relentlessly started to pound upon Lucifer again and again. “I… I promise to pay back Secretary Sis everything I owe her. I swear.” [img]http://i.imgur.com/0ZOCUcl.png[/img] Selan’s and Dylan suddenly shifted out of their bewilderment to see Don stare towards the unbelievable image in front of them, eyes bulging and mouth hung open, a cigarette falling out of his lips. A loud gulp escaped his throat. “What the fuck is that?” Moira arched her neck up to look from her tumbled over body, to see Mari punch again and again. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening, or why there was a giant version of that prim and proper Secretary Marise who always gave her such a hard time with Guild rules and regulations was there, but a smile crept up her lips once she saw what a beating she was dishing out. And then a little shiver ran down the back of her neck at the thought of how she could have done that to Moira at any time… The ground below Lisette grew bigger and bigger, faster and faster as she fell and fell and fell. Her weak screams were muffled from the howling wind and relentless rain, and she couldn’t help but fear this was the end. In a second she was going to die, and that would be it. [i]“It’s okay, Lisette. Don’t worry. Go limp.”[/i] Lisette could barely register her body being pulled close into the warm embrace of a body, as hands reached round and shielded her. All she could think about was the ground approaching, of Kapi, her friends and- And then the sudden rush of gravity beneath her stopped. And she was still alive. It took time for her to slowly blink her eyes open. Not until she felt the sensation of a warm breath blow over her face, and the sound of her voice again. “It’s okay, Lisette. You’re safe. It’s alright now.” A smile beamed down at her, from the friend who she cherished so much. Her face turned, looking towards the source of Lisette and the Pride’s worry and frustration. The woman’s grew serious and determined. “I won’t let him hurt any of you anymore.” “Estelle…!” [img]http://i.imgur.com/kjtvfS8.png[/img][/hider]