[IC] Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

[Konan375]

Leith was running out of breath. He chanced a look behind him and saw that the demon was closing the gap and it was nearly upon him. As his attention was on the demon, he tripped over the body of a fallen Djarkel soldier. After he hit the ground, he resigned himself to his fate and braced himself for the demon's attack, but nothing happened. Curious, Leith turned to see what had happened the demon that was chasing him. It had stopped directly in from of him. A voice rang out not that far from where he was, commanding the demons to die. The demon in front of Leith followed the order and started smashing its head on the ground. Leith raised a hand to shield bits of flesh and blood flying from the demon.

With a sigh of relief, Leith sat up. The relief was short-lived because as he sat up, his vision started to swim and he got dizzy. For a second, he was confused as to why he was dizzy. Then it hit him. He had been clawed at by two demons. He was amazed that he was lucky enough to get them off of him let alone be able run away. When his vision cleared, Leith looked down at his body. There were several deep gashes on his torso, and from how it felt, several on his face. As he wiped the blood from his eyes, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Leith tried to fight whoever was attached to the hand, but he couldn't move. The owner of the hand kneeled into sight. An Eanian soldier with a concerned look on his face. As soon as Leith stopped trying to fight, he could move. The soldier gave a small smile and spoke. "Now that you're done fighting, can you hold still while I patch you up." Leith managed a nod and the solider started working. Leith felt pain as the wounds started knitting themselves back together. The soldier stopped long before the wounds closed, but he healed enough that Leith wouldn't bleed out. The man then pulled a small vial from a pouch at his side. "This will speed up your body's ability to replenish blood and lessen the effects of blood loss. But be careful. It will take a while before your blood is at a hundred percent." With that, the soldier left to go help another wounded student nearby.

Leith drank the contents of the vial. He grimaced at the bitter taste, but the effects were almost immediate. The dizziness had disappeared, but it left a feeling of weakness behind.. Leith stood up and got his bearings. He felt so out of place. It was almost like he wasn't actually in the dining hall where demons were attacking everybody. Like he was dreaming all of this. He shook his head to clear it. It wasn't the time for him to be unfocused. With that in mind, he looked for someone that he could possibly help.

He noticed Satori sitting in a chair alone by a pillar of flame. While Leith knew that the Psychomancy teacher could probably handle herself, he couldn't help but think that an extra pair of hands would be useful. Looking around, Leith found a rather vicious looking sword clutched in a downed demon's hand. Leith picked it up with his right hand, after making sure the demon was dead, and gave it a few small swings. He was liking the fact that the gauntlet negated any of the sword's weight. With a small nod to himself, he made his way towards the pink-haired woman.

A few minor demons got in Leith's way, but he easily cut them down with the sword aided by the gauntlet. When he got there, he unsheathed his dagger with his left hand and got into a defensive stance as the demons kept pouring in from the doors and the hole in the wall. The dagger was about 12" long and had a cross guard that went out and slightly up. It was a simple dagger, and he had bought it shortly after he started training with Deven. He looked at Satori over his shoulder. "So what's happening here?" If anyone should should know why the demons were attacking, it would be Satori.

[Rtron]

Mar, Lyn, Althalus, and a Amphorus Demon

Althalus walked through the doorway to the makeshift room Mar and Lyn were in, balancing a bowl of food for both Mar and Lyn in one hand, and the gifts Ssarak and Annabeth plus a couple other items he thought a newborn might need cradled in the arm of the other. As he walked in, they both awoke. Althalus wasn't sure if it was because Mar was still on edge from Xyden's attack, or if the smell of food woke them. Maybe it was both. "I've brought dinner." He announced, setting the gifts aside and walking over. "Everything you ordered." He gave the bowl over to Mar, before she pulled it from his hand. Dragging a stool over, he sat down, his body turned so that if someone came through the doorway, he could turn around quickly. He didn't want to take the chance that there might be more than one person who thought like Xyden did. Naga or not. Speaking of not taking any chances..."I need to invest in a crossbow..as soon as I'm sure you and Lyn are safe." He muttered, half to himself. A crossbow would have ended the Xyden fight quite quickly, and saved them all a lot of pain. If he had actually managed to do his job, he could have saved them pain. I will kill that snake. He promised himself yet again, keeping the anger hidden in everything but his eyes. As he watched Lyn eat, he smiled, eyes softening, before addressing her. "You are pain to wash, you know that?" He waggled a teasing finger at her. She ignored it in favor of more food.

Mar had set the bowl within easy reach, her body leaned over Lyn as she noted what Althalus said. Her fingers gripped anothe rmeat chunk, dripping with a slightly juice gravy, then held it out for her daughter to grasp it. And grasp Lyn did, easily and started to chew upon the morsal. Mar's brown eyes set upon Althalus, her mind ignored his cooing to address his mention of a crossbow. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his worry and concern, yet things turned out well enough. Deep inside she feared he would try to irritate the situation without something reckless. That something she couldn't allow.

Her shoulders relaxed as she spoke, in a gentle voice. "It isn't needed. We're alive and I rather not create more complex matters."

Althalus shifted his gaze to meet hers. "Barely alive. No thanks to me." The self-loathing in his tone wasn't hidden well. "It may very well not be needed, and I'll be thankful for that. But, I'd rather be prepared and cursing the fact I got an unnecessary crossbow, then unprepared and cursing the fact that I never got one. And besides, I'm not going to be walking around with it visibly on me at all times. Out of sight, out of mind. Something that works most of the time in my profession. People believe what they want to see, and if they don't expect me to have a crossbow hidden..." He shrugged. "Then no complex matters will be created until I need to use it to protect the two of you or myself. And there's no chance of me using it in anger. After all when we fought over if you should go to the infirmary six months ago, I didn't use the knives I had outside of defense, and you were trying to kill me." He chuckled, finding a strange amusement in it. "Then again, it also ended rather...interestingly." Pointedly, he glanced at Lyn before returning to Mar.

"I would rather be called a paranoid fool then a dead fool who was too trusting in something outside of his control. A good way to get killed, both in my job and any other scenario."

Mar sighed, she had a feeling he wasn't allow this event merely pass. She wasn't sure about the instinct or it's reason to feel right a situation that felt odd to her. Her mind examined it a moment. Other then the fact he was male and had experience something she herself never wanted to again, there was no really reason behind the way she had felt. The matter confused her a bit, it almost made her want to recoil from it. It was a small change among others which had became more complex. A matter she wasn't sure about, yet there was little time to dwell upon it.

Her head shifted to Althalus's pointed finger, mentioning the rather pleasant accident. It might've explained a number of changes in her, her arms curled about the baby still lost in her own needs and world. Her eyes stilll fixed upon Lyn, her word however were to Althalus. "Just don't do something stupid. I can't teach our daughter to walk or fight as a biped. You can...and I would miss your annoyances."

Althalus opened his mouth, likely to make a reply that would have annoyed Mar, when she added those final six words. His mouth stayed hanging open, surprised etched on every feature. Sure he had feelings for Mar, even after six months of almost nonstop arguing with her. But he had never expected those feelings to be returned, much less after their last argument before Mar went into labor. Yet this was twice now, and he couldn't count them both off as instinct and the after affect of having a baby. With a quiet 'click' he closed his mouth, and stared at her for several moments, an indiscernable emotion in his eyes. When he finally spoke, it was softly. "I'll do my best to stay around as long as possible. And I promise I won't do anything stupid." He smiled. "Lethally stupid anyways." He had a feeling that his definition of stupid and her definition of stupid were two very different things.

Reaching into a pocket, he with drew his old coin. Rather than flipping it through his fingers, however, he repeatedly rubbed his thumb along the face of it. A piece of old, dried blood flaked off and fell to the floor.

Mar seemed to relax a bit, her worries now addressed which made it easier to breath again. She had noted his surprise, his shocked experession and widened eyes at her words. Again, another biped react to something so simple. Her eyebrow had started to rise in question only to just fall back into place. It was pointless to ask about such matters and easier to accept them as part of Althalus's, as well as other biped's, little quirks. Or else confusion would only end up becoming worse.

"I would hope you would, namely after you've worked so hard in getting to be apart of Lyn's life. If I knew you would've gotten yourself killed, then I won't have fought so hard." In a moment, a brief one, her tone held a bit of a playfulness that soon faded.

Her eyes turned to spot the coin again. This time he didn't flip it, much to her relief, but still thumbed it. Dried blood flaked off and wafted to the ground where it settled for the moment. She looked at him with slight annoyance before her word broke out again. "Why do you carry that thing around? It serves little purpose or use, yet it holds some value for you. However I know bipeds, even Naga, keep their belongs in good condition. The coin looks as if it hasn't been cleaned ever..."

Althalus let out a small laugh. "No doubt. Could have saved us six months of nearly being at each other's throats." His eyes twinkled with amusement, and surprise. Apparently, all it took was a baby for a Naga's emotions to be revealed. It certainly made things easier, with less arguing everytime they saw each other. His thumb continued to rub the face of the coin, even when he noticed the slight annoyance in her face when she looked at him. And here I thought I had done a good job by not flipping it through my fingers... He smirked to himself. And then that smirk died when she asked him about the coin. His thumb stopped rubbing it, and he glanced down at it. In his normal fashion, he didn't immediately answer the question and certainly didn't get straight to the point. "Memory, without constant reminders, is a faulty thing. It can fade with the years, making horrors that actually happened appear to be dreams. Promises and vows appear to be useless and without meaning. I got this coin from my father. He had always claimed it was his lucky coin, the first one he made from his inn. He claimed that whenever he had it on him, nothing could go wrong. Nothing bad would happen to him or his family."

A bitter smile crossed his face. "Of course, it wasn't lucky enough to protect from a betrayal that broke the only law a city of criminals honored. Or maybe, all the luck just went to his killer. I don't know. I do know that I took it from his body, the only thing the scavengers didn't strip from him. Maybe they didn't want to touch a coin marred with the blood of three family members spilt by one of their own. Or maybe they respected the man his corpse had been. Yet another thing I don't know." Althalus shook himself, before continuing.

"I keep this coin as a reminder. A reminder of a failure I should have been prepared for, a reminder of a promise made, and a reminder of a danger that always exists, just waiting for the right moment." Dark emotions, anger, horror, grief, swirled around inside of him, brought back by memories that should have been left where they rested. Then, they were gone in an instant. Banished back to wherever they had come from, with a smirk and a glance at Mar. "Stupid reasons, I suppose. I only promised not to do lethally stupid things . I never said anything about average stupid."

Mar merely listened, her ear absorbed every work as she laid in silence to his story. Though for her, it was much different. Unlike Althalus, Mar had never felt or believed she was able to experience such ties to those who shared her blood. Even her own mother's connection only lasted until she was around the proper age to hunt then it started to fade. Though she still held a strong loyalty to her brother, the dependence and emotion connection wasn't as strong as bipeds. Mostly because if he or herself ever entered Malice, it was expected they would've been killed. And emotions got in the way of completing that, a rather dark truth in her vast life. So there was no way for her to understand Althalus's pain and she found that to be rather depressing in a way she couldn't explain.

She thought long and hard upon her word, even when Althalus's cheerful nature came back. Her face didn't reflect his but rather her own conflict, one that seemed to wither within her. "I think after hearing that, I can't even begin to understand. Mainly because I didn't grow up like you and death was a part of my life from the very beginning."

The mother left her sentence lay at that, her hand shifted to stroke Lyn's light colored hair from her golden eyes. There was light, cheerful giggle in response which rang within the room. Her lip pulled up into a soft smirk at the innocent melody and let her body relax, her arms cradled her child close by. "To be honest... there is many things I've yet to begin to understand since I came here. Save for the fact, what hurts me and in the most confusing way was to lose you. I don't understand it myself."

Althalus nodded. "Oh, death was apart of my life everyday as well. Still is. Well, not recently. But there is one rule that the denizens of Port Slaughter follow, and that rule was broken. And, of course, us bipeds get emotionally attached to people and things far to easily." He paused to put his coin up, before continuing. "I sincerely hope that you never begin to understand why I carry the coin around. Because that means you'll have been put through a pain that I wouldn't wish upon my greatest enemy. Much less you." He neglected to mention that his greatest enemy was immune to that type of pain. He was grateful for when Lyn giggled, drawing the conversation from dark tones to a more cheerful area. He had already noted that she had his eyes, and couldn't help a small smile cross his face. She was his daughter, and she was alive and well. Even if she outlived him, he would be happy doing nothing more than being in a fraction of her life.

As Mar continued, admitting a weakness, Althalus's gaze immediately shifted back to her. This was slightly worrying, as he well knew how stubborn and prideful she was. As she finished the sentence, he smiled gently, and took her hand in his. "I'd be lying to you if I told you that even those bipeds that have lived hundreds of years and studied it understood it either. It's better, I've found, to not understand somethings and accept them as they are, than to spend time trying to understand it. It's especially true in this case, even if it has a name."

When he touched her heand, Mar's eyes raised to listen to his words. They seemed to easy and reasonable, yet she knew better. It would take time and more, her fingers tighten about his in a gentle squeeze. It was a wordless answer to his thoughts and in a small way, her way of telling him she would try. Her hand reached for one of the brought items, a chew toy which looked to be made from a simple block of wood, hand stitched ribbon and hand pounded bells. The bells, despite the careful attention to detail and patience seen in the worksmanship showed its origins rather well. It was crude but seemed to easily catch Lyn's winkling eyes. Her little hands reached for the jiggling toy while small, cheerful squeals pierced through the air. Her face turned up into a slight grin filled with bright teeth flashed back at them. Mar shook the bells once, just out of Lyn's reach until her child started to grip her toes and giggle. Slowly, she handed the small toy which was gripped by two handed and naturally shoved into her mouth. While Lyn chewed upon the toy, Mar noted the minx blanket just out of her reach.

"Althalus, could you hand me the blanket?" She asked though hinted that she would get it herself if needed.

Althalus kept smiling, and returned the soft squeeze. They had survived the murder attempt, her attempt to kill him, Lyn's birth and six months of arguing. Now, it seemed, things were looking up. He watched, chuckling, as Mar played with and teased Lyn. "Most human babies don't have teeth for months after birth. And then they spend a long while teething. Yet Lyn already has a full set of chompers already. Do Naga babies start with teeth?" While he waited for a reply, he reached over with his free hand and grabbed the blanket, handing it over, his eyes on the gnawing form of Lyn. It was interesting, certainly. In his limited experience with babies, he had heard of none that started with teeth straight from birth. Not that it mattered. Lyn was perfect, in his heavily biased opinion.


Mar answered him, her tone unconcern with the fact about human babies. "Naga infants are able to eat cooked meat as soon as they leave the egg so having teeth this soon is normal."

Mar's eyes followed Althalus's figure as he shifted around her laying form, his body bent down to take the blanket off the floor. She took a deep inhale and took a slight moment to admire it. Her sight ran from the bottom of his legs, partly still wished it was a snake like tail, as her sight ran over the back and rested upon the torso. Other then the fact Althalus was human, she couldn't help but feel she had made a rather decent choice in a mate. Though she would never say that outloud to him. Careful not to stare too long, her head returned to Lyn the moment Althalus had turned and passed her blanket. Though she shouldn't have found him attractive, Mar found with some serious degree that was unavoid.

Her hand raised to take hold of the blanket by the soft corner and bring closer. It was then she realized something which was annoying. Her torso had risen slightly with her hand spreading out the blanket, braced to wrap Lyn up. The only problem was Mar was unsure how to do that. Mainly because Lyn had wiggling and kicking legs, which seeming to have sensed the trouble had started to move much more now. Lyn's eyes seemed to show a little cheek causing Mar's eyebrow to raise in question about just how much of Althalus her daughter had gotten.

Althalus shrugged. That response was good enough to ease whatever worries he had had. Luckily for Mar, he remained oblivous to her roving eyes. Otherwise, he might have teased her mercilessly. Regardless, as she tried to wrap Lyn in a blanket, Althalus watched with increasing amusement as Lyn resisted any and all attempts to wrap her in a blanket by kicking and wiggling as much as possible. "She's quite the pain like this, isn't she? I'm not sure if I had it easier or not, but she was a hassle and then some to wash." He gave a brief, accusing, glance at Lyn's giggling and writhing form. "She seemed to be enjoying herself. I, much less so." He laughed, amusment glinting in his eyes, briefly matching the look Lyn possesed. . "At least it's amusing to remember."

As Lyn continued to thrash, "Would you like help?"

Mar's hands slipped and tried to wrap as Lyn giggled more and more. Her pitches heighten with each squeal that shortly died. her eyes blinked while her body rocked side to side. Her hands gripped her legs before she finally toppled to her side, her chest inhaled as seemed she was out of breath from her amusement. Mar merely turned to Althalus with a slight scornful look. It clear she blamed him for giving Lyn her playful attitude and mischief traits, none which came from her own DNA. Mar's voice came out rather frustrated in her reply yet it struggled to stay even tempered. "Please, or we'll be at this all day."

As Althalus reached out to hold her, Mar's hands started to wrap Lyn up and finally pin her wiggling limbs where they couldn't move. Finally able to pick her daughter up, Mar held her close and craddled Lyn's coccooned form against her shoulder. She spoke one word to Althalus, a simple thank you for his help as she picked up the casted away toy. She put it to the side and sat there, Lyn's breathing a soft melody in her ear.

A few moment passed, then her words noted something else. "I figured you would've wanted to be at the feast. At least, rather then coop up here."

Althalus smirked slightly as he helped. It wasn't his fault that their daughter took after him. Not that he was complaining. Two Mar's would have been a rather...trying experience. As more and more time passed with no incidents happening, Althalus began to relax more and more. Nothing was going wrong. Maybe they would actually get through this. He softly hummed a cheerful tune as Lyn was slowly lulled into sleep by Mar whispering into her ear. Thus, a few moments passed in comfortable silence. When she spoke, he glanced at her in amusement. "What? Go through a loud feast with a Psychomancy bitch and lots of soldiers and diplomats all making veiled, or in the soldiers' cases, blunt, threats? No, not appealing. Especially when I won't even get paid for it. I would rather spend my time here, with my family. Even if she has a tendency to enjoy causing mischief." He glanced at Lyn before beginning to tease Mar, a slight grin on his face.

"That trait, she obviously got from you. Clearly, I have no interest in causing mischief, or teasing, or anything like that. "

Mar's eyebrow raised at his comment, her lips became crooked while Lyn's form stilled. All that came from her daughter was the soft, mouthy snores that breathed into the Naga's ears. It was rather strong and steady, a comfort to her mind at how healthy it was. Her tail shifted gently to gather up the loose sheets as she curled them into a nest like shape, her hand bent to straighten it a bit before she settled Lyn into the crafted cradle. Lyn's little hand was pressed to her lips and suckling upon her thumb, eyes closed off to the world while she dreamed. Mar's nose nudged her baby's soft head in affection then turned to Althalus.

"Since you don't ever cause mischief or want to join into the feast, what do you want?" Her voice held curiousity yet she had a lingering what he might enjoy.

Althalus watched, a small smile on his face, as Lyn was settled away to go to a hopefully long and uninterrupted sleep. He turned to Mar, staring at her for a few moments before responding. "What do I want? I want to have my daughter grow up without any thrats to her life because of what she is and not what she has done. I want to be able to protect her and you from any threats. I want to learn how to use my mageblood to better protect the both of you. But right now? I want to be here with Lyn. Most of all, I want to be here with you. Whether it be in silence until one of us slumps, or in my case falls, over in sleep or quiet conversation, I leave to you."

He flashed a quick grin. "Just as long as it doesn't involve any arguing. Six months of it was more than enough for my lifetime."

Mar sighed but accepted his terms. Though she wouldn't contain her thoughts should he start it as he normally did in typical male fashion, her thoughts retraced his words. She knew what he wanted long term, a fact he kept repeating even during their spats in the prior six months. However it didn't answer her question about the present. Her mouth turned up in a frown as she replied. "I understand your long term goals though I think you cou-"

A scream erupted from the next room suddenly, cutting Mar's sentence off. The Naga's head jerked upright and twisted towards to the source, her expression serious. Her body moved up while more screams followed by someone cursing in a strange language, her nervous senses jolted into alert at the change. The sounds of crashing became louding as did the sounds of rushing bodies. Something was happening, Mar could tell that much even with the white sheet blocking her way to the main infirmary. Her fangs readied themselves while she reached a single hand out to pull it away enough to peek. Her breath held in her lungs and heart raced until the beat thumped within her ears.

Her eyes met with the eyes of a demon lurking just outside after the sheet was removed. Her mouth opened as she let out a warning hiss, her head turned back to Althalus. "Althalus get Lyn!"

Althalus raised an eyebrow as Mar began, curious as to where she was going, when the scream happened. Immediately, he was on his feet, reaching for daggers that weren't there anymore since the fight with Xyden. He cursed, idly noting that the woman(for the voice was definitely female) outside was cursing in Snow Elvish. Before he could check what was going on, Mar did so for him. A demon. In the infirmary attacking a Snow Elf and whatever else it could. Lovely. Glancing past the obvious towards the exit, he cursed again, longer this time. Guards were busy fighting off demons outside in the hall too. No escape there. As Mar yelled at him to get their daughter, he didn't even look at her as he drew the makeshift curtain back down. Luckily, the demon seemed occupied with the Elf. So much for peaceful. "And go where? The only exit is blocked not only by our little intruder, but guards who are being attacked by demons. We can't run anywhere."

In the meantime, Aramir was still running from her unwanted visitor who had just tried to kill her. The Snow Elf's arm burned from where the demon had touched her, and she felt sick and dizzy. The affects of blood Loss still there. But she couldn't stop. Stopping would mean death, and she hadn't survived in the Frozen Plains for twenty two years, and crossed half the world just to be killed by a pile of sludge. To try and distract herself from the Nausea and dizziness, she cursed(frequently) and called the demon every insult she knew. And threw everything that came to hand that could be thrown.

It all did nothing in terms of damage to the monster, but it made her feel better.

Mar glared at him, her expression clearly didn't want to argue. Her tone spat with slight vemon in her next words. "I just said get her. She's not exactly safe on the floor, Althalus."

She inhaled deep from irittation at his limited assumptions as she pushed it away, her emotions still lite when Xyden nearly murdered Lyn earlier. It was starting to seem the College was just as dangerous as the Ravine itself. She didn't have a weapon or any means to attack, save her fangs. It hadn't much time to recharge but what little vemon there was would have to do. The demon was already starting to reach for her when Mar shoot it forward, allowing the acid like poison to hit the eyes within the mask.

The thing didn't flinch.

Mar's eyes widened in surprise, confused, when the thing's hand ripped forward and took hold of her neck. Mar screamed when her flesh started to burn, slight vapors from the sizzling touch had started to cook her. Her tail lashed out in instinct and slammed down where Lyn had been moments before. Althalus's arms wrapped protectively about the bundle as he rolled out of the way, the tail tip brushed his back for a few seconds. Mar's hands clawed at the thing's grip while it continued to tighten even when he tail smacked into its tar like side, black blobs sent scattered with the impact and her coils started to wrap about with crushing power to no prevail.

Althalus shuddered to think of what would have happened if he hadn't grabbed and rolled with Lyn, feeling Mar's tail brush against his back. It would have been...bloody. His thoughts were yanked away from what could have been by the smell of sizzling flesh and the scream of Mar. Looking over, arms still wrapped protectively over Lyn (who was busy wailing), he saw Mar being slowly cooked by the demon. For a moment, time seemed to freeze for him. One continuous thought pounded in his skull. Not again. Not again. Not again. He couldn't watch, helpless, as his family died. Not twice in one lifetime. Lyn's wailing seemed to come from a great distance as he shifted her to one arm, the other snapping out and grasping the arm that held Mar, ignoring the sizzling pain. "NO!" He screamed, and a magic he hadn't ever used before rose to his command and answered his desparation.

The demon let out a howl of agony as most of it's arm turned to a flaky white dust and crumbled away. The monster recoiled, and Althalus was struck with a demanding need to puke and dizziness. He yanked Mar back, gagging, and thrust Lyn into her arms before stumbling forward and throwing up. There was quite a lot of blood in the puddle of vomit he had created, but he couldn't worry about that right now. What was more pressing was the fact that he had the demon's attention, and it was coming for him. Glancing back at Mar, unware that he was bleeding from his nose, he gasped "Stay here." With that, he stumbled through the doorway, the demon following him, all of it's sludge appendages reaching for him.

Aramir was a couple of feet behind the demon, violently throwing up. She had tried to use magic to defend Lyn, having heard her wails, but had only suceeded in incapacitating herself. If she wasn's so busy trying to stay concious, she would have felt sickened with her pathetic efforts.

Mar could barely hear Althalus's yells when her whole body was lit on fire. For what felt like the second today, her body was subjected to punish beyond description, while the thing's tendrils warpped about her. Her arms became pinned in the stickly tar like substance which served as the beast's skin. Where it touched she screamed unable to stop the burning that burrowed deeper and deeper until it swallowed her completely. Inside the back of her mind, she waited it to stop. Just make the torment go away was her one wish, unsure for how much longer she was going to be able to stay awake.

When Althalus touched her flesh it seemed to rip her into the present. His hand pulled her back while he monster bellowed, its voice vibrated within her ears and seemed to explode. At its side, white, ashy flakes rose then vanished leaving a slight hole where its arm should've been. It pushed off her, all the tar semed to recoil from her surface and gathered to fill out what it had lost. Althalus's movement never stopped as she felt herself jerked away and shoved behind him. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of panic, pain and fear that poured through. She felt her body give away, followed by Lyn's crying bundle shoved into her arms. Her hands immediately gripped her child tightly in a need to shield Lyn, unable to stop herself from crashing to the floor. Red spotches where the Demon had touched sizzled and smoked, several layers exposed to the air and even one had managed to make it through to the bone. Her body was trembling in an uncontrollable motion when the shock washed over the Naga. It seemed to paraylze her and prevent her mental attempts to stirr herself, barely hearing Althalus's voice when he told her to stay there.

Sam on the other hand had been busy. His hands rapidly shoved draw and containers aside, his arms a blur in his hasty actions untli finally had found what he was lookng for: The Archmage's runes. Without sparing any more time, Sam's hands wrapped about the nearest three runes as two small vials for emergency purposes. His head casted a look in Aramir's direction and changed his mind, grabbing three instead. His voice came off in both concern and slight scolding when he rushed towards the downed Snow Elf. "Aramir! Don't, you'll kill yourself and won't help them! Force these down, and hold on this. If it comes near, think fireball and blast it..."

He passed her two vials, Lucilia's own design, and passed her the Pyromancer rune. The healer figured she would be more comfortable with something akin with her magic then something else. "Althalus, get it's attention and I'll hit it in the back. Then pull over this way to Aramir while we keep it from Mar."

Althalus was more, stumbling into everything he could and barely keeping ahead of the Demon that wanted to kill him, than actually running from it. If that process hadn't been taking all of his conscious effort, he would have made a sarcastic response to Sam's order. As it was, he stumbled towards the old man and the Snow Elf. He hoped and prayed to any God that was listening that Mar was okay. That the demon hadn't killed her with it's touch, that he wouldn't have to go through losing his family a second time. No. He couldn't think like that. He wouldn't lose them again. He wouldn't. This demon would die, then Sam would heal her, and then everything would be okay. Or at least, as okay as anything could be in a College that was under attack from it's own demons. He stumbled towards the Aramir and Sam, puking up more blood as he did so.

Aramir herself gave a weak smile to Sam, in between dry heaving. "I couldn't just stand by and let the thing get the child. Not again. Never again." She took the vials and slammed them down, one after the other, trying to drink them so fast she didn't even taste them. That failed. Even as she felt better, less likely to throw up, she made a disgusted face. "Gah! What do you make those things out of? The most disgusting things you could find? No..don't answer that question." She grasped the rune tightly, waiting for the human, Althalus, to bring the demon closer. The monster had tried to kill a child. She couldn't have stopped the deaths of children before, but she could now. As Althalus stumbled by her, overuse of his Blood taking a very painful toll on him, she held up the rune in the direction of the demon. Fireball. Nothing happened. The monster kept coming. Fireball...Fireball.... Still nothing. She shook the damn thing, accidentally activating it. Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! Three normal colored fireballs shot from the rune, crashing into the demon. It roared in pain again, and recoiled, attempting to dart past them.

[Frettzo]

Liam

It was a single second. A fraction of a moment. A tiny piece of Liam's life.

So why were these stares penetrating his soul to the smallest, darkest corner? It was a huge demon, that's for sure. For the smallest moment, it had turned its faces from the view of a mangled body to Liam. While most people ran and cleared the area, Liam moved no muscle and said no word. He simply stared back as a terrified expression slowly crawled onto his face. He shook and trembled, and his pupils narrowed.

Then the demon shouted in all of its voices.

"Die!"

And with that, it rushed right past any resistance, using its huge and heavy hands to heave guards and students alike out of its way. Liam felt a short impulse propel him into jumping out of the way and off to the right. He hit a pile of old wooden boxes which broke on impact. They were empty save for one thing... A lot of fruit. So what was a rational, intelligent Sannid to do in that situation? He, as quickly as the wind, grabbed all of hte fruit that he could and one by one, he threw them at the huge, gray demon. First were the bananas, then the oranges and finally, the apples. Apart from one of the faces cringing in disgust at having orange juice all over its eyes, the fruits were useless. When Liam noticed this, he started running. Away from the demon, around the courtyard, hiding into stalls... Nothing seemed to yield a result. He couldn't seek shelter inside the damned College because demons and guards were blocking the entrances in a bloody battle.

His only hope was to somehow avoid the Demon with the Masks until it lost interest in him, but it seemed that it would never stop its hunt.

After long, tiresome minutes of hiding and nearly shitting his pants, Liam had found himself crouching behind a wooden stall. Half of it was charred due to unknown reasons, and the other half was broken beyond repair. But it was in a condition good enough to hide the body of the fox man. He panted for air at a quick pace, tongue barely kept inside his mouth through sheer willpower. His heart raced and his stomach felt empty, as he had already vomited what he had eaten for dinner.

"I'm gonna... Die here and I haven't... Had a single mate in longer than three weeks..." He said between gasps, ears suddenly perking up when a tiny sound came from behind the stall. Thankfully, the huge demon a mere ten meters away did not hear the sound. When a certain short and muscular Sannid peeked his head out, Liam teared up in happiness and relief. At least he'd die with a friend by his side, he thought.

"Luna-" He said in a excited whisper, tail wagging and accidentally kicking up some dust, "what are you doing here? This place is too dangerous!"

"Well," Luna replied, a sad smirk on his face upon looking around, "I worried about you when I saw the battle from afar."

"Oh, Luna..." Liam muttered, looking down at his sore feet, then back up at Luna, who had just taken a seat besides him, setting down his bow and quiver in front of the both of them. Luna raised a hand and smiled, mimicking the distinct way in which one had to hold a cup of Tiien's Spit. Recognizing the gesture, Liam followed suit, a sad smile also on his face. They pretended a toast and drank their imaginary drinks. "To our deaths away from home." Liam said, raising his hand and downing the rest of the non existant liquid.

Luna let out a sigh of satisfaction after some seconds of pretend drinking, and nodded. "It's still the best drink."

[Fallenreaper]

Upsah

Upsah sneered at Lucilia’s new resort. His heart flirted with excitement when he thought about how much sweeter it would be to tear her down. The gas faded and tapered off from his mouth as most of it filled the room. It was then Lucilia’s blade stabbed into the ground to create the thorny armor about her. He smirked when she played hard to get. She was indeed a cheeky tail if he ever saw one, her body all wrapped up tightly like a fresh tease. Slowly she sank under the floor where the vines sprouted out just when he was getting started, his body rushed forward only to spin around when his ears picked up the sound of something being fling though the air. It was faint and he almost missed, his hand upraised to block the axe thrown at his spine.

Out of all them, Upsah had to admit his bones were more brittle then the rest. A curse set on by his decay magic which in exchange was more powerful than most Noxomancers and helped him survive within the Inferno. So he couldn’t’ allow it to hit and severe him in half, killing his fun so short. The moment his palm touched the blade, it browned and dusted away past him harmlessly. His skull seemed to give a cheeky grin at the easiness of it. His bones however protested, slightly bent and cracked from Lucilia’s vines’ earlier constriction. Though it wasn’t likely the vampire could tell by his movements that he was riddled with pain, he won’t let a little thing like that stop him.

When his thoughts turned upon her, he realized she no longer was there. Instead her body had vanished under the floor as his eye caught movement and his skull jerked in time to see Khan’s own body being wrapped by the very vines as well. The demonomancer’s image made Upsah smile to see the Esyire’s body tremble and quake, the eyes widened in fear when the gas entered him. Currently…Khan was living his own worse nightmare. Serve the mouth right, thought Upsah when his attention noted the woody wall erected to seal it off from the titan’s current clash.

He could’ve made it shorted but that dumb brute, Heus was so much pain, Upsah risked being killed when the beast lashed out. His eyes narrowed upon the wall a moment longer and then panned the hallway for signs of the tail’s reappearance.

Naturally it didn’t take long before he heard her voice. The little slut was baiting him with her sweet, little voice as she snubbed him. His eyes reddened a moment yet his skull grinned, a disturbing sort as he knew deep inside the bitter truth. The bitch herself would likely make the most powerful sin one day. Ironic she snubbed demons when she would soon add to them, he mused slightly. “Now, tail, you sound like Rathel and even a faint bit like Zaad. Those two chavies have nothing on me. If not for Khan being a mouth, then I would’ve broken loose sooner.”

However his words were lost when Lucilia’s briar’s became to increase their infestation of the hallways, their buds bright orange and became drawn to him. He clicked his lower jaw in frustration, the sound worsened when her filthy vines had latched onto him again. Again he tried to decay them but something wasn’t right. He hadn’t noticed it the first time, mainly cause it had been so very long since he tested out his magic, yet now he couldn’t’ ignore it. It was slightly weaker. His eyes shifted to the change in the briar then uttered a mental curse at the clever bitch.

Having difficulty in decaying the plants, Upsah changed his tactics. He lowered his body making it appear as if his body was being overwhelmed and encase, playing a few visible struggles to add to the act’s merit. Meanwhile his hands touched the smooth stone and poured all his decay efforts into it. He might not win, but he could take at least take someone with him. The stones’s color grey faded almost instantly, his magic spread from his center and outwards. It trailed along the walls and up to the ceil where most the building’s rafter’s lie. The event started off slow until he increased his efforts, impossible to stop, causing the roof above them to crumble. He didn’t flinch when a block came dangerously close to crushing him. Instead he chuckled at his clear victory that someone, even if that victim would be Khan himself, would die.

And there was nothing the bitch could do to stop it.

Heus

Heus’s body clashes with the stone wall, the monstrosity’s form indented the walls slightly with his brute strength. Sluggishly he pulled away when he notices nothing between him and turned away, the wall clearly weakened by his charge as he resumes his fight. Another roar ruptured the air’s stillness while he spots Grey and makes a clear challenge, his flames up his arm flare in response when he doesn’t see him.

Thump..thump..thump..

Heus stiffened long enough to feel Grey’s boots on his back, their pace rushed as quickly as possible up the demon’s back. Without thinking, Heus’s arms flayed about in an attempt to reach the man that scaled him. His body jerked about until his feet stumbled and his back instantly clashed with the far wall in his klutzy movements. Unless Grey had moved fast, he would be nothing more than a red smear upon the College’s wall. Heus’s body rushed along the length of the object as if to peel his pest off him. To farther complicate things, Heus’s second element had kicked in: Wind. It whipped about the behemoth’s body like a raging whirl wind centered upon the demon’s form like moving wind armor. The rapid wind would tear the flesh off any living creature, human or demon, within a few seconds.

Orleah

The last one to form, Orleah, had been sitting in the background and buying her time. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the male fighting Heus, noting how the man seemed rather strong and determined. The thought mad her tongue licked her lips, alongside how she could toy with him. Her Sin was lust naturally, so the poison increased that as she waited until he was off Heus to jump into the fray. When Grey’s feet hit the ground, her claws came out and slashed at the armor. She would giggle if it hit as the sound of it being torn open like paper was lovely, of course it was thanks to the poison coursing through her veins that it was possible.

[Freeshooter92]

Grey Onyx

Grey had managed to run up the behemoth's back, dodging an attempt to grab him by bashing at its hand with his shield. Fortunately, Grey had managed to ascend quick enough to avoid becoming paste, as the beast slammed its back against the wall. Unfortunately, he couldn't really stop his forward momentum, sending him past its head. As a sort of consolation prize, he managed to smack the beast in the face on the way down with his shield. As he hit the ground, he instantly dropped into a combat roll. of course in the process he felt something scrape at the armor on his greaves. If he were just a bit slower, it would have torn right through. As he stood, he looked quite heartbroken. He had allowed some beast to sully the masterwork that was this armor. He whipped around, and was greeted by the final abomination, the one that had went missing.

"I hope you can understand me, monstrosity. You will be defeated here, you cannot win! As long as I draw breath I will defend the denizens of this college, and if that means beating you into submission I'll do it! So come on! COME ON!" He shouted, banging his fist against his shield. In all reality, this was a clever ploy. He had noticed that the she-demon was directly inbetween him and the big one, and his plan was in essence an attempt at getting the brute to defeat her for him. He was absolutely sure the monstrosity was far too angry to differentiate targets. So he would charge the demon with his shield as soon as she advanced, and basically launch her at it. Of course, he was prepared to roll off to the side and abandon the attack if it looked like the big one might kill him.

Alaira Taenn

Alaira was furious. More so than she usually was. As such, she was eating alone for once. That miserable bastard, who did he think he was? 'Oh hey, you're so hawt.' 'Oh, sorry about hitting on you, allow me to repay you by forcing you to listen to my goddamn life story.' Ugh. Still, she had to eat. Though she was going to get done with her food and get back to Lyn as soon as possible. She'd at least like to have a solid half-hour with the child without having to fight murderous assholes or deal with the more mundane kind of assholes. It was at that point, that all hell broke loose. It started with a scream, but then this nonsense devolved into the chaos of battle. It was madness, it seemed like demons were just coming out of the damn walls and everyone was at eachother's throats. Good! She needed some good old-fashioned senseless slaughter. With an honest smile on her face she pulled her lance out of the ground. While unarmored, she would be a hell of a lot faster.

"Oh, hey there big guy! Wait, Bwah ha ha ha!" She burst into laughter for a moment as the big one charged. Dodging a downward blow from its mace-like arm, she continued. "Holy shit, you actually think you can take me! Well, lets find out!!" she shouted as she focused all her hate and anger into her familiar battle-rage. Every ounce of hatred, every last bit of rage, all focused towards one purpose: the destruction of her foe. Her screaming turned from amused anger to the savage bellows of a wild beast as she shot forward. The creature tried to hit her, but the thing wasn't fast enough to hit her, just divert her course. As soon as the blow closed in, instead of jumping at it's big stupid head she shot forward and rolled under its legs, slicing one of them as she passed.

The creature roared in pain as it stumbled. While the laceration was regenerating, the pain temporarily confused it. It barely had enough time to react as she jumped, rotated in the air, and used the wall to rebound back, assisted by wind magic. It managed to turn around in time to take another swing, but it missed as she was still way too damn fast. Unfortunately she had to divert slightly as she could no longer hit her original target. She managed to zip past its head and use a pillar as another springboard. This time the creature was not able to turn around in time, the muscles in its leg still healing. She planted the lance right in between its shoulder-blades into the spine. She had shoved it in to deep for her to remove it so she had to let go and get back to the ground.

The monstrosity roared in pain, losing any sense of focus. It charged wildly, crushing everything in its path. Soldiers, tables, imps, the whole nine yards. Her temporary rage had subsided, and she noticed that this wasn't good. If anything she'd just made it worse. She did all she could to s=dodge it, but it was hell-bent on her destruction. However, her precious lance was still embedded in its spine. Without thinking she blasted it with a bolt of lightning. The creature started blathering and twitching as it came crashing to the ground, its momentum bringing it several feet before skidding to a stop. Quickly, she rushed up to her lance, smiling. Pulling it out, she began to repeatedly stab at the creature's neck, as it wouldn't be stunned for long. Laughing almost maniacally, she managed to finally detach its head from it's tiny, tiny neck. she barely noticed that it's spikes had left quite a few cuts and lacerations on her arms and legs.

"WHO'S NEXT?!?!" She bellowed. It was then that she felt the effects of her magic, and suddenly a wave of exhaustion hit her. Huffing and panting, the exhaustion brought clarity. Wait a second, if the demons are all over the place here, then what about... The infirmary! Lyn! She thought, a look of horror about her face. If something like that came into the infirmary, she doubted they could stop it. Daisy fought men, not monsters, and Mar was far from fit for combat right now. "Lyn, Mar, Athalus, hold on, I'm coming!" she said to no-one as she sprinted out of the place. She had barely any magic remaining and she was physically exhausted, not to mention bleeding. If there was another thing as strong as her opponent from the dining hall, she wouldn't be able to stop it. But she couldn't think about that, they could be in trouble! So alone she sprinted for the infirmary, not daring to waste her remaining magic on getting to the place faster.

[Fallenreaper]

Khan

After Upsah had driven his head into the wall, leaving behind a bloody stain, Khan’s hand reached to determine the damage done. His fingers felt a sickening familiar wetness seep through the braid at his hair back as he pulled it back to his eyes, his digits coated in his own blood. Pain, so much of it, hadn’t dulled the demonomancer’s pain. His veins felt on the verge of popping within his body, followed by the leaking of his energy that fed the dizzy sensation within his head. He wasn’t sure if the effects were from a concussion or the poison, either Lucilia’s or Norshtalen’s released within the air. His mouth was already dried enough it seemed to crack his very throat and leave it blistered.

His concerns were short lived when Upsah’s gas reached him. It had a sour milk smell that churned his stomach and caused his eyes to widen in fear, his mind gripped within the effects. Too weak to shiver, his head filled with images that tore into his very core. So lost in the vision like experience save for a slight flinch, he didn’t seem to notice green vines wrapped gently about his body and drag him down. Stone and flooring removed from his path downwards until only darkness filled his head, his stomach finally released and vomit rose to the back of his mouth where it settled.

When the hands touched him, Khan instinctively recoiled. His breath shallow and heavily, he was unable to stop his reaction to their aid and started to struggle uncaring if he hurt himself in the end. It was then his mouth releases its burden to splatter upon the floor, the sicken color mingled with the crimson red from his lungs. His coughing had become more violent then. More blood was tossed up while the pale hands restrained him and held him down, his body only able to rattle from each fresh wave before he began to seizure.

Just let me die… Khan’s mind pleaded, barely noticed Satori’s mind present in his thoughts.

Her mind probed through the pain and emotion stress, finally discovered the information about his unique binding. The fact his Runes had pushed his demons out as a safety measure to prevent his Runes from shattering and killing him instantly. Her connection was cut off when something abruptly changed, the Esyire treated to a new sort of pain wrecked upon his body. He was already transferred to a table where the vampires held his weakened limbs easily enough. Another cut away his tunic to reveal the source of his misery: Rathel’s Rune.

It was bloodied and cracked in several places. Already the tunic had been drenched in his nearly depleted blood making Khan bellow in pain when a new one appeared, the vampires raced to starch the wounds before he bled out. However the harder they tried then less successful they became. Each time a crack’s bleeding was controlled, another sprung up and turned the rag into a redden one.

One last scream erupted from the Headmaster as he finally passed clean out.

[EliteCommander]

Dirssi Xhotharanil

---

Dirssi had left the dining hall and was making her way back to the courtyard to wait with her guards for their room to be prepared. She had expected that they would need to stay at the college for a while, but she still hoped the situation could be resolved quickly. She had become wrapped up in her thoughts and, consequently, became lost in the unfamiliar hallways of the college.

After wandering for a time, she found herself in a short, mostly empty hallway, save for a few demons she passed by. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the unmistakable sounds of fighting echoing through the hallways. She could hear screaming coming from both in front and behind her, so this fighting was not likely spanned sparring. Turning around, she saw that the gazes of the demons she had passed were firmly on her. There were three human-sized imp-like demons, along with one that was larger and more humanoid. Most of its features were obscured by its primal-looking armor, but as it extended its longsword forward and pointed at her, its intentions were clear.

The three imp charged ahead first, but Dirssi did not make any attempt to flee. Instead, she let out a low sigh, then removed her cloak and let it drop to the ground, revealing the light armor underneath, which was made from the tough scaled hides of a large, land-based predator in the Scorched Lands. She wore two bandoliers crossed over her chest, each bearing six daggers, and had a barbed shortsword sheathed at her waist. She drew the sword and a dagger, then waited for her opponents to reach her.

Dirssi was taller than the imps, so the first one to reach her jumped at her as it tried for her throat, however; at the perfect moment, she dashed to the side to allow the imp to fall past her, then drove her sword into its spine. Knowing that the other demons were only fractions of a second behind, she spun around and slashed with her dagger, nearly severing the hand over the second imp. In one motion, she pulled her sword from the first imp's back, then embedded it into the second's neck. At the same time, she flipped around the dagger in her off-hand and threw it into the last imp's skull as soon as she had a clear shot.

All three imps were dead, but the last demon, the armored humanoid, was now upon her. Its longsword was already in full swing, bound for her throat. She did not have time to block with her blade, so she raised up her empty hand as if she were going to catch the sword. Just as it seemed she was going to lose her hand, her decay magic turned half of the blade to dust before her. Dirssi's response was immediate. Since her blade could not pierce its armor, she simply drove her hand into its chest. The armor disintegrated on contact, and its flesh did not fair any better. As she did not know exactly where the demon's heart would be, she spread her magic throughout its chest cavity, rotting away its flesh from the inside out. Its helmet obscured its face, but she could hear it cough up blood before its lifeless body fell to the ground.

Once she had recovered her dagger, Dirssi moved on, attempting to find someone of authority in the college. Even after moving just one hallway, she confirmed that her attack was no isolated incident. She saw a student get cut down before her, and from the sounds echoing through the halls, such chaos was occurring everywhere in the area, perhaps the entire college. Perhaps she had been to quick to become optimistic about her chances of finding the person she was after. With demons now ravaging the college, it could be that he would die before proper justice could be done. She killed a few more lesser demons while moving through the halls, trying to find her way around, until eventually she came across something larger and more threatening. It was tall, bulky, and seemed to have a dozen faces scattered across its imposing torso, and, by the number of bodies scattered around, it was deadly. With her abilities, it would have been easy enough for her to escape, but this demon was a danger someone would have to deal with eventually, so that someone might as well be her. If she was ever going to locate Ssarak, this threat to the college would need to be ended.

One of the beast's many faces spotted Dirssi, causing it to turn its attention immediately to her. It advanced forward, destroying anything in its path, but the Esyire warrior showed no signs of fear, no hesitation, or even a hint that she was going to flee. Instead, she only grasped her weapons, stared it down, and waited.

[Rtron]

Uicle

The falling boulders and rubble from the ceiling all suddenly stopped, suspended in the air. In the sudden silence, a metallic growling could be heard. Footsteps came through the poison mist, six sets of them. A green glow (low to the ground) and a humanoid shape began to make itself apparent, a canine figure next to it. A voice began complaining. "This is exactly why Golems are far better than demons. It's almost impossible for them to betray you, they obey orders, and you know where they are at all times." A gust of wind blew through the hall, forcing the nightmare gas high above where everyone breathed. Uicle stood in the cleared hall, Greg next to him. Most of the falling rubble began replacing itself in the roof, all except the largest pieces. These pieces put themselves together in a rough, ramshackle, golem, large enough to wrap it's arms around Heus. Which it proceeded to try and do. Greg loped towards the trapped Upsah, crawling over the vines with his suddenly very sharp and very pointed claws. Reaching an exposed bit of skin, the dog Golem slashe down, opening a wound. Uicle began draining the Blood from Upsah.

Orleah would find herself struggling to move, as if a great force was fighting against her. Uicle didn't have the concentration to completely immobilize her, but he could slow her down. "Now..how do we solve this little mess, hmm?" And a mess it was. Demons were attacking the College, Khan had apparently lost control of his demons, and the delegates from various factions and nations were all under attack. If anyone important died...the College would be in a very bad position, very quickly. "This is why you don't just trust demons to be good defenders. Something always goes wrong.." Uicle muttered under his breath, eyeing the losing battle his makeshift giant golem was doing against Heus.

[Lucius Cypher]

Annabeth Gulch

Annabeth approached Rathel, expecting that he could help her. He was one of the most leveled-headed demons she has ever met. More level-headed than most people in fact. He was able to keep calm in some of the most intense situations, so surely if anyone could help them, it had to be him. Sure maybe he might not be as strong as some demons, as Annabeth thinks, but surely he could some how help them figure out what to do. That is, until he shot down two notions Annabeth had about him. The first notion was that Rathel wasn't strong. The second notion was that he was always in control of himself. "Wait, what do you mean-" Annabeth's question was cut short when Rathel unleashed his power. Thanks to Lucilia's undergrowth and decorations, Rathel had much to work with, to Annabeth's misfortune. Thorny vines lashed out at Annabeth, grabbing her before she had a chance to fight back. She struggled at first and managed to free her arms, but the vines were proving too strong for even her to simply tear out of. They tighten around her armor, crawling between the plates, threatening to tear her limb from limb. She thought it was the end.

Suddenly however, she was thrown across the hall. The slashed remains of the plants clung onto her, but she was able to knock those off of her with ease. She looked back towards Rathel, but did not catch much before a wall of vines ran towards her. She did not want to press her luck against his magic again, so Annabeth quickly got to her feet and ran. She headed towards the dinning hall where she suspected the other teachers to be at, but along the way she spotted Cynn. She had her rapier drawn, but Annabeth did not see her opponent. But she knew that surely, if Cynn was ready to do battle, there was some enemy that needed to be slain. She was not about to let Cynn get hurt again. Drawing her own sword, Annabeth ran towards Cynn, ready to assist her.

Lucius Riovas

Lucilia didn't bother to trade words with Upsah when she detected through her plants that two of Khan's demons were fighting Grey. She did not honestly expect him to hold out for so long against Heus, but she knew that his death would be near if he had to fight him and Orleah with only his shield. Luckidly for her Uicle arrived as Upsah was attempting to bring down the hall, using his dog to attack Upsah. Lucilia focused her magics just for that moment to create even more vines around the demon to crush him to death, while also causing more amber to form around him. She couldn't tell if it worked, as shortly after she went to assist Grey and slaying the other two demons. As Orleah revealed herself, Lucilia focused on creating more plant matter to crush her. Seeds fell form the ceiling, which through Lucilia's magic soon turned into treants who began to grab Orleah, planning on crushing her body against their own. She had also sent a few to assist Uicle's golem, but with so many already there, there wasn't much space to move them. Lucilia made sure to focus her magics onto the treants to heal any damage done to them, downing a ether as necessary.

All the while she was feeling the presence of someone's Psychomancy trying to get into her head, but she merely thought that this was another trick a demon. She increased the power of her Wards to block them out, determined to send these two demons back into the Inferno where they belonged. "We should have killed you all a long time ago. This is what we get for being merciful, but I will make sure we don't make that mistake twice!"

Tyrael Marchosias

Tyrael tore through the demonic horde with relative ease. He went after any in large groups, jumping in, slaying the majority, and leaving the survivors scattered to be picked off by the college's guards. He'd counter with his own demons, or take over the hostile ones, but he needed to save his energy for Khan's demons. From what Satori was telling him, Khan had lost control of his demons and were, for all intents and purposes, unbound. Though this meant that they were freed to wreck havoc among this world, this also meant that Tyrael could use his own Demonmancy and take control of them, without having to worry about Khan resisting his magic. Not that Tyrael thought Khan would have anything against him trying to take over his rampaging demons. If anything, if Khan was with him, he'd likely help Tyrael take control of his demons however he could. But that was a what-if, and right now Tyrael needed to deal with the current issue. And the first one was Rathel.

Rathel was curled into a ball in the middle of the hall. No doubt he was trying to control himself, but his magic was going crazy. Tyrael saw one student getting engulfed in the vines, and he dived in and freed her with his claws. He couldn't be bothered to carry her to safety however, and simply threw her as far away as she could survive. Rathel's magic grew more wild, and soon a wave of briars and thorns was upon him. Tyrael's own club because a liability, as it was made of dragonwood, forcing him to throw it into the Inferno as he too was caught in the vines. But unlike the student, it would take more than this to stop him. "Rathel! Your will is mine!" An explosion of ice came from Tyrael's body as he created a very specific portal from the Inferno, flash-freezing the vines around him. Tyrael's eyes than began to glow with magic power as he focused his magic to take over Rathel's will and become bound to Tyrael. He walked through Rathel's magic as the portal froze anything that came near it. And Tyrael was moving this portal with his own hand, his other one out stretched to control the rogue demon.

Satori

As the battle roared around her, Satori sat calmly next to the pillar of Inferno fire just a few yards away from her. She was trying to coordinate the movements of everyone in the college; it was easy enough with soldiers and the like as they had weak or no wards to defend her attempts to speak through their minds. Outside in the courtyard, she had the guards posted on the walls to focus fire onto the Masked Demon, firing arrows at it. One of them shouted that they need to destroy the masks to destroy the demons, and to use arrows to stay out of the demon's threat range. The guardsmen running with Ssarak and Meirin were also able to form a wall of shields and spears, impaling any demons in their way. They were told to head towards the Dinning Hall, were Satori and the other teachers would rally together a fighting force to clear out the demons. More guardsmen at the Infirmary were told to clear a path for Alaria; Satori knew that none of the guards had any means to defeat the demon inside, but Alaria was their best hope. She made the guards kill any demons that would impede Alaria, and also had one of them try to hand her a small ether. It won't completely restore her mageblood, but it should give her just enough to kill the demon with a clean hit. All the while Satori was trying to contact the other teachers of the college, but she only managed to reach a few. "Someone has poisoned Khan, and now his demons have been released. I do not know the full details of what the poison does or what has become of him, but his demons are now going on a rampage. But do not, I repeat DO NOT kill his demons, or Khan will die!" Satori was most worried that she could not get into Lucilia's mind, already knowing what the vampire's thoughts on her demonic allies are. Satori feared the worse, and could only hope that someone could stop Lucilia before she makes a mistake.

Soon Satori heard a voice near her. She knew him as Leith, a Hydromancer who was part of her Investigation Squad. Though she had her eyes closed, from a quick scan of his mind she knew that he was wearing the Fist of Ginax and using it effectively. He would be crucial to her counter attack. "The demons that Tyrael brought to the college betrayed us. Not only that, but someone has poisoned Khan, and he is in danger. A few teachers have been sent out to find and assist him, but the rest of us have to regroup and get ready to make a counter attack. Right now the demons are simply using the advantage of surprise. Once we can get organized, we can systematically wipe them out. All of the demons; even Tyrael's own demons must be killed, in the event that they too are traitors. He also request that you cut off their heads to not only kill them, but so that we can make sure they don't come back to our world to attack us again." A demon who managed to break inside the dinning hall began to charge at Satori. She created an illusion on the pillar of fire, making it looks as though she was sitting there. The demon lunged towards the illusion, only to be burnt to ash as he ran into the flames. "Stay here and help defend the Dinning Room from the demons. Once we amass enough fighters, we can go about killing these demons. Also, watch out. A large demon is coming for you."

The Bad Guys

In the dinning hall, the demons inside were getting killed. The only one left was a single, large demon, formerly leading five Vexing Demons before they were slaughtered. He knew his death would soon come, but not before taking a few more with him. He crushed a few soldiers with his mace and in his fist, and his eyes laid upon a woman sitting next to a pillar of fire and what seemed to be her guardian. Thinking that the man with the demon sword was nothing more than a whelp with some decent strength, the large demon charged at him, swinging his mace left and right.

The Amorphous Demon dodged and weaved from the fire balls, but each one that hit made him feel pain that made him want to scream in agony. But he did not, as he needed to survive more than he needed to complain. But the demon knew that if it could eat someone, anyone, that it could regain enough energy to kill everyone in this room. But he did not go after the human man; his magic could hurt him. He did not go after the elf, for her rune could kill him. The Amorphous Demon looked around, and saw a easy target; the snake-mortal and the small child. Surely if the demon was upon them, he could get the energy he needed to dodge the elf's fireballs, slay her, and finish off the human. Yes, it was a simple but efficient plan. The demon was even sure that the snow elf would not try to shoot her fireballs in the direction of the mortal infant, so the demon turned his attention to them, his many fanged teeth bared to eat the flesh of mortals once again and his claws ready to tear them limb from limb. The Amorphous Demon shrank his size until he was as thin as a spear, and lunched himself towards the snake-mortal and the infant, before regrowing back to a size large enough to engulf them both.

Outside the Masked Demon showed no signs of weakening. Though many arrows have destroyed it's masks, there were many more left, and so long as it had just one it can still fight at full strength. For a while, it chased after the anthropomorphic fox mortal, as it was a new thing to the demon's mind. He wanted to know how it tasted. But as more guards came to attack him, he lost interest in the fox man and focused on killing immediate threats. He threw rocks at archers, causing them to scatter or die. Guardsmen who dared face him in melee soon learned their mistakes when their weapons shattered against his flesh, and their bodies were rendered into paste with a swung of the demon's powerful arms. The demon roared, it's sound amplified by it's many faces. And than, one mortal stood out amongst the dead and dying. A black Eysire mortal, armed with just two weapons in her hands. The demon felt that this mortal was either very powerful, or simply very brave, neither which were mutually inclusive. Still, the demon felt that this one could be a challenge, so it picked up one of his fallen allies weapon, a very large sword, ill suited in the hands of a smaller mortal, but just right for the giant. "I will grind your bones into dust!" It's many faces shouted in many voices, before it swung the sword in a large arc meant to bisect the Eysire.

As the chaos in the college continued, Norschtalen was making her way to the Archmage's room. She didn't need to be there, but it was the highest spot in the college. She wanted a view of the place before it was burnt to the ground. Anyone who tried to stop her was killed, either by being stabbed by her blades of blood, drowned by their own bile, or shattered when turned into ice statues. "Muwa ha ha ha! Truly, Kudd's power knows no limits.... I can feel his energy flow through me... Unstoppable... Kekekekkeke!" The vampire laughed madly as she continued her ascent upwards.

[WitchChild]

Haklo had little to do after his small confrontation with Meirin. She had refused his offer for help and that just left him to himself so he decided to head to his quarters again to meditate. He meditated on his position in class. Most people didn't seem interested in socializing with him which was rather disappointing but things might turn out for the better. He looked over at his armor and took note of the small dents and notched from when it was used. He had rarely worn the armor, never in any serious combat either. He watched the reflection that the armor gave off from the dim light of the room. The armor was designed with protection and easy to get into in mind and intimidation second. The armor was beautifully detailed and the red crystaloid on the forehead would let the visor glow crimson, giving the wearer a somewhat demonic visage. He thought about the original owner of the armor, Harken Desol, who was a fierce fighter back in the day. Haklo took a deep breath and then headed out again to do...something. He wasn't quite sure for the moment since there was very little to do.

Haklo had kept mostly to himself when everyone was in the dining hall, feeling rather unsociable and left rather earlier than most, heading to his room as he wanted some sleep. That didn't happen as just as he had gotten a bit of a nap, the demons began to attack everyone. At the sound of the commotion, he quickly got out of his bed and grabbed his sword, in time as a demon burst into his room ready to tear his throat out. Haklo drew his sword and with a parry using the scabbard, he plunged his sword into the demon's face hard enough so that a good three inches of the blade penetrated through the back of the skull. He kicked the demon in the chest and yanked his sword out of the demon to get to his armor. He quickly got into it, luckily spared any further distractions. The helmet was the last to go on and the enchanted crystal flared into life and the visor started to glow. The nobleman strapped his scabbard at his hip as well as his dagger, grabbing a longbow that was part of his possessions and a quiver of bodkin arrows, great for armor piercing. He ran out, the bow strapped around his back and sword in hand, he made his way to a balcony to the courtyard. He met a few demons along the way, minor creatures that he had little difficulty with. Once at the balcony, he saw as a large demon with a large number of masks instead of faces attack what seemed to be a Sannid.

Haklo produced his bow after sheathing his sword and drew back an arrow. The balcony was great vantage point for an archer, giving Haklo a clear aim at almost anything that was in the courtyard. He let loose an arrow and watched as it flew at one of the demon's masks.

[Fallenreaper]

Upsah

The vines easily secured Upsah and started to constrict but he barely struggled. Despite the pain and strain on his bones, his mind was set upon the hallway’s destruction. His blood raced quickly to age the stones causing more to crash down among the combatants until suddenly, it stopped. A heavy one had been just above Grey’s head, aimed to crush the distracted man’s head, only to stop and suspend there in midair. It seemed to have a mind of its own as the sounds of metal footsteps echoed throughout the scene.

Upsah forced his head to turn upon the glimpse of green glow in the corner of his eye, his head faced through the woven pattern Lucilia’s plants created. From his mist came a silhouette of what would’ve first been mistaken as a man only to reveal one of Khan’s allies, Uicle, who arrived late. His comment caused Upsah to cackle darkly and add his commentary to the cursed man’s observation while the mist was shoved over their heads by a windy gust. “Only a Judy of Aarem would think a mindless servant was better protection then someone who could think independently…”

As Lucilia rushes away, with no reply, Upsah starts to laugh madly at his own insult to Uicle. It vibrates and darts through the hallways, even to the fight’s chaos, before he heard the sounds of something metallic crawling towards him. It scratched and bite at vines, each one tore through easily, until he could spot that twist’s little Golem pup. The metal beast’s forepaw raised then slashed downwards upon Upsah’s arm causing the demon to jerk away. Stringy muscle split wide open, followed by a small stream of fresh maggots and a putrid scent. Black blood seeped from the wound hitting the amber in the air combined with Uicle’s efforts, stifled the arcanite within the blood. Upsah’s cackles merely increase with strength while his decay magic weakens. Under Lucilia’s increased weight, Upsah’s bones were too fragile to uphold against the impact. Ribs started to crack in protest, breaking from the weight, before they ripped through the weak skin. The pale coloring became stained with black as Upsah’s blood poured from his body.

Upsah knew something was wrong when he hadn’t been returned to the Inferno, something that should’ve happened now. Already his wings were shattered into pieces, his lungs nothing more than flimsy bags of flesh and even his eyes had started to bleed out over his cheek bone when his skull had started to crack. His teeth click in his insults thrown at the unconscious Khan when he realized Lucilia’s hatred consumed her.

“Heehee… You wanted to place your trust into those creatures? Now they will be the very end of you, the very ones that will carelessly slaughter you just to feed their own hate. Pitiful my little demonomancer, just pitiful…”

Orleah

Olreah felt her claws skirt along the man’s greaves. The claws could’ve torn through them easily yet she merely allowed it to skirt the metal outside, leaving three white marks in her wake. The black fingers seemed unfazed by the attack but her eyes glinted with the thoughts pulsed in her mind and turned to face the man’s challenge. His voice bellowed like some primal beast and banged his shield in the most darling way, her hopes slightly depressed that this man seemed little more than a stupid brute. Much like the demon behind her, she sighed mentally.

In response she lowered her torso, her long arms dangled low as she spoke. “Very well, handsome. Let’s dance and I’ll show you a real good time.”

Her body went in low, her body rushed forward as her claw whips out. Her speed is completely inhuman in her attack, aimed to severe the torso, when just seconds before Grey could change his tactics she leaps. Her back leg kicks off bring her over Grey’s head and twist in midair over him, her other leg reached back to send a kick into his shoulder. Thankfully, if it did connect, she had only used the ball of her foot. Her toe claws wouldn’t have scratched but instead sent a heavy whack that would’ve sent him tumbling into the ground. What he was doing would’ve affected the direction and the force, Orleah a little too confident he couldn’t dodge it.

She managed to prevent herself from drawing too close to Heus, now engaged with one of Uicle’s golems. Unfortunately Grey had provided enough of a distract Orleah hadn’t realized the Treant seeds had fallen from the roof and now grew into thick, living trees. Ones sent after to attack her when a root reached to take hold of her arm. Without thinking too hard, she severed her limb and created a mini version which was promptly bashed against the hard trunk until it was nothing more than a bloody mess. Her arm immediately regrew the moment the thing was tossed a side, the corpse melted away as it hit the floor. Before she could chuckle at the plant’s vicious nature Uicle’s blood magic kicked in.

Her limps became harder to move, preventing her from dodging when another root reached for her. Again, her claws came out and hacked away the limb to free herself. Each time the action repeated, over and over, while she was unaware where her tactics had started to lead her: closer to Heus’s own fight.

Heus

Heus couldn’t register the event twisting out of control. His mind was too dull and lost in pain to concentrate instead he merely ran the length of the wall, leaving a gouge from his shoulder connected. Stone crumbled in his wake before his body had slowed. His arm pressed against the wall for support, his small head darted about to see the fight between Orleah and Grey play out for a moment. Then suddenly rubble like arms wrapped about his body, his arms pinned to his side causing him to bellow in wrath. He twisted to the side and slammed the golem into the wall with his great strength, loosening its grip while it reached back a hand and gripped the Golem’s head within his grasp. Heus crushed it within his thick hand then whipped up a wind around his body when one of Lucilia’s Treant’s reached for the demon.

The living tree was sent flying easily by the demon’s backhand. Its roots were unable to grip into the ground and brace when it was back handed, the trunk sent back and crashed into the small number of others surrounding the pair. The golem’s grip gone and Heus’s arms freed, the demon’s hands took a hold of the golem’s middle then raised it over his head. With all his monstrous strength, Heus threw the golem towards both Orleah’s and Grey’s direction. Grey might be able to avoid the incoming golem, Orleah on the other hand was too distracted and would likely be easily killed by the impact.

Rathel

Rathel screamed inside his head when Annabeth’s figure started to look confused at his garbled speech, her body slightly hesitated until suddenly she was swarmed by vines. If he could show expressions, his own face would’ve reflected Annabeth’s horror and fear in that moment. His magic was wild and untamed, vines closed about Annabeth’s small body that they easily ensnared it when they jerked up from the floor. Stop! Rathel but it did little good when it started to seek out the cracks and creases in her armor. They borrowed deeply and sought to flay her alive with their thorns against her struggles. At one point, his eyes unable to pull away, she had freed her arms. Her hand reached and took a hold of a few in an attempt to rip them free, with little luck.

He was going to kill her. The thought numbed his mind as Rathel imagined a target in his mind, his focus centered upon the demon with utter loathing and hatred. Slowly, a few vines crept from the floor and slithered up his arms. Like with Annabeth, they sought any nook or crease to bore into and hook about, working the shell’s tightly sealed armor away. Tissue underneath burned as it was torn away from the protection leaving bloodied and raw muscle exposed. If he couldn’t stop it then he would get rid of the source.

His eyes met Annabeth’s for a moment, apologetically filled despite the alien like eyes, before she was suddenly thrown back. Rathel jerked upright only have another plate torn clean off causing him to scream in pain. More blood leaked down upon his pale green skin and pooled upon the floor, disrupting his grip and shifted him upon his other side. In his mind, Rathel feared he had killed the student until Tryael’s shouts broke him from his grief. His head turned weakly towards the teacher through his vine had barely ceased in their efforts in tearing him apart.

Again, he tried to communicate. A crew clicks and a simple word was produced, his voice sounded weak and drained in his failed efforts. “…trying…”

A cold breeze from Tyrael’s portal washed over Rathel as it freeze flashed the vines, their shapes shattered easily and caused a bitter chill to sear his muscle. His body flinched in pain while where the cold had instantly killed the muscle, evident to the blacken spot. He hadn’t looked back at Tryael when a vine slithered upwards to wrap about the demon’s neck and strangle him. Meanwhile the other vines had started to tear the exposed muscle apart and drawing out the demonic blood to drain him dry. Distracted, he hadn’t realized what Tyrael had tried to do until it was too late to resist.

[Freeshooter92]

Grey Onyx

As Grey charged forward, the bitch decided now was the time for fancy acrobatics, and tried to jump over him. Of course, not that he noticed. He assumed her jump was a lunge, and instantly dived to the side the second she tried leaping at (over) him. Apparently she was going to attack him, just not in the manner he anticipated. He hated particularly agile foes, they were always a pain in the ass. And then everything went fucking insane. The whole building seemed to want to kill him now, as it rumbled and shook. He noticed one particularly large boulder was about to squish him, and he quickly raised his shield, even though he knew it was a futile gesture. He braced for impact but... It never came. He thought he heard yelling, but he couldn't make anything out behind the wooden curtain. He then noticed the rock was hovering, and the demon was beset by tree creatures and... Was this a dream? This was madness!

The hovering debris all formed into a massive rock creature that proceed to do battle with the large demon. And the plants were out for the She-demon's blood, so all in all things were better. Not willing to question such a change of fortunes, he darted to the stone golem, and began to climb it, intent on getting to the rage-demon's tiny, tiny head. As Grey climbed, he knew the golem was losing. Especially when he felt the Demon raise it above his head. With that, Grey unhanded the Golem as it was thrown, leaping to the air, and now he was above the demon's head. He descended like a meteor, Intending to bring his shield down on it's head with the mightiest blow he could. Of course, wherever the golem landed was inconsequential

Alaira Taenn

Alaira dashed through the halls, an unstoppable juggernaut of blood and murder. Many lesser demons tried to stop her, all met the same fate as the Dining hall demon. She didn't roar, didn't scream, merely tore through anything that tried to get between her and the infirmary. She noticed on the way a fallen medic. Likely killed en route to the dining hall for the feast. Against her better judgement she stopped for just a second to loot the corpse, and found what she was looking for; a single vial of ether. She barely noticed the vile taste as she downed it, and resumed running. A short delay was worth it if she could be just that little bit stronger when she got there. Hold on, hold on... I'm almost there... please... she thought to herself as she ran. The adrenaline rushing through her kept her from keeling over in exhaustion, but only just. There would likely be immense physical damage to account for the next day.

She arrived at the infirmary, and her fears were true. There was this... this, abomination rampaging around the room. it appeared to be made out of some kind of tar and... and... "GET AWAY FROM THEM!" she roared, as she sped forward. Faster than she had ever gone before, she would have noted if she was calm enough to note anything. She dashed across the room, before ending up in front of it. She charged straight forward, intent on tearing it to little pieces. Using her lance and her spiked gauntlet, she proceeded to rip and tear at it. She didn't even notice the horrible corrosive burning of the tar as it got on her skin and open wounds, such was her fury. In fact, she was so enraged she hardly noticed a stone-like object slide into her foot... The monstrosity seemed amused. While slightly worried about the ferocity of such an individual, it inwardly laughed (if it could do so) at the poor flesh sack that thought it could stab it to death. Then the flesh sack spoke again, and the demon was now truly worried.

"Burn and die, BURN AND DIE, BURN. AND. DIE!!!" She roared. Lightning surrounded her form, lashing out at everything around her. For a brief moment, one would be forgiven for mistaking her for an elemental, as the room was enveloped in a bright blue-purple glow. Now her strikes were actually harming it, and it gave out a horrifying sound that might be approximated as a scream of pain. Lightning vaporized chunks of it as she tore through it, and she didn't stop until all of the tar was gone. The lightning dissipated when all that remained was the mask. And with one last surge of rage, she crushed it under her boot-heel. Grinding it to dust. Then, she fell to a knee. Her flesh was seared, both from the tar, and her own magic, and she was covered in a multitude of bleeding wounds. it wasn't very soon before she collapsed in a bloody, mangled heap. Before she lost consciousness, she managed to say one more thing. "I-it's alright... you're... safe n-now..."

[EliteCommander]

Dirssi, Liam, and Haklo (EliteCommander, Frettzo, and WitchChild)

---

The masked demon's blade seemed destined for Dirssi, but moments before it would have made impact, she disappeared into the shadows, allowing the blade to sail harmlessly through the air. An instant later, she reappeared in the beast's own shadow behind it. Using her wings to help propel her, she jumped up onto its back and attempted to stab her dagger into its flesh so she could get a better grip. Unfortunately, it had a hide like steel, so the blade slid harmlessly across its skin. She fell back down to the ground in time to see the demon turning with its blade in full swing. After a quick, evasive roll to move herself out of the way, she glanced around for a moment to find another likely looking shadow, then disappeared once more.

The demon's first reaction was to turn around, as she had appeared behind it last time, but she was not there. Instead, she had reappeared high up in one of the shadows the moon cast on the side of the nearest building. Flying just high enough to not immediately be seen, she sheathed her dagger, then dove down once more onto its back. With her wings to keep her stable, she grabbed onto it with her empty hand and allowed her decay magic to weaken its iron-like skin. It tried to reach behind it and grab her off of its back, but before it could, she stabbed her shortsword successfully into the weakened area, and the flesh underneath. It did manage to wrap its hand around her body, and tried to crush her and toss her to the ground in front of it, but by the time its hand was back in its own field of view, it was empty.

Dirssi stepped out from nearby shadows and once again stared down the masked demon. It was far from dead, but she had hurt it, so that meant she could kill it.

Meanwhile, the two fox men were patting each other's shoulders nervously, listening to the sounds of battle that raged on outside of their small, broken shelter.

What were they supposed to do? They both were scared to death, as evidenced by their shaking hands and voices. Were they to fight a huge demon, which could pretty much just transform them into mashed sannids? Luna, the short foxman, peeked over the wooden edge of the stall.

"Fuck me." Luna said with eyes wide open.

"No thanks, I only like females." Liam mentioned, and was promptly ignored.

"The dragon woman hurt the thing!"

Liam perked up and turned his head toward Luna, then peeked out as well. He raised both of his eyebrows in surprise when he noticed the wound, and spoke, "I bet you five copper that she'll live, maybe even hurt the demon again."

"I bet you five that she'll get brutally murdered." Luna replied, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips.

Haklo watched as his arrow pierced the demon's mask and he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. He drew another arrow and let it fly before he looked around and saw a banner just slightly away from the balcony. He didn't see if the arrow had hit it's mark but he jumped up onto the railing and then launched himself at the banner, grabbing it and let himself slide down all the way to the end. There was a bit of a drop after he reached the end of the banner which forced him to roll which he used to grab another arrow from his hip quiver and fire at the masked demon.

Haklo's glowing visor was locked on the demon but his eyes studied everything that he could see. The demon was injured from the attacks of the Esyrie that he noticed slightly but not enough to get a proper profile.

Haklo then took a wild gander and decided to use his magic in proper combat. Although still a novice, Haklo threw psycho magic at the demon. His attack was based on the senses, alerting them unnecessarily to confuse and keep the demon guessing on what was and wasn't an attacker at any of the peripheral vision of all the masks' eyes.

Dirssi watched with interest when she saw an arrow pierce through one of the creature's masks. Her sword could not so much as even pierce its hide before, and even after decaying its skin, the damage she did was minimal. It seemed like the wound was not even there anymore. However, his arrow had destroyed the mask unassisted, so perhaps they were not as strong as the rest of its body. The demon seemed confused at the moment, so she knew how to capitalize on the opportunity. With the light of the moon at its back, shadows were at its front. Traveling through said shadows, Dirssi suddenly appeared directly in front of the beast. She grabbed on to a mask with one hand, letting her decay magic spread through the area, while stabbing at more masks with her blade. Overall, she destroyed three before the demon was able to respond. As confused as its senses were, it was quite obvious to it where she was.

The Esyire attempted to use her wings to push her away at the last moment, but the demon managed to grab a hold of her before she could. It grabbed her around her mid-section and started to apply pressure to crush her in its grasp. However, the solid grasp it had on her only allowe her more direct contact with its flesh. She looked into the eyes of one of the creature's masks with an expression that showed an unbroken will, despite her situation. A slight smirk crept across her reptilian face as she allowed the magic to flow from her. She spread decay out from her in all directions, rotting through its skin and flesh. By the time it released her, one of its fingers had separated completely from its hand, with another hanging on by only a thread.

Now free of its clutches, Dirssi picked up her sword from the ground and backed away. There were not too many more masks remaining on the wounded and obviously angered beast. Shooting a glance to the archer nearby, she spoke in a tone which showed not an ounce of fear or doubt. "Aim for its masks and we will end it shortly."

Haklo heard the Esyrie's word and it was evident that the warrior was a woman. He acknowledged her words moreso as he watched the demon's dismembered fingers grow back yet the masks remained broken and bleeding. His psycho attacks also seemed to be working to an extent and the next arrow he shot managed to pierce another mask, causing the demon to howl in miserable pain. The demon then charged at him as it had enough of his arrows. Haklo was forced to jump out of the way but also ditch the finely crafted oaken bow, the weapon splintering underneath the demon's foot. Haklo drew his black sword then and got out of the way before sending another barrage of psychomantic attacks. His attacks were intended to further distract the demon. Sending mental voices that seemed to come from everywhere, shade illusions so that it seemed that more attackers were getting into place but when focused on, there would be nothing. Distracting images of memory that Haklo wasn't even trying to make fit but hoping that the barrage would be disorienting enough so that the demon wouldn't take too much notice in his approach. The demon flailed about, howling in anger as Haklo stayed away from its reach to find a good vantage point to get onto its back and stab another mask.

The demon then swung its massive arm in a backhand and hit Haklo's side. The armor managed to hold up and not get him crushed and he managed to wrap his own arm around the demon's forearm. With the momentum allowed Hako to swing himself onto the demon's back and reach one of it's remaining masks, the very sharp blade plunging into the demon. Haklo was on the demon as it started to try and shake him off and so the noble was thrown off but was able to get his sword out before he was sent rolling on the courtyard ground.

While the Human attacked from one side and drew its attention, Dirssi struck from the other. She used the opportunity to destroy a few of the masks while it was distracted, and she was sure the Human had done the same. Unfortunately, a swing from the beast's sizable arm eventually ended up sending the Human rolling away, leaving it to concentrate on her. She backed away from the demon into a corner, with walls on three sides of her. She stared into its many eyes, still unrelenting in her resolve. "Come, you miserable wretch. Fight me..." She taunted, to which the demon was all too happy to oblige. It charged at her, raising its sword high for a swing.

"...in the shadows." When the beast was nearly upon her, she collected the shadows around herself and blended completely into the background. After she teleported out of the way of the swing, the demon could not see her, no matter how many eyes it had with which to look. Witht he area enveloped in shadow, she was free to teleport at will, each time sinking her blade into another mask. The creature swung its sword in a wide arc to cover as much area as it could, but with her being Esyire, she was not constrained to the ground and could appear anywhere around it. One after another, the masks fell until only two remained. The demon could not so much as see its opponent, so it knew enough to know that it should flee from the shadows and into the moonlight at the center of the courtyard. Nevertheless, Dirssi managed to sink her blade into the remaining mask on its back, leaving only one on its front to contend with.

Once the demon was in the light, it turned around while swinging its blade, predicting that the Esyire would have followed. It was correct, but with the thrust from her wings, she leaped over the sword and plunged her own blade into the final mask. The massive demon fell to its back while Dirssi quickly removed her blade and dashed away from the body. It was easy to tell that the masks were its weakness, but she did not actually know what would happen once all were destroyed.

[Ryonara]

Meirin, Ssarak, and a few others they picked up along the way ran towards the Dinning Hall. There was still heavy fighting from the demons, but with some teamwork and the element of surprise, they were able to get past them relatively quickly. Getting into the Dinning Hall was a bit more of a challenge; it seems like most if not all the demons in the college was trying to get inside. There was hardly any room for the demons to get through, let alone for Meirin and the others. And she didn't want to risk breaking another wall down just to get inside. She was about to suggest finding somewhere else to go when something really odd happened; suddenly the demons at the dinning hall began to kill themselves. It was surprising, but also beneficial. Now they had a small window to get inside before the demons would resume their attack. "Let's go! We won't have another chance!" Meirin led the others to inside the Dinning Hall. A few demons were already coming back to resume their attack, but Meirin was ready for them. She threw a few knives in their direction, causing them to flinch or stop to block them. She didn't care if they didn't do any harm; they were just distractions. "Go. Go! I'll hold them off for now!"

The demons were already coming back in, even after hundreds of them just killed themselves out of the blue. Either they were fearless or foolish, but she would expect nothing else from them. Meirin stood ready for them, and when they attacked, she struck the first blow. One demon armed with a savage looking spear lunged at her, but hit only the ground. She jumped over the weapon and kicked the demon right on the snout, and than stomped both her feet onto the spear shaft, breaking it in half. Another demon was coming with a large club, but before he had a chance to raise it up Meirin slashed with her hook swords, and cut off the demon's fingers. She sidestepped away from the falling club and slashed away at the demon. It took many blows, as the demon's hide was tough, but she wasn't about to let off. She didn't know how many times she had to slash the demon, but by the time it was dead her hook swords were broken, and she had to finish the job with it's spiked hilt. She tossed the broken weapons away and took out her three-section staff; hopefully bashing them in the head would be easier than trying to cut through their skin. By now the others should have gotten through though, and with a few more demons en route Meirin decided it would be a good time to try to defend the Dinning Hall from inside. She turned around and made a break for it, getting away just before the next wave of demons hit.

[EliteCommander]

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak knew not why many of the demons suddenly turned their weapons on themselves, but now was not the time to question it. Had they not, there would have been no hope of them breaking into the dining hall. Meirin moved to hold the entrance while the rest of them made their way inside, but Ssarak had no intention of leaving her to fight alone. With a quick telepathic message, Ssarak ordered three guards to follow and protect the students they had been escorting as they ran into the dining hall, while the rest of them remained to hold the door.

Ssarak took his position next to Meirin to cover her flank, just as the guardsman beside him was covering his. Even with the sudden death of many in the demonic horde, they were still a fearsome and deadly force. Alone, they were assured to be overwhelmed, so it was only by working in tandem with one another that they would be able to hold the line. On the way over, Ssarak had informed the others of his psychomantic capabilities, so if they needed to relay information to him, they needed only to think about it and allow him access to their minds. In turn, he could give crucial information to them wordlessly, and direct them all in a way that allowed them to fight near-perfectly together.

When the demons pushed forward, the line held as best as it could. When Ssarak saw a demon with a crude longsword advance on Meirin from her right, he stopped it by simply placing himself between her and the blade, which slid harmlessly across his armored torso. One swing of an axe was all it took to cleave into its chest and crush the bones underneath with the force of the blow. Unfortunately, he was unable to move fast enough to avoid the blow from the demon behind it. It was a bit larger than many of the demons surrounding it, though still smaller than Ssarak. It carried a simple-looking mace, which impacted hard against Ssarak's right shoulder. It had been aiming for his head, but with the height difference between them, he was at least able to prevent that serious of a strike. Ssarak swung horizontally at the being, but the surprisingly agile demon managed to duck underneath the axe, then deliver two quick, fierce blows with the mace. The first struck his chest hard enough to make him recoil, while the second was bound for his head, but instead struck his forearm when he threw it up to protect himself. His armor did little to protect against the blunt force, and while the second strike was more of a glancing blow, the first knocked the breath out of him, and could potentially have done even more damage than that. Luckily, Ssarak was not alone. The guardsman to his right managed to push away the demon he was struggling against just long enough to hit Ssarak's assailant with a shield bash. Ssarak gladly took the opportunity and retaliated with his axe as quickly as he could manage. The demon attempted to jump back, but the Esyire's swing caught it right at the knee, cutting its leg in half.

Meanwhile, on their far right flank, one of the guardsmen was facing far less success. A demon about the height of a forest elf with a club fused to its arm managed to knock him off balance. When he raised his shield to protect his vital organs, the demon simply used the club to crush his leg, causing him to scream out in pain. His ally beside him managed to mostly sever the arm of the offending demon with a swing of her longsword, but the damage was done. Around the same time, Meirin called for a retreat, to which Ssarak could not agree more.

"Hold for just a moment longer!" Ssarak said telepathically to the guards as himself and Meriin moved behind them. Ssarak grabbed the wounded guard and drug him into the dining hall just as the three guards who escorted the students inside returned to reinforce the door. Ssarak handed off the wounded guard to one of them so he could be moved somewhere safer. The other two guards, along with himself and Meirin, prepared to defend the interior of the hall.

"Get inside, now! Ssarak ordered to the guards holding outside. They each backed their way into the room at the same time as the demons were pushing forward. Most made it inside to reinforce the defensive line forming next to the door, but the last guard through was not so lucky. One of the demons grabbed a hold of her shield and pulled it aside to expose her to an attack from the other demon next to it. Two heavy blows of a one-handed warhammer struck her head. Though she was wearing a helmet, the impact went through all the same. Ssarak wanted to help, but by the time he saw what was happening, it was already too late. She was on the ground, no longer moving, and demons were pushing through the door around her. Although her life was lost, the other defenders were now in a much better position. The door was acting as a choke point, through which only a few could pass at a time. Ssarak, Meirin, and the guards were actually now capable of surrounding them as they entered the room to finish them quickly. For most of the demons, this strategy worked perfectly, but Ssarak feared it was only a matter of time before a tougher, more unique demon made its way through the door, one which could break down their line.

[Leon5431]

"Charge! Send this demonic bastards back to the inferno!" rang a voice from the gathered group of defenders. The band was made up of Eanian soldiers, college guards and students who were willing and capable of fighting. As the defenders rallied and charged it took barely a few seconds before they were thrust back into the chaos of battle. Demon's swarmed over them registering their group as a threat and seeking to end the threat before it spread. At first the group seemed capable, they seemed to be winning even. But, this was short lived as more and more demons targeted them. Soon soldiers, guards and students alike began to fall. The demons used their numbers and the fear they inspired to their advantage.

In the front of the group stood the Eanian captain, fighting two demons on his own and managing to stand his own ground. His voice rang out as he shouted out orders to anyone nearby, trying to keep their group focused an in something of a formation. In the rear of this failing group stood two humans. One clad in armor and the other clinging to her sword for dear life.

Jenna stood just behind Deven her sword raised in a defensive posture, one that Deven had taught her. But her arms were shaking horribly and her eyes were darting across the room rapidly. She was obviously terrified and in shock at everything going on around her. "D-Deven we need to get out of here." She said, her fear clear in her tone. "I'm working on it Jenna. Just hang in there." Deven replied his voice oddly calm in the chaos.

"We just need to ge-" He tried to say before his attention was stolen away when the screech from a charging demon pounded against his eardrum. The Demon was imp like standing at about the size of an average human. It charged at him with it's claws ready to rend his flesh. Deven readied himself and just as the demon was about to reach him he side stepped and slashed the demons arm with his blade. The demon hissed in pain and sputtered to a stop before lunging at him. Deven barely had time to ready his sword again before the demon tackled him. He had managed to point the blade in the imps direction and as it tackled him, it impaled its body onto his blade. His sword plunged through the demons stomach as he fell back onto the ground.

Even while impaled the demon still thrashed about atop him. Raking its claws across his armor leaving scratches as it tried to tear through to his flesh. Deven struggled under the demon for a few moments before he managed to force the demon off of him. He managed to heave the demon off his body and onto the ground beside him. The second the demon was off of him he moved his left hand off the hilt of his sword and tor his knife from it's sheath quickly driving the blade into the demon's skull.

As he tore both his blades free from the demons body he returned his knife to his sheath before getting to his feet. As he began to stand he noticed Jenna standing over him with her sword raised as though she was about to strike. "Gotta move faster then that Jenna." Deven said somewhat angrily. Jenna did not reply, instead she stood their eyeing him her body shaking terribly. "I-I-I" She stammered as she tried to formulate her sentence. Slowly he hands began to lower before she dropped her blade to the ground in a loud clatter. Deven quickly closed the gap between him and her as she began to fall to her knees, he grabbed her shoulder with his free arm and slowed her fall before kneeling at her side making sure to keep his back to the wall and his front towards the rest of the dining hall so he could see any approaching demons.

"B-By the gods...were all going to die...there's too many of them..." Jenna said, her voice shaking horribly. "No don't say that Jenna. Were going to be fine. I promise you." Deven said as he patted her back. "Were going to make it through this safe and sound I promise you." Deven continued in a reassuring tone as he kept his head on a swivel for any approaching demons. "No! No we aren't Deven. We aren't going to be fine! T-There is too many of t-them." She snapped anger rising in her tone.

"We're going to die here..." She said, her eyes bore into the mess of countless bodies littering the floor around them. "No Jenna. Listen to me. You are going to make it out of here. I promise. I won't let a single one of these demonic bastards touch you. I promise I will get you out of here. You just have to stay strong, we have to keep moving you have to trust me. I will get you out of here." He said his tone had changed from its reassuring and soothing tone, to a more serious and commanding one. "I know you are a strong girl Jenna. You can make it through this, just hang in there. Don't cave into your fear." He said switching back to his old tone. As he finished speaking a smile spread across his lips under his helmet. "Besides they haven't won yet, i'm still standing aren't I?" He said giving a small forced laugh at the petty joke.

She looked back at him with hopeful eyes. "Alright." She said nodding her head. "Your right. I can't give up yet. We need to push on." She said before the two got back to their feet.

Deven opened his mouth to speak but was cut short when a scream of pain emanated from the soldiers ahead.

Both Deven and Jenna's eyes shot to the source. There standing behind a group of soldiers was the Eanian officer. He stood their arms out stretched to his sides with a blade plunged through his back. Behind him stood a Djarkel soldier. The Djarkel soldier's arm was coated in blood and seemed dented a rent. He tore his blade from the Eanian officers back and watched as the lifeless corpse collapsed to the floor. Shouts of anger and rage erupted from the Eanian soldier's nearby as they watched their officer die. Many of them, charged towards the Djarkel soldier abandoning their formation and some even charging out of the fight they were in, all of them seeking to get their revenge.

The second the formation broke the demon's swarmed, overrunning those that remained and resuming their slaughter. Before them the counter attack fell to pieces and the demon's rushed forward seeking to eradicate this band from existence. Oh no.. Deven thought as he watched the remaining soldiers scramble to defend themselves. They were doing so well, they had managed to form a suitable defense against the demon, but now, with the lose of the officer, what order was created was quickly lost.

Deven had little time to prepare or to think of a new plan as a humanoid demon rushed forward. This demon held only a crude longsword in hand but, was charging in a bull rush towards them. As the demon closed on the pair it swung its blade in a wide horizontal strike using it's momentum to help the power of its strike. Deven hopped backwards but was not fast enough as the blade dragged across his chest plate. Once the demon finished its attack, it continued on, leaving Deven just enough time to parry its attacks. Deven was forced to keep stepping backwards in order to keep some distance between him and the demon all the while he parried the demon's blow making sure none of the attack hit their target.

Then from the side, Jenna rushed the demon, slashing it across its side and ending its relentless attacks. The demon howled in pain and eyed Jenna angrily. The second there was a break in the demon's attack Deven rushed forward. Slashing the demon across its chest and spinning around before slashing the demon again. This attack though damaging to the demon, left Deven exposed to an attack. As the demon went to exploit this exposure it was stopped in its tracks as Jenna slashed her blade across the side of it's neck. The demon dropped to its knees as its throat filled with blood and was quickly ended as Deven severed it's head from its body.

As Deven looked back up he saw a group of four demons rushing them, he felt his heart drop at the sight of the overwhelming odds but was prepared to fight all the more. That was until a voice echoed throughout the hall commanding the demons to die. At this command all of the four demons began to take their own lives. Quickly Deven's eyes shot towards the teachers table where he saw Tyrael, all around him demons were taking their own lives. A sense of awe and fear filled Deven but he could not let his eye linger long, not in their current situation. As Tyrael turned to face some other threat that required his attention Deven turned back to the situation swelling around him and Jenna.

While Tyrael's command had brought an end to a large number of the enemies in the hall, there was still a formidable force left. "How many damned demons are there?" He asked mostly towards himself. He received no answer to the empty question Jenna's eyes were scanning around them. The pure amount of demon's killed in that command was inspiring to many of the defenders, seeing so many of their foes taking their own lives did something in lifting moral, Jenna was not spared from this. She felt the little ember hidden away in her light into a small fire, there was hope. If not only a little.

Cheer's erupted from further back in the hall, but those in the front by the main doors had little time to cheer. As effective as Tyrael's command was, the further away the less effective it was. Meaning the demon's on the far end of the hall, still stood in their own will.

Before the pair of humans stood two human-like demons, their weapons bloodied from the number of lives they had claimed. The pair of demons eyed the two human's hungrily and menacingly. Patches of their armor gleamed with the blood of the fallen and this only served to multiply their intimidating posture. Deven's eyes narrowed on the demons as they approached. He could perhaps hold his own if not take on one of these demons himself, but Jenna, without her armor would be extremely vulnerable and would need to rely on skill and no small amount of luck and Deven was not sure how much of either one she had. He had to do something to catch the demon's attention. Something to get their focus on him and off Jenna, perhaps he could hold their attention while Jenna flanked them. It was risky and he could very well lose his own life, but it was the only option, at the rate things seemed to be going anyone that could help them was busy dealing with bigger threats.

"Jenna." Deven said as quickly as possible. "You need to go around them, try and attack them from the back or sides. It's our best chance!" Deven said as fast as his lips possibly could. As his gaze switched back to the demons it was clear they had begun to charge them. He could try counter charging, but with their superior numbers that would almost certainly mean death.

As Jenna began to reply he had no time to wait and listen he had to act, he needed to do something. He clenched his right hand tightly around the hilt of his sword and sprung forward he needed to put a small safe zone between him and Jenna.

"I will, but Deven what are you thi-" Jenna went to say before Deven sprung forward towards the demons. Her heart dropped as he drew closer to the two demons, What is he planning? He isn't going to charge them head on was he? She thought to herself in something of despair. But before he got too far Deven dropped low picking something up off the ground in his free hand and stopping in his tracks standing between her and the demons. "Get ready!" He shouted as he lifted the object up. It was then she realized just what it was, he had picked up the severed head of the demon they had recently fought.

"Come On!" He shouted in as intimidating voice as he could muster.

As he finished he drew back his arm before throwing it forward, sending the severed head flying threw the air towards the demon on his left. As the head flew towards its target Deven quickly gripped his blade in both hands having only a couple second before the demons would be upon him. In those desperate few second he channeled his blood into heating his blade until it glowed orange, once it was heated enough he stopped pouring his magic into the blade in order to conserve energies, it would be able to stay heated for a few minutes but would need to be reheated soon.

Deven's throw turned out to be better than expected as the severed head hit the second demon in its own head, causing it to stumble and shake its head in surprise, before turning it's ire to the human that threw it. Because of this flinching the first demon was able to get barely ahead. Already it lifted its bloodied barbed sword and charged towards the mortal.

As the demon closed on Deven it drew its blade back and swung it upward in a circle hoping to break Deven's defense. The attack being as obvious as it was, was rather easy to dodge as Deven side stepped the demons attack, but as soon as he finished his dodged the second demon was on him with its demonic curved great sword. It swung the blade vertically from the upper right to the bottom left. Deven barely managed to step and curve his body to the left as he dodged the attack. But using the momentum of the swing the demon spun its body around and carried the blade in a large arc before coming back around to face Deven and bringing it's blade down vertically at him.

Again Deven barely managed to sidestep the attack, and slash out hastily at the demon, his blade cut along the side of the demon's face and unarmored shoulder, tearing and burning flesh as it made contact with the heated blade. The demon howled in pain and stumbled back, just as the second took its place, stabbing its blade at Deven who was barely able to deflect the blade to the side and slash at the demon's stomach. The demon made no attempt to even dodge the attack letting the blade tear through its midsection, it resisted the urge to roar in pain, instead recovering from Deven's deflection and turning the blade and bashing the hilt of it into the side of Deven's helmet.

Pain jolted through Deven's head as his world was rattled for a second as he stumbled to his right. His left hand shot up toward where he had been hit. The blow had left a dent in his helm, that he could feel both outside and inside his helm, but he was far from out of the fight. He blinked his eyes rapidly as he regained his focus. Brought his left hand back down to his sword as he turned and faced the demons, making sure to face a point between the two demons. The one with the barbed sword was staring directly at him while the other was hunched over still gripping the side of its head.

Deven’s eyes darted back between them both as he waited for them to move. But, before either of them charged forward, he saw the great sword wielding demon stand back up straight revealing the gruesome wound going down the side of its face. The demon roared in rage and charged forward. As it closed the gap it swung its great sword diagonally from its bottom right up and to the right. The blade glided past as Deven barely managed to back step in time. But, the demon was not done yet. It pulled against it’s swords momentum and spun it around bring it back along the path it had came along. Deven barely managed to lean back in time as the blade glided centimeters from his chest. The demon let the blades momentum carry spinning it around in a circle before bringing it straight down towards Deven. Who narrowly dodged the strike by sidestepping to his left. While sidestepping he slashed the demon diagonally up its chest and over its wounded shoulder.

As Deven finished his strike he barely had time to dodge the horizontal strike the first demon sent at him. In order to dodge Deven was forced to back step but as he did he quickly found himself tripping over the blade of the great sworded demon. Deven’s heart skipped a beat as he stumbled backwards struggling in vain to regain his footing. As Deven fell back onto his back he scolded himself furiously for his mistake, for if he was not quick this mistake could cost him more than just a few wounds.

As soon as he landed, producing a loud crash as he did, he saw the barbed sworded demon smiling monstrously at him before rushing forward and leaping into the air, angling its sword directly downward midair aiming to stab the blade down into Deven.

Deven threw all his weight to his left as he rolled out of the way of the strike. There was aloud crash and screech of metal dragging on stone. Clutching his sword in only his right hand Deven swung out to his right towards the demon, cutting deeply into its right arm. The demon growled in pain but was not able to react fast enough, for as soon as Deven finished his attack there was the thunderous sound of the other demon fast approaching.

It was dragging its curved great sword along the ground as it rushed at Deven, it’s eyes gleaming with it’s intent. Deven had barely anytime to react once more throwing all his weight to his left as he tried to roll out of the way. But, the blade was too quick and it’s reach too far, as Deven rolled the blade sliced into his armor and cut deeply into his right side. “Gah!” Deven gasped as the instant pain shot through his body. There was a loud crash as the demon’s blade came crashing back down to the ground behind it. The demon struggled to regain its footing and ready it’s weapon, giving Deven just enough time to get to his feet. He stumbled as he first got to his feet and his hand shot to his side as a increased wave of pain burned through his body.

I can't stop, I have to keep fighting. Jenna is relying on me, I have to at least take these bastards with me when I die. I have to keep her safe, I can't give up yet. He thought to himself. With this in mind he did everything he could to push out the pain and focus on the fight, he had to win the fight he couldn't lose here, not now. But with how things have been going his chances were only getting slimmer. He needed help.

As the fighting ensued Jenna did as she was told, she stayed a small distance away and skirted around the fighting as she tried to flank the two attacking demons. At first the task seemed simple enough, but as was soon proven, it was hard to flank an enemy in a fight were both sides were changing direction and stance repeatedly. Each time she would get behind one of them it would turn in order to continue facing Deven.

Finally when she got behind the demons and they seemed to be facing this direction for a good amount of time she was unable to will herself forward, she pushed with everything she had ordering her legs to charge forward and her arms to bring up her blade and prepare to strike down these demons but, she could not. No matter how hard she willed herself forward her body would not budge.

Jenna you need to move. Deven is relying on you. You need to help him he is in trouble, he can’t take them both on his own. You have to do something or he will die! She thought to herself as she tried to will her limbs to move. Yet still, nothing happened. Every time she looked at the demons the image of them cutting down the guards, soldiers and her fellow students flooded her minds and overwhelmed her will. These things had cut down trained soldiers and guards as well as some adept students, what chance did she have? What was she? A noble who dabbled in archery? If trained soldiers fell to these monstrosities than she stood little chance.

She continued to watch the fight as she trembled terribly. That was, until she saw Deven lose his footing having tripped over the blade of one of the demons. She looked on in horror as he fell to floor completely vulnerable to any of the demons attacks. She had to do something, she couldn't sit there and watch her friend die. He had done this for her, he had risked his life for her, how could she live with herself if she let him die when he was relying on her to help. Jenna you need to move, he can’t do this alone, he needs your help. You have to move! She practically screamed in her head.

Then just as the barbed demon lept into the air and Deven rolled out of the way of its attack, she finally managed to will herself to take the first step forward, he body feeling oddly light as she kicked off and charged toward the kneeling one sworded demon. She noticed the demon’s blade had bent slightly from the force of the impact and it seemed to be inspecting the weapon thinking its ally could hold off the mortal as it did.

But as she closed on it, its head whipped around to face her, having heard the sound of her approaching footsteps. It opened its mouth and roared at her as it raised its blade to strike at her, still making an intimidating foe even while kneeling. But using her built up speed she was able to land a hit before it did. She plunged her blade forward throwing all her built up momentum into the attack as she drove her blade through the demons neck and out the other side. The demon’s roar was quickly silenced and replaced with a grotesque gurgling sound as the demon’s throat filled with blood.

With all her might Jenna tore her blade out from the demon’s neck. As she did blood splattered and onto the floor, quickly followed by gushing blood from the now open wound. The demon eyed her furiously and Jenna returned the glare in kind as she swung the blade spinning around and bringing the sword to bear on the demon’s neck severing its head from its shoulders. She was in awe that she had managed to do it, that she had actually managed to kill it. Part of her was convinced it was fake and any second she would snap back to reality.

But as she eyed the growing pool of crimson around her she did not snap back to any form of reality. Instead she was broke from her trance as a voice erupted from behind her, “Jenna!” The voice shouted in warning. The second she heard it Jenna whipped around towards its source but was met only with the sight of the great sword wielding demon who was already swinging its great blade horizontally in an attempt to slice Jenna’s midsection.

She tried to dodge the attack by back stepping but the blade was already too far in its motion to dodge entirely, instead she cringed in pain and cried out as the blade ripped through her clothing with ease and sliced across her stomach, the cut was not all too deep but it was enough to hinder her movement. She continued to stumble backwards but quickly found her feet slipping in the pool of blood below her feet, she scrambled to remain standing to no avail and found herself falling back onto the floor, the impact causing a wave of pain to shoot through her body emanating from both her back and the wound on her stomach.

Her blade clattered to the floor besides her, quickly blood began to soak her hair and sink into her clothes staining them crimson. The eerily warm liquid made chills run through her body as it warmed her. But her eyes were fixed on the demon standing above her while her hands clutched her wounded stomach. The demon’s eyes gleamed menacingly as it raised its great curved blade above its head ready to end here there and now. A feeling of dreadful hopelessness filled her as she watched the demon ready for its swing that would bring eternal darkness. She had tried to save her friend, she had tried to fight, at least she could die with that knowledge trying to cool the burning inferno of fear that gripped her being.

Then she heard it, that same voice crying out in rage, “NO!” it yelled. At the same time two arms wrapped around the demon as it was knocked to the ground next to Jenna, Deven falling atop it.

Besides Jenna the two thrashed about for dominance, while she began focusing her magic on sealing the wound on her stomach, in no way could she heal the wound entirely but with the training she had received she could perhaps at least close it. It was at least something.

Finally the thrashing stopped as the wrestling quickly became a fight for the demon to break free from the choke hold Deven had worked it into. The demon clawed at Deven’s arms but did little against the metal that made up his armor, it tried pulling at his arms but Deven managed to fight it and keep his hold. If it was not for the demons wounds it would have easily been able to break free from the hold over powering Deven with raw strength, but now its many wounds were taking its toll, sapping its strength from its limbs.

Finally the demon stopped its pulling against Deven’s arms instead reaching up towards Deven’s face, placing the palm of its hand on the cheek of his helm and slowly curling its claws under towards his neck. Slowly Deven began to feel the sharp poke of the demon’s claws on the skin of his neck, this contact only seemed to inspire the demon as it put more effort into tearing open his throat. Quickly Deven released his grip on the demon’s throat with his right hand and grabbed for his dagger tearing it from it’s sheath, just before the demon could plunge it’s claws in and tear open his throat Deven thrusted his knife into the side of the Demon’s neck.

Again and again Deven stabbed the demon’s neck each time the demons body would jolt, what were once roars and growls of pain had quickly reduced to the familiar gurgling sound. Slowly the demons body began to fall limp, but Deven did not stop until the demons claws fell away from his neck and dropped limply to the ground. As he pushed the demon’s body off of him her grabbed a hold of the top of it’s head using the dagger to cut through the remaining flesh keeping the head on, the bones in its neck having been broken sometime ago after the first few stabs.

Deven panted furiously and lay there allowing himself a second to catch his breath as he fought off the pain.

As he lay there he began to hear the sound of movement nearby and almost jumped when Jenna knelt over him and placed her hands on his side. A soothing sensation began to spread through Deven’s side as she did. As the sensation spread Deven noticed the beginning stages of fatigue begin to show through in her face. At this realization he quickly grabbed a hold of her hands pulling them away from his side. She looked down at him a little shocked as he spoke, “No, don’t you’ll need your strength. I will live.” He said as he sat up.

All around them the fighting still raged, more demon’s had begun to pour into the hall just as reinforcements from other areas of the college began to arrive. Still the chaos raged and death hung over the hall in the form of the bodies that littered every open area in the hall. Though the soldiers seemed to be fighting with more organization and where dying in smaller numbers, still the fighting was a cruel and as grueling as ever. Where there were not Demons fighting there were Eanian and Djarkel soldiers fighting, though their numbers had begun to run much lower than that of the other defenders of the hall.

Slowly both Deven and Jenna rose to their feet and retrieved their weapons. Deven even managing to prey a shield from the hands of a dead Eanian soldier. Jenna managed to find herself a bow which had been carried by a wood elf, but was yet to find any arrows, the wood elf’s body having been stripped of all arrows by some other archer.

“Blast! Now even a single arrow.” Complained Jenna as she stood from the wood elves corpse doing her best to hold down the bile that rose to the back of her throat while searching over the body. “We’ll find some eventually, just be thankful most of the nearby demons are preoccupied.” Deven responded. Both of their eyes shifted towards a line of soldiers that were doing a fantastic job at holding off a group of demons ahead of them.

“Maybe...but at what cost?” Jenna replied sullenly. Her eyes were filled with pain and sorrow as she spoke.

Deven frowned sympathetically, he struggled to find the right words to sooth his friend, for on the inside even he knew that this brief respite had come at a grueling cost to others and every second they used it they were only allowing more suffering to go unassisted. The thought filled Deven with a sense of guilt, but still he remained where he was. Listening to that part of his mind that begged him not to charge into the fight, to stay away where it was safe. He was not sure if it was his fear of his instincts that told him to fight would be foolish. Eventually he resigned to it being somewhere in between

“One far too great” He replied his tone just as sullen.

[Lucius Cypher]

Lucilia Riovas

The demons were at her mercy now, of which she has none for them. Upsah's power was being sapped by her amber, Orleah would be crushed underneath rubble, and Heus was in no position to truly escape, not once she is finished with the other two. She didn't waste time exchanging insults or quips; she had her briar vines crush Upsah until his mangled body was ripped bit by bit. For Orleah Lucilia had her roots wrapped around her legs tight, to break them, and to ensure that the she-demon did not flee. Once they were dead, she could assist Grey in putting down Heus. But not all went as planned.

Suddenly a portal from the Inferno Ripped open, and out from it came another Demonmancer, Tyrael. Following after him was Rathel, one of Khan's other demons. Lucilia's fury boiled. Was he the cause of all of this? Surely not, for even his loyalty to the college was at least as great as hers... But than again, supposedly these demons were suppose to be loyal to their masters as well. And look how that turned out. From his hidden position Lucilia had tree branches shoot out from above to grab Tyrael, but Rathel interfered. He even loosened the bindings on Upsah, saving him from being crushed. Though there was no saving him from the Amber which had engulfed the demon. "You bastard! What have you done!?" Her voice echoed through the hall, the anger in her voice so furious it was almost irritating.

But the demons ignored her. Tyrael saved Orleah only to attack her next, seemingly strangling the she-demon. Rathel's magic made it difficult for her to try to kill the both of them at the same time, as Rathel was counter acting each one of her magics whenever she tried to use it. Even when she tried to release some gasses to fill the room, Rathel used her own plants to absorb the fumes before they got out of control. He had turned Lucilia own advantage and a liability. This forced her to take immediate action; she knew that trying to slay Tyrael would only be met with resistance from Rathel. But if they were hostile, than Uicle could deal with them. Right now she chose a different target, one she could do more damage against; Heus.

Lucilia saw Grey leap into the air to bring his shield down onto Heus's head. Admirable effort, but slow going. Lucilia helped by making an Iron Wood tree grow below Heus. Using her magic, she made the tree grow rapidly and in the shape of a fist to hit right underneath Heus's head, at the same time Grey would slam down onto the giant demon's cranium. If Lucilia could take him out at least, that would be one less demon to deal with as she goes after the others.

Tyrael Marchosias

Tyrael smashed his palm into Rathel's face. Not a necessary part in taking over him, but just an insurance in the event Rathel still had the urge to fight back. "Stop." Tyrael forced his will through the demon's body. Without Khan to control Rathel, and due to Rathel's own addled state, taking control of the demon was fairly easy for Tyrael. But he didn't cut any corners; Rathel may be one of the more reasonable of Khan's demons, but he was still one of Khan's demons, which meant great power. Tyrael gripped Rathel's face hard enough that he was beginning to crack it, but this way not only could Tyrael gain a better control over Rathel's will he could make sure Rathel didn't try to kill Tyrael or himself. The vines stopped growing, eroding into dried husks or simply slinking back into the darkness. The process of commanding another Demonmancer's demon was excruciatingly painful for the demon, but than again, the entire relationship between mortals and demons had bases in agony and suffering. Rathel should consider himself fortunate that Tyrael only needs to hurt him physically, instead of trying to break him with his words.

By the time Rathel's body dropped to the floor his mind was considerably more clearer, aside from the pain that usually comes with getting your face crushed. Tyrael himself was fairly winded, but he still had the power to fight inside of him. Helping the demon to his feet, Tyrael tore a portal into the Inferno. "You can explain to me what happened at another time. Right now we need to save Khan and defeat the other demons. With any luck the other teachers are already on that." Giving the demon a chance to rest and do some minor repairs to itself, the two jumped into the portal, traveled across the Inferno, and exited out of another portal right into the fight with the other demons. Satori had managed to tell Tyrael were the other three demons were, near Khan's room, so he made the quickest path there. But once he got there, the situation was tense and fast pace. From a mere observation he could see that Lucilia's magic was at work, Upsah being wrapped in her vines while Orleah bound to the ground. Only Heus seemed relatively free, and he was in battle against one of the knights of whom Tyrael did not recognize. What caught his attention most was that Upsah was about to die; this would not be good.

"Rathel!" Giving the demon his command through magic, Rathel proceeded to counter act Lucilia's magic and prevent her from killing Upsah. The Amber was left alone, as it allowed Upsah to be inactive. What caught Rathel off guard more was when Lucilia tried to attack Tyrael. Quick on his feet Rathel took control of the same branches and had them avoid the fallen orc. At the same time, Tyrael came to Orleah's aid, launching himself towards the boulder that threaten to crush her. Using his strength, he spiked the rubble into the ground. Than he landed on Orleah and threw her to the ground, where Tyrael wrapped both his hands around her neck and face. He wasn't trying to kill her, but he quickly attempted to take over her will just as he's done with Rathel. She would certainly put up more of a fight though, but Rathel was still able to assist by binding her arms together so that she wouldn't claw at Tyrael as he forced his will onto her. The real issue wasn't the demons at this point; it was Lucilia. Tyrael figured that her hate against demons finally gets a chance to vent, but right now he did not want to have to argue with her the morality of demons. As soon as they could ensure Khan's safety, she can rant all she wants about her demon-hate.

The Bad Guys

After Alaria cleared the demon from the Infirmary, the guardsmen were forced to draw back. They did not have enough men there to move forward without weakening the defense of the Infirmary, and there was too many demons running amok to risk trying to bring everyone from the Infirmary to the Dinning Hall. So the guardsmen quickly filed into the Infirmary and set up a kill zone for any demon who tried to enter, while the healers used a variety of runes and clever stacking to board up their windows. Just in time as well, as shortly after the death of the Amorphous Demon, more tried to break in. They were repelled long enough that they went for easier prey, while demons who tried to break through the front entrance was met with a wall of spears, and shortly after a trip back to the Inferno. The healers worked fervently trying to aid everyone as quickly as they could, but most were with the guardsmen making sure they were in their best shape to fight. Sam and a few others tended to the rest of the inhabitants of the Infirmary in the meantime.

At the Dinning Hall, the demon waves were getting repelled with more efficiency as more guardsmen and students rallied there. While a majority of the guard was still outside fighting, a good two hundred or so managed to get into the Dinning Hall, ready to charge on the teacher's order. Uicle's Golem's helped immensely in their defense, as they could compete with the demon's immense strength, coupled with their own unique abilities and auxiliary support from the guardsmen. Tyrael's demons did their best to cull the horde, but with Tyrael's orders for all demons to be killed, many were beginning to intentionally flee into the Inferno to escape the pain of death. Soon only about a hundred or so of Tyrael's demons remained, spread too far out to help each other and relied on the confusion to not be killed by their own allies. However, while the college was rallying it's own defense force, the demons were getting ready for their own big offensive. Most who weren't running rampant around the college was well aware of the threat in the Dinning Hall, and either for glory or for survival, many of the demons were gathering together. Luckily hardly any of them had the charisma or smarts to lead such a large force; either they will all come attacking in one unorganized mass, or just send in smaller, slightly more organized groups in time and time again, thinking they could win a battle of attrition. Many of the stronger demons were already gathering together, but with this gathering came a flaw the college could exploit. The demons needed a leader, and so they began to fight amongst themselves to decide who will command the horde. This would give those in the Dinning Hall some time to form up and attack, but it will only be a matter of time before one of the demons stands victorious and sends the demons to attack.

Meanwhile, outside with the Masked Demon, those gathered would only get a few moments to rest. Without the massive beast threatening their lives, other demons saw this as a good chance to get easy pickings, like the Amorphous Demons who previously tried and failed to invade the Infirmary. Not only that, but quickly and violently, the mass corpse of the Masked Demon exploded, and out from it came a small, naked, blue-looking imp, without a face. It was the true form of the Masked Demon, and only a little bit bigger than Haklo, but with none of the strength. He needed to go find more demons and steal their faces in order to regain it's power, and it fled just as three of the Amorphous Demons came down to finish off the rest of the fighters.

Norschtalen opened the door to the Archmage's room. The highest point in the college, the perfect place to bring an end to it. From what her master had told her, the Archmage was deathly ill; no doubt she would meet him, and he would attempt to stop her. But she believed that Kudd was protecting her, so not even the strength of the Archmage could do her harm. Conceited, she strode through the Archmage's room, seeking the balcony. It was quite vast, with enough space to hold up to thirty people. It gave a brilliant view of the world around the college, a view that Norschtalen considered only the beginning to Kudd's reign. Reaching into her blouse, the vampire took out a small white amulet. It was bare and featureless until she bite into her thumb and wiped some of her blood on it. The Amulet absorbed the blood and formed a seal, and amulet, and began to glow bright red. "Poor, petty mortals. Your struggle will be the siren's song of the college... A new age will unfold. No gods. No Masters. Only Kudd."

Khan

Deep below the college grounds vampires struggled to keep Khan alive. No amount of healing magic or medical procedures seemed to halt his bleeding. They could barley slow it down, and were going through supplies just trying to keep up. All the while, in Khan's mind, he had a guest. An old friend. The one who made this all possible. "Mors certa, vita incerta. You know this well, don't you? Wake up. Wake up and smell the ashes." When Khan opens his eyes, he would not be in the college. He would wake up in the Inferno, but something was off. If he looked behind him, he would see a plane of hellfire and brimestone. But just a little bit more to the left, he'd see a lush jungle, full of the worse nature has to offer to the world. Next to it was a dark, ocean abyss, and the eldritch abominations that rest within. These and much more surrounded Khan, leaving an impression that he's not in one particular location itself. The smell of ashes was more occasional than constant. "It's almost that time of the year again. How have you been, since I've last seen you?" Ahead of Khan was a figure. At first glance, it looked like a Narsean human in a white suit from ages long past. But that only lasted for a glance, before the form changed. What it changes into changes with each blink, each time Khan takes his eyes off of him for even just a millisecond. Eventually, for simplicity, the form took on a vague humanoid outline in a white suit. No, white was not the right world. It was an absence of color, but even white could not describe it. It was simply rendered as white, as far as mortal eyes could perceive. "Sit down... Take a breather. You will be here for some time."

[Fallenreaper]

Collab: Khan and Kudd

On the outside, Upsah’s and Orleah’s runes had bled out and drenched the vampire’s attempts to stop them. Flesh ripped apart and torn across the inscription on the surface from the strain which then made his body seize up. It jerked upright abruptly as white foam seemed to come from his muzzle, spilt out over his chest and tried to choke him. His body was racked with trembling that seemed to rupture his inner core with violence before it settled.

If one of the vampires had looked, they would notice Rathel’s rune looked different. The cracking had stopped and bleeding seemed to become under control when Tyrael took hold of the demon’s soul. With the weaken state, it wasn’t permanent but control had shifted and resulted in easing the Rune’s stress though a thin link still remained between Rathel’s and Khan’s soul.

Within was another matter.

Khan’s soul stiffened at the words which seemed to echo around him. They vibrated and rocked, piercing deep within him that felt like his soul would tremble into a quivering mass. The voice was familiar. So much that Khan couldn’t shake that sensation of dread he gained from it. Why? The question seemed unable to be answered until his mind’s eyes opened to reveal the plane he now stood upon. His eyes glimpsed the many strange and odd landscapes about him, each one more violent looking then the last increasing the sensation he tried to push down. It wasn’t until the voice jerked his attention towards the figure before that Khan’s face paled.

No…this can’t be.

Khan’s throat seemed to choke on his words while Kudd himself, or at least an avatar of him, eyes stared for much longer then needed upon the humanoid that stood in front of him. Once he had settled upon a form, he didn’t seem to have chance much since their last encounter and that frighten a small part of Khan. A familiar type of fear trailed back to when he came so close to dying seemed to flood back. His emotion was broken by the offer to sit as his face harden and spoke in surprising firmness.

“What did you do to me? Norshctalen spoke about a ‘gift’ from you…” Khan hadn’t bothered with pleasantries nor would he entertain them.

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If Kudd had eyes he'd roll them, but since he didn't he just sighed. "Really now... I went through all the trouble just so we could finally have a chat together, and you're already so defensive. All I have done is let your pets a chance to get out of the house for a little bit. It's not going to do them any good keeping them caged up in their Inferno, you know? Everyone wants to be freed from the place, and I don't blame them." Suddenly another seat appeared for Khan. It looked suspiciously like that couch Tyrael had found a while back, the one that gave a couple of people painful hernias. Kudd motioned towards the seat. "Ah, but did you have a nice chat with her? She told me her story too, you know. Something about her kind back in Djarkel being subjected and what not... Truly a sad story. I've helped them the best I could. What about you? What have you done to releive their burden?"

Kudd chuckled as he reached out in front of him. A glass materialized in his hand, and soon began to fill up with a green liquid. He took a sip from it as he continued to talk. "Ah, but nevermind her. I'm sure the Headmaster of the Twilight College surely doesn't have the time to worry about such things. Begs the question what you do spend all your time worrying about though. Public image? Safety? Tell me, how has your life been since we've last met? People are dying to know." Kudd said sarcastically as the image of the college staff fighting appeared in the background. Guards, students, and soldiers were fighting valiantly, but only for a short while before they were cut down. Kudd simply drank his mysterious green liquid, and Khan could see the stuff drain to where his mouth would be and down his throat.

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Khan could see the annoyance at his words, or rather heard them, as Kudd simply sighed then began a casual conversation. If it wasn’t for the fact he had faced likely only a fraction of Kudd’s power and barely lived through it, Khan might’ve considered the tone to be more of a dear old friend disappointed by his suspicion. He merely pushed the thought away. His guard unfazed, either in intensifying it or lessening it, while he listened to who he considered the very king of demons himself continue, the Headmaster’s legs slowly devoured the gap in a few strides leaving little between him and the creature before him. It was an uncomfortable notion that for several moments, lingered within his mind.

In his approach, Khan’s eyes studied the humanoid shape in an attempt to determine if he had seen it before. It had a vague familiarity to it as he noted the eerie lacking features that usually made more individuals distinct, the very realization seemed to have sent shivers down his spine and through his wings. He stopped his approach when he heard the mention of his ‘pets’. That had gotten Khan’s attention quickly enough to cause his jawline to tighten at the thoughts of his worse demons, Olreah, Heus, and worse of all Upsah, been set loose upon the College’s grounds and wreck hell. Thought driven into him so much that Khan didn’t even notice the couch Kudd had pulled out of thin air, or its familiarity, when his hand merely rested upon it for balance. His expression had shown disbelief at the carelessness Kudd had displayed when he released Khan’s demons. Did he not care about the destruction they would wreck or did he play ignorant to their nature?

The question poured over and over in his head, his body made no movement to sit after Kudd’s gesture. It was clear the Esyire didn’t want to merely sit and chat. Even while Kudd subtly mocked him for denying aid to Norshctalen and her Coven, especially after her sorrowful story, with vile mirth before he moved on. With Kudd’s stress upon dying, the background changed. It shimmered and melted into something much worse. Images filled with pain and torment, staff, student and soldier all dying around the college’s various locations being cut down by demons.

A fresh wash of sickness pitted deeply within his chest at the sights. A strong, sour taste built up at the back of his throat with such bitterness he knew it was strengthened by his own hatred. His hand dug into the couch back yet didn’t tear the fabric, merely made a soft sound with his grip for several moments. A silence seemed to tick by. One…two…three then was shattered by Khan’s voice, heavy with emotion, speaking to Kudd. His eyes however were unable to be ripped away from the chaotic scenes marred by bloodshed. “What are you up to Kudd? Why go through all this trouble to contact me, me of all creatures? I don’t believe it’s for a little ‘chat’.”

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The figure that was meant to represent Kudd leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on folded hands. An ethereal smirk appeared on the silhouette's face. "I believe what you meant to ask is 'To what do I owe the pleasure of your audience', but I understand that you have a lot on your mind. Being Headmaster and all. As for me, well, I'm doing just fine I suppose. Countless millennia living in the Inferno has lost much of its... Taste. Ah, but enough about me. As for why I chose you? Well, simply because you are my favorite. Sure, there are others who try to woo me with their offerings and their actions, but very few have left such a great impression as you did. After all, you are the only person who has ever truly ever been able to find me. Everyone else just makes their little altars and do their ritual in places were I can see them, but as I said, thousands of years has gone by and I've grown fairly bored of their shows." The scene around them shifted to various temples and places of worship dedicated to Kudd. There is an astonishing high amount. Each one showed the worshippers committing great evil, from violent orgies to mass executions. It did get rather repeated though, with just about one in every five temple doing more or less the same thing, with different methods perhaps, but the same nonetheless. "Honestly, how many innocents does this world have that you can kill hundreds to thousands of them every week? It's like if you have boiled goose every day. After a while boiled goose just taste horrible, not because it's done in a particularly bad way, simply because it's been done over and over again."

Kudd switched sitting positions to something more casual and much more informal. Some grapes suddenly appeared above his head, dropping low so that he could eat them. Magic floating grapes appeared for Khan too, floating just within arm’s reach. "But let's go back to me. What am I planning and what am I doing? Well quite simply I wish to travel the world and see it in all its glory. Of course, even you should know why I can't do that. But in case you don't, let me explain it for you, since you are such a busybody. You and your friends are slaves to the gods, and you don't even realize it. Some of you even enjoy it! So, when it's finally my time of the year that I get to go outside, the gods will cone in and complain that I'm leaving my house and make you mortals stop me. And because I rarely get to go out, there isn't much I can do about it. At least, not usually. But I've figured out a way for me to finally get some fresh, not-hellfire air, and the mortals and their gods won't bother me. Take a guess how I'll accomplish that.." Kudd speak loud and clearly, even when grapes were being eaten in his mouth.

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Khan didn't move when Kudd's posture changed, looking to the Esyire like some eager to tell a secret to the ignorant. Naturally Kudd went through the pleasantries despite his own boiling anger at the attack upon the College. It irritated him beyond words that only change in his demeanor was his hand's grip. Instead of loosening, it tightened and nails dug deeper into the fabric before he released. His hand retracted back to his side while a few of his questions had been answered. Namely why it him that Kudd had gone through all the trouble to contact and deep disgust swept over his face, his lip curled up in snare at the idea. Even worse was the fact he caused it himself when he worked countless hours to find Kudd, the one demon who was rumored to help his brother. It was another wild goose chase in the end, one discovered when he underestimated Kudd's power.

Again, the background changed like an image in water, fluid and easily into another set of pictures. This time worship and chaos seemed to sear his eyes of a different nature. Death, violence and rape was all Khan saw as he closed his eyes until the topic changed. Unable to witness such gruesome cruelty for very long, his eyes opened to see the grapes hover nearby but made no effort to take any. He refused to dine with what he viewed as a monster. It seemed the highlight of the conversation had drawn close to ending by the way Kudd's voice spoke, clear and loud, possibly to ensure Khan's eyes were upon him.

"If I knew, I won't be having this 'chat' with you. As for the Gods... mortals have always played such roles. No one can deny the Gods' will after all..." He spoke.

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"Oh come on now Khan, at least try..." Suddenly the scene shifted. Khan and Kudd were back at the college, but at the same time not there physically. They were at the Dinning Hall, where much of the college has already begun their counter attack. Despite the demon's numerical advantage and individual strength, their lack of organization made them fall to the blades and magic of the college. Though Khan and Kudd had their feet firmly on the ground, any attempts to interact with the world resulted in nothing; their hands would phase through furniture and people as though they were ghost, and not even Satori's powerful magic would detect them. At least not unless Kudd wanted it to.

"Let's change the subject than, to something you might know. Like these demons over there. Foolish creatures, aren't they? Just charging head on into the wall of spears and whatnot. Their determination almost mirrors mortals, but they lack guidance. A true goal. They simply... Exist, without cause or reason. Almost pitiable, if they weren't so vile. Still, I understand them. So to answer your other question as to why I brought your demons out, it's because I think there's a serious rift between demons and demonmancers. For a master of my magic, you hardly understand your demons. You use them as tools, a means to an end. My end. Come on now Khan, we all know that." Kudd chuckled before he began to walk away towards other parts of the college, expecting Khan to follow. Even if he didn't, the scene shifted so that Khan would see what Kudd was walking through. His voice still range clear as well. "You see, I've gotten to thinking. After you showed up, I wondered how the demons were doing. You know, those wretched sods who did wrong in the world. You'd figure that it'd be an appropriate end for them here in the Inferno, but that's just the problem. It's not an end. It's a beginning. A new opportunity. A chance to make things rights. Problem is, no one ever told them that. You can blame the gods for that one; they want to keep demons in the dark, just to balance out their self-righteous light. This Black-and-White morality sickens me, truly. So I've decided to let some demons out to the mortal world to find their way. But you know, they need help. Guidance. And so far, the mortals have failed to meet my expectations."
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Khan was silent for a moment, his eyes watched the college raging a war against it self in a way. This wasn't what he wanted. His heart seemed to skip a beat with each creature, human or otherwise, which fell under a fresh blade. Compassion had always been his weakness in the end and it was the reason he had become what he was today. His eyes snapped to Kudd at mention of his lacking knowledge about his demons but held his tongue firmly, his lips pressed tightly at the slight insult. However he couldn't stop the words when it came to mortals failing to meet his expectations.

"Seems you and the Gods have something in common, namely your views with mortals. Mortals have never meet the expectations of something higher and that is what us different." Khan replied in a cold tone, his hands tightened at his side to see the blood spilt across the floor. When he landed upon Zaad, encased in glass, he could almost feel the demon's inner pain at watching the mayhem erupt around him even through the fire surrounding him. Both of them felt anger and pity wash over their helpless forms.

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Soon Khan would see what Kudd meant. They were standing right outside his room, where Uicle, Lucilia, Tyrael, and Grey were fighting three of Khan's demons, Heus, Upsah, and Orleah. Granted, the college staff was winning, but it didn't change what Kudd was saying. "Really, the only difference between you mortals and the demons was how you were born. You're all still misguided, violent psychopaths who are only doing what they think is right, regardless of who gets hurt in the end. If only you could... Understand each other a bit better, you know? Maybe, hey, be friends? Take that vampire over there." With a wave of his hand, Kudd revealed Lucilia's location to Khan. She appeared to be wrapped up in her own thorns, but the look on her face said that she was trying to inflict pain, not suffer from it.

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Khan took in the new scenery. He could see Upsah had most of his bones crushed beyond use, a surprise the demon hadn't expired as he laid there limp among the amber which drained his magic. For a moment, the demon looked peaceful. If it wasn't for the fact Khan knew enough about Upsah's past, he would've felt pity edge into his heart over the messy sight. However, the demon had decided to gloat about his killings and kill any kindness merely because he hadn't shown an ounce of remorse over it. Until Upsah did, Khan couldn't bring himself to show kindness that wasn't earned. At Kudd's words, Khan's eyes shifted at who was indicated. He narrowed upon Lucilia who clear intended to kill his demons, not that he blamed her, in her war against them. It was clear she hated them with every fiber in her being yet he felt a deep depression because he knew she bore the largest one of all and he had hoped time would've healed it.

"What about her?" He asked, his voice eerily calm.

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"She's going to kill you, all because of a misunderstanding and a lack of communication. Oh sure, you'd think she'd be fine, so you ignore her plights and turmoil. In turn she believes that no one is on her side, so she must be ready to fight and kill everyone. And as you can see, she's quite capable of doing that. Gone horribly right, yeah?" The scene switched to a different position in the fight, this time focusing on Uicle. "How about the lich? What makes him any better than these demons? Nothing actually. When he finally stops cheating death, Aarem won't be getting his soul. Indeed, were it not for Aarem's influence, this one would already have turned into a demon for the sins he committed in the past. And like most of your demons, you still don't know anything about him. You just let him live here, under the impression that he's doing fine. You're lucky he's got too much on his plate to grow paranoid, but than again, it's not paranoia if he has something legitimate to worry about." The scene than switched over to Tyrael, but than quickly changed back towards the DInning Hall. "As for the demon, well, what's to say? He's a demon and an orc at that. Hardly the most upstanding citizen in your college. Even I'm surprised you let him have any sort of authority. But that's what makes you interesting. Besides, there's nothing worth saying about him that I haven't already said about the others. Because all in all, you still don't know them. They're just tools to you like those demons, your pets. You don't let them out of your sight, you hardly even try to chat with them, you just keep them caged, starving, until you find something that you don't like and you let them out and have at it. Truly despicable, and that's coming from me."

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Khan laughed bitterly at the jabs Kudd made at him, while his eyes fought back his emotions and tried to appear stronger then he was inside. "Do you really understand me? Or merely pretend you do, Kudd?"

His eyes had shifted from each one of his allies to his own demons, his eyes showed a wide range of pain and anger at the scene he witness. "If you know so much...then why did I choose another way to bind my demons to me instead of staying traditional? Why did I seek a man, dying and in pain, to attempt a ritual which would likely kill me? Can you answer any of those questions at all?"

By this time, Khan's face was fixed upon Kudd as he standing dangerously close and seemed to emit cold fury in his wait.

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Kudd was almost surprised that Khan was actually talking to him now. But he guessed he must have pressed the right buttons. "I could say the same of you, Khan. Do you understand me? Do you merely think you do?" Kudd chuckled again as he took a seat on an intact bench in the hallway. Khan asked him a question on his binding methods, which Kudd did find mite curios. "Oh, my turn at guessing? I'm game. Let's see.... Is it because you're weak? It's nothing to be ashamed about though. Weak people always find a way. Tradition is nice, but sometimes you have to improvise, more so if tradition is going to get you killed. You could have also been desperate. It turned out well for both of us though, right? After all, if I had killed you back than, well, I wouldn't have anyone to talk to right now. And for my final guess...Ah, this is my favorite answer. Power. A means to gain more power without paying a thing. Sure, those runes are doing a number to your body, but your demons don't have a hold over you beyond that. That's why you aren't Fallen, as you mortals call it. Truly a shame, there was so much potential, but I suppose this method as it's own merits as well." Soon the two had a guest. Not that the guest could see them, nor could they do anything to the guest. It was a student, heavily wounded with a broken blade lodged into his side. He just barely managed to escape an attack it seems, and he didn't have long before he meets the gods.

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"You're wrong..." Khan sighed, though his expression barely softened. "The Runes are an ancient magic based on connecting souls though I know little of its origins. To take on the burden of each one, no matter the sin and bind them as one. It's price is that my soul upon death will never exist. That's why I had to seek key souls for not all demons are the same. You should know this best, don't you?"

Khan inhaled then continued. "My reasons might've been greedy in the end, yet I did it in a way which benefited the Demons I used. In the end, that is life for mortals and there's no escaping that shame. What right do I have to steal the aspects of individuals, Demons, when they have right deserve to remain as such? That is why I will never become a Fallen. As for why I allow my allies to continue as they are, I have my own reasons which I find pointless to share with someone like you..."

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Kudd listened to Khan talk to him and his ideals. It was nice finally getting a chance to get to know him better, so he remained politely quiet. But there was something that he wanted to point out. "Benefited, he says. Do you truly think you've done such a thing? You've put them in a gilded cage and made their shackles out of gold, but it's a cage and shackles nonetheless. You demons don't benefit in any way, aside from being at your beck and call. A few of them barely have freedom, or what passes for it in your society." Kudd walked towards the window and watched the carnage below. The battle outside the college was getting fairly one-sided for the demons, which used their air dominance to preform quick and deadly attacks, while dodging the more physical-oriented fighters below. "You know, I never created Demonmancer to be a tool. Well, not just a tool. Do you think the Inferno is a pleasant place to live? Sure, there are some to survive, some who thrive, but that's a small handful out of a hundred billion, at least. I'm one of those few. But the Inferno was never meant to be a kind place. It is were we are left to suffer. It twists us into cruel, evil things, who will than go on to create more of ourselves, to twist mortals into demons, to make them fall into sin. But than I tried to change that." Suddenly two figures appeared. They looked angelic, but somehow they felt... Evil. They were not Fallen Angels, but neither where they anything mortal. Something about them said they were demons, but that wasn't right either. "Acended Demons. To take the evil of this world and turn it into a force of good. That was my once, original goal. And yet somehow it has... Been lost."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Khan had leaned over to the wounded student as Kudd berated his reasoning. The creature or man, Khan wasn't sure which for sure, seemed to look at the glass half empty without knowing the full details. Yes, to most it was a gilded cage but nothing was without its price. Both Rathel and Khan knew the moment they had met, when Rathel didn't kill him and instead aided his understanding about some Demon's need for penance. The flaw with Khan's demons were that they weren't just sin in a need to be cleansed and tossed into the Pit for rebirth. They were souls so tightly wound in their sin that even an Angel's power couldn't separate them, not without killing the very soul it was attached to. That was the heaviest price a Demon could pay for their sins.

"I won't argue morals or reasoning with you. You've already set you mind upon the facts before knowing them all and in the worse way." Khan answered as his hand passed right through the student. He raised them to his face when the realization came to him that he couldn't affect the physical plane but instead could idly watch it pass by. His spite shown in a simple phrase at his helplessness. "Damn it..."

His head turned to see Kudd now looking through a window, something had drawn his attention and in turn Khan's curiosity grew. He lifted himself back to his feet, unable to help the man in his current state, before he made his way towards Kudd's position. He arrived just in time to watch what seemed to be two Acended Demons within the courtyard's boundaries.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Acended Demons flew off into the college, their actions unknown. At least to Khan. Kudd continued walking through the chaos. Soon he chanced upon a large mob of demons gathering ready for another charge into the Dinning Hall, but he walked right through them. "You know that demons can redeem themselves with great effort and become mortals once again. I tried to teach them all that, but the gods stopped me. It was against their wishes, and so they struck me down. And now I am worshipped as a god of evil, my name besmirched and my entire existence condemned as the villain. That... That was so long ago, I cannot even begin to guess. Two thousand years maybe? Or was it a hundred thousand? It was so long ago... And I've struggled since than. I've tried to make my peace. Tried to fight back. Tried to get used to it. But... There is nothing I can do. Nothing, until you came along." The scene shifted once again, this time to a time that Khan should know well. It was a black void, but soon a light poked through the darkness. "The gods intended for me to be forever lost in my way, consumed by my own desire and blinded from my power. But that day, when you arrived, you reminded me what I was." Kudd chuckled again as the crack of light grew bigger. "You were right, a little while back. That I was like the gods. Because, once upon a time. I was a god. But I was a god who wanted to try something... Different. And for it, I was punished." The light broke the darkness, and the scene showed a young Khan. Just as he was starting to get a hang of his magics, and the first time he tried to contact Kudd.

"I remember a time where I was powerless to do anything. In my weakness, I became cruel, just to trick myself into thinking that I was not weak. I traveled the Inferno and forced my will upon all the demons I came across, like a bully in a school yard. It certainly made me feel better. But than when you arrived, requesting my power, it... Surprised me. No one has ever had asked me for power before, not personally. I was used to demons and mortals groveling at my feet, but you... You had a fire in your eyes that said that you wanted to use my power for a greater purpose than your own ego. In a way, I saw a bit of myself in your eyes. I lost my way so long ago, but seeing you reminded me of why I was here in the first place. I wasn't suppose to just be some... Archdemon, who ruled the masses through fear and pain. I was suppose to be their god, a messiah, to lead through the Inferno and to find redemption. And I wanted to, so badly.... But the world has been made against me. Every attempt, every time I try, I get forced back down again. But I cannot stop. Not until this whole world is... Cleansed. Until it can be remade so that I... No, so that all demons can find a chance to end their suffering. To create an understanding. This, of course, involves the mortals to be able to have much the same as well. Wouldn't do me any good if they merely switched places with demons, now would they?" Kudd laughed heartily as the scene played out, with Khan's ritual, the initial meeting, the aftermath. Kudd just watched after he finished laughing. You could almost see a tear forming on his translucent face.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Khan's guilt seemed to nag at him; it turned and faced him in a way he didn't want it to. It screamed that this was his entire fault. If he had never came into the Inferno, none of the College's massacre would've happened. No lives lost or cut down in their prime... He did this and now, he had to make it right. His eyes looked at Kudd with ice in his veins, his voice matched and unchanged, with a reply ready.

"You and I have nothing in common as far as I'm concerned. We're nothing alike and never will be, I'm willing to attempt to make up for my mistakes and accept my place in the world. You realize...bring Demons into the Mortal plane will merely turn it into the Inferno all over again. It's not an escape, just another prison where you're trying to play being a God all over. I won't let you." Khan had barely noticed the vivid green flames which licked up his muzzle with each word he spoke, his eyes lit with a determination and goal in mind. "I'll kill you if I have to..."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A sigh escaped Kudd's mouth. "They always chose to fight, don't they..." Kudd knew Khan's magic was active, but he didn't particularly care. It's not as though the magic would have hurt him. If anything, the fact that Khan was still so resolute to fight him hurt Kudd more than any magic he would have unleashed on him. "You know, I really thought that might be the answer too. But killing me doesn't solve anything. Stopping me doesn't solve anything. If it did, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have had my three hundredth thousand or so birthday just a few weeks back. But..." The fire around Khan died down as Kudd's form began to take a more solid shape. His humanoid outline slowly disappeared and his white suit fell to the ground, before also disappearing. The scene changed to a black abyss, and the floor beneath Khan vanished.

"I'll let you keep trying. I'll let you all keep your Demonmancy, see if you can reach my expectations. Maybe you might even defeat me. Come on, it'll be fun! At least I'm giving you a chance. Because I'm a merciful god."

Suddenly, and violently, Khan was forced out of Kudd's domain and back into his own body. The vampires were still hard at work trying to keep him alive and stop the bleeding, constantly circulating the blood back into him so that he didn't bleed to death. Kudd's poison hasn't quite worn off yet, but at least now it wasn't keeping Khan debilitated. The runes on the other hand might make it hard for him to be up and about under his own power. Tucked onto a pocket on Khan's clothing was a vial containing a green liquid. Attached to a string was a small note from Kudd.

"We should really be friends."

[Freeshooter92]

Heus

Heus’s muscles bulged and stressed, their dried magma like surface solidified then crumbled as he lifted the Golem’s weight easily. He roared letting hot breath roll off his maw and evaporate into the air nearby, his small eyes squinted in preparation to toss away the makeshift object. He whipped his wind element about with greater energy to aid his already massive strength that he barely noticed the sensation of something else take hold of the Golem and scramble upwards.

Just moments after he had tossed the Golem, Heus his head squeezed between to greatly forced objects. One was the hard surface of Grey’s shield while the other was the fisted carving of an Ironwood tree, created by Lucilia. The wind still whipped about his body and cushioned the blows, though they wouldn’t had much effect if they had hit, as the impact caused Heus’s head to rear back from the greater of the two. Lucilia’s ironwood fist had slammed his head into Grey’s shield which in turn brought it upwards and into the unprepared man’s own resulted in a slight daze for Grey. Heus wasted little time as his hand reached upward to grip whatever had came over him from above, the Golem ignored in favor of the nearest threat. His hand felt something within his hand and immediately he took hold then finally ripped it from his back. Eyes narrowed upon the man’s stunned figure. His other hand came forward for the other arm as he started to rip the man apart, the joints would likely feel the stress and pressure applied from the demon’s uncaring handle. Heus expected Grey to come apart, like others in the past, within his strong grasp.

However something was different.

---

Grey Onyx

Moments before Grey slammed into the massive demon's head, something unexpected happened. Suddenly, it jerked it's head up, catching the guardsman off guard (Heh). It's head rose up, coming into contact earlier than expected. Instead of a carefully aimed blow followed by an evasive maneuvre, Grey felt a wall of solid death slam into him, knocking the wind out of him. As if that wasn't bad enough, his cuirass came apart, along with his pauldrons and most of the arms as well. But before he could collapse to the ground in a heap, the monster had gotten a hold of him. He struggled, but he was not strong enough to escape.

He was brought close to the beast's face, where for probably tefirst time he got a good look at it's eyes. He saw a healthy mixture of rage, and what looked like... pain... And then, it pulled. It was all he could do to prevent himself from screaming, as even his resistance to pain wasn't enough to block it out all that much. However, a moment later, he did scream. As he screwed his eyes shut and cried out in pain, Something odd happened. He didn't come apart. Though he couldn't see it himself, if one were to look, they would see patterns of glowing purple lines under his undersheath. With a titanic effort, he managed to keep himself together, as he lashed out, attempting to kick it in the eyes with his still-armored greaves.

---

Heus's head jerked up when the man's foot clipped his jawline, his jaw slammed shut as he felt the familiar additon of more pain. He felt his current target start to pull against his own grip and a slight snap, a warning in Heus's small mind, as he released one of his hands from tearing the man apart. He raised the pest high then tossed Grey down as if he was nothing but a toy, one that caused him pain, before his foot raised to finish the fight.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Grey had little time to celebratehe the Demon released him, as it was about to crush him underfoot. Quickly, he scooped up his shied and raised it above him, as he was crushed by the giant's foot... or was he? After a moment, it became apparent that Grey was resisting. With a mighty effort, Grey was raising the beast's foot up. "I... you will not... kill me... I am... stronger than you!" Grey managed to growl out through gritted teeth. He may have said that, but he knew that if somebody didn't do something in the next fifteen seconds, he was as good as dead. Already, the strain of resisting a creature ofsuch tremendous strength was apparent as his runes glowed and his bones creaked. "Somebody... do something... NOW!!! He managed to shout o whoever could finish this.

[Fallenreaper]

Orleah

Orleah was surprised to see Tyrael enter with Rathel, one of Khan’s favorites at his very heels. The Demon seemed less chatty then usual but when she looked closer, she noticed his faced had been dented in slightly and that likely accounted for the lack of voice. However she knew something was wrong. Mainly because Tyrael shouldn’t have been able to bind Rathel because the runes prevented such attempts but she had little time to examine that now, her eyes caught the large object in her peripheral view about to crush her. Instantly she braced expected to feel her bones break from the impact.

It never happened. Her eyes peeked open to view the fallen orc rush forwards and bash the object into pieces, much to her relief. It was short lived when the demonomancer turned his sight upon her as her arm slashed downwards, cutting off her useless leg just to return to her once more brand new. The wind was knocked out of her as she had hit the ground, her back stung and the bastard’s hands wrapped over her face and neck. Unlike Rathel, Olreah wasn’t about to be bounded to another Demonomancy now that she was freed.

When she tried to lash out with her clawed hand, vines immediately ensnared her and pulled they together above her head effectively nulled the threat of her claws. Her leg, with knee spike aimed at seemed to be her own leg she sliced it off easily creating a smaller version of herself. The little mirror image giggled then leapt high to slice her claws across Tyrael’s back. It might not have caused heavy damage yet it would at least draw blood and distract while she kicked out at his underbelly. Head pulled high enough to speak, her tone a slight flirty one, directed at the fallen orc.

“Nice try handsome…however, not much for being on bottom in this little dance.”

Sam

Even Sam’s old eyes could see Alaira tap into the Rune’s power, the very stone he had the thoughtfulness to toss and allowed her instincts to do the rest. It was a gamble on his part, but one that had paid off well. He watched the student unleash her magic upon the demon in such strength and violence, Sam’s old eyes couldn’t tolerate the light which turned the creature into dust as even its remains burned away. All that was left was the hollow thump of the mask that landed upon floor and rattled until it was suddenly crushed by Alaira’s foot.

It was little surprise the half elf crumbled to her one knee, her body dripped with blood and exhausted from her over use of magic. Before Sam could put his arms up to catch her, she felt to the floor in a massy heavy and passed out, her last words meek and inaudible to his aged ears.

For a moment, Sam stood there in stun silence. Part of him thought he had killed her or provided the means for her own demise while he just froze there, his eyes widened in shock. His slightly balding head jerked when a guard shouted, their number slowly gained the upper hand as they pushed back the remaining demon back into the hall. Some men had started to stack slain demons in a morbid wall which blocked the doorway and spear pointed any creature which gotten past the improvised barrier then allowed them to add to it. In a short time they had piled up higher and higher. Sam bent down to check Alaria’s pulse when he spotted a blue flash dart toward and over the fleshy wall’s beginnings before it disappeared. What was she thinking? He mentally question as he realized who had darted pass the barrier then back into the fray. Unfortunately he couldn’t just dart after her, not with two to three students down and a ward filled with injured or dead. His eyes shifted to see some of the guardsmen begin to pile the fallen toward the far wall. Most were covered with bloodied sheet as some bed ridden patients had started to be moved towards where Sam was positioned in a hope to get them out of the way.

Sam pointed at two of the men who pushed the dead aside then pointed to Alaira, relieved she was still alive. “Get her into the room. Violet, you and the others, bring in the other wounded while I get the vials. We’ve got several students with blood sickness.”

Without another word, the healers nodded then stepped over the fallen to tend to the living. The two men hauled up Alaira and pulled her into the room where they placed her body upon the crumbled bed remains. One jerked his head towards an infant’s wailing sounds. He looked at his companion then they both made their way towards the source, the latter paused long enough to shout at Sam. “Samuel, we’ve got someone here. We’re not sure if she’s…”

Sam had just reached the vial box when his eyes caught the student they had mentioned. His eyes focused upon Mar, her body still and seemed lifeless. There wasn’t even a movement to sooth young Lyn as his heart jumped into his throat, dread washed over in a wave that seemed to drown him. Her eyes were closed under her pale lids and skin eroded away in places, enough that muscle had been revealed through patches scattered upon her body.

Gingerly he stepped towards her. His hands clasped over the box, it creaked in protest from his grip, when he stopped abrupt right beside the student’s body. Slowly he lowered to one knee. One hand reached with two fingers, only to pull back, slightly frightened of what he would discover. Finally pushed through his courage and gently touched two fingers upon Mar’s neck. He waited for several seconds.

One...

Two…

Three…

Ba-bump…

Sam let out a small, relieved laugh when he felt the Naga’s pulse jump under his fingers. The old man pulled back up, his eyes looked to meet the men’s curious and worried looks. “She’s alive, but unless we treat those students, none of them will be for long!”

He placed the box down then took a sheet, slightly bloodied and stained, then ripped off a clean chunk to wrap little Lyn into a bundle. Sam motioned for a guard to hold Lyn and added. “Take her to the far corner and keep her there. She’s safest as there are thick walls and there’s only one entrance,” He then turned to the other guard, “You, take this and pour it down Alaira’s mouth…No, no arguments. She’s too weak to punch you or any other such nonsense. I’ll help Althalus.”

In a flash, almost like the blue blur which vanished earlier, Sam had pushed both Lyn and the vial their respected guard then was off to help Althalus.