[center] [h3] Salem, Malcolm, William, Adrian[/h3] [/center] [hr] Malcolm blinked slowly, realizing he had pushed the cat too far. He watched Elyra leave and pleased with his eyes before it dawned on him that it was pointless. Seeing his possible shield gone, Malcolm ran. Salem chased after him, shooting lightning while growling. [color=yellow]"Hold still and let me hit you, you damn asshole,"[/color] Malcolm decided not to do that and kept running. Of course running for ones life may result in not fully paying attention to where they are placing their feet. Malcolm felt himself trip over someone and scrambled up. He backed into a tree while Salem held his hands close...lightning arcing into a ball. The cat's face was contorted in anger, black ears flat against his skull with his lip curled. Malcolm felt his heart pumping hard and looked down at who he tripped over. It was Wiliam. Panic flew threw his eyes and he swallowed before calling out. [color=lightgreen]"Hey...hey William....don't suppose you could WAKE UP and save me."[/color] William was "dead" tired and didn't know how he got into the bed. All he remembered was talking with Jamie and then...blank. "[color=red] I probably--[/color]" his line of thinking was broken as someone tripped on him. He opened his eyes and saw Malcom yelling at him. He quickly got up and was in "battle" mode. "[color=red] How many ? Where are they ? Did you wake the others ? [/color]" said William in a hasty voice. Malcolm shook his head and gestured to Salem. [color=lightgreen]"Uhm...,one pissed off cat."[/color] Salem snarled. [color=yellow]"Move away from him so I can singe him"[/color] Malcolm scooted to be more behind William. Salem responded by moving and tossing the lightning ball. Malcolm barely dodged. [color=lightgreen]"Please be rational!"[/color] [color=yellow]"Fuck you"[/color] William dodged the lightining ball and then put his hands up. "[color=red] Both of you. Calm down before you kill us all. Please. Don't make me wake up Gun'Tar. He would love to pound both of your asses. [/color]" said William in his most diplomatic voice. As he was saying that, he was slowly approached Malcolm and put a hand on his shoulder, while his other hand was pointed towards Salem. Salem hissed. [color=yellow]"That asshole has treated me like dirt since I met him. I'm just finally done putting up with it"[/color] Malcolm blinked. [color=lightgreen]"What? I thought I was being a friend"[/color] Salem stood up straight and crossed his arms. He rolled his green eyes and mocked Malcolm. [color=yellow]"Salem fetch me rabbits....Salem steal the clothes...Salem wake up. While he's holding something that could kill me"[/color] he snarled. [color=yellow]"I'm not your pet"[/color] Malcolm looked at William and then back to Salem. [color=lightgreen]"I...didn't realize"[/color] Salem huffed. Those slitted green eyes looked to William. [color=yellow]"Go ahead and grab him. Have him beat up Malcolm"[/color] Malcolm flinched as if Salem had slapped him. William shook his head. "[color=red] You...two. I SAID CALM THE FUCK DOWN ! [/color]" yelled William with all his might. The plants around him started to die off as their life force was gathered to power William's voice. The hand that was on Malcolm started to suck out his life force, in the same time he casted his other spell on the two of them and soon sores appeared on both of their bodies that started to make them feel pain. "[color=red] I'm sorry for this. [/color]" William said before moving away from Malcolm. Both salem and Malcolm flinched when William yelled. Malcolm however saw the plants dying and seemed to get fascinated. that is until he felt his own life force being drained. He swayed and tried weakly to get away. salem started to back up but that did not prevent the sores from appearing. Salem dropped and shook. is eyes shut as the pain got to him. Malcolm dropped to the ground and looked at the sores. He looked up at William with confusion in his eyes before dropping to his side and passing out. Salem was in a bit of a ball shaking as he felt the pain. William shook his head and then ended his spell. He dropped on one knee as his own life force was drained in the spell. "[color=red] I am really sorry...I put in this pain but you weren't listening. [/color]" said William in a half-voice. He was already tired when he woke up and now, he was even more tired. He stood up and moved to Malcolm and checked his vital signs. He was still alive but he passed out. William then moved towards Salem and saw he was still conscious. He raised his voice and asked Salem "[color=red] I'm sorry again. Are you ok ? The pain was only in your mind. You are ok. [/color]" Malcolm remained passed out cold. Salem looked up at William and slowly stood. Ears pinned back he nodded. [color=yellow]"yea"[/color] he shook himself a bit before turning. [color=yellow]"I'm not a pet"[/color] he then started to walk away. He had to think....Malcolm was the first one he interacted with....the first one not to shoot him dirty looks. Yet...he was treated poorly. Salem sighed. This was complicated. Adrian had to struggle to keep himself from drawing on the other templar as the explosive device was placed in his body. He trusted the Order, sure, but sharp objects being close to his skin would always make him nervous. He turned his nervous fidgeting into rapid foot-tapping instead, holding stone-still until the armored man finished his task. [color=#8292b3]"And you're not going to kill me the second I join up with the others?"[/color] The armored man, whose name had not been given to Adrian, fairly rumbled his reply. [b]"No, I won't, though I can't deny killing every last one of you traitors with one swing hasn't occurred to me. It'll only trigger if you get too far from the others, or if one of you dies."[/b] Adrian probably could've placed the voice, if he tried. He'd been working here for a while, after all. He didn't try. The other man obviously sought some refuge in anonymity; he himself wasn't too eager about a nice long road trip with potentially-unstable magic users. Flicking his own reins, the lightly-armored knight joined up with the caravan, dismounting smoothly as he got within talking distance. [color=#8292b3]"Hail! I was told this was where I signed up for the suicide mission into the Wastelands."[/color] The Templar sought refuge in sarcasm, and he wasn't afraid to admit to that, at least in his own mind. [color=#8292b3]"Name's Adrian. Mind catching me up on what's been going on and why that man's unconscious?"[/color] He gestured to the still-slumbering Malcolm, voice level as he spoke, but his tone of voice suggested that he expected a good explanation. Salem stopped. Ears swivled to where he heard a new voice and smelled a new person nearby. He silently made his way to Adiran and stood behind the guy. Black tail swished as he sized him up and then he got closer. His muzzle right next to the guy's ear. [color=yellow]"That...is what happens when youre an asshole"[/color] Malcolm stirred but didn't seem quite ready to wake up yet. Adrian jumped as he felt something brush against his ear, letting out a manly war cry. It might have been mistaken for an undignified squeak, but it was most assuredly a war cry. [color=#8292b3]"Blood and ashes, don't [i]do[/i] that."[/color] He turned to face the person who'd snuck up on him, coming face to face with a Kil'garen with jet-black fur. [color=#8292b3]"So, are you responsible for his condition? Because I'd like to point out that injuring people is a good way to get all of us killed."[/color] Salem chuckled as...Adrian? yelped. Green eyes shone with amuesment as he once again crossed his arms. [color=yellow]"I wish I was but no...no im not"[/color] He tilted his head, the hood down so his large ears were visible along with his choker/collar. [color=yellow]"May I point out randomly shouting who you are and what you are looking for in the middle of a clearing is also a good way to get us killed"[/color] He looked at his paw absent mindedly and then looked at the guy. [color=yellow]"My name is Salem and the passed out ass is Malcolm."[/color] He then stared Adrian down. [color=yellow]"So templar tell me...what do you know?'[/color] He could tell by how the guy acted....and how he was dressed. Adrian recovered quickly, to his credit. [color=#8292b3]"That wasn't yelling. You'd know if I was yelling; it's a talent you pick up quickly in the field. And anyway, I know what we're doing here, and so does everyone in this caravan. I don't know who we're going with, since nobody feels quite like talking to me. Something about deserting the Templars. Funny thing, that. Word spreads like wildfire; not like the guards have much to do besides gossip."[/color] He shrugged, as if to portray a complete lack of opinion on the topic. He hated the necessity of it, but whining about it wouldn't get him anywhere. [color=#8292b3]"Salem, Malcolm.'[/color] He nodded at each individual, muttering to himself, as he got their names set in his mind. [color=#8292b3]"Right. Got it. So, you're one of the Magi, I'm guessing. Guards don't usually call one another "templar". What's your thing? Your... talent? School? Hell, I don't know what to call it. What kind of magic do you do? If we're gonna be stuck working together, I'll need to know what everyone's capable of."[/color] Salem raised a brow and did not seem to buy that he wasn't yelling. He then nodded. [color=yellow]"We are going with other people...some of the...magical sort...some of your sort and some who don't fit with either. The deserting....thats what you are "doing"[/color] He made air quotes. [color=yellow]"The magi are runaways and the templars are deserters in this group....guess its so that if we screw up it wont hit the uppers"[/color] His tail swished as he looked away from a moment. He then looked back at Adrian and chuckled. [color=yellow]"Well...elements are my thing. Fire air...lightning. Im also pretty good at sneaking and stealing"[/color] He nodded to malcolm. [color=yellow]"Malcolm is life and death. He can heal and he can drain.'[/color] He then walked over to malcolm and picked him up. He mentally decided to forgive his friend....after all he was fairly certain malcolm wouldnt be able to survive without him. [color=yellow]"What about you? whats your skills?"[/color] Clearly Salem was stronger then he looked considering how casually he was holding his 6 foot 3 friend. Adrian grinned and tapped his head. [color=#8292b3]"Small unit tactics. I guess the higher-ups thought that this little trip could use a tactician and they decided to send the one who didn't have a family name with a huge reputation. I'm not half-bad, if I say so myself. Only reason I'm at the Citadel is politics; people didn't like being shown up by someone with no connectitons and no breeding, so they shunted me off to the side."[/color] He shrugged. [color=#8292b3]"So, now I'm here. I have some skill in swordplay and hand-to-hand, but neither one is what I'd call a specialty."[/color] Taking the reins to his horse, he started walking towards the main body of the caravan. [color=#8292b3]"Pleasure to meet you, Salem."[/color] He didn't sound particularly dishonest about that, but it still sounded more like a pleasantry than a statement of genuine happiness. [color=#8292b3]"I'm going to go find out who else we have here, since it looks like you've got Malcolm there well in hand."[/color] [hr] [@DustyOldCrow][@canaryrose][@Vas Khaleen][@Kyrisse][@Venku][@King Tai][@Gareth][@Wick][@dabombjk][@Caits][@Ashevelendar][@Shadow Daedalus] (Collab approved to be posted by GM)