[b][i]Ashton Andrews and Flame Brooks[/i][/b]

As Flame slept, healing, Ashton listened as Lord Talus revealed his plan, and he did not like any of it. He was still too injured to transform back, and he had lost his last weapon. But he would not let this [i]spirit[/i] win, he would not let him turn [i]his friends[/i] against each other. He looked at Alistair, his mouth opening to ask for healing - And he received it almost instantly, a wash of rejuvenation coursing through him as the boy found the strength to transform once more. This ought to be enough, this ought to give him the strength once more.

[b]"Jiwald,"[/b] Ashton said as he transformed once more, his hair and eyes white and teal again as his body was clad in a black-and-white costume that acted as mystic armor.

But most important of all were the daggers he held, daggers conjured out of the ether in order to claw and stab at Lord Talus as the boy shouted, "Never again!"

The old him would have tried to get his way using words, to try and mine information out the situation, and indeed there were occassions that called for that. But he'd leave those to Flame now, and Flame was asleep. No, Ashton would take [i]direct[/i] action this time, attacking Lord Talus himself before he can say anything, before he can open his mouth to spew more slanted truths.

But that did not mean that he had lost all wisdom, as Ashton planned to throw himself sideways - right or left - should Talus make a gesture to smite him with a spell or curse.

Let Alistair reveal the fact that Sandra Fotos was the Artificial Witch of Envy. Let Flame be the one to make deductions based on that fact and plot the group's next way forward. Ashton knew that someone had to take direct action in this time of uncertainty, someone who had already washed his hands in innocent blood, no matter how he had actually thought it'd be [i]temporary[/i].

He was more expendable than the others. More expendable because he had something to be punished for, while the rest were innocent.

"Never again!" he blurted out as he kept trying to stab Talus.