[IC] The Faraway Land

[Hawlin]

Having never gotten an opportunity to read the letter in favor of tuning out Xen's ramblings, Kaite idly poked around the fire with a stick in an effort to gather embers together. Taking a sip from her wineskin, she sighed while doing her best to come off like she was ignoring him. In all, it wasn't so terrible of a crew and they weren't so different from the norm. Some had a code of honor, some were just along for the ride, but there was always one who wanted to be in charge in spite of calling on others to do work for them.

The 'peace' was broken by a guttural howl in the distance, Kaite pausing for a moment before resuming her trivial work. However, her other hand capped the wineskin to instead rest on her sword beside her. While she imagined the howl signified prey falling to the creature, there was no telling how many others could be right behind it and potentially drawn to the camp. This thought was requited as one of the hulking monstrosities of nature and anima broke from the darkness of the woods with gnashing jaws aimed for Tiberius.
Kaite was on her feet with a half-drawn sword as the spared creature leapt to seemingly tackle the beast with reckless abandon before the twisted maw that was her gaping chest shone in the dull light.

Kaite took her time getting ready as the storyteller moved to assist 'Vert', using a thumb to knock her visor down. "A frontal assault ain' a very clever way to die..." the knight disagreed with Ivan, taking a stance to address the darkness with splayed out arms as if to present herself to attackers before barking, "...but by all means! Is that all y'got?"
The glint of deep ice behind the shade of the helmet pierced the darkness of the brush, elven eyes watching the motions of leaves and ears keen for the snap of twigs. She must have looked like a fool, but you'd be amazed how the tactic worked against a band of amateur ambushers.
Pack beasts they may be, Kaite saw them no different even though their haunting presence made her hair stand on end. If anything, it'd be a comical irony to have the disease that was her black steel done in by a pack of glorified hounds.

[XenoCyanide]

---

Xen'Desh Idlindra locked himself away many years ago, preferring solitude over the suffering of fools. He had dealt with too many gluttonous men whose only goal was to line their pockets and quench their lust. These individuals served no one but their own self-interest and after spilling the blood of so many men in their name, his own rage and hatred began clouding his mind. More than three decades have passed since he left the civilized world in search of greener pastures and yet here he was, yet again. History played through his mind as he sat against a mossy tree, using the fertile flora to sooth his backside. They had been riding for hours and bedded down here. The location was pleasant enough. Several hundred paces from the main road, they would not be seen by passing caravans or, worse still, bandits.

His eyes were fixated upon the crackling fire that they had built. He had fed and provided water for the horses and had made himself a small supper to stave off the hunger that had been building for the hours on the road. Now, he was left to his devices. The camp was alive with whispers of talk. Occasional bits of laughter pierced the dense aura around them. Bringing Vert along had not been a popular choice with several of them and even he had his doubts about the creature. He wasn't so sure a greater mercy was to send her soul to the void. He reached for the satchel at his side when he heard the howl of the wargs.

His eyes immediately snapped toward the charging warg and he was on his feet. Quite spry for an older man, he was already on the move when the Storyteller delivered the killing blow. Just as suddenly as the attack came, there was a calm. Of course, the brash Kaite decided to egg on the intruders as if the beasts could understand the common tongue. He knew the woman didn't trust him or why Sadron put him in charge. The true reason was behind Sadron and himself, as only they two knew what he was capable of. The Warlock may possess incredible strength and it would take considerable more to defeat him. This is what Xen feared, that his only purpose here was to cause as much death and suffering as possible.

But not tonight.

As he felt the wargs stalking the camp from the edge of the light cast from the fire, a blade slid from the confines of his robes. The silver steel cast off an unnatural glare as the firelight hit it. His staff still laid against his bedroll but he was fairly certain he wouldn't need it for a couple of hungry dogs. He knew what they were going to try and accomplish. Separate the group to make it easier to establish an ambush. Wargs hunted similarly to wolves, where they would test their prey and study for weaknesses. "Everyone, backs together. Stay close to the fire." He began to slowly retreat, using the growing heat from the flame to judge his distance.

[Hawlin]

An eerie silence replied to Kaite's challenge, her head shifting from one direction to another. She had to admit, there was a bit of her that hoped the beasts could understand her demeanor and get the hint that they were expected to share the forest and simply eff off. Sadly, the lack of motion convinced her that the 'hard way' would be far more likely. Lowering her arms, Kaite turned her head as she heard Xen's instructions. While being defensive was a sane idea for the situation, a protracted siege of the beasts teasing at their stamina over the course of the night was hardly how the knight intended on spending it.

Arguably thankfully, her thoughts were met with an answer as a crunch of twigs under heavy paws spelled out one of the hulking beasts breaking from the treeline to charge her the moment her attention was seemingly diverted.
Lowering her stance, Kaite brandished her shield to meet the jaws and claws of her assailant with a step in to the blow. A titanic crunch of the two large beings echoed into the woods, black-steel boots tearing into the earth as she was pushed back a few feet from the warg's size clashing with her resolve, it bellowed a roar of a growl. Kaite shook at first before meeting the beast with her own primal shriek, boots tilting and kicking up grass and soil as she angled herself under the creature. Left hand clutching their large sword, Kaite drove the blade into its abdomen and heaved its mass in the process of forcing it back with her own charge which ended with an earth-shaking impact of slamming the fell beast back to the ground. Kaite wasted no time in messily retrieving her sword and sinking it into its throat to silence its struggles and frantic rage-filled yelps.

She slowly stood, kicking the twitching, gurgling creature onto its side and slinging her sword to the side to cast its foul blood from her instrument of destruction. "An'eva see th'likes a ya again..." Kaite shakily chuckled, not a huge fan of animals to begin with but reluctant to show a shred of wavering in her composure for the sake of moral which was precious at this point.
Though she began backing up towards the group, a second warg flew from the shrubs. Though reflexes were enough to save Kate from taking the massive jaws to the face, rolling from the impact against her shield, her retaliatory strike fell short as a glancing blow. Just when her hands were full enough, a third darted towards the camp from her direction.

While ignoring her recent attacker wasn't the brightest idea, she still took the time to juggle her shield to the handle emerging from behind it and flipping the lock on a sheath before taking a step and whipping the shield at the warg, cracking into its skull and sending it sprawling from the concussive force. No sooner had she looked back than massive jaws clamped down on her sword arm with a screech of steel and a cry of pain from the knight who reeled back before leveling her head back to the beast. The freshly drawn shortsword found its new home in the throat of the warg, Kaite snarling as she muscled the blade down to its sternum and spilled the vital fluid all over her cloak.
In its death throes, its grip began to weaken, though not enough to allow Kaite the mobility to avoid the third beast from recovering enough to charge and rake across her torso with keened claws. Fabric from her tabard and ink-black rings of mail flew from the strike, sufficiently protecting her down to the mangled surcoat underneath, though certainly worse for wear.

Curiously, as the metal fragments hit the ground, they blew away in a fine mist. A few vorpal slashes of the shortsword elegantly carved up the beast's face and forcing it to back off with enraged barks and growls, an eye hanging from its socket. It paced for a moment, lowering itself and preparing to strike again while Kaite knelt with her backup weapon poised to counter. There was no way she would leave herself open to completely free her dominant arm.

[Thinslayer]

Vert partially absorbed the warg, and the warg bit her beastly tongue. Ivan stood up and raised his sword and shield. Kaite half-drew her sword, the naked blade glowing red in the firelight. Xen got to his feet. Vert finally managed to bite the warg in twain, but they all knew that wasn't the end of it. "A frontal assault ain't a clever way to die," Kaite drawled, "but by all means! Is that all y'got?" She splayed out her arms, taunting the enemy to attack while keeping her senses focused. Xen, on the other hand, chose a more subtle approach. He slid a small blade from his robes and waved one hand toward the fire.

"Everyone, backs together. Stay close to the fire."

As the party retreated toward the fire, they could feel another, darker presence coming. A sinking feeling of dread filled their hearts, as if tonight would be their last. Agony nipped at their heels and despair crept up their backs. Sight began to fail them as the light of the fire shrouded their eyes. It began to dawn on them that there were more than just wargs out there in the forest.

Kaite, for one, did not take things lying down. She shield-butted the first warg that lunged at her and cracked its skull. A second one closed its jaws around her arm. Kaite shrieked and gutted it from throat to sternum. Just as she ripped her sword out, a third warg raked its claws through her armor. Her sword slashed across its face, ruining its eyes.

And the battle had only begun.

[Rekaigan]

---

Zenovia had decided to meditate when they had made camp, since she wasn't given the letter to read. Keeping to herself was something she often did, although not by choice since Spirit Walkers were generally an antisocial bunch. A deep howl had echoed through the forest to the north. She knew the sound all too well. She and her mentor had dealt with Wargs before, but the shaman was nervous now that her Mentor was no more, in a physical sense.

Suddenly Vert shouted about Wargs, which reassured the wood elf. It was good to know that the others knew what they were about to face. What she didn't expect was for the monster to save one of them from an attack. Despite most of them being against the existence of Vert, she was selfless enough to shield one of them. Zenovia couldn't help but feel guilty of being so judgemental, however it wasn't anyone's fault other than the Warlock's.

Zenovia breathed in deeply as she got to her feet. Her hand clutching her wooden staff. Her grip shook with anxiety and excitement, the adrenaline flowing through her body as she waited for more of the creatures to attack. However, the taunts from Kaite went unanswered for a while. She subconsciously followed Xen's instruction to stay near the fire. She could feel herself calm down as she remembered that there were others around to support her if need be.

The spirits shook in excitement as more Wargs approached the party, only to be felled by Kaite. Zenovia's eyes flicked left and right, waiting for another to appear. In the corner of her eye, a group of spirits flashed like torches, as if they were telling her something was there. Lighting the area like a lantern, only the Spirit Walker could see the form of a beast hiding among the trees.

Holding her staff in front of her, her light blue eyes glowed. The raven head of her staff went alight with an ominous blue flame. Similarly to the previous night, she chanted words unknown to those around her. A Warg charged out of the trees, heading straight for the red haired elf. It leapt at her, but it was too late.

"Mán naur!", Zenovia pointed her staff at the beast, a flash of blue flame erupted from the raven's head, incinerating the Warg mid-pounce, leaving nothing behind. Some might say it was 'overkill', but it was mostly to serve as a warning to the rest of their pack. However, the mage could feel the presence of the undeterred.

[Lord Zee]

@Rekaigan@rush99999@Hawlin

So, the Storyteller knew who Druth Vanarys was but the revelation only sent shivers down his spine. He wanted to know more about the elf, but it was not what he had expected. A powerful wizard who created magic and a plethora of techniques? A leading member of the council? Sadron must have known more about him, and Tiberius was mentally beating himself up about it. His thoughts were jumbled and erratic, going all over the place like spilled milk. Elves could live for a very long time, and Druth's disappearance was of great suspicion. It only led Tiberius to believe, whether he liked it or not, that Druth Vanarys could be the Warlock and if that was true, they were going to have to be at their very best. He hoped it wasn't true, but the mind has a way of telling you what you want to believe in as truth.

The Storyteller's words snapped him back to reality. He blinked before speaking hesitantly, "Of course, here you are." And Tiberius gave the letter to the Storyteller so he could read it. Tiberius was also curious to know if he knew the handwriting but didn't lead on too it.

Zenovia next spoke up about the letter. The knight looked at her and smiled, though she couldn't see it. "Of course my dear, I would want nothing less then for you to read what lies within."

After awhile, the Storyteller gave him his letter back but chose not to say anything. Tiberius wondered what the man was thinking and was about to ask him when Xen spoke up. They would be making camp soon, only a half a day away from the mines. He was still unsure about the details of the mission with the caravans but he was confident that Xen would enlighten them when the time came. Or so he thought. He watched him give the map to Kaite and Tiberius rolled his eyes. Some leader he was turning out to be, unless there was more going on, it was up to him to be a guide and lead his group.

Tiberius couldn't help but smirk when Kaite replied in her witty tone. As the conversation turned to him he replied in a sarcastic but playful tone, "Oh no, sorry. I don't have a lot of experience actually, it's all up to you I'm afraid."

-----

After that it was constant back and forth between the party and all sorts of bickering. By nightfall they made camp and Tiberius finally dismounted Lancel, giving him some water. After that he went and sat down next to the fire, suddenly realizing how utterly exhausted he was. it had been a long day, and the night before he had not really slept, so he was looking forward to his bedroll, no matter how uncomfortable it was going to be. As the fire warmed him and played tricks on his vision he could feel himself drifting as the bickering of strategy became second the the crackle of the fire. He began to nod when the howling started. Deep, guttural and unfamiliar to him.

Needless to say, he was completely caught off guard as one broke from the undergrowth of the dark forest and charged at him. He was slow to the draw and it was almost upon him, he wasn't going to have enough time. Then, Vert jumped in the way, using her maw to stop the beast. Once again, he was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. This creature, one that he ridiculed earlier, had recklessly thrown it- herself...At the danger that would have easily killed him. He suddenly felt very conflicted, perhaps this Vert could be decent after all but at the same time, he couldn't forgive what had happened earlier. Perhaps- No, this was no time to think about apologizing but instead for action. They were being stalked now, by more of the brutes and he was inclined to become prepared. Xen shouted that they should should get to the fire, a good strategy less the wargs cut them off from each other.

He grabbed his helmet and put it on, then unsheathed his long sword. Tiberius stood erect next to the fire, his form menacing. The rush of battle filled his ears, his heart beat loudly in his chest as adrenaline kicked in. As Kaite shouted at the beasts Tiberius scanned the treeline, trying his best to see into the night. He could definitely hear the beasts, loud and wicked they were but stupid all the same. There was next a loud crunch of broken limps and other debris has a warg charged at Kaite from the eerie night. A impressive display then showed him just how well trained she was, as she easily killed the beast. Then, as she got ready to make her way back, a second attacked by surprise and his heart sank when he saw the third. He looked at the others, Ivan was prepared, Zenovia had just killed a Warg, The Storyteller and Laina were tending to Vert, which meant they would be safe for now.

A presence he had never felt before began to rear its head, dark, cold and foreboding. It sent shivers down his spine and he knew he needed to act fast before whatever else was coming arrived.

He ran at Kaite's adversaries but half way there a new warg emerged, pitch black and snarling at the mouth. It charged him, and Tiberius prepared himself as he saw Kaite take down her second. When he looked back, in that moment everything seemed to pause around him, the only thing that mattered was the black warg. Its figure was muscular, its jagged teeth were sharp and more then capable of rending his flesh and bone but that would not happen. Not now, not ever. He let his instincts take over as the warg came upon him and as it attacked him, Tiberius sidestepped it, and then sank his blade within its furry neck as it tried to turn. It died instantly and fell over, bleeding dark blood.

He then turned his attention to Kaite and saw she was in trouble. Putting his own safety aside, he charged the warg. It noticed him too late, Tiberius slammed the bulk of his weight into the creature, knocking it over onto its side. He then plunged his sword in its brain, killing it. The slam hurt Tiberius slightly, the damn creature was like a wall but Kaite had wounded it enough to get the job done. He turned to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

[Darkwatck01]

From the north, a cold wind blew onto the champions around the flames. Shadows dancing from its dying light, yet on the wind a faint whisper chimed, that of a armor clanking. With it came the muffled sound of breathing, not blocked or hindered by some mask or veil, but rather seemed as if whatever was making the sound was controlling its breath to ensure a more subtle approach. Along this soft breeze came a snap, not of metal but of Ivory, a signal to the hounds for them to stand down.

At the very edge of the light, even where the spirits would dare not tread, two eyes glossed over from the flames giving a more beastial look then man. Amidst this time, a third eye opened, and unlike its horizontal brothers, this one stood higher by comparison, almost as if looking down upon the group. Ire emitted from the shaded creature, and a wrath of foreboding presence loomed around the figure as it stood there watching, waiting.

Slowly, a hand came into view from the void surrounding the creature. A ebony-plated gauntlet covered the arm, and if one looked closely enough, could they tell no ore was found as the make up for the claws, but rather that of natural bone was present. With a small flick of the index finger, a gust of wind came to smother the remaining flames, leaving behind only the soft glow from the moon for light.

Standing tall, amidst the shadows of the twilight world, the master of the hounds silhouette became more defined. In the dim glow the vision of a vestige befitting that of a beast was seen, the once glossed eyes now burned with an angry hue. The arms that bridge the gap between Gauntlets and shoulders exposed a different kind of armor, one made of natural growth. Scales, dark as the might nights sky, stood boldly on the exposed section of the arms. Around the waist a simple cloth ragged and frayed at the end moved slightly covering the upper legs. From what could be seen of the rest of the legs they too seemed to be coated in the ebony plating as well, save for the feet which were exposed show not that of man, nor elf, but a beast.

Stepping forth the the creature parted the vestige, but moved it no more.

“You stand in my hunting grounds, intruders.” His words seemed to carry with it a heavy tone, that of someone world traveled. “Among you I see one of my own, tell me do you come for loyalty?”

As he spoke, one arm rose above his head, emitting a strange purple glow in the shape of a sphere. Any who could feel the presence of the arcane could feel the level of magic being used as the fallen hounds were broken down and drawn into the the void.

[Cuccoruler]

"Thank you." Vert said to the Storyteller before starting to stand up. Vert turned to see Laina ready to help her after the beast had been killed. "Save that for someone else, I'm a fast healer and a few bite marks won't hurt my tongue that much. Besides, helping me could make the others hate you." Vert said as her maw seemed to chew on the warg of it's own accord. It soon ate the warg entirely. Vert could feel her legs get slightly lighter thanks to the absorption. However due to this not being a humanoid she had eaten it would not do much for her for long. It was only a temporary boost at most.

Around the town the battle was starting to tense up she turned to the large creature come up. Her eyes went wide as she heard it talk about one of it's own. She knew that it meant her. This was a creature of the warlock from what she could tell. "I'm loyal to myself." She said as some of her hair covered her eyes. "And everything I do is of my own accord! Not that of the warlock!" Vert added with a yell before seeming to crouch down a bit then jumping at the creature. Her maw wasn't out this time. Instead her fist was going towards it's face with super human speed and strength. If the attack hit it would at least make the creature stumble back.

A blaze could be seen in Vert's eyes. She had come to realize recently that she was in control now. No one else was in control of her. Atleast as long as the warlock wasn't near by.

[Darkmoon Angel]

@Cuccoruler
These wargs are relentless, as soon as the first one was cut down more started attacking each of the group members. Ivan found himself getting tag teamed by two. Luckily he blocked ones assualt with shield and drove his sword into the other one, frying it on the inside. He then pummeled the other with his shield before delivering an electrical shock with sword to finish it. Thanks to his skills, he was able to use his shield as an electrical bludgeon as well as a means of blocking.

Soon however, the hairs on Ivan's neck stood on end when the fire went out, a cold darkness enveloped the group and a unnatural being emerged from the shadows, the leader of these wargs no doubt. Before Ivan could react, Vert was already launching an attack on the being with her bare hands. "Gah... Vert wait! You don't know what that thing is capable of!" He began a mad dash towards Vert and the dark being with his sword sparking with the electricity from his shield, he had to help Vert out.

[Darkwatck01]

Unwavering, the man stepped forwards to meet the threat charging at him. With his right hand held about chest height aimed right at the charging creature. Energy started to flow across his fingers down to the tips of the bones, arching from finger to finger giving more light to the figures form. With the left hand the figure reached behind its back pulling out what seemed at first to be a Bastard Sword at first, however any Swordsmen worth his armor would have seen something much worse, a sign of the uses strength and Skill with a blade, a Zweihander.

“A beast should remember its place, at its master’s feet.” His voice seemed to grow more of an edge as he spoke. “Now, kneel.”

As the blade was freed of its sheath, it came to rest on his shoulder. The thing that might of caught the eye of any Mage would of been the head stone at the prong of the hilt. A sort of focusing stone one would use to channel magic through.

With his gaze coming down on the knight who charged at him, no words were given, instead letting the little knight feel the difference in size and measure itself up to him. With a simple bow of his head, the vestige closed, a simple sign he was more than willing to meet the Knights challenge with his own might.

[Hawlin]

Suspended

@Darkwatck01@Lord Zee

Holding their blade level, the glint of ice in the tundra sun met the hulking beast from behind Kaite's visor. While the knight was aware that she could be charged from any direction at any moment, her challenge remained directed towards a job left undone. Having her mortal coil frayed by a cowardly beast would have been a godsend at that point, though the stillness of the moment while watching the contours of the animal's muscles flex brought her lips to part in a small smirk. The fight was on, and there was more than enough vim to respond to its remaining vigor.

Kaite uncharacteristically heaved a sigh of relief as Tiberius crashed into the warg as it reared up to strike, finishing the beast and allowing her time to pry the jaws off of her wound.
"Y-Yeh! Its...hnf!" she tried to excuse, freeing herself and falling to a knee with her wounded arm outstretched. dark metal creaked and flicked back into place after having been stabbed into the wounds along with resilient jaws that punched through her armor. A bit of the black knight's blood spattered into the air while metal dug itself from the wounds. "Yes! For fuck's sake!" Kaite barked, pissed off from pain and knowing Tiberius was likely watching the small plume of black mist rise from the otherwise debilitating wound.

Another nail in a fresh coffin, Kaite knew what the easing of pain and wisps of steam meant and she gnawed on her lip as she stood after kicking the warg away from her. Her fingers trembled from the cold that flowed through them, clenching a few times to work herself back into her frame as she could only imagine the cursed scar that the armor left in the place of the freshly healed bite.
Kaite staggered a few steps before resuming an undeterred gait, plunging the shortsword back into the sheath emerging from her shield and fixing the locks. She slid the shield back onto her right arm, letting out a low hiss of a breath as if the hobbling had never been inflicted.

Her eyes were turned to the new arrival, giving Tiberius a bump to the side with her shield to get his attention. An expression that first and foremost resisted giving a shred of expression yielded a worried frown and a trembling lip, feeling the cold course through her sword arm as the armor's curse soaked in. It was one of a new dozen injuries, but none of them were ever pleasant; a constant reminder of the price due to be paid.

Kaite watched the essence of the wargs flow into the newcomer, taking a step back with her left foot while looking about to see the threat of the beasts being focused into this singular and humanoid being.
"Your beasts knelt, n'so y'stand!" Kaite barked, her composure wavering upon being distracted by the elegant greatsword that was the figure's Zweihander.

[rush99999]

The fight against the wargs was going well enough in The Storyteller's opinion. The Champions dropped the beast like they were hot every time 1 of them made a charge, and received minimal damage in exchange. But then the wargs' master made his dramatic reveal. While Vert charged the beast with Ivan in tow trying to stop her, The Storyteller slipped his left hand behind his back. "Adeu iilaa almihallaq la tantahi abadaan min swada alfaragh ealaa alssultat lisahb hatta alalihat anfusahum min masarat kanuu yarghabun fi alaiqtirab minha" The Storyteller muttered under his breath as a black mist began to envelope his left hand.

[Thinslayer]

@Rekaigan@rush99999
The spirits scattered and fled from the dark one in every direction. The stronger ones retreated closer to Zenovia. Several of her party members were attacking the figure, a very bad idea if the spirits were to be believed. Vert charged at him, while the Storyteller began an incantation. Could she stop them both?

@ineffable
Vert and Kaite were in pain, and the former was about to see more of it. The latter was covered in small (but bloody) wounds. In a moment, Laina would have to choose which one to help, if help was even possible. Perhaps there was another individual present who needed her healing most of all, someone whose heart had grown so hard and black that only the tenderest hand could touch it. It was the heart of their greatest enemy, and he now stood before them, closer than ever.

Could she help him too?
----------
Gorman released the carrier pigeon with his report to the Captain. "Well, that's that," he said to himself. "Hang in there, Cap. I'll be there as soon as I can."

With that, he took off down the road in the direction he last saw the party of Champions.

[Cuccoruler]

Vert found herself flying at the figure now, however her fist closed and instead she just slammed into him. She fell backwards after the hit and her legs at this point were failing her. They were shaking too much from the shear terror of this figure and his commands. Her eyes went wide, this could be one of the warlocks generals for all she knew, or it could be something worse.

Vert looked back at the others, she couldn't help them anymore and at this point started to try and crawl away unable to use her legs, she didn't want to be anywhere near this creature. She was afraid that if it commanded her to do any kind of harm on them then she would have no choice but to follow any kind of orders, though how she interpreted them was up to her.

[Darkmoon Angel]

Ivan rushed to Vert's side as she was crawling away. He raised his shield up and started generating electricity through his sword. "I don't know who you are but if you don't back off with your large stick of a sword I'm gonna teach ya a thing or two!" In the back of his mind, Ivan was afraid of what this dark being might do, but the safety of his allies was more important than his own. He kept Vert behind him and raised his shield for any incoming attack, it was hard to say if he could even block a sword that huge, let alone the strength of the arm behind the swing.

[Lord Zee]

@Hawlin
Tiberius, seeing Kaite fall to her knee, instinctively tried to help her but stopped when he saw the armor. It was like nothing he had ever seen before when it came to armor. It pulled itself from her flesh, mending itself back together and as her blood sprayed into the air he grimaced slightly. What was more alarming however was the black mist that came from her wounds that seemed to heal themselves. So perplexed by this new turn of events he only snapped out of it when Kaite yelled that she was fine. It was hard for him to believe, but he had a feeling that his feeling of being alright was vastly different from her own.

As she stood up, Tiberius realized he had failed to help her in any way or form besides killing the warg, which he was sure she could of handled. Hell, he didn't even help her to her feet, what kind of self respecting knight would do such a thing? His father would have been so ashamed of him.

Then Kaite bumped him with her shield, he looked at her in response but found her gaze elsewhere, so he followed it. What he saw at the end was a ghastly figure, and one that emitted a darkness that made him feel cold. Vert lay before him, crawling away with Ivan by her side. He could only imagine that she had tried to attack this new foe with little luck. There was an intense feeling throughout the area, as if they were walking on ice that was about to break.

To beat ones opponent, one had to understand them. This man, if he could even be called that, wielded a zweihander and looked like he knew how to use it. He had the reach, the power and the skill to wield it properly and that was what Tiberius was afraid of. He was extremely hesitant to fight him, but he swore to protect his party members from harm and Ivan was in striking distance with only Vert for backup and it didn't even look like she was capable of fighting.

He whispered to Kaite, "This one looks tough, especially with that weapon. We should move with caution and not rush in. Unless you're not up for the challenge?"

Tiberius then began to proceed cautiously towards the figure, keeping his sword in constant motion by twirling it. If anything, he was still waiting to see if anyone else had any ideas about how to fight it, or if they should just run.

[Thinslayer]

The spirits shuddered and wailed as mystic energy gathered around the dark knight. He was about to cast a spell of singular power, something so terrible that the greatest magic in the world paled in comparison to its might. And from the speed and efficiency with which he gathered the energy, he could cast it effortlessly. There would be nothing the Champions could do to stop it-

-Except the rings! They'd forgotten about Eru's rings!

[Darkwatck01]

Taking a deep breath the beast of a man lifted his weapon from his shoulder in a display of strength, swung the Zweihander into the creatures before him with but he might of one arm. The force of which did not catch on the edge of the weapon but rather its face, using it more like a mace to knock them to the side, only to be followed up by a charge of energy which arched from his hand to their body.

All the while the Third eye watched the group, seeking out any signs of retaliation. Once the two were taken care of, in the way he felt trash should be handled. The blade of his came back, not to his shoulder but rather to the ground before him. With the ease of beast he pushed the weapon down into the earth at least a half a meter deep still leaving a good one and a half left exposed. As soon as the weapon was placed the Stone on the hilt of the weapon gave off hue as pitch as the night sky amidst the twilight.

Leaving the weapon behind the creature held both hands up and started to walk slowly at the group, he was at least a good ten meters away, each step slow and deliberate as his hands started to rise into the air. On the maw of the creature, words came forth, alien as they were powerful each carried weight that the ‘champion’s’ could feel in their bones. As the second step came, magic users could feel their mana reserves slowly being severed from reach. The third step caused weapons to use power becoming just blades, while the fourth step started to rob them of of words to cast with.

With one final step, now about eight meters away from the group, the man stopped and lowered his arms. The area around them felt, alone, as if someone had just reached into their very being and taken away a piece of them, blocking its very use. Magi of the group would of know of this dark magic, a spell beyond the understanding of even the greatest masters in the craft. All magic, had been blocked and stopped, even items that ran on it where all but useless.

“I ask but one last time.” The man came to rest his arms at his side once more. “Do you come for Loyalty to me.”

[Darkmoon Angel]

Ivan couldn't believe this creature's strength, with one swing of its zweihander, Ivan was bashed to the side like he was nothing. He was knocked to the same level as Vert and a big dent was shown on his shield, anymore force and it would've been shattered. "Gah! What is this thing!? Alright buddy, you asked for.... It?" Before Ivan could bring his blade up he had already noticed the sparks vanish from his weapon, in fact his whole body felt heavy, almost as if his own energy had been drained by this being, and by the looks of things, it was effecting everyone.

"Tch... No way we'll fall in line to some... Creature of darkness..." But what could they do? They were all but weakened by the initial wargs and now their magic was all but drained. If they didn't do something quick... "Wait a minute... But will they even... Agh... It's worth a shot... Eru... Erudessa or whoever you may be... We need help... And we need it badly." Ivan spoke to ring on his finger, if there wasn't a response or a sign that they could be saved, then it was game over for them.

[Thinslayer]

Ivan couldn't believe this creature's strength, with one swing of its zweihander, Ivan was bashed to the side like he was nothing. He was knocked to the same level as Vert and a big dent was shown on his shield, anymore force and it would've been shattered. "Gah! What is this thing!? Alright buddy, you asked for.... It?" Before Ivan could bring his blade up he had already noticed the sparks vanish from his weapon, in fact his whole body felt heavy, almost as if his own energy had been drained by this being, and by the looks of things, it was effecting everyone.

"Tch... No way we'll fall in line to some... Creature of darkness..." But what could they do? They were all but weakened by the initial wargs and now their magic was all but drained. If they didn't do something quick... "Wait a minute... But will they even... Agh... It's worth a shot... Eru... Erudessa or whoever you may be... We need help... And we need it badly." Ivan spoke to ring on his finger, if there wasn't a response or a sign that they could be saved, then it was game over for them.

@Darkmoon Angel

Warmth and strength flooded back into him.

Erudessa had heard him.