DrowsyPangolin

When the Flames Die

The woman's eyes widened at Taggerung's apparently uninjured body. It seemed it'd take more than a passing blow to do some damage. The creature's jaws clamped shut, and once again the abomination was darting straight for her. She took a deep breath, preparing herself. This would have to be precise. Taggerung dove for her knees, twisting his head in a sickening manner as he did so. She lept upward and over the creature, throwing all of her weight into the top of her body and raising her legs just out of her foe's reach. She landed on the palm of her free hand, and threw herself back into a standing position. For a moment, her left hand flew to the hilt of her other sword. No, not yet, she thought. The woman darted towards Taggerung, as if preparing to strike. Just before she hit, she made a quick twirl to his side, and threw all the force of the spin into a quick horizontal swing, aimed for the creature's thin arm.

When the Flames Die

It was clear Taggerung's mouth was a dangerous weapon. Celeste gritted her teeth. The creature had reacted more quickly than she'd expected. He rushed forward again as she struck. She threw herself into the momentum of her swing, but she saw the tip of the blade make contact with the razor sharp teeth. Sparks flew from the collision. Her knees bent as she spun around, allowing Taggerung to pass over her. As the creature flew over, She made a hard vertical swipe toward his torso, throwing the weight of her body forward as she did so. Whether the slash hit or not, she used the momentum to propel herself forward, darting across the clearing in a flash of white. She turned on one foot to face the creature again, bringing her blade into an odd stance over her head, with her free hand extended outward towards Taggerung, palm down.

When the Flames Die

Celeste cursed to herself as the creature ducked under her blade. Her eyes followed him as he scurried across the clearing, turning to face her. The creature then proceeded to unhinge it's jaws, revealing a massive mouth filled with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. Her feet slid apart, preparing to move, whatever this creature intended to do. As he was still unhinging his jaw, Celeste's left hand exited her cloak. The hand seemed to be almost entirely wrapped in thin ribbons of white cloth, similar to bandages. The hand gripped the clasp around her neck. In a moment, the creature was barreling toward her on all fours. As he kicked off the ground, the woman darted to the side, pulling the clasp and removing her cloak in a whirl of white. The garment flew towards the creature's face, in an attempt to blind him, if only for the moment. The removal of her cloak revealed the woman's body. She wore a robe of white beneath her cloak, it's sleeves reaching just past her elbows. At her waist was a cloth belt, with two sword sheathes tucked neatly into it. The one on her left hip had been drawn, but the right still rested in it's sheathe. The entirety of her body, starting just below her neck and seemingly ending at her ankles, seemed to be wrapped in the same white ribbons that covered her hand. The strips of silk seemed to form a sort of body suit, and were vaguely reminiscent of mummification. As Taggerung passed by, she darted after him, going into a spinning motion and striking with a wide horizontal slash towards his waist. As the blade traveled through the air, it seemed to leave a trail of brilliant gold light.

When the Flames Die

Celeste was a bit surprised at the creature's extreme mobility. Her eyes followed Taggerung as he lept over blade and landed several feet away. He charged again, and she prepared herself for the incoming attack. He was fast, that was certain, and she had no intention of finding out how sharp those claws were. The creature charged forward, a strange grinding sound filling the air. Celeste watched closely, her knees bending ever so slightly as her foe approached. Almost....there. Only a moment before Taggerung struck, she kicked off the ground, throwing herself into the air. As she jumped, she pulled her knees up to her chest and flipped clear over Taggerung's head. She landed softly on her feet, and turned with a quick pivot the moment her feet struck soil. There was a sound similar to ripping fabric, and the golden blade of her curved sword tore through her cloak in a stab towards Taggerung's spine. Her hood had fallen back in the quick maneuver, revealing a head of brilliant crimson hair, pulled into a ponytail and reaching a bit past her shoulders.

When the Flames Die

Of course it wouldn't be so easy. Celeste ducked her head beneath the creature's blow with almost inhuman speed, narrowly avoiding the claws. Even if her strike had missed, she'd managed to get her sword out, a fact she was thankful for. As she ducked, she darted forward, underneath the creature's already raised arm. Her footsteps were light, and her movements seemed surprisingly graceful for someone in the middle of combat. As she darted forward, she made a slash towards Taggerung's armpit. Her forward motion could push the edge along deeper into the skin if it struck, but even if the attack missed, her foe would have to turn around to strike her.

When the Flames Die

A look of disgust crossed Celeste's face as the monstrosity tore it's way out of the corpse. It came to a standing position in front of her. She felt her teeth clench behind her lips, and her right foot slid forward ever so slightly. There was no turning back now. She had to deal with this thing, one way or another. If it had killed Jezin, it was skilled, for certain, but everything had some kind of weakness. Surely even such an abomination was no different. In a single movement, the woman opened the folds of her white cloak, her left hand visible for a moment as it pushed the cloth out of the way. At the same time, her right hand drew a blade. There was a flash of golden light as Celeste struck, directly out of the sheath. She made a quick diagonal slash towards the creature's chest, darting forward as she did so.

When the Flames Die

Celeste lowered her head, her eyes barely visible below the top of the hood. The man had drawn a sword, and then tossed it to the ground moments later. That, combined with the jolting spasms that seemed to run through him regularly, made him quite confusing, and more importantly, unpredictable. Again, the voice emanated from Taggerung. Celeste noted that he himself didn't appear to be saying the words. She shook her head. "But you're wrong. Someone already has been hurt, several someones, from what I've been told. You killed three Lyoki nationals, no? And now here you are, demanding I leave. I'm afraid I must decline that request." She eyed the sword on the ground. It was a bizarre tactic, if he intended on using the weapon. "I'm not leaving Keilaudrin, not with you roaming around."

When the Flames Die

Celeste's eyes widened as the hood dropped. She knew that face. It belonged to Jezin Tremora, but this was not that man. Quickly, her mind put the pieces together. If Taggerung was not human, and he had killed Jezin, then those two facts together might suggest that the person standing before her was, in fact, Taggerung. She took a step forward, her green eyes seeming to glow with a faint spark. "That doesn't belong to you. Taggerung, right?" She took another step forward, her eyes glued to his. "No, I don't believe I'll be leaving quite yet." Her eyes narrowed as she took another step forward. A faint sliding sound could be heard beneath her cloak. "Do you intend to make me leave, then?" Her voice was still oddly calm, though there was a bit of force behind it now.

When the Flames Die

Celeste froze in place as the black hooded figure appeared before her. Damn it all, after everything someone had found them out. Oddly enough though, this man didn't look like anyone from the palace, at least as far as she could tell. The voice he spoke with was almost painful to listen to. The woman turned towards Taggerung, her white hood casting a bit of a shadow over the top of her face. Her green eyes still pierced through the shadow, however. Something told her this situation would not be resolved as calmly as the last one. "And why precisely is that, sir?" Her voice was cool and glassy, seemingly unfazed by the fact that her plans may have just went up in flames. "Who exactly are you, by the way?" Celeste's body was completely hidden beneath her cloak. Her eyes stayed locked on the shadow beneath the man's hood.

When the Flames Die

Lily's eyebrows raised at the mention of Lyoki royals. Whatever group Maria was a part of evidently knew Sophia was in town. At least their intentions seemed benevolent. Lily's eyes glanced quickly to Sophia before returning to Maria. "You don't say?" She drummed her fingers against the back of her hand. The situation was definitely a great deal more complicated than they'd thought it would be. What a situation to be in. Sent off to a foreign land to deal with foreign problems, all the while knowing that if your identity is discovered you could end up dead. On top of that, her companions were a grizzled old war dog and a woman she was fairly certain could cut her in half in the blink of an eye. At least she'd found someone to talk to. "I've seen several places in town selling clothes, I believe there was a shop just down the street. I'd offer you some of my own, but I don't know how well they'd fit. Such is my curse." She laughed and motioned to her feet, kicking them about slightly. Because of her small height, they couldn't even reach the floor.

Sophia smiled back at the boy. "Why thank you Mentha, it's a pleasure to meet you." She looked at the boy, guessing his age to be around twelve, but she couldn't be sure. She noticed, with a bit of interest, that his eyes were different colors. "My name is Sophia." She took a bite of the muffin again. "Are you from around here?" Her voice was cheerful and soothing. Eva glanced over at the boy before returning to her food. She was a bit paranoid at this point, but a curious child was nothing to get worked up about.

Celeste watched as the men disappeared again, doubtful that all of them had truly left. "Tsk... That was rather pointless." She turned back towards Haeryn. "If an attempt has already been made on the princess then things are worse than we feared. I need you to send word of what you've heard back down the chain." The grizzled man looked uncertain. "Do you think you can handle this alone if something happens? I'm not doubting your abilities, but even you have your limits, Celeste." The hooded woman shook her head. "The information needs to get back to Veranthium as soon as possible. I'll be fine, plus, I have Tosli if I need her." Haeryn looked even less sure. "Tosli's little more than a child with a sharp tongue and a knack for putting holes in things." Celeste smirked. "Haeryn, you're getting bitter in your old age." The bowman shook his head. "I'll do as you say, milady, just watch yourself." Celeste nodded. Seconds later, Haeryn was gone.