Fallenreaper

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Nox Alignment Ceremony

_{@Rtron,@Lucius Cypher, @May, & @Luna}

“Look, you want this to end? Then just do what I ask.”

Darell fought not to snap. Aggression or sarcasm wouldn’t get him anywhere. It was something he was beginning to learn and understand with this group. However, he couldn’t simply expect them to comprehend his action.

The mask man jerked his head upward when Helena caught his attention. Without thinking, his hand jerked out at her. Ribbon like shadows snaked from near her foot and then lashed at her legs.

“Just die already.” The man snapped as he caught Darell’s dart for the crystal.

“Stay back!” His hand jerked at and three sharp darts, shaped from darkness, whipped out at Darell’s form. Darell’s hand rose and the first one decayed in place. However, the other two hadn’t been touched as they sped their way toward him.

Uncovering Shadows

Lyn, Hysteria (Djarkel)
_{@Ryonara, @Konan375, @Demonic Angel, @13org and @EliteCommander}

---

~| Lyn |~

Lyn groaned in pain as she landed hard on Henri’s lap. They both crumpled into a heavy and crashed to the floor. Her ears caught the Orcish woman chuckle maliciously at their entanglement. Her flesh burn in both anger and embarrassment.

Still sore, Lyn flinched slightly at the touch as he picked her upright once more. It wasn’t hard. She weighed nearly nothing compared to most girls her age and likely broke much easier.

As he introduced himself, she looked at him a moment. Immediately she thought of how cute he looked. She promptly shook her head to banish the thoughts. This wasn’t the time or place to flirt, she realized in her fluster.

“Lyn, and sorry you were dragged into this.” Lyn commented. She twisted upon her foot to face the approaching Orcish woman. The brutish woman leered and aimed to take advantage of their distraction. Though she caught his flourishing bow from the edge of her vision.

Her head tilted and eyebrow raised at his mention of tricks in a low whisper. What was he up to? She didn’t have long to wonder when he called her his muse and caused her cheeks to redden again.

When Henri tossed his blade, the orcish woman didn’t intend to block at all. The flat of her machete blade up to bat the dagger away from her exposed side. Upon impact, the blade jerked toward the roof’s edge and disappeared.

Not missing a beat in her rhythm, her other arm rose and her machete came swing at him. Namely deep into the chest.

Just when the woman was about to complete her swing, seeds shoot forward and burst open. Thin vines wrapped about the arm and tossing backwards.

“I don’t think so!” Said Lyn with her hands outstretch and fingers clawed in focus.

~| Leith |~

When the lid of the barrel came off, she swiped her trident up and blocked the wood from hitting her. Then the liquid spewed. A harsh and familiar scent washed over the Elf’s nose. Lamp oil. It soaked through her clothes into her skin causing panic to rose in her throat. Her eyes widened in realization as she snarled at the man’s blunder.

He seemed lost in his thoughts. A mistake with the enemy so close, the assassin thought. Taking the opportunity presented to her, she whipped out her weapon to slash him across the chest.

That action was interrupted as Leith went for the teetering lamp and caught in hand. The flame snuffed out. Leith would feel the fresh pain of something slash him across his front. A bright, red line appeared as a trident point retracted from the flesh. When he chuckled and asked his question, the woman shook her head.

“You should’ve thought of that before you tried to sneak up on me.”

With that thought, she jabbed her trident at him once more and then twisted it into a slash. The wound, if it hit, would’ve been at the chest.

~| Ssarak|~

The Esyire, out of all the assassins, had the most experience with Pychomancy. However, he still fell short compared to those within the College. As his chain retracted, Ssarak might sense some indecision. Uncertainty if the doppelganger was actually alive. His momentum not lost, the Esyire jerked the chain back and continued to swing in place. His thoughts rattled over to which one he planned on hitting.

Bit by bit, the gas started to settle lower. It seemed to be evaporating gradually. His impatience was getting the better of him slowly.

Something assaulted his emotions. It wormed its way in and began to nibble at his self control. His free hand reached up and touched his temple. Pleasure shortly warred with his anxiety and paranoia. His knuckles tightened about his chain as it slowed its pace gradually. To Ssarak, it appeared to be working.

Every muscle was relaxing and aggression seemed to evaporate.

The doppelganger edged to face the Esyire, the eyes penetrated deep and mind forced itself in. Memories flashed before Ssarak’s mind. Orders. Someone wanted the chest badly enough to pay through the nose for it. No questions were asked beyond the price.

He had hoped it would’ve been an easy task. It turned out he was wrong.

~| Keri |~

The man didn’t speak. Instead his foot pushed the chest to the side as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, his fingers came alive with flames. They crackled and hissed, alive almost. Before Keri could get an answer, he moved.

Surprisingly fast for a human, his figure kept low to the ground and balanced. His palm extended in a palm strike at Keri’s chest.

College Troubles

Val and Zaad, Twilight College
_{@Landaus Five-One@BlackPanther}

“Donnae let t’at big ‘ol pile o’ sand scare ye. Some simple fire will set ‘im striagh’t in nae time.” Val patted the young hybrid’s wing, her surprise hidden.

She stepped aside and avoided being clubbed by the wings as they folded up once more. Looking the boy down a few times, her examination was interrupted by Salem.

At his behavior of Veretu, Val’s smile wilted into a frown. The demon was getting far too big for his fur. He reminded her of Zaad’s attitude when it came to those he thought lesser of. Her eyes laid a scornful gaze upon the feline. If looks could burn, Salem might've been burnt crisp or ashes. The portly dwarven woman crossed her arms over her chest as she mentally sized the small feline up.

Her features again softened to the young man’s reply. She nodded then commented on the demon’s behavior. “Reminds me of Zaad…”

“First lesson,” Val said while she held up one finger, “Donnae let ‘im talk to or about ye like t’at. Demons are feisty critters and usually self-servin’. Yore learns t’at wit’ Tyrael.”

Returning to the girl who shook her hand earlier, Val cocked her head. Elise, wasn’t it? She seemed so timid. How in the world did she ever manage to survive the trip here, the Rune teacher wondered. She then shook the thought away as she addressed the girl.

“I wouldn’t be fooled by his appearance, Ms. Cander. Demons aren’t as innocent or cute as t’ey seem. ‘E’s t’e same as Zaad, just in a different form.”

She stole a breath before she continued.

“Alrig’t, t'ere lass? Nice and easy. W’at ‘as ye so worked up? Zaad is scary, but ‘e’s not t’at terrifyin’.”

Val scrutinized the younger girl’s shaking form as she looked for an answer to the cause.

Samhain Intrigues

Noah is so going to give Erin an, 'I told you so..," look.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Blood Stain Memories

Location: Lost Haven, Maine (Outskirts of city)

Time: Day 1 of Arrival, After sunset (2-3 days after the Soul Stone Creation)

---

---

A great horned owl fluttered silently across the night sky. Its wings outstretched and caught whatever warm draft available, lazily set adrift. With surprising grace, the creature swooped onto the nearest perch. A rooftop of a dock building. Wings folded and claws stretched out to cling to the stone edge. An impressive bird of prey, it rested its weight comfortably into place. The round, black eyes dilated with its rotating head to survey its surroundings. Satisfied, feathers ruffled lightly in the eerily silent night.

Crack. Snap… pop.

Harsh sounds of bone shifted unnatural fashion. The owl shuddered while pain flared along its outline, its head cocked at an odd angle. Its wing began to shrink and tips separated into individual fingers. Feathers molted off to reveal pale skin underneath while its legs lengthened. As the crackling wrapped up, a man sat where an owl once stood.

Completely naked. Not bothered by his exposure, Michael tested his movement with a few stretches and idle twists. When everything checked out, he moved upright. His eyes glanced down to notice his au naturel state. A simple inhale caused his flesh to materialize clothing. A basic tee shirt and jeans did wonders for the casual walk. His hand reached for his back pocket and pulled a crumbling picture from it. Admiring eyes lingered on the image of Rach’s most recent image, drawing a dark smirk.

The similarities were remarkable with hints of her darling mother to break them. His right index finger casually brushed the side of her cheek down to her chin, almost lovingly. Michael relished the upcoming fun as he replaced the picture into his pocket. It was time to get to work. The first priority was to gain his beloved daughter’s attention. A simple task, he was certain of that.

All he had to do was leave a bread to crumble trail to follow. One that led up to an unavoidable meeting, but he would likely need to restrain her. Especially since she would be hard pressed to control those natural urges.

Chuckling silently to himself, he began to make his way down to the ground floor.

***|Few Hours later- Evening|***

Shawn Harper, a lucrative business man, strolled into the underground parking lot. His hand waved to go bye to the last living soul he would see for some time. George, the security guard, settled back into his booth with a newspaper. Shawn rolled his eyes. There was nothing in it, but recent vigilante shenanigans and destruction trash. Gossip and speculation over who wore a mask.

Those hero wannabes had created quite a stir, he thought bitterly.

Farther into the darkness and isolation, his fingers tightened about his suitcase. His eyes suspiciously inspected each shadow. Each one he scrutinized it for any unsavory surprises or secrets it might hide, the worst expected from it. Paranoia filled his attention causing his eyes to dart from one recess to another.

Nothing.

Pillars stood over him like dead man made corpses, supporting the smooth roof. Their presence drew on his instinctive fear and goaded him faster toward the car. His feet picked up their pace the moment he found his car among the others. He raised a hand, with key extended, then pressed into the lock.

It clicked open. His hand switched over, keys in a palm, to pull the door. It glided open as the sense of being watched crawled along his skin. Goosebumps appeared and pricked, jolted by fear. Cautiously, his vision looked over his shoulder for signs of life. Security his paranoia wasn’t tugging at his mind’s senses. Nothing. The sight didn’t nullify the heighten panic collecting in his soul. Hastily, his hand widened the door and ducked into the driver’s seat.

As he ducked into the car, a human shape-shifted from the nearby shadows and gave a wide grin. The hand raised upright. Fingers extended and shaped into five, six-inch blades. Micheal stepped forward.

Samhain Intrigues

Noah Griffin
Erin Céleste

---

---

Noah exhaled and held his hands close to his mouth.

A faint, white mist escaped from his lungs to warm them. It was nippy down there, but not as bad as some Chicago winters. He pulled his coat tighter about himself. The longer he remained here, the weirder things become and homesickness washed over him. Chill hung in the air, worsened by time, threatening to pour into his very bones and freeze him in place. It felt like late fall now despite only a month passing.

‘How much longer did they had to travel?’

The question pounded deeper into his head with each slow, trudging step onward. Noah’s sleep deprivation had gotten worse. Now him to seem more like the walking dead than living now. Bags puffed under his eyes, his feet were lead and sleep bullied his focus. Being a construction worker, Noah worked long hours and late into the night sometimes. This was ridiculous even by that standard.

Nothing in his job could've prepared him for the forced marches' brutality.

When night came, his thoughts wandered to Ethan and his father. Guilt settled in his heart over their future, one without him, taunted him. Thankfully his frustrations only affected his ability to sleep rather than his mood.

His half-closed eyes drifted to the others around him. Not everyone was equally fit for the temperature drop. Those from warmer climates or lacking in proper protection struggled to stay warm.

He inhaled and closed his eyes, shielding his conscious. At least from pushing him into doing something stupid.

As they advanced upon the mountain, his vision glanced upward to the darkish skies above him. A wind blew ferociously and loud across the gloomy landscape. Compared to the earth that threatened to swallow them up, it was far more welcoming. A heart-stopping thought whispered a dreadful question into the back of his mind.

‘What if I never see it again?’

The terrible thought shivered through his system.

The lacking of sunlight blinded Noah for several moments. His eyes strained to adjust and managed barely.

Several individuals impulsively flipped open their devices to better illuminate the tunnel. The realization then swept over them that they were no longer in the world they knew. Any commodities they held had to last. Phones and various devices immediately snapped shut to conserve battery power.

Time passed in dead silence.

A defeat, fed by exhaustion and hunger, drove them deeper into the mountain. A dim, purplish light guided them through the seemingly endless path. To avoid infection and new wounds on his feet, Noah had the sense to slip his shoes beforehand.

Everything about this new setting pushed Noah’s nerves into new paranoia levels. Adrenaline in his veins, the burly construction worker migrated alongside the others. All drawn by some sense of need he couldn’t understand.

When they came to the bizarre sight of the Naga, both bound to the gate and playing her harp, Noah’s eyes widened. His bravery had started to reach his limit by now. If it wasn’t for the fact he knew he wouldn’t get very far, the man would’ve tried to bolt long before now.

Now he stood, hiding his climbing emotions, there listening. The woman’s language seemed to fit the pace and oddity of one other of their group. Forcing his voice to remain steady, his peripheral vision caught someone pausing nearby.

“Did you understand what she just said?” His hand gestured to the Naga’s rapid words.

He wasn’t sure if the woman could understand them or not, but he certainly couldn’t.

Erin walked silently along with the rest of the group as they all entered the caves, sticking close to Carrie at the back of the crowd. The cave was dark, but that was about it for any ‘this is even worse than before’ kind of observation she could make. As far as she knew, the change in scenery was a good thing- hopefully it meant they were making progress towards their final destination.

As the group got to a certain point though, everything stopped. Erin wound her way through the mass of people, until finally she could see what was happening. A woman, hanging from the ceiling, had stopped them at a gate. As she listened, Erin’s face lit up. This one knew Spanish! She paused as she watched the interaction between the Fae, and came up with what she would say when she got a chance to speak to this woman. She was about to start moving through the crowd again, until a man’s voice caught her attention.

”Sss.. Yes. I understood her.” Erin hissed accidentally as she had to stop herself from saying “sí” to the man. English was “yes”, she had to remember that. ”She said: Kiron will be very interested… Many thanks my good Yin. Good night, and welcome to ‘Under the mountain’ humans.” She paused to think for a moment about the proper words before continuing. ”She then asked the Generals for a payment, to enter the city.”

”... No conozco a Kiron, probablemente es su nombre. Yo sé Yin es el Zorro.” A few seconds passed before she realized the lapse in her speaking. ”Sorry. Fox. Yin is a Fox. The woman may be Kiron. Names.”

“English is hard for everybody, even me.” Noah replied his eyes stared forward, unable to pry his eyes from the scene.

A deep, dark sensation spread through his chest to poison any positive notion he had left. Instinctively his hand raised to his neck back as he fought the vomit in his throat back. This was bad… This was bad. Over and over, the thought ran in circles in his head.

“I don’t like this… what does she mean by payment?”

”Well..” Erin trailed off as she tried to think of any answer that might make sense. ”Money, hopefully. Normally that would be… normal.” Erin shook her head at herself before falling silent.

Noah blinked then turned to Erin. A moment passed before he formulated something reasonable and easy to understand. This girl’s lack of English skills become apparent in her communication, but she had improved. Last time, he heard her screaming in Spanish. Now it was broken English.

“We can hope, but I sort of doubt it. Nothing about this place has been normal so far and I suspect it might just get worse.”

Spanish Translations

”I don’t know who Kiron is, that may be her name. I do know that Yin is the fox.”

Samhain Intrigues

I'm waiting for Ves' green light and I'll post up the reply soon.

Coruscant Sacked: Aftermath

Xid and Jayda

~| Prisoner Cells, 13^th hour |~

---

Xid frowned. As far as he was concerned, the sith’s words were full of harm and deceit toward the Jedi. Their existence brought nothing but continual chaos and suffering to the galaxy. The most obvious damage caused in the last two decades through war. In all his lessons, Xid had never heard of a single Sith’s actions benefitting harmony or order ever in history. Unless it was to enslaving innocents to the Empire flag.

Though willing to toss his life away, the padawan logically knew they were at the mercy of the sith. No escape and if they fought too hard, he had little doubt the security would step in to interrupt. His fists clenched tightly in frustration. This situation was getting too much for him as a memory clawed at the back of his mind and threatened to surface.

The sounds of someone approaching the group. His head snapped into their direction and noted the appearance of an Amaran, a small biped vulpine species. The small creature was calmer than him, despite their predicament. Visible concern crossed his facial features at her verbal willingness to go. A deep realization washed over him causing him to feel helpless while he watched the small creature go with the woman. He couldn’t deny a living thing their right to choose their own path. Even if he felt to be a terrible choice.

Swallowing the bitter truth, his attention followed the Amaran’s departure. His attention snapped to the mechanical arm, analyzing it, when the Trandoshan stepped to the side. A complicated machine. It wouldn’t take Xid long to figure out how to disrupt its inner workings and cripple the Sith Lord. Deep in his thoughts, he didn’t spy the Lord nudge his apprentice into acquiring him. The Zabrak gave a dark look before she stepped to obey him.

Spying the movement, his eyes lifted to face the apprentice. His figure fell into a weaken fighting stance and arms raised to defend himself.

What he didn’t expect was Nazca to get involved.

When the Trandoshan held his clawed hand out, Xid tensed and expected to feel the force about his throat. However, it was Nazca’s abrupt stop in her sentence that sent panic into his system. His eyes widened and twisted over his shoulder, catching Nazca’s figure halt in midstep. She clawed at her throat in reaction when she was violently jerked up. A brash warning then the Sith jerked his hand and sent Nazca flying backwards.

Without thinking, Xid turned on heel to help his ally. He didn’t get too far. Jayda, sensing his desire, quickened her reactions and gripped his robe back. Her fingers tightened their grip then jerked backwards. Unbalanced by the action, his collar choked him and slammed him into the ground.

The apprentice’s frown deepened. He began to pick himself up from the floor, unhappy with his clumsiness. Impatient, the Zabrak bent at the waist and roughly seized his robe back. Her words reached his ears sending a shiver down his spine.

“You’re making it worse for yourself…” Jayda hissed and pulled him to his feet. She shoved him toward the Trandoshan as she followed behind, ready to react to his attempts to fight her or get back to Nazca.

Formaroth: Battle for the Throne

I made an edit on my last post.

I had unknowingly seated Eclipse near his horse, which is impressive seeing that said horse is galloping away with Andrew as its rider.

It has been edited now for continuity's sake.

@Klomster

You just wanted Eclipse's horse to be magical, hehee.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Location: Smithy's drug and grocery store, Las Vegas

Time: Evening

---

As the last of the flesh and hair fell away, Benjamin’s blonde werewolf emerged. Renewed energy tingled underneath the fur and needled at his awareness. His muscles twitched and tensed, the endorphins numbed the last of the pain. A low rumble escaped through his gritted teeth as his eyes bright, blue eyes rose upright. They observed Odette, Mandate, and Bach in an animalistic fashion. Sharpened by fear, hostility wafted off his outline.

He didn’t move.

He stood absolutely still on all fours. Patches of gore dripped off his wet fur, causing several areas become matted. The usually light color was stained slightly pink. The fur puffed out when his vision caught the bluish transparent orb form on Odette’s palm. She blew it into his direction, like a demented kiss, as she criticized his agony. He tensed at the mention of it being inconvenient for their conversation. The werewolf's eyes continued to glare in silence. Instinctively his nostrils flared to catch the scent. A flowery, sweet one immediately assigned itself to his mind. Something crossed with blueberries and bluebells. A sense of nonlethal intention popped into his head. His attention never wavered from the orb's amble toward him, pushed by invisible winds. When it vanished into his broad chest, Ben shuddered.

At first, it burned. His body resisted the effects until the spell faded into a lukewarm sensation. New energy mingled with the old causing the tingling and sensitive to intensify. It spread throughout his very veins before it settled into his core. Ben inhaled deeply, but he didn’t flinch or react to the spell’s influence. Tendons and nerves crackling in his keen ears. He was ready for action as his head narrowed onto the scene. An item, presented to the group earlier, had been placed underneath Mandate’s foot.

Again, his nose flickered and twitched again.

A sweet, musty scent floated to him this time. It was familiar yet… older. His head cocked in confusion for a moment, trying to place it. Something clicked in his memory causing his eyes to widen in fear and anger. His fur bristled abruptly as he narrowed on the memory. Benjamin's muzzle jerked to each individual.

First Mandate, then Odette and finally the unseen individual to her right. His growl deepened in warning ending in a snarling snap. Benjamin didn’t like hidden things or someone threatening his pack. Slowly his right paw stepped forward as he bolted at the trio.

Several things happened at once. Benjamin rushed past the male Dover twin, eluding his attempt to reach out and stop him. Ji and Yeong had already erupted from their human skins into their wolf forms. Instead of the mess, the twin's skin crumbled like dry and aged flakes off their fur. Their paws slammed the tile to rush into his wake. As Benjamin drew closer, his nostrils inhaled and caught a whiff of something magical. Red flashed in his head causing his reflexes to slow.

Yoeng had caught up and his vision spotted her move to stop him.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Nox Alignment Ceremony

_{@Rtron,@Lucius Cypher, @May, & @Luna}

When Helena hauled Darell onto solid ground, he fell upon his hands and knees for support. His breath shortened and sweat paled his skin tone by his near-death experience. Collecting his calm, his eyes glimpsed the red-haired woman then toss herself back into the fight. He had to credit Twilight College with strong-willed individuals. Both skilled and determined to survive, it was a factor that so few Djarkel subjected failed to reach. Darell’s right foot slid underneath him as he began to stand upright. Every muscle protested in waves at each minuscule movement. His teeth grit to bit back the scream on the top of his tongue.

As Annabeth and Helena took down the last Uth, Darell limped toward the others. A gash ran from his knee to his ankle, the muscle exposed through the flesh, bled along his limb. Upon reaching the others, he shot the dirtiest and blatant look at Athalus for his snide comment.

“And for being a student at Twilight, you know next to nothing about your own magic,” the tone became taunt in fury. He breathed to soothe his rattled patience before he turned on heel toward the crystal.

He paused long enough to shout over his shoulder,“We have to get to the crystal. They won’t stay dead for long and we’re wasting time.”

As if activated by his words, the scattered smears along the broken stone began to stir. Dark smoke billowed from each and formed outlines, giving shape to their enemies. Liquid, the decayed and rancid remains, climbed upward to fill the empty space into a solid mass once more. Knowing they had little time, Darell aimed for the center of the room.

The mask man's palm pressed to the crystal’s icy surface. They all could feel his eyes continued to glare at them in his newly gain domain and the hatred radiated off him. A raspy sound exhaled through the crow-like mask and the glare narrowed. Without warning, he tensed his wrist and poured more noxomancy energy into the object. It glowed brightly. It illuminated the chamber, dowsing them and the room in crimson color, to banish all shadows within. Darell’s heart hurried into action as the group covered the distance to the center.

Far behind them, the Uth began to shake off the death experiences and stalk toward them. Annabeth, still the better of the group, guarded the rear. Using her magic she began to confuse the Uth with illusions. The right turned to attack the left while the middle snapped in reaction. Shortly, they were all at each other’s throats.

Darell knew she couldn’t keep it up for long. The Uth wasn't bright enough to understand the young woman’s tricks or it wouldn’t have fooled them.

“The Nox is MINE! MINE!” the masked man hissed. He appeared to be a serpent in human flesh, spitting and coiling in a place he didn’t belong.

Darell shifted to Athalus then Helena, “Can you distract him long enough for me to get to the crystal?”

College Troubles

Val and Zaad, Twilight College
_{@Landaus Five-One@BlackPanther}

Val’s heavy boots came to a haul in front of the girl that moved to greet her. The girl’s friend held back and seemed to cow behind his wings. On the first impression, the dwarf jotted down two things. He had Esyire blood in him and his blood was one of the ancients. She rubbed her thumb under her nose. Her fierce, green eyes sized the newcomer greeting her. She was a pretty lassie, but very timid causing Val to roll her tongue over her teeth in thought. Inwardly she debated on their motives for coming to Twilight College. Any who crossed the threshold received the same treatment.

The moment the woman spoke, the stern dwarf’s expression warmed.

“Name’s Val. Wot’s yors and wat’s ye purpose here?” Asked the plump runemaster, her hand extended Elise.

Behind Veretu, his shadow shimmered. Something shifted and moved, unseen within. Any unattentive eyes would’ve easily missed such a display. Slowly, something rose from nearest the youth’s foot. Black dust swirled to form a lithe, clawed arm. Slowly it moved toward Salem while the cat was interacting with Val. Before the demon had a chance to react, the hand seized his tail and jerked it.

A deep, throaty chuckle could be heard.

“My, such a scaredy cat aren’t you?”

Zaad, the headmaster's demon, began to emerge from Veretu's shadow. He appeared to be made from a mixture of shadow and sand. His two red eyes narrowed on Salem, a smugness on his features. Humanoid enough to enable anyone to tell he gained amusement at Salem’s reaction. Around his lower torso, black sand swirled and rotated about him to hold him in place.

“Zaad!” Val’s voice snapped as she gently pushed past Elise. Her chest puffed out while she drew a gauntlet and tugged it on. Once secured in place, she flexed her fingers then fisted her hand at her side. Engraved into the leather, a small, gold rune glowed at the ready. Fire burst along the outline and crackled, causing the Nox demon to tense briefly.

“Shoo! Git along t’ere, ye ‘ittle pest! Donnae ‘ad tis Nox to be patrolling?”

Grumbling, Zaad shot her a look before melting into the ground and vanishing from sight.

She looked to Veretu before she deactivated her weapon. Her fingers gently touched his wings and her became warmer than honey, "Ye alrig't? Oh sand and s'adow donnae scare ye too bad, did 'e?"

Uncovering Shadows

Lyn, Hysteria (Djarkel)
_{@Ryonara, @Konan375, @Demonic Angel, @13org and @EliteCommander}

---

~| Lyn |~

Don’t Panic...Don’t… PANIC! Lyn’s mind screamed and ducked. The razor sharp edge split her hair, her figure falling to rest in a crouching position. Her eyes widened in shock at how close the blade came. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest and beating her ribs until they throbbed with agony. In a fluid moment, her legs shove backward to avoid the swipe at her arm.

Stumbling back to an upright position, her hand pulled back her blade. Her eyes took its aim. The orcish woman grunted and leered at the younger girl’s determination, flexing her muscles. Lyn could feel her panic swelling in her throat as she forced herself to be calm. A feat that more difficult than she could ever imagine. With a well-practiced movement, she stepped and throw the knife at the Orc’s face. Abruptly the handle split open revealing four vine tendrils spread wide. They latched onto the woman’s upper torso just as she lifted her arm to protect her eyes.

“Gotcha!” Lyn said in pride.

Her pride that was short lived when the Orc woman shook her head. A gravelly voice mocked the younger girl, “Oh, you ‘got' me alright.”

The assassin’s arm ripped the vines from their anchor and twisted around for a better grip. Her enjoyment deepened as with all her might, she ripped the makeshift binds behind her. Lyn, terrified by the sight of her attack doing nothing, felt her feet leave the ground. Her lightweight figure went sailing and crashed into Henri’s at the end of his roll to his feet.

~| Ssarak |~

When the last of the gas escaped the Noxomancer’s mouth, the fog bloomed out to engulf the whole section. On the verge of consuming Ssarak and his doppelgangers, it shrank back and settled to the ground. It seemed to be a waist deep, green fog lingering on the floor. It appeared harmless but one approached at their own risk. The older Esyire’s form straightened after his release. It was a moment of vulnerability as it appeared he couldn’t both use his breath and attack at the same time. This wasn’t an uncommon weakness among Esyire. If he didn't intend to hit his allies, his focus went into precision aim and left him open for attack.

While he stood there, his eyes flickered between the three identical black scaled Esyires now retreating out of range. They scattered in different directions. Each one looked genuinely real. Their expression to their appearance, making it impossible to locate the actual mage. The assassin hadn’t counted on this. It was clever to use his gas, a focus spell, and doppelgangers hindered his certainty.

Irritated by the situation, his claws tightened about his weapon as he waded deeper into the gas. It would prevent flanking unless the mage enjoyed crumbling to sickness.

Being the origin, he was immune to his own magic. Cautiously he stepped to the Esyire he believed was the real one. His eyes narrowed and studied the one closest to the far wall, but his path stopped just within the fog. It would take more than an extended sword swing to get at him. The assassin's legs widened to steady his stance and prepare for any resistance. Slowly his arm began to rotate the chain causing the end to spin before he tossed it out to hit the target’s side. If the doppelganger blocked, it would surely be the real mage. On contact, the chain would wrap upon whatever was solid. While Ssarak could risk it and block it, there was no way of telling if the Esyire was stronger than himself or not.

One thing Ssarak could be sure of: confidence oozed off his adversary on the matter.

~| Leith |~

The Wood Elf hadn’t expected the metal sound upon the strike. She frowned, her lips thinned out in displeasure, as she pulled the weapon up once more. About to slam into her victim’s chest, the trickery caught her off-guard. When Leith shouted, “RING!”, she paused in confusion. A moment too long. Her elegant features marred, her sight immediately burned from the light of the ring. It flooded everywhere. Shadows rushed to hide into the warehouse’s nearest corners. The assassin's trident was flung to her side and her unarmed arm to raise protect her eyes.

She clumsily retreated back into the nearest pile of crates. One's corner dug through her clothing and into her back, making her aware of where she was. The elf tried to shake away the blurriness from her vision as she took another stance. A defensive one. With her weapon held in front and across her torso, she intended to play rough defense with her lack of sight. It easily block any attack set upon at a moment’s notice.

“You’re going to suffer for that, you bastard…” She growled.

Samhain Intrigues

I cut my tongue on a lollipop and now my tongue won't stop bleeding

@Belle

Part of me wants to ask this: did you spank or bite the candy for bitting back? >_>