Helo

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Forests outside Roshmi City
Interactions: Cora @Potter, Elsea @Tae

”Thank you.” Cade said to Elsea relieved that she both believed him and quelled much of the destruction the fire was causing to the forest. He retrieved his halberd from the entrance of the cave before following close behind Elsea, approaching Cora with caution. Whatever the magic was that had affected all of them, was certainly more potent against Cora. Elsea got much closer to Cora than he did. Cade hung back from the fire and watched as Elsea spoke calmly to her. Cade was sure he would’ve been that calm, and while he knew he wasn’t going to attack the human, he didn’t want to say anything in anger that he would regret later. He saw no sign of whatever had cast the enchantment on them, but large amounts of smoke billowed from their location, surely alerting anyone nearby that someone was in the area.

He watched, only slightly satisfied, as Cora put out the fires she had unleashed on the forest. He noted that she paused, seemingly taking in what she had done and he hoped that the human had at the very least realized the gravity of her actions, her loss of control. Then Cade approached the two humans, he saw enough of Cora to tell that she was upset, troubled by whatever the magic had made her see, but did not address her directly or even maintain any sort of eye contact. To say anything now would only further drive a wedge within the group, she was upset, and he didn’t want to make it worse. He didn’t trust his control over his own temper enough to talk to her, he was still shaken by what he had seen that was not true and by what he had seen Cora do.

“I saw, or I thought I saw Ayita slain by something that whoever did this had conjured up. Do you think that was false as well?” Cade asked, looking at Elsea, his voice hopeful. No matter her answer he wasn’t entirely sure he would believe it all fake unless he saw Ayita again at the port town. It had all been so real, not only in sight but in sound and smell as well. All too unnerving, but he could at least hope that wasn’t the truth, at least enough that the thought wouldn’t haunt him for the entire journey. He wanted to go back and check, to see if the body was still there pinned to a tree, but there was no time for that. Their location was compromised and they had to leave now. ”We’ve wasted enough time, let’s get going.” He added looking towards the distance, and still keeping from making any direct eye contact with Cora, at least until some time had passed.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Forest outside of Roshmi
Interactions: Darius@FunnyGuy, Elthrael@Dezuel, Zephyrin@Howlsofwinter, Kenia@Tae Vaeril @AliveFalling

Bowyn found Vaeril’s request to be left behind worrying. He didn’t trust the wealthy noble elf who had hosted a ball, an event so full of excess and waste while so many in Roshmi struggled and starved. An event marked by slaughter. The elf had power, he had fought with them at the inn and so Bowyn had accepted that keeping an eye on him and allowing him to be useful seemed fine, but leaving him behind, with every opportunity to betray them, that was a risk. It was believable that he was just a soft noble unable to truly hold his drink and unused to things like hard work and dangerous travels but a man like that was just as likely to betray them as someone with more devious motives. As much as he didn’t care for that amount of uncertainty he simply shrugged and left the elf behind. There was nothing he could do about that potential threat, his magic was more than likely far stronger than Bowyn’s and even if wasn’t, to attack someone on mere suspicion was not something he wanted to do.

Zephyrin meanwhile stuck with her claim that she only cared about an adventure. He knew what life was like in the winter village, and for those whose every day wasn’t a constant struggle for survival, it was comfortable and dull. Anyone who wanted an adventure badly enough to go this far south, risking abduction, traveling alone, was willing to take great risk. She had potential, but lacked the motives for joining the rebellion, and that was disappointing. Kenia, the only one in the group he had any trust in, whispered something to him and Bowyn simply nodded with agreement. As a whole this group was a disaster, and he missed the assurance he had when with his previous human friends, that feeling of being among friends, with people he could trust.

Darius had chosen to stay behind with Vaeril. He could guess as to why, perhaps they really were friends, or maybe the human wanted to stick to whoever had wealth and power to make his time in Avalia more bearable. It didn’t really matter, Darius seemed comfortable enough with his magic that he could take care of himself, and he was free to make whatever choices he wanted. Ethereal made more cryptic statements that meant little to Bowyn, and then the forest fairy took off. His statement of putting one’s faith in one’s self and not in others, that had Bowyn’s way of thinking for a long time. That motto did the job, prolonged survival sure, but more recently he had put faith in Torvi and then in Belle. Neither had let him down, they had his back, and ultimately that time had been better spent, offered more reward than just survival. Bowyn now found it better to simply carefully pick who he put his faith in, the question was, would he be willing to put some of that faith in Kenia? And what about Zephyrin, could he convince someone of the worth of cause he had only just accepted. Or more accurately reaccepted, because he had believed in it before it was so deeply personal, back when he still felt a sense of connection and community in his village.

“You don’t care about rebellion? What about the winter fae stolen and sold into slavery on the black market? The Dark Elves and their reign of torment and slaughter? The destruction of forests, the rising tides of poverty and suffering? How does all that sit with you Zephyrin? All of it caused by the lich, fueled by him. Ours is not an adventure for tourists, that smoke, likely Aklenroth’s forces burning the forests just on the chance he might kill some of us. Destruction and murder just to keep us all subjugated.” Bowyn said as he glanced up at the dark smoke that the other fairies had also noticed. ”If you’re looking for something easy, you are probably better off following the moth than with us.” He added.

”That smoke is pretty close, I think we need to pick up the pace and put as much distance between us and it.” Bowyn added, turning his attention back to Kenia. With most of the group gone it did occur to him that he and Boreas alone could cover more ground in the air than on ground. Begrudgingly, he decided he didn’t want to spend his time alone though. Maybe Kenia was worth the risk, she didn’t seem too bad for an elf, and maybe she wasn’t but the only way he’d know for sure was to stick around and find out. An even worse realization was that the large bag of alcohol he had been carrying would most certainly slow him down if he wanted to get far away from whatever was burning in the forest. With a heavy sigh Bowyn lightened the bag, dumping out the bottles and keeping only a couple of the stronger ones to carry with him and leaving the rest by a tree.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Evening
Location: Alexei’s
Interaction with: Vivian@Pink Khione, Finn@Milkman, Ylva@13org, Valya@Crusader Lord

Eli gave a shrug at the mention of the food, truthfully most of it was barely passable, but most of the clientele came here to drink, not eat. He grabbed a menu listing off various burgers, wings, a few questionable specials, and of course the surprisingly good nacho’s and placed it near Valya. Overall, he found the group likeable, and despite Finn’s earlier door breaking, he seemed pretty humble about the whole vampire fight from the other night, and Eli thought he seemed like a solid guy. There was no animosity between hunter and wolf, and he didn’t see why there needed to be. So long as Finn wasn’t killing people, why shouldn’t they be able to co-exist, to be on friendly terms. Not all supernaturals were monsters, not all humans were innocent, and that was the problem with groups like Operation Humanity, they had no space for nuance, and that just wasn’t how the world worked. This was why places like Alexei’s mattered, a place where supernaturals and humans could exist peacefully, share drinks, and maybe change a few minds.

“Nacho’s are pretty good, the burgers are ok, and for your own safety and the sake of whoever draws bathroom clean up stay away from the chili.” Eli advised. The chili was made whenever meat was getting close to going bad, and in his opinion was never a wise gamble. “Unfortunately your bar staff is contractually required to make sure the alcohol here stays a flowing, so while we can’t join you we’re always around to keep your spirits up.” He added to Ylva, a slight grin at his own pun. “Welcome aboard Finn." He added before he went and grabbed the group another round of drinks before returning to the bar with Viv to work on drink orders.

”Take as long as you need, sounds like you’ve already dealt with enough mayhem tonight, I can handle the bar for a while.” Eli said as Viv mixed up a screwdriver and he started filling a couple of pitches of beer.

---

Time: Evening
Location: Boardwalk
Interaction with: Shay @Potter

Noah let out an amused chuckle at Shay’s comment, as if he cared what his parents thought of him; they were weak and now they were dead. The dog comment, that one ignited rage, to be compared to a filthy pet, the pale shadow of the predator's dogs came from, as if he was no better than a god damn werewolf. He didn’t even get the chance to respond, to unleash that rage, because the next thing he knew a foul substance hit his face, pepper spray. It burned his good eye, making it water as if he was some crying child. It leaked through his eyepatch, burning into the open wound where his other eye used to be. It continued through his nose, down his throat, burning even worse than the unnatural scents that clung to the witch. Fluids leaked from his eyes, from his nose, and Noah hacked and spit a mouthful of spit onto the ground. He barely registered the witches shrieking through the distraction of it. Then the opportunistic witch used his temporary blindness to deliver the lowest of blows; and kicked him in the groin. Noah let out a primal howl of rage and pain, and as he went to lunge towards the witch he found the spot where she had been empty.

Noah could barely see through the swelling in his eye, what he could see was blurred and distorted from tears. He clawed out his own face as if he could scrap the spray from it, but only further set the burning into his skin. He could hear people approaching him, shouting and closing in, but his sense of smell was left useless, his vision was almost as useless. He could see the blurry shapes moving towards him and grabbed the nearest one throwing the human with all his strength towards the others like it was nothing. Noah let out the growl of a cornered predator, and as another rushed towards him Noah grabbed the human and snapped its neck like a satisfying crack. The small crowd backed off some, he knew they were afraid, and he took a small step forward and growled again.

“Shit someone call the cops this freaks hyped up on PCP or something.”

Noah heard a panicked voice from the group of people, and as much as the idea of a huge slaughter appealed to him, he knew he had to get out of there. Noah couldn’t be sure there weren’t hunters close by, he couldn’t risk it after the witch had stripped him of two of his sharpest senses. Noah leapt from the side of the boardwalk, diving into the ocean and using the briny water to flush out the pepper spray from his eye and off his face. This had not gone even remotely close to his plan, the witch had made a fool of him, and he would find a way to make sure she suffered more before he brought her to Drake. Noah knew he could do better than this disaster, he would have to, he had been trained to do better. He would make sure that before he confronted the witch again, she would find freedom so unbearable that she would beg for a cage in New Paeonia. Noah knew he could do this, he knew exactly how to strip the will to be free from someone, because it had been done to him.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Evening
Location: Boardwalk
Interaction with: Shay @Potter

Noah left the shop with the dead witch and annoyed cat behind, wearing a satisfied grin as he walked. His freshly stolen coat felt right, the eye patch was a fun addition as well for as long as it took for the eye to regrow. He still had the taste of fresh blood in his mouth and the slightest bit of warmth that a vampire only ever felt after feeding left him more at ease. Noah was thriving on his own, he felt he had achieved the right look, like a badass vampire from a movie. He had a plan, he knew it would work eventually. The killings, the posters, his hunting; eventually it would all come to fruition. He needed the success, he had to prove himself to Drake, show his worth as a vampire. He had decided that is what would fix him, it would fill the void inside that he felt ever since his sire abandoned him. Success, approval, becoming a perfect predator; that was what he needed to feel whole again. Once he got there maybe his sire would return, or maybe he wouldn’t even need her anymore.

Noah was more than ready to leave the boardwalk, it was an unpleasant place. Too full of people, of smells that became too muddled to distinguish, and too loud. He would’ve left, but then he spotted perfect prey, one that strayed from the herd. Vampires were perfectly designed predators, they had sense for spotting exploitable weaknesses. Loners, those who stayed away from groups of people, those with that aura of sadness and pain surrounding them. That was the prey that could be easily taken, ones few would miss, and ones that could be manipulated into walking into New Paeonia. He didn’t have a plan, just the confidence of a vampire looking to toy with what he thought of as easy prey. He approached the hooded woman who looked out at the ocean, his footsteps drowned out by the noise of the boardwalk.

As he got closer he found his nose assaulted by the foul scents of things artificial. A criminal overuse of perfume, and an underlying smell of the harsh chemicals that humans used to dye their hair, combined with more things used to mask that smell like soaps and shampoos. It was all too much, the smells combined into an odor so harsh it burned through his nostrils and down his throat to the point where he could taste it. It was ruining the taste of his last kill, turning his stomach even. A guttural growl crawled out of his throat and the smell alone was almost enough that he was going to walk away. He wasn’t really hungry anyway, just looking to manipulate or kill to fend off boredom. Then he caught another scent, one buried under all that was artificial, one that was familiar. He grinned at the randomness of it all; so much work put into finding the witch only to stumble upon her by chance.

Noah knew he could not simply grab someone in a place so crowded, and the old one he’d met at the club had refused to teach him to compel others. He knew the best chance at a successful capture would be to watch from a distance, to call in more vampires, follow her to someplace more secluded before making any move. Noah knew this but that way was no fun, it lacked flair, and he would have to share the credit. He didn’t like that plan, he had done the work, he deserved the glory. He would not remain some insignificant lackey, he was better than that. Noah was in the mood to gamble, he wanted all the credit, he needed the satisfaction of having completed a mission all on his own. Noah cracked his neck, grinned with unabashed confidence, and strode forward towards Shay.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” He whispered in a voice that was low and menacing. ”I’ve been looking for you. I even put up posters. Do you know how many of your kind I’ve tortured trying to find you? None of them even knew who you were. I think I know why, you’ve got no friends in this town. No one to hide you, and you can try to run but I think we both know who's faster. Just a sad little lost pet, all alone in the big bad world. Don’t you think it’s time you came home? I’m starting to get a real taste for witches, Shay, you don’t want me to develop a habit now do you?” He spoke, savoring every moment, enjoying the opportunity to taunt, threaten, and gloat.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Forests outside Roshmi City
Interactions: Cora @Potter, Elsea @Tae, Umber @FunnyGuy

They need to die, brother… Like the undead, they do not belong. Their purpose is only to destroy.

The voice that mimicked his brother whispered in Cade’s mind and before him danced flames that surrounded the campsite. Elsea stood amongst the flames there, summoning and controlling them, allowing it to continue to catch and spread. Her face now adorn with symbols drawn in blood, something frenzied and savage sparked in her eyes. A cold shiver ran through him, a mix of both fear and dread at the thought of what might have to be done if she did not stop. Nearby Cora seemed overtaken by a similar madness, fire surrounding her as well, and distant shouting that he couldn’t quite make out. Whatever it was that had conjured the image of Shadow must be affecting them as well. Whatever it was wanted him to attack these humans, and Cade knew he could not give that creature what it wanted.

Cade continued forward, closing his eyes, keeping his hand as his sides rather than readying his claws for attack. This creature was one of lies and deception, he could not trust his senses, he had to rely on what he knew was true, on what he believed in. The voice that had spoken to him was wrong, the humans did belong here. Avalia had called them, through magic, through the DROM’s, to save this world. These were Avalia’s chosen heroes, and he had seen them at the ball vowing to fight for this world. These were good people, people he would put his faith in, and no sorcery would change that. Cade continued forward until the heat put off by the flames was nearly unbearable, and then he stopped. He focused on staying calm, trying to think of what to do next.

As he opened his eyes again, he saw Elsea without the look of madness upon her, and the flames around her had calmed to a single controlled area. It had been a trick, just as not-Shadow had been a trick. Had Ayita been a trick as well? Cade wasn’t sure, that had felt too real and with the threat still around he could not focus on that. Whatever the sorcerer taunted Cora with still seemed to be happening. Her flames struck brush and tree, a few unlucky creatures even bore the flames, and the scent of seared fur and flesh was in the air. Cade felt a pang of sorrow in his heart to see it, the forests were the place he held sacred. They were where he hunted, where life was allowed to remain wild and free, and see any destruction of it would always be a source of pain.

“I know you are not my enemy, and I would not harm you, nor anyone under my protection.” Cade spoke calmly. He waited to be sure she felt the same before approaching further. “But something dark toys with us, wants us to turn on each other. We are stronger than that.” Cade added with a nod, then with sad eyes glanced back at Cora and the destruction around her. ”Is it within your power to stop these flames?” He asked of Elsea.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Forests north of Roshmi City
Interactions: Malachi@princess, Belle@Potter, Myra@13org O’ner @Eviledd1984

Valok noted the way the female hid behind the male light elf, and he decided that the golden haired elf was indeed the leader of the group. He could tell she was cautious, his presence made her anxious and he wondered if it was only because he was a dark elf or because they worried he might be a guard from Roshmi. Either way she was not outwardly hostile, and neither was the light elf. Another man joined the group led by the light elf, this one speaking of the spiders, and he seemed to be the most talkative of the group. While the white furred demon that had identified herself as Myra, looked very alert and reminded him of the great predatory beasts that freely roamed Daka. He decided he liked the demon best, it was a familiar presence, something dangerous by design which reminded him of home and it’s body language seemed easily read.

As the light elf who headed the group finally spoke, he didn’t offer any objections to Valok following along. He did not have to wonder what the reaction would’ve been if his former legion had encountered a lone traveler with the same request. Mockery would’ve been their kindest response. Their seemingly indifferent reception was the friendliest welcome he had received in the south, and it was the probably the best outcome given both what he was and where he came from. The male light elf seemed a suitable enough leader; calm, decisive, and not overly concerned with pleasantries.

“You are hungry.” Valok stated as he looked at the female whose stomach had growled. As he kept pace with the group he retrieved a poorly wrapped item from his pocket and unwrapped the cloth around it. Inside were a few bars made of a congealed bone broth, roasted mealworms, and flaxseeds. He broke off a piece of one and ate it to show it was not poisoned before extending his hand and offering to share. It had a texture that was both slimy and crunchy, and while it didn’t taste pleasant it was nutritious. “I am willing to share as a thank you.” He added, extending the offer to the group. He also hoped that his offer would at least be enough that they would not immediately slit his throat at an opportune moment.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Forest outside of Roshmi
Interactions: Darius@FunnyGuy, Elthrael@Dezuel, Zephyrin@Howlsofwinter, Kenia@Tae Vaeril @AliveFalling

Bowyn’s attention shifted from Boreas back to Ethrael, who used a lot of words to convey very little information. Elthrael, it would seem, was on a fishing expedition, probing with questions to uncover the motivations of others. While Bowyn could appreciate Ethrael’s wit and the fact that he lacked the unbridled optimism and overly cheerful demeanor Bowyn expected from forest fae, Ethrael still gave no real information as to his own motives. His actions, however, spoke loudly enough; he slept away from the group and protected only himself, he could grow food but did so only as it suited him, and his questions about the aftermath of ending Aklenroth’s rule seemed more designed to weaken the collective resolve in rebellion. Ethrael was selfish, he wanted the benefits of traveling with a group but without the willingness to work or sacrifice for the collective benefit.

“Revenge, yeah that’s exactly what I want.” He responded, it wasn’t something he felt he needed to hide and he elaborated no further on the why. There was no need to fill in the details, to share painful memories with strangers, things he didn’t share with anyone save for Boreas. He kept up his pace as he spoke, relaxing as he allowed himself to be completely honest, he knew clearly what he wanted out of this rebellion, and it wasn’t anything that would put his loyalties into question. Bowyn was all in and there was a sudden sense of peace in that.

“And so I don’t care what the lich was or what his motives are for the things he’s done. Aklenroth is evil, in every sense of the word, and I want him dead. I want the dead to know peace. I want the humans to return to their homes and lives. I want this more than I want to draw breath. I have no interest in power, glory or wealth. That is the extent in which I care about this world and what becomes of it. Your questions, who becomes the sword, who smiths it, and who ends up with a crown upon their head, are irrelevant to me so long as that outcome is achieved. But what is it that you want Ethrael? To make your name matter? Advance your place in the world? How about a better question; what are you willing to sacrifice in the name of rebellion. Would you give life and limb to ensure victory?” Bowyn continued, speaking with a calm resolve. He kept an eye on the other fairy who had taken to the sky. Bowyn didn’t need to trust Ethrael, he could work with others without trust, he was used to that. He needed to know how likely the other man would be to turn on them if he thought his goals were more easily obtained through Aklenroth rather than through the rebellion.

“I assume by now you’ve pieced together what we are all up to.” He said as he turned his attention to Zephyrin. “No danger of being sold off to the black market with us at least. You’ve left the frying pan for the fire, quite the exciting place for our kind to be.” He added with a grin. He wasn’t concerned with her knowing what they were up to, if having a human companion with them didn’t clue Zephyrin in enough to figure it out then an empty headed fairy wasn’t going to be much of a threat. On the other hand if she had figured it out and was simply keeping that to herself then there was no point hiding it. He waited for a reaction from her, searching for any sign of a threat in her expressions, while not knowing exactly what he would do if he found it.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Evening
Location: Alexei’s
Interaction with: Vivian@Pink Khione, Finn@Milkman, Ylva@13org, Valya@Crusader Lord

Eli liked the thought of a werewolf bouncer, especially with the uptick in vampire violence going around. Not to mention the fact that Alexander Drake had just strolled on in earlier today. Having a werewolf on staff, especially one that was willing to tear apart bloodthirsty vampires, certainly wasn’t his worst idea. As far as whether it was entirely legal to employee Finn, he had no idea but a quick google search on his phone said over eighteen was the age requirement for security and that seemed good enough for him. It wasn’t as if the bar’s owner took a very hands on approach, all the mysterious owner really only seemed to care about was maintaining the bar’s status as a neutral ground. Whatever Alexei’s patrons may be, humans, wolves, even vampires, so as long as they played nice inside, the place was a safe haven. The local authorities steered clear of the bar, due to what Eli guessed was a combination of greasing the right palms and the sheer indifference, or incompetence, of the human authorities around town.

“Well Google says eighteen but just to be safe we can pay him under the table. Besides, didn’t you just say someone here ought to be sober?” Eli replied. He had a feeling that if Finn actually wanted a job here he’d fit in fine, Alexei’s just had a way of attracting lost souls. That was probably one of the reasons they kept ending up short staffed, people who worked here either eventually found their way or they just vanished.

“Don’t start any fights, and don’t expect to just be standing around by the door, everyone here does grunt work. If you're interested, swing by tomorrow and we can start you on a trail run.” He added, addressing Finn.

“Welcome to Alexei’s, I’m Eli, the kitchen closes at ten, and if you break anything we’ll make you work here.” He said, grinning as he introduced himself to the rest of Finn’s group. The other two women didn’t look familiar and based on their accents weren’t from around here either. He vaguely wondered if there was some sort of werewolf convention in town, that did seem more on par with Ember Grove than suddenly becoming an international tourist hot spot.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Evening
Location: Boardwalk
Interaction with:

Noah had finished with his missing pet posters, his journey through the town ending along the boardwalk. Human Noah had liked this place, but now, with the clarity and heightening of his senses that vampirism brought he could not remember why. It reeked of fried foods, things covered in grease and oil, sizzling and popping as the vendors cooked them up for the swarming masses of humanity that flocked here. It was loud, bustling with the ever grating sounds of people chewing, laughing, and shouting. Too many people walked around with smiles, blissful in their lack of understanding that they were nothing but prey. They passed him without ever knowing how quickly he could snatch their lives away, and he let them keep walking. There were simply too many here for it to be a suitable hunting ground.

What the boardwalk did have to offer was a very small shop with a bright neon sign that simply read ‘Psychic Readings.’ Against the window a list of services promised things like tarot and palm readings, spiritual consulting, and astrological charting. Noah didn’t know whether the shop's owner and self proclaimed psychic was truly a witch or another common charlatan but it didn’t really matter either way. Eventually connections would be drawn, he just had to keep murdering witches, anyone connected to witchcraft, and make the killings look salacious enough to attract the right attention. His work needed attention and he needed it distinguished from the sloppy work of witch hunters. No one would ever make the mistake of thinking his handiwork was done by anything as mundane as witch hunters. The thought of bloodshed put a sly grin on his face as he entered the shop, bells on the door jingling as it opened and shut behind him.

Inside were a collection of crystals, decorative items, tarot decks, candles, and shelves lined with books on the occult. A black cat sat curled up next to the cash register and a board listing various services with their prices. To the right of the shop was a beaded curtain and from there a woman emerged, dressed exactly like some new aged hippie. The rest of the shop was dimly lit, with no other customers currently inside, and the few burning sticks of incense smelled of Frankincense. If she was a fake, she certainly had the ambiance down. This was his perfect oppertunity, another chance to make a bold statement, something that flyers around town just couldn’t do.

“Can I help you?” The woman’s cheery voice asked.

“I was hoping for a palm reading.”

“You seek answers to an important question.” Her response made Noah think she was a fraud, just a vague statement that could be applied to any situation.

“Indeed I do.” He said as he followed her to the room behind the beaded curtain anyway. A real witch or a fake one it didn’t really matter, he would get another meal and leave a message behind either way.

The so called psychic studied his hand, making various vague statements that meant nothing to Noah and he was barely listening. He grinned slightly as she described him as unyielding, mentioning things about conflict and loss.

“Anything else?” Noah asked, feigning interest but more than a bit disappointed to find that this was just an act, rather than a true witch. Then for a brief second he saw it in her eyes, that glimpse of true fear and Noah smiled widely, she knew what he was.

“No, that’s all. You can go now.” She said, the act now gone, her tone now curt and afraid. As the witch moved to pull her hand away from his Noah grabbed her hand. The witches hand made a satisfying snap as he twisted it, bones popping as they broke. His other hand stifled a scream, ensuring no interruptions or opportunity for her to use spells against him.

“Tell me what did you see? A glimpse at your own future? Local psychic fails to predict her own brutal murder in time?” Noah taunted, showing no signs of anything but his sadistic and predatory nature even as the witch had the nerve to try and bite him. He pulled the witch closer, his teeth sinking in and fresh blood quieting his hunger to a dull murmur. He dropped the witch to the floor, mostly exsanguinated but still just clinging to life. Not enough strength left to be a threat to him but enough that he could have time for a question.

“I’m looking for one witch, one named Shay. It is far too late for you but I’m just going to keep looking, keep killing, until I find her. If you tell me where she is I can leave the rest of your kind alone, or I keep doing this, every night.” Noah said as he crouched down next to the dying witch who struggled to simply shake her head. “That is bad news for you, your death could’ve been an easy one.” A slight chuckle left him before he continued.

Noah left the back room in a similar but far more rushed state than he had left the Witches Brew in. The small table which held a crystal ball now held a pair of gouged out eyes and a smile with fangs drawn in blood underneath them. Beneath that he placed three tarot cards, smudged with blood from his fingers, their faces featuring The High Priestess, Wheel of Fortune, and The Devil. He placed the now dead witch in the chair facing the door, and the card for Death inside her mouth.

The cat turned and hissed at him as he walked back through the beaded curtain and Noah hissed back, his fangs on full display, and much more impressive than the cats.

“You’re a little late, failed familiar.” He said as he licked blood from his fingers. “I hope you don’t plan on snacking on my project.” He added, taunting the animal. The cat watched him as he left but he was unconcerned with the creature.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Forests outside Roshmi City
Interactions: Cora @Potter, Elsea @Tae, Umber @FunnyGuy

Cade grunted with annoyance, neither human showed any interest in following after Ayita, they ignored him. He knew why, he wasn’t any sort of leader, he wasn’t a great hero, and what he was barely amounted to enough to even claim the mantle of a warrior. For in all his travels fighting against goblins, trolls, and orcs, it had done nothing to prepare him for the recent horrors he had witnessed. He had been useless against both the dracolich and the great demon at the ball, he had left behind the human he had promised to protect, and he had clearly failed to prove his worth to those with him now. Cora ran off in the wrong direction, summoning more fire as if it were a toy to be played with without any caution. Elsea stayed where she was, shouting something that did not reach his ears, because the moment he realized they weren’t coming he ran off. He would not abandon Ayita again, he would not keep repeating the same failures.

Cade tore after the image of Ayita that ran through the forest, but she was so much faster. He couldn’t keep her in his sight let alone catch up to her. But he was a cat, he didn’t need sight to catch something, instead he relied on his sense of smell. Once he caught the familiar scent of the human, she became easier to follow. He broke into a clearing in the forest just as the sound of scream cut through the air. The smell of blood hit him even before his eyes landed on the gruesome sight. Ayita impaled on a tree, color already draining from her, and his halberd dripped with her blood. A cold shiver of shock ran through him as he looked from the lifeless body of his friend to the feline creature that had killed her.

"Still trailing behind, Cadence?" The cat with blackened and charred fur spoke. "Not as easy as catching fish and fawn, this one." It spoke with Shadow’s voice, moved the way his brother moved, and he caught the familial scent of his brother mixed with burnt fur and flesh. It smelled like Shadow had once the funeral pyre had been lit, looked like a twisted version of his brother that had crawled out of a mound of ashes, and had eyes made of nothing but darkness. All of Cade’s senses told him that this was real, that Shadow had killed Ayita, that his brother stood before him mocking him.

Cade’s heart, however, knew it was a lie. He knew Shadow, and his brother would never take the life of someone both innocent and unarmed. It was a lie that had the gaul to try and wear his brother’s face. Shadow was dead, he lived and died with honor and Cade had watched the flames of the funeral pyre consume him. This was not his brother, but whatever it was it had killed Ayita, someone he swore to help protect, someone he had given his word to. Cade let out a primal and rage fuel roar, his fury focused on the figure in front of him.

“You are not him, wearing his face will not distract me.” He hissed out before springing forth at the lie that wore Shadow’s face, his claws ready to shred through his enemy. Cade fell into the role of an aggressor, his swipes and attacks a ferocious outburst of anger, and each one missing as the creature continued to move just as Shadow did, effortlessly swift and always just shy of his reach. It was just like when he spared with his brother, Cade always leagues behind in terms of skill, his brother always a flawless warrior. It seemed undefeatable, he could never hope to defeat his brother in a real battle, and Cade had to remind himself that this was not Shadow. He had to predict his movements, throw his next blow where the creature would be, and once he realized this he found the creature moved in a similar pattern. When he finally did land a blow his claws eager to tear through whatever this enemy truly was he found nothing there. Nothing but a flurry of dust surrounded him where the creature had once been.

”Magic.” Cade spat out the word in disgust as the creature that looked like Shadow disappeared into dust and reappeared nearby, it’s mouth twisted into a taunting grin. Cade lunged at the creature, throwing himself through it and skidding, his feet stumbling as he once again hit only dust rather than a tangible opponent. His glance landed on Ayita once again, then back again to the creature that could not be fought. Ayita was dead because he had left her back in Roshmi and he had left the other two humans back at their campsite. This was the distraction, Cade had let himself be drawn into battle with something that could not be fought, this was a failure, he had to learn from it. He tore out of the clearing, running as fast as he could, no longer paying any attention to the creature that wore Shadow’s face. He had to keep the human’s safe, Ayita was already dead and he knew that is what she would want.