Lugubrious Member

> It is 3. Although considering how long you have been waiting, I may consider granting an exception. > > But surely it can't be too hard for someone else to throw together a little post? They've had weeks to prepare. Even a half-sized post will do. Exactly this.

Darn. Well, at least he wasn't contributing much anyway.

Bbeast, you said that it's actually three posts for first creature, not two like I originally expected, right?

Several seconds trickled by in which both Sanguin and Akal were motionless. She stared into the empty pinpricks of light, feeling very vulnerable and very human beneath their glare. Her mind, spurred on by fear, was struggling to put together a cohesive plan of action. In her employment at Fairy Tail and even before, she had faced many mages with impressive powers, but they had pretty much all been human. This...thing, before her, was something entirely different. Unbidden, the image of enormous fangs and raking claws gouging through her armor and flesh alike leaped into her brain. At a loss, she struggled to adjust her stance, trying to make sure it was perfect since she didn't know what else to do. Then came the shriek. Like cockroaches in a room illuminated by sudden light, her thoughts and rationality fled before it, and her body went into a state of minor shock. The scream wasn't just frightening, but it was _loud_, loud enough to play her eardrums like congas. Akal's sudden movement, however, was enough to arouse her fighting instincts sufficiently to galvanize her into action. When he rent himself, spattering the stone and wood surrounding them with his own inky blood, she couldn't help but wonder why. Immediately in the wake of such wonderment came memories of blood magics, ones that draw their power from sacrifice rather than magic power; those, she knew, were among the most devious and horrible of all magical arts. Therefore, she steeled herself as the grotesque hunk began to ripple and swell. When Akal began to growl, she did as well, and a very wolflike way. Hype was flowing through her veins, picking up speed. If anyone was qualified to take on a monster, it was a beast. Behind her mask, her face twisted into a toothy smile as Akal copied her stance. To her, there was no question of dealing with one or the other—only that of if they could be beaten. Her voice was a snarl, barely understandable, as she spoke. “Spirit Warriors, Spirit Predators! Wild Heart!” Instantly and unceremoniously, Sanguin split apart. The air shimmered, and in a split second there were three of her where there had only stood one. The next moment, four more had appeared, three crimson wolves and one more masked warrior. Wasting no time, the seven fanned out. Two wolves attacked the Flesh Golem, one of them crushing a newly-formed limb between its jaws before disappearing, while the other -with a warrior by her side- jumped in to snap at it before jumping back. The others, three warriors and one wolf, advanced to Akal to surround him, taking care not to come into contact with the black blood.

One day's delay is not nearly so bad. I just have no idea what to be doing. I expect that Seraphs or Apollo should be the next to post, to get the next day started.

Not much of a reaction to gunfire so far.

Cool, that's seven. Good, but we need more!

Though only a few moments had passed, the tension made them feel far longer. The hairs on the back of Sanguin's neck were raised like hackles; she could not shake the ominous feeling that had befallen her. When a sound reached her, a forlorn, despairing cry of anguish, she flinched and immediately drew her scimitar. Nothing immediately jumped out at her, but, despite her rough demeanor, she remained on edge. Taking slow, measured steps, she began to advance. Her armor clinked softly with every step, and from behind the face of a crimson wolf she keenly observed the alleys for any sign of danger. Every corner became an obstacle; every shadow became a threat. She considered changing to wolf form to move more freely and quietly, but there was the chance of rushing blindly into the hyped-up threat to worry about. The unmistakable sound of impact caused her to grow still. It came from a small path she had been planning to overlook, since any threat worth its salt would surely be too big for such a small alley. Choosing to investigate, she moved down the little alleyway, holding her shield out in front of her. A moment later she emerged into a larger alley, one clearly connected to a nearby street and bordered on one side by tall, picket fence. Immediately she discovered the place's sole occupant, but for a moment he puzzled her. The man who had punched the wall, the one uttering the blood-curdling wail, seemed to be nothing more than cloth. Her presence, though, seemed to alert him, and when she saw his face -or lack thereof- she assumed a battle stance. Nothing good could come of a visage shrouded in such darkness. No words issued forth from beneath the mask; she was waiting to see if Akal, like some wild beast, would immediately attack her. Diplomacy could come after, if he proved to be nothing more than a seriously-creepy hobo.

Crud, sorry. I didn't think I had an opportunity to post. I had assumed that Akal was in another part of the city, that he had gone away from the light. I will get cracking on a post.

> > ...it's not me, is it? > > It wasn't. > > But it was. What does that mean?