Aliquam: Academy of the Arts: Central Courtyard Sector (Northern area)“AMY!” Estelle skidded to a stop, turning around quickly just in time to see a strange woman dressed from head to toe in black steal Tobias’ rapier after kicking him down, and preparing to drive the weapon’s hilt into Amy’s face. For some reason, the woman hesitated, stopping midstride in her attack, but then quickly snatching onto one of the Academy banners draped in-between columns and throwing it over Amy to blind her. She quickly turned tail and retreated back into the darkness, as Estelle raced as quickly as she could after in the direction their enemy fled, with Amy and Tobias both in the midst of her path. The fire ignited around her blade disintegrated, as she struggled to pull her friend free of the nuisance engulfing her.
“Amy, are you okay?!” Estelle asked. Mentally, she chastised herself for leaving her friend defenceless, and falling for that woman’s trap. For her to be able to attack Amy and Tobias behind her like that, it had to mean the thrown boxes were a feint. But how could she manage that? Magic?
“Lucien!” Estelle sharply turned to the summoner. She was relieved to see him on his feet, but still briefly winced at the unease in which he staggered. She didn’t want to ask what she spoke next, but they needed to pursue that wily woman, and he was the only one they could depend upon now. If they lost her… “Can you summon your cat or bird? We need to have something small and fast following her, before we lose her!”
"That... that bitch just stole my sword!" Tobias snarled.
Aliquam: The Academy of the Arts: Northern Sector (Performance Hall)“Don’t look at or talk to them like that,” Dylan scowled, his voice tinged with venom and anger at Jay’s leering at Aria, Xan, and his sister. He had seen the exact same look from Tobias towards people to know what the man was thinking, and all the implications along with it. He didn’t see his friends as people, he saw them as meat, and that sickened Dylan even more.
“You don’t get to know our names or ask any questions whatsoever,” Dylan continued. “You’re trapped in
our cage. You answer
our questions. Understood?”
Jay’s raised brow back towards Dylan displayed a clear level of disinterest or fright back towards the Matter Artist, which simply made him grow angrier. The usually kind hearted man spoke with more authority, more threat. Jay had already angered him enough, and with everything else that was occurring within the Academy right now to his friends, he no longer had the patience to tolerate people like him. They were in need of information, and they wouldn’t waste their time dancing around words with him.
“Don’t make us need to persuade you. It won’t end well. If you just answer our questions, you’ll be making it easier for yourself. Otherwise… well. You don’t want to know the otherwise, does he, Aria?” Dylan glanced towards the illusionist, silently inferring to her what he meant, before locking his eyes back upon Jay.
“And don’t think about trying to lie, either. We’ll know if you’re doing that, too.”
He glanced briefly to his sister, who watched Jay with stern concentration and her arms folded over her chest. If he was to attempt, she’d see the ripples and flickers of such a lie manifest within the colour of his aura. She was a human lie detector.
Marcus similarly said nothing. He sat down on one of the chairs close to watching the other, catching his breath and keeping his eyes fixed on Jay.
“Yeeeeah, buddy!” Simon tried pulling his most intimidating expression possible, but failed in the execution of it. He shone his camera’s beam of light directly in Jay’s face. “Start talkin’, or else!”
Aliquam: The Academy of the Arts: South-Western Sector“No, you… you don’t need to carry me,” Rose waved the offer away with flushed cheeks and embarrassment. “But thank you. And good job, the both of you.”
The thought of her being carried by Lute was… undignified, and she didn’t want to hinder him like that. She was sure he was strong, but probably not enough to carry her weight as well. As Lute turned to Trixie, Rose focused her magic on the vines entrapping Fabian even more, making them constrict and tighten around the boy before relaxing their tension somewhat. He had gasped in pain, but after everything he had done, he deserved it and more.
It was still dark enough that she couldn’t really see him with complete clarity, but with the moon above and the fallen boy’s close proximity to her and Lute, she could see him well enough. It was just a child. A child!
Where was the Masked Phantom?
“But yes, if either of you would be able to… fully restrain him, I would appreciate it. With my ankle, maintaining the vines like this isn’t… easy. I’m not sure I can do it much longer.” Rose winced. “After that… well, this little brat needs a spanking, and needs to answer a few questions as well, doesn’t he?”
Aliquam: The Academy of the Arts: Western SectorThe blonde man frowned as he witnessed the incredible resistance from his adversaries begin, starting first with the smartly dressed student narrowly avoiding Mattis’ attack with the man’s statue, and culminating with him directing one of his two statues to first attack him… followed by the woman with the large sword it had freed from his swirling vortex of glass. The statue was large and lumbering, but able to move with surprising litheness. Unfortunately for it, it was still a statue, which made its actions, and the thrust of its spears all too easily predictable.
The Masked Phantom sidestepped the attack, and kept his eyes trained on it, ready for the obvious follow-up attack. But there was nothing, the statue was as still as it should be.
Hmph.
A large figured entered the periphery of his vision – the Guilder, Moira, swinging her sword in a pained leap forward towards him.
His confident, alluring smile returned to him again. The woman had deprived herself of any advantage she could have mustered from leaving the ground. Once in the air, in his domain, it was child’s play for him to do as he wished, even despite her weight.
A brilliant gust of wind pushed him forwards and up, over Moira in a graceful somersault, at the same time as another burst of wind propelled Moira even higher upwards behind him, to crack her head against the wall at the very top of the window. Both the surprising acceleration and impact with the sturdy wall was not something she could have anticipated or prepared for. She hit the floor as roughly as she did the wall, whilst a gentle mattress of air cushioned the Masked Phantom’s landing and footsteps. He walked away from the Beserker, towards Angel, his footsteps treading air absolutely silent and eerie.
“Mattis,” The Masked Phantom spoke out. “Are you okay? Please don’t tell me this… lazy student gave you trouble.”
Angel tensed up as the masked thief approached. Two of them, against just himself. If the Guilders couldn’t beat them… how could he?
He needed to roll again, quickly. As quickly as he cou-
The die was snatched out of his hand by a powerful burst of wind, to fly through the air and be snatched inbetween the Masked Phantom’s thumb and forefinger. He lifted it up to eye level and turned his head, curiously inspecting it.
“What a fascinating trinket. Is this where the magic for those statues came from… or do you use it as a focus?” The Masked Phantom smiled. “Either way, another interesting treasure to take. Well, boy, what next?”
