“Now now, Miss Fenix, open your eyes. It’s not time to die just yet.”
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: 4F: Master BedroomIn the ruined wreckage that was once the Hawthorne Manor’s master bedroom, a tall man clad entirely in black stood rigid, his head tilted low as he looked upon the bleeding, pale girl below. Estelle had been laid low by Lucifer, stabbed in the back, and left to bleed out and die behind. Even now, she desperately clung onto life, struggling to stay awake and out of the cold empty abyss whose myriad number of hands tried to snatch her. Amidst her weeping teas and the terror she felt, she was certain this was it, and that she was going to die. And it frightened her. It frightened her of all the things she could not, and would not do. And all of the things that would happen to her friends… to the world if things were to remain like this. It couldn’t end like this. It just couldn’t.
And then he appeared.
“Hnnn… who… ahh… nnn… you…”“Shh, shh, shh,” The man raised one black gloved hand from the hilt of his cane up to his mouth, the features of his face entirely shrouded by the shadows cast down by his tophat. He shook his head from side to side. “Save your strength, Miss. Fenix. Any undue exertion and you could cause yourself to prematurely leave this world. And it’s not yet the time for that, no. No.”
The man’s hand fell from his mouth, back onto his cane.
“Just be quiet, and allow me to help you first.”
Estelle had no choice, instead she just weakly let her head fall and close her eyes. She didn’t know who this person was, and it didn’t really matter. No matter what they said, it was inevitable. She was going to die.
She felt it. And unspeakable chill permeate her entire fibre of being – beginning first in her stomach and then spreading like a virus throughout the rest of her body, until even the tips of her fingers and toes went numb. Her throat grew dry, and she couldn’t breathe. This was it. This was death.
And then she opened her eyes… and it wasn’t quite the afterlife she was expecting.
The cracked ceiling she saw above, the dislodged and destroyed room she had been fighting in that once served as the bedroom for Lucifer and Drusilla… she was still here. Was this the afterlife? No, as horrible and terrifying as it was, it couldn’t have been. Which meant, beyond all hope and belief, she was still alive. And her injuries, the pain… she couldn’t feel them anymore.
She jolted upright, looking over her body. The cuts she had suffered fighting Lucifer was no more. Neither was that sharp, deep stab in the back of her side. It was like nothing had ever happened.
“What… who…?”
Estelle’s head sharply turned, to the man standing besides her, whose features were even now hidden from view, aside from his mouth, which curled into a delighted smile.
“Miss Fenix, your injuries have now been healed. I have drained from you the pain and suffering they caused, and now you are quite alright. Your body may feel a little bit stiff now, but it’ll get back to normal soon enough.”
“Who… wait…” Estelle’s eyes narrowed. “It’s you… why are you… why are you... doing this...?”
“Didn’t I already say? It’s not yet your time to die. You still have to fight, don’t you?”
“But… but you’re… why…?”
The man raised a finger, and wagged it to and fro.
“Be sure to live, and I will tell you the next time we meet.” The man chortled. His hand reached into his coat, pulling out a black key, which he then threw onto Estelle’s lap. “Here. Oren won’t be needing this, but you will. Eight of them in total, in order to turn the lock and close the gate. It’s only with those that you’ll be able to prevent Abraxis from rising. I believe your friends have gotten six of the keys so far… all that remains is his.”
“And with that,” The man turned, spiralling on the spot and then departing with a jovial spring in his step forwards. He lifted his hat down and bowed with his back facing Estelle as he stepped towards the open broken window overlooking the courtyard, his feet not once stopping. “I wish you the best of luck, my dear. I bid you adieu.”
He disappeared.
Minutes later, Estelle came to her feet, and checking that every part of her body worked as it should, she hurriedly ran towards the open window, and jumped out.
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: North-Western Tower: Top Floor: ObservatoryWithin the centre of the elaborate spherical room, along the clean ceramic tile floors besides the giant telescope that peered up into the sky at the giant full moon above, shadows started to bubble and boil before creeping along the length of the room, and from it, a man started to slowly emerge from the floor as he paced through the room, leaving the observatory’s centre, towards the open doors leading out to a balcony overlooking the courtyard below.
He walked with a whistle and dance of his cane, before then lifting it over him, more shadows curling, bubbling and billowing out from its end, transforming into the shape of an umbrella to protect him from the raging elements outside. He stepped out onto the balcony, a giant smile plastered on his face.
“Jack…”
A meek voice came from behind him. He turned to look over his shoulder briefly, at the gorgeous pink haired violinist who laid on the floor behind him, surrounded by two injured, unconscious children and their mother, plus the rigid stone statue of a beautiful work of art.
“…what are you… doing…?”
“Looking at the stars, my dear.” He replied, a devilish smile plastered on his face. His gaze centred away from the sky.
“They’re shining so brightly.”
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: Courtyard
[size=150]NOW[/size]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUkgNhNao9kIN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT[/url]
Estelle’s body shot forwards, her feet a blue as she dashed forwards and hip hopped over the broken, dishevelled remains of the courtyard, straight towards where Lucifer’s body began to rise again before. As he lifted his head up, a look of pure indignant, seething rage bubbling to viciously erupt turned towards Estelle, he felt a powerful blow collide into his cheek, and he was sent flying backwards again, this time southwardly after Estelle’s foot greeted him with a powerful kick.
As his body soared backwards through the air, he flipped himself over, his body still sailing backwards but ready to face Estelle. And with the agility buff she had been granted by from Marcus, who even now continued to support Estelle by funnelling every last remaining vestige of magic he had inside of him to empower her, was already to Lucifer again. This time she held her sword behind her back, bringing the blade slicing through the air in the hope of cleaving him in two and ending the fight there and then.
But Lucifer effortlessly twisted his body and avoided the attack, reaching out with his hand to grab the back of Estelle’s head, and push them both forwards with frightening speed southwards… and straight into and through the wall of the Manor there.
Marcus said nothing. Instead he simply closed his eyes and focused on maintaining the connection between himself and Estelle, to continue supplying her the magical agility she would need to fight, because without it, against Lucifer’s speed, she would not succeed.
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: North-eastern tower stairs: “C’mon guys!!”
Don shouted as he raced up the stairs of the tower, leading the Pride behind him thanks to Selan’s assistance in pointing him in the right direction. As exhausted as they all were, they needed to push on, they needed to keep fighting, as much as they could, and to do it as quickly as they could too! Time was running out, and they needed to close the summoning gate that was ushering in Abraxis before it was too late. Just as they put their faith in Estelle to fight against Lucifer, she had put hers in them to complete their mission in time… and they couldn’t let her down!!
“We’re almost… almost… there!!”
Don kicked down the door to the corridor leading to the fourth floor, and with it led everyone else with him down the corridor, sprinting at full pace to the sole wooden doors at the end. With another running charge he crashed through the door, tripping over a piece of out jutted flooring and rolling into the remains of a wooden dresser.
“This is… *huff*… the right room… *huff*… right?”
Selan, Lucien, Dylan, Moira, Syed, Trixie, Lisette, Kapi, Nikki, Trent, Julius, Celeste and finally Amy all stumbled into the wreckage of the Master Bedroom, looking around in disbelief at the chaos that was once no doubt a stunningly beautiful room left in bitter tatters. Their gaze wandered over it, from the shattered window to the south, and to the clattering open doors to the north, which led to a sensation of utter despair and chilling dread howling beyond…
“Ha… ha… what… what is that?” Lucien asked, laughing in his exhaustion at the terrible atmosphere beyond. Although it wasn’t funny, laughter was all he could do, otherwise he would break down and cry. But he couldn’t. Not yet. None of them could. They were the Guilders, they were the Pride, and-
“Lissa?” Trixie’s eyes widened in surprise as Lisette moved forwards, to the center of the room and towards the edge of the destroyed southern window, looking desperately outside the window and at the courtyard below. Doing her best to look for Estelle, but not succeeding. It was so difficult to see in the thunderous wind and rain and horrible darkness, but she hoped she could see her friend’s familiar flash of red, and –
Lisette fell to her knees and did not move, instead continuing to stare outside and keep vigil for her friend.
“Moira… put me down by Lisette…” Syed weakly asked from atop the pissed off berserker’s shoulder. She scrunched her face, not understanding what the fuck was going on.
“Ames!” Trixie ran back to the cleric, who similarly collapsed out of exhaustion on the side of the bed, haggard breaths escaping her pale lips. All of them were exhausted and on their last legs, but just a little more… a little more was all they needed…!
“Trixie. Please give me your key.”
The prankster looked up to Julius looking down at her, his hand outstretched, his expression blank. Trixie looked back in confusion, before breaking into an awkward laugh at the pained smile Julius tried to give.
“You too, blondie. Cough it up. Gimme.”
Lisette looked up to Trent towering over her with his hover board in one hand and the other beckoning her to give him her key. She weakly reached into her pocket and pulled it out, faltering for a second and losing her grip before Trent grabbed it – and her hand.
“Make sure you don’t frigging fall out or something…” Trent snatched the key and spun around, walking towards the double doors and lowering his beanie further down his forehead.
“We’ve got this shit.”Trent, Selan, Don, Dylan, Lucien, Nikki, Julius and Celeste: The eight left whom had the keys won from the Family walked through the doors, to stand upon the rain lashed balcony. As soon as they stepped one foot outside, their bodies were assaulted from the tumultuous forces whipping at them, and the force of sheer gravity pummelling down upon them and making it difficult to stand. Before them, beyond the edge of the balcony and over the forest beyond was a raging hurricane of pure fire, and a ghostly, ethereal shadow of a giant being… a being so impossibly big howling back at them.
They had to fight on, one step at a time, and seal the gate no matter what!!
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: Dining RoomThe wall imploded inwards and brick and masonry was flung in every direction as Estelle and Lucifer tumbled inwards, Estelle thrown from Lucifer hand onto the grand table in the centre and smashing it in two before falling backwards and off – before Estelle had a chance to react, she was gripped once again by the raging demon, her head trapped in his hand, and driven straight through the next wall into the southern corridor beyond.
Estelle gasped, pain rocketing throughout her body. Amy’s defence spell had absorbed most of the impact, as had her armour, but the transparent shell that covered her body flickered and died as Amy’s buff faded. Marcus’ warm light still covered her, still covered and-
Estelle’s head was grabbed yet again, and her body was violently yanked by Lucifer, who spun and spun and spun before unleashing his victim through the air, and Estelle sailed down the southern corridor, from the eastern portion of the corridor through the Manor’s grand hallway and towards the end of the corridor where the Library laid just beyond. Estelle however, had decided enough was enough, and she wouldn’t continue to be tossed around like a rag doll anymore.
She flipped her body over, her feet skidding along the ground to halt her speed, when her eyes bulged with surprise at Lucifer mere inches away from her, claws diving down to rake her. With the aid of Marcus’ spell, she turned, dodging the attack just in time and driving her left fist forwards, smacking Lucifer square in the face and sending him back reeling.
The two stood facing each other in the middle of the Manor’s hall.
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: KitchenCarrying and eating a bowl of cereal from the kitchen, Billy walked through the curtained doorway back into the dining room, and stopped once he saw the gaping holes in the walls and the destroyed table. He just stared silently as he chewed.
Vandrell: Hawthorne Manor: Grand HallEstelle sucked in as much desperate air as she could, looking on at the demonic, obsidian skinned hell spawn before her. For all that Lucifer had done, all the fighting and activity he had partaken in, he drew no sign of exhaustion or fatigue. And Estelle was already sweating.
Not like that mattered any, because there was no way in hell she was going to lose. Not here, not now, not ever!
She was going to make him sweat, no matter!
Estelle swung her Magitech Sword down to her side, the hilt of her sword popping up. Her other hand deftly reached into and fingered through her satchel, retrieving her last Magisphere, the Wind and a Fire sphere she had already used. This was it, her last one, and she was going to make sure that this was it.
She dropped it into the sword and closed its hatch. Swinging the sword back in front of her face, the blade hummed and flared up, sparks enveloping the blade as it ignited into a blazing inferno. Lucifer wanted to bring hell down on the world… she’d bring hell straight into his face!
Lucifer grinned.
[color=#6d6f6f]“You could have run away… you could have run and spared yourself so much pain and misery, Estelle…”[/color]“Are you crazy?!” Estelle shouted back.
“No way! No how! Estelle Fenix does not run away from a fight! Not from you, not from anyone! I won’t ever run away from a bully like you!!”[color=#6d6f6f]“A bully…? Hmph. So be it…”[/color] Lucifer shook his head, his silver hair swaying from side to side. [color=#6d6f6f]
“Running away wouldn’t have prevented your death from the hands of my lord Abraxis, but it would have given you a few more minutes of life. Now… now I am going to wring the life from your pathetic little neck once and for – ”[/color]
Lucifer’s words were never finished before he needed to step back and avoid the blazing steel centimetres away from cutting into his chin and severing his head, Estelle once again having charged in before Lucifer was able to finish. With Marcus’ agility buff, she was closer then ever, but not quite close enough. Still, it didn’t matter if her swing missed, or if her next one did, or the one after that…! She would keep fighting no matter what and she would win!
Estelle and Lucifer’s bodies danced, each of them struggling to hit the other. Lucifer’s claws shot out, more air cutting slashes released from his fingers tips as Estelle parried them with her blazing sword and tried to cut Lucifer down. Again and again the two fought, and again and again they drew closer. Violent slashes permeated both of their bodies, cutting across and leaving bloody gashes in their arms, legs and chest – deep enough to severely hurt, but shallow enough not to be fatal.
And on and on it went, the Hall another victim of their frenetic fight, scarred in deep scratches and the furniture and carpet set ablaze by Estelle’s sword. The room quickly began filling up with fire all around them as the flames spreading along the wooden banisters and supports. It was already turning into an inferno.
“Raaaaarrrghhh!!” Estelle yelled, her body bursting forth as soon as her feet touched the ground again, another swing of her sword aimed for Lucifer’s head. She had to stop him, and now, before her Magisphere ran out. Lucifer had to be ended… and now!!
Bursting forth with more speed then ever, she jumped, her body a blur and her swinging right at Lucifer’s neck. This was it!!
But then his body disappeared, and the sword sailed harmlessly through the afterimage of his body.
[color=#6d6f6f][size=150]“Enough… is enough!!”[/size][/color]Estelle felt pain stab through the back of her head as Lucifer grabbed onto the swordswoman’s trailing ponytail, and with a violent tug snapped her body backwards. The next thing Estelle felt was searing, unending pain as a powerful punch collided into her face, smashing her into the floor.
Estelle gasped.
[color=#6f6d6d]
“You fought valiantly little girl, but enough is enough.”[/color] Lucifer bent down, grabbing Estelle up by her throat and bringing her face to face with him. The fire in her Magitech Sword whimpered and died.
[color=#6f6d6d]“It’s too late for you now, but what you have to understand is that there are limits to everything. You’re a pathetic, mewling brat… still a baby… whilst I have lived for centuries! Compared to my power you are absolutely nothing and no one! You cannot save your friends and you cannot stop me! This night is mine, and no others!!”[/color]Estelle even now continued to squirm, to resist and try to break free. But Lucifer’s grip was permanent.
[color=#6f6d6d]“I am going to suck what remains of the life from you, and then I am going to kill every last one of your friends and Abraxis…
[size=150]“Abraxis will walk free.”[/size] [/color]Estelle felt the life in her body ebb and fade, as her strength and resistance left her, passing through her body and out into Lucifer’s own through the conduit of his hand. She tried to fight, tried to resist… but was unable to.
Her heart began to slow, and Lucifer’s pumped ever faster. His smile grew wider and wider.
Thirty seconds passed, and Estelle did not move. Lucifer sneered, and threw her body towards the Manor’s entrance, his other hand unleashing another calamitous strike that ravaged and tore at her body. As Estelle fell to the ground, Lucifer’s hands swept across his body in another cross shaped attack – powerful slashes tore at the supports of either side of the Manor and brought them to ruin. As they crumbled to the ground, the fire engorged roof above collapsed and rained down into the ground.
Lucifer turned and started to walk away.
