Pezz570

The Five Senses

Sil

@Typical @HokumPocus @jerkchicken@fetzen@13org

---

Sil shot through the air, the wind rushing across her illuminating physique. "Weeeeeeeeeeeee!” She shouted. Her glee coming through in a wide grin that spread from ear to ear.

If Sil were to make a list of that which she loved most, she would put flying right at the top. Just above Chres’s giant nose and self-important Lynxes.

Yes, flying was the most amazing thing in the world! Her silly pet, Chres, didn’t know how much he was missing out on. All he ever did all day was walk, walk, walk, run, walk. Oh and the occasional ‘Wah, wah wah!’

Sil shook her head. See, that was the problem with Chres! Half the time, he was like ‘Woe is me!’ The other half, he was like, ‘Blah, blah, blah! I’m Chres. Half of the words I say aren’t even real!’

Sil sighed audibly. Poor Chres. All nose. No fun.

And that was what Sil was for! It was her job to poke him in the eye until he decided to lighten up. A difficult job for sure, but somebody had to do it!

The clock tower loomed just ahead. Sil had been assigned a top secret mission by Chres. It was her job to save Ms. ‘Maybe it’s just wig’. She had it all planned out. Sil would swoop right in, do a jig, and then-

“PUDDLE!” Sil shouted in awe.

Little drops of puddles slowly began to fall from the sky. Sil began zipping around in excitement, making a figure eight pattern.

“PUDDLE! PUDDLE! PUDDLE! PUDDLE! PUDDLE!”

Puddles were falling here! Puddles were falling there! Everywhere there were puddles! Everywhere! Just what was a girl to do?

Nobody appreciated puddles like Sil! If Sil were to make a list of things she loved most about the world, then puddles would be right at the top of that list. Just above ‘Man with a stick’, and ‘Metal, tree guy with a hint of mouse’.

Sil?

“You get a puddle!” Sil exclaimed, zipping past a random bald man. “And you get a puddle!” She said pointing dramatically to the pigeon poo covered lady standing right beside him.

Sil!

“Everybody gets a puddle!” She sang, doing a twirl in the air.

Sil, focus! Chres’s voice rang loudly in her mind. Mission first! Puddles later!

“OH NO! The mission!” Sil zipped away from the couple, leaving the two of them thoroughly confused. “I’ll save you Ms. ‘Seriously! You have no hair color!’”

Focus renewed, Sil flew to the top of the tower speeding up as her female companion came into view.

“Have no fear!” She shouted to the woman. “Sil is here!”

Moments later, she abruptly stopped her advance. Stopping mere inches away from the woman’s face. Leaning forward, she lightly poked the woman on the nose. Adding a playful “Boop!” as she did so.

The Five Senses

Tayla

@13org @JerkChicken @fetzen

---

"S-sightless Nieffar!" Tayla said, bowing before the Sightless. She did her best to keep the alarm from her voice. "Praise the Unseeing Eye for your presence! The heathens, they-" Tayla hesitanted, giving a quick glance back in Smit's direction. "They attacked us while caught unaw-"

"Silence!" Nieffar demanded. "Do you think me ignorant of what happened here?"

Tayla quickly shut her mouth. She knew better than to answer that question.

Frowning from her lack of response, Nieffar continued. "Tell me child, who instructed you to attack the Pact Makers? Further more," Nieffar's expression grew dark. His voice turning to ice. "who's idea was it to almost kill the female Pact Maker?"

Tayla's back stiffened at his question. "Sightless Nieffar, I believe you are mistaken. Nobody tried to kill-"

"Stand." Nieffar interrupted. Reluctantly Tayla complied.

Nieffar flexed his right hand's fingers with anticipation. One by one, his fingers extended like tendrils, down onto the ground. Slowly, the fingers slithered towards Tayla like a tangle of snakes. Tayla felt her nerves spike. Instinctively, she took a step back.

"Be still!" Nieffar hissed threateningly. Tayla froze in place obediently. The tendrils had began circling her feet like a wolf would to it's prey. She clenched her hands tightly at her sides in an effort to resist the urge to squirm.

A cruel smile cross Nieffar's lips. The Sightless appeared to take pleasure Tayla's discomfort. "My dear child," He started, while allowing his tendrils to wrap up and around her ankles. "you know that this town was given to me to me by The Eye. Given to me so that I could help guide it's people down the path of Insight. Yet, despite knowing this, here you are disobeying my orders and making a mess of my town. To make matters worst, you lie about it."

Tayla said nothing. Instead she kept her gaze level, doing her best to ignore the tendrils coiling around her knees.

"Why is it that you lie?" Nieffar continued. "Without the clan, you would still be that same weak little girl sleeping on a pile of trash, with little to no understanding of your own abilities. We took you off the streets. We gave you a home, food and a family. But, most importantly, we gave you access to the Insight and a promise of power. Perhaps, that was a mistake..."

A sudden chill consumed Tayla causing her to shake uncontrollably. Tayla collapsed to the ground shivering. Her connection to the Insight had been cut off. "No..." Tayla cried. "Don't do this! Don't take it away!" Tayla stretched out her hand toward Sightless Nieffar.

Nieffar sneered at the display. Using his tendrils, he pulled Tayla's ankles out from under her. Tayla fell forward onto her stomach "I said be still!" Nieffar said, his voice firm and authoritative.

The tendrils wound up Tayla's legs. Around her waist. Past her midsection. Across her arms and chest. A sense of panic began to spread through her. She was trapped. Bound. Shackled. The touch of his tendrils across her skin made her stomach turn, yet what was she to do? She needed the Insight and the power it gave! Without it, she would never find her father! without it, how would she get her revenge?

"Please..." Tayla whimpered. "Please give it back..."

Nieffar's sneer deepened. "I want you to beg." He said coolly. "Beg... Like a dog."

The tendrils slithered up her neck. Her shivers intensified. She felt gross. Weak. Disgusting. And yet, she inhaled deeply, preparing to whine like a dog...

Until, Nieffar's tendrils brushed across her cheek.

Too much!

Something snapped in Tayla. She became feral, like an animal backed in a corner. She fought fruitlessly against her bonds. She kicked, screamed, and squirmed. It was pain that shut her up.

Barbs, much like those on a rose bush, protruded from Nieffar's tendrils. Tayla sucked in a breath of air as she felt the thorns rip into her flesh. "Let this be a lesson to all of you." Nieffar said to the clan members in the room. "Resisting the Unseeing... lying to a Sightless... Those two things will only bring you pain."

Nieffar's tendrils shaped fingers slowly started retracting back into his hand. Tayla cried out in pain as the barbs began tearing their way through her flesh.

"Sightless Nieffar!" Smit interjected. "It wasn't her idea to attack the Pact Makers! It was... Sightless Syella's."

The tendrils stopped their retraction, bringing Tayla a wave of relief. Nieffar smiled. "Sightless Syella, you say?" He turn his eyeless gaze upwards. "Ah yes... I see... She must have hid the conversation within the cover of light. To think she would go against our Lord by ordering the death of a Pact Maker..."

"With all respect, my Sightless, you misunderstand." Smit said.

Nieffar frowned as if annoyed by Smit's words. "Explain." He said without looking to the man.

"Sightless Syella merely ordered us to capture a specific Pact Maker. The one who fought against her. We were given strict orders not to kill."

Nieffar seemed disappointed by Syella's order not to kill. "You say that, and yet the Insight appears to show otherwise. The two of you attacked and nearly killed the female Pact Maker."

"That is... not entirely true." Smit said hesitantly.

His words brought a sinking feeling into Tayla's heart.

"I attacked the woman hoping to cut our loses and save Tayla." Smit corrected. "Tayla, on the other hand..."

A sense of betrayal swept through Tayla. Smit, of all people, sold her out. She strained her neck in an effort to look Smit in the eyes. The man looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"I see..." Said Nieffar. He turned his gaze to down to Tayla.

"I-." She began.

"Before you say another word, I would advise you think hard on whether or not it's a lie." Nieffar said coldly. Tayla, held her tongue.

"Fortunately for you, child, not all was lost by your inability serve our Lord." Sightless Nieffar said. He outstretched his left hand to his side. "It seems we have a guest!" Nieffar exclaimed. Suddenly his fingers shot from his left hand. Extruding much like how a tree would sprout from the ground. They sped through the air and around a corner. Straight towards the giant who lurked behind...

The Five Senses

Chres Sansus

Interaction with @Typical @HokumPocus
Referencing @jerkchicken@fetzen@13org

---

Chres’s heart raced as he made his way to the clock tower. The success of his comrades’ mission was key to getting out of this whole mess. If they failed to get word to the Empire’s army, then who knows how much longer Chres would be stuck here.

Chres made it to the top of the hill where the clock tower sat. A crowd of people had gathered blocking his path to the plaza ahead.

Damn… Chres thought. Damn, damn, damn!

There were too many people watching to make a move towards the tower. Too many people who could be with the cult.

“What happened?” A female on-looker asked.

“Don’t know.” Said a man next to her.

A second man chimed in, “I heard that some idiots attacked the clan.”

“You mean the cult.” Spat the man next to the woman.

“Bout time.” Said the woman. “Look at what’s happened to this town since those scum arrived.”

“Have you not been to the markets today?" Said the second man. "The clan has the town’s food under their control. ‘You don’t prod or enrage when seeking mercy from a Crazed’. Those fools may have lit a fire under the rest of us yet. Way I see it, best to sit quietly and live another day than to invoke the clan's wrath.”

The first man clicked his tongue in annoyance. The woman, however, seemed more concerned. “You think they’ll punish us over the actions of a few?”

“Perhaps not today,” Said the second man. “but if such attacks continue…”

Chres tuned out the rest. Sil, he thought to his familiar, what do you see? Anticipating a roadblock Chres had sent Sil to scout ahead.

A birdie just plopped a nice milky white puddle atop a woman’s head. -Hehe, That's nice- She keeps screaming the words 'Oh my God! Oh my G-'

Sil, focus!

Oh! Right, right… hmmmmmm… Let’s see... Miss ‘Hair’s Been Bleached for Days’-

Karina. Chres corrected.

Ah, yes- Miss ‘What You Said’ is stuck at the top of the tower. She’s pacing back and forth like a cat afraid of a puddle.

Chres raised his brow. Did Sil actually make a coherent simile? She’s stuck? Chres asked.

Weeell, not really... Sil corrected. I suppose she could always just fly down from the giant hole in the floor, which is currently blocking her path. Speaking of which, where do you humans like to hide your wings, anyway?

Sil…

No, really! Where do you put your wings?

Sil, we don’t have wings.

Really? Sil said, sounding surprised. Weird… Humans are silly.

Sil, what about the others? Chres asked, trying to direct the conversation back on track.

Don’t see ‘em. Sil said causally. Maybe they decided to say hi to that weird eyeless guy that showed up.

Chres sucked in a breath. One of the Sightless was at the tower, and they had neglected to bring any crystal jade candles with them. Stupid.

Sil, go to Karina- Chres said after a moment.

Who?

Miss ‘Hair’s Been Bleached for Days’.

Miss 'Hair as White as Snow'?

Chres rolled his eyes. Yes, her. Go to her and let her know we are nearby and are working on a plan to assist.

Okie dokie, Mr. Porkie.

Porkie? Chres repeated. Sil merely replied with a giggle.

Chres shook his head. "I swear, its like pulling teeth with her." He directed to Octavio and Ferris.

Pulling out his flask, Chres took a quick swig of his flavored water. "Karina's trapped on the roof. No sign of the others. Oh, and we got a Sightless somewhere inside."

Chres corked his flask and stashed it back into his shirt. "Probably not best to go charging in there, especially since they know what Octavio and I look like. I could construct a path for Karina to get down from, but that would be rather noticable. What I can do is construct a pathway that can get one us on level ground with the tower."

Chres made eye contact with Ferris. "If I do that, do you think you can get to the tower and back with your abilities?"

The Five Senses

Tayla Selleace

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Age: 22

Home Nation: Nation of Smell

Appearance:



Minus the neck ribbon and blood under her eyes. Her irises are dark brown instead of yellow

Bio:

Tayla never knew her mother. The woman died giving birth, leaving Tayla with a father who resented her. Her father, a simple carpenter, drowned his sorrows in alcohol. His resent gradually turning abusive.

The abuse started with neglect, then turned verbal before ultimately becoming physical. Before long, the neighbors started taking notice of Tayla's ever growing bruises, her bleeding lips and her increasingly skittish nature. They began to talk behind her father's back, and that only made things worst.

Her father blamed Tayla for his worsening reputation. At age 14, he began locking her in their house. Shackling her ankle to an anchor point on the wall. There she remained for a year. Unable to run from her father's rage. Unable to fight against his overwhelming strength.
Her lucky break came only by chance. On a night where her father left her beaten and bloodied. On the floor she lay. Cradling ankle that swelled tightly against the shackle that held her, Tayla trembled alone in the darkness. The salty taste of blood thick in her mouth.

She carefully tried to adjust the shackle's tight grip on her ankle. Oblivious to the magic potential the taste of blood upon her tongue held. She focused fruitlessly on adjusting the chain, when suddenly the metal shackle softened and crumbled like charcoal beneath her grip.

Tayla sat there stunned. Unable to comprehend what had happen. A single thought ran through her head. 'Run'.
Tayla hobbled her way out of her prison. Robbing her passed out father of coin. She ran from the town with a limp, at the dead of night. Stopping only after passing out from exhaustion. When she awoke, she found herself among a traveling caravan, that had found her passed out in the middle of the road.

In the days that followed, the caravan cared for her and tended to her wounds. They many questions about Tayla such as: What was her name? How old was she? Where she come from? Where were her parents? Where did she get those bruises? She fielded the questions with care. Habit drilled into her by fear when the neighbors questioned her about her father.

"I don't know." She would say. "I can't remember." She would answer.

Taking offense Tayla's unfriendly nature, the caravan quickly lost interest in the child. After caring for her wounds, they arrived at the capital of the Nation of Touch. There, they sent her on her way. Though not before charging her for the food and supplies they wasted upon her. And with that, Tayla found herself penniless in a foreign city. Her only belongings being the clothes upon her back.

Tayla spent the next several years as a street-rat, begging for scraps in the streets. It was during this time that Tayla began to grow wise of her magical abilities. She learned that the taste of her blood could harden and soften a material at will. Though she remained ignorant as to why or how it work.

It wasn't long before Tayla began using this ability to break holes in various containers and steal the food or valuables from within. She began to grow bold. Stealing from increasingly dangerous targets. This is what led Tayla to Sightless Syella.

At the time Syella had yet to become Sightless. She spent much her time looking for new recruits among the street-rats of the land's many cities. On a hot summer day, Syella caught Tayla stealing from her. Recognizing Tayla's talent for what it was. Syella spent the following days befriending Tayla and gaining her trust.

Frome there. Tayla joined the Cult. There she learned more about her abilities, and rose up in the ranks. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Personality:

Tayla doesn't trust easily, especially when it comes to men. She has a temper built up from history of issues she has left ignored. She fears getting to close to anyone and has a habit of pushing them away before they can hurt her. When confronted with her problems, she gets defensive out of fear of facing her weaknesses head on.

Quirks:

Being the daughter of a carpenter, Tayla has picked up a few tricks of the trade. She will often whittle away a piece of wood when when needing something to do with her hands.

Skills/Magic:

Gustum Hydraision (Taste Magic)

Weaknesses:

Tayla has a temper that can often become a hindrance. This temper will often lead to rash actions on her part.

Equipment/Items:

Tayla wields a duel swords that are custom made so that the blade is melded with the handle on the hilt. This way she can use her magic to warp the sword without touching the actual blade.

In addition to the swords, she wears a belt holding bags of seasoned cotton tufts, which she pops in her mouth to trigger the various effects of her magic. She also carries a bag of coins which she uses as projectiles when fighting with her magic.

The Five Senses

Tayla

@13org @JerkChicken @fetzen @Typical @HokumPocus

---

"NO!" Tayla cried out in frustration. Little Miss princess had managed to avoid the bell before it crushed her. Tayla made to unsheathe her blades when Smit's cries of alarm snapped Tayla out of her rage.

She blinked, looking towards his falling form. Her heart went cold. Her eyes went wide. "Smit-" she mouthed. Without a second thought she dived down from her post.

What am I doing? The words flashed through her head as she went into free fall. Her ears filled with the roar air rush by as the ground rushed up before her. Why am I risking my life for this man?!
Tayla clenched her fists. Her knuckles whitened. She wasn’t catching up to Smit.

I almost had her! The thought raged in her min. I ALMOST HAD HER!

Smit’s terrified eyes locked with hers. His arm outstretched helplessly.

“Damn it all!” She cried. Gritting her teeth, she placed her hand to her belt and focused on the tingly taste of sour that coated her tongue.

Tayla’s waist lurched downwards from the sudden velocity applied to her belt. The uneven force caused her body to flip mid-air. Disorientated, Tayla’s vision swam. For a moment she panicked. She was facing up, right?

Smit’s cries caught her ear from below. His screams growing louder. Tayla looked down in time to see his blurry form shooting up past her knees. She flung her arms out wildly, catching the man in an embrace.

Closing her eyes she focused. She needed to slow their fall.

Up... that was the direction they needed to go… The taste of sour lingered on her tongue.

The downwards pull of her belt relinquished. Instead, she replaced it by an upwards pull from her pants. Carefully, she applied the same force to Smit’s clothes. The pull was small at first, but it quickly increased.

Their body jerked downwards from the intense change in velocity. A final loud clang rang beneath their feet. The sound of the bell smashing to the ground…

---

Tayla firmly griped the hilt of her swords. Her hands shook with frustration as she gazed upwards at the hole in the floor above.

Beside her, Smit knelt on his knees with his hands to the ground. Smit’s breath came heavily. His eyes wide with shock. A bead of sweat dripped from his face.

“She’s still alive…” Tayla growled through gritted teeth.

“She’s still alive?!” Smit said between labored breaths. “No, I’m still alive…”

Tayla frowned, unsure of what to say. She turned her gaze downwards. “You’re… welcome?” She said awkwardly.

“Welcome?” Smit said as he barked a laugh. He gave her an incredulous look. “I’m welcome, am I?”

Tayla’s frown deepened at his sarcastic tone.

Smit waved an arm to the ruined bell beside him. “Tayla… Are you Crazed in the head? You almost killed me!” He said exasperatedly.

“Almost killed you?” Tayla said. “Smit, I just risked my life to save you.”

“Risked your life?!” He scoffed. “Yeah… After nearly killing me with that damn bell.”

“Are you dense?” Tayla protested. “She would have killed you if it wasn’t for me! You’re still alive because of me!”

“I’m still alive,” He agreed, “but they sure aren’t.” Smit nodded over to three corpses that had been crushed beneath the bell. Tex was among the bodies.

Tayla took a step back. She looked to the surviving clan members. All of them beaten up and bloodied. “I-“ She stuttered. Tayla blinked and shook her head before looking back to Smit defiantly. “If you hadn’t gotten in the way-” she started.

“Then, you would have died!” Smit finished. “She had you on your knees with a blade to your throat.”

“I didn’t need your help!” She yelled.

“Oh?” He said. “Well, perhaps you didn’t. The rest of us, though,” Smit gestured to the remaining clan members, “we needed your help.”

“Don’t act like I did nothing here! I risked my life keeping those two at bay! Meanwhile, the rest of you-”

“Enough!” Smit yelled. Taken aback, Tayla shut her mouth. She had never heard the man yell before.

Smit slowly got to his feet and stared her down. The look he gave her was unnerving. Reminiscent of how her father looked before he-

“You intended to kill her from the start, didn’t you?” Tayla said nothing.

Smit shook his head disapprovingly and turned his back her. “Where’s the target?” Smit asked the nearest clan member. The man simply pointed up.

“Smit-” Tayla said. Smit ignored her.

“You,” He said, pointing to one of the clan members, “Our leader’s actions has likely place the rest of the clan on alert. Warn them of the Pact Makers. Explain to them that the Pact Makers came here and attacked us first. Tell them of the comrades they’ve slain.” The man nodded and took off.

Tayla gave Smit a cold glare. “Smit…” She growled. “This is my team.”

“As for the rest of you-“ He continued.

“I’m in charge here!” Tayla yelled. Within a second, she whipped out her blade and put it to the man’s throat.

“Is that so?” Came a dry voice from behind Tayla.

Tayla paled. She knew the owner of that voice. Sheathing her sword, she whipped herself around to face the looming figure of Sightless Nieffar.

“And pray tell me child,” He said calmly. His voice a deep contrast to the displeasure written across his face. “what exactly are you in charge of?”

The Five Senses

Chres Sansus

Interaction with @Typical @HokumPocus

---

Chres covered his mouth deep in thought, nodding as they spoke. Acknowledging their comments. “I don’t like this.” Chres said. “The woman I feel we should steer clear of, but the Kharu-Natjer is a mystery to me... The clothing he wore, his accent, his skin tone even... His slaves, their ethnicity was obviously the same. How come there haven't been widespread rumors of these people walking about?“

More questions swam through Chres’s mind. Who was this man really? Where did he come from? Did he travel far to get here? And for what? To end the cult? Why? Revenge? Power? Wealth? What relation did he even have with the cult?

“The question he asked us…” Chres said “It was not a question. Rather he was confirming our association with the Being. Which implies there likely is other means to obtain the knowledge we had on the cult. But who or what would that be?” Chres grit his teeth. “Whatever the case, he seemed quite pleased to have learned that information.”

He furrowed his brow lost in thought. His eyelids felt heavy. How long had he been up now?

Chres shook his head. The cult had also sought them out, because of their connection to the Being. Pact Makers, the cult had called them. Makers of the Unspoken Pact. What importance did their connection to the Being hold?

Stifling a yawn, Chres’s thoughts began to stray...

Chres stared down into the dying gaze of the woman before him. Her face becoming less recognizable with each strike to the face. Her struggle against his hold had become non-existent. Chres rose his fist in preparation for another strike-

A finger prodded Chres’s forehead.

“Chres?” A familiar voice… The voice of his wi-

Another poke on the forehead. Chres opened his eyes. Sil’s form fluttered just level with his eyes. Her head cocked to the side curiously. Left forefinger touching the bottom of her lip. Chres blinked twice. Had he just dozed off?

Sil smiled. “There he is.” She said warmly. She giggled softly to herself, before fluttering away.

Chres felt a shiver go down his spine. His hand lowering to his ring. His wife use to do that him.

Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back to his companions, acting as if nothing happened. “We should connect with the others.” He said. “Share what we’ve learned and-“ Chres looked to Ferris. “-introduce our new companion.”

Before they could respond, a deep clang rang out in the distance. Chres turned his gaze to the center of the city, a top the hill from which the clock tower sat. Even from this distance, Chres could make out the roof of the tower crumbling apart.

“The clock tower…” The Innkeeper said. “Weren’t the others at the clock tower?”

Chres grit his teeth and nodded. “Go back to the shelter.” Chres said to the innkeeper. “We’ll meet you back there.”

The Five Senses

Tayla
Smit

@13org @JerkChicken @fetzen @Typical @HokumPocus

---

Smit yelped at the woman's quick counterattack. Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! He thought, as he flung his body hard to the side in order to avoid the worst of blow. The momentum, of his turn, threw him to the ground and into a roll. Quickly, he grabbed a handful of dust sand and tossed it into the air behind him as he exited his roll.

Smit paid a quick glance behind him. No ice blades yet. He thought. Did the numbing oil work, or is she plotting something else?

A sudden flash of movement shot up from behind the white haired woman, catching Smit's gaze...

---

The loss of one of Tayla's boots meant that launching herself to the bell was no longer an option. She needed to apply velocity to both boots to ensure the launch wouldn't put her off balance. With a second boot to stabilized her 'flight', she would have to reach the bell by other means.

Tayla tried to moisten her lips with her tongue as she focused on the savory taste in her mouth. Suddenly, the floor beneath her bare foot warped upwards. Sending her up and onto a wooden beam under the roofing that covered the bell.

The sudden movement made her feel dizzy, causing her to nearly topple off the beam. She put her left hand against the stone roof to stabilize herself. Either she was overexerting herself... Or perhaps the dizziness was simply from the loss of blood. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. This battle ended now.

"Hey Princess!" She mocked, while trying to hide the exhaustion from her voice. "Fuck off." Tayla placed her right hand on the giant bell as the taste of sour filled her mouth...

---

Smit furrowed his brow as he watched Tayla warp herself to the rafters above. What is she doing? He wondered. His eyes went to the giant bell above them and widened in realization.

"She wouldn't..." he whispered under his breath. They were not supposed to kill any of the pact makers. She knew that, right? Tayla placed her hand on the bell.

"MOVE!" He shouted. Directing his alarm to the white haired woman, while turning to make a mad dash towards the stairs. A loud groan came from above. Several cracks and a snap. And then came the whoosh and a crash.

The bell easily smashed through the wooden floor beneath them at an incredible speed. Smit jumped towards the floor, barely managing to get out from under the bell. However, the force from the impact had damaged more than just the flooring directly beneath the bell. Much of the flooring beyond the impact zone had broken away as well.

Smit found himself without footing. He screamed helplessly as the floor broke away from beneath him. His cries drowned out by the resounding clang of the bell as it smashed its way further downwards.

The Five Senses

Removed. Duplicate

The Five Senses

Tayla

@13org

---

Foolish? Dumb? Naive?! Tayla's face darkened with every condescending word that left the white haired woman's mouth. Her words adding fuel to Tayla's hatred. Its growing flames drying up her tears.

"You asked me why I joined the clan." Tayla said coldly. "I joined because of privileged little princesses like yourself. People like you who have never known what its like to scavenge in the trash for their next meal. People like you, who talk as if they care for those beneath them, but in reality they know nothing of their struggle to survive. Unlike your country, everyone in the clan has an equal opportunity. We all start from the bottom, and each of us can rise to the top."

Movement by the stairs caught Tayla's eye. She didn't dare look towards it. Instead she lowered her left hand to the dangling remains of her sleeve which hung from her right side. Tayla continued talking. "You think the Crazed is the real reason the Emperor wanted to invade this country? Are you really silly enough to think we haven't stuck our... 'claws' in your country yet?" Tayla let out a dry laugh. "If anyone here is naive, its you."

A shadow of a man inched closer to the white haired woman. In his hand he held a knife coated in deterrents. "And it is that same naivety that will-."

The floorboards let out a creak behind the white haired woman. Cursing Smit immediately rushed forward, getting in a slice with the knife.

Meanwhile, Tayla reacted with hesitation. Pulling on her dangling sleeve, raising it up and across her left side so that it covered her neck. She tasted the saltiness from the blood in her mouth. She used its taste to trigger her magic and harden her sleeve so that the woman's rapier wouldn't skewer her neck. She then kicked her feet against the ground underneath her while ignoring the pain that shot from her right foot. The push sent Tayla sliding away from the woman. With her right hand, she reached into her pouched and popped a brand new set of cotton tufts into her mouth.

Getting to her feet, Tayla gave a determined look towards the bell...

The Five Senses

Týfurkh
Smit

@Fetzen

---

Damn it, Tayla! Smit thought has he ran up the stairs. The climb burned at his legs, but he refused to stop. What is she doing fighting alone like that?

Smit looked up, a giant of a man blocked his path. His anxiety heightened. The enemy moving on was not a good sign.

Smit's eyes widened. The man had a crossbow. Smit quickly slammed his body to the side, hugging the nearby wall. He reached into his pouch to grab a ball of pollen.

---

Týfurkh had mentioned towards Karina that he had wanted to check the situation below, but he honestly had not anticipated for it to creep up towards him that early... The staircase was straightforward, allowing the two men to see each other from a bit of a distance away already.

The giant pulled up his crossbow and tried to get an aim, but the walls were not perfectly even. Hugging them provided a significant amount of cover and Týfurkh was very well aware of the fact that shooting now and missing would not allow him enough time to reload if the man at the other end was fast enough to get up to his position.

Slowly Týfurkh took a few steps downwards, his hulking frame causing enough noise for anybody to listen to even while not maintaining direct visual contact. He had to try and get a clear view onto Smit in order to shoot him.

---

Damn. Smit thought. He had hoped the man would take the shot. He needed to distract him. Smit threw the ball of pollen at the man's face. He then reached in to his other pouch and grabbed a handful of dust sand. He dashed forward as the pollen exploded, on impact, and spread into the air. He pulled out a knife in his spare hand.

---

Týfurkh's nose reacted near instantaneously. Pollen really was not the correct way against the Art of Canor, but it certainly was against proper breathing. The giant's sneezing echoed through the halls of the staircase, betraying the fact that Smit's distraction was working. Týfurkh lost what aim he had had and tried to regain it, which was somewhat difficult since he couldn't see Smit clearly behind the rough outline of the wall. He stepped closer and closer, still rubbing his nose with the back of his hand while holding the huge crossbow in the other.

---

The gap between Smit and the giant. It appeared his distraction worked... However...

Smit released the dust sand into the air, shielding his eyes with his newly freed hand. It didn't block out all the dust sand, but it was enough to not be detrimental. He knew he couldn't fight this guy. Running would be better.

Turning his body sideways, Smit passed between an opening between the giant and the wall. Perfect Smit thought, smiling at how well things worked out. Now, just to be sure... Smit kicked the giant man in the back of his knee. Wouldn't want to be him right now. Smit thought as he continued his climb up the stairs.