Fantasy Bravely Null

[RageFactorXIII]

This was a long awaited day. Itsuo had spent weeks pushing himself to his limits and often beyond them to ensure that he was properly prepared for today. Itsuo had thought himself well and truly ready for the day's horrific events and his spirits were only bolstered even further once Hideki-sama graced everyone at the Temple with a rousing speech. He was even able to push aside his concerns over allowing outsiders to assist in the Temple's defense, even if one of them was making use of a shield. Though, there was a sense of dread that Itsuo just could not seem to shake as he unsheathed, checked and sheathed his weapons to prepare for the battle to come. That sensation only grew as the young man watched his comrades from the Temple, who were the only family he had ever truly known, walk proudly onto the beach to take up their assigned posts in defending Feurey's Crystal and their home by extension.

When the first of the Tiger Clan's forces arrived, Itsuo wanted nothing more than to join his fellow Samurai down in the trenches to assist them in their portion of the fight, yet he did not. Hideki-sama had told those of noble descent to remain at the Temple's entrance for when the Tiger Clan's troops broke through the defenses on the beach and even though Itsuo fervently desired to join in the melee, he relented because duty demanded him to remain at his post. The young man regretted following the order, even as he kept his feet rooted firmly place while he witnessed several of his clansmen be slaughtered by the Tiger Clan's blades and lobbed fireballs from the traitorous clan's ships. The experience was harrowing for Itsuo as continued to watch people he had known for all of his life, fight and die for the sake of the Crystal while he forced himself to remain at his own post. He could feel moisture prick at his eyes while the remainder of his body remained numb save for the agonizing sensation occurring within his chest. It was as if something had reached into his rib cage, grasped his heart and then began to squeeze, twist and finally tear it out. Still, Itsuo did not leave his assigned post, even as he allowed himself to shed a few short tears for his fallen family.

After taking a moment to silently mourn the deaths of his family who fought out on the beach, Itsuo then dried his eyes with the back of his sleeve as quickly as he could so he could then focus upon the siege once more. It would not do to spit on his fallen comrades' sacrifice by ignoring the ongoing battle unfolding before himself. Itsuo had to remain focused on the task he had been given so that he could ensure that the lives lost today were not in vain. Though, the moment Itsuo had cleared his blurry vision and was able to focus on the events occurring before him, the young man noticed a rather odd sight on the beach. Amidst the chaos of blades, fire and death upon the beach was a new, purple projectile that was scattered about the sand. Itsuo feared for a moment that the new, purple projectile would somehow cause even more death and destruction than what was already occurring upon the beach, but that fear dissipated as time passed and the body count slowly increased while the once beautiful sands were stained black and red. Did the Tiger Clan take a chance on an experimental weapon of sorts? Those strange, massive, round masses are eerie in a way, yet they do not seem to be causing any additional harm upon my family. Perhaps the Tiger clan failed in inflicting massive harm with whatever those objects were? This was what Itsuo had hoped for as he continued to watch the bloody melee that was the beach. However, the Samurai's hopes were dashed when the odd, purple projectiles exploded, scattering thick, black, inky mist everywhere and severely maiming more of his family with the shrapnel.

Itsuo then watched on in horror as creatures, no, monstrosities emerged from the wreckage of the odd, purple projectiles. "Darkborn." The young man muttered to himself as he reached behind himself and deftly unlatched his Naginata from its bindings on his back before twirling, then swinging the polearm towards the front of his body so he could grip it with both hands. Then, right as Itsuo was about to charge forward to assist in slaying the nightmarish creatures, a few of the other Nobles, beat him to it. Bringing himself to an immediate halt after only moving three, brief steps, Itsuo relaxed his grip upon his Naginata and forced himself to wait once again. It was not an easy thing to do after witnessing the multitude of deaths from his clan, but Itsuo knew that he had to relent in storming forth for now. The enemy had yet to breach the first line of defense to challenge the Samurai and the others defending the Temple entrance and while these new opponents, if the monsters could even be considered as such, did pose an immediate threat to the Temple's safety, they would be unable to step beyond the barrier the surviving members of the Rat Clan and the odd puppet controlling girl had set up, or so he told himself.

The Samurai waited with a patience he did not truthfully possess while he watched the other Nobles, Hideki-sama included, deal with and eliminate the Darkborn that had attempted to rush the Temple entrance while the rest of the monstrosities tore a swath through his family as easily as one creates a tear in rice paper. Itsuo's heart roiled in both fury and agony while he forced himself to stand in place and do nothing aside from watch. He truly felt completely and utterly helpless as the peaceful life he had known was crumbling around him and even the knowledge that the most immediate threat had been dealt with did nothing to improve his current mood. Still, there was at least one singular merit to remaining where he was and that was the ability to identify the very next foe who would imperil the Temple.

When the Darkborn had been vanquished, Itsuo had hoped that his clan would be given a short moment of respite to collect themselves before returning to the bloody melee. That hope was immediately shattered when the young man took note of the ships that had reached the Lake of Rage's shores. Tiger Clan troops were deposited from the naval vehicles en masse, allowing them to easily navigate through the tattered lines that used to be the Crane Clans defenses, as they then made their way towards the Temple almost completely unopposed. This was the moment Itsuo had been waiting for, now would be the perfect time to rush forward to cut through the traitorous clan's ranks as though they were nothing more than countless blades of dry grass. However, the very moment Itsuo was to dart forward, he noticed the Tiger Clan's archers raise their bows and take aim at the two girls near him. Acting quickly, Itsuo rushed towards the Shrine Maiden, for if she went down, the front line would falter. Thankfully, Itsuo did not have to move very far in order to reach the girl who had been focused on supporting her allies, so it was easy to throw his body in front of hers in order to take the arrow in her place.

Pain, hot, burning pain blossomed from Itsuo's right shoulder as an object slammed into it while he careened through the air for a brief moment before his clothing covered arm roughly made contact with the hard ground. The Samurai let out a cry of pain after his rough landing, which was around the time his mouth had finally caught up with the rest of his body. By the Gods, does this hurt!! The young man forced his clenched eyes open while he worked his left arm to slowly push himself into an upright, if not prone, position. Itsuo grimaced as he allowed his eyes to travel down to the projectile lodged into his right shoulder, protruding from his flesh not unlike a hook sticking out from a wall. He would have reached out with his good hand to attempt to dislodge the arrow if his hand was not already occupied by keeping Itsuo propped up. Though, as it was, the young man would now have to do one of two things. Itsuo would either have to ask the Shrine Maiden he had potentially saved, for help, which would certainly distract her from helping her allies hold the line, or he would have to stand up and work through the pain. Pushing down with his left hand so he could then get his feet under himself, Itsuo stood from his previously downed position and drew his Tetsubo from its sheath strapped to his left leg as he rose. "Get the archers!" The Samurai shouted out, only to realize that the very menace he had been about to rush out towards had already been dealt with. This in turn caused the young man to feel even more helpless as everyone else around him contributed to the battle in meaningful ways while he remained back here useless and wounded, with his one and only helpful act turning him into a liability and a burden for his allies.

The now injured Samurai lowered his Tetsubo with a despondent sigh as he removed himself from his spot in front of the Shrine Maiden. Yes, he had saved the girl from harm, yet now that the immediate threat to her life was over, Itsuo was only hindering the Rat Clan survivor by remaining in her way. He then made his way back to his previous position so that he could continue to be helpless and watch his family continue to be slaughtered by the Tiger Clan warriors. It seemed to be the only thing Itsuo was good for, even after his many years of training. Though, maybe when the enemy broke through Hideki, the puppets and the other Rat Clan survivors, Itsuo would be able to at least through himself upon a blade. That would distract the enemy long enough for the spell casters near him to escape from the area, which would be more helpful than he has been all throughout the battle so far.

 

[Arcanist]

Hideki Murato

Tags: Misuteeku Shadow Dancer Pepsionne RageFactorXIII ​

The Darkborn Hideki faced against had went down, after most of it was spent dodging that malformed arm that came swinging at him like a hammer. Though, even afterwards, disgusting as it looked, he felt pity for it. He had no doubt this creature had suffered much agony, and he could only hope that his blade give it peace. He glanced around the battlefield as he sucked in air, desperate for breath. He had aged significantly, despite his constant and strict practice with the blade. He had hoped to retire from fighting after the Treaty was signed, but alas, Feurey still needed him when it fell through.

Hideki was thankful, if not unnerved, by the aid and strength of Sheridan's puppets, and the dark curses she wrought upon the Darkborn. What remained of the Rat Clan's brave warriors fought off the other remaining Darkborn, taking the pressure off some of the other fighters that joined them today. Or what few remained. Already the bodies had mounted up, limbs strewn across the battlefield like broken dolls. He had always regarded one casualty as too many, but the many he had witnessed fall today...

There was no time to mourn. Hideki felt the ground shake, heard the call of horns and the deafening battle cries of soldiers perforate his ears. The first of the Tiger Clan ships arrive, and it wouldn't be long for the others to follow after. They were advancing much harder, much faster than he had anticpated. The leader of the Crane Clan inhaled deeply, steeling himself once more for the plague of soldiers investing their land.

Hideki moved forward, unafraid. But the beating of his heart rose far past the rhythm of a steady beating drum.

An archer had caught Sheridan in the shoulder. The other, woman, Naoto, had almost risked the same fate, though the flying body of his nephew, Itsuo, caught it for her in his own shoulder. Though an honourable and brave act, it was one that was reckless, dangerous if anything. He was one of their last lines of defense, after all. But perhaps at his age, he would have done the same. Naoto, he would hope, would at least heal him for his trouble. Thankfully, Sheridan's curses came in handy once again. He made a mental note not to cross the girl, judging by how those archers' bones and faces were practically melting and grinding into dust. Who knew age could do that so quickly to a man...

It wasn't long before the yells of one man, katana and shield raised, reached Hideki's ears. A quick side step was all it took to disorientate him, and he slashed at his arm. Not enough to take him down, but enough of a warning to tell him should he do that again, he'll do far worse. Though, this one was proving not to be the only hassle. Two more arrived with their weapons drawn, surrounding him. Hideki tutted. "Turning on an old man now, are we?" He asked them, to which none replied. The second of the three swung his katana at him, to which Hideki bent backwards to avoid it with ease. The third went to strike at his side, only for Hideki to deflect it, and push him back. He had begun to parry them, sneakily strike at them when he could, only, to be interrupted by the sound of another voice.

A quick glance to the source and their attire made him grimace. More soldiers, not that he expected any less. He had thought they had come to aid their shield friends here, and yet, Hideki noticed something off. Why hadn't they marched with the rest of their platoon? Hideki's thoughts made him wander into danger, for he barely caught the swing of a katana, and from the first man he injured, no less. Blades struck with a clang, and scraped as the two battled to keep the other at bay.

Hideki glanced to the strange girl and man who had arrived on their shores. At most other times, he would doubt their genuinity. Now, at a time of bloody and desperate war, he would have to take that risk. "Help would be a fine thing! Take up arms and fight!"

 

[Orikanyo]

Adalbrecht Chickenden

The rush was over as quickly as it started, alas, flames that strong stay naught. But now he had blood on his blade and the dark beast was bloodied once more! Soon he shall be free again! To taste the sweet sweet air of the outside world...

But it seems, their business will not be solved so quickly. Much to do, many to fight...

...Hey that girl from before... A gods damned looker when close up. Small wonder Lanthane has her close by... Wait... Does that mean their together? Or is she simply a consort... bodyguard...? Honestly he didn't really have much of an idea right now, as his brain sort of took a detour from the swordplay for a moment. However, their next objective, given by the well musceled red head, was to head up and break the resistance the main group would be faceing from behind. Though... His tactical side says that he and the odd fellow were likely going to be one of the few actually fighting given the state of the little nobleladies...

Perhaps securing the armories would be prudent?

Nonetheless, he set off first to the ramp that would bring him up to the walkway, his asent wasn't an issue as he went over to the group laying on the ground... He winced slightly at the acrid scent in the air.

"Ugh... Horrible... The hell happened here..?" he wondered, taking up one of the swords upon the guard's belt and adding it to the other, figuring he could steal both sheaths for ease of transport from the downed men... As for Maxwell....

he looked over his shoulder and then began fastening ties out of strips of cloth from the guards and Maxwell's own clothes, gagging them and hog tieing them up. "There, no need to bother us any time soon. Certain the church would love to hear of your failure from your own mouth.

Now..." he walked towards the ramp and started to help folks up. "My ladies, if you would please, we shall likely find suitable accoutrements for you down the way. If you would allow this knight to aid you." he put a hand down the ramp, looking forwards to the ground... he quickly used the other hand as he realized the one outstretched was still bloody.

 

[King Crimson]

Lady Clarabella of Gavenia
​

"As it pleases you, Your Highness," Clara responds, bowing her head dutifully towards the young princess.
"But know that your presence alone is a great boon to our morale, and that House Gavenia shall always be loyal to the throne. Now then, Sir Knight, if you--"
Clara voice stopped short, staring with raised hackles and widened eyes at the carnage before her, left behind by the friendly gentleman that she had just spoken to just moments before, who was now reveling in the bloodshed he'd caused with deranged cries of chaos and darkness.
It was nothing like the numerous plays she had watched, depicting the chivalrous conquests and battles won by her clan.
Nor was it like any of the frivolous duels between minor nobles that she had spectated, which would always end after a single drop of blood had been spilled, with a round of apologies and a civil shaking of hands to follow.
There was no chivalry to be found here, no civility.
It was just...
Vulgar.

Eventually, the knight seemed to return to some form of lucidity, taking off towards a makeshift slope to the upper balcony that had formed somewhere between the destruction caused by the rioters, and the fearsome shaking of the prison's very foundations.
A moment later, the 'knight' returned, politely offering his hands to assist the two ladies up the ramshackle path, an offer Clara found herself hesitant to take, the crimson rouge staining his arm giving her a vivid reminder of his earlier display.
Seeming to sense her unease, the noble withdrew his hand, offering his other, cleaner arm in it's place. A kind gesture, but the damage was done, the image of a gallant, stalwart knight irreparably shattered in Clara's mind.
However, diseased he may be, their chances of escaping this hell were far greater with him alongside, and more importantly, he could get her to the prison armory, where she could reclaim what was hers.
"Thank you, Sir Knight," Clara replies, as she grabbed onto his hand, hoisting herself up the steep ramp.
"Your work was...eagerly done."
She would have to bury those apprehensions she held for now, she could deal with them later, when she was free again.

The first thing to greet her at the top of the slope was the stench left behind by that...creature, which still defiled the air around them. One breath was all it took to send Clara's hand flying up to her face to protect her delicate nose from the offending odor.
The second thing she found, was the pathetic sight of the once, maniacal, churlish Warden Maxwell and his entourage of guards, bound, gagged and helpless.
As she hastily made her way past the men, something of interest caught her gaze; a frayed, worn, old wooden crossbow, left displaced on the ground, one bolt already nocked in, waiting to be released into the flesh of some unruly prisoner, with several others held together in a leather quiver attached to one of the guardsmen's belt.
Making a short detour to relieve the soldier of both his weapon and munitions, Clara took a moment to fasten the quiver to her clothing, and properly inspect the state of the state of the bow now resting in her hands.
It was a bit more...Brummagem than the arms her and the other aristocracy would use for hunting ballistic chickens, but it would have to do.
It would have to, after all, for whatever lay behind that iron door before them.
The first checkpoint would be there, and beyond that, the armory.
Turning once more towards the crazed knight, Clara sternly ordered, holding her crossbow tightly within her grip,
"At your advance, Sir Adalbrecht. I shall support you from the rear."
Another rumble resounded throughout the prison, lost in the tumult happening inside it's walls.

Interacting:
Adalbrecht, Orikanyo
Vivian, Takumi98

 

[Shadow Dancer]

Naoko was relieved when Seiichi and Hibiki cut down the Darkborn with the help of that odd girl's puppets but her relief was short lived as a ship landed on the shore pouring out soldiers like angry hornets from a hive before Naoko could react an archer shot his arrow at her, it was ready to reap her life when a man around her age threw his body in front of hers and caught the arrow in his shoulder. The man shouted and was half a step from charging the archers before they suddenly died from old age causing the man to sigh and go back to where he was. Naoko couldn't help but feel grateful to the stranger and ashamed at her own incompetence so she walked towards the man, trusting Seiichi and Hibiki to easily take care of themselves. "Sir you took a bad injury for my sake let me help." Naoko checked the arrow wound and saw it would be easy to extract as it was not lodged too deep in the bone. "Sir this will hurt for a bit, please stay with me and bite on this." Naoko found some bamboo lying about and finding a suitable piece she gave it to the man.

Naoko proceeded without checking to see if he took her advice as her mind switched into what Seiichi and Hibiki called doctor mode, in this state she was only focused on her patient disregarding all other distractions. Naoko started by taking care of the arrow she couldn't push it through as it hit the bone of his shoulder blade so she would have to pull it out. "Sir I'm going to pull the arrow out now." Without another word she waited for a few seconds and took ahold of the arrow close to the base of the arrow head and firmly yet skillfully pulled it out with a practiced ease not worrying about his response to the pain she took out a pouch and out of the pouch she retrieved a pungent green paste, with a little on her fingers she spread the salve on the wound. The salve was made up of several healing herbs mixed with spring water.

It was one of many medicines her teacher taught her to make, Naoko asked once why a shrine maiden would need to use medicines when they had magic that could do the same thing. Her teacher explained the medicine would help speed up the healing process saving mana and there were thing even magic could not do but medicine could.

Now ready to cast her magic she channeled her mana and sang a wordless song. The song had a gentle tone to it like a spring breeze across a still lake her magic seemed to react to the song and poured into the wound causing it to close up at a visible pace in moments the wound was just a scar, the bone and muscle now repaired. "There sir you should be able to use your right arm much better now." Naoko walked away to watch over Seiichi and Hibiki




Seiichi and Hibiki were tired by the time the Darkborn were killed "Seiichi we're going to a hotspring once this is over, you smell like shit." Seiichi rolled his eyes "Like you smell much better Hibiki."
Hibiki didn't respond, hee looked out onto the battlefield and saw one of the ships land and soldiers poured out, they were soon faced with five spearmen three men with shields and two archers that immediately fired their arrows aiming for Naoko and the dark mage girl. Hibiki saw the dark mage take the arrow and then unleash her spell causing the archers to age from twenty something to eighty and then to dust in less than a minute.

Seiichi helplessly watched the arrow that flew towards Naoko and the panic in her eyes. Before it claimed her life a man around his age jumped in front of her taking the arrow. With a worry gone Seiichi quickly focused back on the eight enemies before them. He saw as a shield user and a couple spearmen split off to fight Hideki leaving them with the rest. Seiichi and Hibiki fought side by side. Seiichi used his shield to keep pressure on the spearmen and his distraction paid off as he watched a spearman get crushed by a ball and chain after failing to notice the puppets were also fighting.

This put the remaining troops further on edge when the pair watched another puppet with scimitars charge in spinning forcing the men that just avoided the ball and chain to dodge once more giving Hibiki a perfect chance to rush one of the shield users. The enemy was able to put up his shield in time to avoid a lethal slash towards the neck but now with Hibiki in his guard and the others worrying about Seiichi and the puppets the man could only watch in despair as Hibiki avoided or parried all his weakened strikes. frustrated at the stalemate the man bashed forward with his shield lowering his guard just enough for Hibiki to side step the strike and stab the man in the neck.

Seiichi was able to fend off the other members of the group by turtling behind his shield making the spears strike uselessly against the damaged shield and with the help of the puppets the enemies were too busy avoiding being surrounded themselves to try and overwhelm Seiichi creating a stalemate. Seiichi heard the dying gurggle of a man and knew Hibiki was successful in killing his target now they had to try and create another opportunity. "I'll charge them, keep me alive." Seiichi mouthed to Hibiki who glanced at Naoko and gave a shrug meaning something along the lines of 'we are going to do something reckless keep us alive.'

Naoko just nodded and Seiichi roared out as he charged the spearmen causing them to panic and break their formation from the sudden unexpected move, giving an opportunity for the puppets and Hibiki. Hibiki did not waste the moment running in after Seiichi and slashed at one of the neck of a spearman unable to ready his weapon in time the man died a pathetic death as his blood poured out onto the sand. Seiichi was able to run one of the panicked spearmen through with his katana. The pair backed off before they could be surrounded and readied themselves as the sounds of the other enemy soldiers were fast approaching and there it would turn this fight into a chaotic melee and numbers were not on their side.

 

[Arcanist]

Ayka Galani | Lanthane Grivois

Tags: The Black Knight Takumi98 Orikanyo King Crimson InsaneAsylum ​

Lanthane stiffened. Noble friends...take the guard's pathways...crush their captors...with what might? He was loathe to admit, Ayka's comments about his 'noodle arms' weren't completely unfounded. He had a good throwing arm, though, his skill with a sword rivalled that of the skill of a small child handling one. Actually, that was an insult to the swordschild. They'd bury Lanthane much quicker than he could try and swing that sword. If only he had been blessed with the innate fighting skills his siblings had acquired or perhaps had paid more attention in lessons and actually applied what he learned with ease. Perhaps the Goddess would take pity upon him now? For once?

Ayka, meanwhile, had found herself bending down a little to look up into Adal's face. "Hello...? Lunacresta to Mister Dark Knight...?" She wasn't sure if he was staring at her or had happened to fix his gaze upon her as he thought, though, that soon didn't matter, for General Morgan had set them all their next task to manouvre through the guard halls, or else join her and the herd of prisoners swarming back to where the cells were. Ayka didn't fancy trying to make her way through all those prisoners, nor did she fancy hearing Lanthane moan about it either, and so took on Morgan's orders to head up to the railings.

Before she made her way though, she stopped by a fallen guard, and smirking, started fonding around his uniform, before reaching into one of his pockets. "Aha! Found it!" She chuckled darkly, pulling out something that resembled a crude looking shiv. It was hardly sustainable in a long-term fight and would probably break upon use, but it was a simple weapon that Ayka could use in the meanwhile. She turned to the bewildered Lan, waving it in front of him. "Saw this guy confiscate it off a prisoner this morning. Neat, huh?" She remarked cheerfully, before continuing onto the makeshift ramp. All Lan could think of was the amount of alcohol he'd have to guzzle once this was over.

With both clambering onto the railing above, one with the aid of Adal's less bloody hand, the other by means of trying to traverse an uphill ramp on his lonesome, the pair were met with the sight of Maxwell and his cohorts bound and gagged, a satisfying sight indeed. "At least we don't have to listen to that damn cackle of his anymore," Lanthane remarked with a grin, stepping over the other cohorts' unconscious bodies, Ayka following behind in a careful toptoeing fashion. She would have responded to him, though she scrunched up her nose, an odour permeating through the air, a familiar stench of something dying. She thought, at least, for she couldn't pinpoint what it was that had caused this smell in the first instance.

No sooner than they had entered the hallway were they caught by three guards, adequately armed, and in no way hesitant to let these nobles past. Ayka shoved past Lan, shiv in hand and poised ready to go. Sure, it had its one time use, but find an opening and stick it in the right place - or rather the wrong place, where these guards were concerned - and it'd at least have had a good use. "Usually I work with a tome, but I'll be damned if I can't do something here. I'll look out for an opening."

"And I'll, uh...morally support from the rear of all of you!" A nervous laugh rung from the noble behind them, his eyes wandering, yearning for some miracle to bless them with an escape, or at least a viable weapon. The sooner he picked up his stuff again, the better. He could only hope any of his concoctions hadn't been destroyed by brutes who weren't careful with them.

The hallway around them seemed to tremble, a distant thunder rocking the walls of the prison. Lanthane glanced up, thoughtful, before he muttered, "What the...?" What was the cause of all that rumbling? Something else coming in? But how was that possible, with the prison being built under an oasis? Lanthane couldn't help but think, "They're not seriously thinking of--?"

Crap, no time to think on that now! Not as he heard the steel of swords clanged, and he watched Ayka lunging to drive that shiv into a guard's neck that she barely avoided the swing of a sword from.

 

[The Black Knight]

The prisoners threw up their fists, roaring in their determination to escape before they stampeded past the blond knight, heading for the other prison cells to free their comrades. Locke grinned impishly, following the prisoners’ path of travel to see a group of odd characters beginning to ascend a ramp leading to the loft he had just descended. Glancing from the other nobles to where the rest of the prisoners had gone, Locke decided to follow the royal group, curious if they knew something he didn’t. He followed them up the ramp and was met with his lingering stench, fanning his hand before his face with an amused smirk. The silver-haired one had tied the warden and his goons up ( Orikanyo ). It wouldn’t hold them long, and if Locke had more gas in him, then he probably would have released another stink bomb in the troll’s face.

The knight hesitated, wanting to see where the motley crew went. There weren’t many options. There was only one hallway that led away from the balcony. The little woman with the crossbow told the silver-haired gentleman that she would cover his rear ( King Crimson ). A gaunt man cowardly mentioned how he would cover them from the rear. Locke walked toward the corridor and stopped just to look Lanthane over ( Arcanist ), his blue eyes sliding left and right as his chin lowered. His attention returned to the noble’s face as he gave him a dissatisfied quirk of the right side of his nose and mouth. What a useless stick of a man.

Locke didn’t have time to share his disgust with him before he heard the hiss of drawn steel. Immediately, his head snapped in the direction of the hall. A woman lunged with a pointed object he couldn’t make out in her tight fist. The women seemed to be showing more fighting spirit than the men in that moment. He raised the sword he still gripped in his hand, his blue orbs lowering to it. He then glanced at the three attacking guards. Three guards in a narrow hallway. It was Martial Arts 101. He recalled the spars he would have with his old, fox-eared friend. While shiv girl went for one of the guards, Locke flipped the sword in his hand until it was pummel-first and lobbed it like a javelin at the second advancing guard’s face. It was an unexpected use of a sword that surprised the second guard whose eyes lit up in shock before he raised his arm to block the weapon. The pummel struck the guard’s armored arm, causing him to wince, but following the weapon, was a swiftly moving Locke. The guard lowered his arm and roared as his grip tightened on his sword with every intention to swing it. He wasn’t given a chance for as soon as he lowered his arm, his bellow was silenced by two, dirt, animal skin-covered feet that slammed into his face.

The guard’s head cocked back, and the rest of his body followed tipping back toward the floor. Locke landed upon his back, catching his weight on his forearms before he grasped the sword that had fallen, raising it in time to catch the blade of the third guard with a musical clang.

“Get outta my way!” Locke snarled.

 

[Orikanyo]

Adalbrecht

The other two have shown to be capable enough combatants, but one last person blocked their path. Adalbrecht examined the man up and down, shaking, pissed himself, his sword was all but a tool to keep these "monsters" at bay. With both blades in hand, draw but not readied he stepped forwards, toward the last standing guard. His eyes on his, a great scowl was across his face as the young man jolted back. "S-stay away!" he screeched, which did not stop the knight.

A flourish of the left blade and a flash of steel swatted the blade out of the guard's hand and caused it to clatter away and down the path.

Adalbrecht wasted no time and planted a foot into the young man's cuirassed chest and forced the boy onto his back, boot firmly planted atop of him. "N-n-no! Please! I don't wana die!!" the young man's sobs echoed in the air, eyes not daring to move from Adalbrecht's.

He knelt down, causing the guard to breath heavily in fear.

And he spoke softly, barely above a whisper.

"Then stay down... And let us pass... Please.."

With that he rose back up and stepped over the young man, not stopping his stride. It had been so long, he had forgotten light must thrive in the dark, for every punishment there must be a mercy. They had to access the armory, the man wouldn't cause any more trouble likely.. And if he does he will just kill him.

Mercy should only be given once.

"Way is clear, come on!"

 

[Takumi98]

Vivian Grivois | Lyari Morcant​

Vivian opened her mouth to respond to Clara, but closed it as Adal made a grusome show in obtaining the keys from the guard. She didn't comment on it other than a displeased frown.

Letting Adal help her and her fellow noble onto the ramp, she perked up when she noticed her brother and their friends eventually following. Though, both her and Lyari eyed Lanthane as he offered to give support from the back, the blonde with a look of understanding and the white haired youth with a look of curious confusion.

"Don't worry brother, we'll be just fine." Vivian tried to assure the older of the two with a smile, though noticed the look one of their fellow prisoners had given the man.

Her smile dropped at what appeared to be a look of disgust on his face, and she turned to give him a scowl of her own and a narrowed gaze. She knew, realistically, that some didn't like others who didn't fight on the front lines, but she also knew many were better in support roles. She also knew her brother didn't fight well with a sword like some of their other siblings did.

As such, she was seconds away from asking the man if he had a problem with her brother, and if so he could kindly set that aside for another time when three guards appeared. Luckily, they were made quick work of, and once they were allowed to pass, she bend down and picked up the sword of one of the fallen guards with pursed lips and furrowed brows.

Meanwhile, Lyari stuck closer to Lanthane with a sigh. Before taking the sword from the hands of the guard Adal spared. He didn't need it, even if she didn't have much experience with it it was better than having him try and stab them in the back. Literally.

"This is mine now, thank you." She spoke bluntly, before turning to Lanthane.

"After you, I'll take up the rear...I think Vivian might like to spend more time with you too, but don't let her know I told you." She added.

Mentioned: King Crimson Arcanist Orikanyo The Black Knight InsaneAsylum

 

[Pepsionne]

Yui Akai | Ryuichi Kubo​

Yui’s eyes lit up with an intense fire as she heard Hideki’s strained voice piercing the air, “Help would be a fine thing! Take up arms and fight!"

With Hideki’s words serving as her battle cry, all of the pent up nerves and energy rocketed through her veins at a lightning speed. She had been itching to fight ever since she arrived back at the Tiger Clan. Yui’s steps sunk into the sand deeply as she rocketed herself forward, each step gaining more and more speed and stability as she made her way from the soft beach onto harder, compact ground.

The smell of fresh blood sinking into upturned earth and dissipating smoke attacked her senses. It was the smell of battle. She let out a wide, almost maniacal smile as she approached the group of three soldiers surrounding Hideki. One of them looked over at her confused, lowering his guard and his weapons shortly as he recognized her noble attire. Yui took that opportunity to jump, slamming her leg into his body to knock the soldier off his balance. She flipped back into the air, landing on her feet with skill. With one swift movement of her katana, Yui knocked the man out, a reflex she could not move past when thinking of the Tiger Clan and their families. She had vowed to be their savior, not their killer.

Yui looked up and away from the man once verifying that he was indeed unconscious and shot a wide smile in Hideki’s direction, “I’m Yui Akai by the way, and I’m going to restore the Tiger Clan name.” Her wide, staring eyes reflected the gleaming spots of fire in the distance, emphasizing the strong, almost eerie look in them. With that, she ran off, leaving Hideki to deal with a more manageable amount of attackers.

Yui targeted the spearmen who were closing in on the small group, ducking under one of their hesitating lunges in her direction. They all had strained looks on their faces, unsure of whether to fully attack her or not. Yui made the decision for all of them as she popped up on the other side of one of the spearmen and slammed the handle of her katana into a pressure point in his leg, causing him to quickly fall face first into the earth. As she kneeled to knock him out, another spearmen hurriedly rushed in to attack her.

Yui looked up, eyes wide at the pointed spear aimed directly at her chest. The gleam of metal, glowing bright orange in the light of battle, became a blur as it veered off to the side suddenly, puncturing the ground beside her and throwing up a shower of dirt and splintered wood. Yui looked over at the spear with a conceited gleam. An arrow buried itself into the wooden shaft, effectively splintering it in half. Yui bent her head backwards to look out into the distance, seeing Ryuichi positioned far off in the back near some of the mages and other crane archers. Her hair fell down in a shower, brushing in and mingling with the dirt. She gave him a wide, upside down smile before rightening herself and swiftly knocking out the second spearman.

“Well then,” She laughed excitedly. “Let’s keep going.”

 

[Misuteeku]

Sheridan Sasaki​

It seemed like everything was being handled well by everyone else. However, that didn't mean she should be complacent. Sheridan was about to send the puppet that was defending her to attack the new arrivals, but stopped herself from doing it since it seemed like they were on their side. Peaking from her cover she wondered if she should cast a quick spell on the soldiers, but decided against it. She was already hurt and bleeding from the shot she took, so expanding more energy to cast spells was a waste. Though, that didn't mean she couldn't command her puppets to attack the enemy. The puppet with the two scimitars sneaked up to the one of soldiers and stabbed him from behind, repeatedly stabbing him until more blood pooled from underneath.

The other puppet with the ball and chain swung its ball at another target and sent them flying back due to the tremendous force applied to them. However, as time went on the puppets seemed to be worn down from every attack they committed. There were some cracks on the puppet's wooden body and the sword puppet's sword became gradually duller with each stab. "Puppetry was never his forte," Sheridan muttered. They weren't durable or long lasting that was for sure, her master most likely made them in the last few days in preparation for this fight. At the very least she would be able to salvage their parts and create an entirely new puppet from it, so not all was lost.

Looking back to her wound, she looked blankly at the blood before getting up from her cover. At this point this fight would be over with and more soldiers would arrive. Might as well get a head start in starting a ritual for the next batch of soldiers. With her hand stained with blood, she pressed down on to the ground. "Writhing in the maws of life, screaming at the face of death..." She chanted." The blood from her hand slowly flowed towards the dead bodies of the soldiers, enemies and allies alike, and started to link them with each other. "In between life and death, the uncertain future dawns."

 

[Arcanist]

Ayka Galani | Lanthane Grivois

Tags: The Black Knight Takumi98 Orikanyo King Crimson InsaneAsylum ​

Lanthane had been alerted to the sweet voice of Vivian, ever comforting in its delivery. How she managed such positivity in this dirty dungeon was a miracle. He managed a nod, and a smile, for her sake, even if he wasn't so confident himself.

The contempt playing on the blond knight's lips hadn't gone unnoticed by Lanthane nor his younger sister, it seemed. Such looks, he knew, had been common to witness through most of his days. Though, he would insist that he simply could not help his state of affairs. The risks of being sent back to the Crystal after attempting to run it through the chest of another man were glaringly high, and Lanthane wished not to send himself back to it a second time. Granted, the first was an accident, but the circumstances of being sent back were much different this time. He'd find himself in the bloody hands of the Church after all.

Lanthane, in true 'supporting from the rear' style, watched the bloodshed erupt. Ayka had good knowledge of anatomy - and, well, intimately so - but managing to catch a vital point in the guard's neck was simply luck on her part. As soon as she pulled the makeshift shiv out of his neck, the blood fountaining out of the open wound, and the guard found himself stumbling back and onto the ground. A guard down, but also a shiv down, much to Ayka's displeasure.

It hadn't taken long for the other two guards to go down. One by Locke, who had shown a unique method to dispatching one rather than simply swinging his sword. In fact, the whole fight was akin to some spectacular performance, every movement a blaze of theatricality. It was enough to make Lanthane forget, albeit briefly, that he was caught up in the same situation as the rest of these imprisoned nobles.

The last guard, well, their part in this was somewhat anti-climatic. The guard had been a blubbering mess, forced onto his back by Adal, whom he noted gave a terrifying display of his own in dealing with him. It hadn't matter, whether he dispatched him or not. The less trouble they found themselves in, and the sooner they could escape this rat-trap, the better.

Soon, they were on the move. Though, not before Lyari insisted on taking the rear, and pushing Lanthane a little further forward. He had to give credit to the women who were taking up arms and fighting...and of course, making his cowardice more apparent by the minute. He listened to Lyari urging him forward, and that his sister had been wishing for his company. He had been wondering how she coped in here, never having many opportunities to actually speak with her. Plus, with the rounding up of other nobles...he had to wonder why they weren't stuck in here with them. He held out some vague hope that Vivian knew something, but doubted it.

On his way past, he grabbed a buckler from one of the fallen guards. Sure, not a sword, but at least he could either defend himself with it or make some sort of offensive attack with it. He watched Ayka grab a buckler from the guard she took out, unfazed by the pool of blood around the man's head, before eagerly following the others ahead. How she never turned out to be a front-line weapons fighter he would never quite understand.

Lanthane soon approached Vivienne, managing a smile. Perhaps now wasn't the time for a lengthy conversation, but he could at least check on in his sister. The Goddess knew he never really asked her, after all. "How are you holding up?"

Gerran Perall

​

The prison was in a state of chaos. The rumbling above them continued, with sand spilling onto the heads of guards running around like headless Balistic Chickens. Gerran stood, watching what was regarded as a high-security prison cracking under pressure. A good thing he got here before it was too--

"S-Sir Gerran?! W-what are you doing here?!"

Gerran turned to the voice of a guard, tall enough only to face his chest - the recruits got smaller every year. He adopted his best stance, and growled. "Why do you think I'm here?" He watched man shrinking under what should have been his normally stoic gaze. "This place is in chaos. What the hell is going on?"

"T-the prisoners, s-sir," the guard stumbled, glancing down the passageway, his stance that of a small boy afraid of the monsters lurking down said passageway, "they just revolted! Running rampant! I'm sure the prisoners will try to make their way to the armoury. When some of the nobles came in, we confiscated their things...no doubt someone will want to make use of them."

Gerran nodded, before placing a hand on his shoulder as if for a friendly pat until he moved him out of his path. "Stay alert. I'll go handle them." He didn't wait to hear the guard's protest if he even had any, and started moving.

With any luck, Ayka was close by to Lanthane, who hopefully hadn't found his neck wrung by any of the guards.

Hideki Murato

Tags: RageFactorXIII Pepsionne Shadow Dancer Misuteeku ​

The young woman seemed to answer Hideki's call to fight eagerly, performing an impressive feat of athleticism and skill, culminating into a knocked out foe. To be that young and swift again...the momentary distraction in the guards, no doubt caused by someone from their own side fighting against them, gave Hideki the opening he needed. He kicked the soldier he faced off against in the stomach and slicing at his knees. It was enough to send him down with an agonising scream before Hideki drove the katana through his chest. The woman may have wanted to spare these people, but he could not against one who would wish him and his people harm.

Yui Akai. Mimi's niece. At least someone in the Akai clan had their heads screwed on correctly, to see this was madness. He gave her a swift nod. "I am glad for it. It is good to have you with us, Lady Akai," he told her before she ran off. Left with the last soldier, the two engaged in a vicious clashing of blades, Hideki finding it much easier to face off against one now instead of three.

Two of the spearmen had been downed by Yui and her comrade. Sheridan had been working her magic - quite literally - on soldiers across the field. A third spearman had been defeated by one of her puppets, and now only two remained. Hideki had been filled with newfound hope. Perhaps they would win this. Yes, they could win this.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

“Face me Murato!”​

Mimi Akai’s voice rang out across the battlefield, causing the fighting to slow to a stop across the beach. Bombardments from her own ships halted as well, as the soldiers made an open circle around Mimi, knowing what was about to happen.

Clad in her tiger orange armor, Mimi paced back and forth, her hand ready to draw her blade. There was a fierce intensity radiating through the tiger head helm she wore. The mask covered everything but her eyes, but that was all one needed to see to know that she meant business. Her reputation on the battlefield would only confirm this.

“Murato! Face me you coward!”

Silence suffocated the remainder of those on the battlefield. Several soldiers exchanged looks, or cast their gazes back, but none dared to cut through the silence.

Hideki glanced to the leader of the Tiger Clan, pacing and shouting, demanding his presence. Her sword was drawn, and the hand that wielded it itched to use it. Her calls demanded a fight, and a bloody one, he was sure. He gripped the habaki of his scabbard. A call to fight could not be ignored or refused. It was inevitable that the two would have to face one another.

So, Hideki took calm steps towards where Mimi stood, a mix of soldiers from the Crane Clan, ones he had known since their toes first brushed against the grass, and others who had only met this night, watching on in a cautious, fearful awe. His armour clanked as he walked, his footsteps heavy, but measured, and his head held high.

“So, it is to end like this, Mimi Akai?” Hideki’s voice was low as a stern sensei’s, powerful enough to reverberate through all present around them on this battlefield. He halted a few metres from Mimi, regarding the splendid fire of the leader’s armour, the hunger for bloodshed in her eyes. He wondered where the Clans went wrong. What he could have done to prevent this. But the past was long gone, and now, Hideki had a chance to amend what mistakes he could have made in the lead-up to this moment.

“So be it.” Hideki placed his hand on his katana, slipping it free from its scabbard, before adopting his stance, both hands on his blade as he held it in front of him. “I accept your challenge. Let this duel decide the destiny of Feurey!”

Without another word, Mimi raised her blade. As if on queue, the skies began to darken above the island. A storm had rolled in, blocking out the sun and blanketing the island in darkness. The only lights were those at the temple, on the ships, and the dim light shining down upon Mimi and Hideki.

After several long moments, Mimi carefully approached. With her blade raised, she brought it down forcefully towards Hideki. It was a testing strike, but a powerful one nonetheless.

Hideki, unflinching in his stance, shifted the blade diagonally to his left. The blade met with Mimi’s with a fierce but brief clang, as he pulled his blade away, and shifted to the left of her. Seeing his opportunity to strike, he raised his own blade this time, and went to strike at her shoulder.

Mimi didn’t want to let up on her offensive, but Hideki was quick. When he moved to her left. She turned her body with a jerk, swinging her blade up to meet the side of Hideki’s in order to knock his blade away.

Hideki may have been quick, but Mimi had a careful eye, and knew just where to strike. His own strike had been deflected, and his blade knocked away. She was tough, but he refused to have that thought lurk into his expression. He hadn’t much choice but to step back and recover, and prepare for any strike that came next.

“Is that all?” Mimi said smugly. She stood, waiting for him to regain his posture.

Hideki refused to let his inner thoughts show in his expression, and he refused to give her an answer. Instead, he swung his blade once in a circle, before he lunged forward, moving his blade in an upward strike at Mimi.

“That’s fast!” Mimi couldn’t help but say as she bent backwards to avoid the strike. Hideki’s strike nicked its target, as Mimi was now the one distancing herself. With a hop, she landed near the edge of their circle, and her orange mask fell to the ground in two pieces. Several drops of blood followed, pooling beneath the mask.

Hideki watched the mask break diagonally, and fall to the ground at her feet. He had caught her across the cheek, the blood rolling down from her cheek and onto the ground. Not deep enough, he had thought with a deep vehemence, a thought he was almost ashamed to hold. He didn’t wish for violence, but Mimi’s insolence, her betrayal to the Clans and her country dishonourable. And now, such thoughts seeped into his expression, poisoning what little patience he had left with this insufferable woman.

Mimi’s face turned to a slight grin. “I suppose it would be a shame if you were to die without putting up a fight. Let’s see how long you can keep up…”

With that said, Mimi raised her sword into the air, before bringing it back down behind her back. Here she held it steady and unmoving. This was the famous Akai stance, created by Mimi’s grandfather. It was well known that from this stance the user could make a single abnormally fast swing, too fast for the eye to see. Letting the stance’s useless appearance deceive you could be fatal.

Hideki bided his time, watching Mimi adjust her stance and hold her sword down behind her back. He recognised the Akai stance, one passed down from Mimi’s own grandfather. He had been lucky to witness it when he was barely a young man. Now, he had not been so lucky, forced to be faced against it. He inhaled through his nostrils, gripped his blade in both hands. He just had to be fast enough to meet her blade.

“Well Hideki? Show me the might of a Crane!”

There was a lull, a deep stare from Hideki. Not hesitation, nor fear. Just a man, deciding his next move. And then he moved. He knew the damage that could connect with his ageing body could be fatal. He just had to block it first. As he moved, his hand shifted to the end of his blade, intending to block, push, strike. He pushed forward with his blade, even whilst waiting for Mimi’s to connect with his.

Only, he found part of his blade grasped tight in his left, the hilt of the once fully formed blade still in his right. Hideki, with a sudden inhalation of breath, had barely realised Mimi’s weapon had sliced through his.

Mimi’s arm was outstretched now, her blade held out to her side. She slowly brought it back towards her center, pointing it at Hideki. It may not have been visible beneath her armor, but her arm's muscles were bulging and throbbing from being forced to move so fast and powerfully. The Akai stance was meant to end fights, as it could rarely be used more than once.

Any samurai would have admitted defeat and withdrawn. Hideki refused to be that samurai. Though his blade was broken, he could still make use of it. He just had to be smart about it. With Mimi’s blade pointed at him, he knew she was goading him to advance again. If he could just knock her off balance...

Then in a quick movement, she thrust her blade towards his armpit, where armor was usually scarce.

Hideki had advanced, determined to parry her attack, though her quick movement, and the shifting of her blade past his own proved fatal. He felt the blade slice through what little protection he had, and into his flesh. Hideki yelled as he felt a searing pain, the uncomfortable warmth of blood streaming from the point of impact. It was enough to send him stumbling forward and to the ground, his hand flying to the wound to plug what blood tried to gush out of it. Even with the pain and the hopelessness that this duel was over, Hideki refused to relent. He tried to reach towards his broken katana with one bloody hand, his wound open to the air again.

An armored hand grasped the back of Hideki’s collar, and with a grunting heave, pulled him up to his feet in front of Mimi, but facing the crowd of soldiers before them. One could see the thrill and excitement on the Tiger Clan’s forces as they cheered for their leader. The men and women of the Crane Clan however… their spirits were crushed as they watched life slowly drain from their beloved leader.

Shame had been a feeling he felt many times before in his life. A fib he told as a child, placing his brother at the heart of the blame for scattered vase pieces sprinkled across the floor. The breaching of his temper, where he snapped at his niece for her disobedience. The misjudgement he made, resulting in dozens of his soldiers felled like trees by Rivienne soldiers. And now this. Though, even now, he did not show it. Only resistance remained on his stern expression.

“Lay down your blades, Cranes! Your hero has been defeated!” Mimi yelled out across the beach with a boom.

The Crane soldiers exchanged glances with one another, not sure what to do. Should they submit, or fight to the last man as originally intended?

Hideki’s eyes roamed over the faces of once hopeful soldiers, now reduced to quivering, horrified men and women. He knew it was over. At least, here, he was. His eyes moved to the temple, up its proud structure, almost searching. He feared what it would be reduced to in his absence. But the least he could do now was impart one last bit of Murato wisdom.

“We may have lost here,” Hideki began, his tone as unwavering as it had been when he first spoke to these men and women, “but this is one loss of many battles to come. Hold hope in your hearts, for the future of Feurey.” He trembled, though, from fear or his injury, it couldn’t be quite sure. But he would remain honorable to the end. “Grace and Good Fortune,” he finished, the words of their precious Clan, now seen to ruin like that of the Rat Clan.

Seeing a lack of action from the soldiers around her. Mimi let go of Hideki, letting him drop down to his knees. She brought her blade down, resting it horizontally across his neck. “Goodbye, Murato.”

With one swift slice, and a splatter of blood, the Head of the Crane Clan had been killed. Mimi Akai shoved him down to the ground, and stepped over him before she whipped her blade along her sleeve, and sheathed her blade.

The Tiger Clan did not hesitate. With a burst of confidence and inspiration, they turned their blades upon the disheartened Crane. The forces on the beach were nearly decimated within minutes. All that was left was the temple.

If one had given themselves a vantage point higher in the temple, they would notice a ball of dark magic being conjured on one of the ships. The writhing black and purple tendrils of the magic surged in and out of the throbbing mass of power. Whoever was casting this spell had something vile up their sleeve.

Scuffling footsteps bounced off steps of the Temple and hurriedly continued along its main interior. The Shrine Maiden caught the gaze of Lord Murato, moments before she watched the light leave from them, and knew what it was she must do. Reaching the nobles, who would have gathered to watch the fate defining duel between Hideki and Mimi, she made her presence known by grabbing their attention as the slaughter resumed.

“Nobles of Feurey,” she quickly bowed, “there is little time to explain. Lord Murato asked me to relay a message for you all, should the Temple fall. You must flee now and seek out Aiko Akai, the Pirate Queen. There is a boat waiting to take you west across the Lake of Rage. You should begin your search at the village of Miyaori.” She looked to each of them with a serious, yet, pleading eye. “Please, my lords and ladies. The Temple has fallen. Your deaths here means Lord Murato died for nothing. He has asked this not for him but for the future of Feurey itself.”

--------------------

Moments Before the Carnage...

The three guards were dispatched with a surprising swiftness, and the rest of the hallway was clear. Their bodies would forever remain in the depths of the prison. The nobles would then encounter as short flight of metal stairs taking them several feet higher. Drops of water slowly dripped down onto the stairs from above. At the end of the hall was a heavy steel door. It was cracked open a little bit, likely due to someone's forgetfulness in all the chaos. The closer the nobles got to the door, the louder the yells and clangs became. On the other side of this door was probably almost every guard in this level of the prison.

The first checkpoint had been prepped for defense. Mages and crossbowmen lined the upper walkway that stretched across the the wall all around, giving those up there a vantage point over the entire soon to be battlefield. The nobles were up here as well, but it seemed that no one had noticed them. Everyone was focused on what was below. A wide and massive metal door was being pounded on from the opposite side. Boom after boom echoed throughout the checkpoint, as the prisoners tried to force their way through, knowing full well that death was almost certain on the other side. Guards were lined up in front of the door behind stone barricades. Guards with spears and shields were lined up close, while the lesser armed guards stayed near the edges, ready to hop out of rooms, or chase down stragglers. The doorway would be a killzone. A few of the mages above were already chanting below their breath.

The prisoner rumbled once again, this time enough to make everyone stumbled for a moment. Dust was kicked off of the ceiling, and part of one of the walls started... leaking? If the prisoners wanted to escape, they would need to do it soon. The only way out was through this checkpoint, and the guards had no intention of letting anyone walk out alive. There was one individual missing from the checkpoint. The Warden was not present. Was he on vacation, or did he not see the need to put himself in danger?

 

[Misuteeku]

Sheridan Sasaki​

So, Murato was dead. That didn't surprise Sheridan the slightest but it did annoy her greatly. Her master was going to be very upset with these turn of events, especially since the crystal will be now under the control of the Tiger Clan. If Sheridan was going to honest, she was half-tempted to finish her spell during the duel between the two clan heads but decided against it. Honor, or whatever, was a trifling thing. Everyone would turn on her the second the spell went off. But now? With Murato dead and the Cranes now being massacred there wasn't much left to do... Other than. "At least your death wasn't in vain, Murato." She muttered as the blood continued itself with multiple of corpses. The duel had bought her enough time with spell, now it was going to manifest into a rather ugly shape. "An enemy of life, an enemy of death, co-exist between both realms and struggle in limbo. Rising Purgatorio." With her talismans finally burning up, her spell had begun.

Each body connect by the cursed blood, that Sheridan had used, were dragged abruptly into a giant mass of corpses. They stacked upon each other, like ants climbing one another, and formed a relatively inhumane shape. It had no lower body aside from new corpses that were being dragged into the abomination, but its body was made out of human corpses. Six arms made out of corpses protruded it out all of a sudden and it let out a humane symphony of screeches. The corpses were alive... somewhat. While their souls had long left their bodies the shell that was left was capable of letting out shrieks of terror or pain. It was similar to mimicry in the more undead way. The newly made abomination made no room for wait. Immediately as it screeched it extended it's arms out and grabbed any soldier that was not quick enough to dodge and consumed them. It would take a while for the abomination to be die. As long as there were corpses around it would just reform and start attacking again.

"Well, time to make my escape," Sheridan muttered. The Shrine Maiden from early had told them to go the Lake of Rage. That was her ticket to get out of here. "You don't have to tell me twice." With that Sheridan was the first to depart. She cared not about the clans, the people that died, nor the loss they had suffered this day. To her, it was just another day flying by. Standing up, she ran as fast as she could to the Lake Of Rage. Three puppets that were assigned to her were left behind and were left with one order. Kill the Tigers. The only puppets she had left were her dog and the unfinished product in her pocket.

Though if there was one regret it was the fact that she was going to travel with other people. Perhaps this was karma for failing her mission. They would not receive her well considering what she had done to the corpses on the battlefield, if so she would have to deal with it later. Letting go of her injured shoulder, she drew a few more talismans in case someone were to intercept her.

 

[Pepsionne]

Yui | Ryuichi​

“Face me Murato!”

Mimi’s battle cry, a sound all too familiar to Yui, reverberated through the air. The tones were so sharp they seemed to almost ricochet off of the metal armor scattered throughout the field, ping ponging around before making a beeline straight into Yui’s chest. The sound was deeply entrenched in her childhood as something resembling safety and protection. She knew that voice, so why was it suddenly making her stomach drop out in fear?

The sound of the sudden battlecry was paralyzing, the entire battlefield caught in the spell of Mimi’s fierce intensity. Everyone, allies and foes alike, alternated their gaze between the pacing tiger and the man she was calling forward to fight.

Yui was frozen as she watched Hideki move towards her aunt. It felt wrong for her to even breathe in that moment. The two exchanged words that were too far for Yui to make out. Her breath hitched in fear as she felt a sudden warmth of presence by her side. Sensing unease, Ryuichi had made his way through the backline of archers to make it by Yui’s side. For Mimi to so openly challenge a clan leader in front of everyone, her betrayal for the age old trust so pridefully thrust down everyone’s throats, it was harrowing.

Ryuichi could sense the shattered disillusionment that Yui was experiencing. In all his years knowing her, he had never seen the girl allow herself to feel this level of intimidation and fear. Not even when she was dying in his arms.

The fight ensued with the fantastical gleam of striking metal. The high metallic ring of parried blows echoed in Yui’s ears, suffocating any chance of having a poignant thought about what she was witnessing.

Upon seeing Mimi ready herself in the Akai pose, a deadly strike almost impossible to block, Ryuichi knew that Hideki’s lopsided efforts to protect the temple would be quickly overwhelmed. He grabbed Yui’s hand, dragging the empty minded girl back towards safer ground near the temple. Too many soldiers had seen them rebel against the Tiger Clan. Even with Yui’s connections, they would both be taken prisoner or outright killed. He wouldn’t be taking Mimi’s slim chances at mercy, if she was even capable of that anymore.

The jeering sounds of victory echoed behind them, expediting Ryuichi’s movements. He saw a shrine maiden approach the nobles who they were fighting alongside earlier, her features twisted with desperation. Ryuichi glanced sideways at Yui, whose face was void of emotion. Her eyes, usually filled with an excitable fire, were glassy as she watched Mimi slice Hideki’s neck. The splash of blood, almost appearing romantic in the glinting light reflected by Mimi’s sharp sword, was an image cemented in her mind.

“Nobles of Feurey,” the shrine maiden began as Yui and Ryuichi had finally managed to gather round “there is little time to explain. Lord Murato asked me to relay a message for you all, should the Temple fall. You must flee now and seek out Aiko Akai, the Pirate Queen. There is a boat waiting to take you west across the Lake of Rage. You should begin your search at the village of Miyaori.”

Yui’s gaze snapped back from their empty haze at the mention of Aiko. She had only vague memories of her distant aunt, their contents too scattered to really make any sense of.

“You don't have to tell me twice." The small girl who had been controlling puppets quipped disinterestedly. She didn’t even appear fazed by the events that had just happened. Even Yui was more shook up, and she had only met Hideki for mere seconds.

After witnessing the puppet girl chant into existence the monstrous figure composed of dead bodies, Ryuichi took it as a sign that they were overdue on their exit. He spotted the girl’s figure quickly dart off into the distance, and with little else to go off of, followed her. The inhuman sounds of the thing she had summoned screeched in the space they had left.

He only hoped that they could make it to the Village of Miyaori safely.

 

[Shadow Dancer]

Hibiki, Naoko and Seiichi all paused where they stood when Hideki was called out by Mimi for those moments as the two briefly exchanged words then a storm rolled in as if summoned by the wills of the two combatants no one said a word or even attacked the enemy before them. This fight would decide the fate of the clans and everyone knew it. The fight lasted less five minutes and only a couple dozen blows at most were exchanged. Hideki and Mimi looked evenly matched at first then quickly Mimi was able to gain the advantage when she broke Hideki's blade soon after the battle ended Hideki dead Mimi and her troops pressed the attack with the Crane clan in despair.

It was then a Shrine Maiden made herself known, “Nobles of Feurey,” she quickly bowed, “there is little time to explain. Lord Murato asked me to relay a message for you all, should the Temple fall. You must flee now and seek out Aiko Akai, the Pirate Queen. There is a boat waiting to take you west across the Lake of Rage. You should begin your search at the village of Miyaori.” She looked to each of them with a serious, yet, pleading eye. “Please, my lords and ladies. The Temple has fallen. Your deaths here means Lord Murato died for nothing. He has asked this not for him but for the future of Feurey itself.”

Soon after the puppet master girl finished her spell and an abomination was formed, the abomination started attacking the tiger clan troops as soon as it was complete "Come on the puppet master has bought us time and we have a destination Miyaori let's get to that boat, it shouldn't be far." Hibiki insisted, Seiichi wanted strike out against the Tiger clan for destroying the Rat clan and now the Crane clan, bringing ruin to those they ought to have been united with but he knew that it was pointless they could do nothing here. So he followed behind Hibiki the trio rushing to the boat that was to be their way out. As they ran Naoko caught a brief glimpse of Hibiki's eyes and worried that the furry in them would burn Hibiki until he was nothing. With that worry, Naoko vowed that she would strengthen herself so Hibiki would not lose anything more then he has already. "Please keep Hibiki safe." Naoko silently prayed to whatever spirits were listening.

 

[RageFactorXIII]

When the Rat Clan woman he had spared from the arrow approached him with the intent to tend to his wound, Itsuo was confused. The Shrine Maiden already had a duty, to tend to the well being of her fellows and while the Samurai was one of the woman's allies, he was not one of her charges. Still, Itsuo allowed the woman to set herself to tending to his injury. If the Shrine Maiden believed her time well spent dealing with his minor injury, rather than safeguarding her fellow's well being as she had been, then the Samurai would allow it. Besides, Itsuo could very well understand the desire to repay a debt and he did not wish to infringe upon the Rat Clan woman's honor by denying her the opportunity to do so. That is why the Samurai stood still and cooperated with the woman so she could deal with his injury without having to worry about Itsuo making the task any more difficult for her.

Itsuo turned his eyes to the carnage still occurring on the beach and the small skirmish between the other two Rat Clan survivors and the small section of Tiger Clan troops that had been attempting to advance. The black haired young man bit down upon the offered bamboo a moment before the woman pulled out the arrow. A muffled shout of pain was let out as the searing pain that he had felt upon the arrow lodging itself into his flesh was being experienced once again as the Shrine Maiden removed the projectile from Itsuo's body. I swear, if the girl had not killed that archer with her twisted magic, then I would be making him regret firing that stupid arrow. Itsuo's expression was one of both pain and anger as his eyes lit up with a gradually mounting fury while he continued to watch the battle. His frustration at being useless during this entire encounter was barely being contained. Though, Itsuo remained where he was because the Rat Clan woman was still tending to his injury and because he had been ordered to do so.

The pungent odor from the salve the Rat Clan woman placed onto his injured arm caused Itsuo's face to contort from its pain filled fury to one of disgust, causing the Samurai's attention to shift from the battlefield and to the Shrine Maiden tending to him. This allowed Itsuo to not only listen to the soothing song that was healing magic, but it had given him the opportunity to witness healing magic at work with his own two eyes. Itsuo felt his frustration and tension diminish ever so slightly as he listened to the woman's short song and watched his muscle and flesh knit itself back together, as though a seamstress had taken a needle to his skin and sewed it back into its proper place. Itsuo found himself distracted by the wondrous act the woman had performed for him, so much so that he had nearly not heard the Shrine Maiden's words as she left to return to her previous position. "Thank you." Itsuo tried to get his words out before the woman was outside of earshot, but he was uncertain as to whether or not he had succeeded.

The Samurai tested his right arm to see if it hurt by carefully rolling his shoulder, lifting his arm slightly and then finally, he clenched and unclenched his hand into a fist. Not one of these actions had brought pain, which is something Itsuo was grateful for since he could now fight to his full potential once more. However, as Itsuo turned his blue eyes towards the battle between the Tiger and Crane Clans, he realized that his capacity to fight was irrelevant. The young man knew this to be a good thing, yet he could not halt the frustration that returned at being all but helpless to save the lives of his fellow Temple Samurai. Itsuo would only be needed in this battle if Hideki-sama and the Rat Clan survivors were slain. Though, if that outcome were to come to pass, then the Temple was as good as lost no matter the effort Itsuo would be forced to put forth. The black haired young man was a skilled combatant, yet he had not tasted true battle, which is why Itsuo knew that he would lose if he was required to fight. Still, Itsuo would have preferred to charge straight into his demise rather than sit here and watch his family be slaughtered as he had been since the battle's start.

After retrieving his Naginata from the ground where he had dropped it in his haste to spare the Rat Clan woman from the arrow and returning his Tetsubo to its sheath on his left leg, Itsuo noticed two new combatants head towards Hideki-sama. The Samurai could not hear what the newcomers had said to Hideki-sama, yet that did not matter once the two began to assist in dealing with the Tiger Clan's troops. The woman assisted Hideki-sama in the melee while the man began rushing up towards the temple. Itsuo personally did not trust these newcomers, but he would not oppose them if Hideki-sama himself had allowed the two to fight at their side. The Samurai kept an eye on the man who joined Itsuo on the back lines, but unlike Itsuo, the man was an archer and would therefore be able to contribute to the fight. This was something Itsuo was envious of, especially since the Samurai had been proving himself useless throughout the course of the battle. Still, the newcomers' contributions to the fight had begun to tilt the battle in their favor and while that did nothing to halt the deaths of his family, Itsuo was glad to finally see an end to this bloodshed. Unfortunately, the hope and confidence that Itsuo had felt would be short lived.

When the Tiger Clan Leader stepped onto the battlefield, Itsuo felt a change in the atmosphere. The already ominous sky seemed to turn ever darker, the terrible cries of combatants being slain increased to bone chilling intensity and even the very air became frigid, as though it was being blown in from the Northern Lands. The Samurai could feel that something was wrong long before Mimi Akai shouted out her challenge to Hideki-sama. The Akai woman stood with an unwavering confidence, something that was expected of all commanders and generals, yet this felt different. The Tiger Clan woman’s stance was not that of an experienced warrior. No, the barely concealed power and the hunger in her voice made the woman seem more akin to a demon or a Darkborn. “Hideki-sama can defeat her.” Itsuo murmured this to himself, not because he truly believed that the Crane Clan leader could defeat the demon that stood upon the Temple’s shores, ready to tear down everything the Clans of Feurey had labored for years to achieve, but because the young man desperately needed to believe that his Uncle could liberate his family, his clan and everyone else who suffered from the Tiger Clan’s betrayal.

The Samurai did not feel reassured when Hideki-sama approached Akai and drew his blade, signalling that the elder man had accepted the demon’s challenge. Instead, the young man felt dread as he watched the two clan leaders swing at each other, testing the reflexes and reactions of their opponent. Itsuo felt his heart rise, dip and then finally plunge as the duel between the two clan leaders played out in front of him. Initially, Itsuo had hoped that Hideki-sama would triumph and defeat the traitorous Tiger Clan leader and he had even believed that his Uncle would best the woman since the elderly man seemed to be far more agile than Akai. This hope had been shattered the very same moment Hideki-sama’s blade did and while his Uncle tried to valiantly, futilely, strike back at Akai, Itsuo knew that Hideki-sama had lost. Hideki-sama lost?... No. This cannot be true. My eyes must be playing tricks on me. Hideki-sama is the greatest warrior and the wisest leader our clan has seen. He cannot lose. He did not lose! Moisture pricked at the edges of Itsuo’s vision as he came to terms with the resolution of the duel between the leaders of both the Crane and Tiger Clans.

Itsuo did his best to keep his unshed tears at bay as he tightly gripped his Naginata. The Samurai had no intentions of approaching the Tiger Clan demon that stood on the beach, especially not while the woman held onto the dying Hideki-sama. Still, as the mounting despair began to set in, he naively hoped that the Akai woman would release their defeated leader so that the Healers could tend to Hideki-sama’s wounds. It was a fool’s hope, yet Itsuo clung desperately to it, hoping that his Uncle would be returned to the clan now that the battle to decide the future of Feurey had been lost. Then, the traitorous Akai woman brought her blade to Hideki-sama’s throat and sliced it wide open, spilling the elderly man’s life onto the sands, staining them red. “HIDEKI-SAMA!!!” Itsuo cried out in desperation and grief as he watched the greatest man alive die before his very eyes.

Liquid dripped and burned down the young man’s cheeks as he did his best to choke back a sob. Itsuo had never been close to his Uncle since the young man had spent the majority of his life at the Temple, but he had the pleasure to train with Hideki-sama once in his younger years. That may not have been enough to truly know his Uncle, yet it was enough to know the great man that was Hideki-sama. It was enough to look down upon the monster that had slain Hideki-sama and the Temple Samurai, his family, with both fury and fear. I will kill that woman. I will rid this world of her cursed bloodline. I shall accomplish this even if it costs me my life. The Samurai made this vow to himself in silence as he continued to stand at his assigned post, as helpless to bring about his desire as he was to assist in the battle on the beach and now the continued slaughter of the people he considered his family.

When the Shrine Maiden from the Temple approached Itsuo and the rest of the nobles who assisted in the failed defence of the Temple, The young man had difficulty in tearing his eyes away from the resumed slaughter of his family and the undead horror that the puppet master had created with her twisted magic, yet he ultimately did. The woman had a message for him, something he was duty bound to hear, even if Itsuo wanted nothing more than to finally step out onto the beach to futilely join in the melee. The Samurai listened intently to the message the woman had for the group, hating every word that left the Shrine Maiden’s lips. His family was being slaughtered right before him and Itsuo was to just leave them all to their fate?! The knuckles around his Naginata were pure white as Itsuo’s lips pulled back, revealing gritted teeth as the young man did his best to restrain his grief-fueled rage. The young man wanted to, with all his being, visit vengeance upon the traitorous Tiger Clan and the puppet master girl, who Itsuo had thought was an ally. However, Itsuo refrained from charging down to the blood soaked, corpse ridden battlefield or from cutting down the girl who twisted the bodies of his family. I… have a duty to fulfill. It would be a great dishonor to Hideki-sama if I went against his final wishes. I will travel to Miyaori village and I will deal with the girl later.

The Samurai looked out towards the battle on the beach once more, witnessing the carnage the Tiger Clan unleashed upon his family and the devastation the puppet master’s undead monstrosity brought upon both sides of the fight. His eyes burned with hate as Itsuo turned them away from the bloody melee before he focused them upon the small, injured girl who had used his fallen family as a component for her abomination. It would be easy to take the girl by surprise. To plunge his weapon into her chest and then witness her life slip slowly from her small frame. Easy, yet dishonorable. He would get his chance to avenge the atrocity the twisted magic user had wrought upon his family later and Itsuo would do so in a proper fight. Though, for now Itsuo would follow behind the rest of the Nobles so they could all escape the death they would surely receive at the blades and spears of the Tiger Clan.

 

[Arcanist]

Ayka Galani | Lanthane Grivois

Tags: The Black Knight Takumi98 Orikanyo King Crimson InsaneAsylum ​

Advancing through the corridor, their footsteps clanging off the metal staircase as they rose higher, Lanthane could feel the water assault his far-gone flattened curls. He tried to shield his worry form his sister, and anyone else, as best as he could, but he couldn't help but glance up to the ceiling after each watery assault. Leaks are anything but a good sign in this prison, he thought with a frown, continuing onwards. He could only hope that they all managed to find some sort of way out, and quickly.

They happened upon a large steel door, what should have been impregnable, though, the gap in the door had debunked that theory entirely. The screams and screeching of steel behind the door had, unfortunately, alerted to yet another scene of battle. Ayka peered through the door, tutting to herself as she noted the mages and guards wielding crossbows along the walkway ahead. Plenty of them, it seemed, enough to deal with an insurrection of prisoners below them. She looked back to the nobles and those accompanying them. "We've got a lot more than three on our hands out there," she told them in a hushed tone, "I can't see exactly, but it's looking somewhere over a dozen of them."

"Goddess," Lanthane mumbled, rubbing his forehead. "That's a bloodbath waiting to happen."

"Not necessarily," Ayka held up her hand to Lanthane in defiance, suddenly brimming with confidence. Or adrenaline. She could never separate the two when it came to a battlefield. "Mages and Crossbowmen. Break a Mage's casting focus and you can say goodbye to a fireball or gust to the face," she reminded them. "Crossbowmen are...well, trickier, I suppose, with the risk of a bolt in your body, but if we rush them, they'll scramble to defend themselves. Maybe we can even knock some off the edge of the walkway! The worst that could happen for some of you is dying and getting sent back to the Crystal."

"Yes, and the worst that can happen for you is that you just die," Lanthane was quick to remind her. He wouldn't have Ayka rush in, heart ablaze, only to get herself shot and killed in the process. He wasn't sure if he could ever live with knowing it was because of him and others that she'd die here in some damp prison. "I don't think we should rush in so quickly."

"And sit here twiddling our thumbs, waiting for guards to cut us down instead?" Ayka countered. "I'd rather risk injury out there with the possibility of getting through instead of sitting a moment longer in this cesspit!"

"You're being impulsive."

"You're being stubborn. Your sister's a healer. We're at least all armed with some weaponry. Our odds were a little better moments before when we had nothing," Ayka told him, the two locking eyes, both furious, stubborn, and unmoving. "What we do next, we do as a group. We either rush them all together or not at all."

"Fine," Lanthane said, turning to group of prisoners that had gathered, looking to each of them. "Someone choose one or the other. Or, better yet, if anyone has any other bright ideas, please, don't be shy in sharing them!"

 

[Orikanyo]

Adalbrecht Hen'slair

Rivienne break out squad

"None will die under my protection, that is my word." Adalbrecht announces, a fist to his chest. "I shall take up the front, the best strategy when facing ranged combatants and mages is to rush them and force them to hesitate with their own allies amongst you. Crossbowmen are indeed troublesome... But leave them to me, once I am at them, they will not be able to strike at the others." he turns an eye to the smol ones amongst them.

"I shall get a shield from the first enemy within... Afterwards, follow through and cause havoc amongst them." He cracked his neck and walked to the door. "The ends and means... They are blurred in times of crisis... It is all about deciding what evil is enough suit your means... And being ready to affront the consequences of it.

Allow me to bare it's brunt, I shall carry the weight of the people's sorrow upon my back and face the dark with it's very own blade.

It is a knight's duty to protect. Light or dark, that stays the same.." he ended his words with a deep breath and a focused brow. With a raised foot he kicked the door open and rushed in.

None of the guards before him had shields like he stated, but this was not the truth in what he meant. The first mage was his target, he thrusted forwards with a blade, firmly planting it through the poor fellow. The crossbowmen were farther back, still scrambling to aim their weapons toward the new threat, they hesitated and waited for him to move from the mage as they wouldn't harm their ally... But with the blade still sticking through the mage, he began what he had planned.

With a lift, a yowl from the mage who's innards were being roughly sliced he pushed the yelling man forwards, rushing with a soon to be corpse as his shield against incoming fire, shots from paniced marksmen flew fowl as he reached the crossbowmen, mages behind him attempting to recover. The corpse as their feet, he readied to do battle with the crossbowmen at close quarters.

 

[King Crimson]

Lady Clarabella of Gavenia
​

The faint, yet ever-present dripping of water, the banging of flesh and steel smashing against steel, the distant sounds of men shouting, fighting, dying.
With every step forward, the noises got louder, but they were unable to drown out the sound of Clara's hushed, anxious breathing, the panging of her blood pulsing steadily in her ears, but despite their accompaniment, the hall still seemed eerily quiet, cursed with a sickening malaise hanging in the air that seemed to absorb all the sound within.
It wasn't until they came upon a thick, iron door, that an all too familiar voice broke the maddeningly steady rhythm, coupled with a face that she was glad to see locked within the confines of a prison, yet remiss to find herself locked in along side him.
"A pleasure for you to join us, Sir Grivois...My father sends his regards." Clara states flatly as she turns towards the cowering man, barely hiding her contempt for the young noble behind a joyless, deadpan monotone.
It wasn't that she hated Lanthane, or held any sort of grudge against him; such behavior would be unbecoming of a young lady, after all.
No, she certainly wasn't still upset about the time he brazenly pitched woo at her own mother.
...Or when he drank more than his fair share of one of her father's most prized wine vintages.
...And she certainly wasn't upset about him accidentally vomiting said vintage into her hair.
Taking advantage of the tall nobleman's prone position, Clara's hand abruptly rears back, before flying upward to deliver a vicious slap to the man's unguarded cheek.
"...And that would be regards courtesy of my mother."
It was strictly business, she wasn't mad at all.

"As for your query..." she continues, moving on as if the exchange had never happened.
"There is but one stratagem that I can think of, but it would require great risk, and only the most precise timing..." Her eyebrows knit together in deep thought as she explains, her own eyes betraying her lack of faith in the plan.
"Our greatest asset at the moment, is that the guardsmen are unaware that we are here, meaning that their collective attention shall be focused on the main door. I believe that our best chance would be to have Sir Adelbrecht and the fool charge upon the marksmen...but we must wait for the moment their focus reaches it's peak to inflict the greatest shock and awe among them, too soon, and they could rally together, too late and the prisoner's lives are forfeit, all we will need to do is strike when the prisoners break...through...the...door..."
Clara's words abruptly slow to a stall when she comes down from her train of ponderous thinking, only to find a certain person missing among their ranks, and to her horror, the massive iron door pried open.
In an instant, she flies to the yawning crack to peek her head out, confirming her fears when she spots the foolhardy knight, his sword already sheathed in the innards of an unfortunate mage, and more distressingly, several archers on the opposite wall already recovering from their initial shock, and training their bows on his position.
Clara's body moved forward on instinct before her mind had the chance to process the sudden turn of events, her legs springing her body out into the clearing as her arms raised the crossbow up to her shoulder in a singular, fluid motion. A swift squeeze of her finger, and a bolt went sailing across the field, finding a home in the eye socket of one unfortunate prison officer.
Another series of startled gasps and cries resounded throughout the room as the bowmen watched their commander suddenly reel back, slumping into the wall with a black steely shaft protruding from his skull.
It didn't take long for them to recover from the initial shock, however, their eyes, and their nocked bows moving away from the rampaging knight, and instead locking onto the tiny perpetrator standing in front of the doorway.
Once more, Clara's body moved for her, quickly throwing her tiny frame back behind the safety provided by massive steel slab, a staccato of metallic pings soon to follow as a swarm of loosed bolts flew out to embed themselves in the spot where she had just been standing.

Interacting:
Lanthane/Ayka, Arcanist
Adelbrecht, Orikanyo
Vivian/Lyari, Takumi98
Lockeheed, The Black Knight

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Rivienne​

The iron doors burst open, and the wave of prisoners was unleashed like a wave of ants fleeing their hill. However, these ants were running straight into a barrage of crossbow bolts and flames. Their only hope was the group of nobles running down their main threat on the walkways above. The crossbowmen were torn between firing on the prisoners breaking through or on the nobles running upon them like crazed maniacs breaking out of jail...

The prisoners below swarmed the guards. Even when a guard cut down a man or two, they were quickly overtaken. Their weapon would be stripped and turned against them, and eventually turned upon their comrades as well. The horde’s numbers were great, though, the guards’ skills were at times, unrivalled. If the prisoners below could avoid the shots and firings of the soldiers on the pathway above, they could eventually overwhelm the line of defence the guards had set up below. The most bloody part of the fight was right in front of the door. Where men would quite literally have to climb over bodies to push forwards. Morgan wasn't to be seen during it all, assuming she hadn't already been struck down.

Adalbrecht’s brutal method of using a mage as a literal shield had sent a few of the crossbowmen stumbling back, weapons quivering in hand. Bolts flew and lodged into the corpse, whistled past comrades on the pathway, even missed some of the nobles breaking through behind the Dark Knight. At close quarters, they scrambled to load their weapons as others aimed at Clara and the other nobles. Shots ricochetted off the metal surface she hid behind, lodging into the wall on the other side of the pathway, with some strays even flinging into the crowd below. The crossbowmen were spooked.

However, a pair of mages behind them at least had some of their act together. A pair retreated through another metal monster of a door during the chaos caused by the Dark Knight.

“Take cover!” One warned behind the door. A few crossbowmen ducked or some had been lucky not to have even been in the way before two flaming balls ripped past, the heat distorting the very air into waves as they moved past. Whether they hit Adal or another noble, or perhaps a metal slab or an unfortunate shield, it would be sure to cause some nasty burns or start to melt away at any structures. They had to be taken out, and quickly. Good news, their focus hadn’t been on the prisoners below. Bad news, their malice was aimed towards the nobles on the pathway, for now.

Mages that the Dark Knight had rushed past in a rage akin to a bull-like fiend, recovered, and began to charge their magic. Intense concentration lined their brows, the crackle of magic grazing against their very fingertips to aim back at Adalbracht.

One guard that the knight had rushed past found himself with his armour gashed, sticky blood coating his side as he struggled against the railing. Two other guards present, still held together, unsheathed their swords and readied their shields, prepared for any incoming bolts from Clara or the dashing forward of adrenaline-addicted nobles.

--------------------

Feurey​

The Shrine Maiden watched the nobles fleeing, standing there with her hands together. She seemed at peace, that she understood that this was the way it had to be. But she hid her fear well. She hadn’t understood what Hideki had been thinking, when he asked her to relay this message, should he fall in battle.

“I only hope you knew what you were doing, Lord Murato…” She murmured to herself before she turned to the temple again. Their glorious temple. She could have run with the nobles, made her escape. She thought about it in the briefest moment, though, her place was here, as she had committed in her oaths all those years before. Here, would be her grave then, as it had always been sworn. The woman moved towards the temple.

Mimi didn’t have to give the order. Even after sheathing her blade and standing motionless under a brooding sky, her soldiers charged past her.
“For the Tiger Clan!” One soldier cried. The war cry bounced from one soldier to the next, a phrase that would strike fear and hopelessness into every Crane that had been fighting for their homeland, their beloved Crystal.

All the nobles would hear in their escape was the slicing and dicing of flesh, guttural screams, calls and cries for mercy, symphony of slaughter across the battlefield. A myriad of decisions were made by those fighting on the losing side of this war; several fled, some fell to their knees admitting defeat, and some had even tightened their grips on their weapons, facing down the hordes of Tiger Clan soldiers and their sharpened claws.

Even with the rising of shrieking corpses, thanks to Sheridan, the Tigers still rushed through them with renewed vigour. Victory had been assured and fear had seized their enemy. It was enough to distract the Tigers from the nobles’ escape, but the Cranes could only watch, in horror, of their fallen rising, and the Tigers desecrating their bodies in a second death. One by one, in their droves, sometimes all at once, great warriors, mages, all fell at the hands of the Tiger Clan. Another Clan doomed at the hands of vicious predators. The Tigers swarmed the Temple, to pick off the last remnants of Feurey’s fighters.

When the nobles set off on their escape route, they came across a boat, cleverly shielded by reeds on the river. Once they had pulled it out of the nest and each climbed aboard, taking their respective positions to row or to spectate, their escape from the Temple began.

They had a perfect view of grey storm clouds above melding into an umbra sky. The pile-up of bodies, blood staining the soil the Temple stood upon, and the pack of predatory Tigers descending upon every last body. Those on the ships facing towards the Temple seemed to pay them little mind, at least, they did for now. Their focus had been on the Temple and now they had gotten what they wanted.

With each push of the oar against the Lake of Rage’s water, they found the Temple shrinking from their eyesight...

 

[Arcanist]

Ayka Galani | Lanthane Grivois

Tags: The Black Knight Takumi98 Orikanyo King Crimson InsaneAsylum ​

The flat tone of one Lady Clarabella climbed to reach his ears. He glanced around, and well, down, at the younger woman's height, and regarded her with a perplexed look. Her...father? He hadn't had any dealings with him as of late. The last occasion he could think of being faced with him or any hailing from the House of Gavenia was--

A sharp burning struck his cheek. The slap came quick and vicious, no doubt leaving a lasting impression on his cheek. He couldn't so much as make a sound in reaction to her, finding himself so gobsmacked by the gesture. Though, her slap had jumpstarted racing memories in his mind. From some part of his brain, where memories nestled deep and unhidden, he grabbed snippets of a party at the Gavenia estate. One involved the mass consumption of wine, an inebriated encounter with a gorgeous woman who had some coincidental traits shared with Lady Clarabella, and who also had a huge set of admirable traits, and a sea of vomit making its home in...Clarabella's hair. The voice of a stoic man insisting on him getting to bed was also muddled in there somewhere.

Lanthane groaned, his fingers tentatively reaching to his cheek. "So kind of them to ask after me..." He mumbled. He had been tempted, to ask after her mother then, though, held his tongue. The curt slap of a woman hadn't been foreign to him. Ayka, for one, had slapped him as hard as a fish flipping on the deck during a heavy storm. Another noblewoman found his advances so scandalous that he slapped him with her fan, where it managed to cut into his cheek, albeit slightly. A woman working in the brothel he frequented in Grenouille slapped him during his more rigorous activities; not that he did anything of offence, more of it being the spur of the pleasurable moment...or perhaps she was rather interested in that kind of thing. Lanthane, mind you, was aghast at the unexpected gesture.

Lanthane had opted to be silent thereafter. He noticed Ayka holding back a smirk at the exchange, though, returned her gaze to the smaller woman who discussed their plan of action. Though, that plan would never see the bright rays of Rivienne's sun, for Sir Adalbrecht went charging into the fray without so much of a consultation.

Ayka hissed at the skewering of the mage on the other side. Clara's plan had some merit, would have given them an upper hand, but she supposed that this would have to do. "Guess we're in it now!"

Once Clara had stepped out into the fray and successfully took out their commander, Ayka followed behind. Though she had only a shield and was hardly a trained fighter by any means, she had no qualms in getting into the thick of it. She wasn't much use without her tome, which contained most of her spells as was. And she worked hard on that book, so by the Goddess, she'd push her way through to the armoury herself if she had to!

Lanthane, similarly distressed by the situation and the eagerness of his friend jumping into the middle of the action, made the ill-judged decision of following Ayka and squatting behind another metal slab, just on the other side of Clara's. "This is insane..."

"You think this is bad? Try being out on the field," Ayka muttered, glancing over the slab. Two guards ahead. Another one that might as well be good as dead near the edge of the platform. Her face twisted in some thought. "Alright, we need to get to those mages behind Adal, first of all. He's got his hands full, it seems."

Lanthane glanced over the slab, catching sight of just what she was talking about, only managing to duck in time when a flame caught the crown of his hair on the way past. Singed, nothing more, but he grimaced at the thought of his locks ruined even further. He looked to Clara, and though he loathed having to speak to her after that horrendous slap, suggested, "The mages behind Adal, Lady Clarabella! See if you can get a shot and interrupt their casting!"

Ayka, meanwhile, had some ideas of her own. She looked back to Locke and Lyari, the only other two with...well, sharp weapons, at least. "You two, get ready to rush with Lan!"

"W-wait, with me?!"

Ayka hadn't sought to clarify Lanthane's part in this whole rushing business. Instead, with buckler in hand, she rose from behind the slab and chucked it towards a guard, a silver spinning top through the air, and knocking into the head of one guard, sending him stumbling back. She looked to the others. "Go!"

Lanthane, with yet another groan, made a quick prayer to the Goddess before he rushed out, buckler in hand, unsure of how to even fight against such guards. Thankfully, the other guard had been distracted enough by the sudden flying buckler that he hadn't time to prepare for Lanthane practically running into him with his own buckler.

 

[RageFactorXIII]

Itsuo did his best to ignore the wailing cries of the family he was leaving to their collective deaths as regret and hatred continued to fill his heart. If only today's outcome had been different, he would not have to leave his people to die. Now, the young samurai would have to leave the only home he had ever known in order to fulfill the dying wish of Hideki-sama. I still cannot fathom why my Uncle would want to place Feurey's future in the hands of another Tiger Clan traitor, a dishonorable pirate, no less. Are we truly so desperate that we must take such a hefty risk? Itsuo's pace slowed slightly as he found that he could not find an answer to his own internal question. This displeased the black haired male more than he cared to admit. If he could not understand the reasoning behind the Crane Clan's greatest leader's final wish, then how was he to trust this foolish mission to prevail?

The young samurai shook his head lightly to rid himself of his doubts at the same time another blood curdling cry resounded from the field of death behind him.
I shall simply have to trust that Hideki-sama knew what he was talking about. My feelings on the task he has given me should not be a factor. I will seek out Aiko Akai and after we have what we require from the TIger clan woman, I shall kill her as her kin killed my Uncle and my family. Itsuo allowed his grip on his Naginata to relax slightly as he silently formulated and agreed to the plan in his head. Then, the young samurai quickened his pace to catch up with the rest of the Feurey nobles, who he had noticed he was lagging behind on their journey to the boat.

Itsuo was the last individual to approach the boat, so the young man took it upon himself to push the boat out and away from the lake's beach before he clambered into the vessel himself. It was only after he was sat inside of the boat that Itsuo finally, reluctantly, secured his Naginata into its holder on his back. His blood still boiled and his heart was filled with many conflicting emotions, plenty of which encourage the young samurai to fight something, yet Itsuo pushed those feelings down. The young man had a duty to fulfill first before he could entertain his thoughts of avenging the desecration of his family's corpses. Though, there was one other group that bothered Itsuo, the Tiger Clan members who defected and joined in the Temple's defense. He needed to know where the loyalties of those two lied.
"You two," Itsuo set his red rimmed blue eyes upon the female Tiger clan member first and the male member second. "I would speak with you when we are all in a safer place."

Tags: Pepsionne (Interacted) All of the Feurey Lords (Mentioned)

Location: Lake of Rage

 

[Pepsionne]

Yui | Ryuichi
Interacts: RageFactorXIII​

For the most part, all that resonated in Yui’s mind was the sound of their running footsteps, pounding in tandem with the rapid beating of her heart. Her breath was a loud, crashing exhale with each step. Fearing the sight of the battle, now pitifully one sided and merciless, she kept her gaze square on Ryuichi’s back in front of her. His sleek brown hair glinted a purple sheen from the growing ball of dark magic in the distance, twisting with malice and evil intent. She didn’t want to think about that either.

“For the Tiger Clan!” A soldier shouted in the distance. More cries followed after, their sources scattered across the battlefield. The sounds that followed after were filled with terror and death.

Ryuichi looked back at the sound of the battlecries, his brow furrowed in pain and disgrace at the use of his clan’s name. To see the acts they were chanting that name for, was a mistake. Avoiding the sight of the merciless slaughter, he briefly turned his gaze to Yui, causing momentary shock to run down into his core. Sparse tears began to fall down her face. The pain in her eyes was evident.

He turned his gaze away from her, the shame emanating from her person too infectious to focus on. In the distant bank, its shore twisting with tall reeds gently waving in the soft breeze, a small ship could be spotted with a clever eye. Ryuichi angled his path in that direction.

Yui watched vacantly as Ryuichi pushed through the tall reeds, revealing the figure of the row boat bumping gently in the water. He stepped in first, holding his hand out to Yui to balance her entrance into the boat. She stepped in, the gentle waters rippling as the boat tilted towards the side of her concentrated weight. She took a seat near the rear of the vessel, burrowing her face into the side of Ryuichi’s body. The shame and disbelief she felt at the moment were too overwhelming for her to comprehend, let alone allow for her to interact with the very people whose families and friends were slaughtered by none other than Tiger Clan hands.

Soon enough, the last noble entered the boat and pushed it off into the water, the movement bobbing them around soundlessly for several seconds. Ryuichi’s body tensed as one of the Crane nobles approached them. The man's face was hardened into a crystallized hate.

“Of all things, not now." Ryuichi thought to himself. “Can’t you sense the shame already?” His hand instinctually tightened around Yui’s waist, pulling her closer to himself to shield her.

"You two, I would speak with you when we are all in a safer place."

Ryuichi’s brow furrowed in distrust as he sized up the noble. He noticed a ripped sleeve and recently healed wound, the salve still dampened and glinting in the dying light of the battle. If needed, it would be an easy weak point to hit.

He nodded slightly at the man before letting out a gruff, “Fine.”

 

[Misuteeku]

Sheridan Sasaki​

Sheridan could feel the blood lust coming from the one of the nobles right behind her. While she decided to not pay heed for it at the moment she would have to most likely deal with it in the future. If she could guess on why the man was emitting such pressure then it'd probably be the obvious fact that his clan was currently getting slaughtered. That and she turned the currently slaughtered clan into a minor monstrosity. Perhaps it wasn't the best plan to do that but she already put so much effort into it so she might as well enact it. Plus their dead bodies allowed them to escape. Wasn't there something in honor that meant you should fight till the end? All she did was extend that end a little longer than before. Though, she could only see that line reasoning only enraging the samurai. It was still disappointing though that her spell didn't kill more people at the end. What a waste.

"Huff... huff... huff," A few others outrun her as they made their way into the boat. Running was extremely annoying for a girl her size especially since she didn't partake in any outdoor activity that didn't involve making a new puppet. If only she could create a mountable puppet that would solve all of her outdoor problems. Though that'd be a big hassle especially since she didn't even have any materials to make a puppet. Not to mention she would have to do a little research into the mount of her choice. Thankfully, the boat was straight ahead.

Getting onto the boat Sheridan could finally relax and take a breather. Such a hassle running from one place to another with no reason aside from another's goals. The boat was slowly filled up with people as the had begun to get on. Eyeing the samurai that approached the two former Tiger clan members, she would make the reasonable suggestion that the samurai was going to outright murder them considering the holes that he was glaring into their bodies. That would be troublesome since she would have to interfere. While she didn't want to she felt obligated because of her master and Mr. Hideaki. Her master for obvious reasons and Mr. Hideaki since he was a generally nice man. Probably the only nice man that Sheridan had met in the past 13 years, so she was willing to stop them in case anything broke out.