Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Breadman]

"We better hurry then." Theodore's voice was grim. He didn't know exactly what they were planning, but he'd been around men like this enough to know what he meant. The party was just a setup for something worse. He could only hope that they could get the others outside before they fall victims to treachery.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister had watched a couple more mercenaries enter the party nonchalantly with weapons, and the men posted up not far from a doorway. The party was no where near that rowdy to justify that, unless something was going to happen later. Even a masquerade didn't justify an armed presence to watch after those drunk on blood, alcohol, or pleasure. His eyes trailed back around the party as he noticed Mariette finally descending the stairs. She looked unharmed. Perhaps a private meeting with someone she knew, or a potential ally. It wasn't surprising that the Countess had the gravitas to manage associates so far away from home. He had only met one person he knew here, an Escarian vampire who was at another party in Atraca about ten years ago.

He noticed quickly that Mariette was trying to get his attention, and he glanced back to the painting. "... and that is why one should not paint without pants, or the very least, something to cover up the delicates. But please, you'll have to excuse me, an acquaintance is nearby and I must say hello. I bid you all farewell," Aleister said, then grinning at the vampire he still had in his grip. "I'll be around for more if you stick around, monsieur."

The other vampire breathed a sigh of relief when Aleister departed, getting a laugh from the duo of women. The old human man was staring off into the next painting, his fourth, possibly fifth glass of whiskey already empty.

"Mariette, dear! I'm glad you are alright. I thought I saw you disappear earlier with a man but perhaps I was mistaken," he said, coming up next to the Countess. He didn't notice a thing about her. "I've seen some of the others on occasion, but there are too many at this party to keep track of them so easily. The only other thing thats noticable is that this place is filling up with guards. I'm not sure what they are here for, but its not a dance. Unless they are getting ready to open up the entire wine cellar, but thats unlikely too."

 

[K0mori]

As soon as the two were face to face, Mariette's mysterious smile bloomed into an ecstatic grin. "Those guards might be here to kill the inquisitors. Cassandra told me that 'someone else' would be dealing with them. That's right- I met with her, Aleister, and I met her employer. He's none other than Duke Ashwood himself, and as it turns out, he's a true pureblood. They told me their intentions: nothing less than a world-wide revolution. As for me, the asked nothing more but a pledge of 'loyalty' to their scheme and a handshake," Mariette quickly explained, her voice flat enough that eavesdroppers wouldn't be able to notice the way she narrowed her eyes, making it clear to Aleister that whatever she had promised to the villains upstairs had been essentially meaningless, "they gave me the prize. The prize, mon ami! I'm hiding it with magic right now, as the others will be alarmed if I show my true self before the time is right. Now is your chance as well, before the fighting begins, to get what we sought the most. They're waiting for you upstairs."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister was astonished, but he hid it on his face well enough. Just like that, in the span of minutes, Mariette had become a pureblood. He almost couldn't believe it, but he trusted her enough that he didn't think she would lie to him. But... if it was as simple as she said, then there was no way it came so cheap... could it? He adjusted his top hat a little lower to shade his eyes as he spoke low to match her tone. His throat felt tight from the anticipation.

"Countess, I am... I am speechless. I had seen you earlier but I didn't realize that you were on your way to receive such a blessing. And Duke Ashwood?" He said in an even lower voice, barely a whisper.

"Incredible! But surely... the cost couldn't just be a pledge and a handshake. There has to be more to it, yes? He already employs demons, or a demon as we have seen. Does that not alarm you that there may be..." he paused, waving his hand abstractly in the air with frustration, "that there could be side-effects? A hidden danger?"

Unconsciously, his thumb started to rub the ring of Undite he had on his middle finger. "How did he grant you the power? Did you drink something? Was it a spell? The handshake itself? What if... what if he is a demon?" The questions clearly showed that Aleister was rather concerned. Not particularly scared, but concerned - for Mariette.

Undite didn't forbid him from seeking out this blessing, but if she and the fellow gods did not know how others were made purebloods in this manner... did that not mean that this could have been some form of illusion or temporary blessing? And... would she be disappointed in him if he went through with this? His head started to spin as if he were drunk, or starved, and his hand balled up into a fist from the nervous energy.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette listened to Aleister's concerned, and then posed a simple argument: "I wouldn't expect the Duke to chain his allies with curses or 'side-effects' as you called them. If my loyalty were really in question," she said slyly, "he could find another vampire to turn pureblood, or even a whole army of them to hunt me down. Granted, he already tried that with the rest of the inquisitors, but perhaps next time he'll send someone without a playful side, and the fighting won't be stopped by a simple trick of the light, non?"

The meaning was obvious. If Aleister didn't wish to become one of Duke Ashwood's pawns, then he would be pursued by devilish forces without a playful or merciful side, and wouldn't receive another second chance like the one Cassandra gave them. Gimmicks wouldn't save them again, either, and so the fundamental choice was whether Aleister wished to face his foes as an ordinary vampire, or as a pureblood. On the other hand, at a deeper level, Mariette herself wondered whether the blessing was only temporary. If she were to double-cross Ashwood and use her new abilities against him, what if she later discovered that they simply wore off without renewal? She would prefer Aleister not to know that her loyalty could, in fact, be bought... but only if she couldn't steal it back.

"As for the process itself, I cannot say for sure how he did it, but he did wear a rather ancient-looking ring with an emerald in it. I shook his hand and felt a surge of burning heat throughout my body, and when it was over I felt rather... drained. I had to feed immediately afterward but otherwise, I feel fantastic."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

While Mariette did not seem to think the Duke would provide powers that could cripple his allies as well as help them, Aleister did. It seemed like a perfect ploy to keep people on a tight leash and in line with his demands. If they had to be dependent on something for the power, or needed support, or were slowed down in others ways, it would serve only to keep those beneath him under control. If the Duke was as ruthless an employer as he thought he was - keeping someone like Cassandra around and under his wing, and employing the demon Sazack and betraying it - then this was not a man who tolerated false loyalties or any kind of slip up. Mariette said he was planning some kind of world revolution... that wasn't a task just anyone could entertain the idea of, let alone attempt to perform.

The idea that the power came from an ancient ring didn't quite ease his mind. There were countless artifacts known to the church, and many had been expunged from the archives for one reason or another. If the ring was ancient as she said, it was likely it was known to the Church, which alone was a great boon of information to pursue later. There were a number of rings out there, some he knew of, and many he probably didn't. A simple ring with an emerald didn't sound particularly special, but apparently it was very special.

"You... are far braver than I, Countess. I," he paused, throat constricting again as his tongue warred with what he wanted to say, "... cannot." Saying so nearly physically pained him, but the part of him which was bundled in a blanket of resolute faith clutched at his consciousness to retain some clarity and comfort.

"I fear we are in a most dangerous labyrinth, Countess. There are things at work here that none of us understand. Undite... she was weary about all of this, and I have to share that weariness. If the Duke can so easily bestow such magnificent power... what else can he do? What else can he do to those who double cross him? If he is capable of raising an army of purebloods, then my dear mistress, we are far, far in the thick of it. I will not make myself a target so easily for his ire. I will become a pureblood. I do not doubt this. But I will do so once Cassandra is dead, and the Duke is... if not dead, then permanently subdued. I do not have to be a pureblood for this coming war... I stand on the side of far more divine powers."

 

[K0mori]

Mariette's expression lost most of its cheerful exuberance as Aleister stated his boundaries. She knew he had been a man of the cloth, was still a devout follower of the church, but she didn't expect him to turn down what could prove to be a truly effective blessing in the struggle against the church's foes. She was actually slightly offended that he would regard her as reckless when she merely thought of it as common sense not to pass up a boon, and that he felt the need to patronize her. "...Bold, but not brave," she replied, the smile having gone completely from her face. "Only one of us is interested in martyrdom, monsieur. I'm sure Undite - or Morgane - whatever she calls herself, will appreciate your fidelity, but I want to live, and if I'm perfectly honest with you," she added rather viciously, "the world has known eras before the Divine Church, and it is very possible it will soon know an era after it. It may not be our choice to fight it, in the end."

The Countess stormed away, heading back for the stairs. As angry as she was on the surface, beneath she was rather sad about the whole affair. She had grown to respect Aleister quite a bit in their travels thus far and truly wished that she could have a friend among the inquisitors, but perhaps he was just another zealot, after all. She looked up and saw Cassandra on the second floor, and simply shook her head. Not coming.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra sighed. Well, you can't win 'em all. She motioned Mariette over to where she was standing on the second floor, then motioned down to the group below when she arrived. "I'm sure you've noticed the mercenaries and soldiers, yes? I'd like to mention that the Colonel is also working with us. Would you care to see his men in action?" she said, with a grin.

Down below, the Colonel began to work his way out of the crowd, heading towards the back and eventually out of the building itself. More mercenaries and soldiers appeared in various spots around the room. Something was about to happen, and it wasn't going to be pretty. Valeria and Rosanna both noticed it, as they tried to stay near Jakob. Hopefully Camille was in a safe position, if she had noticed what was going on around them. Rosanna looked up just in time to see Mariette climbing the stairs. Where was she going? And then she saw her shake her head towards someone. Rosanna looked over, across the balcony on the second floor, to see Cassandra standing there. What? Wait a minute.

And then it clicked.

Seething rage began to bubble up from the pit of Rosanna's stomach. She had tried to help Mariette. Convince her that the group's mind could be swayed. She had been one of the nicest people to her, and even taught her how to shoot to defend herself. Only to have her run straight into the arms of Cassandra and her ilk. Just so she could be come the pureblood she always wanted to be. That fucking witch betrayed us. She betrayed ME.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Pretending to not be aware of what was about to happen was difficult. Jakob carefully looked around the room to see the location of everyone, making sure they had nearby cover if these henchmen started a shootout. Initially, he couldn't see Aleister anywhere until he noticed him standing still on his own. He looked for Wesley then, but he had completely lost track of the young man. He didn't see Camille either. He then looked to Valeria and Rosanna, and noticed the expression of intense anger on Rosanna's face. He followed her gaze to see Mariette at the top of the stairs, on the second floor of the manor. Then his eyes opened wide when he saw a man...no, a woman in a suit looking down on the party. His heart dropped the moment he recognized her. Cassandra. It took him a few minutes to realize what was happening, and a feeling of overwhelming sadness overtook Jakob as he saw Marette walking over towards Cassadra. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, its been an honor, inquisitors..." he said, as the odds of surviving the ordeal got even lower.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"There is far more at stake here than us - our very societies face upheaval if either side acts inappropriately!" Aleister retorted hotly as Mariette glared and turned away from him. "To so boldly go to the breasts of liars, traitors, and monsters will be our undoing!"

He bore a half snarl and his eyes were narrowed as she ascended the stairs. How could she act like this, after everything she spoke of? Was she so utterly heedless of the dangers associated with her path? He had placed his trust in her to do the right thing, to hold back from the tantalizing offers of the devil which stalked them, and even as she pledged to betray her benefactor, she so easily slipped into the role of the fiend that the humans so dearly believed her to be. The words he had spoken to Camille a number of nights ago haunted the back of his mind. Betrayal is an innate ability. When faced with a prize, they slash their bonds and reach with both hands. And they can do so again, and again, and again.

It was difficult for him to comprehend if this was simply a ruse far beyond his intellect, some intricate invisible game of chest he did not yet perceive. He could see the logic in using the gift she was granted against the Duke, but the unknown dangers surrounding those circumstances far outweighed what he was willing to combat. If Mariette was truly taking her stance on the grounds of these malcontents, willing to upset the brittle harmony already in place between the societies of the day and night... then he wouldn't stand for it.

Up on the upper balcony, he saw that man again... only to realize it was indeed Cassandra dressed in a suit.

Aleister let out an aggravated huff and turned on his heel, stalking back into the crowd. He could see more mercenaries and soldiers had arrived, all posting up around the unsuspecting crowd. The casual observer rarely noticed these kind of things - when the servants would discretely make their exit, only to be replaced by armed guards. It was a classic ambush. How many nobles had been slain in such a manner?

He wondered, briefly, if he should simply make for an exit and leave. To not even bother looking back. Yet the others were still in this party, and he had already placed himself on their side. If he abandoned them, he'd be no better than some certain individuals in attendance.

The more he thought on the situation, the more irritated he got. Everywhere he looked there were more guards. Moronic simpletons with guns to do the work of their masters. His hands began to tremble as his vampiric claws began to rip through his white dress gloves. It had been a long, long time since he had ever been this furious....

Was it worth going right for the guards? Or should he try to alert the crowd? They wouldn't know what was going on and the fighting would immediately start. No... no, the best choice was to go right for some guards. Kill one, take their gun, use it, toss it away, repeat. He was far more proficient with his hands, and he rather preferred the intimacy of killing in that way, but in a time like this, speed was important.

He found a spot against the wall near a couple guards not looking his way, and he waited beside them until the right moment to eviscerate them. At that thought, he realized his jacket would likely get quite dirty tonight.

That only enraged him further.

 

[Infab]

"Jakob." said Rosanna, without looking towards him. "...When I say, grab my head and pull it off. Protect it no matter what happens. Got me? There's gonna be a lot of shootin'. Find some cover, and I'll throw ya a gun when I can." She then finally looked to him. Her eyes had already shifted to their jet black color, and smoke was starting to seep from where her head separated from her neck. "I mean it, Jake. Protect my head. There's a pair of vampires up the stairs I need to snap in two." Her voice sounded outright disturbing.

Valeria was already looking for potential weakpoints and escape routes. There was a side entrance to the kitchen if they could make it there, though it was likely that the guards outside would be waiting for them. Hopefully the others outside were working up a plan to solve that problem. Then there was Ethraeil downstairs. When the shooting started, she hoped he got up here quick.

 

[K0mori]

"So..." Mariette said to Cassandra, trying to think of an excuse to get involved so that she could help the inquisitors survive. A few of them were staring in her direction, and she knew what must have been running through their minds. She had very little time to prove to them that she was merely a true opportunist, and not a committed foe. "...There's one down there that I'd love to take on myself. As much as it pains me to see some of them go, Camille Giguere deserves no mercy, and seeing her brought to her knees would bring me nothing but joy." It was very nearly the truth.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille was paranoid, but at times like this such scrutiny and preparedness would always be her greatest ally. The mercenaries funneling into the party area had been her first tip to what had been going on. Shooting fish in a barrel was the plan here, but it still did not make sense why the humans were invited just to be slaughtered. Unless the entourage of mercenaries was meant specifically for them and the rest of the humans were spared, but so many gunmen probably were not necessary for a surprise attack like this. Well, perhaps they were needed due to it being so incredibly obvious. Even still, she shuffled her way to the kitchen, beginning to sidle against its wall as the armed men poured in. Using the commotion to her advantage, she started to reach beneath her dress to grab a few of those silver quills to hold in her left hand.

The huntress' gaze turned toward the stairwell as Rosanna began her smug direction to the armed guests, the corner of her mouth twisting as she was utterly disgusted by the foul creature above them all. It was not surprising at all to see Mariette by the pureblood's side, and she was even less surprised to see her observing their would-be demise rather than securing it themselves. Typical as you are predictable. she thought as she drew her rapier. Like Valeria, Camille had observed that the kitchen was their only real exit from this trap, and it was likely being guarded. Three quills and rapier in her hands, she threw herself into the room as quietly as she could, ready to throw her blades at the first person foolish enough to aim their weapon at her. However, the closer she could get to the guards before that the better.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra chuckled. "Go right ahead, Countess. I know how that feels. I can even give you my rapier if you want to duel her. Oh, and if you see Wesley...please, send him my way. We've got a date with destiny." she said, giving the Countess a wink as she spoke of Wesley.

The vampires and other guests below looked utterly confused, as they started to catch on to the mercenaries and soldiers filling the room around them. One of the soldiers glanced up, looking directly to Cassandra. She smiled back down at the man, before waving a single finger. Weapons were drawn and readied. Revolvers, shotguns, and single shot rifles. And everyone in the room below was a target. Soon to be victims of a literal firing squad. Expressions of confusion quickly turned to panicked talking, shouting, and movement.

The soldiers and mercs wouldn't be the first to shoot, however. A shot rang out from the crowd before the order could be given from the supposed sergeant of the troops around the room. The bullet zipped through the crowd, missing everyone till it collided with its target. One of the mercenaries at the front. It hit him in the eye, jerking his head about, and forcing him to pull the trigger on his single-shot trapdoor rifle. His own shot simply hit the wall above the staircase, creating a rather large hole.

The opening shot had come from Rosanna's revolver. The signal that Jakob had been waiting for. Instead of pulling it off, like she had asked him, her head simply rolled off her shoulders right into Jakob's waiting hands. Then every gun in the room sounded off in response to the two shots that had just been fired. Bullets and buckshot alike ripping through several of the vampires and humans in the room. The bloodbath had begun.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil opened his eyes to a new occurence, the muffled sounds of gunshots from above. As shots rang out, he squinted and focused on finding members of the Inquiry, looking for familiar signs of their auras. Rosanna was obvious as a dullahan, but the others were more tricky to discern. He looked for a faint cue to signal who's who, as no two auras were ever the same. He first singled out Valeria, then Wesley, then Jakob. He continued to look for the others as the fighting continued, eventually finding Camille and Aleister. He couldn't find Mariette much to his surprise, but believed that perhaps she was out of harms way of what was to come.

He easily discerned who was firing at the Inquiry and targeted them specifically for his attack.

Ethraeil then extended his hands upwards and roared: "FROZEN WINDS OF THE NORTH, ATTACK THESE FOES."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

As soon as Rosanna fired her gun, her head rolled off her shoulders! Jakob managed to catch it, shifting it to one arm while he turned the appetizer table over. He quickly slipped behind it, holding onto Rosanna's head as he drew his own revolver that he managed to hide in his jacket before the party. Though it was loaded, he didn't bring any other free bullets. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, seeing how both vampire and human alike were getting gunned down by the mercenaries and soldiers As Rosanna fired on the troops, he made sure that she was properly covered. He fired upon two mercenaries that were aiming their rifles at Rosanna, before firing on another man whom had shot a vampiress nearby. Two shots for him. With only two shots left in the revolver, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to give any more cover, but suddenly...things were getting a bit...cold?

 

[K0mori]

When Cassandra offered her rapier, Mariette realized that she had the rare opportunity to humiliate Camille while still saving her life. "I don't even know how to duel," she replied with a snicker, "but that'll just make it even better. Please do, madame." Cassandra grinned madly and gave her a nod, disappearing into thin air before reappearing with the sword, which had apparently been elsewhere in the mansion. Mariette kicked her shoes off, then took the weapon in one hand and her grimoire in her offhand. "Merveilleux," she remarked before sprinting down the stairs, heading directly for Camille's position. She could sense the woman's aura and was drawn to it like a magnet, ignoring the sense of cold sweeping the room.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

As soon as the first shot had been fired, Aleister was already moving for the two guards beside him he had focused in on. The buffoons were raising their weapons to fire on the sides of the crowd and didn't even bother checking their flanks. They were so ridiculously slow compared to his inhuman speed.

The first man was a simple burly mercenary with a shotgun. Aleister shoved the gun barrel down, and with his other hand, hooked his two fingers into the man's neck like he was holding a fish by its gills. He twisted his fingers and ripped sideways, slashing a short but thick gash into the side of the man's neck. The other man looked over just in time in complete surprise, his bloodshot eyes going wide.

Gunfire from what sounded like every gun in the building started going off as the crowd was fired upon. People were screaming, shouting, and scrambling all about in terror as the killing began. He wondered how many guns were firing silver bullets to harm the vampires. A stray bullet was not something he wanted to catch.

Still, he was focused entirely on his prey. The other man was mid turn to level his revolver at Aleister when the vampire gracefully turned as well, his fingers still in the first man's throat and using the dying man as a grotesque turnstile so that he could quickly close the gap to the second guard with a ballroom style spin. He grasped the proffered revolver with his right hand, twisting the gun aside as he let go of the now dead mercenary as he finished his turn. Startled at Aleister's unnatural speed, the guard panicked and squeezed the trigger, firing a round into the floor as Aleister shoved him up against the wall.

Without hesitation, Aleister plunged his teeth into the side of the man's neck and ripped with full force, tearing out a sizeable chunk of meat. He calmly spat the mouthful aside and went back in to drink deeply from the gaping wound. His eyes immediately began to dilate as he drank from the rich human blood, a treat he had not had for a while. And in such a manner as this. The mercenary may have been a grubby and unappealing man, but the blood of a mortal human was still a delicious treat - especially when he so depraved himself of it. He drank quickly and just enough to fuel himself for whatever would come next.

All in the span of a few quick seconds since the shooting had started, Aleister shoved the now second dead guard aside. He crouched low to avoid a lot of the gunfire and he used his enhanced sense to get a grasp of the situation. He needed to find the others. The sight of a table overturning, a headless woman, and a dark skinned man in a cream colored suit was all he needed to see to know where to go. He set off into the crowd to cross the room, not afraid to shove and push his way through the panicked scramble. He slide in behind the table as more bullets cracked around them, hitting the floor and the wall.

His lips and chin were a mess of blood, and it was dripping down onto his white cravat and jacket. He sided up next to Jakob, his face looking simultaneously serene and fierce. He reached back behind his jacket and yanked his revolver from its holster to give to the constable.

"The plan. What is it?" He snarled, though his anger was not directed towards the constable. He couldn't tell if the growing cold was from some other source or just his own body reacting to its first taste of human blood in a while.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked to Aleister a bit shocked, seeing the vampire covered in blood. Aleister must have fed on one of the bastards, and while under normal circumstances he'd reproach the vampire. He couldn't blame him this time. "The plan? Kill as many of these bastards as you can, and find an escape route! Mariette betrayed us!" he said, flinching as a stray bullet from a soldier hit the table. He looked to Aleister for a second. "Give me a moment!" he said, before popping up and firing off a shot at the soldier's chest. He quickly got back behind the table before continuing. "I don't know where Wesley or Camille are! Galina, Erwin, and Theodore are still outside, I think!" Jakob noticed the temperature getting even lower. "I'm sure the lich is around! Aleister, look for Wesley! That bitch Cassandra will likely be after him!" He glanced behind Aleister to see a mercenary sneaking up with a double barrel, whom Jakob promptly shot. "Go! And PLEASE be careful!"

 

[Infab]

The sensation of cold grew ever stronger, till eventually the floor began to freeze over in spots. Both mercenary and victim alike began to slip and fall on the ice, landing hard as they collided with the frozen wooden boards. Other mercenaries were also hit with bits of ice which seemed to form from the floor and shoot straight up. One man was practically disembowled as a shard of ice shot straight up and hit him in the groin. Cassandra laughed aloud from the second floor as she saw the man collapse and squirm on the floor. Good gods, humans are just pathetic at times!

Her attention quickly changed to Rosanna's headless body storming across the floor towards a group of mercenaries with rifles. Numerous shots connected with her body, simply ripping through and shredding her dress or winging her. Eventually, she fired off shots of her own. Three rapidly fanned shots from her revolver into a man's stomach, and the next shot was aimed aimed at his friend's face. The last one was fired into another mercenary, whom had been using a pump-action shotgun.

She snatched it away from him as he collapsed from the gunshot wound in his chest, pumping it and firing off a load of buckshot into the last two mercenaries before her. The gunshot wounds she had recieved hadn't fazed her. It seemed that all the mercenaries and soldiers had loaded their weapons with silver shot. Worthless against a creature such as her. She snatched the revolver off one of the corpses next to her on the floor, tucking it into her corset, before continuing her rampage across the room. As two soldiers attempted to rush her with bayonetted rifles. She simply fired a shot, catching one of them in the face with a mass of silver shot, before smashing the stock of her weapon into his comrade's head. Not just once, but three times before pumping the weapon once more and finishing him off.

Valeria was surprised by the sheer violence that Rosanna was dealing out as she moved about the room. She was STILL being shot by soldiers and mercenaries, desperate to put the dullahan down or at least slow her down, but nothing seemed to be working. Valeria then looked to the others from where she was, using one of the columns in the room as cover. "MOVE TOWARDS THE KITCHEN. HURRY!"

As Valeria tended to the others and Rosanna slaughtered any mercenaries and soldiers that dared oppose her, Mariette managed to use her newfound pureblood speed to zip across the room towards where Camille was. She avoided the splotches of ice forming on the floor with ease, as well as the shards of ice that occasionally shot up from them, before arriving near Camille. Ready to duel.

 

[Viper Actual]

"I see", said Galina as the the two guards motioned for her to resume the patrol. She then noticed that the amount of mercenaries on the outside began to fan out.

She looked at the men. "One last thing before I go..." Galina smiled seductively and approached the men.

A shot rang out from inside the mansion. Swiftly, Galina stabbed the first guard in the gut. Before his friend could react she did a sweeping motion with a secondary knife, hoping to rip his throat out.

 

[K0mori]

"Giguere!" Mariette called out in challenge as she closed to within line of sight. From Camille's point of view, Mariette still looked exactly as she had before becoming a pureblood, and, with only the most rudimentary understanding of dueling, looked like easy prey waving it around clumsily in a dress and barefoot. "You don't know how badly I want to drive this into your heart, you ungrateful, spiteful little hate-filled child! I saved your life at Bromwich and you still treated me like scum!"

At this point, Camille recalled Valeria's warning from that same night, a call for respect and acknowledgement that the haughty Marquess dismissed as "coddling." Now, the Senior Inquisitor's words seemed all but prophetic, except Mariette continued to speak. "...I know you and the others saw me with Cassandra, and I know what you think of me. I had my reasons, and they were good ones indeed. But all you see, all you've ever seen, is a turncoat, monster, bloodsucking parasite! So what good does it do to say I've not left your side? I'd rather show you whose been at whom's mercy, and maybe you'll learn a little damned respect for once. This is our chance to settle this feud! Come at me, you uppity little nothing!!!"

 

[Dmaster]

The Escarian huntress bolted into the kitchen as quickly and quietly as she could, concealing herself behind prep tables and other pieces of furniture as she got her bearings. The innocent in the in this situation were the ones cowering, the men drawing pistols on the helpless staff were the targets. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she jumped up from her hiding spot and fanned her daggers out, their path true and finding purchase in one mercenary's neck and the other's chest. With little hesitation she jumped off of the table and pounced on the other gunman, he had only been able to fire his revolver in reaction to the pain, off-target and hitting the wall near the door. She quickly stabbed her blade into the man when he was knocked prone, killing him as swiftly as the other mercenary.

Camille removed the quills from both of the corpses her surprise attack left behind, only to look toward the exit of the building, peering out the window as the confused staff panicked. More guards awaited her on the outside. Something she should have expected but not exactly what she was hoping to see at the moment. With a sigh Camille thought to herself how to get rid of the numerous guards with guns on the other side, but try as she might she couldn't figure out a way short of just funneling them in. Before she could make any attempt Mariette came through, the Escarian huntress looking at her with her brow raised in confusion. This is how she wanted it? Here and now?

"Mmnh, so your first instinct when you get power is to come and kill me? Your logic is about as solid as your stance." she begins, shaking her head left and right as she pulls herself into a much more confident dueling position. Her shining rapier remains level, bladed edges parallel with the floor with her arm tucked in, ready to perform a variety of maneuvers. "You know the 'feud' was settled the instant that you did whatever made you pureblood."

The quills were tucked behind her back with her offhand, keeping her left arm out of harm's way for whatever flurry of blades would be taking place here. Yet in truth Camille knew she stood no chance, as a bumbling pureblood could still move faster than she could perceive or react to. She was going to win this battle in another way, if this was her end she'll die happy knowing that this disgusting creature was everything she said it was. "You only attack me now of all times because you know it is a fight I cannot possibly win, because you are such a predictable, terrible coward. The supposed good ideals and intentions you stand for crumble at the exact moment you can stand to gain! And you ask me to respect that? Oouh, mon cheri, I may be many things but I am no fool."

"So, dear Countess. If you wish to kill me, I insist you strike first. Kill an innocent who has only harmed you with words rather than actual weaponry, a girl whose life is a mere speck compared to your infinite existence and power. I die a martyr, you live a villain." she spat, gritting her teeth. She wasn't going to give up completely, her hand already ready to throw a quill Mariette's way when she began to charge, but the odds of making such a throw and dodging the advancing strike were terribly slim.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil noticed the auras of his allies making their way towards the kitchen, and as such he too made his way. He also felt the auras of several guards standing outside of the kitchen entrance, most likely to prevent anyone from leaving. He did however not feel worried as he extended his arms towards the ceiling above him, and by extension the floor of the kitchen, and began to freeze the floor in order to weaken it enough to break a hole through it.

 

[Infab]

The dagger tore into the man's neck, silencing him and slicing through an artery in the process. She didn't quite have the leverage to tear his throat out, but he'd certainly be dead in minutes. Now, Galina would have to focus on a few other things. Such as the countless other guards surrounding the mansion that would be making sure that what was going on inside the mansion stayed in the mansion.

------

As Valeria made her way across the room, firing off a few shots from her revolver at several mercenaries that still happened to be alive as she darted for the kitchen, Rosanna's body continued its massacre. More and more mercenaries and soldiers were being cut down, now being viciously beat to death by the dullahan. Her dress was in tatters, revealing various gunshot wounds beneat and blood stained undergarments. As she dropped another merc, his head smashed in from the beating she had given him, she turned her attention to the cause of all this. Cassandra, whom was still standing on the second floor with a wide grin on her face. She let out a chuckle as the dullahan's body simply pointed at her.

"Alright, if you really want me that bad, I guess I can play along." she said, giggling as she made her way towards the stairs. Before she decended down however, she disappeared. She was going to use her blinding speed to attack. The unexpected happened however.

Rosanna's body caught her by the throat before she could hit her.

What? How? Cassandra's eyes went wide as Rosanna tightened her grip upon her throat. She clawed at the dullahan's arm, eventually hitting it several times before Rosanna's clenched fist collided with her face. The impact busted her lip, forcing blood to run down her chin. Then came a second punch. And a third. Rosanna continued to brutally punch Cassandra, beating Cassandra down to her knees before tossing into a nearby wall like a used rag.

Cassandra knew what the problem was. The Romanov blood in her system had run its course. She needed another dose, and fast. She dug into her tuxedo jacket, fumbling for the right vial, as Rosanna marched over towards her. She found one, but not in time to pop the cork out and gulp it down. Rosanna grabbed her once again, this time by the leg, and slung Cassandra clear over her. Her body collided with the wooden floor, smashing several boards and shattering the vial that Cassandra had dug from her coat. As Cassandra lay on her face, struggling to recover from the impact of the slam, Rosanna simply stepped over and stomped as hard as she could on Cassandrals left arm.

The sickening crunch of bones being snapped could be heard between the gunfire of those still alive in the room, mostly the group returning fire on the mercenaries. Cassandra let out a painfilled moan through gritted teeth. "YOU BITCH, THAT WAS MY FAVORITE ARM!" she spat, before Rosanna reached down and lifted her up by her head. She half expected to be slammed again, but Rosanna seemed to have other plans.

The guards outside jumped as Cassandra's body was sent sailing through one of the large windows of the mansion, out onto the estate grounds. A moment later, Rosanna followed, simply climbing through the window after her. She was met by resounding gunfire, as the guards outside the mansion opened fire on her. Nothing new. She'd just have to push through it and finish beating Cassandra to death.

------

The floor began to glaze over, being covered even more in splotches of ice. This time, no shards of ice would go shooting up from beneath. Instead, it began to crack in places.