Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

Peltragow - Duke Ashwood's Estate (Ground Floor) - BOSS FIGHT - TURN 12
Wesley attempts to behead Cassandra. Coin Flip used. Heads = Success, Tails = Fail. Result = Heads. Cassandra is beheaded.

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Cassandra smiled warmly. "...Yeah...That'd be nice..." she said, looking back down to Mariette in front of her. A moment later, Wesley's axe sliced into Cassandra's neck. It cleaved through clean, her head simply rolling off onto the floor as her body collapsed. Cassandra Bainbridge had been beheaded. The room was quiet for a few moments, members of the group simply looking at her body before one another. Then they looked to the fire, which had grown quite large in one half of the room nearby and was now blocking the front entrance. Valeria then spoke up. "We can head out through the sewers. Lets get moving." she said, taking one last look at Cassandra's body before turning to move towards the stairs descending down into the basement.

Rosanna moved over and lifted Jakob up with ease, before moving over to where Mariette was and making sure she was alright. Then, they proceeded quickly towards the stairs behind Valeria. Valeria paused as the trio moved down the steps, looking back to the others. "Come on. The fire will cover our exit. The guards will be too busy trying to put it out, and it'll burn her body before they get to it." she said aloud, motioning to where Cassandra lay.

 

[joshuadim]

With a swing from Wesley, it was all over. Cassandras lifeless body was testament to her demise as the fighting finally ended. With the fire beginning to grow, Ethraeil began to make his way back down into the dungeon to retrace their steps back to the sewer entrance. "I remember the way back." Ethraeil said as he took the lead.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister watched Cassandra's head hit the ground closely, from a distance, wondering if she had another trick or could survive even this. Her body collapsed and she remained motionless. As she should. It was clear by the movement of the others near the body that she was finally dead. He ran a hand through his hair and felt some tension in his shoulders evaporate. It seemed so close to them being defeated eventually that he had not realized how good victory would feel.

With a laugh to himself, he hurried away from the fire to join the others, eying Jakob as he was carried to make sure he was alright. They were going for the sewers.

"Surely there is another exit," he murmured. ".... how ghastly."

His mind lingered on Cassandra before another thought struck him like bullet.

"Gods, what of the paintings?" He glanced back towards the flames, hesitating as the fire continued to spread up the walls and around them. "Fuck. Fuck. I can't let them be lost like this. I'll... catch up, but I'm going to try my hand at saving what I can." And I can avoid that disgusting sewer.

Aleister moved away from the group and looked for a good pathway to lunge through so that he could try his hand at saving the paintings which had caught his eye earlier. He would rather be damned than let such exquisite pieces go up in flames. Art deserved to be cherished.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette closed her eyes as she watched the blade crash down on Cassandra and felt the spatter of blood across her face. She stepped back hurriedly and nearly fell over on weak legs, shuddering at the gruesomeness of the entire situation. She scooped Cassandra's sword off the ground, using it like a cane to help her movement as she limped back toward the escaping party. She could hardly believe that she had recently been so powerful as to survive beheading at the hands of Ethraeil. It was truly a passing nightmare. Now, she was just as surprised that she had survived the confrontation at all. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that the end was still near. It was a great relief to know that even without their pureblood witch benefactor at their side in full strength, the Inquisitors were perfectly capable of getting this job done.

When Aleister ran off to save the paintings, however, she was moved to speak. "Are you insane!?" she barked as the man ran off, ignoring her.

 

[Infab]

Aleister eventually found a place to dive through the flames without getting burned, before heading rapidly upstairs to find the Duke's study. He knew which paintings he was after in particular, along with a special cat painting that he saw on the way up.

The rest of the group moved downstairs, into the basement's first floor. The guards whom were down in the basement floors were on their way up, and the group narrowly avoided them by hiding in one of the guard quarters as they ran by. Once they had passed, they continued their journey down to where Ethraeil, Camille, Mariette, and Galina had burst through the wall on the lowest floor. Ethraeil lead the way, remembering the exact route they had took from the wall to get upstairs, and soon enough they arrived. They stepped through the hole, into the sewers, and made their way back to where they had first climbed down into it. Far away from the Estate.

Meanwhile, once Aleister had collected the paintings he wanted, he made his way to the estate's roof. From there, he managed to perform an acrobatic leap (although awkwardly) with the paintings to a nearby tree. Once he landed (snapping some branches in the process), he made his way down and quickly across the estate grounds using his vampiric speed. Now he had to just jump the fence and link back up with the rest of the inquiry. He arrived soon enough at the fence, and vaulted over it. Clearing it with ease.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

In many ways it was a foolish decision to return to save some paintings, but some things in this world needed to be preserved. Alone, the paintings would simply hang on the burning walls and crumble into ash by morning. They needed someone to liberate them from annihilation. Those that could take action to save something should do so, Aleister felt. But in this case... it went beyond any moralistic nonsense he could think of to justify his actions. More so than anything, he desired the paintings for himself.

His escape went about as well as he had hoped, avoiding not just fire but the myriad of soldiers moving about the grounds. Perhaps from a distance some may think he was simply saving the Duke's possessions, but any close inspection would show him for what he was. A looter.

After cresting the fence he hurried along into the city. He needed to reach the inn to store the several rescued paintings before he could mail them home, and to help point the inquiry in the right direction for their next steps. He still had the map he discovered.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille lowered her weapons as the pureblood was beheaded, weakly lowering her rapier before sheathing it entirely. As the group dispersed from the ghastly sight, she simply stood there with a stern expression on her face. Wordlessly she stepped over to her head, grasping it by the hairs before she threw it into the inferno. The huntress would not take any chances, even if Valeria said that the body would be burned before the guards arrived.

Once they made their way out, her wounds were catching up to her. Camille's arm was numb, and stinging pain got it to shake now and then as she breathed with clear exasperation. "What of the Duke..? Where has he gone? " she asked, wearily.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

After escaping the flames engulfing the opulent estate, carried by his friend, Jakob asked Rosanna to take him to a nearby doctor. Some doctors would be able to see him, even this early in the morning. Inside the doctor's house, a young nurse was placing some medicine bottles and ampules onto a shelf, but was startled by the sound of the door to the lobby opening quite quickly. When she went to check, she saw a woman dressed in southern Atracan attire, carrying a black constable with an inquisitor next to them. The doctor quickly came out of his study, and to Jakob's surprise it was a fellow swampfolk man of old age. He quickly asked what was going on, while directing Rosanna to put him on the bed inside a nearby room, which turned out to be a standard examination room. After being filled in by Valeria (whom gave him an excuse that he was attacked by a werewolf that the group had been hunting), the doctor proceeded to check on Jakob. An hour later, the doctor returned. Smoking his pipe while looking between the inquiry members in the lobby.

"Mr. Phillomon suffered some severe spinal damage. I would have prefered to do some surgery to know the exact location that was damaged, but I must congratulate the priest that practiced healing magics on him. It definitely saved his spine and life." He took some time to smoke his pipe, before continuing. "But sadly, I must inform you that Mr. Phillomon won't be able to walk for some time." He then added with a smile. "But thanks to the clerical healing, and Mr. Phillomon's...special circumstances, his recovery will be greatly shortened. A normal person could take up to two years to regain full motor control, but if Mr. Phillomon rests and does the necessary motor skill training, he'll be able to walk in a few short months." He then moved to the side, allowing some of them to walk into the room where Jakob was resting. "I'm afraid he won't be able to accompany you in official business anymore, madam Inquisitor. Still, he is alive and well, and will eventually recover. Now, if you wish to speak with him, you can do so freely. I need to tend to one of your other inquiry members who seems to have suffered damage to her arm."

Inside the room, Jakob was resting on the bed. He was looking about, till he noticed his friends and companions walk into the room. He smiled. "Look, guys. The doctor gave me a sweet! Ain't that cool?" he said, showing them what looked to be candy. His expression turned a bit more somber as he looked down to his legs. "...Well, I don't know what to tell y'all. Guess I got a bit too carried away back there...sorry for acting like that..." He then smiled again, as if nothing had happened. "Nevermind that, though...I would like to tell y'all goodbye before you leave to go save the world. Hope that ain't too much to ask."

 

[Infab]

Valeria looked to Camille, as they emerged from the sewers. "We'll figure that out later. Right now, we should get moving." she said, before Rosanna mentioned that Jakob wanted to go see a doctor. It was for the best, considering that Camille also needed medical attention. They quickly traveled to the closest doctor, and quickly saw that Jakob was examined as well as Camille. When asked, Valeria gave him a throwaway excuse. They were hunting werewolves. Simple enough, and not far from the truth considering Archer had been one.

Afterwards, when it was alright to see Jakob, Valeria and Rosanna stepped into the room. Rosanna had a smile on her face, but a sad look in her eyes. Valeria was as stonefaced as ever, but bore a similar look in her eyes. She regretted everything. Even coming to this island. She was forced to drag Jakob along on this gods forsaken inquiry, and now he was a werewolf as well as crippled. Then there was the others too. Camille's arm had been decimated. Then there was herself, whom had made a deal with a demon. She had sold her soul for information and a weapon to kill a threat, just for the chance to have another threat spawn from it. Valeria wasn't in a good place at all, but all she could do was just push forward and see it through to the end.

"...I understand, constable. I'm sorry for bringing you into this. If I hadn't, you'd still be home with your wife and daughter...you'd still be human." she finally said, removing her hat and holding it at her side. Rosanna then spoke up. "...I'm gonna miss you, Jake." she said, her eyes starting to water. She had her own problems...and it was likely that she would never see him again. At least he'd be back home with his family and not dead. That she was happy with.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette didn't follow the others into the doctor's office, as she was no longer able to hide her ashen skin, sanguine eyes and fangs, even with magic. Still limping, she set herself down in an alleyway and waited, allowing her vampiric body to slowly stitch itself back together once more. She considered returning to her mule and retrieving her old, trusty parasol, as it would soon be light, but another thought crossed her mind. Something deep within her stirred, almost anxious, and she smiled weakly as she watched the sky turn ever so slightly closer to dawn. Today's the day...

As it became plain that Jakob would be leaving to return home, Mariette couldn't help but smile more broadly. As terrible it was for him to bare a curse and suffer even a passing disability, the man would at least see his beloved family again. Velin's accursed sword was once again in the Inquisitors' hands, and the Duke no longer had a pureblood psychopath to wield or even carry it on his behalf. Somehow, their ragged group of uneasy allies had prevailed. She looked at herself and knew that, having lost her grimoires, her pureblood strength, and even her desire to live on as a shadow of a noble lady, that it was also time to depart. For that reason, she no longer cared if she frightened the doctor, and rose to her feet. A moment later, she entered his office and sought out her friends.

"Jakob," she greeted him, removing her hat. "I'm glad we met. You are one of the kindest men I've ever known, and for all my years, that means more than it would from anyone else in this expedition... No matter what comes of your curse, or this Inquisition, never lose it- your finest quality. And, if you ever need anything, send a letter to La Cygne. I have already instructed given instructions to my steward," she explained, ambiguously. "...I'll miss you." She said, finally.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister shadowed the group when he finally caught up to them when they emerged from the sewer. He had the bundle of paintings under one arm, with his military jacket covering the outer picture so that it would not get damaged or dirty while he carried it. It appeared the group was stopping at a doctor rather than heading for the inn, and for a moment Aleister figured he would simply meet them there when they returned. Instead, he followed after them. There was no doubt that there were injuries in the group, and he'd likely be able to assist with the healing process in a more professional environment rather than in the midst of battle.

Upon arrival shortly after the group, Aleister found that not only was his exhaustion still growing, but his magic in this case was unable to further assist Jakob. It wounded him deeply to see his own power halted when he could do so much with it, and for a moment he questioned the validity of the doctor's verdict. However, Jakob seemed... at ease with the man, and even if he was able at the moment, there was nothing he could do to help tonight. Perhaps when the inquiry returns after handling the Duke he could lend a hand.

He sat the paintings carefully aside in the waiting room and joined the others as they said their goodbyes to Jakob. His fingers twitched in agitation and he felt incredibly uncomfortable. It felt like they were saying goodbye to a dying man. Were it the case, he had another ability to halt that terrible process, but one which would be useless to someone who wouldn't want that.

When Mariette's kind words were finished, he nodded.

"The journey would have been impossible without you, monsieur. You have done much for all of us. Especially those we fight for, who cannot defend themselves from the greater terrors which accost us. If anyone has earned a rest, you certainly number among those that do."

Aleister nodded again and stepped aside, nervously fumbling with his shirtsleeves as he rolled them meticulously up to his elbows. Anything to keep his mind off these dreary emotions. He despised physical illness more than anything, even if it were only temporary. Saying goodbyes were equally uncomfortable.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at Valeria, as she apologized for even bringing him. He was silent, looking towards the window next to the bed in the examination room. The whole room was quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from outside as the early morning birds chirped from a tree next door. He then finally looked back to Valeria, and gave her a smile. "...being a werewolf ain't so bad." He then reached up and patted his own head. "I was 'blessed' with baldness when I was around twenty-five or so. Now being a werewolf allowed at least some hair to grow back there. See? Ain't so bad!" He laughed a bit. "Cecil won't mind at all. Maybe I'll grow back 'em dreads I had when I was younger." He looked back to Valeria again with a big smile on his face. "I am actually glad you brought me, because I got the chance to meet great people at help, at least, save the world." He then took Valeria's hand. "I know I doubted you before, ma'am...but you're a good woman. And with a bit more experience, you'll be a great leader. Never doubt that. Someday, in the future, you'll be leading another inquiry and you'll be wiser." He then let go of her hand. "Never doubt that."



He then turned his attention to Rosanna as she spoke and started to tear up. "Oh come now, strong girls don't cry!" He then forced himself to sit up on the bed, much to the dismay of a nearby nurse. He then gave the cowgirl a big hug. "You're gonna make me cry." He then released her and petted her head. "But this ain't no goodbye, Rosanna McFadden." He tried his best not to tear up himself. "This is just a see ya later. You'll visit me and my family, Rose. I gotta introduce you to Jess, Cecil, and Lucy. They'd love to meet you." He then added "I won't take no for an answer!"

Jakob looked to Mariette next, as she walked into the room. When she explained that if he ever needed anything, he should send a letter to La Cygne, he raised an eyebrow but continued to smile. "What's with the 'I'll miss you' stuff? This ain't the last time you'll be seeing me, m'lady...I know it. We'll see each other again, you can bet on that." He looked down a bit. "...Mariette, I can see you're one of the most conflicted and yet kindest souls I've ever met in my life." He then laughed a bit. "I mean, look at you. A noble lady, a countess from Escaria! Here, talking with some lowly constable from a foreign country as a friend. Who would have ever seen that?" He then, gently, grabbed one of her hands. "Please...take care of yourself, Mariette. I'll send a letter to La Cygne not for help, but to ask how my friend is doing."

Jakob then looked to Aleister once he was finished with Mariette. The attractive young vampire looked nervous and uncomfortable. Almost like he hated being there. When he tried to step aside, Jakob reached for Aleister's jacket and pulled him close. "No you won't!" He then gave the vampire a tight hug, patting quite hard on his back. After a few seconds, he let go of the priest. "Aleister Germain, you are one of the most interesting people I've ever met." He pointed at Theo. "Only rivaled by that smarty pants over there." He then let out a chuckle while gently punching Aleister in the shoulder in a friendly way. "This ain't a goodbye. Y'all better understand that now. I'll send you all letters. Even one to Erwin! You won't get rid of my dark face anytime soon. I promise you all that."

 

[Dmaster]

'Figure that out later' was not a series of words that Camille sat well with, the lack of direction and planning had been the death knell for this group. Perhaps working alone would always serve her better, yet beyond that she would be foolish to say that she could have beaten Cassandra by herself. The only lesson she could gather from this was that she was still weak, and when this was all over she would have to train so much harder than she had been. Being so reliant on others would not serve her goals, what use was saving others if it meant endangering the lives of those she fought with? If her skills were as unparalleled as she thought, dispatching the pureblood should have been a simple matter.

The act of leaving the estate took far longer than going into it, whether that was from the wounds or the somber bitter-sweetness of performing the bare minimum of their mission Camille could not really say. Soon enough she found herself being examined by the clinic's staff, only given the weakest amount of painkillers as they set about to properly shoving her shoulder back into its socket. As the others filed in they could hear a scream down the hall as her own voice drown out the crackling of bone. The fracturing of her forearm was given a cast to bind it in place, yet given that it bound her rapier-arm she would seek to have Aleister right it proper as soon as possible.

She had stepped out of the doctor's room just in time to see Jakob's state and situation, even saying goodbye to those that had gathered there. She simply began shaking her head before turning her gaze away from him. "To think you're letting such wounds be the end of your fight..." Camille mutters. "You're certain that you can't stand? Or run our combatants over with the wheelchair they'll shove you in?" Whether that had been a joke or not was hard to say, as the Marquess wasn't exactly known for her sense of humor beyond making icy jabs.

"Thank you. Despite what you've become, I will never forget your sacrifice."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister endured the hug and pat, happy to escape it when Camille entered the room. He couldn't bring himself to say any more. The side of the room was a good place to linger as the others filtered in, and he watched everyone quietly with passive irritation. His fingers wouldn't leave his sleeves as he continued to smooth and fold them repeatedly to perfection.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette smiled sadly as she stepped away. "I would enjoy that very much," she replied. She didn't have the heart to tell Jakob what she intended to do. She gave a knowing glance to Camille as she left the office once more to wait in the street.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil stayed quiet as he lingered in a dark corner of the in the doctor's office, leaning against the walls. He watched as members of the Inquiry said their goodbyes to Jakob as he announced his leave from the mission. Through all the kind words delivered and pleasantries exchanged, Ethraeil only observed in silence. A small part of him wanted to at least say something to the constable, but throughout his existence he already said enough goodbyes to those he got to know and didn't want to add another to the list of sorrows. The least he could do however was to give Jakob a solemn nod before turning his gaze to a nearby window and observing the outside world.

His mind drifted back to the task at hand. The Duke seemed exposed now with most of his lackeys dead: Wallace, the Devonshire Twins, Archer, Cassandra, all of them having fallen. Their corpses paving a trail to the man behind this madness. Two problems remained in the way however: first was that the Duke remained in possession of the Ring of Adona. If it was capable of gifting and taking away pureblood capabilities to vampires, who knows what else it could do in his hands as well? And secondly, Sir Tristyn remained in the field. A formidable opponent as well as an unstoppable force against those he would target.

Then there was also the matter of Valeria and her deal. Should the Inquiry succeed, Ethraeil would once again have to kill a friend to prevent an even worse fate from falling upon them. He knew what it was like to be a puppet of Sazak's, and would he would do the deed quickly to prevent that outcome for Valeria. And yet, it still weighed upon him heavily as he pondered this outcome in his mind.

 

[Breadman]

Theodore smiled slightly when Jacob mentioned him. The constable had been a rare breed. Not many men like him have walked the the earth. Camille's own attempt at a joke caught him off-guard and he gave her a look of surprise. The constable was really special if he managed to make her of all people crack a joke like that.

"Give me a few days and perhaps I can help design a 'battle chair' for him. Complete silver kneecappers on the wheels." He added to the joke in the only way he could before turning back to Jacob "The journey with you was one to remember mon ami. Many of our peers would see you, scoff and discount you due to your status and not being versed in the ways of our profession. But I can safely say that you've proven them wrong time and time again. You brought a needed human touch to this group more than you think and now is your time to rest. As a token of appreciation I have, should your children wish to pursue academia of any kind, do not hesitate to send word out to me. A letter of recommendation can help overcome some of the...stuck ups."

 

[Viper Actual]

It was done. Cassandra was finished. As her head rolled across the floor Galina lowered her rifle and let out a deep sigh. She looked at Wesley. Despite his wrongdoings this must have been difficult for him. He was still a man, a weak man even, but perhaps he was worthy of forgiveness. Once it was time to leave Galina made sure to be the last one out and prior to leaving behind Aleister who was now carrying...paintings?

Once they were clear Galina sighed once more. She remained silent during the journey to the doctor's office and as Jakob announced that he was leaving she nodded. Waiting for the others to say their piece Galina finally stepped forward. Falling to her knee next to the bed. "It's been an honor. I will pray for your recovery for as long as it is needed." She then extended her hand and placed a small wolf's head necklace in Jakob's hand.

"This belonged to one of the brave men I fought with. He also bore the gift. Use it to channel your strength, to tame the force within you."

Galina then smiled. "You are always welcome at House Kholda, Jakob Phillomon of the Swampfolk." As she finished her face flashed briefly, showing the ghastly face of a banshee before reverting back. Having said what she wanted Galina stepped up and left the room. She would watch the streets for threats until everyone else were done.

 

[K0mori]

Outside, Mariette stood in the shadow of the nearby buildings and watched the gradual lightening of the sky. The sun was rising, although she didn't appear worried. Rather, she seemed merely restless, and there was a strange light in her eyes and a half-smile on her face. She held Cassandra's rapier between her hands, slowly turning it between her palms with the tip of the blade resting on the cobblestones between her feet. Galina stepped out into the street, and Mariette addressed her in a quiet voice.

"They say conflicted souls go to purgatory, madame," she began. "They're punished for the sins that may be forgiven. Only souls so mired in sin that they've permanently stained themselves beyond reckoning go straight to the abyss, but sometimes... sometimes it's Velin who decides. Cassandra will burn forever for what she did, no matter what guilty conscience lurked below the surface, but I do wonder about myself: will I escape my past?" She chuckled to herself and shook her head. "Some of the things I've done, horrible things, were done under the duress of this curse of mine, but so many of them were my decision, and mine alone. And I chose the darker path, and reveled in it. I enjoyed it, I truly did... And so I wonder what will happen, in the end, and whether I'll have the courage to face it, after all."

She looked Galina in the eyes.

"You sense death, do you not? Do you sense it on me?"

 

[KRIY]

Wesley was silent after he swung the axe and decapitated Cassandra. and remained so after managing their way out of the estate and to a doctor’s clinic.


After washing off the blood from his hands and hastily patching out the hole where Cassandra stabbed him. Wesley entered the office to hear that Jakob cannot continue the journey. He regarded Jakob as the most optimistic member of the Inquiry. Even when facing against the toughest opponents. He’d always remain bright for the days ahead. Passing by Galina, he kneeled and slid back his hood and pulled down his scarf to fully reveal his face.

“I wanted to thank you for sticking with us through this whole journey, Mr. Phillomon. These past few weeks have been… hectic, to say the least. Its unfortunate that you’ll have to wait this one out.”

Wesley picked something out of his pocket. “I went out of the way to buy you something, here’s a marble figure of Thiasis. Seeing as you preach his word a lot, I felt this would be appropriate for someone like you.”

Wesley gave it to the injured war veteran and stood up. “I hope we can meet again once all of this is over. You’re always free to come by at Reldino. Tell them that you know me. They’ll help you in an instant” Wesley saluted to him, and leaves the room and out to the streets.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina adjusted her coat and looked at Mariette as she spoke. Her expression was neutral and as Mariette finished she shrugged and looked at her. "No, I do not." She pulled up her sleeve to reveal the grim scar left by the banshee that once touched her. It was black and purple. "Whenever this scar burns blue and when I feel the tears of death on my cheeks know that I feel the burden of death. During our journey I've felt it a great many times though I cannot determine who is about to die, only when."

Galina pulled down her sleeve and straightened herself. "I do not judge you, Mariette. In my eyes you redeemed yourself a long time ago. As for sins, well, all people sin. What matters is whether or not we try to make a mends."

 

[K0mori]

Mariette nodded in comprehension. "Forgive me. I don't know your kind all too well, although I was partially correct... I apologise if I will soon be burdening you, madame."

She continued to roll the sword's hilt between her palms, more gently than before. The seriousness in her expression had faded.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked at both Camille and Theodore. Camille's attempt at a joke caught him by surprise. At first, because he wasn't sure it was a joke to begin with, but he then decided to take it as such. He slapped his leg and looked at Camille with a smile. "I'd love to go with you, but I'm afraid these ain't working right now." He then looked to Theodore. "But I do like that idea. Charge me into battle so I can whack the enemy with my baton." He let out a hearty chuckle, before continuing. "Take care of yourself, Camille. I might disagree with most of the stuff you say, but you are nonetheless an iron maiden." He then looked back to Theodore, as he offered the opportunity to give Jakob's daughter a higher academic education. He was extremely surprised by the offer. "I-I'm very thankful for your offer, Theo. I'll keep it in mind. Everything to make my little girl's future better."

Galina then kneeled next to Jakob's bed, and he could only smile as his fellow veteran spoke with kindness. "I'll treasure this greatly, Galina. The honor has been mine, and you are a living testament to Tsavanian bravery. I can only wish you the best, Galina Kholdova." He then saluted her, but was surprised to see Galina's face shifting for a second into the face of a banshee. He smiled at her. "You'll control it too. I know you can."

Then Wesley came, and he patted Wesley's arm. "Hectic as all hell, but hey. We're alive." he smiled. "You did fine back there, Wesley. You're a good kid, and I know you'll do a lot of great things in the future." He took the carving of Thiasis, and looked at it for a while. "...we'll meet again someday, kiddo. You take care of yourself now."

As some of the members left the room, he extended his hand to the side of the bed where one of the nurses had placed Jakob's belongings. He pulled out a pen and paper. "Rose, before you guys leave for good...Can you get me an address so I can send everyone letters? I know I won't be able to contact every single one of you." He briefly glanced over to Ethraeil and gave him a respectful nod and smile. "But I'll try and contact them at some point." He then looked at everyone whom was still in the room. "It was an honor to serve with all of you. If anyone can save the world...its you guys." He saluted. "...go kick the duke's ass for me."

Once everyone had left the room and he had the addresses written down, he took a deep breath and began to look for his favorite things. The photo of his family, and his harmonica. He looked at the picture with a big smile on his face, and then played his harmonica one last time.

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. Death comes for us all, regardless if we choose it nor not." She paused and observed the streets. "Truth to be told I don't know my kind too well either. What happened in there was something...primordial. I cannot put it to words." She shook her head once more.

"What will you do with that blade?" She asked, nodding towards Cassandra's rapier.

 

[Infab]

Rosanna assisted in getting Jakob the addresses he wished for. She traveled often, so she didn't exactly have an address. Still she gave him the address of her nephew so that any letters he sent to her would make their way to someone at least. Meanwhile, Valeria gave him the address of Father Weston. He was her adoptive father, so he should receive the letters meant for her. One they were through, Rosanna and Valeria both made their way outside the doctor's office into the street. Rosanna stood there for a few moments, wiping the moisture from her eyes with her fingers before glancing to Valeria.

Valeria was quiet...really quiet. And she bore a somber look on her face. Rosanna watched the inquisitor slip her wide brimmed hat back on, before moving over to a spot nearby alone. Something was wrong with the inquisitor, and Rosanna knew it. Just what that was was still a mystery to her however. She watched her for a few more moments as the Inquisitor stood there in silence, simply gazing down at the street, before shifting her attention to where Galina and Mariette were talking nearby. At least Rosanna still had her other friend to talk to for the time being. She stepped over, having not heard their conversation and trying her best to smile.

She saw that Mariette still had Cassandra's blade. Probably decided to keep it since the pureblood herself would no longer have use for it. She thought back to how Cassandra sounded in those final moments, and felt pity for the pureblood. Centuries of living with what she had done, after being broken by a pack of vampires. She felt sorry for Wesley as well, having been the one to behead her. Eventually, she shook those thoughts away and looked back up to the pair. "...the past few days have been rough, huh?...How are you feelin', Countess?" she asked, looking to Mariette with a half-forced smile.