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Fantasy Legacies: World at War - In Character

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  • Mateo noticed Nikolai's speech going over their surroundings fell flat for a moment. As his eyes shifted to follow the boy's gaze, he saw Rai crouching to light the firewood with sparks of lightning. There was a time where Mateo would've been elated to see simple magic like that, but he'd seen more of Rai's expert wielding of lightning magic to know that he could do far more impressive things. But as he turned back to look at Nikolai's eyes, he could see the same excitement that he once held for simple magic. Maybe the kid was a magic enthusiast, or maybe he just didn't see many other types of magic. Probably both, as it was the City of Light. But Mateo couldn't shake some kind of feeling, so kind of familiarity in that look. 'Oh,' Mateo realized, 'He's me.'

    The conversation continued along without any more surprises, until the other kid in the room did something more surprising. Mana seemed super excited about the idea of having a secret base to plot their move, despite not knowing at all what they were plotting. She sprouted her bat wings and travelled up the stairs that led to the loft, not touching the steps with her feet. Mateo's mouth gaped as her wings created a draft that blew his swoop of hair into his eyes. He brushed it out of his face as she came down the same when she got up. He was surprised, not because of the wings themselves, but because she'd popped them up out of nowhere and flown about, when they were with a person who might not accept spirits. She really needed to be careful about that, especially in this city. He could see Cora's fur had puffed up with surprise, his tail flicking irritably while his claws had slid out of their sheathes to hang on tighter to the little girl's clothes so that he didn't slip off his perch. Cora was trying to decide if he should go back to Mateo's shoulders. At least Mateo wasn't that unpredictable, even if he did transform into a towering beast when his emotions got too negative.

    "Y-Yeah," Nikolai responded to Mana's question, his cheeks edged in pink, before Skyla chided the little girl over her usage of her wings and gave him a little talking to as well. "Y-You have wings?" He just asked, then shouted, "That's awesome! You can fly in the sky, right? Like one of the griffins! That's so cool!" Then his cheeks burned brighter as he realized he was bombarding Mana with his excitement and acting like a total child. "Uh, I mean, of course I'll keep it a secret. It wouldn't be good if Sebastian found out. He doesn't like spirits. He says they cause illnesses like his. And that they do the bidding of the Cabrera's." He proceeded to say, this time with a business-like tone to his voice, trying to conceal the childish excitement he let out a moment before. Mateo's first impression of the boy was that he was mature beyond his years, if not a little skittish. But now, he'd say that the boy did have a child-like side, that he tried to hide with a thick layer of maturity. Which, in turn, made Mateo wonder why he had to hide it. Why he couldn't just be a child. He had said he was only seven before. So, why did he have to act so mature? Was it because of this Sebastian?

    "Oh, yeah." Though, before Mateo could really question the boy's words, he remembered Rai, and turned to his confused face. He'd made a home for himself on one of the couches, though he still looked relatively lost. "I suppose now we should be doing some filling in. It's a long story. Come on, let's all sit down."

    Mateo guided the group towards the living room, dropping back with Mana and saying, "Be a little more careful, ok?", in a gentle voice. He didn't want to yell at the girl, and he knew it sucked to hide who you were. And he knew it wasn't fair to her at all. But in a world where not everyone accepted spirits, he just wanted his spirit friends to be safe. Nikolai took one of the one-seaters, the loner out of the group of friends and travel companions. That left another chair, and the couch that Rai was seated on. He helped Mana into a seat, then chose one for himself next to Rai, finding his comfort among his friends. Cora crawled down Mana's arm into her lap, tickling her cheek with his tail as he went. He seemed to laze in her lap, his eyes half closed as if he were settling down for a cat nap, but his ears were pricked to the conversation.

    Meanwhile, while the group settled in and he began his tirade of the events the others had missed, Mateo split his mind in a way so that he could talk to both them and Serena at the same time. "Looks like he doesn't." He thought in his mind to her, amusement sparkling through in his thoughts at the little boy amazed by the demon wings and the prospect of Mana being able to fly. He remembered the look he had when he saw Rai doing the simplest magic, and then remembered seeing the same look in his eyes while he was watching Mana fly. Dios, he really was Mateo. "I'm not surprised though. If he's a Luminosan who's friends with a Cabrera, I'd expect him to be open to everything else. My family is thought of as worse compared to spirits here."

    It was weird, but then again, he was used to splitting his mind. Or at least his nature was. The Cabrera's were often splitting their minds from their bodies, replacing their operator with savage intent. In the few instances he'd transformed, Mateo's consciousness made him see himself floating in a pool of sludge, while his bodies' eye tried to tear into whatever warm flesh it could find. Even when he was still him but fighting off a transformation, he sometimes saw the sludge pool at the recesses of his mind. It was an odd experience, one he tried to shut out most of the time for fear of vertigo. Whenever he remembered back on that experience, it gave him a churning stomach and an odd burning feeling like acid tearing into his flesh. However, he tried to use that in this scenario. To try to help him both explain things to Rai and keep an open line of communication with the death goddess.

    Then his brained picked off a segment of what Serena said, her thoughts still echoing in his head in a strange void. "Wait, what do you mean by 'create'." He'd met Mana's father before. He didn't know who her mother was, but it seemed impossible that it could be Serena, given she had been away from her body for hundreds of years. But then again, Mana had said once that she was hundreds of years old, despite looking and acting like a kid. Unless that was just her playing pretend. So, did Serena mean the demons as a specific race? His thoughts were way too jumbled about this matter to get a theory straight.

    With all of them finding places among the living room, Mateo broke into a full rant of everything they'd witnessed, Skyla interjecting at times to clarify her own parts of the story. Mateo started by explaining the whole story about Halazzi, how he'd basically brought him to the base of the mountain to tell him that he meant no harm to him, nor any Cabrera. 'It is no longer Lukia's will', he told them Halazzi had said that, though he didn't quite know what he meant, and he didn't explain much about it. He assumed that he meant about the Cabrera's, that the Lucero's had taken things too far, farther than Lukia warranted. Though he also brought up the point about why Lukia couldn't just appear to the Lucero's and tell them to knock it off. Even though they kept Ignis high on a pedestal, surely the words of their favored god would stop their lunacy. But there was still an execution going on, so apparently not. Besides, they didn't know exactly how gods worked, and if they had some kind of rule about interfering with mortal affairs, besides for giving a chosen warrior in the past a sword made out of pure light. But that wasn't even the worst part to explain yet, so rather than rambling on in circles trying to understand the work of gods, he moved on from their encounter with Halazzi. Though, he looked to Mana with a reassuring glance, and told her he wasn't all that bad, because she had been upset about all of it before they'd left. It was true. He had been nice for someone who, years and years ago, probably would've murdered a Cabrera on sight. Though he didn't tell her that.

    He also mentioned Halazzi's last piece of advice to him, that the mountain would have some sort of significance in his journey, though he wouldn't reveal what that was exactly. But he knew he must be right, because of the pull towards the mountain. He didn't know how to explain it to the others. In the end, he settled on comparing it to a sweet melody that you couldn't turn away from. That was it. A melody that drew the Cabrera's to the mountain. Though he hadn't the faintest idea what that would all lead to. Nikolai chimed in for the first time, a skittish tone to his voice. He mentioned Emmerly, and how the girl basically grew up on the mountain. She would have these weird little moments where she stared up at the top of it. But she never explained any of that to him, not even how she survived so long all by herself, or that he thought she was by herself. That thought bummed Mateo out a bit. He thought he'd meet more of the family he'd never known before, but so far it just seemed to be the little girl who he might never meet, for in a week's time, they could fail their mission.

    Mateo elected to leave majority of the Serena thing out of his explanations. Even though it was a little hard to leave out most of the details about being able to see and talk to the literal goddess of death. He didn't want the others to think he was gonna transform into the beast because of how crazy he sounded. But, like telling them about the curse, this stuff needed to be said because it could affect all of them. So, he told Rai and Mana about meeting Serena. About how she had appeared to him, not knowing that he could see her, and about how he could see and talk to her when no one else could. She was even here now, though they couldn't see her. Most of all, he told them about the pact he'd made with Serena, new news to Skyla. She would help him get rid of the curse, if the group couldn't figure it out now, while he would help return her to her body. It was something they needed to know, because it could very well affect all of them. Mateo was bound to his pact, bound to making Serena whole again, and the group was bound to him. They weren't bound to him in the sense of how he and Serena were now, but they were his travel companions. Like the curse, it was something that could very well split them apart. But they could discuss those implications later. Right now, they needed to get back to their business in Luminosa, which Mateo steered them back to, cutting off any questions they may have had and saving them for later, maybe after all of this was over.

    And, at last, he came to the more relevant matters. Nikolai appearing from the chiseled-out tunnel in the wall, the boy eavesdropping on their conversation and finding out he was a Cabrera, and asking for help on a matter only a Cabrera would help with. Mateo dug out the flyer from his bag and spread it across the coffee table. The ugly picture stared back at him. A caged, black monster with pointed teeth and claws leaping out of the bars. Next to it, a figure in Ignis' mask, holding the Sword of Light over their head, readying a strike to put down the foul thing they'd captured. At the top, in fancy letters, were the words 'The Festival of Light'. Underneath those words, "Public Execution of Cabrera Beast". As if it were a fun little festivity, like dart throwing or bobbing for apples. It seemed like it would be the main procession of the festival, a way to honor their heritage by murdering a six-year-old.

    "Yeah, six. They're going to kill a six-year-old. My family." He leaned his arms on his legs, palms up, and stared into his gloves. The back of his throat burned like acid as he explained this part. He couldn't meet any of their eyes. All of the other things he'd explained, he'd talked lightheartedly about. Or at least more lightheartedly than now. But this? It was just too much for the usual chipper Mateo. And he couldn't put himself together to act like that. It was like after Mika's death. He'd fought himself over and over again to remain positive, so to not trigger a transformation. But even though he acted like usual, he still wasn't the same as before. And now with this... it was just too much to act through. "Her name is Emmerly. Emmerly Cabrera. I don't know exactly what my relation to her is. I don't know if she's a sister, or a cousin, or even an aunt of mine. Hell, I've never even met her before. But it doesn't matter to me. I can't just stand by and watch them execute my family. Watch them execute a little girl for no reason. It's not right. None of this is right." There was a certain anger and bitterness in his tone that they'd never heard from him before. Suddenly, his open palms clenched into fists.

    "I need to stop it from happening. Nikolai is friends with Emmerly, and he came to me with all of this. He has a lot of information we can work with. He knows basically all the ins and outs. He's told us that the Convocation has her locked up somewhere that's heavily guarded. And the only time that we'll have any chance is at the festival, when she's out in the open, during the execution. She'll be less guarded, and in a place that won't be swarming with the Convocation's full force. Granted, Nikolai's told us of a lot of the risks. And I mean a lot of them. There are a lot of people we'll have to look out for, with unique abilities and powers that cause problems we've never faced. But Nikolai can tell us of their weaknesses so we can make contingencies against them. The festival's in a week's time. Which means me and Nikolai got a week to plan. You all don't have to come. You don't have to risk yourselves." He looked around at each of them in turn. "But I have to."

    "So, what do you think?"     He said, turning his head towards Rai. "Are you guys with me?"
 
Mood: Disturbed and Determined
Rai Ikari
Thunderous Hunter
Nikolai's Family Cabin

Fortunately, Nikolai's reaction to the sudden revelation that Mana was a demon was positive. He was actually impressed by it, beaming excitedly before piping back down. Assuring them he would keep Mana's race a secret, he even told them to keep Sebastian from finding out because he had animosity toward spirits.

Mateo was the one to answer Rai's question about what they were doing here helping Nikolai. Taking a seat beside Rai on the couch, he asked everyone to settle down in the living room before he began explaining. Rai leaned back into the couch and looked down at the fireplace, zoning out to focus on the words about to come out of Mateo's mouth, a thing he often did for concentration.

He already had some guesses as to what the explanation might be. Maybe they were helping Nikolai get out of Luminosa. Maybe they were here to help around the house or something, which seemed menial, but there could be an exchange happening. They do something for Nikolai, and in return, he gives them something they want. Like a clue toward curing Mateo's curse.

But nothing could have prepared Rai for what it truly was.

Rai was so appalled by the end of the explanation that he could only remember everything in small bits. The beast from before, Halazzi, who took them to the mountain, had told Mateo that he meant no harm to him or any Cabrera in general. Something about it no longer being Lukia's will. Halazzi had told Mateo that the mountain, where they were now, would be of importance in his journey. However, the beast never explained why. Nikolai provided some insight. Apparently, a girl named Emmerly who grew up near this mountain used to have moments where her gaze was fixed on it. But again, there was no explanation behind it.

Mateo continued to tell them about another event. One that was quite bizarre to Rai. Supposedly, a woman had appeared to the boy, one only he could see and speak to. And she was still here with him now. Her name was Serana, and he had made a pact with her. She would help them get rid of Mateo's curse if they couldn't do so on their own. In return, he would help her get back to her body.

Rai squinted his eyes but didn't look at Mateo. He wouldn't tell anyone, but he was feeling skeptical about this part. Sure, a lady willing to assist them was great. But Rai began to suspect it wasn't real. Mateo could hear and see her, while everyone else couldn't? Rai didn't want to question Mateo's judgment, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was wrong. Was the lady really there, or was it all a figment of Mateo's imagination?

Is he hallucinating? Rai thought but stayed silent, keeping his thoughts to himself.

The final part of Mateo's explanation was undoubtedly the worst of everything. Nothing before could compare to the severity of what Mateo told them next. It was about how they met Nikolai. He came to them when he eavesdropped on their conversation, where he found out that Mateo was a Cabrera, and asked for help. And to their surprise, it was about another Cabrera.

But before he explained, Mateo pulled out a slightly crumbled flyer and placed it on the table for them to see. Rai stopped zoning out and leaned in to examine it. On it was an illustration of a dark beast, with sharp claws and horns, leaping from the cage it was ensnared in. Next to it was a figure wearing a mask who held a sword above its head, as if preparing to strike down the creature. And at the top of the flyer were the words that widened Rai's eyes. "The Festival of Light: Public Execution of Cabrera Beast". Then Mateo revealed to them that the Cabrera they were executing was only six years old.

Rai quickly turned to look at Mateo, who failed to return the gaze. "A six-year-old? There's no way."

"Yeah, six," Mateo confirmed. "They're going to kill a six-year-old. My family."

Rai returned to leaning back on the couch, this time staring ahead with a mortified expression. At the same time, he clenched his fist. A hot, searing sensation built up in his chest as he became filled with anger and disbelief. It felt like a pot of boiling water, with the heat gradually increasing until the lid was on the verge of bursting off and the contents were spewing out. But not here. An outburst wouldn't help in the slightest. So Rai took a deep breath and calmed himself, keeping a lid on his emotions.

Mateo explained that the girl being executed was named Emmerly Cabrera and that she was family, though he didn't know the specific relationship. Rai glanced at the boy to see a rare sight. Mateo's fists were balled, and his voice carried strong indignation. Rai was enraged, yes. But he could only imagine how Mateo must have felt. Someone in his family—who wasn't even scraping double digits yet—was being put to death. All because of a curse she had no control over. It was tragic. And only God knows what stirred in Mateo right now.

He continued to explain how he needed to save Emmerly. Mateo said Nikolai revealed all of this to him, along with useful information about saving her. Emmerly was being heavily guarded, and the only time she'll be less guarded is at the actual execution, where she's out in the open. Of course, there were many risks. People with "unique abilities and powers that cause problems we've never faced". But with Nikolai's help, they can prepare contingencies using their weaknesses. The festival was in a week. They had a week's worth of planning. Mateo told them they didn't have to come and risk themselves. Though for him, in his own words, "...I have to."

And finally, the explanation was finished. For a moment, the air felt uncomfortable and dense. There was just a never-ending spiral of emotions that poured on Rai at the moment. Pity, anger, determination. He didn't know exactly what to say to all of that, just that he felt horrible hearing it. And after drawing a blank on a response many times, one finally came to him with Mateo's final words.

Mateo turned, looking at Rai, and asked, "Are you guys with me?"

"Absolutely," he answered without hesitation. "Whatever you need me to do, whatever resources you need. Just say the word."


Kumii Kumii
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Neutral
Castro Smith
Blue-Eyed Bandit
Unknown, Ironshire
Castro nodded firmly at the confirmation of Aleph's home's location. He was to go to the north of the city, in a large valley. But they could travel to Westshire and then head north from there.

But that wasn't the only message Aleph left in his notebook for Castro. Aleph thanked him. For everything. He thanked the bandit and explained how great it felt to have two arms again. But what touched Castro and made him feel light and airy was, "I felt like when I lost it, everything started tearing apart. But now I can fix things, and it was because of you that I could."

Right there. He didn't even know it, but Castro needed that right now. To hear that he actually helped someone. Castro smiled. He felt like his purpose was clear again. He had been looking for something to do with his life, and hearing Aleph's words was just the motivation he needed. Castro knew he had to keep helping people. He had found his calling. He was going to make a difference. But how, exactly, would that work for a bandit?

Castro scratched his cheek, trying to hide his blush, and then replied in the notebook, "You're welcome. It was my pleasure."

Before he could begin writing about taking Aleph to Westshire, Castro looked up to see the boy doing something unprecedented. He put his fingers on his chin and then pushed them forward and down. It took him a few seconds, but Castro realized that it was sign language. However, he had no idea what it meant. But it was something. So Castro repeated the sign back to Aleph, not knowing he was saying thank you. In a sense, Castro did have something to thank the boy for. These past few days with him were the most the bandit had smiled in over a year or two. And at the end of it, Castro was feeling a lot better about everything. It took his mind off Kuragiri, off the Seiryoku Empire, and off those poor girls who were sadly murdered. For the first time in a long while, Castro was feeling something other than gloom and anger.

Castro nodded once more at Aleph and then looked back into the notebook, jotting down another message. "Alright, I have a plan to get us to Westshire. It's a bit unconventional. At least for you, it might be. I don't think it's something you'd be used to. But trust me, it'll be necessary. We're going to steal some horses. Well, a horse. Some people keep one tied up at the back of their houses. So, what we're going to do is wait until it's nighttime, then head outside and take one. We MUST be stealthy. I feel like this might be your first time doing this, and there isn't exactly a guide for theft, so all I can tell you is to follow my lead. Try to stick by me at all times and mimic what I do. And if we're seen, just act natural. Understand?"

Castro pondered. What they would do next wasn't as clear. Getting out of Ironshire wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Especially as a bandit.

"We'll have to improvise after that. But for now, let's just focus on this one thing. Starting packing your things up, then get some sleep. We have a few hours till nightfall."

AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf



Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Heath turned to look behind him, seeing that Mei was finally arriving at the portal after slashing through some undead as she did so. But as the king turned back to the portal, he was met by someone's untimely appearance. A hand emerged from the portal, decorated in dark armor and spikes. It then proceeded to seize Heath by the throat, causing him to let out an ugly gurgling noise, before hurling him away from the portals with brute force.

As Heath hit the ground, he grunted, then rolled backward back onto his feet. Immediately, he looked back ahead to see who his attacker was. And there, staring back at him, was a man covered in spiky armor. Even through the helmet, Heath could sense the harsh glare being thrown at him like daggers. This had to be him. The man behind this assault on the empire. The Dying Knight. Heath thought, already having forgotten his name. Here he was now, finally including himself in the battle, now that he was losing. The woman from before was probably the one to retrieve him, and he was here to avenge his army's fallen.

Heath stood upright and prepared to reply to yet another intruder to his empire when he saw a familiar sight emerge beside the knight. A man with pure white hair and pale skin, along with a slightly battered appearance. Kumii. Upon seeing him, everything became clear to Heath. Or at least, what he thought this was. A betrayal. The entire time, this alliance, this desperate cry for help, was just a scheme to take down the empire from the inside. He was enraged, yet still in shock. He had begun to trust Kumii, and yet here he was, standing beside the enemy.

In an instant, Heath was consumed by bitter rage. His anger manifested visibly, like a tempest brewing within him. With a primal instinct, he clenched his fists tightly, causing his knuckles to pale under the pressure. With a glare, he bared his teeth, and the veins on his neck and face bulged and throbbed, pulsating with the intensity of his seething emotions, as if they were about to burst. How could he be so naive? How could he, as well as his most trusted Shugosha, be fooled so easily? In reality, Heath's anger wasn't directed at Kumii. It was at himself.

"Kono uragirimano!" he uttered in Japanese, speaking in a low voice through his teeth. [Translation: You damn traitor!]

With Kumii's arrival, things only got worse.

The undead ceased their fighting, giving the Seiryoku the chance to kill some off. At the same time, the demons halted as well, and they began to shrivel in pain. Every last one of them. The Death Knight finally spoke up, speaking a brutal quote about them now witnessing true strength, and how in the face of it, they were nothing.

Upon examining Mei, who was also writhing in agony, Heath discerned a peculiar alteration in her pupils. They had now transformed into slits, akin to that of a reptile's. Suddenly, she bolted away and made a beeline for Domori, simultaneously cleaving through the imperial soldiers. Heath wheeled around to intercept her, but he was abruptly knocked off balance as he narrowly avoided the scythe that was swung at him. It was the Death Knight who had launched the surprise attack and initiated a challenge to battle.

"As for you, my king. You and I are gonna dance."

Heath was consumed with anger, and he knew that avoiding the fight was not an option. Without hesitation, he made the first move. With lightning-fast speed, Heath charged toward the knight, disappearing from sight for a moment before reappearing behind him. His leg reared back, preparing for a powerful kick. Then, with incredible force, Heath swung his leg forward toward the Death Knight's body, unleashing a flurry of rapid kicks.





Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss



Mood: Tired
Kaius Adamson
The Conceited Genius
Kaius Adamson's Residence
Kaius is asleep.
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Confused
Lloyd Bolton
The Wannabe Knight
Unknown Alleyways, Ironshire

In the next few moments, the female spirit slayer talked a lot. And most of it didn't even process for Lloyd, since it involved subjects he knew very little, if not absolutely nothing, about. He simply listened, his expression slowly turning from confusion to apathy. He had absolutely no idea what the female spirit slayer was talking about, and he knew it was a waste of time. So he just nodded along, pretending to understand.

But he caught some bits of it.

She started by calling him "boy" again, which was weird to him. Then, she talked about immortal beings that had a connection to some sort of "world" who possessed power that mortals had to work hard to achieve a bit of. Blah, blah. Something like that. More things that just baffled him. Then, she revealed to Lloyd that the little girl was one of these immortal beings. A spirit. Looking at her now, the boy noticed things he hadn't seen before. The girl's features were almost, no, were, animalistic. She had slightly furry ears. In fact, various parts of her body seemed to be clad in fur. She even had claws. Lloyd stared, both confused and curious. Was this even a human he was defending anymore? Well, according to the slayer, he already had his answer.

The dark-haired slayer continued, explaining to Lloyd that she was not the kind of spirit he was talking about before. She was very much alive. But instead, they were more of monsters. The woman gave some examples, and out of all of them, he was only familiar with two. Werewolves and vampires. Alongside them, she mentioned naga, kitsune, and bakeneko. To this, Lloyd raised his eyebrows. Again, he was confused. What in the world were those? Naga? Bakeneko? It was like she was speaking in a foreign language, even though he knew well that it was English. He couldn't believe his ears.

Then came the argument that the girl was indeed not as innocent as the boy thought she was. The woman addressed her as a criminal, which correlated with their job. As spirit slayers, they hunt after spirits with bounties on their heads, and how spirits were infamous for causing trouble for mortals. And the little girl here was a perfect example of one. She told Lloyd not to be fooled by the girl's appearance and explained that tanukis, which Lloyd put together were what she was, were tricksters. What caught him off guard the most was the fact that she could, according to the slayer, be centuries to millenniums old.

Finally, the onslaught of information ceased, and Lloyd let out a relieved sigh. Any more, and his brain would have exploded. The slayer woman, in her parting words, dismissed the need for further "provocation" (another confusing term) and instructed him to continue on his way, citing their safety as the reason. "Kindly move along," she said, even with her katana pointing directly at him. It was hard to miss her irritation towards Lloyd, even for the most clueless observer, and that caused him great concern. If she was willing to harm a defenseless girl, who's to say she wouldn't do the same to him?

A tense silence filled the alleyway now that she was done speaking. Lloyd had no idea what to say and was just hoping that one of them would break the silence, but not a word was uttered. He had to be careful with his response here. The dark-haired woman was already angry, so saying something stupid would dig this hole even deeper. Lloyd scratched his cheek and looked down, embarrassed. And he finally broke the silence:

"Uhm...I'll be honest with you. I.....I barely understood most of what you said. But don't be angry!" he quickly reassured, holding his palms forward. "I got the gist. This girl is a spirit. Spirits cause people trouble. You work to stop them from causing trouble. They can be...backenecks? And because she's a spirit, you have to kill her."

He looked a bit uncomfortable but continued, "So, that's what you do? You just kill her?" He gulped, not sure if he wanted the answer. "You can't just lock her up or something? Or...I don't even know. But there's no other way? I mean, compared to the other things you talked about, vampires and kitsoons, she looks harmless! This doesn't bug you just a little bit? Killing someone who's basically a child? That's, what's the word, unhuman!?"

Lloyd took a deep breath. "I'm sorry to say again that, if you're dead set on "slaying" her, I can't just move along. Think about this. Just, spare her. Deal with her in different way." he placed his hand on the sword hilt again. "And what is it with you calling me boy?"



AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
Code by Serobliss
 
  • Mana & SkylaLocation: Secret Cabin
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
    Current Weather: Clear
    Current Time: August 28th, 1337.
    Serena giggled at Mateo's confusion and surprise when she mentioned she 'created' the Demons, "You're cute, you know that? I created the Demon race. When I was still a God. The Demons are immune the effects of instant death from any source. Little Mana could touch you if she wanted to and not die from that hand of yours." Unbeknownst to her that Mana actually did briefly touch him, if only for a moment during their first meeting.

    Mana lowered her head, "I'm sorry. I got excited..." Skyla ran her hand through Mana's hair. Skyla took her place along with Mana, who took a place next to Rai, letting Cora lay in her lap. Skyla was a bit surprised, shocked even when Mateo specifically mentioned meeting the Goddess of Death but she decided to leave it for now. Mana noticed Rai's anger and put a hand on his fist in an attempt to calm him down.

    Skyla leaned back at Mateo's final speech and when he was done, "You know... I've been risking myself for you ever since the tournament, Mateo. You're like a little brother to me and I'd do anything for you." She paused for a moment then looked at Mateo, "I've never seen you so determined about something then you are about this right now." Skyla got up, "My sword and lance are yours."

    Skyla then looked to Rai, "Damn Rai, you sounded heroic for a second there." She smiled, "Then I remembered it was Rai, there's nothing heroic about Rai." Skyla giggled in her usual lighthearted manner, "I'm sorry, this is a serious moment but I had to say something, it just felt right. We'll still follow your command, Mateo."
 
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  • The tightness in Mateo's chest eased in one big release when he heard his friends' agreements to help. First it was Rai. Before Mateo even finished closing his mouth after his question, the man pushed in with his reply. There was no thought, no hesitation on how bad things could go for them, or how risky this whole thing was. Immediately, the man was resolved to help in any way possible. He couldn't read everything on his face, but he could sense the fluctuations of the room. He could sense when the samurai and those around him had fallen into pits of negativity because of his words. He could feel those feelings, stuck to him like glue, and they were apparent in Rai. But he could see that those negative emotions were directed towards the very thought of the atrocities to be committed by the city and, for as much negative energy he carried, he also bore determination to do good that rivaled out the negativity. Mateo's face softened with the nod that came in one fluid motion. The surprise that came from the samurai's immediate agreement warmed his body and fought off any negativity born sludge that had begun to form with his recanting of the devastating revelation.

    Immediately after came Skyla's gentle voice. She'd steadied the shakiness that had come to his legs with her voice, announcing that she would fight for him, the one who was like a little brother to her. In truth, it was the same for him. He would've probably passed out upon hearing the execution news if Skyla hadn't been there. She was what kept him grounded through it all, giving him some sense of courage and stability. Much like a big sister would.

    "Don't forget that amazing new bow of yours too." He said, his voice low and creaking, and without much drive despite the obvious try at a joke. He didn't realize how nervous he'd been to ask his friends for help, until now that his voice had been taken right from under him. Guess that was the cost of getting to act so confident before during his explanations. Now that his flow and momentum was gone, he basically lost it to voice cracks and nervousness. He gave one of those awkward smiles reminiscent of the beginning days of their journey, and a nervous chuckle that solidified it.

    Cora touched his paw to Mateo's leg, his claws unsheathing and extending but not by enough to prick into Mateo. It was a silent agreement. Just like Mateo had Skyla's sword and lance by his side, he had Cora's claws as well. He stroked the cats head in thanks and a low purr reverberated back with affection the cat did not seem to show to any of the other members of the group.

    "Thanks, you guys." He said, looking around at all of them with a smile. The moment hung for a few beats more before Mateo started to veer them towards plan making. Or, at least getting the information all out in the open, because there was a ton more. First, it had been explaining what exactly they were doing to clue the other members of their party in, and to get their agreement to help. Now, it was getting all the information that Nikolai had told them laid out so they could start stringing along a plan for the big day. And oh boy, that was another extremely long segment of exposition. But his throat felt dry and prickly whenever he talked, so he let Nikolai do most of the talking. And anyways, the boy knew way more than he did and helped to explain things further and fill in gaps of information that even Mateo didn't know.

    Meanwhile, in the recesses of Mateo's mind, information from Serena's voice echoed. It was information he didn't think anyone else had, besides maybe the demons. He'd never heard of how the races were created, but according to Serena she created the demons. His gaze shifted to the little demon girl in the room. Mana was here, sitting next to him, because of Serena's molding of the demon race. Honestly, it was something that extremely fascinated him. He wanted to know more about the whole thing, despite the cold, stagnant situation they were in currently. Well, old habits died hard. He'd learn whatever he could back home, in the wastelands of the desert, and he'd come to the Rhythm Nation in that pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge about magic, and the curse, and even about his birthplace. About the culture he was born apart of but new nothing of. And now this was another link to his fascination with knowledge and learning. "So, does that make you their god then. Like how Lukia kind of protects and watches over Luminosa and the people here worship him. Is that how it is for you and the demons? Well, I mean, before this whole business with you getting ejected from your body."

    The room started floating with spirals of words and explanations as they laid it all out. Mateo veered the conversation into the planning stage, and him and Nikolai took turns explaining various pieces of information, with the younger boy doing most of the talking. "Its gonna happen at the center square, where the Ignis statue is. I'll point it out later. There'll be a big platform where they'll set Emmerly's cage, and they'll use the Sword of Light to... Well, on and near the platform is gonna be where the trouble is. Whenever big ceremonies like this happen, the Lucero's are up on stage to commence it. They're the leading family of Luminosa, the descendants of Ignis, the one who killed the original Beast. They're gonna be all over this thing. They're really the main problem to deal with. Them and their associates."

    "First, there's Sebastian. He's the leader of the Convocation of the Golden Hunt, which is an organization attached to Luminosa's government. The way our government works is that the Convocation is in charge of everything Cabrera related. When it involves the hunt for the Cabrera's, no other section of our government can interfere in what the Convocation dictates. He's the main drive behind this whole thing. He was the first one to orchestrate the capture of a Cabrera in years and wanted to make a big show of it. The Festival of Light was coming up and he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate with the entire city about murdering a six-year-old, because that's basically what this festival is all about. Dressed up with a fancy story and fun activities, but that's really it. Unfortunately, with him being the leader of the Convocation, no one can say no to him."     Nikolai explained, taking the lead. He was a very well-informed kid, apparently. "Sebastian uses a sword and light magic. And he's got this magically enchanted pauldron that gets passed down to every leader of the Convocation. It shields him from most magic attacks. And he's a Griffin Knight as well, which is just a fancy way of saying he has a griffin steed like a lot of members of the Convocation do. He's a bigger threat while on Lerio, his griffin. Lerio uses sound and weather magic and since he can fly it's a lot harder to get at him, especially since most ranged magic doesn't work on him."

    "Then there's Ivan. He's the head of the Church, and another one who's completely on board with the execution. He's Sebastian's father, and his word means a great deal to the people because he actually caught and killed a Cabrera. The whole thing left him massively scarred though. His left eye is completely gone. He's blind out of that side, obviously, so that could be something to exploit. He'll be the one wearing a black eyepatch. I don't know a lot about him, though. He's a very secretive man. But I know that he practices alchemy instead of the usual magic."

    "Lilliana Lucero is the leader of Luminosa. She's actually been arguing with Sebastian about the whole thing. She's against it from what I've heard of their fighting. But, even if she leads the city, she can't do anything about it. Like I said, it's the Convocation's business only. I don't know if she'd really object to us breaking Emmerly out, but if she deems us a threat to the city then she'd definitely go after us. She's good with a rapier, and also has one of the brother's weapons. After the Sword of Light, they're the most powerful relics in the city. She has Lyris' weapon, the harp. Her sister, Augustine, is the current inheritor of the Sword of Light. I don't think she's anything to worry about, she's really nice, but it's just good to be wary of the Sword. And there's the fact that she'll be up there as well. That's about it for the Lucero's."     Nikolai concluded with a finger on his chin, thinking about the potential threats to their plan.

    "Wait, there's another one. Hunter was his name, right?" After getting a nod from Nikolai, Mateo continued, "Remember the people who were at the gate, the guards? Well, one of the two that was up at the front was a Lucero. I didn't even realize it. Honestly, I thought I would know when I met a Lucero. I don't know why. He was the blonde one, with the scar across his eye that looked like lightning. He's a part of Luminosa's guard, the Lucestaur."

    "Lucestor." Nikolai corrected, "He is a part of the guard. He's another one that I wouldn't normally worry about, if not for his circumstances. Being a part of the guard means he might have some problems with us breaking out a criminal. I don't know how much he knows, or what he's been told, but it might come down to duty for him. He's pretty fast, lightning magic. Even if he might not be a problem, better safe than sorry. He'll either be on duty with Valero during the festival or stuck with the rest of the Lucero's for the main processions. Still, he could intervene."

    "The Valero guy he's talking about was the other one at the gate. The big one." Mateo informed.

    "Yeah, he's the leader of the Lucestor, and a feared confidant of the Lucero's. Sometimes, he acts as their personal guard. He'll definitely be on duty during the execution. He's not a Lucero but still someone to worry about. He'll do whatever the Lucero's say. If Isabella told him to kill a cat who'd been stealing the offerings on the alters, he would." Cora's fur suddenly puffed, and his claws slid out. He gave a hissing meow which prompted a response from Niko. "Sorry. Bad analogy. The point is, if the Lucero's tell him to hunt us down after we break Emmerly out, he'll do it, no matter what our reasons were in the first place. And he's got this really terrible sword. I've only ever heard stories about it. Folks say it turns people into graves in five seconds flat. I don't know what exactly that means, just that he's one of the best combatants Luminosa has to offer, and loyal to the Lucero's."

    "In terms of guards during the festival, there's Valero, possibly Hunter, Ivan's spirit, and Albert. You've probably heard about how people feel about spirits here. Well, unfortunately, Ivan keeps one with him. A slave sort of thing. Even if there were people who were against it, again, it's how our government works. The Church gets to dictate that sort of stuff, and not even Lilliana herself has the power to tell Ivan to stop. Really, this spirit's in the same boat as Emmerly. But, unlike Emmerly, he's being exploited as a sort of guard rather than being killed. He wears this mask, and I think that's how Ivan's able to command him. He'll be using brute strength and ice magic if Ivan tells him to come after us, which, he probably will."

    "Lastly, Albert Crawford. Yeah, Emmerly's being kept in the Convocation's headquarters, which is tons and tons of Convocation members. There's no way to get her out now because of that. And Albert's another cause of that. Sebastian hired him specifically to guard Emmerly until the festival, and during. He's not suspicious of me or anything. He just likes his precautions, especially for something like this. Something that's supposed to guarantee him fame. Albert's a mercenary with incredible light magic skills. I've heard he's called the Hunter of Darkness. Dark magic just doesn't work against him. At all. That's why Sebastian hired him in the first place. He could handle guarding a Cabrera, people thought to be of pure darkness, if he has that much skill over light and dark magic. His job is literally to guard Emmerly and the procession for stunts like ours, so he'll be looking out for it. Whatever we're gonna do, it has to be subtle up until the point where Emmerly's out of the cage. I think the best route after should be to the mountain. Everyone thinks its cursed, so they won't think to follow us up there."     Nikolai turned his gaze to Mateo, directing his next statement to what he presumed was the leader of the group, an idea that was far from the truth, "We can head through Old Luminosa to the hole in the wall. Emmerly will know the best route up from the base."

    'Or you'll have to guide us up if we fail' Nikolai didn't say it afterwards, but they must've all been thinking about it, at least Mateo was. The thought was born out of nervousness and low confidence. The thought of a six-year-old laying slain on a wooden platform wouldn't leave his mind, even if he knew of no face to picture his family member. The picture sent a shiver through him, despite the steadily crackling fire in the pit. Regardless of the small doubt worming its way into his brain with unease, Mateo nodded. "Ok. We'll head to the mountain after. Now it's just the breaking Emmerly out part that we have to worry about. Well, and the people who might stop us once we do."
 
  • Mana & SkylaLocation: Secret Cabin
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
    Current Weather: Clear
    Current Time: August 28th, 1337.
    Serena 'sat' down in the air, "I guess so? I never thought of myself as THAT kind of God though. Do you ever wonder who made you? Or where you come from? I guess that pretty much sums up how my relationship with the Demons is. They don't know I created them and I don't much care to reveal that to them."

    Skyla nodded, "That would pose an issue to me specifically. I use Dark magic, meaning about half my arsenal is useless against him." Skyla put a hand on her chin in thought, "Hmmm... Crawford... why does that sound familiar...?" A few moments later, it clicked, "Wait, could he be related to the Beast of Ironshire, Céline?" Mana looked at Skyla and tilted her head, "Daddy has told me stories about that... of course, Daddy also told me stories about how there's a Demon boogeyman who eats little Demon girls who wander outside for too long. So I think that was just a scare tactic to keep me in line." Skyla stared at Mana for a second then shook her head slightly, "Right... anyways, regardless of if Albert is related to Céline or not, figuring out how to deal with everyone guarding the precession is top priority. If we break Emmerly out but have no contingencies for any of the guards, the plan is 100% guaranteed to fail."
 
Mood: In Thought
Rai Ikari
Thunderous Hunter
Nikolai's Family Cabin

"Well damn," said Rai, exhaling slowly. "Luminosa sure isn't playing around with their defense. I, uh, agree with Skyla. No contingencies and we're done for."

Rai paused to go over Mateo's description of the guards again. They were incredibly formidable opponents, and with the possible exception of Ivan, who wasn't described in as much detail, Rai couldn't imagine defeating any of them in direct combat.

"Taking them all on in battle would be suicide." Rai finally said, though hard to admit. "Maybe we could get them away from Emmerly. Like, with a distraction or something. And even if we can't get all of them away from her, it'd help to decrease the amount of them we'd have to take on."


Kumii Kumii
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Neutral
Castro Smith
Blue-Eyed Bandit
Unknown, Ironshire

Later in the night, after getting some sleep, Castro arose and began packing up things he deemed necessary for the trip: a large, but ordinary-looking leather satchel loaded with loaves of bread and two canteens of water, a few changes of clothes, along with a crumbled map and a compass. Once finished, Castro slung the satchel over his shoulder and sat on a table, waiting for Aleph to wake up.

For a moment, his gaze flicked over at his blade, which was propped against a wall. He pondered taking it, but held himself back. “They'll be perfectly fine with me,” he thought, referring to Aleph's clan. “They're just some people...who are capable of killing literal dragons. What could go wrong?

After a bit, Aleph came up to Castro, things packed and ready to go. Castro nodded, then took out his crumpled map. He briefly scanned it and memorized their route, before jamming it back into his pocket.

Forgetting for the millionth time that Aleph couldn't hear him, Castro nodded and said, “Alright, let's go. Stay close.”

And so the two left the hideout, Castro climbing out first, quietly. Once he had confirmed that the coast was clear, Castro helped Aleph out next.
Then, pulling his hoodie over his head and wrapping a scarf around Aleph's, they began walking through the quiet streets of Ironshire, making sure to stay out of the moonlight. Castro continued to lead the way, trying to teach Aleph to be as stealthy as possible. They sauntered down alleyways, cut through random gardens, crept behind walls and bushes, and took multiple detours to avoid the guards doing their nightly patrols. At one point, Castro scaled a building, foolishly expecting Aleph to do the same. (Spoiler: he couldn't.) In the end, Castro had to have Aleph stand on his shoulders and pull himself up with one arm, as he hadn't quite got the hang of his prosthetic yet.

Twenty minutes of creeping through Ironshire had passed, but they had yet to come across a horse to "borrow". Upon sneaking into another stable only to see no horse again, he cursed under his breath, feeling frustrated. “Shit…"

But then, to his left, Castro heard a familiar snorting sound. His eyes widened as he saw a large black horse standing outside the window, blending in with the shadows. And a few homes down from it was a stable with its gate wide open. Someone forgot to bolt their fence and just saved their entire plan. But, if the horse wasn't already broken in, it would be ruined.

Without hesitation, Castro slowly approached the mare, his hands up. “Hey…easy now…I just need to take you somewhere real quick. Somewhere out of these damn walls where you can just…run free. Sound good?” The mare just stared back at him, her ears perking up. Castro smiled, his heart racing. Then he cautiously reached out his hand and stroked her neck. When the horse allowed him to, Castro called Aleph over and helped him saddle the horse before getting on himself.

"Okay... let's see if I can remember how to do this." Castro gently kicked the horse's side with his heel, and she began to trot forward in response. "There you go. Good girl." Then, Castro used his calves to gently squeeze her sides and she sped up in response, faster than he had expected.

They began to approached the stable where the horse had come from, so Castro motioned for Aleph to toss it as they passed. But at first, he didn't understand! So Castro did it again, this time with more emphasis, and mouthed the words, "Aleph! Throowwwww the leeettterrrr!” Finally, the boy understood and flung the letter with all his might, but he used his prosthetic arm. And unfortunately, his hand-eye coordination hadn't developed just yet. So, instead of landing in the stable, the letter ended up outside, near the open gate.

And so the duo, now a trio, began their journey from Ironshire through a hidden escape route. It was an underground passage to the western walls of the city, created some years ago when the Onyx Beetles were still together. Castro could still remember the moment when Kuragiri had suggested it and then did it anyway despite Maki and Castro going against it.

Now, the difficult part began.

Through the outskirts of Ironshire, across lengthy valleys, past rivers, streams, and dense forests, Castro rode the stolen steed at full speed, little Aleph holding on for dear life. The horse's hooves kicked up dust as it galloped tirelessly, its tail and mane flailing in the wind. Despite not wanting to, Castro stopped occasionally to give the horse a rest and the boy a chance to calm his nerves before continuing. He was determined to reach this unknown destination before sunrise.

But that goal began to seem unachievable. Even after all the route changes and detours, they still hadn't spotted a single sign of life. The day was still gradually arriving, and worse, his horse was beginning to show signs of fatigue. He was left with no choice but to stop.

Halting in a valley, Castro tied the horse to a large stone and sat against it. He then gazed up at the sky. The sun was beginning to peek through the clouds, turning them a serene shade of orange. It was beautiful, yet disappointing.

"Aleph. Does..." Castro paused, then shook his head before reaching into Aleph's satchel for the notebook.

"I think we're lost Aleph. And that's on me. I figured that there would be some signs of your clan and that I could find them myself. But I probably should have just asked you in the first place."

Castro looked around the unfamiliar area one last time, searching for something, anything. Then, before handing the notebook to Aleph, he wrote,

"Do you recognize where we are? Any landmarks you see or something?"

AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf



Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

For a moment, Heath was taken aback by the Death Knight's speed and reflexes. Only one of his attacks landed, and even then did no damage. However, he was even more surprised when the knight reciprocated immediately, testing if Heath could do the same.

At first, Heath leaped over the wave of strangely dark flames hurled at him. Next, he ducked, dodging left and right from the relentless blows that followed. And finally, he sprang back to avoid the final blow.

Heath glanced at the large flower created by the death knight's final slash, unmoved as black mist began to billow. Even a fool would have realized that the mist was most likely some other form of attack.

"Awarena. 哀れな" Heath muttered. (Translation: "pitiful") Then he waved his hand in front of him, sending a vast gust of wind that pushed the fog aside. Now, it was heading toward everyone else, both the Seiryoku and intruders.

Keeping his eyes on the Death Knight, Heath stood his ground, waiting for the intruder's next move.

Meanwhile, Domori drew back his drawstring, with an arrow of light aimed at Mei as she approached him. All of the demons who were just on Seiryoku's side seconds ago now turned against them. Now it was just the empire alone against two opposing forces. And that included Mei.

"Mei," Domori spoke softly. "What are you doing?"
Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss



Mood: Tired
Kaius Adamson
The Conceited Genius
Kaius Adamson's Residence
Kaius is asleep.
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Scared and Determined
Lloyd Bolton
The Wannabe Knight
Unknown Alleyways, Ironshire

In an unexpected turn of events, the female slayer stabbed her sword into the little girl's side, provoking a blood-curdling scream from her that sent chills down Lloyd's spine. He could feel a wave of nausea washed over him as he gagged, horrified by the sickening splatter of her blood.

But then, instantaneously, Lloyd was in motion, going towards the woman. At first, he had no idea what was happening. It was as if Lloyd had lost control over his own body. His heart pounded vigorously, and his palms sweat as the gap between him and the spirit slayer disappeared. He felt the power of his body take over, and he knew he could not stop himself.

So, with a dull scratching sound, Lloyd unsheathed his wooden sword. And he charged toward the slayer, a mix of pure fear and determination held in his glare.

AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
Code by Serobliss
 

  • "Actually, yeah, all the time. Not like, the gods, but the one who cursed my family. In a way, they made me. I wouldn't be who I am today without the curse. I would've lived with my real parents, and I wouldn't have to worry about transforming and killing a bunch of people every time I felt a negative emotion. When Mi- when one of my friends died, I tried so hard to keep it in. I almost transformed. It was coming, I know it was. And if it hadn't been for them, well things would've ended for all of us a lot different that day. And if it hadn't been for the one who cursed me, I wouldn't have to struggle with that. When I first learned about the curse, I always tried to imagine what they looked like, who they were. Just to know. It's almost worse not knowing who did it. Like a bad itch, only worse. Fear of the unknown, I guess. Or maybe just curiosity. Or maybe it's more, I don't have anyone to blame if I don't know who did it. I don't know. Could be what the demons feel, if they ever thought about it."

    "T-There's a Beast in Ironshire too?" Nikolai asked, worry lacing his tone. Mateo had to remind himself that the kid was rightfully worried about a monster, not a Cabrera. And, growing up under Luminosa's ideology, he couldn't blame him. The actual Beast of Luminosa was a scary thing. A rampaging beast that almost wiped out of all Luminosa with its many curled horns and fangs dripping with sludge that could dilute an entire forest of its life. It was a scary thing to imagine, especially for someone so young. To Luminosa, there was no person behind the Beast. The Cabrera who started it all was just a monster, not a person underneath it all. And no one ever thought of the person. Somehow the tale just became larger than that, more a figment of mass hysteria than a real person. But he did exist, and Mateo couldn't help but feel pity for the ancestor that not even the Cabrera's knew the name of. The only part of his legacy that mattered to Luminosa was the monster, not the real mind behind it.

    "Not that kind of Beast, bud. Not my family, at least I don't know think so." He looked towards Skyla for a second before continuing, "If Ironshire's leader knew, and used a Cabrera's curse as a weapon, I'm sure Ironshire and Luminosa wouldn't be so friendly with each other. It's probably just a title."

    Mateo looked deep in thought about Rai's suggestion. A distraction could work, but what kind of distraction? It couldn't be anything that tipped them off, and it couldn't get in their way when they were running to the mountain. It had to be close enough so that the group could set it off in time, and be back so as to not get caught, but far enough away that it would keep the guards distracted.

    "If we do use a distraction, we'll have to be quick about getting Emmerly out. She's too important of a find to lose. It won't be long before they start moving her to a safer location. Albert might be set off as well." Nikolai inputted, and he had a fair point. Even if their distraction drew a significant number away, the other half would immediately work on securing Emmerly and assuring the crowd until they figured out what was going on, and then they'd fail.

    "Then, maybe we should give them another Cabrera to hunt." Mateo blurted out before thinking. Quickly he added, "Not- not me. I'm not gonna- y'know."

    "It's a festival, right? A festival celebrating the original legend. They'll be all kinds of precessions and celebrations. Including recreations of the story. So, what if we recreate it too? We can make another beast for them to hunt. We could rig a small explosion, nothing to cause damage, just to get their attention. Someone could make a loud roar; Cora would probably be our best bet."     When Nikolai looked at him questioningly, he added, "You haven't seen him yet, but Cora can actually get a lot bigger. He can turn into a huge tiger with long fangs." Mateo demonstrated by putting his pointer fingers to his incisors and giving a childish mock roar, one you might use to cheer up a sad kid. Cora didn't look pleased with the display, his eyes slitted and his tail flicking.

    "Cool." Nikolai murmured, holding in a snicker, clearly with a differing opinion to Cora's about Mateo's display.

    "So, anyways, we create a Cabrera for them to chase. A costume of sorts. Out of anything we can find. By the time they realize its fake, it'll already be too late. The only problem is one of us would have to stay behind for the costume to actually work." That was the only snag. He'd never want any of his friends to risk it. If they drew half of the people guarding Emmerly away, one of them would be stuck dealing with them, and they'd never make it.

    "I could do it." Cora whispered into his ear. He jumped suddenly, not even realizing the cat had delicately run his way up his body to perch on his usual spot. "I could go big and fit into the costume, run around for a few minutes, and when they catch up to me shift back and pretend I'm just a cat who accidentally got caught up in some decoration."

    "It's too risky though," Mateo said aloud, not minding what the other's thought, too deep within the plans to realize. But Cora seemed adamant about it. Mateo sighed, "I don't much like this idea, but we could use Cora. You know how he can get bigger? Well, he can be in the costume, run around like he's a baby Cabrera, and switch back to regular size when they catch him, then run back to us."

    "There are a bunch of strays here, so it wouldn't be farfetched for one to have gotten into some random decoration and end up acting as if a Cabrera came to attack." Nikolai said, nodding, as if backing up the idea.
 
  • Mana & SkylaLocation: Secret Cabin
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
    Current Weather: Clear
    Current Time: August 28th, 1337.
    Serana looked at Mateo as he talked, "I guess it could have something to do with my powers, or what were my powers. You know, God of Death, you're death-cursed. It adds up." Serana quickly realize what kind of light that painted her in, "N-Not that I cursed your family..." she paused in thought then continued, "...but it does make me wonder if I did have some involvement... direct or otherwise..." The Goddess perched her head on her fist in a thinker pose, "Though, I don't remember anything before the time I was turned into... this."

    Skyla nodded with Mateo's assessment of 'the Beast of Ironshire', "Exactly, it's just a nickname." Her attention quickly turned as Mateo blurted out that single sentence, "Sorry?? And where do you-" her question was answered before she could finish it.

    Mana smiled a bit when Mateo did the mock roar and imitation of the saber tooth tiger, "Okay, so Cora goes and distracts the guards and what have you then escape back to us. That's the guards dealt with, now's just.. what? That mercenary kid and the master behind it all? Sebastian, was it?"

    Meanwhile, in Emmerly's cell, a little white flame floated into the cell. How it got there was a mystery but it was clear it was magical in origin. It hovered slightly above Emmerly, the little white flame was jittery and jumped at any movement that Emmerly would make.
 
Mood: Neutral
Rai Ikari
Thunderous Hunter
Nikolai's Family Cabin
At Mateo's mention of bringing another Cabrera for the guards to hunt, Rai quickly snapped his head towards him, eyebrows furrowed. He was ready to shut down that idea in an instant. And Skyla must've been thinking the same thing because she began to question the statement. But before either of them could get a sentence off, Mateo cleared things up, reassuring them he wasn't talking about himself.

What Mateo actually meant was getting Cora to pretend to be a Cabrera beast, which Rai found much more appealing.

"That's...not a bad idea," started Rai. "As long as Cora doesn't get hurt, of course. If he can really turn into a big ass tiger, I wouldn't be surprised if they sent a couple of attacks his way."

Skyla spoke next. She echoed the idea and then brought a good question to light. If the distraction worked, they'd get the guards away, or at least, most of them. But what about the ones who might stay, like Sebastian?

"Sebastian," Rai murmured before speaking up. "That's the one you said rode a Griffin, right? With the pauldron too. And the mercenary," he sighed, crossing his arms and leaning further back into the comfort of the couch. "that's Ivan, I think? No, Valero. Hm."

Rai turned back to Mateo, "...maybe we could go for a double distraction if that's not too risky. Cora distracts the guards that leave to find him, and then whoever's left behind, I'll get their attention while you free Emmerly and high-tail it back to the mountain. I'll meet you all back h..."

Rai trailed off as he thought about his words. What the hell was he saying? He wasn't up for that at all. As far as he remembers, Rai hadn't won a single battle since that rusty knight back when they were saving Skyla. He was on a losing streak. Who's to say it'd end now?

Clearing his throat, Rai continued,

"B-But if anyone has any better ideas, I'm all ears. I mean, I already brought up the idea of getting the guards away from there. Don't let me do all the thinking now. I'm still mostly the brawn of the operation, not the brain, remember?" He let out a small chuckle.


Kumii Kumii
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Neutral
Castro Smith
Blue-Eyed Bandit
Unknown Valleys

Castro smiled at the name Aleph gave for their new steed. Night. It fit her pretty well, considering that they found her at night and she blended in with it. The boy suggested that they leave Night behind so she could rest, and that they walk the rest of the way to Westshire. From there, Aleph could lead the way back to his village.

"Westshire. I've never been there before, but there's always a first time for everything."

Castro looked around, spinning in a circle to observe his surroundings. The only significant thing near them was a large river they'd have to cross. The moonlight shone over it, revealing jagged stones poking out of the water they could walk across. Though, they were only there for about half of it, so they'd have to wade through the rest. It was too dark to see what was on the other side of it. Castro just hoped it would be something to let them know they were close. A path to Westshire. Or maybe even some snow.

Castro wrote in the notebook again and then began to walk toward the river, adjusting his satchel. "We've got no time to waste. Let's get going, Aleph. There's a river to our left we're gonna cross. Watch your steps on the rocks. I don't want you to slip. Once we get to the part without the rocks, get on my back and I'll get you across, got it? And please, Aleph." Castro underlined the "please" three times for effect. "Don't fall into the water."

"Oh!"

Castro stopped and turned around, digging into his satchel. "One more thing. Almost forgot." Castro took an apple out and tossed it to Aleph, expecting him to catch it. He then nodded toward Night, who snorted in excitement, trotting closer.
AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf



Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Domori flinched, almost letting his arrow fly as Mei leaped at him. But she stopped herself just in time. And in her eyes, Domori saw a glimpse of the Mei he'd known for the past few days. And then everything clicked in his mind as she begged him for help. The demons hadn't betrayed them, they were under control, forced against their own will to do this.

"Mei..." Domori spoke softly, pity filling his heart. But he had no time for emotions right now. They were in battle. The empire was under attack. And most importantly, his friends were in danger.

A roar ripped through the air. The archer's hypersensitive ears tingled at the sound of it. The roar came from Kumii, and at that same moment, some demons around them began to lose their hostility. "That's it!"

Without missing a beat, Domori infused his current arrow with sound magic. Wisps of white began to trail around it in a spiraling pattern, glowing mysteriously. Then, Domori pulled the string of his bow further back and prepared to let it go. But before he did, he looked Mei back up at Mei.

"This is only temporary, it won't hurt," he said, louder than he expected. "I'll be back for you."

Then, he let go of his drawstring and the arrow shot forward, piercing the ground at the feet of the demon. With one final nod at Mei, Domori murmured, "Tremble.", starting a chain reaction. A white shockwave shot from the arrow, spreading outward quickly. It hit Mei, Domori himself, the undead, other demons, and Seiryoku soldiers around them too, but stopped short of Heath and the others. Then, everyone affected by the arrow began to float into the air, their limbs flailing uncontrollably.

Domori was the only one who seemed unphased by the shift in gravity. As if he were swimming, the archer waded through the air, straight past Mei, and headed toward Kumii.


Meanwhile, Heath was faced with yet another foe's appearance.

Just as he and the Death Knight were about to battle it out, a portal of mist appeared. And out of it stepped a woman dressed like a nun who wielded a scythe, just as the Death Knight did. The moment she entered the premises, the air seemed to become colder.

She said something briefly to the Death Knight, causing him to step back. Then, she raised her weapon and things became very clear. She was taking his place in the battle.

Heath remained unphased, "At the very least, fight me yourself. This is the second one of your female goons you've sent in your place since you've arrived."

The king evenly spaced his feet and placed his hands behind his back. As the three of them stood there, battling and chaos continued around them. The sounds of clashing weapons and war cries filled the air. Blood had stained the floors and carpets of the once pristine empire, debris was everywhere, and the bodies of countless Seiryoku soldiers and foes littered the ground. In just two hours, the classiness of the empire was completely ravaged. Through his poker face, Heath was livid.

"I'm beginning to believe you're afraid of me."

Health Points: 228/228
Current State: Normal
Attack Used + Description: N/A


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss



Mood: Tired
Kaius Adamson
The Conceited Genius
Kaius Adamson's Residence
Kaius is asleep.
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Fearful and Determined
Lloyd Bolton
The Wannabe Knight
Unknown Alleyways, Ironshire
In a flash, Lloyd truly realized how outclassed he was.

As he swung his wooden blade, he was quickly parried by one of metal. Wood chips from his flew through the air as they collided, and Lloyd began to feel the weight of the slayers' force pushing down on him. He was just about to crumble from it when he was suddenly pushed backward, freeing him. He quickly regained his balance and got back into his stance.

Once again, the slayer spoke. Now, her words scared Lloyd even more. He couldn't read her stone-cold expression, but he'd just attacked her. She had to have been aggravated.

The woman called Lloyd out on how he acted with his heart instead of his head and told him it'd be the death of him. Lloyd took a couple of small steps back. This was it. He was finished. If that wasn't enough to convince him that she was pissed off, he'd be an idiot. Suddenly Lloyd was regretting his actions, even starting to wish that he'd never stumbled across this scene in the first place. His sword shook as he gripped it with trembling hands. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Lloyd tried his hardest to keep a straight face, to not show any fear, but his body betrayed him.

But then the slayer continued. Instead of lunging forward and slashing his head off in one clean motion—that's what was running through Lloyd's imagination—she told him that his death wouldn't be today. A wave of relief washed through him. But only for an instant. Anxiety swarmed back into him as the slayer pointed her sword toward the girl on the floor, bleeding out. No, the animal bleeding out.

The little girl he just risked his life to protect didn't even look like one anymore. The young boy's mind couldn't comprehend it. It was as if a creature had swooped in and taken her place. She was now covered in dense fur, her teeth were abnormally sharp, and she had claws that dug into the stone pavement. That couldn't be the same person, no?

But something in Lloyd's mind told him that it was. He began to believe every word the slayer had told him, despite how confusing. The girl really wasn't a human being. Instead, she was just pretending to be one.

Lloyd returned his focus to the slayer. Now, she was telling him that he had failed. That the little girl, the creature, was going to die, despite his efforts. She said something that Lloyd didn't understand, like every word she spoke. Her "thread has already been severed".

"Turn around and go home. Whatever poison your heart lets seep into your mind is pointless now."

Though reluctant, Lloyd stood his ground, breathing deeply to calm himself down. "I..." He didn't know what to say. What could he even say after witnessing this? How would he explain this to his friends and neighbors? How would he explain this to the guards? Questions upon questions invaded Lloyd's mind, assaulting his mental. He could barely think straight.

"I'm not gonna let her die," was all the boy could squeak out. His lionheartedness, or perhaps stubbornness, prevailed over his fear once more. "E-Even if she is a, whatever you call it, sprite or something, she doesn't deserve to die." Lloyd stepped in front of the spirit girl, positioning himself between her and her aggressors.

He glanced at the other slayer, who watched in silence. For a moment, he pleaded with his eyes for the man to do something, anything. Convince his friend to back down and just leave them be.

Lloyd returned his gaze to the female slayer, then strengthened his grip on his sword's hilt as he got into his base stance. Two hands on the hilt, feet staggered a bit, sword in front of him, eyes straight ahead. He waited for her to make a move, prepared to strike again.

Health Points: 109/109
Current State: Normal
Attack Used + Description: N/A

AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
Code by Serobliss
 
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  • "So, you're saying you could have been involved in some way, but you just don't remember?" Mateo thought to her. But it wasn't a thought that came with immediate malice or anger. There was none conveyed at all. "Well.. I don't think so. You don't seem like the sort to curse someone just for some light, completely innocent breaking and entering. This entire thing was born out of fear and hate and anger. We were created with those kind of emotions at the fore front, to create as much chaos as possible when we turn into the beasts, and though I'm sure you have them, it just doesn't seem like you. I hope one day I'll find out who it was, but I really don't think you had any direct involvement. Maybe it did have something to do with why you are the way you are now, but I'm positive you weren't the cause for everything that the curse snowballed into, even if you are the Goddess of Death."

    Mateo nodded at Rai's comments. "Especially if we dress him up as a Cabrera. It's not my favorite idea, but maybe we can buy some armor in town and add it into the costume, so he at least has some protection against anything they throw at him."

    Cora purred lightly, rubbing his head against Mateo's. The boy reached up to give him a shaky scratch behind the ears. He knew Cora long enough to be able to translate the things he did while in bakeneko form, when he couldn't exactly speak. He was telling him it was ok, and to not worry about it so much. But he couldn't help worrying about his longest friend.

    Mateo turned his attention over to the samurai. He could sense the nervousness within Rai as thick as ice. He appreciated everything the samurai was doing for him, but Mateo was not about to let him make that sacrifice. This entire thing was already dangerous enough, and he wouldn't willingly sign off on his friends sacrificing themselves. Rai was a good fighter, but these people were good too, and outnumbered like that he doubted Rai would last long.

    "No, we're not leaving anyone behind. It's all of us, or none of us." He glanced over to Rai, a knowing look. "If it comes down to a fight with the rest, I don't want anyone getting cornered. None of us should be alone at any point during this. Between the rest of us, Rai and Skyla, you guys can back each other up. Me and Nikolai will work as fast as we can to get Emmerly out, and I can bring out the phoenix to give you guys some extra support. I'll use it as the signal. As soon as you see the phoenix shoot fire into the sky, that means we've got Emmerly, you run. No matter what, stop fighting, and go. We meet up at the hole in the wall, Rai, Skyla can show you if we get separated, make sure we have everyone, and then we make our way up the mountain. Ideally it won't come to a full-on fight, but if it does, and if they know what we're up to, that's the plan."

    "We don't have to take them down. It's all about buying enough time for us to get Emmerly out. That means, Cora, don't fight the one's that come after you. Just focus on stalling them, running away and doing whatever you have to to make sure they don't get you."     He turned to look at Skyla and Rai, "All you guys have to do is fight them off long enough for me and Nikolai to slip past and get Emmerly out. But only if they know."

    "I'll be up on the stand," Nikolai interjected, "So maybe I could try loosening the chains, or getting the key from Sebastian before everything goes down so it takes less time to get her out."

    "That's a good idea. But only if you see an opportunity and it doesn't seem too risky. We don't want you getting caught."

    Nikolai nodded. With the distraction set, it was time for their individual plans. "Right, contingencies." Mentally, he scanned through their list. The most important people to cover would be the leaders of Luminosa. They could work their way down from there. "For Sebastian, I say we minimalize our magic use on him. From what we know, the pauldron he wears is a magical deterrent," Nikolai nodded to this after Mateo gave a quick glance his way to confirm, "So emptying out all our spells on him isn't a good idea. We'll just be wasting time and resources."

    Something nagged at his mind. Turning to Nikolai, Mateo asked, "Wait, Nikolai, what did you say before? About Sebastian being sick."

    Nikolai clapped his hands over his mouth, a worried look on his face. A muffled sound came from behind his hands. "Um not suppost do dell anyone aboat tat." Taking his hands off his mouth, he continued, "It's supposed to be a secret. Sebastian would blow me off a cliff if he found out I told anyone."

    "Well, he's not gonna find out, because no one here would ever tell on you. Right?" He said, turning his gaze at everyone in attendance. Hopefully, none of this secret meeting would ever get back to Sebastian or anyone else. If it did, then the whole mission failed. "And, besides, after we rescue Emmerly, you won't ever see him again, I promise. I'll make sure of it." The boy let a shaky smile come to his face, a happy sight for Mateo. It seemed like Sebastian really scared the poor kid.

    "Really?"

    "Really."

    "Ok, well, Sebastian is sick. He and his dad always say it's because of spirits and the Cabrera's. They infected him and got him really sick. I've seen it, it's pretty bad. So, Ivan and his team at the church made a special elixir for him that he takes regularly to fight the sickness. It goes away when he takes the medicine."

    "And what happens if he doesn't take it?"

    "He gets really sick again. He can't do much while he's sick. He's all slow and his magic turns weird."

    Mateo looked around at everyone else before continuing, "And you know where it is? His medicine, I mean."

    "Yeah, in his study. Sebastian asks me to get it sometimes."

    "So, if you could get into it right before the festival, he won't have any the day of to drink, and his sickness could limit him if it came to a fight. Do you think you could do that? Get rid of his medicine before the festival?" Mateo hated putting such a high level of responsibility and danger onto Nikolai's shoulder, but he didn't see any better option for them. Nikolai provided them an advantage they couldn't afford to underutilize. For some reason, this little kid knew all the secrets of the Lucero's, and how to properly utilize those secrets against them. He was somehow close to Sebastian and the higher ups of the city. He could weasel his way in and make the escape a whole lot easier from his place on the inside.

    With a gleam in his eyes, Nikolai nodded.

    "Ok, hopefully, that's one down. Do we all agree?"
 
  • Mana & SkylaLocation: Secret Cabin
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
    Current Weather: Clear
    Current Time: August 28th, 1337.
    Skyla nodded, "So basically, you want make a quote-unquote preemptive strike against Sebastian?" She paused for a minute, "Since we've got no other plans... I'm in agreement."

    Skyla crossed her arms, "Personally, I don't think we have to worry too much about Albert. That being said, our only option is to just fight him head on if it comes down to it. As it is, we know nothing of the man so it seems he keeps his well kept secrets well guarded. All we know is that he especially effective at hunting Darkness users. Like I said earlier though, his mercenary nature may come into our advantage if we play our cards right." Skyla looked to be deep in thought as she said this.

    Mana looked up at Skyla and poked her cheek then remembered, "Ooh! Mana has an idea! I think I should go with Nikolai! Mana is a Demon and has an incredibly strong sense of smell. I could smell someone coming before they find us!" Mana looked at Nikolai, "Just like how Mana smelled two scents on you when we first met!" Mana realized that she hasn't actually told anyone about that, "Oh... you actually wouldn't have known that... but... Mana isn't lying, she does have an incredible sense of smell! So... let Mana go with Nikolai to keep him out of danger before it even comes!" Mana pleaded with the group.
 
Mood: Neutral
Rai Ikari
Thunderous Hunter
Nikolai's Family Cabin

After Skyla, Rai agreed with Mateo and Nikolai's notion to steal Sebastian's medicine, which would render him much weaker due to his sickness. "Sounds effective to me, be careful though."

Before anyone else could get another word out, Mana decided to throw herself into the conversation. In her squeaky little voice, she proposed the idea for her to join Nikolai in stealing the medicine. She apparently had an "incredibly strong sense of smell" that would be able to help them detect when danger was nearby.

Though it would be a good idea, Rai wasn't too sure about it.

"Eh...." began Rai. "I hope you're not telling tall tales, Mana. This is some serious grown folk busine-" He glanced at Mateo and Nikolai. "This is some serious stuff we're dealing with here. No time for games, okay?"

Rai continued, "Plus, it could be dangerous for you. People don't know you around here." he looked at Nikolai. "And I think Nikolai's got it covered, don't you think? He's gone to get it before, so maybe people won't give it a second glance if they see him. What do you think, Niko? Need an extra pair of eyes--er,---extra pair of noses? Or...nostrils...sniffs? How do I even say-, You-you get what I'm saying."


Kumii Kumii
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Neutral
Castro Smith
Blue-Eyed Bandit
Unknown Valleys

Aleph was able to clear the stones all by himself, which made Castro proud for a reason he didn't know. Not that he doubted that he could do it in the first place. Maybe it's because he didn't get the arm wet. I hope that thing's waterproof...

Now it was his turn. Castro gave Aleph a thumbs up and took his satchel off, then threw it as hard as he could across the lake, just barely landing it on the bank. After, he followed behind the boy, leaping from stone to stone carefully. He had to hold his hand to his face several times to stop his glasses from falling off from the movement, but in the end, it didn't matter, because, unlike Aleph, Castro didn't realize that the third stone was jagged.

His clumsy footing betrayed him as he stepped on the slick, moss-covered stone. His arms flailed wildly, but it was no use. With a comical yelp, he tumbled into the frigid water below, his leg meeting the sharp edge of the stone with a loud scrape. And boy, was river cold -- no, freezing. The instant he made impact with the water, Castro got a taste of how it felt when he used ice magic on others, then swam back up quickly.

”Son of a bitch! Slippery...fucking piece of shit!"

Castro emerged from the water with a string of curses on his lips. He gasped and sputtered for air, his blonde hair plastered to his forehead and his body shivering uncontrollably. He felt the icy river seeping through his soaked clothing, making him regret not taking off his jacket before attempting to cross.

Frantically retrieving his glasses from the water, Castro fumbled to put them back on before wading over to Aleph. He positioned himself in front of the boy, making sure his back was turned towards him. The poor guy couldn't even bear to look at Aleph after the embarrassing "slip" up. In the dim light, you could see his face turn a shade of red that would make a tomato jealous. He continued to grumble to himself, muttering even more words of frustration.

Castro grunted slightly as Aleph got onto his back, and then began to wade through the water, heading to the edge of the bank. And it didn't take him long to get there. The cold was motivating. Castro had never swam so fast in his life, even with extra weight on him.

Once they reached the shore, Castro gently helped Aleph off his back and onto the bank. He let out a shuddering breath as he pulled himself out of the water, his soaked coat heavy and clinging to his body. With trembling hands, he twisted the fabric to squeeze out as much water as possible before putting it back on. Next, he carefully dried off his glasses and squinted at the path ahead. A steep, rocky hill loomed in front of them, and Castro grimaced at the thought of climbing after their swim. Sighing, he resigned himself to the task at hand. Swimming was one thing, but now they had to navigate a difficult ascent. Just great.

But they'd come too far now to turn back. After all, it'd be a pain in the ass to go back through that river. So, slung his satchel across his shoulder. Then, tapping Aleph on the back, he began to make his way down the path, still shivering a bit.

They climbed the rocky hill, struggling against gravity and fatigue. The rocks were treacherous with moisture, but Castro led the way as they pushed on towards the summit. The valley below was bathed in twilight as they finally reached the peak after what felt like an eternity.
AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf



Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

As Kumii approached Domori, the archer got straight to the point.

"Kumii!" Domori frantically called out, trying to control himself as he floated. "Everyone...started turning...once you let out that sound, wh-whoa!" Domori did an unintentionally flip forward in the air, but then recentered himself, flailing his arms around. "Was...that...you?"


Heath's lips curled into a smug smirk as he watched the Death Knight's tense reaction to his taunting words. He had successfully goaded him into staying, instead of fleeing like before. But just as Heath was about to continue provoking the knight, the battle commenced. The puppet controlled by the Death Knight lunged at Heath with a swift upwards slash, but Heath agilely evaded it. In retaliation, the puppet conjured a cone of ice and hurled it towards Heath, who deftly caught it in his hands. With a satisfying crunch, he crushed the ice and released a frosty mist into the air.

She’s quick, but predictable. And he’s showing no signs of attacking for himself. She must be to wear me down. She’s not worth it. Heath thought.

Heath spun past Julianna, his feet pounding against the hard ground as he charged towards the looming figure of the Death Knight. As he closed the distance between them, Heath threw out a series of light, probing kicks and punches, trying to get a sense of the knight's fighting style and baiting him into an attack. It was his first time facing this formidable opponent, and he knew he needed to be cautious and strategic.

Health Points: 228/228
Current State: Normal
Attack Used + Description: Flurry (Failed)


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss



Mood: Tired
Kaius Adamson
The Conceited Genius
Kaius Adamson's Residence
Kaius is asleep.
Code by Serobliss


Mood: Fearful and Determined
Lloyd Bolton
The Wannabe Knight
Unknown Alleyways, Ironshire
In the span of a second, the spirit slayer was in front of Lloyd, then to his side. She swung her blade at his side --yes, she actually attacked him-- slashing into the side of his armor, just barely cutting through it. Lloyd could feel the tip of her blade graze his skin, and the moment it did, he stumbled backward to get away from her. She was really --no-- she was insanely fast. Or at least, to Lloyd she was. He'd seen his share of fights in his life, and never had he seen someone move so swiftly. The fight had just begun, and she'd already cut him. He could feel a small bit of blood dripping down his side. Nothing serious, a scratch maybe, but it was just enough to sting.

Lloyd shook his head, trying to clear his mind off of what happened. There was no time to think. He had gotten himself into this, and he'd have to fight his way out.

So, Lloyd grit his teeth and squeezed the hilt of his wooden sword. Then, he charged forward in the same manner as she did, then swung two slashes at her. One horizontally, and the other diagonally.

Health Points: 106/109
Current State: Normal
Attack Used + Damage: Double Slash (5 damage)

AlphaBlueWolf AlphaBlueWolf
Code by Serobliss
 
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  • Sister Julianna of the North WindLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 2 (DoT effects apply now if your character has any)
    The Death Knight saw Heath spin around Julianna and prepared himself when he noticed Heath was heading straight for him. He luckily managed to parry each of Heath's flurry attacks then backstepping to put some distance between him and Heath, "Julianna, attack with your Sub-zero Slash, catch the King off guard!"

    Julianna's eyes flashed red momentarily as she closed the gap and her scythe began to glow blue with frost. She spun her scythe around and slammed the ground, causing an ice spike to erupt at Heath's location. Julianna used her remaining movement to circle to Heath's front, putting herself between him and the Death Knight, "Thou wont get past me again!"

    Sister Julianna of the North Wind

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Sister Julianna's Statuses
    I am thy Weapon: Sister Julianna gains +1 hit when told a command by the Death Knight. This modifier is applied to Julianna's next attack. If the Death Knight performs this command, it uses up his action for his turn.
    Sister Julianna's Current Target & Attack
    Sub-zero Slash (Hit, 3 ice damage dealt)
    Target: Heath
    Actions: None left
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Action Used to give Julianna a command, activating her battle Passive.
    Actions: None left

 
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Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

"Well, is there any way we can-"

Domori's body lurched forward as Kumii suddenly pushed him aside, their bodies floating weightlessly in the zero-gravity environment. His arms flailed instinctively, but he couldn't find any foothold against the lack of gravity.

As he regained his balance, he saw that Kumii had just saved him from a powerful strike from Mei, their bodies locked in a fierce exchange of strength. He struggled to break free at first, but ultimately, Kumii emerged victorious, sending Mei hurtling towards a nearby pillar with a thunderous crash. The force of the impact reverberated through the air and Domori could feel his heart pounding with adrenaline as he watched the intense battle unfold before him.

With a swift stroke, Domori sliced through the air and propelled himself back to Kumii's side, who was speaking to Mei.

"Kumii, we need you! Is there any way to undo the trance?" As he spoke, Domori unsheathed his bow and notched an arrow, ready to face Mei. "We need your people on our side again." He glanced nervously towards the Death Knight, knowing that they needed Kumii's warriors on their side if they stood any chance of survival.


Amidst the chaos, there was a new presence on the battlefield: a woman dressed as a nun, standing just a few feet away from the knight. Above them all hovered Heath, preparing to launch his attack.



Heath's chest heaved as he inhaled a deep breath, his muscles coiled and ready to strike. He spun with all his might, descending towards Julianna like a graceful yet deadly whirlwind. Bits of blood splattered through the air, evidence of her previous attack. She had managed to scrape his arm with a spike of ice just before, drawing a thin streak of crimson but nothing more.

"So be it," thought the king, "if she won't let me reach him without a fight..."

The moment Heath reached Julianna, he completed his final spin suddenly and gracefully, then shot his leg outward, sending her a powerful and fast kick in her direction.

"Then that is precisely what she will get."

Health Points: 225/228
Current State: Normal
Attack Used + Description: Cyclone Kick (Landed for 7 crushing damage)


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss



Mood: Scared and Desperate
Kuragiri Shiro
The Smothering Flame
The Seiryoku Empire

[15 feet below the battlefield…]

Underneath the raging storm of battle, a dark and forgotten cellar lay still and silent. Its only source of light was a single dwindling candle, casting long shadows against the damp stone walls. The air was thick with dust and the stench of decay, an eerie contrast to the cacophony of war raging above.

The flickering flame made a soft sizzling noise, the only audible reminder that this was not a forgotten chamber of the dead. It danced and swayed, casting shifting shadows that seemed to reach out towards the lone figure against the wall.

A boy with fiery red hair stood with his head dangling as he was shackled by chains, his body contorted in pain. Just then, another deafening boom echoed above him, causing him to gasp for air and snap his eyes open. He struggled against the restraints, his chest rising and falling in desperate breaths. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he fought against the intense agony coursing through his body.

“What the fuck?” sputtered Kuragiri as he felt his chains rattle again from the force of the battling. Gradually, he took in his surroundings, remembering where he was, and why. But nothing seemed to click. The last thing he remembered was a little girl, fighting Castro and his new friend, and then…

“Oh, fuck!” Kuragiri's mind buzzed with frustration as he was suddenly hit with a wave of memories. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was Kaminari's arrival. And now, as he looked around the familiar surroundings, he knew that his worst fear had come true - he was once again in the place he dreaded above all else.

The Seiryoku Empire.

“Castro!” he yelled out, his voice cracking with desperation. “Someone! Maki! Castro!” he bit his quivering bottom lip. “R-R-Rori! Anyone! Please!”

His eyes welled up with tears, the flickering candlelight casting shadows across his face. He fought against his restraints, desperate for freedom but also afraid of what would come next. He couldn't help but let out a choked sob, torn between wanting to break free and accepting his fate.

“Please…”

(Genuinely forgot about Kuragiri and his storyline with the empire, so I gotta pick that back up steadily)
Code by Serobliss
 
  • Sister Julianna of the North WindLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 3 (DoT effects apply now if your character has any)
    The Death Knight stood back and gave yet another command to Julianna, showing no concern for the fact Heath managed to land a hit on her.

    Julianna recoiled when Heath managed kick her and faked a roll, however, she used this to mask the magic she gathered in her hand which she motioned upwards, sending out a cone of icy spikes that extended 6 feet in front of her causing spikes made of ice to jut forward before shattering after a second. When she was finished, she spun her scythe around as it began to glow faintly with an icy blue hue.

    Sister Julianna of the North Wind

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Sister Julianna's Statuses
    I am thy Weapon: Sister Julianna gains +1 hit when told a command by the Death Knight. This modifier is applied to Julianna's next attack. If the Death Knight performs this command, it uses up his action for his turn.
    Sister Julianna's Current Target & Attack
    Rolling Ice (hit, 7 ice damage)
    Target: Heath
    Actions: None left
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Action Used to give Julianna a command, activating her battle Passive.
    Actions: None left

 
Last edited:
Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Domori let out a sigh of relief as he watch Kumii bring Mei back to her senses. Her wings and claws disappeared and she looked like the Mei he knew before. However, it seemed that being under Kumii's influence took a toll on her well-being, and she began to fall. Domori was just about to shoot another Tremble arrow her way to stop her from falling, but before he could do so, Kumii caught her in the blink of an eye.

Domori swam through the air over to where they were to check on Mei, but by the time he reached them, she was gone. Domori looked around cluelessly.

But before he could ask where she went, Kumii answered Domori's previous question, letting him know that he can probably reverse the effects he caused. And just like that, he did. Kumii let out a fearsome roar once more and the demons who were once again them snapped out of their trance and fought on their side again.

It didn't work on all of them, however. A few had turned feral and came their way. When Kumii proposed they get rid of them, Domori cocked an eyebrow.

"Killing your own kind?" he asked while nocking an arrow. "Just like humans do. You demons aren't so different from us after all."

Then, landing next to Kumii, Domori pointed his bow at one of the demons.

"This should be easy work. Let us remove these ones and then work toward getting your sister back."

Then, Domori shot a plethora of arrows from his quiver at high speeds at larger of the two ferals in front of them.

Health Points: 118/118
Statuses: Demon King's Presence (Advantage!)
Target: Feral #2
Attack Used + Description: Quick Draw (Landed for 8 damage)


Meanwhile, Heath landed his kick on Julianna, then landed swiftly, his hair flowing behind him.

Amidst the chaos, there was a new presence on the battlefield: a woman dressed as a nun, standing just a few feet away from the knight. Above them all hovered Heath, preparing to launch his attack. He prepared to do a double handed slam onto her, but she tricked him with a fake roll, catching him in a vulnerable position.

She wasted no time to send out another attack at Heath. A cone of ice flew upward from her hands and then sent little spikes all around. Heath put his arm up to block the projectiles, causing some to pierce into his forearm. And then, the cone exploded, doing a bit of additional damage. The mist from it got into his eyes, making his vision a little blurry, but he pushed forward.

Going to retaliate, Heath rushed at Julianna once more, but due to the ice clouding his eyes, his accuracy was way off as he threw a kick her way.




Health Points: 218/228
Current State: Normal
Attack Used + Description: Flurry (Failed)


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss
 
Last edited:
  • Sister Julianna of the North WindLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 4 (DoT effects apply now if your character has any)
    Maybe it was the obvious blue hue from Julianna's scythe but it was a clear indicator that she was preparing her Hoarfrost Slash attack. It gave Heath plenty of time to react to it.

    Regardless, she put some distance between him and herself after the attack was finished and waited Heath's next move. The Death Knight groaned in disappointment, "Come on, you useless puppet, do better!" He berated Julianna as he slammed the butt of his scythe against the ground. Julianna flinched slightly but maintained her battle ready stance.

    Sister Julianna of the North Wind

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Sister Julianna's Statuses
    I am thy Weapon: Sister Julianna gains +1 hit when told a command by the Death Knight. This modifier is applied to Julianna's next attack. If the Death Knight performs this command, it uses up his action for his turn.
    Sister Julianna's Current Target & Attack
    Hoarfrost Slash (Miss)
    Target: Heath
    Actions: None left
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Action Used to give Julianna a command, activating her battle Passive.
    Actions: None left

 
Last edited:
Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Domori's plethora of arrows hit their mark, striking the large feral right in the shoulder repeatedly. However, it wasn't enough to keep it from charging forward. It stormed toward him with a vicious expression as Domori nocked another arrow. But just as he prepared to release it, the feral stormed right past him and crashed face first into a pillar, making a dent in it.

"What the..." Domori murmured in Japanese. It seemed that this was a bit less coordinated than all the others. Domori drew back his drawstring as he prepared to shoot the uncoordinated feral, but before he could, he was met with a sharp slash across his shoulder. He winced in pain for a moment but wasted no time to roll out of distance of his aggressor.

The feral that had been behind then got the jump on him.

Domori quickly drew back his drawstring again and shot another flurry of arrows, this time toward the feral that hit him.

Health Points: 111/118
Statuses: Demon King's Presence (Advantage!)
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Feral #3
Attack Used + Description: Quick Draw (Landed for 2 damage)


Heath blinked hard, getting the ice bits out of his eyes. When he was able to see clearly again, he watched as Julianna prepared to strike him once more, her scythe taking on a familiar color as she prepared to strike.

She's going to do that slash again. Thought Heath, remembering it from before.

Once more, Heath dodged the slash and cone, then closed the distance between himself and the puppet. As soon as he got right in front of her, he shot his leg downward, knocking her off her feet and into the air. Then, he raised his leg high and slammed it onto her chest, sending her crashing into the ground.




Health Points: 218/228
Current State: Normal
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Julianna
Attack Used + Description: Heel Slam (Landed for 7 damage)


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss
 
Last edited:
  • Sister Julianna of the North WindLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 5 (DoT effects apply now if your character has any)
    The attack left her wide open, Heath took advantage of that. The kick did indeed knock her to the ground. She quickly recovered though and followed up with a spinning downward slash, her Sub-zero Slash. It wasn't as powerful as it was before as she had just recovered from Heath's kick which did more damage then she expected.

    Meanwhile, the Death Knight was getting increasingly disappointed with Julianna's performance and Julianna could feel this.

    Sister Julianna of the North Wind

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Sister Julianna's Statuses
    I am thy Weapon: Sister Julianna gains +1 hit when told a command by the Death Knight. This modifier is applied to Julianna's next attack. If the Death Knight performs this command, it uses up his action for his turn.
    Sister Julianna's Current Target & Attack
    Sub-zero Slash (Hit, 2 ice damage)
    Target: Heath
    Actions: None left
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Action Used to give Julianna a command, activating her battle Passive.
    Actions: None left

 
Last edited:
Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Domori's eyes widened as he watch Kumii effortless dodged the attacks of all three ferals, who had all charged at him. They all missed their claw slashes and fell short of success.

Then, Kumii charged in for his own attack. But...that didn't go so well.

He charged forward at one of the ferals with insane speed, but it dodged out of the way just in time, causing him to crash into a pillar. The same pillar the other feral had hit before.

"Kumii!" Domori called out, nocking another arrow. "You alright?"

Then, he drew his drawstring back until the nock touched his cheek and shot another cluster of light arrows toward the third feral.

Health Points: 111/118
Statuses: Demon King's Presence (Advantage!)
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Feral #3
Attack Used + Description: Quick Draw (Failed)


Heath had no reaction as Julianna's blade made a small cut on his leg, making a small slit in his pants. He quickly leapt back to avoid a follow up attack from her, sliding backward slightly as he landed.

"She's at least keeping up." He thought to himself before charging forward again and throwing a right hook.




Health Points: 216/228
Current State: Normal
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Julianna
Attack Used + Description: Flurry (Failed)


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss
 
  • Sister Julianna of the North WindLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 6 (DoT effects apply now if your character has any)

    Julianna went for a slash from her scythe, but the attack was incredibly sluggish.

    The Death Knight was getting visibly more upset at the constant failures that Julianna was having. It seemed that just a couple more failures might force the man to take action.
    Sister Julianna of the North Wind

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Sister Julianna's Statuses
    I am thy Weapon: Sister Julianna gains +1 hit when told a command by the Death Knight. This modifier is applied to Julianna's next attack. If the Death Knight performs this command, it uses up his action for his turn.
    Sister Julianna's Current Target & Attack
    Sub-zero Slash (Hit, 2 ice damage)
    Target: Heath
    Actions: None left
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Action Used to give Julianna a command, activating her battle Passive.
    Actions: None left

 
Last edited:
Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Domori swiftly pushed his bow into the feral as it charged toward him, keeping it back a bit. For a couple of moments, the two of them were in an exchange of strength, the feral attempting to get close and Domori working to keep it away. Then finally, Domori was able to push it back with a kick, but the feral was able to strike him in his forehead in the process.

Domori backed up and felt where he was struck at. When he brought his hand back down, there was blood on his fingers. A small gash was on his forehead.

"Shit, that hurt..." Domori murmured, narrowing his eyes at the feral that hit him.

Then, he prepared another arrow, focusing for a moment before releasing it, aiming toward the feral's chest. Then, he charged forward and closed the gap between them. Domori raised his bow itself high into the air and then swung it down at the feral's face.

Health Points: 105/118
Statuses: Demon King's Presence (Advantage!)
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Feral #1
Attack Used + Description: Pierce and Bash (Landed for 9 total damage)

Once again, Heath took a small slash, but didn't acknowledge it as he immediately went to retaliate. He threw a strong, but slow uppercut at her chin.




Health Points: 214/228
Current State: Normal
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Julianna
Attack Used + Description: Flurry (Failed)


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss
 
  • The Death Knight vs. HeathLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 1
    !! New Combat Start !!

    Julianna leaned out of the way of Heath's punch and went to retaliate but before she could, the Death Knight stepped in and whisked her away with his little portal trick, "If you need something done, then you gotta do it yourself."

    The Death Knight readied his scythe, "It's you and me, King. Out of courtesy, i'll give you the first strike."

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Attack: Stand-by
    Actions: 1

 
Last edited:
Mood: Angered and Alert
Heath Mazaki
The Unbreakable King
The Seiryoku Empire
View attachment 1082570
1680664539774-png.1078772

Domori was once again caught with another claw strike by one of the ferals, getting cut along his back. He rolled out of the way straight afterward and nocked another arrow, getting prepared to counterattack.

As he turned to face the demon, a sudden explosion of crimson liquid splattered all over him in a gruesome display. The sticky substance soaked into his traditional kimono, staining it with the sickening scent of iron. With a deafening squelch, the archer's ears were assaulted by the sound of flesh and bone being torn apart.

Frozen in shock and disbelief, Domori stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the gruesome sight before him. The once menacing demon now lay prone on the floor, its twisted form surrounded by a growing pool of dark blood. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, mixing with the coppery scent of spilled viscera.

"W-Whoa..." sputtered Domori. He wiped some blood off his face with his sleeve and then shook his head, recollecting his thoughts. "One down."

Domori turned to the first feral once more and shot a concentrated light arrow into its leg, making it drop down. Then, he charged in and slammed its face with his bow.

Health Points: 98/118
Statuses: Demon King's Presence (Advantage!)
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: Feral #1
Attack Used + Description: Pierce and Bash (Landed for 7 total damage)

Heath dodged another attack from Julianna, beginning to get a feel of her fighting style. But just as he was getting accustomed to it, the Death Knight decided that he was tired of see her fail. With that, he sent her away with a portal and stepped up to battle.

"I was just getting started," the king bellowed with a smirk. "but I suppose this will suffice."

As the Death Knight offered him the first hit, Heath scoffed.

"Courtesy. How kind of you." he said.

As the king stood at the ready, his muscles tense and coiled like springs, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A surge of energy coursed through his body, causing the veins in his arms, neck, and legs to bulge with newfound strength. He felt as light as air yet powerful as a lion. With a renewed vigor, he assumed a taekwondo stance, prepared for whatever battle may come his way. The wind seemed to pick up, carrying the scent of earth and determination on its breeze. This was his technique being activated, Kuzureru.

"No, I think I'll decline that offer, thank you."



Health Points: 214/228
Status and Effects: Kuzureru (+1 to hit rolls)
Slots: 4/5 Remaining
Target: N/A
Attack Used + Description: N/A


Kumii Kumii







Code by Serobliss
 
  • The Death Knight vs. HeathLocation: Corridor, Seiryoku Empire
    Interactions: SharkBark SharkBark
    Current Time: August 29th, 1337.
    Current Turn: 2
    Death Knight gripped his scythe a bit tighter as it began to light up with a blackflame, "You should've gone first." After a second, he diagonally slashed upwards at Heath, unleashing the blackflame in a wide arc, mainly though, the weapon is what deals the damage. The Blackflame lingers on Heath and saps his strength as well as setting burning him

    Lutherd Eversteele, Avatar of Death

    Boss BGM

    Enjoy the Unique Boss BGM for this fight ;p
    Death Knight's Statuses
    None at the moment
    Death Knight's Current Target & Attack
    Attack: Godslayer's Blackflame (Hit. 10 fire damage. Heath failed his saving throw and takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of his turn for 3 turns as well as having his strength cut in half for 5 turns.
    Target: Heath

 
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