A City Betwixt

[ArmoredScout]

Carl listened to their introductions, noting the silence of the dark haired youth, before nodding at each of them politely, forcing a thin lipped smile.

"I am Carl Righenbald, marksman of the Arm of Bolesh. Er..." He paused for a second, adjusting the chain coif he had pulled back, "I suppose that would be former marksman,". He looked out over the wall, taking a few steps toward it and leaning on it with one arm, looking the lot over with a little more scrutiny. "It's a shame that none of my compatriots seem to have shown up. It could be that they're still lost out there in the fields or-" His breath hitched in his chest, and a short spasm ran up his back, leaving him shivering and releasing a solid set of hacking coughs. When it had subsided, he continued, "- Or maybe they moved on without being subjected to this place. I sincerely hope for their sakes it was the latter." He took a second to regain his composure, adjusting the sleeves of his mail and fiddling with his belt, before idly continuing the vain search for a light for his cigarette. He didn't yet want to bother these folks for a match, for he wasn't entirely sure his company trusted him enough to come within arms reach.

"So, when I entered, I heard preaching from a hooded monk about death, demons, and redemption. I could probably guess my way to the correct answer, but would any of you more knowledgeable folken care to share any further details?"

 

[DrowsyPangolin]

Domino shook his head at Vivian's apology, his demeanor back to it's normal self. "Nothing to be sorry for." He grinned when Alana noticed the smoke. "Thanks, I hadn't either, until I got here. Maybe it'll come in handy later." He brought his gaze forward as Alana began speaking with the guards. He kept quiet, for once, looking over the two men. They were much taller than the average human, and wore armor of what seemed to be gold, engraved with a host of runes and symbols. They each held a halberd of about nine feet in length. Straight swords hung at their waists, and great helms eclipsed their faces from view. After Alana spoke, one of them replied in a low, stately voice. "Yes, this is where you are to come. I apologize, but you will have to wait until the bell rings. The preparations for the hunt have not yet been m-" The man was cut off as the gate between himself and his compatriot creaked open. Out from the open entry way stepped another armored figure, shorter than the other two, and slighter in build. A feminine voice cut through the air. "Nonsense, they are welcome to come in." THe figure, now clearly defined as a woman, turned towards the party.


"Greetings to you all. I am Miranda Armis, chief representative of the Archangel Argyle and the Captain of his guard. I personally welcome you to Lambrecht, and thank you for your... punctuality." Domino looked over the woman as she spoke. Her face was covered by the vizor of her helmet, making it impossible to determine her physical appearance. Externally, however, it was easy to tell she was of a higher rank than her counterparts. A crimson cloak hung from her shoulders, and her armor had a significant amount of detail. A saber hung at her side, and a rather sizable shield was attached to her back. Her position as captain seemed believable enough to the young assassin. She motioned towards the open door. "If you all would come with me, I will answer any questions you may have."

 

[ravenDivinity]

Elias remained still and looked at his company, whom he expected to have an answer for Carl. A neutral expression graced his relaxed face as he watched the man go into a coughing fit, no doubt from an illness brought by what appeared to be a nicotine addiction. Graeff's index finger twitched at his side almost ready to interject as his mind fought between speaking and silence, twisting him into anxious knots, and he shoved his quaking hands into his pockets. His vices got the better of him, and Elias reduced himself to reticence. Brown eyes wandered to a gathering in the streets while attentive ears lent themselves to the conversation next him.

 

[Razilin]

Ebayan's mind was whirling through possibilities and potentialities as he, Domino, Alana, and Vivian followed Miranda Armis into the monolith. Vivian's comments about war, Alana's discomfiture about her death, Domino's revelation for his new ability - each of these were pieces in a puzzle that Ebayan was beginning to put together into a bigger picture. His memories seemed to be stitching themselves together the more he thought about it. Taking scraps of information and creating a tapestry from them was something he had done a lot in life, it would seem. It felt like riding a bike after using a car for years - one never really forgot how.

Vivian will be useful in a supporting role with her prior experience in the rear-guard; Alana's eagerness for battle suggests she has more than her share of frontline experience - even if I don't know her full capabilities, just having the confidence and coolheadedness of a veteran means she will be more of an asset than a hindrance. Stoss certainly has the bravado as well as the close combat abilities to back it up, it would seem. Smoke manipulation will be an asset in crowd control if our hunts get out of control....

Memories continued to interlace. He had coordinated allies during the Battle of Boston many years ago to defeat a significantly more dangerous force using a disparate team of magic-users. There were two engagements in South Africa against a shapeshifting warlord and his army, in which he led a pair of mercenaries and another shapeshifter to victory using only positioning and smart placement of demolitions. Other battles flitted through his memory, reinforcing the notion that in life Ebayan was all too familiar with taking superpowered and mundane individuals and turning them to a deadly fighting force. He had calm, assured confidence that he could repeat the same feat with his present companions as well.

But for the fights to come, he would need a few questions answered.

"Captain Armis," Ebayan began, "Tell me about these demons. Do they still retain their skills and powers from when they were human? Are they sentient? How many are in a given area and which combat zones are we most likely to engage them in? Furthermore, these potential combat zones - are they urban, forested, flatlands? Finally, what equipment can we procure before setting out on these hunts?"

 

[Sightles]

Evident that the man had no interest in shaking his hand, Rhys retracted his out stretched hand, returning it to under his cloak, "Nice to meet you, Carl." Rhys replied to the man's introduction. Rhys seemed to be completely unphased by the unnatural lack hacking and coughing the man was doing. It was blatantly obvious that this disease was the disease that killed the man back in the living world, "Some higher power has deemed that we need some sort of redemption, and has brought us to be the foot soldiers in his war. Our reward is that we will be allowed to pass on into the afterlife." Rhys replied, with a hint of dislike on his voice. Rhys had been used as a solider most of his life, but he chose that life. He did not choose to die, and be subjected to fight against demons. Despite this extreme disliking of his current situation, Rhys would do whatever would need to be done. Rhys had no desire to sit out here in this limbo, not while he still had his sword.

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Alana frowned as the guards started to turn her away -- she didn't have time to wait around, damn it! -- but thankfully, another guard, this one female judging by the sound of her voice, stepped out from beyond the palace gate and welcomed them inside. Alana nodded in thanks. The armored woman introduced herself and offered the opportunity to ask questions, which Sam seized first. Alana had to admit, he clearly had more experience leading than she did. Alana usually fought alone or with a small handful of allies -- perhaps "guides" was a better word, with how much of the combat she did -- and it was rare that she took the environment into account to the same extent that Sam seemed to. Most of her strategy usually boiled down to "get up close and start wailing on them; use magic if that proves impossible."

 

[DrowsyPangolin]

Miranda led the group down a long hallway, her armored boots clanking ever so slightly on the white granite floor. A number of paintings lined the walls, depicting scenes of angels and otherworldly creatures. The Captain remained silent, listening as Sam posed his questions. Eventually, they came to a large red door at the end of the hallway, and Miranda turned on a heel to face them. "Good questions. Firstly, yes, demons do maintain their abilities from their time as humans. In fact, most of time their skills are intensified. Second, they usually maintain at least a shred of sentience. The transformation affects different individuals in different ways, however. Some completely lose their humanity, and become little more than savage beasts. Others maintain the abilities of speech and some deduction, but still are clouded by their insanity. The strongest demons maintain their intellects, making them even more dangerous. As for environments, demons tend to wander a great deal, so they could end up in a variety of environments. I can give you information on what that environment will be for a particular demon, but outside of that, there's little that ties them together." The Captain turned the knob on the door that stood before her, opening it slowly. The room on the interior was wide and circular, and the black floor seemed to be polished to a mirror-like consistency. A tall arch of white stone stood in the center of the room.


Miranda motioned to the room. "Welcome to the Gate. From here you can be transported to whatever realm you need. This will be the starting point for your hunts." She strolled into the room. "Oh, about your last question." The Captain opened a large chest covered in bright red leather. Inside were a number of different weapons. Swords, knives, axes, polearms, even a few bows and crossbows. "You're welcome to use anything in this box." She looked towards them. "When you've made your preparations, I will brief you on the details of the demon you will be hunting today."


Domino followed the group down the hallway, listening as Sam asked this captain a host of questions. He nodded along. It seemed Sam really did have some skill in leadership. He found himself looking at the paintings they passed on the way down the hallway. The paintings seemed to grow darker and more grotesque the farther down they went, with the demons depicted growing more and more gruesome the closer they got to the end of the hallway. He wondered briefly if they were supposed to be noticing this fact, and if so, what the purpose was. Were they supposed to be afraid? He smiled to himself.


Annabel nodded towards Carl. "Yes, it's nice to meet you Carl." She frowned a bit as Carl started coughing. It was a shame that he had come back with whatever awful condition had killed him. So many details about this place seemed overly cruel. It also seemed that whatever compatriots Carl had been looking for had gone somewhere else. She couldn't help but agree with him that it was probably in their best interest that they had avoided this fate. The man seemed to be seeking a way to light his cigarette. The former executioner, unfortunately, had not been sent over with any matches. Rhys began speaking about their fate here. She just nodded along as he spoke. "Yes, it seems we're supposed to slay these demons to purify our souls." She frowned again. She had thought death would be the end of her career as an executioner. Unfortunately, that did not seem like the case. "I was told they would ring a bell when they wanted us to come to that Monolith." She motioned towards the tower in the center of the city.

 

[Razilin]

Ebayan stepped to the chest, scanning the various implements within. With the surety that came from long familiarity - a familiarity rapidly returning as memories threaded themselves together - he immediately selected a pair of long knives, a broad leather belt to sheathe them in, and a pair of short, broad-bladed swords with minimal crossguard profiles.

Memory came to him, of learning to fight with hand, knife, stick, and machete under a dirty old man from a distant island nation who liked to make comments about attractive white women. He had tried Ebayan's patience on more than one occasion, but was nevertheless one of the finest martial artists on Ebayan's world.

Ebayan slipped the weapons into scabbards on the belt, flexing his left hand as much as he was able. He could not quite remember how his hand got mauled, but he remembered having to adapt his entire fighting style around it. It had taken him years to get even a fraction of function back and even longer to regain his original level of fighting skill. As strange as it was, a two-weapon style with a modified grip had been the key.

Ebayan grabbed a heavy leather breastplate and remarked to Armis, "I certainly hope whatever demon you're sending us against is vulnerable to cuts."

 

[Epsir]

Vivian followed the group inside, breezing past the imposing guardsmen. She held her silence as explanations were exchanged between the group and their new host, taking the time to appreciate the captain's hospitality. It would have been troublesome to be turned away, she didn't figure there was much to do in the afterlife. Contrary, starting this demon hunting business early was jumping into danger before she could even put her head on straight. As long as she could help, she told herself, and followed along. The decorations of the palace caught her eye quickly, and she watched the paintings more than where she was going as they walked on. The creatures shown were things she had no comparison for, although she assumed they were the inhabitants of this world. Some bore a familiarity, figures and archetypes that she knew were prevalent in religious iconography from the small shreds of her semantic knowledge remaining. As their subject matter darkened, she realized that the grotesque forms she looked upon were the demons they were charged with hunting. A visual depiction was, perhaps, more telling than the exposition the captain was giving and she was only half listening to. Some of them, but only some, seemed a touch more pitiful than repulsive to her. Was it worse to die, or be condemned to such an existence?

Then they were before the gate. The woman had said it would transport them anywhere they needed to go. The arch in the center of the room was what would be doing that, she assumed, but that was like something out of a fairy tale. Amazing, she thought, but the shock was diminished on account of the unending string of amazement her time in Lambrecht had been. She shuffled into the room last, watching her diffused reflection in the floor as she looked down. As Miranda finished answering Ebayan's questions, a glint caught in her eye and she looked up to see the open box of weapons. A warm feeling like nostalgia rushed over her, accompanied by relief. The implements of war, sinister as they were, had not changed in her death. Weapons and the people who used them colored nearly every memory she still had. More than even herself at the moment, she understood weaponry. If only the association came with any form of experience, she had no memory of ever using one herself.

Seeing Ebayan arm himself, she decided that it would be only polite to take something herself. It was a hospitality offered to them, and frankly, there was no point to her even coming along if she wasn't going to at least carry a weapon. Vivian adjusted her glasses, taking her time and hoping another person would approach the chest, but then strode forward towards the red leather container. She rummaged through the chest with her eyes, standing back and half looking, half hoping for something in the chest to call out to her. A lost memory of just perhaps five minutes of sword training, perhaps? That was asking too much, and nothing came to her. Eventually, she bent forward and plucked an axe from the chest. Its haft was about as long as her forearm, slender and gently curving. Its blade, bearded, formed a half crescent hanging off the front of the implement. It was light, something she felt comfortable lifting, and that was enough. Satisfied and done preparing, she stepped back into the group and slipped the hatchet into the belt of her dress. It sat uncomfortably over her right side, pressed against her lower ribs, but it worked. "I'm ready too," she said, and with her obligations complete her gaze and thoughts drifted back to the arch. It might have just been distancing herself from terror, but she couldn't wait to see how it worked.

 

[Razilin]

Ebayan joined Vivian by the Gate. The young woman seemed fascinated by the magical device. He dimly recalled working with a powerful sorceress in the past, so the concept of teleportation was not new to him. Something about it, though, troubled him...he just couldn't remember what.

Instead of dwelling on what he could not recall, he approached Vivian and said, "Feeling a little out of your element?" He had noticed her discomfiture throughout the briefing, one relieved only slightly after arming herself. "Its all right. Everyone feels overwhelmed after being put in a land not their own. Think about it like that: Even though we are dead, Lambrecht is just another land, one we are visiting. It may ease your transition here."

 

[Epsir]

Out of her element? Certainly. The idea that this was anyone's element was terrifying. She nodded her reply to Ebayan as he joined her at the gate. He made a fair point, their stay supposedly only transitory. If that was truly the case, they truly were just travelers passing through. It was no consolation but it was context, something to lend her purpose. She looked up to Sam, forcing a smile. "Thank you, it helps," she said, and settled back in to waiting. Thinking of herself and the others as travelers put her mind somewhere other than their task, at least. Care for their safety was one thing, but try as she might she couldn't bring herself to be worried for the others. Alana and Ebayan exuded experience, in the eyes of a scared girl lost in death they may as well have been invincible. Domino sat only slightly lower in her estimations, being a young looking sort, but his confidence spoke volumes that his ability more than likely backed up. The man was an assassin, even if his only proof was his own admission, he was believable. That one word was her knowledge of the man, the others hadn't said something so conclusive about their origins. Combat experience was the norm in their group, and that made her stick out. She supposed she had experienced combat, but only on the side of crushing defeat. Standing at the gate, she decided to finally get the better of a question that had been bothering her since she looked upon the paintings of the aberrations. "Do you think this is mercy killing? The demons, I mean... some of them seemed more... tortured, than demonic," she trailed off after half-making her point, unsure of the words to use. They all felt equally foreign to her as she spoke. She doubted Sam had the real answer there, but simple talk about the hunt was all she was searching for.

 

[Razilin]

Vivian's seemingly off the cuff question grabbed Ebayan's attention. He had not actually considered that possibility, but the more he thought about, the more it seemed a reasonable theory. If redemption was rejected, then there was still the hard mercy left.

"It could be," he admitted thoughtfully, stroking his gray beard, "but whether or not it is true, a good end is served. If it is a mercy, better to let these dammed souls find some peace. If it is not, then at least our souls may earn some measure of it."

He patted the newly-acquired weapons at his hip. "I cannot tell you every battle I have been in, not yet at any rate, but one thing I remember is why I fought. It was to save others in any way I could, no more or less. If that means giving the damned their peace, so be it."

He nodded to the portal. "We will be on our way soon," he murmured for Vivian's ear alone. He recognized her apprehension for the hunt ahead, the alien experience of a fight to the uninitiated. "Stay close to me, Vivian. Fear is never a sign of cowardice, just good sense. Stay close and I will protect you."

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Alana stared at the bold white archway with wonder in her eyes, though inside she felt a tinge of envy. It sure would've been nice to have something like this a long time ago, when she was traveling miles for her latest target! Or when you were stuck in the middle of the desert, some voice in the back of her head added unbidden. Alana quickly shut it up. At any rate, she could faintly remember hearing of the kind of spatial magic that this thing had to be packing, but as far as she knew she had never seen it in person. At the offer of additional equipment, Alana grinned, thanked the captain, and politely refused. "I've got more than enough right here," she said, pulling one of her spiked gloves tight, and then patting her chest with her fist, "and in here." And unless the environmental conditions ended up calling for it, she wouldn't be taking any armor yet either. Cocky? Of course. Dangerous? Perhaps. But Alana wanted to prove -- to herself just as much as the others -- that she was just as strong as she had always been.

Listening to Vivian and Sam talk gave her a strange sense of satisfaction at first, being one of the more experienced of the group, but it slowly shifted to sympathy. Alana couldn't deny that much of her motivation in life had been to be strong enough to take care of her loved ones, and to be a good role model for her daughter. Relief washed over her with the realization that she remembered that much, at least.

"If the demons are hurting people, then somebody's got to stop them," she offered. "They got themselves into the mess they're in." She flashed a smile at Vivian, one she hoped was encouraging. "Just trust your instincts. I'm sure you'll be fine."

 

[DrowsyPangolin]

Domino watched as Vivian and Sam gathered equipment from the chest. He briefly glanced over his options, but decided he was perfectly keen with using his own equipment. He ran his hand along the interior of his cloak. Everything seemed to be in order. For a brief moment his hand met the cold steel of his axe. Nothing to worry about. "Thanks for the offer, Captain, but I think I'll be just fine." He grinned as Alana seemed to come to the same conclusion. She seemed just as confident in her abilities as he was, if such self-assurance was possible. He took his place before the Gate, completing the quartet. Vivian seemed a bit worried, which he supposed was to be expected, still, he didn't like the idea of someone putting the rest of them in danger. He mulled over the different reasoning his companions had for hunting these demons. He chuckled to himself. "Perhaps you all are putting too much though into it. I find it's easier to kill something if you don't try to justify it. If we're somehow helping these damned things then good for them, if not, well, I guess that's just too bad." His snide voice seemed to come across as an arrogant jab into an otherwise thoughtful conversation. "Anyway, Captain, do tell us some more about what it is we're killing before you throw us in there with it."



Miranda had stood silent, waiting for everyone to make their preparations for speaking. She finally interjected when the party began discussing the reasoning behind hunting the demons. "I assure you, your cause here is just. As you rightly observed, Vivian, demons are tortured souls. They have strayed beyond any hope of redemption. You may look at your cleansing of these beings as a mercy-killing if you wish. Nonetheless, do not let such a thing cloud your judgement. Demons are extremely dangerous and must be dealt with decisively. Show no hesitation, because they will show you no such kindness." The Captain turned toward the Gate.


"Now, to begin your briefing on this particular mission. The demon you are hunting is known as Mavo. He once resided here, just as you do now. Unfortunately, he abandoned the path of redemption in the field, and thus became a demon. He has made a forest his domain. As far as his particular skills are concerned, he is quite competent in melee combat. He also has an ability that allows him to paralyze his foes through the use of his voice. I suggest you be particularly careful to avoid being stunned, as it will take only a moment for him to tear you apart if you happen to fall victim to his tricks." The Captain took a step forward. "We believe he is solitary in nature, so you should have the advantage of numbers, but watch yourselves." Miranda spoke with an official tone, her voice seemingly devoid of any inflection or conveyance of emotion. "If you do happen to 'die' in the field, your spirit will be pulled back through the gate. Ordinarily, a demon kills to feast upon a soul, but because you have been blessed by the Archangel through your residence here, you will be protected from such a fate... However, as you most certainly know, death is quite traumatic, and such a thing could very well darken the Clarity of your spirit. Thus, I suggest you remain careful." The Captain continued, "Upon death, a demon's spirit is freed from it's accursed body in the form of an Ethereal Remnant. When you have defeated Mavo, you will be swiftly returned through the Gate. I ask that you bring the Remnant back so that it may be purified by Our Lord Argyle."


The gold-clad Captain placed a gauntlet-covered hand on the white stone of the Gate. The archway sprung to life, with sparks flying about its center in a vibrant display of ethereal light. The sparks grew in intensity, filling the room with their pale radiance before eventually stabilizing into what appeared to be a wall of pale white light. "The Gate has been opened. Once you step through you will be transported to the forest where Mavo dwells. If you have any final questions or remarks before the hunt begins, I suggest you make them now. Otherwise, I wish you all the best of luck, and will await your swift return."

 

[Epsir]

Vivian nodded again at Sam. Standing next to someone fighting demons was hardly safe but something told her it was actually much safer than standing alone in the midst of a demon hunt As for the hunt itself, they were all in agreement. The rest of the group, for their own reasons, were perfectly sure of the hunt and why they hunted. Domino seemed the most detached from it, but even his callous arrogance was a sort of reassurance. Vivian smiled back at the group and their words of encouragement. For the promise of safety, she actually felt very safe with them around. The real fight would be keeping everyone safe. She had to do her best, as she now depended on them. They certainly made it easy to excel, far from the kind of people she associated with the phrase 'lost soul.' What was the phrase? Thick as thieves? Perhaps it was true that the supposed scum of the earth looked out for each other.

Before she could acknowledge her group's kindness, the hard reality of their situation was upon them. The thing they were hunting, laid bare by the captains words. The ability to freeze them where they stood, again, something out of a fairy tale. She would have been petrified standing there already if not for the high of confidence she was on. They could get over that if they stuck together, of course. Talking about the possibility of their death made her nervous, of course it did, but she didn't allow it to show. The gate came to life before them, casting the room in its eerie glow. The shadows within the room reversed, and their world suddenly seemed so bleak under the gray light. She didn't want to be the first one to rush through, but Alana's words came back to her. Trust your instincts. She had no memory to connect it to, but the phrase turned her stomach with simultaneous terror and delight. "I am set," she whispered, dismissing the opportunity for questions. It was the tiniest show of bravery, but it was hers. Moreover, it was what she wanted to do at that moment, but otherwise would have feared too much to dare. With a single, tentative step, she started towards the gate. Too far to turn back, she took one long stride through the open portal, into mystery.

 

[Razilin]

Ebayan walked through the portal, that same sense of foreboding returning. He still couldn't place it, but it continued to nag at him.

He emerged beside Vivian in a forested clearing, all dark shadows and eerie silence. No birds or insects made any sounds, the quiet oppressive and malign.

Behind him, the exiting Gate, mirroring the one in Lambrecht, hummed warningly.

"Shit," he grunted, memory returning.

The Gate was shutting down. Once Alana and Stross were through, he guessed it would deactivate until someone on the other side repaired it.

 

[ravenDivinity]

Elias felt unacknowledged in the exchange with the nicotine-addicted man; promptly, he relieved himself and left the group for the stairs to seek out the happenings in town. He thought perhaps something interesting would be proceeding there, and he saw fit to engage himself more with Lambrecht and the purpose that the deceased of Lambrecht were asked to fulfill. He waved his goodbyes to the group as he parted ways with whoever chose to remain. Graeff fixed his bangs with his hand, pushed his glasses up his nose, pulled down his shirt in the back, and wiped his shirt in the front. He shivered. The land of the dead wasn't mild nor hot nor cold, but, rather, Lambrecht fell on a temperature cold enough to chill and warm enough to not bite or burn, maybe a solid... 60 degrees Fahrenheit by Elias's guess. Either way, it wasn't particularly hospitable to a boy wearing a T-shirt and jeans and no jacket. If only he died with some outerwear.

 

[Sightles]

Rhys listened to the pair talk, and as Annabel brought up the ringing of bells, Rhys instinctively changed his gaze towards the monolith. As Annabel finished, Rhys turned his gaze back to Carl, "Well, it was nice to meet you, Carl. I hope you are able to find those that were in your unit." Rhys nodded to the young solider, before turning to face Annabel, giving her a nod, as if to signal that it was time for the pair to live the young man. Rhys noticed that the young Elias had fled conversation, without him knowing. Rhys had no idea in which point of the talking that Elias had left, but he had done so fairly silently. Rhys scanned around, looking for the young boy, but didn't find a single trace of him. Rhys knew it was foolhardy to look, as he had just said earlier that finding a single person in this place was a difficult challenge. Rhys waited for Annabel to finish any of her remarks or statements to Carl, before finally starting to walk away, and down the staircase that had led up to the outer wall.

 

[Moogle-Girl]

"One last question," Alana said as Vivian and Sam stepped through first. "How big is this thing? Human size, or bigger, or--"

She stopped at an angry hum suddenly filling the room. The light of the Gate wobbled and flickered, and in a moment of shock, Alana realized the humming noise was coming from the archway. Was it malfunctioning? Just great, the afterlife's chief method of getting the ghosts around was faulty! "Nevermind," she muttered. No time to waste; the thing could turn off completely at any moment. Hoping that she would arrive safely, she closed her eyes and stepped through the light.

The bright white gave way to dark green in an instant. The still-present hum of the Gate and Alana's own breathing were the only sounds that reached her ears; there wasn't even a breeze to rustle the leaves on the trees that surrounded her. Thankfully, the faces of Sam and Vivian greeted her next. "Talk about rotten luck," she said, chuckling dryly. The sound of her voice cut into the silence like an assassin's dagger, seeming especially loud in the still environment.

 

[Razilin]

Ebayan scratched his beard sheepishly. "That...wasn't luck," he corrected. Memories were coming back with clear vividness. He knew now why the Gate had given him a disquieting feeling, as well as why the device began acting strangely as soon as he stepped through.

"It seems my power is being living antimagic," he explained. "I shut down powers temporarily. Came in handy during my youth. Most mages and monsters don't expect losing their abilities for a few seconds. And in a fight with me, a few seconds can be an eternity. I imagine this may prove useful when we fight Mavo, though it can also be rather...inconvenient."

He gestured at the warbling Gate. "We may need to walk back to the city when we're done, if Armis doesn't fix the Gate by the time we're back."