* [A Realm of Uncertainty] * [IC] *

"Any requests?" The wild woman asked as she set about rolling out her bed roll from her horse's pack. She then sat down on it after clicking her tongue for the horse to settle just behind it. The horse obeyed, still nickering in uneasiness.

River set about sharpening her spear with a piece of blackened rock. The spear set off a few sparks, but it wasn't anything she wasn't used to. She was careful, so as not to ignite anything. "I should be back before sundown, but I'll mark my trail so I can find my way back if I am not."
 
Arabella Selwyn - Stormhaven, Eventide

Arabella kept fighting for what seemed to be years, as creatures didn't stop surging through the darkness. It was exhausting. She twisted her right hand and the silver serpent to her right stabbed two creatures, then she twisted her left hand and another serpent did the same, and then the third. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. No shadow managed to get past her defense, except for one. A creature lurked behind her, ready to strike the distracted pirate. Luckily for her, her instincts told her to bow down at the last minute, the shadow only touching a handful of Bella's hair. She turned around and glared, as a serpent twisted itself and struck the dark form. The pirate got a pause of exactly ten seconds, which she used to take a deep breath and examine the white threads of hair that came in contact with the creature. Damn monsters. Ruining her ship, and now ruining her hair. After this is over, she will drink a big glass of the strongest ale available, and then start a sex marathon. Yeah, that's good.

That is, if she lives.

Arabella let out a long list of curses, immediately wishing these creatures were made of flesh instead, at least the satisfaction of having one of them killed would be bigger, at least there would be blood. There's a certain difference in feeling her magic rip through meat and bone, instead of... nothingness. It was starting to drive her crazy. Where was the blood, the proof of a violent, deadly battle? This was wrong. Too wrong. Even the humans' corpses were whole, maybe a little too white, but whole. There was not. A. Single. Streak. Of. Red. And perhaps that's the reason of why Arabella was so scared, terrified even. They weren't fighting humans, giants, known creatures. Familiar creatures. No. These... shadows were something else. Unknown. They were dark and cold. These fogs were dark and cold. Arabella hated it. Hated. Hated.

--dark, cold walls surrounded her, appearing to become tighter and smaller--

Breath, Arabella. Just breath. Do not panic, not right now!

--there were black arms hugging her, holding her in place so she would not escape--

A silver serpent missed its target.

--she coudn't breath, couldn't see. too tIgHt--

Her knees fell to the ground.

--cold wAlLS--

Bella jerked awake as a creature grabbed her arm, it failing to do whatever it was going to since silver stabbed through it. The woman hold her arm, that was becoming dangerously cold. She heated it as the serpents protected her, following the movements of her eyes. As a few minutes passed, she saw a new group of people approaching, going towards the closest portal. Bella stood up even if her arm hurt, though less than before, she would not allow others to see her so weak, so afraid. Disguntingly so. She was Arabella Selwyn. She was The Trickster. And fear did not laught at her, she laughed at it. At least she liked to think so. So she regained her posture, and also made her way to the group, stopping every second to clean her way of shadows. Unfortunately, more than ten creatures surrounded her, all of them going at her at once. Her movements were stiffy because of the injured arm, but she handled them. And that's when she saw him. Laying down on the floor was Sylvander, and above him lured a shadow, it was ready to strike, but Bella was faster. With a twist of her hand, one of her serpents leaped through the air, striking the shadow away. She tried to watch the mages closing the portal, wandering how easy it was. Bella hadn't thought about that, about using her magic to try and close the portals. But then, she didn't think she could do it; she was better off fighting the shadows themselves, and perhaps protecting the other mages as they closed the portals.

"Fighters! To the far end!" Yelled a male voice. Sylvander. Bella turned her head towards the direction of the voice, and saw the big shadow of the group on the fog. They were now going to the other portal, and straight into her position. Then, Sylvander came clear into her sight.

"Oh my, Van!" She stabbed a creature and made her way towards the mage. "It's good to see you, though I wish the situation would have been a better one." She ripped a shadow in dark. "This isn't amusing at all."

Arabella stuck close to the company, though not so much. She didn't want to look desperate for help.

"I saw what you guys did sooner." She nodded to the place the last portal had been, before it was closed. "I'll help. Not with the portals, but I can distract the shadows. I discovered I'm quite good at that." A rather forced grin appeared on her face, as she extended her right arm towards a creature, watching it disappear as her serpent stabbed it. Bella managed not to wince as pain shot up through her arm. She hissed, "And I also want to tear them apart myself. These fuckers damaged my ship. No one damages my ship."
 
Aeyre || Eventide || Fighting Monsters

At first, Aeyre could hear the silence before she felt the disruption. Lying in a sleepy barn just off the outskirts of the docks, she felt a lurch; the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. A coppery taste in the air and a tightness in her chest. Almost immediately, Aeyre knew something was wrong...

Dark mist clouded her vision as she stood up, becoming faint. The world flashed by her brightly in chaos and terror; patches of white across the ground and the sky, constantly swirling around at a dizzying speed. Fabric being ripped in twain, forcing holes through the cloth. The smell of burning, and the screams of men and women. And finally, three serpents. Aeyre rolled onto her stomach, retching as her food tried to force its way back up her throat. She vomited onto the dry straw and, trembling violently, groped around for her staff in the half-blindness of the aftermath of a vision.

She hadn't had a vision so powerful in years...her body convulsed as she retched again, spilling a pathetic puddle of bile by her feet. She knew that something was going to happen, and soon; so, in a bid of escape, Aeyre grabbed her belongings from the barn and half-staggered, half-ran outside and across the fields towards Eventide. The sky was already overcast with thick, bulging clouds, casting the village into dim light. Much to the confusion of the villagers, who started retreating into their homes as the clouds started to spin...

Aeyre looked up at the sky hopelessly, her tail swishing in agitation; this was the site of her vision, not the barn! Cursing her own foolishness, Aeyre turned to leave back over the fields, only to see the fog emerge. It wasn't like a usual mist, which slowly draped itself over the landscape in a cooling embrace. No, this fog looked as if it was poured unto the land, twisting and bulging out and slowly enveloping the city. Eventide began to panic; civillians, rushing all around, screaming in their bid to escape.

The monsters began to appear from the portals - the rips in the fabric, the holes...it was starting to click together now. But what of the serpents? Is there deception within Eventide? Was she to be ambushed, poisoned? Aeyre's breathing sharpened with fear as she moved slowly towards the chaos, uncertainty filling her heart. It was worse, much worse, when a vision preludes her actions; a paranoia settled deep within her body and adrenaline coursed through her veins; she half expected to drop dead any moment now.

In the panic, Aeyre ran blindly, evading the creatures to the best of her abilities when she felt another jolt in her stomach and stared in shock as one of the portals was forced shut from within, pulled to a close by the hidden magic-users scattered throughout Eventide. Despite herself, the bitterness in her throat did not come from the bile which previously washed over it; no, she spurned the hypocrisy of man. How dare they call upon us on their time of need, after shunning us for so long? A part of Aeyre sympathized with whomever opened the portals; perhaps the people of Eventide deserved this little reminder. They needed to learn that they couldn't simply toy with those who are stronger than them.

Aeyre's attention was quickly diverted as a talon appeared out of nowhere and nearly ran her through. She smacked it back with her staff and raised her hand up, the grass on the floor rapidly elongating and broadening into thick, razor-sharp whips, slicing the creature in twain and then into quarts. Were it not for the magic infusing the blows, Aeyre was certain that it would've simply got up again. Again, her thought returned to the opener of the portals; unleashing creatures onto Eventide to thin out the non-magic users, or to show the ungifted why they need us?

Immediately, Aeyre rushed to the nearest portal; the one near the docks. Halfway, she felt her spirits lifting and the world start to brighten - another portal must be closing - and with renewed vigour, the Sylvan rushed forth with full speed into the throes of the darkness. She eventually caught up with the Company, her shawls and bags billowing behind her, skirt lifted to around her knees to ensure she wouldn't trip.

Her eyes settled upon the three silver serpents of Arabella, and her mouth opened a little in shock. Was she the one who would die? Is she a saviour? Or...did she open these portals? Aeyre's mind raced with the possibilities. Almost instictively, her staff-wielding arm moved in an arc, and a shadowy creature was suddenly lashed down by thick vines and crushed into nothingness again as she ran to catch up with the other woman, panting from the extra effort...she wasn't a good runner.

Well, she certainly wasn't the opener of the portals, because she wouldn't be rushing to close them; nor would she seem so angry about the situation. The inky darkness bulged to their left, as another creature leapt in the air, determined to land on either Arabella or Aeyre but the witch took no chances. "Careful!" she snapped, a mixture of urgency and irritation in her tone as the very plant-life itself thrust into the air and impaled the beast before it landed on the pair of them.

"Wh-...what's going on? Are you alright?" asked Aeyre, to Arabella. Her expression was one of concern, her dark eyes glancing repeatedly towards the human whilst also scanning the surroundings. Her trinkets clicked and rattled as she moved, and the pelt of the lupine creature over her head gave the Sylvan a mysterious, wild look to her appearance. Her expression was surprisingly calm, albeit very solemn, at the sight of the shadowy creatures; it gave an impression that she may have once encountered them before.

Meanwhile, her mind was practically falling head-over-heels in the speed to which it processed the situation...she couldn't tell this woman that she saw her snakes in a vision; that'd instantly mark her out as an oddball and the last thing Aeyre wanted to do was alienate someone to which her future may be inevitably tied to. Just as equally, however, she knew nothing of the lass; evidently Arabella was younger than she, and certainly seemed a lot more brash and temperamental judging by her attacks and her movements. But aside from that, Aeyre couldn't figure out her purpose, or anything else about her. Simply another magic-caster with some significance to her life.
 
Last edited:
Sylvander Quaid - 8

As the company moved in towards the second portal, a figure, the source of the silver streaks, faded into view through the fog. It was the pirate woman.

“Oh my, Van!” she started. Sylvander was surprised to see her amidst the battle, he had figured she would have left port by now after their first encounter. Arabella approached, and on her heels was a sylvan woman. Sylvander signalled the company ahead towards the portal. There were able fighters enough to keep most of the shades occupied. Sylvander swiped a flaming hand through an encroaching claw, sending fire from his fingertips in an arc. The shade withdrew back into the fog.

Sylvander smiled curiously, teasingly. “I’m guessing that damage to your ship is the reason you haven’t absconded,” he said. He wasn’t sure by her reaction if he had insulted her, or if he simply hit a truth. “Your might is appreciated either way,” Sylvander continued motioning over Arabella’s shoulder with a nod. The shadow behind her was promptly split in twain by a pair of silver serpents.

Sylvander’s attention turned downwards to the sylvan. Bedecked in beads and macabre charms, and carrying a carved staff she was a strange sort, especially to see in a city like Stormhaven. Much better suited to dangerous wilderness, he thought. “You certainly keep interesting company, Bella. Who might this be?”
 
Arabella Selwyn - Stormhaven, Eventide

"Careful!" Snapped a sudden voice, drawing Arabella's attention away from Sylvander. She turned just in time to see a vine stab a shadow, and a sylvan rush to her side. The pirate couldn't help but raise a brow at the appearance of the other; not in disgust, but in curiosity, interest. The sylvan sure knew how to stand out.

"Oh, I've never been better. Just fighting shadow creatures, you know, as usual." Bella replied with a snort, motioning with her good hand to the surroundings, as one of her serpents slashed a creature in, perhaps, unnecessary violence. "Life is great, huh?"

The blonde said no more, now truly looking at the woman in front of her. Not too young, but not too old either, but she was a sylvan, so appearance was not something trustworthy; Arabella had known sylvans with 100 years on their back, and they still looked to be in their early twenties. However, the trinkets, the pelt, the dress, those did say a lot. Aeyre reminded her of one of those witches she had encountered during one of her many travels, performers of the darker magic. Truly interesting folks. However, her study had to be cut short as movement to her side drew her attention.

The Company was going away, perhaps to close the other portal, but Sylvander remained on his place. Bella approached him, smirking at the comment he made regarding her ship.
"What, you don't think I stayed here outta the goodness of my heart?" She tsked, not even throwing a glance at the serpent that attacked the shadow. "You wound me, Van." She said in mock sadness, never denying though.

When the man's attention turned downwards, Bella followed his eyes, her gaze landing on the sylvan once again.
"Not as interesting as yours, though. I'm not the one who's besties with the Prince." The pirate teased as she threw a one second glance to the man, a smirk decorating her features. "But that is, actually, a pretty good question." Two serpents stabbed three approaching creature. "Who are you, sylvan? You don't seem to be from around here."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
(@Zaith @GreatWest) Aeyre || Eventide || Fighting monsters AND making friends

There was no doubt that Aeyre's outfit got quite a lot of looks, but she found it rather silly that they paused in the midst of a battle to peer at the little woman. Her tail twitched irritably; the trio split from the main group to talk amongst themselves whilst fighting. Aeyre snorted a little at Arabella's sarcasm but seemed grateful that they were starting to slow down...her little legs could only take so much sprinting at a time, and her breath came out deeply.

When she wasn't panting for breath, Aeyre seemed to carry herself...differently than your stereotypical Sylvan. Weren't all Sylvans meant to be happy, bouncy little things? Because Aeyre holds an atmosphere of owning enough forbidden knowledge to make almost everything she does dark and solemn. She stuffed a bare hand into the pouch before her, pulling out a handful of smooth river pebbles with odd signs scratched in upon it and peered at them pensively. Her dark gaze snapped up to Arabella as she was asked a question (but not, curiously enough, when she was talked about) and she looked at the woman blandly.

"I get the funny feeling this isn't the best place to delve into histories." she replies, the bite at the end of her sentence seeming intentional. Whoever this woman was, she had a funny sense of danger...As an afterthought, to not irritate the fate-bound lady, she tried to soften her expression a little (in vain) and give her at least something to work with. "Aeyre. And if I told you my story, you'd never believe me, so let's assume that if we all survive then I'll sit down and try and explain it to you."

Aeyre held up a pebble in the darkening light, content that this may be what she is looking for. She gripped it hard in her palm and then tossed it in the general direction of an oncoming shadowy monster. Upon contact with the ground, the plant-life erupted and started growing spontaneously into a horrid, disfigured mockery of its own right; like a cancerous tumour the material bulged out at all sides and simply crushed the monster within before starting to rot and decompose just as quickly. "I don't usually get to use that one..." murmured Aeyre, looking a little bit surprised.
 
Sylvander Quaid ~ Stormhaven

Although the mages in Sylvander’s company had a good anchor on the second portal, the shadows continued to emerge at a faster rate. It was as if the closing of the first portal had triggered a backlog of nightmares. The clouds above had grown so dark as to make wonder what time it was.

“Let’s not waste anymore time,” Sylvander said, turning away from the women. “I’ll take this flank.” He charged towards a shadow that was closing in on one of the portal mages. Sylvander’s blade turned white-hot as he lunged into the creature’s back. The blade cooled red for the moment it pierced the darkness and the shadow was carried in pieces back into the fog. To his left – two silver serpents dancing in the air, cleaving several shades in their path. To his right – briars erupted from the ground forming a grisly wall of thorns around the mages. But more shadows came – no longer just from the foggy vortex, but from every bit of darkness around them. From between the buildings and from under the wharf, shadows spread like fire.

Sylvander yelled, “This portal has to close NOW!”
 
Ranga had little choice other than to throw the man his staff, with some hesitation he finally managed to find it and throw it at the strange man before he rode off. Ideally who would have followed him, but with no horse and no plan he knew it would be against his better judgement. Despite that feeling he knew he'd have to act soon, the ever present magic that hung in the air fluctuated wildly in his mind, the realm of spirits stirred with confusion, although Ranga had only caught a glimpse of what was happening he could feel it.

With little thought he ran back to his home, he would need to pack he had several books he would need to bring, worrying about how he would leave or where he would go was the least of his troubles, what to be prepared for was the worst part.
 
Arabella Selwyn - Stormhaven, Eventide

Arabella snorted at Aeyre's reply, waving her hand around in an unconcerned gesture. "Oh, please. Any place is the best place to delve into histories. And a pleasure to meet you, Aeyre. I'm," A group of shadows interrupted Bella mid sentence, forcing the pirate to turn around and lead the serpents through the group, slashing each one of them. "As I was saying," She retook, turning back to the sylvan as she slitghly panted. The arm that got touched by a creature started to hurt once again, as cold ran through it. The woman hadn't the same control above fire and heat like Sylvander did, nor she knew of any healing magic. The pirate never really thought of an injury like this one, where bandages and stitches were useless, she regretted never having cared about healing abilities. Either way, the woman hid her pain, by opening a big smirk. "I am Arabella. And I hardly believe anything could surprise me by now, so, I look forward to hear your history, Aeyre."

Sylvander's sudden voice brought Arabella's attention back to the battlefield, her eyes facing the always growing number of shadows. She was getting sick of them. Completely sick. With a scowl on her face, the woman walked towards a corpse and kicked it aside, revealing the silver sword laying under it. The sword was heavy, but it was beautiful. With a wicked grin, silver serpents dancing around her, and now a sword in hand, Bella charged.

"Quaid! You can close the portal, can't you? It seems they could use some help." Bella nodded to the group of mages. "I'll cover you." The woman felt coldness behind her, so she spun around, ready to attack. Only to be faced with pure darkness. A shadow stood right in front of her, and if it breathed, Bella could swear she'd be able to feel its breath. She froze. Why so much darkness? Why? Why? The pirate felt herself getting lost in the darkness. Memories rushing back.

No. No. Not again.

And as the creature was to touch her, it vanished in black smoke. One of the serpents had killed it. Good. The blonde led her shaking hand to her forehead, taking deep long breaths. "It's okay. Everything's okay. You'll be okay, Arabella. You'll be okay." She kept chanting to herself, banishing the thoughts of walls. Movement to her left brought her atention back, this time the creature being slashed by the pirate herself. All of the playfulness and careless attitude was gone, giving place to a murderous and hateful one. Her movements were stiff, but precise, as if rage controled her body. The serpents also lost their smooth movements, as if copying their creator. It was a violent dance.
 
Aeyre || Eventide || Trying to keep her new friends from dying
(@Zaith @GreatWest)

A sudden rush, and a dreadful feeling of cold. Aeyre looked around and saw nothing but darkness, and for a moment she felt glad to accept it and become part of this shifting, horrible mass-- at least, of course, until she heard the panicked chanting of Arabella trying desperately to keep herself alive. Quickly, Aeyre remembered that giving in to the shadow was meant to be a very, very bad thing and since her priority right now was to keep Arabella alive long enough to find out why she needs her, she looked on at the portal. "I'd rather not -break- anything. See to it that you and your portal-friends close the last one, we'll both protect you."

Arabella's once fluid and cocky fighting style had changed into a more practical method of destroying the beasts, and the little Sylvan followed suit. She seemed less pre-occupied with protecting Sylvander personally, but she managed to cut off a couple headed towards a young woman with her hand outstretched towards the portal. The main concern for her, really, was keeping an eye out on Arabella (who was in turn protecting Sylvander). Every time she seemed to get overwhelmed, Aeyre seemed to spring out of nowhere and cause the land itself to buckle and crash into Arabella's assailants, a haunted shade of what must've been a plant simply erupting from nowhere and shredding the shadowy beasts into ribbons.

This continued for a short while, until Aeyre felt something cold and slimy pass near her head and, in diving to the side only a little too late, the jaws of one of these monsters sank into her shoulder with vigour. A howl of pain escaped Aeyre's lips as the pair of them tumbled onto the floor, Aeyre using her good arm to whack at the aberration wildly with her staff.

This wasn't meant to happen. thought Aeyre dully as she felt wave after wave of icy darkness flow into her, her fingers numbly twitching as she reached for her satchel in the hopes of finding something, anything, to get the shadow to let go. Her vision clouded around the edges and she felt herself growing weak, and faint. What a pain...I can't even defend myself like this? she mentally scolded herself, her gaze slipping up to the sky with a mixture of irritation and resignation.

Her fingertips brushed against something cold and hard and she flung whatever it was straight at the beast's side, the glass vial crashing on impact and the bright liquid searing into the darkened flesh. Now it was the monster's turn to squeal in agony, as Aeyre managed to drag the beast away from her using the thick, darkened vines from one of her previous attacks, and she only just managed to roll out of the way as a smaller, agile shadow leapt into the fray and started trying to rip the poor Sylvan into little meaty chunks. Suddenly, Aeyre's objective went from "Protect Arabella" into "Don't die", as she continued ducking, diving and rolling out of the way of the duo's attacks, barely having any time to launch a counter-attack.