And So It Was Written(Saint Guillotine and Schnee Corp Lawyer)

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Ringmaster

To defeat your enemy, you must know them.
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Urban Fantasy, Scifi, Horror, Romance, Noir, Mystery, Fantasy. Crossovers are a particular favorite and specialty of mine.
"Lady Isabelle Ruth Monteviere. Apprentice to the Wizard, known to this council as "Mentor." You stand accused of collaboration, accessory to dark magic and of consorting with forces to conspire against the White Council in time of war. How do you plead?"

It all seemed much too magical, didn't it? Even despite the war between the White Council and the Red Court of Vampires. Learning the ways of magic, from a man who had always been kind and respectful.

"Mentor" they called him. Wise man, councilor. You couldn't have hoped for a better teacher. Now the names they call him are rife with other meaning, all not good for the likes of you.

"Traitor."

"Liar."

Of course, you and I know better, don't we? Someone like the Mentor, to those who truly knew him? They knew him to be steadfastly loyal. A beacon of solidarity in the life of magic he had chosen. Just as willing, to extend a hand and dry the tears of a frightened child then, as he had for you. It seems like so very long ago now, doesn't it?

Now you've become a pariah, someone tarnished with the same brush so to speak. The Wardens stare your way with deep set suspicion and sooner or later, fear will out.

They will take you.

And they will drain you dry, for any information they can squeeze out of you. Especially Warden Fury. He's the sort of person that such time as these tend to churn out. His methods, brutal. His ways, cruel to match the enemies they face. Some applaud it, thinking it right and proper.

Others are uneasy, but they lie to themselves.

"Just for a little while longer. Then when he's no longer needed, he'll step down."

Your options are limited at this point my dear.

You're going to need my help.

Call it a favor for a favor. I can't do much directly of course.

But I can guide you to those who can.

So smile dear child!


The dream...Memory? It pulls away and from the landscape of nothing, it appears. As big as a mountain, as small as a mole hill. In one eye, the sun shone bright and in the other, the moon. And as it stared down at you, it did the most terrifying thing imaginable.

0df0e16a34a4c369599efec76b5edb64.jpg


It smiled.

And trust in me! Ahahahahaahahahaha!

And in that moment, you awoke. You're still in bed, still under a strange house arrest. Its been three days since your interview, the Wardens are needed elsewhere, but at least one is here. As well as two apprentices.

Texas.

You remember a road sign. This ranch house is lonely if well stocked, the idea being that even if you evaded the guards, what then?

The closest civilization is miles away. It seems hopeless, but not entirely so. You still have your equipment and your knowledge. Mentor didn't raise an entirely hopeless student.

And outside, a coyote howls long and clear. An omen.

One thing is absolutely clear. You're not going to clear your name, or your Mentor just sitting here. You need to escape. You need a plan.

......Which is much easier said then done.

Just fill out the profile here.

Name:

Race(Wizard, Damphir, etc):

Age:

Skills:

Spells(If any):

Main Weapon/Casting Focus:

Equipment(This starts out empty and gets filled out as the RP continues. You can have one personal item though. Something significant to the PC.):

Short Profile:

And you're done. Heh.

Schnee Corp Lawyer as Lady Isabelle Ruth Monteviere. A wizard of dubious social skills and untapped power.

Saint Guillotine as the GM.

"Lady Isabelle Ruth Monteviere. Apprentice to the Wizard, known to this council as "Mentor." You stand accused of collaboration, accessory to dark magic and of consorting with forces to conspire against the White Council in time of war. How do you plead?"

It all seemed much too magical, didn't it? Even despite the war between the White Council and the Red Court of Vampires. Learning the ways of magic, from a man who had always been kind and respectful.

"Mentor" they called him. Wise man, councilor. You couldn't have hoped for a better teacher. Now the names they call him are rife with other meaning, all not good for the likes of you.

"Traitor."

"Liar."

Of course, you and I know better, don't we? Someone like the Mentor, to those who truly knew him? They knew him to be steadfastly loyal. A beacon of solidarity in the life of magic he had chosen. Just as willing, to extend a hand and dry the tears of a frightened child then, as he had for you. It seems like so very long ago now, doesn't it?

Now you've become a pariah, someone tarnished with the same brush so to speak. The Wardens stare your way with deep set suspicion and sooner or later, fear will out.

They will take you.

And they will drain you dry, for any information they can squeeze out of you. Especially Warden Fury. He's the sort of person that such time as these tend to churn out. His methods, brutal. His ways, cruel to match the enemies they face. Some applaud it, thinking it right and proper.

Others are uneasy, but they lie to themselves.

"Just for a little while longer. Then when he's no longer needed, he'll step down."

Your options are limited at this point my dear.

You're going to need my help.

Call it a favor for a favor. I can't do much directly of course.

But I can guide you to those who can.

So smile dear child!


The dream...Memory? It pulls away and from the landscape of nothing, it appears. As big as a mountain, as small as a mole hill. In one eye, the sun shone bright and in the other, the moon. And as it stared down at you, it did the most terrifying thing imaginable.

0df0e16a34a4c369599efec76b5edb64.jpg


It smiled.

And trust in me! Ahahahahaahahahaha!

And in that moment, you awoke. You're still in bed, still under a strange house arrest. Its been three days since your interview, the Wardens are needed elsewhere, but at least one is here. As well as two apprentices.

Texas.

You remember a road sign. This ranch house is lonely if well stocked, the idea being that even if you evaded the guards, what then?

The closest civilization is miles away. It seems hopeless, but not entirely so. You still have your equipment and your knowledge. Mentor didn't raise an entirely hopeless student.

And outside, a coyote howls long and clear. An omen.

One thing is absolutely clear. You're not going to clear your name, or your Mentor just sitting here. You need to escape. You need a plan.

......Which is much easier said then done.

Your room door is unlocked. The Wardens don't expect much resistance from someone like you and a cautious peek reveals that they appear to be in deep conversation. A perfect chance to overhear news, if you so wished.

Or you could use this opportunity to sneak out your window. Only fifteen feet high, you won't break any bones.

Maybe. Though to do so would mean to sneak out with only what you manage to scavenge in your room.

The choice is yours.
 
Isabelle loved magic.

Even before she knew what she was, she'd always been one of those kids who found absolute joy in watching a stage magician do his tricks even when she knew how it work. One of those kids who (when she was absolutely sure no one was looking) took a stick decorated with a paper mache star and bright ribbons and went through the whole sailor moon chant, and was devastated when it didn't work (She'd been absolutely wrong that absolutely no one was watching, and her dad's looming threat of unleashing the video of the attempt and the subsequent six year old tears was what had kept her from venturing too far into the realm of dating before she'd left home). One of those kids who was always near the front of the line when the new Harry Potter books came out right up till the very end. So it was no shock, not even a mild surprise, that when she learned that not only did she have the talent, but that someone wanted to teach her how to harness it, that she packed up her things, told mom and dad a little white lie (that she was admittedly still guilty about), and left everything she'd ever known and every friend she'd ever made to learn magic.

She hadn't regretted a second of it.

The forces of nature at her command (well some anyways; she still wasn't allowed to practice fire magic unless she was in the blast bunker with at least four extinguishers and her mentor present), strange and wondrous items enchanted with mysterious powers, potions of life, death (She wasn't allowed to practice those yet), and love (Nor those), and a whole world of people and creatures that had been lurking below the surface of what she once knew.

So of course it went horrendously wrong.

She'd been lying in the bed for a while now. The tears of shock and hurt had long been spent, most during the hearing, her mentors seeming friends and allies on the council so quick to turn their suspicious and callous gaze on the young wizard the moment he'd disappeared. It was terrifying. She'd never been one to break the rules, not when they were often the only thing between her and a potentially lethal accident of magic. But...

It couldn't be true. It 100%, supremely, definitely, couldn't be true. Thankfully the creepy fox ghost apparently agreed with her. THAT had certainly been a terrifying wakeup call. She had no idea what that thing had been, if she wanted its help, or if she should just tell the wardens that she had actually gone crazy and she probably needed to be locked up, but... if she got put away, who was going to help her mentor?

err. Besides the giant terrifying dream spirit.

So after a few moments to catch her breath, she swung her feet off the bed and crept towards her baseball bag to unzip it as quietly as she could. Good, all her stuff was still there. She slid her wands into her belt loops, and after her check through the door slipped nikes on. And.... now what.

After a few moments of quiet deliberation, she slipped her bag on her back and crept out into the hall, attempting to listen in to the wardens.

@Saint Guillotine
 
"-comrades on the front lines and here we are, stuck babysitting."

The tone while quiet, is immensely bitter. That would be Joren, one of the Warden Apprentices. Also one of the more devoted in terms of Warden Fury, a firm believer in an eye for an eye. Also a disconcerting expert with a battle axe and a hatred for any suspected traitors. Which unfortunately includes you. Bummer.

In contrast, the voice that responds is calm, soothing in nature. That would be Gennie. The second apprentice, greek and comforting. She was at least sympathetic, if firm in her assumed duty. Trident user with a knack for water. The irony of being assigned in Texas was not lost on her.

"Its important to the war effort. You know that. Before he left, all his notes were burned away. Even the slightest bit of her knowledge might help us end this. Isn't that a good thing?"

Joren snorts and crosses his arms, both thus far unaware of being spied on from the upper floor.

"Not if the old coot hasn't already given up what he knows to our enemies."

Well. Thats interesting. Your interview kept back details on what exactly the Mentor was doing. From what you could glean, he was working on some kind of project for the White Council.

During which, he was spooked enough to run and burn all his notes in his wake.

The Warden himself was nowhere to be seen.

Do you continue to spy? Or seek out salvagables in the rooms on your level?
 
"-comrades on the front lines and here we are, stuck babysitting."

The tone while quiet, is immensely bitter. That would be Joren, one of the Warden Apprentices. Also one of the more devoted in terms of Warden Fury, a firm believer in an eye for an eye. Also a disconcerting expert with a battle axe and a hatred for any suspected traitors. Which unfortunately includes you. Bummer.

In contrast, the voice that responds is calm, soothing in nature. That would be Gennie. The second apprentice, greek and comforting. She was at least sympathetic, if firm in her assumed duty. Trident user with a knack for water. The irony of being assigned in Texas was not lost on her.

"Its important to the war effort. You know that. Before he left, all his notes were burned away. Even the slightest bit of her knowledge might help us end this. Isn't that a good thing?"

Joren snorts and crosses his arms, both thus far unaware of being spied on from the upper floor.

"Not if the old coot hasn't already given up what he knows to our enemies."

Well. Thats interesting. Your interview kept back details on what exactly the Mentor was doing. From what you could glean, he was working on some kind of project for the White Council.

During which, he was spooked enough to run and burn all his notes in his wake.

The Warden himself was nowhere to be seen.

Do you continue to spy? Or seek out salvagables in the rooms on your level?
Well first she resisted the urge to snap that she didn't understand how the heck that made him suspicous to the council. What made them think it was them he was spooked of??? As it was, she settled for a silent growl before slipping off towards the kitchen
 
The Warden himself was gone. Out gaining information or reporting perhaps. This was good, it meant she had some measure of freedom to enact her plans.

The Apprentices were complacent, bored with their assignment. It made them sloppy, made them lazy.

Not to say they weren't jumpy as the wild cries of a coyote echoed outside, urgent and angry. Joren in particular muttering an oath that would have Isabelles mother washing his mouth out with soap.

"This assignment is pointless. Ten minutes alone with her, we could have everything."

Gennies voice in contrast turns frigid.

"Good thing you're not alone then, is it?"

The kitchen itself as she descended the stairs and checked was well stocked. Snacks in the form of fruit, canned soda, water bottles. At least they weren't intending to starve you.

Outside, the coyote yip grew more frantic, but the apprentices ignored it now. Gennie saying in nervous tones.

"Where is he? He should be here by now."

The kitchen back door to the night lay before you. Locked, but well cared for. No noises here.
 
Locked? Locked!? What stupid kind of door locked form the inside!?

Probably one built to keep people inside you dork

Oh. Right. She facepalmed and shook her head before creeping back towards the cupboard to get a glass, and as quietly as possible tried to fill it with water, setting her bag down as she did so
 
The good news, she managed to do so without much noise.

The bad news, was that around that point? Something impacted the Threshold, causing the lights to flicker and the two Warden Apprentices to leap to their feet.

"What was that?!"

"I don't know! I'm going to check our prisoner, don't do anything stupid Joren!"

"Yes, don't do anything stupid Joren."

The silence that followed, you could have heard a pin drop. The voice that had echoed in the house, one that sent shivers up your spine. Cruel in nature, amused in general....It was the sort of voice that belonged to a certain sort of person. One who'd rip a wing off a butterfly for a days amusement, just to see what would happen. And then it delivered an ultimatum.

"I want the wizard chit. Give her to me. Now."
 
The good news, she managed to do so without much noise.

The bad news, was that around that point? Something impacted the Threshold, causing the lights to flicker and the two Warden Apprentices to leap to their feet.

"What was that?!"

"I don't know! I'm going to check our prisoner, don't do anything stupid Joren!"

"Yes, don't do anything stupid Joren."

The silence that followed, you could have heard a pin drop. The voice that had echoed in the house, one that sent shivers up your spine. Cruel in nature, amused in general....It was the sort of voice that belonged to a certain sort of person. One who'd rip a wing off a butterfly for a days amusement, just to see what would happen. And then it delivered an ultimatum.

"I want the wizard chit. Give her to me. Now."
Well. What Isabelle had been planning had been to freeze the inside of the lock like a makeshift key. Instead, she froze (not literally), her skin prickling at the sound of the voice as a small shiver shot down her back. That wasn't Warden Fury. It didn't sound friendly. And it wanted her.

The smart thing would have been to just continue what she was doing while both groups of people who wanted her dead or worse got nasty with each other. Yep. Definitely the smart thing. Really the only option.

...

...

Isabelle gave a silent groan of why me? before she took the cup and her bag and crept right back the other way to see who this new jackass was.
 
Isabelle came to a scene of a tense standoff. Both Warden Apprentices, armed now and standing in a position as they stared at the doorway. Closed to whatever nightmare was outside. Thus far, unable to get in.

The threshold shuddered and the lights flickered and died.

And then the ramming began. Whatever it was, was seeking to get in and didn't care what it broke to do so.

This was bad.

Very, very bad. Outside in the dark, creatures screeched and shadows flickered against the Texan landscape. This was a planned attack and whoever this guy was?

He had brought some friends with him.
 
Isabelle came to a scene of a tense standoff. Both Warden Apprentices, armed now and standing in a position as they stared at the doorway. Closed to whatever nightmare was outside. Thus far, unable to get in.

The threshold shuddered and the lights flickered and died.

And then the ramming began. Whatever it was, was seeking to get in and didn't care what it broke to do so.

This was bad.

Very, very bad. Outside in the dark, creatures screeched and shadows flickered against the Texan landscape. This was a planned attack and whoever this guy was?

He had brought some friends with him.
Isabelle stared for a few seconds as she chewed her lip, debating what to do, before she sighed as she reached her decision.

"Psst! You two! Out the back, now!" she hissed, waving them towards her. "Before they get through!"
 
Isabelle stared for a few seconds as she chewed her lip, debating what to do, before she sighed as she reached her decision.

"Psst! You two! Out the back, now!" she hissed, waving them towards her. "Before they get through!"

Joren reacted with a start, hands gripping his battle axe with a snarl and an accussing tone.

"Traitor bitch, you must have called for help! Its the only explanation! Give me a reason not to chop off your head and deny-"

"Joren? Shut up. Isabelle, we can't. Even if we run, they'll pick us off like flies. We've nowhere to go and the nearest place is miles away."

Gennie paused, as a sudden terrifying idea came to mind.

"... Unless, we can open a hole and travel through the Nevernever. But they'll sense it and follow us for sure. Isabelle? If I buy us time, do you think you both can travel through?"
 
Joren reacted with a start, hands gripping his battle axe with a snarl and an accussing tone.

"Traitor bitch, you must have called for help! Its the only explanation! Give me a reason not to chop off your head and deny-"

"Joren? Shut up. Isabelle, we can't. Even if we run, they'll pick us off like flies. We've nowhere to go and the nearest place is miles away."

Gennie paused, as a sudden terrifying idea came to mind.

"... Unless, we can open a hole and travel through the Nevernever. But they'll sense it and follow us for sure. Isabelle? If I buy us time, do you think you both can travel through?"
Isabelle raised both eyebrows and raised her hands in exasperated disbelief. "ok first of all, really? Yes, you caught me, I sent for help and immediately tried to rescue you from the help, moron." At Gennie's suggestion, she frowned and quickly shook her head.

"No no no no, I am not going into the fae wonderland of murder with torture McGee over here, so unless he's about to go all noble sacrifice then this is a terrible plan. Honestly any sacrificing is a terrible plan. If anything I should stay behind since I'm a prisoner and you two are wardens in the middle of our war with the red court, but I'm really scared of dying so how about instead you tell me how long these wards are going to hold?"
 
"Not forever." Joren replied reluctantly before growling.

"The Council wants you alive. So I'm bound by duty to keep you thus, until such time as their will changes."

The house rocked again as Gennie said swiftly.

"Right now, I'd rather two of us lived rather then all of us die. Make no mistake, they came for you. Worse case scenario, we both die-"

She gestured to her and Joren.

"-And they take you. Do you really want to trust to the Mercy of the Red Court?"

The house shuddered and a window cracked... It was now or never.
 
Not forever." Joren replied reluctantly before growling.

"The Council wants you alive. So I'm bound by duty to keep you thus, until such time as their will changes."

The house rocked again as Gennie said swiftly.

"Right now, I'd rather two of us lived rather then all of us die. Make no mistake, they came for you. Worse case scenario, we both die-"

She gestured to her and Joren.

"-And they take you. Do you really want to trust to the Mercy of the Red Court?"
"Yea, well, I'm bound by being a decent human being to not abandon you to a bunch of red court freaks!" Isabelle snapped right back before she sprinted into the kitchen and plugged the sink before turning the faucet on as high as it could go, throwing the fridge and freezer open, and yelling "GET THE GATEWAY OPEN!"
 
Five minutes and counting.

Joren flinging whatever he could before the door and windows in defiance as he tried to make a barricade. Gennie focusing her own power as she ripped open with care a hole into the Nevernever.

Desperate times, desperate measures. The Nevernever was everything and yet nothing. A place where Fae and other creatures roamed freely. To walk in it was to court danger.

To stay was to court death.

Three minutes.

Two.

One.

And then there was no more time. The portal was open.

And the threshold was shattered as a triumphant howl echoed outside of the ranch house, followed by a chorus of animalistic roars.
 
Isabelle spent those five minutes... frantically filling cups with water, scattering them around the house, and drawing lines of sharpie between them. Briefly she skidded to halt to yell probably louder than necessary from two feet away "DO EITHER OF YOU KNOW ANY ELECTRICITY MAGIC?!"

If they answer the affirmative, she ripped the freaking cord out of the back of the toaster to hand it to them to hold.

at minute two and a half, she suddenly yelped in apparent realization, grabbed the ketchup,, mayo, relish, and whatever else out of the fridge and emptied the whole thing into the sink

When all was said and done, Isabelle wasnext to the other two, waiting for the portal, standing next to a dixie cup filled with water that she as vehemently as Isabelle could (which admittedly wasn't much) threatened violence should one of the other two knock over, which was connected to other dixie cups on the floor with sharpie lines, up to the sink, which was now overflowing and filled with ketchup and other nonsense.

magic was weird sometimes.

When the portal opened, the wards gave, wood started to splinter, Isabelle tapped the cup with her wand, and barked

"Swafago!"

*...Poof!*

Swafago was isabelle's variant of a pretty common spell. It took water in its standing form, in a cup or a puddle or what have you, and suddenly expanded it into a fog. A small cup was usually enough to fill a room. There were about eight cups. And an overfilled sink.

Basically about a quarter mile around the safe house was suddenly hit with a huge wave of fog cloud.

That smelled terribly like an overfilled hotdog, because redcourt noses.

Isabelle dived through the portal with the others, twisted with a whispered "fwoosh!" with her other wand to blow the fog on this side back out, then jerked her head at whoever said they knew electricity if either.

The cord would light up and jolt lighting through the other side. to the very wet room.

The only thing worse to corner than an injured troll? A scared wizard
 
It was enough. The trio plunged into the Nevernever, desperate as could be. Each one scared or dealing with their fear in their own way. Whatever might have laid here, was certainly preferable to what they knew to be back in the ranch house.

At least on the surface.

It was shockingly quiet. Intensely so and a major contrast to the noise from prior.

A full moon shone down upon a deserted landscape, lonely and cold. Joren shivered, glancing over at Gennie and Isabelle as he huffed out.

"So now what? Where do we go?"

And then the strangest thing was heard from the fog ahead, the last thing any of them expected.

It was a coyote's yip, the coyote itself padding out from the fog to regard them before turning and heading off in a direction, sending out cries towards them and returning to let them know where it was.

Gennie raised an eyebrow.

"....What."

Joren shook his head.

"This is the Nevernever. No way that thing is a coyote. Most likely some Fae hound, seeking to lure us into its clutches."

The choice was yours...Trust the Coyote? Or take your chances in a random direction?
 
Isabelle stared at the coyote for a few seconds before she scrambled up to her feet, jogging a few steps before she about-faced when she realized she'd just bolted without explaining. "My mentor knows that one! He's a... friend. ish."

Actually she wasn't sure what it was but still, it was better than staying here.
 
Joren muttered something about consorting with fell spirits and that the Council would hear this.

But he, like Gennie would run after it, keeping Isabelle in their sights.

It was a silent run, broken only by the sound of the Coyote as it yipped and leaped, leading them to a certain point.

Which was why it was such a sudden thing, when Gennie suddenly gasped as the sound of a gun echoed in the Nevernever, looking shocked at the two before falling forward on her face with a thud, a pool of red damp upon her back.

Joren roared in grief and the cries of monsters roared in the mist behind them as a voice commanded.

"Kill them all."

They had been found and it was time to run faster. Roughly, Joren grabbed Isabelle, tears falling freely as he made them run, his duty clear to him now. And the Coyote ran all the more frantic. Gunfire rang out behind them, missing as the howls of monsters followed.

And suddenly they were out.

They tumbled into what looked like the boundaries of a Ranch, a typical post fence with barbed wire stretching out into the night and an open gate. A dark ranch house among other farm buildings loomed in the light of the moon, a single oil lamp hanging over the porch denoting anyone actually being here.

And then from out of the Nevernever following them, came the dogs.

c24f038f72be9dbc88a12407a7e1d8e8.jpg


Massive, snarling and primal creatures. Four of them rearing up to strike at the pair.

Just before from the ranch, a black shadow rushed out and suddenly burst into flames, roaring and descending upon the dogs with the fury of a dragon as it ripped them limb from limb.

It was a dog, but dripping flame and looking utterly savage as it barked and snapped at these intruders onto its property.

Joren in shock would breath deeply as he spoke.

"Hellhound. Where are we?"

An academic question as from the Nevernever came out a few vampiric assassins, those that survived the previous. Seeing the Hellhound, standing in the midst of the corpses they hesitated.

Just before one had its head blown off as the roar of a shotgun barked into the night.

And behind the two, were both could have sworn was no one prior was a woman.

Clad in a long duster, a black stetson cocked on her head and in what light was present, red hair shining and tied in a ponytail. In her hands was the biggest shotgun the two had ever seen, still smoking as she pointedly pumped it and spoke in a casual drawl.

"Samson. Heel."

Instantly, the Hellhound backed up, growling at the silent forces on the other side of the gate as it retreated next to its mistress.

In response, from the portal emerged a figure who paused at seeing the carnage and then the woman before them.

"You. These are my rightful prey. Surrender them to me and I will overlook this violent breach of-"

"Shut up. My ranch. My territory. My rules. You brought the war right to my doorstep and frankly, I don't take kindly to that. I don't take kindly to all these people for just two little chickadees either. So here's MY counter-offer. You take your little monsters away as far as possible....And I won't decide tonight is a good night to get out of retirement! Hows that sound?"

The shadow paused....Unsure of its power here and yet, reluctant to leave. To your sight, it appeared amorphous. Like a shadow, or a cloud of ink when poured into water. A deliberate attempt to obscure what it was before it chose.

And slowly, without a word retreated though not without a dire feeling echoing through the night. It would not forget.

And it would not forgive. And then the air was cleaner and the crickets began to chirp.

The woman chuckled and the Hellhound flames vanished as it began to pant, looking for all the world now like a Doberman. Ordinary, if massive reaching up to the waist of the woman as still chuckling, she leaned forward and extended a hand to Isabelle to take.

"Damn, you two know how to make some enemies! I can't abide bullies thankfully and I've disliked the Courts. So! What are you-"

"-I am Warden Joren, representative of the White Council! Who are you and where are we?! I also demand you let us use your place till such time as our people come to pick me up and my prisoner!"

She paused and regarded Joren with some incredulity before speaking flatly.

"Life of the party you must be. Missing your clown shoes though boy. Still, seems fair you should know where you are. Welcome to the Stoker Ranch!"

Her hat tilted back to reveal a beautiful face, green eyes alight in mischief as she slung the shotgun under her arm, her lips quirked in an easy smile.

Just enough to reveal the faint glimmer of fangs as she spoke.

"Y'all can call me Rayne."
 
Joren muttered something about consorting with fell spirits and that the Council would hear this.

But he, like Gennie would run after it, keeping Isabelle in their sights.

It was a silent run, broken only by the sound of the Coyote as it yipped and leaped, leading them to a certain point.

Which was why it was such a sudden thing, when Gennie suddenly gasped as the sound of a gun echoed in the Nevernever, looking shocked at the two before falling forward on her face with a thud, a pool of red damp upon her back.

Joren roared in grief and the cries of monsters roared in the mist behind them as a voice commanded.

"Kill them all."

They had been found and it was time to run faster. Roughly, Joren grabbed Isabelle, tears falling freely as he made them run, his duty clear to him now. And the Coyote ran all the more frantic. Gunfire rang out behind them, missing as the howls of monsters followed.

And suddenly they were out.

They tumbled into what looked like the boundaries of a Ranch, a typical post fence with barbed wire stretching out into the night and an open gate. A dark ranch house among other farm buildings loomed in the light of the moon, a single oil lamp hanging over the porch denoting anyone actually being here.

And then from out of the Nevernever following them, came the dogs.

c24f038f72be9dbc88a12407a7e1d8e8.jpg


Massive, snarling and primal creatures. Four of them rearing up to strike at the pair.

Just before from the ranch, a black shadow rushed out and suddenly burst into flames, roaring and descending upon the dogs with the fury of a dragon as it ripped them limb from limb.

It was a dog, but dripping flame and looking utterly savage as it barked and snapped at these intruders onto its property.

Joren in shock would breath deeply as he spoke.

"Hellhound. Where are we?"

An academic question as from the Nevernever came out a few vampiric assassins, those that survived the previous. Seeing the Hellhound, standing in the midst of the corpses they hesitated.

Just before one had its head blown off as the roar of a shotgun barked into the night.

And behind the two, were both could have sworn was no one prior was a woman.

Clad in a long duster, a black stetson cocked on her head and in what light was present, red hair shining and tied in a ponytail. In her hands was the biggest shotgun the two had ever seen, still smoking as she pointedly pumped it and spoke in a casual drawl.

"Samson. Heel."

Instantly, the Hellhound backed up, growling at the silent forces on the other side of the gate as it retreated next to its mistress.

In response, from the portal emerged a figure who paused at seeing the carnage and then the woman before them.

"You. These are my rightful prey. Surrender them to me and I will overlook this violent breach of-"

"Shut up. My ranch. My territory. My rules. You brought the war right to my doorstep and frankly, I don't take kindly to that. I don't take kindly to all these people for just two little chickadees either. So here's MY counter-offer. You take your little monsters away as far as possible....And I won't decide tonight is a good night to get out of retirement! Hows that sound?"

The shadow paused....Unsure of its power here and yet, reluctant to leave. To your sight, it appeared amorphous. Like a shadow, or a cloud of ink when poured into water. A deliberate attempt to obscure what it was before it chose.

And slowly, without a word retreated though not without a dire feeling echoing through the night. It would not forget.

And it would not forgive. And then the air was cleaner and the crickets began to chirp.

The woman chuckled and the Hellhound flames vanished as it began to pant, looking for all the world now like a Doberman. Ordinary, if massive reaching up to the waist of the woman as still chuckling, she leaned forward and extended a hand to Isabelle to take.

"Damn, you two know how to make some enemies! I can't abide bullies thankfully and I've disliked the Courts. So! What are you-"

"-I am Warden Joren, representative of the White Council! Who are you and where are we?! I also demand you let us use your place till such time as our people come to pick me up and my prisoner!"

She paused and regarded Joren with some incredulity before speaking flatly.

"Life of the party you must be. Missing your clown shoes though boy. Still, seems fair you should know where you are. Welcome to the Stoker Ranch!"

Her hat tilted back to reveal a beautiful face, green eyes alight in mischief as she slung the shotgun under her arm, her lips quirked in an easy smile.

Just enough to reveal the faint glimmer of fangs as she spoke.

"Y'all can call me Rayne."
Surprisingly, Isabelle kept a pretty good pace with the trained soldiers and the coyote. Hey, you didn't play softball without a little conditioning. She really hoped this thing knew where it was going th-

The shot rang out, and Isabelle turned

"NO!"

She thought they'd made it. How did they find them?! How did they catch up?! Was the spirit working with them?

All those were questions that Isabelle would ask herself later, when she had a quiet moment or two. Not in the moment though. For all her personal skill and her mentor's fearsome reputation, she was still just a young woman who's closest she'd ever come to a violent act was reading about it in a book or walloping her siblings in smash bros before her powers came in. No, in the moment she tried to stumble to a halt and turn around, to try to do something for the fallen warden, only to be needed to be dragged literally kicking and screaming the first few feet by Joren the other way before she broke into a sob of her own and let herself be led along.

Needless to say, when they finally tumbled out of the Nevernever, the poor girl was just a bit jumpy. She'd been fumbling for her bag's zipper when the dogs had first approached, and the hellhound's rebuttal had her yelp as she finally pulled her runed baseball bat out of it and levelled towards the remains of the bloody melee. She'd yelped again as the shotgun barked, and again at the voice of... the... thing that came out of the portal, bat whirling between the two sides as she struggled to catch her breath and decide which one of the incredibly scary people in black was going to be the one to eat a healthy dose of gravity magic before the other side inevitably snatched them T~T

So it was with some confusion that, as the shadows retreated and Rayne was left standing on the other side that Isabelle still had her bat held up in warding fashion. If she was thinking objectively, she'd probably note that there'd be almost no chance for her to word a spell before that shotgun barked again, and her shield magic was D grade at best without a charm to back it up. But she wasn't, so up the bat stayed as she... well actually totally cowered behind the at least more confident than her sounding Warden, completely happy to go back to being a prisoner if it meant not being vampire food at this point. Even... a very nice and cute looking vampire that just saved their lives and hadn't just sicced that hellhound on them now that they were alone.

hmm.

"U-um, wait. You're a... non-court vampire? Is that even a thing?"

Still hadn't actually calmed down yet though, as she kept the bat up with one hand and wiped as she took a second to finally wipe at her eyes with her free before it returned to holding the bat and she tried to look as intimidating as Joren did. Together she was sure they almost looked as intimidating as a full person!
 
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