FateGuard

[Cosmic Orion]

Laughter spilled softly from his hidden lips as the group continued to deal with the old man. For once it appeared he and Tahan shared one quality in common. Perhaps training him would not turn out too difficult. Then again a sense of humor did not nullify all the obstacles ahead. Not the ones tonight and certainly not those the future held for Father Gregory's little experiment. For all the blessed words tattooed or likely even branded into his young flesh. . . corruption still threatened Tahan's very soul. Leonardo would do his best to perserve the boy against any sort of corruption or mistreatment. Even if it was not completely unholy in origin.

Despite the messy incident most of the Fateguard had with the old man, Leonardo emerged untouched from any sort of tossed fruit or other implement. Then again he had not charged in with the rest of them. For one reason or another. . . his robes remained unstained. Saint held back on the hunch that perhaps this creature behaved more as a hunter of men with a mind to match. Not just some mindless beast. Otherwise even a dragon attack would not have kept it hidden. Every word divulged about the creature made it pretty clear that transformation was willed and not the same as the lunar curse suffered by werewolves. The more concrete information they could acquire on the beast the better. Which caused his thoughts turn to the current whereabouts of his bastard half-brother.

Where is Malwin? He should be back already. Has his family fallen ill yet again? Poor woman and child. Why does he not bring them to the hospital more often? Is it because I am there? Even so. . . if he is occupied with their lives he could have sent Alyss with that BOOK of his in his stead. I'll confront him later. If we survive this night first, that is. . .

He watched as the others went past, waiting as they went forth. He would hold back until the last. Leonardo counted on the creature laying a trap for them all. So far it had eluded them all tonight. Even so far as to let several of them get harassed by an old man. One with enough of a hunter's intellect to do these things could only lay a trap for them in such an obvious bottleneck. While he had not the keen eyes of Aloysius. . . he did possess a keen intellect beneath all of those bandages. Experience had granted him some knowledge to draw upon after all these years. Not only that gained from serving in the Fateguard personally, but from hearing tales of his mother's exploits in the FateGuard when she had served before him.

As his thoughts drifted to the past, he caught sight of Nadia and Aidan heading into the alleyway. Their appearance was unmistakable even in the dead of night. Honestly he had not felt any surprise at their presence tonight. Each of them were the top trackers in all the FateGuard. Scenting the shifter was important in hunting the hunter. Leonardo found himself impressed in the past with them for how loyally they watched one another's back just as much as he was in their abilities. Not only did they protect one another while on duty, but even in everyday life. Pity for them rested somewhere buried down in his heart for what had become of their mother. One of the many reasons he had been drawn to them when all three were but simple children. Saint had an intimate understanding of such a personal loss.

Rushing back to him with each moment they were around came the memories of their childhood together. A bandaged hand reached out to gently rest on Nadia's shoulder. Certainly was a tall lass just like her brother. But her brother had something on his shoulders that the bandaged knight dare not touch out of respect. The halos which adorned his shoulders were known by Saint as a gift from their deceased mother. Very similar in how his Combat Cross had belonged to his own mother while she served the Fateguard until her death. Leonardo spoke swiftly to both of them, though his tone was still filled with the comforting courage it always possessed. Right now her brother might even pick up on the underlying faith in them that dwelled in his voice.

"If you get the chance, restrain the shifter with your swords. Aim for the limbs. It should reduce our foe's mobility and allow thee and thy brother to keep it at a distance. I may not possess a fancy book, but mine eyes have witnessed enough combat to know this much."

Nodding would have traditionally followed after releasing Nadia's shoulder except for the fact they would not have seen it. Therefore a brief double pat came to Aiden's upper arm in an offering of reassurance. Yet the siblings likely did not require any such help. After all they were both fully grown. More than likely the others would take his words as him arrogantly dispensing unwanted advice. Even then he had acted as he saw fit in aiding his old friends. Leonardo obviously cared not for the assumptions other FateGuard members imposed upon his actions. Quite a few judgments were already in effect. They could believe what they wished just as the bandaged knight continued to believe in what he had all along.

Leonardo leaned over toward Tahan, who stood at his side.

"Listen for the footfalls of an animal, Tahan. A shapeshifter probably wouldst not wear boots. It would get in the way of transforming. Wouldst not wear anything at all to protect it's feet. It is not always man. It is sometimes a beast. Aidan knows this and is no doubt doing the same. Ignore the sounds of the others as best you can. Ignore even that inner sense the scriptures give you. Just listen. Who knows. . . you might even smell it. Though Nadia will smell it before any of us."

Unclean empty eye sockets strained to see through the mists to watch the backs of all the FateGuard as Tahan, one other, and himself took up the rear. Though his gaze did not stick toward the front. Plenty of them had focused heir attention there already. Instead his gaze focused upon the rooftops of the alleyway. Flickering back and forth from left to right he kept a vigilant watch out for the Shifter. Even tossing a glance behind him every three seconds. Leonardo would stay mindful of their surroundings just as he had during the dragon attacks. Did it really take this place being narrow enough for only one to pass for the rest of them to recognize a bottleneck? It felt pretty damned obvious to him.

Mists that held fast in the way of others diverted on Saint's approach alongside Tahan into the alleyway. Not a single molecule from the mist courtesy of Gothenheim's own Mage Guild touched the flawless white robes adorning Leonardo. For nearly three inches in every direction around him the air never fell short of anything but crystal clear. Perhaps it came as a result of so many others passing through before him breaking up the mist rather than any divine force parting them. But no one could say for certain.

 

[BulletVixen]

Nadia strayed close to Derek as they walked towards the cramped alley, as they approached though she released his side and slowly crawled towards the front of the group. Sighing softly she pulled in a deep breath and paused mid release. A moist feeling touched her skin and she cringed gently. This fog was not normal. Hearing Corben and the others mention the Mages guild Nadia frowned deeply. How could they work on something like that at a time like this? Slowly turning she felt her brothers hand gently caress her lower arm, at the same time that Leo suddenly grasped her shoulder gently. Pulling her masked gaze from her brothers worried face she turned to glance at their old companion, one that had eluded then for some time. Seeing his face barely through the unnatural fog she smiled gently at his words.
Knowing where they came from she needn't her brothers hearing to understand the faith this man had in them. The faith she had in him. Though it'd been some time since their old friend had come to visit she knew Leo, or Saint as some others called him wouldn't doubt her brother and her to do their best to find this beast. This creature of hunting. Turning back to step to the front of the line her brothers hand grasped hers. They couldn't see. Not as if that weren't obvious but they couldn't see through their masks either. As the fog thickened with it's magical possession Nadia quickly turned an even further frown to her brother, who she could barely see through the fuzz, he nodded once. Turning back to the ally her slim fingers did something they hadn't in awhile. And as the moist water began to drip off her long hair and soak into her suede suit she gently slipped the enchanted mask from her face and felt her brother do the same, also removing the horned headdress that held it in place.
Seeing with the only way she knew how from birth. Now was the time for them to work, and try to shine through this horrid mist.
Her brother and her would have to see through their nose and ears. And this time they had better get it right. Pulling out their whipped swords in unison the held them cautiously at their sides and as Nadia's nose shifted to the air Aidan closed his eyes and walked head tilted slightly to the side down the alley.

 

[Lady of the Dragons]

[DASH=gray]Remember your surroundings, Aloysius.

Aloysius mentally told himself, taking his place near Nadia and Derek. He planned to be back-up for the first few people in the front. He had a feeling that he would be needed soon in battle, especially with werewolves. He opened his senses to the world around him, taking in all of the details that he could grasp in his range. So far the werewolf was not within their fighting range, though Aloysius could feel the presence from it. Something told him that the werewolf was agitated, probably due to the fact it was aware that it was being chased and maybe even cornered. An angry cornered werewolf? This was going to be one tough battle.

His sword was drawn to attack at the slightest disturbance that happened upon the group. Even if he was in the middle instead of the front, he was still ready to assist those up front. Somewhere ahead of them, Aloysius could've swore he heard faint footsteps treading softly on the ground. Though he attributed it to other factors, none of them a werewolf, he still kept listening to such sounds again.

We must be getting closer to the werewolf if it is indeed trapped.

Aloysius thought of telling the others about his latest observation, but decided against it. They were most likely focusing on other things and wouldn't need talking to break their concentration. And that they already suspected that.[/DASH]

[SPOILI]Aloysius follows and gets ready to battle. He senses that the group is getting closer to the werewolf if the alleyway is closed.[/SPOILI]

 

[Jack Shade]

He paid attention to the details.

Their brief encounter at an end, Malwin took a moment longer than he should have to set his appearance in order. Some of the Fateguartd were sharper than others and the flush fading from his cheek, the half tucked shirt, the fading mark of a bite on his neck...these things led to suspicions and conclusions he did not want to face. His lover stepped out from the darkness, but he caught her hand, her ice cold hand, pulling her back into the shadows to smooth her tangled hair. He smiled as he brought his fingers through the locks, such moonlit silver hair. Such beauty.

The book tucked under his arm, Malwin tugged the archer along after him down the alley and across the street. Their feet slapped the cobblestone, loud and awkward, but swift. He sensed no evil here, but followed the scent of presence to where the Fateguard congregated. How strange it would be...to tell them that he found them in much the same way he found monsters...but perhaps they already knew that. Corben took a chance with each member, the overly righteous and the suspiciously shady. They were all corrupted...all save Corben it seemed.

All save Corben.

And that made him strangest of all.

Twisting down another alley, Malwin caught the last of the Fateguard heading down the alley, paused himself and frowned. The lycanthrope they were hunting...it...

But even he wouldn't finish the thought...instead he trusted that monsters were monsters and that Fateguard was Fateguard. No matter how things went, he could count on the fact that it would be the monster at the end of their blades and not a member of their own...for there were no monsters in Fateguard. None that lost themselves. In the pale moonlight he was already flipping through the book, stopping at the pages of detailed sketches, musculature, scribbled notes and formulas. They were vastly ill prepared, and no doubt their alchemist would be better with a day of preparation...but he could work with what they had.

Werewolves were not immortals...enough force would bring one to heel.

"Ware well their claws and fangs," Malwin hissed, pushing into the center of the group and putting a restraining hand on Corben's shoulder, "It carries the curse with it. Their hide burns by silver and blessed weapons, but to any other blade they will regenerate." The alley was narrow. Dangerous. "It has incredible strength and speed at its disposal, and its howl can give temporary paralysis to a man with sin in his heart."

The last bothered him. If the wolf howled, how many would stay their blades?

What would that mean for the rest of them?

 

[unanun]

Tahan took up a position near Leonardo. A subtle shake of his robed arm brought another spike into his left hand, such that he now carried one in each. They protruded from between his index and middle finger, gripped in a fist for stabbing motions.

Malwin's ... re-arrival was not lost on Tahan, who was not really able to appreciate its significance, so he filed it away in the back of his mind. What he heard from his book of lore was mostly lost on him too, although he seemed to appreciate the significance of silver, and so he relaxed slightly. He could not stop the shivers that ran over his body, though. It seemed to be in rhythm with the mist.

 

[Asmodeus]

They moved in four ranks: Nadia, Aidan and Derek taking point, and behind them Corben, Aloysius and Ferrick holding aloft his blazing torch. Alyss, Malwin and Alexander were a short way behind, with Eric, Erilyn and Dyne in the next rank back. The rear was covered by Leonardo, Tahan and Atlas. And then, taking up more than half the alleyway's girth, Arkavenn trailed behind the group with his weapon at the ready. The mists were growing thicker and more freezing. It almost masked each group from the other, turning them to shadow and silhouette.

Malwin's book hunt had proved useful, it seemed. Corben nodded at the poisoner's words, glancing ahead to the distinctive shape of Aidan's head-dress. If the wolf could really howl as Malwin said, then Aidan would be the first casualty. For all their wiles and wards, none of the FateGuard could weather such a sonic attack. Everything Malwin's book described pointed to one solution...

Kill it quick.

There was a crunch up ahead and Derek's voice sounded. "Footing."

The Twins lowered their whip blades and started sweeping them towards the ground ahead of their feet. The weapons tapped against pieces of rubble - loose bricks, wooden beams, masonry and chimney stacks. There was debris in the alley, no doubt left from the dragon attack. The FateGuard took careful steps as the Twins felt their way over the obstacles.

Finally, with the passing of a few minutes, Ferrick's torch reflected on a wall - a sheer cliff of damp bricks. Aidan noted the shift in the echo of his footfalls and promptly stopped. They had come to the end of Fletcher's Alley. The space opened out a little, and they might have had more room were it not for the clutter of debris here. Stone had been toppled from the rootops high above, most of it scorched by dragon fire. A chimney stack lay in pieces with dozens of roof slates. But even with the damage the walls were tall and smooth - no handholds, no hiding places.

If the beast had been cornered here, it would not have been able to climb out.

Corben stood as the others spread out around him, examining the alley's end. Nadia had a hand over her nose, stifling the stench of the beast. It had marked its territory here - even Corben could smell that. Aloysius was crouching and picking hairs from the pieces of rubble. The beast's fur was caught on it, here and there, and there were even spots of blood on the cobbles. Dyne ran his hand along a broad scratch on the left-hand wall where claws had marked the stone.

"Where the hell is it?" Ferrick whispered, his steaming breath adding to the mist. His torch was flickering fiercely and making shadows dance over wall and wreckage. Every sound seemed to be heightened in the dead end, causing eyes and weapons to twitch. The tension was palpable and Corben felt the weight of expectation on him again.

It was a few seconds later when, slowly, he shifted his sword to the other hand and reached up. His hand gripped around Ferrick's torch, higher up, making the watchmen frown. But Corben's eyes met his, conveying meaning. Ferrick let the marshall move his arm, till the light was focussed towards one corner of the dead end.

A gargoyle had toppled from the opposite building and crashed down here in pieces. Part of it had smashed through the far wall, dislodging the brick to leave a gaping hole. They could barely see it in the mist, but as the torch moved closer they made out the interior of a house through a hole, where furniture had been wrecked and walls gouged.

"Ferrick..." Corben's voice echoed in the moonlight. "That is your house..."

 

[XC]

After the incident with the deranged old man, Arkavenn walked away from the house with the group, a puzzled expression underneath the giant bucket of a helmet he wore. What the hell was that all about? The old man had been throwing stuff at him, apparently, from all the thunks that he heard. Underneath that thick armour, he didn't even know whether he had been hit or not. The weather turned bad soon after, the mist flowing into the area and making it difficult to see further than the reach of your arms. Maybe even lesser, Arkavenn wasn't sure. He wasn't going to be the idiot that held his arm out to gauge it.

When Malwin returned from his .. What was he looking for again? Oh, a book. Yeah, a book on werewolves, Arkavenn narrowed his eyes. He just remembered that Malwin and Alyss had left in the first place - And they were gone for a long, long time. Did they run into any trouble on the way? Or .. ? Arkavenn stopped his thinking - Suspecting his comrades would do nothing for the benefit of the FateGuard. All it would do was foster distrust in between them and for the elite unit that defended Gothenheim every night, fighting tooth and nail and risking their lives dissent was the last thing they needed in their ranks.

Sin?

What defined sin, exactly?

Arkavenn wasn't a religious man, but he knew of the bad things one could do, regardless of faith. Was him drinking a sin? Or was it a vice? Arkavenn shook his head. This wasn't the time to be thinking about this. They were hunting a werewolf that could be ambushing them anywhere in this alley, what with all the mist around obscuring their vision. He was the one at the very back of the party, and he was responsible for making sure they weren't attacked from behind, or if the werewolf tried to escape his way, throw it back into the ranks of the FateGuard, for them to lay down their harsh justice.

He slung his hammer back behind his back, though, and he checked to make sure the metal plating on his gauntlets were still on. There wasn't much space to swing a hammer here, or to avoid one. If he swung wildly, especially in this mist there was a very high chance of him hitting one of the members of the FateGuard. That was something no one wanted to happen. The people of the FateGuard were tough, sure, but they couldn't survive one too many swings of Arkavenn's hammer, directly to their bodies, that's for sure.

The giant walked forward, keeping up with the group as he closed the distance between them. They had to stay together, that's for sure. They were relying on him to watch their backs. However, when he saw Ferrick's house, or whatever was left of it Arkavenn's eyes widened and he started looking around.

"Do you think it is still around?"

 

[Delnoir]

Derek regarded Malwin and Alyss' return with little more than a nod and a 'welcome back' before advancing. He could tell just by looking at the faces of his allies that some of them were trying to pick apart a suspicion that Derek had already decided to deal with another time when they weren't in mortal danger. The footing was awful, the visibility abysmal, and the last thing they needed was their minds elsewhere. He turned behind to his allies, "Oi, eyes forward everyone. Let's focus on what we're doing," he continued forward as he listened to Malwin's explanation of their opponent, "So basically just kill the bastard eh?"

Perhaps it was the lack of vision or perhaps adrenaline, but Derek's other senses seemed to be in complete overdrive. If this place smelled this bad to him it couldn't be anymore pleasant for Nadia. Focusing on the task at hand he made sure the twins were clearing the rubble. The speed of the creature still weighed heavily on his mind. They had strength. The had magic. They had bowmen, scouts, medics, and even a torch bearer. But they had no one with exceptional speed. His mind flickered to Gae Bolg and the Tempest Garb sitting on a mannequin in Ann's room back home, but he shook his head to clear himself of the thought completely. He had no idea why his sister relived their mother's final moments when she touched the dress, but the last time she attempted to put it on Ann ended up curled into a ball on the floor shaking, tears streaming down her face, and her eyes so wide that one would think she had just seen a cosmic horror that no man should ever behold. He turned back and looked at Eric and Corben in the mists. It may have been seventeen years ago, but Eric and maybe even Corben had to recall something about the rogue mage, but now wasn't the time.

Focusing back at the task at hand he stopped when he reached the gaping hole in the wall. He heard Corben's voice behind him, "Ferrick...That is your house..." Derek shook his head.

"Figures, doesn't it?" when everyone else had arrived and held position he turned around to face the others awaiting orders. Arkavenn's voice cut through the mist next.

"Do you think it is still around?" Derek scoffed to himself.

"Knowing our luck the past couple of nights I wouldn't be shocked if evil incarnate clawed its way out of the bloody floor. I'm more concerned about spacing. Its a one person house. Not many of us are going to be able to fit inside without compromising the space we need to use our weapons. We can't hardly use Arkavenn indoors. No offense, big guy, but you'd probably accidentally bring the house down on us if you ended up fighting in there. I appreciate the twin's tracking abilities, but if we need to kill this thing fast then we have to bring in as much power as we can. But I'm getting ahead of myself," Derek looked over to Ferrick, "What room are we going to be into and what exits does the creature have from here besides this hole?"

 

[Hydronine]

Alyss had silently followed Malwin back to the group, only to find that they had come back at the right time- she hoped.

Gripping her bow tightly in her hand, and having already drawn an arrow from her quiver, it would only take a moment to set up and fire off should something try to come their way- then looking at the tip of her arrow, she huffed and switched to her more expensive tipped ones- she only had two arrows with silver tips, out of a quiver of thirty- their difference could be felt by the different height and thickness of the shaft., as well as the difference of the feather fletching- with her regular arrows, she used small flight feathers of owls, but with these, the feathers were bigger- probably from a much larger bird.

It wasn't pure silver, but it was better than the other arrows.

She kept near the middle of the group, her eyes searched for any danger- she walked slowly.

Alyss grimaced as it was noted that Ferrick's house had been intruded, though tried to keep focused. "Where could the beast be?" She murmured quietly, her heart thrumming in her chest. The rush and adrenalin of battle ran through her icy veins.

 

[Zen]

It seemed familiar sounding, whatever Malwin was reading. Atlas had some trouble recalling the information but it sounded fairly accurate, although he himself couldn't be so sure about the sinful part. What counted as a sin? He would deal with the intellectual aspect of this creature at a later time - From what Corben had said, the thing was in Ferrick's home. His heart sank, for both Ferrick and the Fateguard. If the creature was cornered at the end of the alleyway, even if they did come out bloody, they would have dealt with it. But now it was in one of their homes...

 

[Spammy]

Ferrick's mind went blank as he heard Corben speak, his thoughts suddenly legarthic and difficult, as though the haze that had descended on them had descended on his mind. He stared into the hole, at the room beyond. What furniture there was had been pushed to the sides of the room, leaving the middle empty. The floor was bare stone and dirty, like an animal had been kept there.

The way it looked that the gargoyle had fallen, it had hit the wall of the house and then fallen to the ground and shattered after gouging a hole in the wall. Pieces of the wall had been pushed inside with the impact, but across the bottom of the hole, where the walls were cracked, it looked more like they had been pushed outwards by something. Pieces of the wall lay scattered about with pieces of the shattered gargoyle.

"This... I..." This wasn't his house... couldn't be his house. He didn't live here, he lived... lived... Where did he live? Did he live here? The house looked... why would he have done that with the furniture? The gargoyle must fallen and knocked the hole in last night... but why didn't he remember seeing it when he came home? ...What did he do when he got home?

"The first floor is mostly open space... The only other entrance is the front door, and I locked it before I left tonight to start my patrol... the stairs to the second floor will be on your right as you go through the hole..." Ferrick's voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away from the rest of himself, spoken by another person. He slowly walked towards the cracked wall, stepping out away from the group and standing between them and the house.

 

[Asmodeus]

Corben clapped a reassuring hand on Ferrick's shoulder, passing him so he could peer through the opening. The smell was heavy from the room beyond, as if the beast had marked most of its territory here. The walls were old stone and horribly clawed. Ferrick lived in one of the homes converted from the grounds of a Pilgrim Monastery. It was sturdily built, with good oak beams holding up the ceilings and reinforced archways between the open rooms.

Aiden shook his head, indicating that there were no sounds from inside - not even breathing. Beside him Nadia was all but overwhelmed, her nostrils filled with the stench of the beast. Beside them Aloysius followed the silk-like threads of fur, tracking them to the edges of the hole. "It came out of the house," Aloysius whispered as he ran a hand across the breached stone. "Some of these bricks were pushed outwards, by something from inside."

There was silence. Corben motioned to Derek and Alexander, the best armoured of their group, who took up position around Ferrick and Corben. The four moved over the gargoyle and into the house, the burning torch lighting up the expanse of the first floor. Furniture had been pushed to one side, deliberately. Some of the chairs were stacked and a carpet had been rolled up and stored in the corner. Through the scratched archway they saw the main room and the front door of Ferrick's house.

Locked and bolted, just like the shuttered windows.

Corben motioned to Derek and pointed to the stairs. Erilyn and Dyne were moving in behind him. This group would check Ferrick's bedroom. Behind them Eric was almost invisible as he followed, his ring of shadows blending him with the darkness. As the four peeled away the Twins came in with Atlas, a further shake of their heads indicating that they sensed nothing in here.

"Some of these scratches are old," uttered Aloysius as he ducked through the gap. "They weren't just made last night."

Alexander gave the doors and windows a shake, confirming that they were bolted tight. As the others loomed in the opening and blocked the moonlight from the alley, Ferrick placed his torch in a wall brace and allowed its light to fill the inside of the empty house.

Then he turned to find Corben looking at him.

"The wall was breached last night, in the dragon attack," said the Marshall. "How could you not have noticed this, Ferrick?"

 

[Kitti]

A feeling of relief washed over Erilyn as she saw Malwin and Alyss return. They had not been harmed in their mission after all and had instead returned safe and sound. Alyss was near enough to Erilyn and Malwin was closer to the front, but to her they both seemed in fine health. She thought nothing else on it, nothing more than a gratefulness that they had not met a murderer in the dark alleys. The other girl seemed uneasy, which made sense considering the situation of the night. More confident, Erilyn cast her a warm smile. A fellow member of the Fateguard whom many regarded with suspicion, one who risked her life just like the others. Perhaps Alyss was less confident because, against such a foe, she had no armor? I would shield you, Erilyn thought, feeling oddly sturdy this night, despite the fact that her armor was less than those of some of the men.

The warm mood of Erilyn's was cut considerably by Malwin's words. They would need silver to harm the creature? The only thing that Erilyn had that she would stake any claim to being silver were her chains and what was she to do with that, choke the murderer? If the silver clause were a fact, then she would need to corner the beast and hope not to be bit while she waited for someone with silver to finish the fight. And then, Malwin spoke of the creature who howled when sin was in the heart of those around it. Erilyn doubted the last sentiment heavily - who among men had not sinned in some way? She doubted that even Aloysius was free of that claim. Surely even she herself had done something, or did he mean one who was burdened with guilt? Who knew. Likely that part was the whispering of old wives who suspected their husbands, warning them that they might face their end if they did bad things.

When they got to the house in question, the bricks were pushed outward and the room was a mess torn to shreds wherever one looks. Destroyed, really, there was no other word for it. Derek moved to the stairs and Erilyn followed on his heels. She would feel bold alongside Derek and Dyne, two able men with strong conviction. Her smile was gone, her features instead set in a determined line. She was prepared to head on when she turned slightly on hearing Corben's words. How had Ferrick not noticed? Some of the damage did seem like it might have been caused over the course of more than a single night.

"Ferrick... was not slaying dragons with us." Erilyn murmured, her eyes lowered. To suspect Ferrick of something, that was wrong, wasn't it? The thought made Erilyn feel sick. She shook her head, turning back to the stairs. They must check all other options first, surely one of their own would not be capable of such a thing.

"Never mind it. I'm sure you knew that he was not fighting dragons and did not need me to tell you what was going on then. We'll check the room, to see if the monster has hidden himself there."
​

 

[Lady of the Dragons]

[DASH=gray]Aloysius's mind was rapidly adding up all of the clues and evidence that had been left behind by the werewolf. The hair, the scratches...the fact that it was Ferrick's house. His mind was filled with all sorts of explanations. The werewolf had been active sometime around the dragon attacks. It had seemed to target Ferrick's house. But why would a werewolf target only Ferrick? Some of the damage looked like it had settled, suggesting not all of it was recent. He picked up a hair from the floor of the house. It was a werewolf hair, but Aloysius noticed that the color was faded. Werewolf hair color fades over a period of several hours to several days, until it turned completely white and extremely fragile. This particular piece of hair was a slight milky-gray color. That was another piece of evidence to suggest that the werewolf attacks didn't happen all in one short period of time. Then Aloysius thought quietly to himself...could it really...? Corben's voice then echoed through the room.

"The wall was breached last night, in the dragon attack. How could you not have noticed this, Ferrick?"

Aloysius turned to look at Ferrick as well, holding the werewolf hair in his fingers still. He studied him, wondering to himself...really, could it be...? Aloysius said nothing but simply watched. Then Erilyn suggested checking his room for evidence. Aloysius cleared his throat, a little more louder than necessary, and said "Yes, maybe more evidence would be in there. If not, it's better to check than have it missed."

Then he beckoned to Corben, bringing him to the back of the group, a little bit away from the rest of the group where he quietly said what he had observed to him.

"Corben, my dear friend. The hairs I picked up, some of them are faded. It shows that the attacks were certainly not done over a short period of time. But," He lowered his voice even more to ensure nobody would overhear them. "I don't want to...assume anything just yet. I don't think that would be wise. If you understand."[/DASH]

[SPOILI]Aloysius notices that some of the werewolf hair is faded; a sign that the hair wasn't shed recently. He tells this to Corben and reveals that he doesn't want to draw conclusions at the moment.[/SPOILI]

 

[Delnoir]

Derek ignored it the first time Erilyn made such ridiculous implications, but Derek had just barely managed to pick up on Aloysius whispers and his temper boiled just a little. There was a rush of air and the sound of metal plates clanking together as he abruptly turned around, "Alright, that kind of talk stops now!" he barked. Ferrick? The werewolf? Derek refused to entertain the thought, despite it having crossed his mind himself, "I get what the evidence around us suggests, but there's no goddamn way I'm going to accept something like that unless I see it with my own eyes. I get that might be naive but if we can't trust one another who can we trust, I ask you?"

Derek clenched his fist for a moment to try to release his frustration in a more health manner before relaxing. Ferrick was a few cards short of a deck, maybe, but if he was experiencing lapses as frequently as turning into were-beast might surely he'd have realized it, "Let's just...keep moving. I refuse to believe so damn clichéd. Alright? Concerns have been made heard. Let's leave it at that for now..." Derek turned to continue walking up the stairs.

 

[unanun]

Most of the outburst in the front was lost in the mist, but Derek's tirade rang clear through the fog.

"All you have to do is confine Ferrick until the next full moon." Though not loud, his voice carried through, quiet and pensive, as if he was thinking aloud to himself.

"He could also be harboring the werewolf, for whatever reason."

 

[Asmodeus]

"QUIET!" Corben's voice cut clean through the room as he fixed eyes on Tahan. "You are tolerated, boy - not invited to counsel."

With silence restored the marshall looked to Erilyn, hovering on the stairs near Derek. "Of course he was fighting the dragons! Ferrick was by my side as we spurred the male. He was thrown in the street. His ribs were bruised..."

Even as Corben spoke his eyes drifted to Ferrick's flank, where the man had received a bruise when the dragon knocked him over. In the light of the torch the marshall saw a darker smear beneath Ferrick's leather tunic, tracing to his beltline, where crimson seeped through. The blood was dripping, in a thin line, down Ferrick's leg and onto the ground. It was a steady trickle... nothing that could have come from being knocked across a pavement. And surely the encounter in the old peasant's house had not made so deep a wound.

It must have been from sometime before...

"Ferrick, have you..." Corben's words faltered slightly. "... been hurt?" His eyes met the torchbearer's. "Have you been..." The word hung on Corben's lips as he turned square with Ferrick. "... stabbed ?"

Most would see what happened next. In the flickering shadows Corben's hand tightened, noticeably, around the hilt of his sword.

 

[Hydronine]

Alyss raised a brow at the shadow of suspicion cast upon one of her teammates. She moved a little closer to Erilyn, perhaps feeling more comfortable nearer to the armored woman. Though it was wrong of her, she was slightly happy that she knew someone else was thought of as unsafe. Someone else who was always watched, someone else.

But, then as the sight of blood was voiced by Corben, she shied away from thoughts. How could the man have gotten hurt?

But as she saw Corben's hands move, her eyes widened- fear, not for Ferrick, but for herself. Could this happen to her one day?

"Corben... As our leader... I beg you not to do anything rash." She spoke quickly but quietly, she moved fast as her hand alighted upon his shoulder. "We can't turn on each other so easily..." She added, a small quiver to her voice.

Cowardice... She was fearful- scared of what she didn't know but suspected. She hated the tone of her voice, that wavering pitch. "We don't know what happened... and he should be allowed to explain before we go around reaching for our swords, sir, please." She knew her behavior right now was uncharacteristic of herself- she usually made sure to keep her emotions in check, especially due to her situation. People grew more fearful of her if she cried or got angry- perhaps it was for good reason. Within a moment, she had stepped back, closer to Erilyn again, and she was trying to hide the fact that her hands were violently shaking now.

 

[Cosmic Orion]

An old habit found itself discarded when Malwin finally dispensed his knowledge on werewolves. Saint regarded the delay of Alyss and Malwin with stoic silence. For all the contempt between them at least his half-brother possessed useful tactical information. Upon the mention of silver's effectiveness, a smile hidden from sight formed on lips best left unseen. Blue eyes brimmed with confidence in a gaze that focused upon the Combat Crucifix in his hand. If he faced their foe it would not end well for the cursed beast. Saint flinched neither physically or mentally at the mention of the strange power of the werewolf's howl in regards to himself. Did he believe himself incapable of sin? Curiosity as to who in the FateGuard might end up afflicted did pique his interest though.

I wonder who among us may find themselves afflicted by the beast's howl. Will you, Malwin? Or perhaps she who worships the Dawn Goddess? At least I will learn just how gravely Tahan is in danger of corruption if nothing else.

Leonardo found himself quite surprised at the lack of an ambush in the alleyway. Everything about the situation screamed trap in his brain. Disappointment failed to take hold of him from the lack of an ambush. After all that would imply he wanted to get caught up in an ambush. Nobody wanted that, right? Regardless of whether his hunch turned out right or wrong, the suspicion which fell upon Ferrick did bring unease into Saint's heart. Erilyn's lack of faith surprised him almost as much as her readiness to make accusations. Derek's words in a way mirrored his own feelings to a degree. Tahan's musings were more logical than completely out of line. A hand came to the boy's shoulder in a polite attempt to silence him moments before Corbin's understandable outburst slashed at Tahan and remained afterward to prevent further aggression between them. Nothing had changed from earlier. . . Tahan was still his responsibility.

But right now something else took even more precedence when Corben's hand tightened, noticeably, around the hilt of his sword.

"Innocent or pure, divine or damned there still remains one solid truth: A Werewolf is still loose in Gothenheim. Ferrick, touch the Combat Crucifix. Enough blessed silver covers and fills it to put an end to the Werewolf. That should be enough to answer any questions."

Saint moved forward with Tahan in tow right toward Ferrick with an unfaltering conviction to resolve the situation. Hesitation had no place among them tonight. Every step taken, the thick mists which surrounded them all dared not touch this Fateguard robed in white and black. Which of them would want to explain to victim's family or friend that the one they cherished ended up deceased as a result of bickering amongst those meant to protect them at night? He certainly did not want that to happen. Did the other FateGuard just forget all the times they had fought alongside one another in the past? All of it disgusted him. Even though he respected Corben's authority more than most might believe. . . right now precious time ticked away and that was something Saint could not stand.

With a show of just how much strength the bandaged knight contained in one arm, he lifted the Combat Cross until it rested at equal height with Ferrick's chest. More than an arm's length apart given the size of his prized heirloom. One might see his actions as trying to usurp Corben. But did that really hold true? Perhaps he merely offered another target for the possible suspect so that their leader would not face a potential threat alone. A more threatening opponent as well if one thought it through about the weaponry in his hand. If Alyss paid any attention to his footing she might notice a clear shot left for her at Ferrick. Intentional or mere coincidence? Blue eyes looked upon Ferrick bearing nothing but faith. A faith and loyal nature which banished away any thought that Saint regarded him with any suspicion.

"I have faith in thee plenty. I just want this disturbing lack of faith and loyalty among the FateGuard to end now."

If anything, it proved his words true.

 

[Delnoir]

When Derek saw Corben reach down and place his hand around his sword, he rushed downstairs. Taking a place next to Alyss he took a firm grip around Corben's wrist, "Corben, no! Alyss is right. We can't do anything foolish. If Ferrick is the werewolf that is the absolute worst case scenario. Don't you see? We can't let a werewolf run loose, but at the same time if we're forced to kill him then we'll have to account for the disappearance of a member of the FateGuard. We are the people who protect this place and if one of us falls it won't go unnoticed. The people, the church, they believe us to be protected by God. Now I'm not a religious man and I can't say how much of that is or is not true. But if the people discover that one of us was a werewolf and we were forced to kill him then not only will the morale of the people fall but imagine the panic. Knowing that the FateGuard is at risk of becoming the monsters we fight. We cannot let that happen! We need to find a cure."

Derek loosened his grip on Corben's wrist, but did not let go. If Derek had enough foresight to predict this outcome then surely Corben did.

"I have faith in thee plenty. I just want this disturbing lack of faith and loyalty among the FateGuard to end now," Derek looked up to Leonardo and nodded.

"I couldn't possibly agree more, Leonardo. Religious or no, I can't deny what I've seen from the Combat Cross. It may very well be our best chance."