Rose Witch Covenant

[Esmeray]

Time Skip

The night went on as the witches distracted themselves with their own interests. All of them too concerned about other problems and distractions to notice the time fly by. Though something unusual happened which demanded their attention almost immediately. The strange rumble that buckled the realm, and the barrier surrounding the entirety of the realm wavering. Causing the painted night sky to fluctuate and distort. Though most were inside this hour, it was hard to go unnoticed. Natural disasters were something that the witches did not simulate in Nautchwald as it caused to much destruction. However as quickly has it struck it disappeared, and the rumble was minute at best. Morris, still trying his best to reach to his nephew, took a momentary pause to look at the flux stone which he always carried with him. There were no cracks within the gem, so the barrier was in place. Something certainly strange was happening in their midst, but what?​

 

[Crowley]

​

A rending volley of overhead slashes and lunges cascaded down the weak side of the barrier until finally...with a sound of thunder, it was laid low before his strength. The first sign of his impregnation of Nautchwald was his sword, Despair, sticking through thin air as it was drug vertically downwards, leaving the seams of reality in tatters. As the Avatar of Death stepped forth, the rift behind him snapped shut violently, sewing itself together hastily, though his presence was immediately felt, his actions bore no noise. Adamar stepped forth, with conviction and a single-minded purpose, his resolve; unshakable as his right eye began to twitch subtly.

Each of the Witches and their respective familiars would concede to the invisible gloved fist which had settled around their throats. Though even their climate would shift to herald this abomination's arrival, as clouds converged and grew dark. Lightning ripping through the sky and thunder from seemingly nowhere shaking their very realm, as a torrential downpour began. The unrelenting wave of an emotion lost somewhere between hatred and anxiety was palpable and almost suffocating as it washed over them. In each of their ears, a voice that bore no remorse and were as black as death, whispered but one word. "Moselle..." Adamar was unabashed in this endeavor, the sudden shift in weather bearing no visible effect on him as he inhaled a single time before adjusting Despair to rest once again at his hip.

Adamar had arrived in front of Petrova Manor, just ahead of the gate, his visage distorted by the vibrations of his molecules all at once. His timeless, amber eyes scanned the property carefully, but was further dissatisfied as this Manor was too veiled by magic. A mild nuisance, as to search manually would be time-sensitive, "Irrelevant..." Adamar mused as he began to pace towards the Manor. It was a slow, measured pace and to the untrained eye perhaps even disheveled, though contrary to his belief, he moved forward as if in no rush at all. Even his posture possessed a certain intimidating quality, he never slouched or bent, retaining this forbearing and ominous stance at all times. His procession halted only for a moment as he reached the large, ornate double-doors that lead into the main atrium of the Manor, pausing he studied them briefly, a certain look of contemplation upon his face.

 

[Nocturnia]

Yesterday Evening.​

During the meeting, which Stella personally saw as pointless and a waste of her time, she still took care to pretend she was interested in it. After all offending the witches was pointless in any imaginable way. She did, however, regret she did not take any scanning equipment, to analyze the magic of this witch. But alas, what is done is done.
Once the weird procession was over, Stella turned around and opened a portal underneath her, effectively falling into it.
She reemerged in front of her office, sighing. Sometimes people exhausted her, in fact she was wondering why was she even summoned to that meeting? That was clearly witch business, nothing to do with her.
Well, it was over in any case, she opened the metal door to her office and walked to her desk, there were no messages or reports, meaning everything was likely going as planned. She sat down and telepathically contacted one of her familiars.
"Run magical shield tests today, both secondary and primary shields."
Immediately, a familiar, no doubt one of those dedicated to the shield controls answered.
"Roger that, we will commence at 3:00"
With that done Stella closed her eyes, she slipped into deep thought, thinking of her long history.
​

Nighttime​

Stella was woken up by a strange shaking. Her first thought was that the shield test went wrong, but she was immediately contacted by a familiar.
"Uh, a new contact just passed through the magical barrier, should we continue testing?"
A person traveling through the Nauchtwald barrier was certainly unusual, especially since they obviously entered by force, however it was the witches' problem, so she simply shrugged.
"Continue testing, its nothing related to us"
"Got, it, continuing~!" Said the familiar sort of happily. They really enjoyed their jobs, a lot.
With that sorted out Stella returned to her reminiscing, the witches would have to deal with this, well, they probably are already.​

 

[Gladis]

The Petrova Infirmary
@Vio @Sinopa @Aka~Kitsune @Crowley

​

Alexius glared at them with a burning rage which could have been on par with Ezra's, his heart pounding hard in his chest as he attempted to break free from his shackles. He was hurt and in turn, pissed off. Hana and Nadir had seriously injured his pride; something the snake familiar would not stand for. Unfortunately for him, that very anger muddled his mind, keeping him from thinking straight and ultimately caused him to overlook the fact that he could have very easily escaped from his bindings. All he would have needed to do was shape shifting back to his snake form. Instead he pulled, he struggled and tore — naturally without any success. So he cursed.

"You bastards! You morons! I'll make you pay! I'll make you pay for humiliating yours truly like this! You filthy, ugly malicious little devils!" was amongst the things he yelled, completely forgetting about the sleeping Moselle besides him. Alexius was, to put it simply, outraged. Yet it was nothing compared to what would follow.

A crack of thunder silenced him. The lingering feeling of unease which up until then had barely been worthy of paying attention to, increased by a tenfold, and that within the span of a few meager minutes. He could feel the hairs on his neck rise as a shudder traveled down his spine. His attention was entirely on the window. The sky had been painted deep black — too dark to be natural, even for storm clouds. There was an unholiness about it that made it impossible for Alexius to tare away his gaze — a sense of terror instilled by the intimidating presence of this… creature. It was as though death itself had come knocking on the door, causing every fiber in the snake familiar's body to scream for him to run whilst he still could.

Yet Alexius didn't run. Instead he forced himself to focus, casting Hana and Nadir a glance which almost seemed to have been capable of killing them on the spot. "I will report to miss Anastasia and Morris that due to your tactlessly timed shenanigans, you two have compromised my ability to properly watch over Moselle," as he spoke in an extremely calm yet venomous voice, his skin started taking on a shade of gold. His eyes glowed bright green and his body began to distort. "Now piss off." Those were the last words he said, before in place of the tanned youth, a large golden snake lay curled on the chair — completely free from the troublemakers bindings. He slithered down from the chair and up into her bed, protectively wrapping around her shoulders. His entire body was tense, his head constantly moving as he made sure to keep a watchful eye on every corner of the room.

"Moselle..."

It felt as though his heart would stop. Whatever it was, he knew he couldn't let it near the purple rose witch. Morris had explicitly told him to watch over Moselle, so that was what he was going to do. Even if he would rather have slithered away and hid like the coward he was. If anyone could protect her from what seemed to be the incarnation of death itself, it had to be the one person who could never be claimed by death himself. That person was Alexius. Yet even with that in mind, he could not kill the intense sense of fear completely keeping him on the edge — only increasing as the presence of doom grew stronger.

It was coming nearer.

 

[DoomyCakez]

​

@Crowley

The soft clicking of Gwendoline's door being shut after Ryuu's departure sounded softly in the smallest familiar's ears, allowing him to visibly relax now that it was only he and his sleeping mistress. He released a loud sigh, breath held during the entirety of the event escaping between agape lips. His ears escaped their magical confinement, white and pink ovals sprouting from atop his head and giving a small shake. His tail sprouted from his lower back, pushing his cream colored button up untucked. It gave a light wag, its owner releasing another sigh of relief before his form fell foward, snow cap head coming to rest against the soft floral print that covered his mistress' leg.

He shifted, ears folding back atop his head as multicoloured eyes fell closed and a deep set frown curled onto his expression. "How could you have been so useless?..." he mumbled to himself after a few moments of silence, a single eye finally opening only to stare miserably at the rising and falling of Gwenie's chest. Sebastion was deeply troubled, having witnessed his mistress in her most dire situation; however, he had been of little to no use. Even in the aftermath, where all he had needed to do was clean her up, the cowardly familiar had failed...leaving Ryuu to accomplish the task with ease.

How had Sebastion grown so useless? There had been a time where he felt he had been the only one Gwendoline needed, taking care of most of her everyday needs; however, as she aged, her needs seemed to grow, to the point where Sebastion had been reduced to nothing more than a spoiled lap ferret.

Maybe that was why he felt that gnaw of jealousy towards the dragon butler, causing his to grip tightly to the fabric of his floral jacket. Sebastion sighed once more, turning his face into the soft quilts of Gwendoline's bed. He found her scent comforting, as all familiars felt towards their owner, but maybe Sebastion relied on it too much. There was never a time where Sebastion was far away from his mistress, causing many to believe him to be clingy. This fluffy, posh lifestyle had limited his independence and self reliance, so much so that it ate away at him to be away from Gwen for even a moment; however, what hurt most was how useless he was to her. He only ever complained and whined to Gwendoline, hiding behind her when trouble was near. He would have to do better, if not fo her sake, for his own.

Sebastion blinked, rolling over onto his back to stare at the pretty lights dancing along the ceiling. They were surprisingly comforting, silencing his fears and allowing him to drift off into the gentle confines of his own mind.

"Moselle..."

The familiar's eyes shot open, fear suddenly clinging to his heart, so much so that Sebastion felt as if there was a weight on his chest. He gasped, finding himself almost unable to breath as he hyperventilated, beautiful eyes wide. The fear...the fear was so much that Sebastion thought he would shatter into pieces. He was sweating, hands grasping onto Gwendoline's covers, nails involuntarily ripping into the soft fabric.

"W-what?..." He turned his head towards the door, the beating of his own heart throbbing on his head. He sat up, form stiff as he quickly gripped onto Gwendoline's leg. She did not respond, unable to feel the sense of doom whafting through the room, The stench of it nauseating to Sebastion, who visibly paled...more so than usual.

Whatever this sense was...he could not shake it, for it was growing stronger.


​

 

[RaccoonKing]

@Nocturnia

Once the dinner had ended, Nimhue still retained the stoic expression, the pink haired Abaia stood to her feet with a small huff as she brushed down her skirt. "I don't see the point..." The sea creature added quietly to herself as she stepped around her chair, shoving it back into place before she headed to the door. She had, before the dinner, been tempted to go and talk to Morris afterwards but the want to do so vanished with the feeling of disgust rising. Heading over to the door, she pulled it open, not saying another word, as she stepped through. Alone now, in the silence of the halls, Nimhue glared death at the very walls around her. "This is why I hate them...they made their own suffer..." Though, her mind had completely ignored the fact Morris had hurt one of his own family too.

As she trudged up the steps the girl had continued to utter complaints, disapproving of being around them all. Ezra was the most irritating by far. Thoughts alone of the encounter with the orange rose witch brought an angry red to her face as her lips pursed. The upper floors, the attic where she resided was silent as she stepped inside her room, releasing her hair from its confines as she collapses onto the blue bed with a huff. "...I didn't even get to talk to Morris..." She whined, left only to pout into response about that.

A few minutes later, the pre-teen by appearance sat up and spun around, facing a small crystal bowl settled upon the low table. The moon itself shone through the lone window, casting a hue around the bowl and the creature that swam within. Prying herself away from the sheets, she moved to sit by its side, resting herself upon her legs as she folded her arms, propping them up upon the wooden surface as she watched the fish. While she had been back to the ocean for a patrol of some sorts, Nimhue always felt a longing to return, hence why her room was covered in the same crystal bowls filled with fish of all kind. Each had been injured to and extent they would be discarded by human care or left to die by other means. The one settled before her at the moment was Kumonryu Koi that had damage littering one of its sides as scales were missing and its tail had a small portion removed.

Reaching over, she had sat up properly, Nimhue had pressed the pad of her finger against the surface as she felt the shifting of the water as it swam, yet the creature continued to face her direction. "Today...the child witch suffered." She mumbled, her expression still muddled by a lack of emotion, even if her eyes said other wise. "To help her kin, she has suffered." Nimhue sighed, groaning loudly as she felt her head hit the table. "It seems foolish!" Seconds later, she snapped her gaze up as she stared at the fish. "You feel as if I should of tried to help the young witch?" She asked, only for the fish to move around erratically before calming. "....B-but she is a witch!" She hissed, only to sulk. "...."

~

Hours later, Nimhue had accomplished her task and fed all of her friends the amount they desired, along with conversing with them to some extend. She had went and sat back down on the floor once it was complete, now wearing her pajamas that consisted of a light blue button up shirt and pants, her hair pulled into two plaits at each side of her. Looking back at the Koi, she cocked her head. "I am bored." She stated, causing a silence as if she waited for a verbal answer from the creature. For a few more minutes, there was silence as the Abaia rest her head upon the table, yawning occasionally. Then...

It was late at night but the girl stood to her feet with a grin upon her lips, red and blue orbs shining with an amused shine as she picked up the crystal bowl of the Koi and headed to the door. "I never did get an answer from Stella...Plus I am bored and...well, I'm bored!~" She chimed as she left her room, locking it might she add, as she headed down to the basements to find the star related female. Though, she was soon stopped in her tracts as she reached the first floor.

A terrible feeling began to weigh down upon her chest, as if trying to suffocate her with the barest of movements as she herself stilled. Her eyes widened in shock at the sudden appearance of the feeling, her left arm wrapping around the bowl as the other freed itself to rest upon her chest, her pounding heart. "W-what the hell?" Was the accompanying choked whispered as her eyes soon narrowed. For a few minutes, the creature taking a humanoid form was still as her hand pressed against her chest, as if the action alone would calm her. Though, soon enough, the feeling decreased and she looked around, expression puzzled. "...What was that..."

After shaking her head in dismissal, Nimhue continued on her trek to the basements as she bounded down the stairs, still careful of the creature she held close to her. "Stellaaa?" She called out, expression curious as she shifted to curiosity. "Stella's familiars?~" She added, often them being the ones she found first. It was almost an exact repeat of how she entered earlier this morning.


​

 

[Nocturnia]

Stella's Magitech Research Facility - Suzuya Alpha​

Suzuya was in her quarters, a small room on top of the Research facility. She was browsing the internet as she always did when she was free. Since there were no people in the facility except her, the familiars and Stella, she spent a lot of time in her room.
Soon enough however, one of the familiars floated in through the door, landing on her desk.
"Hey, Suzuya, could you give us a hand with something?"
While it was not in her duties, or in her tasks, the familiars often asked Suzuya for help around the facility, her abilities were simply so useful when doing any work with machinery.
"Oh... What is it?"
The familiar landed on her head, obviously happy she'll give a hand. While they were bound by contract to do these things, the familiars were incredibly lazy and preferred partying all day long rather then working.
"Yaay~! We need to replace the turbine blade in #13, its becoming dangerously worn out, and could damage the unit."
Suzuya nods and tilts her head, thinking about what she'll have to do; take apart the turbine casing, remove the faulty blade and replace it with a new one. Less then a minute of work for her, however more then 30 minutes for the familiars.
"Let's go" she says as both her and the familiar disappear in a yellow flash, she's gotten the hang of her teleportation ability, and she can teleport anywhere within the facility with little effort.
The two appear on the walkway above the turbine unit 13, several familiars are already flying around it, finishing up the shutdown procedure and re-diverting steam.
The familiar on top of Suzuya's head immediately takes off and heads off to help the others, as Suzuya jumps off the walkway and floats herself to the side of the unit.
"Riiiight! We're ready here!" Shouts the closest familiar.
Suzuya nods to him and extends her arm towards the device. Almost effortlessly all the massive bolts holding down the top of the casing unwind and fly next to Suzuya, arranging themselves in neat rows. Then the casing itself lifts upwards, a mist of steam coming from inside the device.
While the blades look completely new and shiny, one of them has microscopic fractures, which could cause serious damage to the device. She points her other hand towards the damaged blade, and immediately it turns to yellow dust, before reforming into a completely identical blade.
With that done Suzuya gently lowers her hand, causing the casing to return to place, before the bolts themselves fly back to place.
She then lands next to the device and sighs. The familiars restore the steam flow and fly next to her.
"That was awesome Suzuya, without you everything would take ages!"
Suzuya shakes her head and starts walking towards the entrance gate.
"Its nothing you couldn't do... I just do it faster."
However as she was preparing to teleport back to her room, a small girl ran into the turbine hall. Shouting.
"Stellaaa?"
Stella was in her office if Suzuya remembered right, which was before the turbine hall. While she was thinking about that, the girl continued.
"Stella's familiars?~"
Immediately four of the 7 familiars floating around Suzuya flew over to the girl. They didn't want Suzuya to be bothered too much.
"Hey Nimhue~ Are you here to discuss the seasons with Stella?" One of the familiars asked her, while the other added. "She's in her office right now."
Suzuya just stood several meters away, tilting her head and examining the strange girl.
​

 

[RaccoonKing]

@Nocturnia

Nimhue watched with a curious gaze as the familiar and the other female worked on some blades, despite the fact she didn't understand the reason why they were doing what they were doing, she stayed silent as it happened for the most part. She simply chalked it down to the scientific stuff she did not understand and quite frankly, did not want to. Though the guardian of the seas did not cease her curiosity about the other girl. She knew there were familiars, but there was others down here?

The multi coloured gaze had stopped, turning to the four familiars as a smile came to her features. She had pulled the bowl to her chest as her free hand reached up to pet the small foxes she found increasingly adorable. "Mhm! Yep! Though...I was mostly bored, but that too!" She declared, wrapping her arms around the bowl against as she looked around. "Though...It seems that you guys are up to the usual weird stuff..." Nimhue looked once more at the large blades...or whatever they were for, before turning her gaze to the office. "Ah...does Stella not take a break...she should, cookies are great you know?" She mumbled, giving a small wave as she headed over.

Pausing before the door, orbs of red and blue had turned to look at the familiars and the unknown girl for a moment before she waved. "Bye Stella's familiars, Stella's friend!" Nimhue honestly did not know what else to call her...Though she doubted she fell into the group of people she loathed but into the group with Stella so...she was okay either way. With that, the pink haired creature rasped her knuckles against the wooden surface before pushing it open, stepping inside with the usual smile reserved for those she got along well with in place.

Nimhue looked at Stella before letting the door close behind her, head cocked. "Steeelllaaa?" She called out, walking over towards the desk with a curious stare as she studied the room for a few minutes, only the occasional hum being the reminder of her presence. When she was done, the Abaia looked back over to her friend, expression relaxed now. "What you up to?" She asked, simply to satisfy her boredom, even if she doubted she would understand the other if she got to technical. "Oh...Did you feel that before? The...." She brought her fingers to her chin, frowning suddenly. "That pressure? That feeling a few minutes ago?"​

 

[DoomyCakez]

@Vio @Crowley

"Pack your things and get out of my house. I want you gone by the moment I rise in the morning."

Ezra could process what had just happened, or at least his mind could not fully register Morris' sudden command. He stood frozen, eyes locked on the elder as he disappeared behind the sliding doors of the dojo, leaving Ezra temporarily simmered down, as if subdued by the utter...conclusive nature of Morris' demand. He had left no argument, the expression in his eye cold and callus, yet firey like that of melted steel. Nothing Morris said was ever this ultimate, suddenly leaving the firey with a feeling of emptiness, abandonment...at least for a moment.

It was sudden, a twitch I his left eye, like a pure catalyst that sparked the fury, like an avalanche of utter rage. It erupted in the form of his abilities, his entire form exploding in red gold flames, encircling him and spanning out around the training arena, engulfing anything in it's way. He remained in the center, head down and shielded by the shadow of his own brow, fists clenched as he trembled, unable to control his firey temper as he seemed to close in on himself, leaning forward, as the ground below him scorched and died.

But wait...

A revelation struck the Orange Rose Witch, extinguishing in a single instant, leaving the area around him smoking and black. Was this not what he wanted? A clean break from this personal hell he had been dragged into? How many years had he wished to be free of this torment that he called a family? His eyes widened, fists unclenching as he rested his hands on his legs, leaning over as he released an exasperated laugh. "Is this really happening?...This can't be real..."

The sudden happiness he was feeling was almost choking, nauseating to the thought that this could really be happening. If he could pinch himself, he most likely would have, his golden stare turning green as the grass regrew below his feet. How long at it been since he had been able to do this, forever stuck in the flames of his own anger; however, happiness bred the life that he could push from his fingertips and below his feet. He thought he would cry, unable to sate the sickeningly sweet feeling of success. He was free...actually free...

~~~~~~~~~~

He had left the training grounds, his steps having at least turned the scorched ground back to the lush field it had beem before; however, not much could be done for the fence...or the dummies.

Ezra was walking quickly, Morris nowhere in sight as he made his way along the side of the manor, allowing his fingers to brush against the brick surface, giving life to small vines working their way into the cracks. The roll of the thunder above his head did little to curb the expression on his face. He was smiling, not the usual spiteful smirk, but an actual smile, his stare remaining green for the time being as his procession slowed. He had been so happy a moment ago; however, did he really have a right to be?

Ezra blinked, coming to a halt as he leaned his hand against the wall, vines no longer growing from his hands...instead, they seemed to wilt slightly, their owner deflating with similar bruden. He was to be separated from the ones he called a family, to be alone in his own thoughts...an orphan once more. Had that life really been as great as he had thought? Ezra pondered that for a moment, hand slowly clenching into a fist, one of the vines falling free from the wall and lightly smacking him on the head. That was when the rain started, falling in a gentle pitter upon his dark head.

"...Anything is better than this Hellhole." He said; however, the words lacked the same confidence they had had before, Ezra dusted the vine from his shoulder and pulledfree of the wall, ignoring the rain and sliding his hands in his pockets as he deflated slightly. He could not shake the feeling of guilt suddenly rising inside of him...How he had let down Morris, but not only that...he was letting down himself by proving Morris right. His want to be apart was only solidifying Morris's claimed that he cared little for the Petrova....but wasn't he right?

Ezra could feel that burden weighing on his chest, sudden sadness slowly building within him, growing....more and more. He gulped, feeling a lump suddenly form in his throat as he hunched forward, curling in on himself slightly as he leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes tight, suddenly unable to control the utter sadness in his heart...He was going to be alone...without his family...an orphan...dis-

"Why am I feeling like this?" Ezra drew a shaky breath, slowly opening his eyes to reveal they were now blue, tears suddenly streaming down them despite how he thought he was feeling. What was this sadness suddenly corrupting his emotions...the fear suddenly causing his hands to tremble, despite the utter happiness he had felt moments before....This feeling was growing.

"Something isn't right." He mumbled, hand moving up to quickly wipe his blue stare as he straightened and pulled himself from the wall, rounding the corner of the manor and stepping onto the main path leading towards the front Veranda. This fear and sadness was only growing, causing more tears to run down the Orange Rose Witch's face despite the pure rage that was building in his heart. His left eye slowly shifted to orange, the fire in his soul blending with the rage he felt of this whole situation. "Who the hell is fucking with my emotions?" And then he saw him.

A haunting figure standing at the large double doors of the Veranda, statuesque and motionless; however, the stench of fear was radiating off of him...not his own, but as if he was feeding off of the terror of others, an invisible aura causing Ezra to feel weighed down, a weigh on his chest. The Orange Witch Petrova froze, eyes widening as he stared at this figure of darkness, confusion slowly consuming him, momentarily overshadowing his other emotions that were now in turmoil. That feeling was fleeting as his mind quickly processed this. This stranger was causing this...by how had he managed to get this close to the manor. A stranger... a threat to his-

Wait...this was not his family anymore. Ezra was no longer a part of the Petrova affairs. He could simply ignore it and leave, return when everything was over and collect his belongings...whatever was left...However, did he want to do that? Some internal part of himself was still connected with this place, keeping him rooted in his spot as he eternally battled with himself, wanting to break free, but somehow not being able to.

"...Well well well..."

Ezra was internal cursing himself for putting his life on the line for these pieces of shit that did not care for him, but he could not help it...He still DID care.

"Who the fuck are you?" He started moving forward, hands slid in his pockets as he tried to remain nonchalant, his two toned stare slowly being engulfed fully by his orange nature. He was mad...mad that he was stuck in this place, despite the freedom that Morris was given him.

He could feel the sudden pressure building around him, weighing him down more and more until he felt he was moving in slow motion, stuck I'm the sludge of this stranger's invisible aura; however, his own stubbornness kept him striding forward to the steps of the Veranda, staring up that this haunting figure with fear clawing at his heart....

Who the hell was this man?
​

 

[Sinopa]

The Cat Breaks
@Aka~Kitsune @Gladis​

The bellicose stare they were receiving from the fuming familiar only seemed to make Nadir's grin that much larger. He reveled in the snake's rage as he always did with their victims prior. The threats had no effect on the sadistic little cat, in fact they probably encouraged him even more as he gave Alexius a look that was begging him to carry out these threats. He didn't fear the repercussions, nor the authorities of the house; in his mind he was untouchable.

When the thunder roared he, like Alexius, became quit and snapped his attention towards the window. He wondered how he could have missed the loud, terrifying sound of rain. Then he felt something grow inside of him, it was strange and frightening, it felt almost like anxiety building up from his core. He ignored Alexius' next words completely as worry filled his mind. For quite some time he has been able to keep control of his emotion, it's even been a while since he's cried, but now he could feel himself slipping. He turned his fear filled gaze towards his companion.
"Hana…" His trembling feeble voice called out as if asking for comfort, a rare feat most would never expect from the vicious familiar, but it was cut off by a voice in his head that sent shivers down his spine.

"Moselle…"

The feeling then amplified as a piercing drawn-out screech left Nadi's lips before he fell to the ground turning into his cat form. The feline then ran into a corner under a chair and curled into a ball as he stared at the door with widened eyes. He could sense the wall he put up for the loneliness and depression from the loss of the Blue Rose Witch get thinner and thinner. On the inside he felt himself snap; were he in human form, Nadi would be going ballistic with fear, sorrow, anxiety, hatred, and loneliness. As the sounds from the storm outside filled the air, lugubrious cries from the cat accompanied it.

 

[Crowley]

Adamar had thoroughly scanned Petrova manor with a certain dissatisfaction as he stood there, it felt ostentatious and he contemplated razing it to the ground for their crime. His right eye had begun to twitch incessantly, specifically the scar one of these witches had given him, the only indication of his propensity towards violence, as he became aware of an approaching, yet borderline insignificant aura. He remained poised at the veranda, a crack of lightning illuminated the storm-torn clouds as he was suddenly turned and facing the young witch that was approaching him, as though he'd always been in that position. The rainfall was slow-building in it's intensity, as the downpour was beating upon both figures visages quite heavily. Adamar had since ceased the vibrations of his molecules, allowing the young witch to glimpse upon his form with eyes unimpeded.

Adorned all in black, his form was masked from the rain by a dense and ornate victorian style over-coat, in which the only only color to touch it was the gold buttons which latched the coat shut across Adamar's chest. His wardrobe was tailored as if to represent sin, as even his slacks were onyx in design. Following suit, his boots were leather with laces going up to his calves, contrast to the rest of his outfit, he bore two pieces of armor. A fore-arm guard for his preferred, right arm and a matching shoulder epaulette guard, both of which were steel-colored and glistened somewhat in the pouring rain. His hair which seemed to flow around his neck like a silk scarf, hid much of his features but Ezra was certain of two glaring things; Adamar's amber-colored eyes and the hauntingly beautiful sword that rested upon his hip.

"Who the fuck are you?" Whether directed at Adamar or stated in general, his words did not fall upon deaf ears as the reaper had an acute sense of hearing. As Ezra approached Adamar with the reaper's eyes upon him, the unremitting assault of fear and guilt would be only magnified, as if the stranger were intentionally doing so. Each step Ezra took, required more effort than the last as even his powers were seemingly being pressed into a bottle-neck or under the effects of a dampening field, whilst Adamar evaluated the young individual."Similar...to him...pompous but...less experienced...irrelevant." Adamar's thoughts were ruled by only his singular devotion. Though flaying this disrespectful child sent a shiver down his spine as he considered it, it would be a waste of precious time. A resource that was quickly becoming diminished, as he was certain he was aware of his presence by now. Adamar's fists clenched at his sides, to mirror his teeth as they too were gritted, thinking of the gray-haired one.

Ezra would eventually feel the phantom fist as it closed around his throat, joined hastily by phantom hands which pressed relentlessly upon his shoulders. Every step wrought more weight upon the witch, until he felt he bore the entirety of existence upon his shoulders. Yet, the reaper had not moved, or even spoken except to face him. Adamar had neither the time, nor the implicit desire to teach Ezra how to walk, much less stand as he noticed with a certain, morbid pleasure as the witch began to collapse upon himself. Although visually Ezra was certain he'd only made a marginal amount of head-way towards the stranger, in actuality he was only a few feet from his target as the weight forced him to his knees. Struggling to regain his composure, his eyes focused as he realized he was on the ground in front of the ominous stranger, grasping handfuls of the grass as even his powers were suppressed, he lifted himself a few inches upwards before being crushed back down by another unseen weight.

Adamar inhaled slowly, though an exhale never came as he pivoted on his heels away from the disheveled heap of the witch who'd foolishly approached him with arrogance. Comfortable with the punishment of allowing the witch to feel helpless and worthless as the rain cascaded down upon the duo. Perhaps that was true cruelty, allowing Ezra to know Adamar held his fate in his hands and had found him wanting as an adversary. Adamar paced up the steps, taking on each of them with a measured deliberation, he would find her, placing his palms flatly upon the double-doors. Adamar then pressed them open, his actions again bearing only silence as, like a shadow on the wall, he slipped into the manor. Once within their walls, each of the witches and familiars would be unable to shake the eerie feeling that -something- was watching them. Adamar now forced to search manually for his intended, pierced the main atrium with a diligent mannerism. A quandary halted his procession as he could either traverse the staircase which were before him or venture into the corresponding corridors that were to both his left and right. Stopping yet again to ponder his options, he folded his arms across his chest as he stared with a hollow expression into the howling void of infinite possibilities.

 

[RaccoonKing]

Hana

Hana had found herself laughing once more at the expense of the snake, small droplets cascading across pale skin as she reached up a hand to wipe them quickly away. His anger seemed only to cause her current attempt at calming herself to fail. Miserably. A grin was plastered to her features even when she had ceased her fit of giggles and interlocked her hands behind her. "Ah...I think it looks cute~" She chimed teasingly before rolling her eyes. While she often found their pranks to be stressful, Hana found them enjoyable for their results. Even when familiar promised to inform the leading witches, she was to far lost in her amusement to panic as per her usual routine.

After a while, the shapeshifter had turned to Nadir, wanting to end the prank and return to her room. "Nadir, should we just let him g-" Her words were soon cut off by the roar of thunder and a sinking feeling soon drowning the room. For a moment Hana was found to be still, having not even turned away from Nadir as he had reacted, staring off with a stare that was all but emotionless. Her lips parted in a wordless mutter yet remained a silent plead as her heart seemed to become stone, her breathing momentarily still.

The second she had the mind to breathe in again, Hana's gaze seemed to flicker erratically between the two entrances to the room, the door and window, before being caught by the small utterance of her name by her friend. Her concentration seemed to continuously flicker between varying thoughts, varying reactions to the current pressure seeming to consume her mind from all of her other forms, unable to decide on what to do, although the dominant one seemed to be to hide or run, to escape. As if for a moment, each animal she had the ability to take the form of had thoughts of their own that kept her in a completely immobile state.

"I...Urh..."

Words tumbled loosely from her lips and without thought or meaning as she finally settled her gaze upon Nadir who now was a feline with a gaze that even in her state of muddled thoughts and barely concealed trembling limbs, was terrified. It was at this moment that she used whatever energy she kept to walk over towards her friend who she plucked from under the chair to hug to her chest, trying to comfort the other as she gently brushed the fur behind pointed ears with a shaking hand.

With her mind and body seeming to become two separate beings, Hana allowed herself to fall back into a sitting position, shifting around to lean back against the wall with a purse of her lips, expression revealed to being a ghostly pale. She had stopped petting the feline form of her friend as she curled up further as if it would hide her or allow the shadows to remove her very existence from the room. The pressure that she felt, that seemed to grow stronger in its presence, was distracting but the maid for the manor tried to gather her thoughts. Though with her current state of mind, all that she could think of was escape. So she spoke with a trembling breath, voice low as she peered quickly over to the form of the unconscious witch and still snake familiar.

"Nadir...we need to get out of here..."​

 

[Esmeray]

When Morris, her father, approached the two and demanded them to leave Skylar merely clicked her tongue in agitation. She rolled her eyes, a small twinge of disappointment rooting with in her. Watching Ezra and her father duke it out would surely be one of the most entertaining events to occur today. Despite all that, she was definitely more interested in spending some quality time with her distant cousin, and mentor. Hooking her arm around Yukari's she tugged both him and his familiar into the mansion. After a small trek, the three entered through the outdoor sitting area which was connected to the kitchen. Skylar merely leered at the servants cleaning up the kitchen, and all of which averted their gaze feeling extremely uncomfortable with her in the room. Skylar had a reputation through out the entire realm of Nautchwald for lashing out just for merely being looked at funny, and she always got away with it too. It was only recently that Skylar's horrible misdeeds have been made public to the entire family, and rumors were beginning to spread between the servants. It was bad enough that Skylar was naturally out-casted due to being the Black Rose Witch, and now everyone was going to have a legitimate reason for it. Regardless, Skylar really didn't care, if people wanted a witch of death then she was going to give them one with no regrets.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Skylar looked at Yukari and gave him a pleasant smile. Stepping through the dinning room and out into the hall way, Skylar let go of Yukari's arm. "Hey Yu-yu, I'm going to go get ready okay? Meet me in the main hallway in about a half hour and we will go have a little fun to celebrate your return!!" Her face lit up with a true expression of excitement and joyfulness. It was only around Yukari did Skylar ever smile in such a way. Though it kind of faded a little as her red orbs glanced over to his familiar. Skylar didn't like her around, but she'd grin and bear it for the sake of her friend. "She can come to. I don't mind." The young black haired teen gives him another small smile, and it seemed a little forced. Before Yukari could really put forth his opinion on the matter Skylar skipped away; She turned a little in his direction giving him a quick wave, and then left the two behind. She is alone. She navigated the hallways alone to her thoughts as she treads to her room. Skylar's room was on the third floor of the mansion, with the rest of the first tier Rose Witches. The climbing of the stairway was tedious as ever, but nothing she wasn't used to since she grew up in this house. Besides, it wasn't like she was some weakling, and the climb can be could for ones legs. This is especially so if they have to walk up and down the stairs several times a day, like most the servants do. Skylar looked over the portraits hanging on the walls as she ascended, but halted at one in particular. It was a beautiful self portrait of a past Black Rose Witch with raven black hair much Skylar's own, and a hardened expression. Although, when Skylar's gaze fixates on the woman's expression she feels as if it is almost a reflection of her inner self. Yes, Skylar would recognize that twinge of soul shattering sadness anywhere. Squinting only a little, the young witch eyes the signature at the bottom as she tries to mouth out the chicken scratch of a signature. "Connn....Constance? Wicked name...."


"Find me."

Skylar felt her skin crawl for a moment as a chill ran up her spine at the nearly silent and ominous voice invaded her thoughts. Skylar shuddered pushing the thought aside as she was clearly imagining things, though it would not be impossible for a ghost to be haunting the mansion. Though the ghost of a Rose Witch is surely out of the question, as their souls are reincarnated. Running a hand through her hair Skylar looks over the painting once again, the woman was so beautiful with her lovely grey dress. She looked like royalty from one of those Knights at the Round Table stories. A small blush crept on her cheeks as Skylar voiced allowed her thoughts, "I wonder if I would look prettier with those wavy...." she stopped herself as another image came to mind. An image of a familiar face with long wavy white hair similar to the woman in the painting, Moselle. Immediately Skylar's nose wrinkled as a wave of disgust washed over her. She shook her head leaving the painting and returning to stomping up the stairs. "What was I thinking!? It's absolutely appalling!" she hissed under breath with a seething anger, her digits clenching up into a solid shaking fist. Reaching the third floor, Skylar made a beeline to her own room in a foul mood. She flung open the door to her room, and slammed it shut behind her in frustration. Jumping unto the bed she buried her face into her pillow, and let out a furious yet muffled scream into it. Skylar sit up away from her pillow and raised a curled hand above her before striking her pillow with a furry of blows. I hate that woman! I hate it all! Skylar thoughts were heavy with an uncontrollable rage and hatred, finally recalling the situation at hand. Standing up from her bed she moves over to her long body mirror and stood there breathing heavily. Her hands repeatedly curled into fists before relaxing once again as she stared at herself in the mirror. She resisted the urge to punch the image in the mirror and took a deep breath, which helped her begin to calm her rage. The young Black Rose Witch tried fixing her hair by running a shaky hand through her silky smooth midnight black locks.

I don't have time for this, Yukari will be waiting. Skylar thought as a soft sigh escapes off her lips. Refocusing her attention back unto her night out, the young woman began to get dressed. They were probably going to visit a club, so she would need to wear something comfortable yet fasionable. Especially if she planned on dancing or running around in the tiny city. After taking sometime to get dressed and fixing her hair, Skylar moved over to leave her room when the storm suddenly hit. She momentarily glanced back at her window, and the pitter pattering sound of rain pelting glass graced her ears. Her painted lips curled into a frown as disappointment swelled within her. Regardless of the change of weather, she would have to meet up with Yukari about their change of plans. Not bothering to change, Skylar exited her room, but as she turned to shut the door tight she senses an eerie voice speaking to her. It left an awful feeling in the pit of her gut, but it was quickly overcame by her own frustration. This feeling in the atmosphere and with in herself is something she has grown accustomed to over the years; it's a feeling of dread and hopelessness that plagues her during times where she is at her most vulnerable. It left her in a state of the most extreme nervousness which is nothing short of uncomfortable. Willing it all away into her very core, Skylar pressed onward by taking the flight of stairs down into the second floor. After walking a considerable distance down the hallway she approached the main stairwell that descended into the Fourier. The feeling she had before only increased as she stepped out into view at the top of the stairs. She turns at the first step, but immediately halts at the sight of a dimly illuminated stranger standing at the center of the main hall. Her crimson red eyes lock with the man's just for a moment and in that moment she found herself feeling completely empty. Empty and compliant to the creature with the somber yet intense pale green eyes. He did not so much as have to speak and she lifted a finger towards a specific direction. "That door, infirmary wing...." Skylar nearly choked out the words.​

 

[Esmeray]

Aldwyn

The husky familiar raised his head as the thunder bellowed in the distance. There was another flash of lightening that he could see as he gazes out the window, and soon another roar of thunder followed. For a moment he appeared dazed, and he couldn't really remember when he fell asleep. Perhaps his connection with Anastasia during the memory walk had knocked him out? He wasn't sure, all he could remember was the horrible pain. He couldn't feel Anastasia's presence, but not the feeling a familiar would have if their witch is dead. Aldwyn could only assume that she was sleeping it off, and he made a mental note to check on her earlier. Leaping off the bed he shifted back into his human form so he could get a better view out the window. His senses didn't decieve him, it is indeed storming outside.

"That is strange...the witches typically do not allow such weather in the realm...."

The young man mutters to himself as he runs a hand through his messy black hair, a look of awe plaguing his face. Then suddenly it hit him, this strange heavy presence overcame the entire realm and everyone in it. At first it was only bothersome, it wasn't until he heard the eerie voice whisper Moselle's name did Aldwyn's hair stand on end. It was so overwhelming that Aldwyn began to wheeze his lungs finding it hard to breathe. If he had to compare the feeling to anything, it would be like the combination of a asthma and panic attack. He stumbled backwards away from the window and immediately sat on the edge of the bed. Trying to get a hold of himself he fought relentlessly against this feeling that was only growing stronger and stronger. Why was it growing?

His ears picked up on the sound of footsteps patrolling the hallways some distance away, and immediately put two and two together. Whoever or whatever it was, it was looking for the white haired woman. Remembering his clear instructions to keep Moselle safe, he stood up to gaze at the sleeping woman. Gently uncoiling Alexius from Moselle's neck he rushed over to Hana and Nadir.

"Hana change into a hamster immediately. All three of you hide underneath the bed. Whatever you hear or see do not move. Don't even make a sound. Wait for Morris or one of the others to arrive." His instructions were hurried yet clear. He made wasted no time shoving Alexius and Nadir under the bed. Turning to Hana he urged her to hurry. He stood by the door while he waited for her to morph and hide. He wanted to ensure that they would be hidden away before he let anything into the room. He quietly opened the door, still wheezing to himself as the pain only intensified. He was finding it so difficult to even stand at this point as the footsteps became louder and louder. Quickly glancing to see that Hana and the others were no longer in plain sight, he shut the door and backed away from it. Shifting back into the lumbering form of a large husky, he kept close to the bed growling lowly. The footsteps were prominent now as they walked down the hallway, and then halted right before the door. Aldwyn had locked the door prior, and he could hear the knob creaking. Almost immediately he began barking and snarling viciously trying desperately at some attempt to keep the creature away.​

 

[Crowley]

Adamar mused silently at the foot of lavish staircase, his right hand upon Despair's hilt as it rested upon his right hip; often preferring a reverse-grip, the rain had successfully matted his hair as it now dangled in an askew catastrophe of locks. His stoic gaze was cast upon nothing in particular as his eerie green eyes seemed glazed over in those ponderous moments. For a brief instance, a shiver traveled down along his spine as his whole body convulsed, which in turn caused his scarred eye to twitch incessantly before bleeding a clear liquid from it's fissure-like surface. Adamar's ability to stifle his own compulsion and possible fixation on genocide was severely tested in these walls, frustrated by having his reaper's vision stymied by such simple magics. Three directions, more than a dozen permutations within each option, he'd begun counting paces and weighing the acceptable losses he was prepared to make. Though his ears perked up suddenly at the sound of light footsteps, determining the source were above him; Adamar sat drenched in rainwater, his boot's muddied as he tracked filth into the Petrova Manor, temporarily staining their beautiful marble floors.

Her scent touched him first, inhaling deeply...he recognized that stench; a crippled soul. The pleasure of it nearly elicited an eye roll reaction as he waited for the female to enter his line of sight. The stagnancy of her soul was so potent that it saturated the magical nature she possessed, making it entirely visible to him. This one he found interesting, her hair something akin to ravens, dressed in an approachable manner and death became her. To leave her to her own suffering was more torturous than any torment he could subject her to, he concluded as she continued to approach him. His stationary position was well-chosen as very little light shown at all, keeping his form disguised mostly as she descended further into the jowls of the abyss. He found this one amusing, this one realized both his purpose and yet was still conscious in his presence; she would have to live, if for nothing more than to entertain his curiosity.

"That door, infirmary wing...." The child vomited the words forth, as though she couldn't bear to stomach them any further, her confession and offering to this avatar of woe, was gratefully accepted. Adamar was not here to maim though, he was here to retrieve and protect...her compliance earned her the smallest modicum of recognition from the reaper as all at once his molecules began to vibrate again. As though staring at a distorted image, his entire visage became blurry as he pivoted on his heels and paced in the direction the young witch had indicated. Each step was measured and calculated, he walked with a distinct purpose and with no motions wasted, as he disappeared from sight. Heralding his nature, as he passed by light fixtures that the storm hadn't rendered useless, they would flicker and dim. Candles extinguished themselves all together as he silently stalked through the doorway into the Infirmary wing.

The unmistakable echoing of boots as they collided with the mirrored marble floors of the infirmary was haunting as they grew ever nearer to their destination. One moment Adamar was bathed in light, as lightning struck beside a window and illuminated the corridor of adjacent care rooms, then once again the darkness returned with it's stranglehold, drowning out his form perfectly. His acute ears stiffened upwards as he heard the distinct vibrations of voices, the only voices in this entire wing, he appeared more a perverse creature than reaper as he stood unabashed and listening intently with his head inclined in the direction of the noise. Pinpointing the location, his pace didn't hasten or remotely shift as he'd already counted the exact amount of steps to each possible room, upon hearing the door open he cast his gaze upwards and caught a glimpse of something he deemed insignificant as it quickly shut the door and triggered what could only be presumed was a locking mechanism.

Adamar approached the door with a single thought in mind, Moselle, the thought which dominated his very existence since his fateful meeting with her upon horseback. No being, living or dead would forestall his return to her side...she was fragile, a monument to all humanities failures; though she represented to him a pinnacle of what life should strive to attain. For as he sought the extermination of life, she had for a brief moment caused him to question his own unshakable certainty; if doubt could exist...then he must devote his existence to determining if she was right. Reaching forth with no hesitation, his gloved hand wrapped tightly around the door's handle as he turned, he felt the distinct resistance accompanying a locked door. Silence would grip the room and it's patrons as the door knob would explode before their very eyes, without having made a sound.

Slowly Adamar pressed the door open at his own behest, a gaping hole left as the only evidence that a doorknob had ever existed there at all as darkness swallowed the room. They must've known he was there, as he could smell them within the room, though he was uncertain if due to the quality of the darkness, if they could perhaps see him. Though nothing was left to the imagination as after a long sixty seconds of silence on Adamar's part and stand-off between him and the barking and very out-spoken canine continued, as a bolt of lightning struck by Moselle's window and bathed the room in light for a moment. It was a grisly spectacle to behold as Adamar stood towering so much that his head nearly touched the ceiling, his head cocked to the side so that his face was obscured from sight excluding all but his scarred eye...which was fixated upon the hound which seemed determined not to stop it's incessant and alerting cries.

Upon taking a single step into the room, Aldwyn pounced with fangs bared, accompanied with a ferocious and blood-curdling howl at Adamar. The reaper caught the side of Aldwyn's face, just above his right jaw with a back-hand right before the hound's teeth could sink into Adamar. Though there was something sickening and disturbing about the crunch the strike had made; as it was not the sound that would accompany a flesh on flesh impact. Rather the noise the impact resembled was as though Aldwyn had swerved face-first into a concrete wall, at break-neck speed. As upon the moment of impact, Aldwyn in his canine form was knocked clear across the room, landing rather unceremoniously upon a table used for feeding patients and offering medicine. The only noise to join the sudden retaliation of the reaper's hand, was the shrill and solitary whine that Aldwyn made as a canine, before he landed more than a dozen feet away in a heap of himself, lying in total silence.

"She is safe..." Adamar thought to himself as he fully turned his attention to the white-haired damsel he'd already saved once, for the first instance upon arriving in Nautchwald, Adamar broke his usually measured cadence and hastily found himself at Moselle's bed-side. Gingerly he unclasped the large ornate buttons which held together his over-coat, before casting it over his shoulders and draping it across Moselle as though it were an additional blanket to keep her warm. Having removed his over-coat, Adamar stood wearing a mesh-thin collared shirt with a grey tie...arching himself as he bent over the infirmary bed, he stooped low enough to incline the fingers of his right hand towards Moselle's face before parting the hair away from her eyes. He then quietly withdrew Despair from his right hip as he eased himself back into the wooden chair which was positioned directly beside Moselle, resting the cherished blade across his lap, waiting intently for her to awaken; as he'd realized the moment he saw her, she was in no condition to travel.

 

[RaccoonKing]

Anastasia had begun to find herself drifting into a dreamless slumber, only the occasional shift of her limbs to cast a sound in the silent room as they would shift the sheet of her bed. She was not yet brought into the hands of deep sleep yet thought, a reason to why occasionally her lashes would flutter against her cheeks before settling again in defiance. The day's events were tiresome, leaving her both physically and emotionally exhausted but she seemed remain awake despite this. Fingers curled into the cover of her pillow, red lips parting in a small sigh as green orbs wearily studied the wall she faced.

Torn between sleep and her thoughts, she soon settled down once more and returned to a state of loose consciousness. For a while, blissfully unaware of the events that were transpiring around the manor or even the dread that seemed to display a range of reactions from those who suffered from its effects. She simply slept. There was no dreams to disturb her moment, to cut through the silence and state of rest she remained in throughout it all. Sounds seemed to fall on deafened ears if there were any, only a light rise and fall of her chest.

Then it was stripped away.

While nightmares tried to creep into the void she was currently cast into, it was not them that brought a shocked gasp of air to her lips or the sudden flutter of her gaze as her hands reached up to press against parted lips, teeth soon enough pressing down onto flesh as she narrowed her gain at the sudden pain that awoke her from her previous state, taking priority in her mind as she flashed to sit up. Green orbs were the picture of confusion and minor anger as she peered around the room with a sudden sense of urgency.

Finally when it settled for a brief moment that allowed her some rational thought, she traced it down to her familiar, Aldwyn. Realisation hit her and she had gathered herself to her feet with a sense of dread filling the pits of her stomach. The pain seemed to drift away for a moment, leaving the red rose witch stunned as she gathered her wits, denying the fact of what could be happening, that her familiar would be suffering like this, denying the possibilities of this. Another moment past and Anastasia had just reached the door that now seemed to loom haunting above her as she collapse with a groan, to her knees.

A hand rest upon her chest, she herself quiet and still as she peered at the ground. The brief moment where the pain lessened was a tease as soon enough the crushing force of her familiars loss left her breathless, chest stilled as tears swam at the corners of her eyes. It felt as if a ghostly hand had plucked the very life out of her, leaving her without the echo of her heart thudding in her chest. A shaking hand, trembling, pressed against her eyes to rid them of the tears that gathered there. Something was obviously going on.

Slowly, as if each movement would disrupt the bare amount of strength she had gathered, Anastasia had gotten to her feet as a curtain of red veiled her head, eyes hidden in her moment of mourning. The feeling that appeared before was evidence enough but she was determined to see the physical proof. Her hand, no longer riddled with trembles, within seconds of standing had yanked open the door with a purse of her lips. The feeling of dread had not faded, the red rose witch already having begun to walk down the heels with a hidden gaze, still having not said a word as her mind was completely focused on finding out what was going on.​

 

[Nocturnia]

@Aka~Kitsune​

Stellar Core Facility - Stella
​

Stella was as usual calculating various parameters of her magic and the stellar core. Since she never slept she had to somehow keep herself busy, this sometimes even included delving into things like divination and future-gazing through magic. Skills that still eluded Stella to this day.
However tonight it seems she will not have to keep herself busy, as the Lamia that resides in the mansion walks in through her office door.
"Steeelllaaa? What you up to?"
She shouts with her usual fervor, Stella never understood how a being even older then her could have so much energy. Then again unlike Stella she spent most of her life sleeping, which probably conserved energy... Or stockpiled it, resulting in the energy-packed girl that was in front of her.
"I am working on calculations relevant towards the core's continued functionality... Also studying clairvoyance."
It was probably pointless to hide from Nimhue exactly what she was working on, while she did not consider her stupid, Stella doubted she could understand all of her work. Before Stella continues with her explanation however, Nimhue asks another question.
"Oh...Did you feel that before? The.... That pressure? That feeling a few minutes ago?"
Stella didn't quite feel anything, however this could easily be contributed to the facility's substantial magical shielding. But with a short thought, she could easily conclude that the only source of any sort of disturbance outside had to be the person that broke the Nauchtwald barrier some time ago.
"I didn't feel anything... Most certainly due to the magical barriers of this place. However I know what caused that feeling you spoke of. After all just recently someone broke into Nauchtwald by force."
Stella looks aside, thinking that perhaps she should've intervened, the Witches, though powerful, were quite lax at security, and apparently completely inept in tactical and strategical thinking.
"I chose not to intervene as I believe the witches would not approve of my actions."
At the same time Stella was contacting her familiars to relocate the intruder, it was a simple order, she simply wished to know where he was now, and the familiar that knew would respond.
He is now inside the mansion, infirmary wing.
Stella nodded to herself and continued with the conversation.
"However if you insist I suppose I can look into it. No matter how much of a bother that would be."
She says, while it in fact would be a bother, the Lamia did relieve some of her eternal boredom now and then, not to mention it would be... Bothersome to see the witches killed or defeated.​

 

[RaccoonKing]

HANA

The girl remained curled up, holding the cat between her arms tightly, her eyes still remaining shakily upon the entrance with the pit of her stomach becoming bare as the empty feeling left a sense of dread to consume her. With all her senses, she tried desperately to discover what seemed to set of alarm bells in her head but failed miserably which left her in a state of confusion and terror that allowed a small whimper to pass her lips.

Her grip on her friend only tightened to a point it would soon border along strangling the feline, yet she had not even registered that possibility. She possibly even lost track of the fact that she was holding him. Her attention was grabbed from its state of chaos by the familiar of the red rose witch who gave them orders and took Nadir from her grip to hide. Though she heard the words clearly, she seemed to momentarily wait as she judged those orders. Seconds later the door was opened and the barking erupted.

Within those quick moments, Hana had pushed herself further against the corner, curled up against a table leg as she watched the intruder finally gain entrance, her lips pursed as her jaw tightened till her teeth began to grind. The feeling of dread remained but for a moment, her attention switched to a different agenda. Mostly, the intruders height. It was a quick switch as her face settled into an expression of obvious irritation and jealousy, anger seeming to fuel her gaze for a second as a range of curses seemed to invade her thoughts.

Hana's head snapped around as Aldwyn slammed it a table as a dreadful silent settled around the familiar who only minutes before wanted them to hide. Her breathing became still before she tried to judge, tried to work out exactly what was happening, only to come out with a small sob in response. It seemed unreal. Visibly shaking she quickly glanced between the now seated intruder and Aldwyn, only to gather her wits and hurry over to the fallen familiar. A hand settled on the fur of the canine as she shook the creature pitifully. "A-Aldwyn..."​

 

[RaccoonKing]

Nimhue just stared blindly at her self proclaimed friend, her eyes narrowed slowly as her brows furrowed in obvious confusion. Lips pursed before the pinkette sighed lightly. "...Is there a chance you use big words around me on purpose?" She asked, clearly genuinely curious. She tried hard to learn the language they used but more often than not, she got bored in her minor studies and would find something else to do. Nimhue regretted that sometimes when everyone around her seemed to talk in what often appeared to her as an alien language of some sorts.

The Abaia stared when she mentioned an intruder, instantly cause a flash of concern to twist at her features. "W-wait! What? Someone broke into the manor...People can actually do that?" Then again, she really didn't pay attention when the witches spoke, an exception being Morris of course, so she was not entirely sure about how secure this place was. "What if they attack someone and people get hurt?!" She seemed to freak out for a few seconds, teeth biting furious at her lip. "What if they harm Morris...."

Anger momentarily masked her visage as her eyes appeared to narrow at the wall. Hands clenched into fists as the Abaia seemed, in this moment, ready to destroy something in retaliation. "Noo!" She gritted her teeth, folding her arms childishly as she looked back. Nimhue was contemplating going to find Morris but decided not to when Stella informed her that she could look into the matter. Her attention seemed to stray as her anger faded, eyes wide and filled with a curious light. "You can do that? How?" Nimhue was always curious to how the star being worked.​

 

[Esmeray]

Morris was quite aware of Adamar's presence in the realm the moment the stomping giant phased through the barrier, and sure enough Morris realized that he would have to take control of the situation immediately. This day had become on of the most tedious of the year thus far, and the white witch let a tired sigh escape of his lips as he sluggishly moved towards the manor. He knew where Adamar would be headed, and to say that he didn't expect Adamar to appear would be an obvious lie. Morris just hadn't planned on everything else happening as well, Moselle loosing conscious, the fighting, the memory walk, then even more fighting. All of it was just in the way, as Adamar had been Morris' focus since he decided to bring Moselle home. As he passed the front hall, he noticed that the large double doors were still wide open, creaking as the wind caused them to sway just a little. There was a flash of lightening and he swore he saw the iamge of a silhouette running down the front steps. Morris paid no mind to it, quickly coming to the conclusion that it was either a servant or another family witch. Morris shuffled over to the wooden doors, and shut them closed to prevent anymore rain from being blown inside by the wind. Turning to look at the tiled floor he noticed a pair of muddied shoe prints leading away from the door and stopping closer to the stairs, before leading off to the left. "He must have gone to the infirmary wing looking for Moselle. Typical I suppose, only Aldwyn and-"

Morris' words were soon halted by the sudden feeling of fear that was not his own pushing into his mind, a fear that wasn't his own. Immediately Morris thought of Alexius, and fearing for his life Morris' eyes began to shimmer a golden hue. The witch straightened out his arm, his palm flat against the empty space before him, and began to chant quietly to himself. Instantly the space in front of his figure began to contort and collapse in on itself. Once the chant had come to a stop, Morris stepped through the distorted space and continued to push forward until he was swallowed whole. Morris could hear the faint sound of the front doors creaking open once again as the portal of sorts diminishes back into normal empty space. With in the blink of an eye Morris found himself inside Moselle's infirmary room with the others. He could tell that he was to late at the sight of the lifeless corpse of his mother's familiar Aldwyn. This was something he wanted to avoid today, and for a moment Morris mentally cursed any higher power for hating him so.

Immediately rushing over the unmoving heap of fur, Morris inspected how severe the familiar's injuries were. Seeing how Aldywn's jaw was completely shattered and his neck twisted in an ungodly way Morris knew that trying to revive the poor thing would be utterly useless. The only hope they currently had for saving Aldwyn was tucked under blanketed covers soundly sleeping with out care. The white rose witch, quickly arranged the twisted corpse in a more appropriate position, a way as to not greatly disturb his mother once she came into the room. Morris' figure rose from the floor, and he turned to face the reaper that had taken Aldwyn's life. A crack of lightening illuminated Morris' features, and there was a tired look in his face as his homogeneous eyes gazed at the reaper who sat silently in the corner. Something shiny in the corner of Morris' eyes caught his attention, and he bent down to pick up the uniform that could only belong to a personal servant. Checking the name tag he confirmed it to belong to Hana, and he then collapsed onto his hands and knees. Discovering the frightened animals under the bed did manage to relieve him a little and he coaxed them out from under the bed. "Just stay there while I deal with this you three." He instructs them, finally breaking the gut wrenching silence.

Standing once more he shifts his gaze back and forth from his sleeping daughter to the looming reaper. For a moment he was unsure how to really handle the situation, as he was certain that anything he would say would only lead to a verbal disagreement between the two. It was also only a matter of time before his mother entered the scene, and caused even more problems. Morris was already in enough trouble with his mother as it is, and finding out that Morris is directly involved with Adamar would only strengthen their current distaste for each other. "Adamar....this is a problem. This," He pauses pointing to Aldwyn's dead body," This is different from our previous meetings. I don't make the rules here, and you just killed the companion of the person who does. When she gets here, you under no circumstance are to act. You could very well die tonight, and I would tell you not to do anything stupid but that would be meaningless since you already have." Morris' words were a warning coated with an icy gloss, yet his eyes were that of someone who was pleading for his own sanity for some cooperation.​