Shattered Horizon IC

[Warm Regret]

It was clear that Myriel was not to be reasoned with. She was intent on settling the matter of the vampire downstairs and there wasn't much anyone could do to stop her. For a brief moment, her sharp tongue and brash behavior reminded him of yet another young woman, one with twin brown tails. He stumbled back slightly when the flat chested youth pushed him harshly aside. He thought about trying to talk her out of fighting again but in her current state, it seemed like it would only cause more trouble. Before she leapt from the window, he learned that the elder knightess was the young woman's sister. He also learned of something called the Flementine Tunnel's which sounded vaguely familiar to him. Alexa followed behind Myriel to provide support against the vampire but not before suggesting they evacuate the building.

Tulian looked down to the floor that had already been damaged and tried to decide what they should do. He wasn't used to making his own decisions but as someone who was now free, it was something he would have to get used to. He determined that it wasn't exactly safe to be wandering around upstairs while a fight was about to erupt below. Also, if one vampire had tracked them down, it probably wouldn't be difficult for another to do the same. They had to keep moving or at least find a safe spot to hide until daybreak. By his count, there were now three people ready to take on the vampire and Agatha's departure made four. He didn't have much experience in fighting vampires himself but he did know they could be stopped. The younger knightess seemed to be particularly confident in taking one on, so hopefully that was a good sign.

Emerging from his thoughts, he looked up just in time to see Benedicta move towards the upcoming battle, despite her injuries. Tulian rushed to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder to try and stop her, his cold blue and gold eyes weary with the weight of his life until now. "Your sister asked us to keep you safe. I think you should trust that she can handle this on her own." Letting his eyes fall once more, he continued. "Besides, I don't think you're in any condition to fight, you'd only be a burden to the others. We really do need to seek cover, it isn't safe here." He warned and almost as if on cue, several dozen blades of blood tore through the floor, similar to the singular blade from earlier. Unfortunately for them, with so many blades this time, it was near impossible to dodge them all. Their saving grace was the fact that despite being so many, there weren't enough blades to cover every inch of the room.

Even with his keen reflexes, he was unable to dodge the attack from below and the sharpened tendrils ripped easily through his soft flesh. While his wounds were serious, he had not been fatally injured. Instead, he suffered lacerations to his right arm and back. The skimpy and tattered dress he wore now holding onto him by a few threads. The pain shot through him instantly, like a jolt of lightning and he could do nothing but cry out. His scream may have been muffled by the sounds of battle below but even if it wasn't, it was too late anyway. The vampress clearly knew they were there and from the scale of her attack, it didn't seem like she wanted to take them back in one piece. With tears in his eyes, he clutched his arm out of pure instinct as red blood seeped from his wounds. Once he realized he wasn't dead, he looked around at the others.

Some were lucky like him and suffered serious but not fatal injuries, some had injuries that were more severe and some were just not lucky at all. He felt like the others were so intent on slaying the vampire, that they neglected the safety of the weak and wounded but he was just as much to blame. Had he been more assertive, they may have been able to avoid all this. For so long he had been used to others making decisions for him. He was learning the hard way of the consequences on both sides of that coin. Spotting a spare talentium spear on the ground, he hurried towards it. There was still time to save some of them. As soon as he held it in his hand, a familiar rush washed over him. It wasn't as if he felt stronger, at least not physically but more like he felt a surge of adrenaline. It was as though his self-confidence had increased somehow and he could temporarily work through his pain.

It wasn't the same as when he wore his talentium infused slippers, something was… off but holding this splintered weapon made him feel strong enough to do what was needed. "Gather everyone to the window." He said with a pained look on his face. "We're sitting ducks if we stay put. I'll get us down safely." Heading for the window, he leapt out into the cold air and landed gracefully on the snow covered land below. While they weren't too far above ground, surely no one would have been able to jump so casually from the second story of a house and land with such poise. Obviously, the talentium spear in his hand had something to do with it. Upon his decent, crimson drops of blood stained the frozen water beneath him a dark red. The hemorrhaging caused from exerting himself, caused him to wince in pain and he grunted under his breath.

This time, the low temperature actually came in handy. The cold sting of winter seemed to lessen the hot sting of his wounds and allowed him to keep going. Tucking the spear under his insured arm, he placed both palms on the ground, one leaving behind a bloody hand print. Pushing through the thin layer of snow, he could finally feel the icy earth beneath him. With his capacity to use earth magic now increased, a large column of stone rose from the ground with him in the center. The stone platform rose until it was about parallel to the window he had leapt out of earlier. Exhaling warily into the cold night, he remained stationary and called for the others to come. "Hurry, he breathed. Bring the survivors."

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Alexa channeled energy through her spear and twirled it, deflecting the ichor tendrils that flew towards herself. With a final whirl, she brought her weapon back down, taking a moment to see how the overall fight was going.

...And it was already turning into a mess. Both the Agatha and the Astopolian had somehow already flipped their collective shit, rushing the vampiress with enraged warcries. Well, at least Agatha had improved at her Sword Arts over the years. That was something. Alexa sighed, gripping her spear in both hands as electricity crackled around her.

"In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess." She muttered to herself. "No choice now but to just go along with it. Come on, bitch!" Alexa roared the last part as she took off in a streak of lightning, leaping over and behind the vampiress before driving her spear towards her exposed back.

 

[Zombehs]

The scent of blood snapped Araki from his thoughts and he looked around in alarm. By then the scent had already disappeared, and he wondered if it had simply been a trick of his senses. It didn't look like any of the other patrons noticed anything wrong even if a few glanced in his direction at the sudden movement. With a sigh he turned his eyes back to the fireplace and watched the flickering flames. No less disconcerting was the slow and steady beat he heard while his own heart calmed.

For a moment he turned his attention towards the present barkeeper, but ultimately decided against an attempt to inebriate himself. The occasional taste of sake in Cykes was pleasant, but not exactly what he needed right now. With a raised hand and gesture, Araki guided a few pieces of firewood to feed the dying flames and began to watch as the fresh fuel dried and cracked within the heat. His thoughts naturally drifted towards the others and he wondered if they had managed to evade the vampire's attention or if they were currently in a fight for their lives. Maybe they had already slain her...

 

[Astoria]

Lyra knew hiding out at such a merchant's house was a terrible idea. If they were going to do it again, it was going to be on her terms. It was also her own hubris and that she hadn't prepared to defend the perimeter of the house beyond a customary and cursory warding spell, so when it came down to crunch-time, she was woefully unprepared. Within the cramped quarters of the house right below the staircase, she maintained a mere three shields. One remained perpetually fixed ahead of her position, protecting herself.

As Agatha came below, the purple-haired girl silently nodded, detaching a pentagonal barrier to accompany Agatha as she blasted forward. Intending to further reinforce her position, Lyra was caught off-guard by the vampiress' sudden attack upwards. Reacting to the best of her ability, the third shield, originally layered in front of hers, detached upwards to intercept the blood-based projectiles. They only covered a portion of the ceiling, unfortunately, and Lyra didn't look further, for Agatha had begun her offensive.

Entrenching herself against a wall and between her sole shield, Lyra had little to offer in the quick offensive category. Regardless, she began to fill the air with aetherial projectiles of lesser quality, trying to provide a blanket of covering fire for Agatha and the others that had begun their own attacks in the meantime.

 

[ERode]

@Psyker Landshark @Click This @Skyswimsky @Izurich
Despite the few defensive measures offered by Lyra, the needles of blood that flew upwards were largely unchecked, piercing the wooden ceiling and eliciting a variety of female screams. Many rats indeed. As blood seeped from the holes in the ceiling, Rosa smiled at her challengers, waiting for them to come at her.

The flat-chested brat rushed up from behind, knightly honor forgotten in order to slay a monster.

The twintailed screeched ventured into a mass of bloody spikes, evading and the disappearing.

The spear-wielding brunette burst behind her as well, striking in mid-air.

Charles's 'lover' saturated the area with magical projectiles, covering for her allies.

It was all so…droll.

Even as Rosa could feel a talentium spear drive itself into her foot, splitting flesh and bone, she decided that this was too much effort after all. A moment before the blades of Myriel and Alexa could cut into her, the vampire's body disassembled itself, becoming a swarm of bats. Tens of them were torn to pieces by the assault, but many more escaped, flapping off out of the entrance once blocked by Myriel. Like a sudden storm, the vampire came and went, leaving the three girls to deal with the aftermath of suddenly having their attacks directed at each other.

@Warm Regret @Asuras
Simply due to the nature of the surprise attack, the most common injury amongst the unfortunate slaves were that of their feet. Open wounds allowed for blood to flow freely, and the lack of a healing specialist meant that there was no way for any of those wounds to be closed quickly. A few laid dead, the arcane spears having rang them through, while many others were in no shape or form to walk.

Ultimately, though Tulian's efforts were heroic, only a few of the injured slaves were able to make their way onto the stone platform he had erected. Benedicta was able to make her way over onto it, while some other girls, having the fortune to not receive any injuries from that blind attack, carried Elaina, Wynn, and a few of the less-injured girls onto the stone platform. Pressed for time as they were, many others were abandoned.

As they prepared to make their escape, however, a swarm of bats could be seen flying out of the door, before ascending. For a moment, the leathery beasts hovered a few meters away from the stone pillar, as if amused, before they simultaneously opened their tiny mouths and let out a soundless scream.

Soon after, more soundless screams resounded from the distance, full of gratitude and hunger.

 

[Asuras]

Aided by two other uninjured slaves, Benedicta found her footing atop the platform, chastising herself for relying on people like this. In the back of her head, she chanted to herself that all that matter now was getting out alive.She couldn't redeem her lack of skill if she was dead. Worse still, she couldn't shed the bellowing fear for her sister downstairs. This vampire, though sporting no significantly greater magic than the ones they had fought earlier, was clearly bold enough to stand against a handful of capable fighters. She could only hope it was merely the vampire's naturally arrogant personality, and not any sign of skill.

Despite avoiding the woman, they were far from in the clear. No sooner than they had stepped out of the window did screech a multitude of bats, calling out to the vampires that permeated the city still. There was little time left, and far less for the fighters downstairs. Benedicta clicked her tongue.

"They're finished down there if they can't get past the vampire quickly," she said to Tulian. Though she left the path open to decision, Benedicta was already firm in her determination to save her sister.

 

[Skyswimsky]

"DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!" Shouting to nobody in particular, Myriel's strike was so close and yet so far.

The vampire quickly turned into a swarm of bats, quickly turning Agatha into the unwilling target for both herself and Alexa. While shooting a torrent of flames would have maybe be one petty attempt to stop the vampire's escape, Myriel's instinct of saving just one human life right in front of her eyes made her act different. Dropping her weapon mid-motion the washboard quickly followed by giving herself a short, but powerful, speed boost by releasing the charged up power of her Gauntlet behind her, managing to tackle the supposed-to-be Airship captain way before any sort of more dangerous harm could reach her. Of course, that also meant that now Myriel was in the face of immediate danger - mainly from Alexa's strike.

"ARCADIA UNION!" Not a moment too late, a golden shimmer protected the entirety of the tomboy's small frame as the impact of Alexa's attack was completely nullified, allowing her to safely fall onto the ground, her own fall being cushioned by Agatha under her. Regardless, considering Myriel wasn't at full power in the first place, the impact of the blocked attack made her black out for a few seconds, simply resting upon Agatha's chest. "..." Quickly being taken back to reality by some dripping blood from the ceiling, Myriel knew there was no time to slack off. As tired as she felt.

Quickly getting up again and staggering a few steps back the black-hair equipped her weapon before getting mad. "I told you to run away! One or two vampires? I could have handled, but now? As detestable as that vermin is, they are NOT stupid." Having been paranoid since they left the slave-auction and having probably more education about vampires than Agatha, Alexa and Lyra together, she didn't need to hear the soundless scream to know too well what would probably happen next.She shoke her head, there was no point in playing some blame game or being mad now. In fact, her lack of proper experience was probably what led her into this situation in the first place. If she, and her sister, had been proper Astopolian Knights they had obliterated the entire vampire gang back in the auction house.

Yeah, her sister, another drop of blood from the ceiling landing on her cheek quickly made her fear for the worst. "Benedicta!" Running past Lyra, not without giving her a hateful glance considering oh-how-useful her 'shields' were in blocking the vampires attack against the first floor, she was quickly relieved to see her not amongst the wounded. Still, all this fresh blood would leave a trace. Not to mention all the problems they created for the merchant of this house. Yes, Myriel truly failed entirely.

Staggering for another moment, Myriel quickly followed onto the stone platform outside the window, giving Benedicta a quick hug before she said. "The vampire ran away since we ganked up on her, to no surprise. It's only a question of time until we're swarmed...though..." She clenched her weapon. Yeah, she had made her decision. Returning like this was not an option. Sure, Benedicta was hurt enough before to actually excuse such a retreat, but herself? No. Even if she was aware of how pitiful her attempt would probably be, it was something she had to do. Myriel would not betray her own believes. "I'll try my best to hold off as many of them as I can, you... just get away safe." While talking to everybody - except the elves - Myriel was actually looking at her older sister. She didn't even had to say anything, but there was no way Myriel would let her fight.

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

"Gah?!" Things just went from bad to abso-fucking-lutely worst as the bloodsucking monster dodged the three-pronged attack simply by transforming into a swarm of chiropteran critters, Agatha's attack was considered a miss really, she only injured the vampire's foot in which would be healed in a matter of seconds, a minute at best. Her brown eyes shot open wide in panic as the abrupt exit of their sole target turned their momentum against themselves. Agatha closed her eyes, her teeth gritting, so this was how she's going to end, sliced at her neck and stabbed through the skull by an Astopolian knight and a fellow Heiress, fuck... this was definitely not the best way to go.

Everything became a blur, the young woman was too exhausted after using her Skill to notice what was going on anymore. "Oof!" All that she knew was her body being tackled by something... then falling on her back, "Ah..." A shout of some fancy technique name, a golden sheen... a clash of lighting against that sheen, then... a petite dark-haired figure falling on top of her, the head snugly resting against the Heiress' breasts. "..." The slow-mo effect receded as Agatha got her senses together, "...kuh!!" as with Myriel, it was the dripping crimson liquid that jumpstarted her spirit.

"Elaina?!!!" Wobbling back up as soon as Myriel got off her, the brunette ignored everything Myriel said as she scampered back up onto the attic, left hand still cluthing the Talentium Spear, "M-move over, Lyra! Elaina?! Ha... Ela-... Elaina?!!" Like a mama bear searching for her cub, Agatha dashed pass Lyra, coming upon the plethora of dead and dying ex-slaves, the floor painted red with blood, reminding her of the horror she saw back in the tunnels. "Noooooooooooo!!!!" An enraged scream violently echoed against the wooden walls as Agatha's head twisted here and there, narrowed brown eyes spotlighting each face, trying to find the elven maid, "W-where is she?! Where's Elaina?!" Right now, nothing mattered except the safety of her maid, she lost her crew already, she was not going to lose her lifelong guardian now! "Gaaaaaaaaaah!!" It was hard to predict what Agatha would do if not for one of the lucky girls calling her then shouting out that Elaina was safe with them.

"....ha... ah...?" Turning at the window, she saw a stone platform had been erected beside the building, courtesy of Tulian's Earth Magic she assumed. "..." Yes, Elaina was among them. "Ha... ha... t-thank you... ha..." Now calmed down, even if just barely, Agatha turned back at those who were left behind, especially those who still lived but on the edge of their lives and those who could be saved if they had better circumstances. "........" It was a hard decision, but... Agatha must accept that even though she tried to save as many as she could, sometimes it didn't mean everyone. "I'm sorry..." Yes, she was not going to deny her selfishness, as long as Elaina and by extension, Lyra, were safe, she could rest easier... may the rest in peace. Jumping out of the window towards the stone platform, Agatha went beside Elaina then carried the maid herself by piggybacking, "Come on, let's go!" Where? She didn't know, but one thing for sure, they couldn't stay here, Rosa would be back... along with her friends this time.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Well, shit. This just went from bad to pretty fucking bad. As if it weren't enough that one vampire knew where they were, now the rest of their coven in the city would probably find out within the hour, if not less. There really was no other choice now: they had to abandon the slaves and run for it.

Of course, she didn't word it that way.

"Fine," She nodded to Myriel. "Let's get your sister out of here, then. We'll need to figure out a way to get out of the city proper as we run." Alexa muttered, before she glanced at Agatha.

"If we find an airship, you can pilot it, right?" She murmured as her conversation with Araki came flashing back. "Wait, shit. The kid said the ships in the harbor are rigged to blow. Some kind of spirit magic. Can anyone here detect that?"

 

[Warm Regret]

He never thought escaping would be easy. Honestly, he didn't think it would be possible at all and at this point he wasn't sure he had been swayed from that thought. It had been a constant struggle for them ever since they left Braxton Hall and they had barely been afforded a chance to rest. Were the gods really this cruel? It was enough to make anyone want to give up but they weren't being chased by ordinary slavers. Tulian imagined if they were captured again, it wouldn't be to work in a brothel or serve some wealthy lord, it'd be as some vampire's play thing. From the carnage he saw at Braxton Hall to the utter disregard for their lives in the attic, he assumed this was for sport now. The vampire's were just playing with their food. He wasn't ready to die just yet, so he did his best to ignore his injuries and press forward.

Everyone who was able, made it onto the stone pillar but their numbers continued to dwindle. He was sure a few stragglers were left behind at Braxton Hall, now some had been taken out while hiding in town. If only they had some time to rest. The appearance of the bats troubled him. He didn't have to hear their silent voices to know they were alerting the others to their presence. It was enough to see them fly out the front door of the house they had been hiding in and the peculiar way they hovered nearby, almost taunting them. This wasn't normal behavior for an ordinary bat. Tulian stood and waved his free hand, causing several small chunks of rock to separate from the stone pillar and hurl themselves in the direction of the swarm. It probably wouldn't do much good but maybe he could take a few of them out or temporarily disperse the swarm.

Benedicta expressed her desire to help the others and while Tulian didn't think it was a good idea because of her injuries, he could understand why she wanted to help. Her sister was down there after all. If he had a sibling, he would have wanted to do the same. He hadn't realized that the bats taunting them were actually made up of the female vampire from earlier, however he nodded to Benedicta. "We should check on them. I'll get us down." But before he could do anything, Myriel appeared, claiming the vampire escaped and offering to hold off the ones that were on their way. Although the undeveloped young girl wasn't talking specifically to him, he responded anyway.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He said flatly. "If you were unable to stop one vampire, I doubt you'll have better luck against a dozen of them. It would be better if we retreat for now, hide ourselves so we can rest until tomorrow and plan our next move or at the very least find a suitable place to make our stand. Our odds of surviving are better if we can work together as a team. I'm certain we'll be picked off one by one if we divide ourselves. You said Agatha's friend planned an escape route. I think I can get us there." At this point, the others had shown up as well. Tulian was relieved to see they were all still alive but it was hard to tell from the somber expression that seemed to never leave his face. This time it was because of those who had lost their lives in the attic or were too injured to escape. He couldn't help but feel some type of guilt from their sacrifice.

Once everyone was on the platform, he knelt again and placed both hands on its surface, lowering the stone pillar to ground level as if it had never existed. Instead of engaging in conversation with the others, he remained put. Hopefully someone would come up with an idea but he was already preparing a Plan B. Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate. His Nature Link spell was more effective in the wild but even in a city, in the quietude of night, it could be almost as useful. His consciousness spread out into the earth like tendrils of pure energy while seeking a particular type of nocturnal life-form. Namely, rats. If there was a secret underground tunnel in this town, they would know about it and with their help, Tulian could get them to the closest point of entry...even if he had to improvise by using his earth magic to create an entrance.

 

[Zombehs]

The flickering flames captured Araki's attention well enough that he jolted sharply when the high-pitched screams pierced his thoughts. His hands clutched at his head as numerous other screeches replied to the first, and his grimace faded slowly as he looked around and saw nobody else had reacted. Some gave him odd looks at the most, and he slowly sank back into the chair with a frown.

While he couldn't be certain, it seemed like a fair possibility that Alexa and the group had managed to repel the vampiress. To spite them she had cried out for more of her kind, and the responses were plentiful, so the group was in even more danger now. Was there anything he co-

A piece of information abruptly came to the forefront of his mind as he began to think. The set Spirits supposedly only detonated if the boat pursued the vampire's trail. Granted there were still several flaws with that option, but the group probably didn't even know it had that option was open at the moment. With a frown he glanced towards the barred door and pondered if the risk was really worth it to just convey that bit of information. Vampires moved to claim their escaped prizes at the very moment, so it'd be a race to just reach them and he'd almost definitely run into the undead on his way back.

Araki got a few more looks like he was mad when he asked to leave the Club building, but there was otherwise little resistance. Snow blew in as the door was cracked open and he could hear the bar slam into place as he stood just outside. Nothing seemed in the immediate vicinity and he glanced around a few times before he decided on a route. It was foolish to hop from rooftop to rooftop, but with his magic he left no tracks as his light steps practically glided over the snow. A bit slower as he navigated the streets and alleys of Yuimas, but he arrived just as a stone pillar carried numerous individuals to the ground.

The sight of fresh injuries wasn't surprising, but Araki grimaced as he realized the group's numbers had been reduced, or more likely cut down. As he scanned for Alexa, he couldn't help but notice the ones that leaned on others for support or just to stand. Guilt welled up, but he pushed it down for the moment with the rationalization that he could beat himself up over his choices later when he wasn't out in the open with vampires on the way.

Alexa was easy enough to spot, and he quickly dashed over towards her, sliding to a stop without so much as disturbing the snow. "Uh, hey. Might be welcome news, but the ships are apparently only rigged to explode if it follows the vampire's trail. Dunno if another vamp can trigger them though..." He really didn't want to explain how he learned that, and just glanced aside at the group that looked to be on its last legs… Maybe if he had been with them the vampiress have been able to escape. His telekinesis could hold their shapeshifted forms, and if it was just one… Turmoiled thoughts led to a conflicted expression before he seemed to snap to and turned to leave.

 

[Astoria]

Having drawn her defenses thin with half her normal compliment of shields, Lyra found herself unable to aid most of the escapees hiding above the roof. It would seem, however refined her defensive spells were, she had a lot to learn. Unfortunately for the escaped girls, it was at their expense. More importantly, the group's combined might had forced the red-haired vampire to beat a swift retreat. Again to much misfortune, that came in the form of bursting into a cloud of bats. While Lyra was able to shoot down several with saturating fire, the more immediate concern was the three-pronged attack of the knight and Lyra's two friends; with the vampire now missing from the position she once stood at, they all came barreling together with swords and spears pointed at one another.

By some miracle, their injuries were light, and that was all that mattered for Lyra. Taking the opportunity to finally shore up her defenses, she conjured the remaining three shields to restore her complement of six. The purple-haired girl was in the middle of restoring the second, damaged shield when Agatha barreled through, leaving Lyra momentarily confused before realizing that she had been searching for Elaina. Not being a healer, she could only watch her run about as she finished restoring the hexagonal plate. Walking within earshot distance of Alexa and Araki, she tilted her head.

"My family's vessels are in harbor. They are rigged to blow?" The noble's normally confident eyes seemed to show hesitation. She set the pommel of crude talentium spear on the ground, keeping the tip of the weapon raised. Mana gathered around her. "I can hold them here. If you can fight, I can form a wall here. They won't get through."

 

[ERode]

The reality was beginning to set in. The bloody, painful reality that it may have been better for them to have accepted their fate as slaves instead of run away. In that skewered, broken attic, a girl watched as others left, her eyes wide, her shoulders trembling. Was this it? Had she gone through all this, just to be left behind as a sacrifice?

Another woman coughed beside her, blood seeping from a large hole in her thigh. Already her complexion was pale from blood loss, and her eyes were lightless, a dull brown. "They're leaving?" She chuckled. "Cutting their losses, huh?"

"What do you mean by that?" The girl scrambled towards the open window, crawling on the blood-slick floor. "They're j-"

"They're leaving us behind. Sacrifices to the vampires so that they can escape."

"N-n-no, that can't be right? What the…" Another girl, bent over the corpse of a friend, turned her tear-streaked face upwards, grief turned to hatred. "What the fuck is that?! They're just leaving us behind? They were the ones that fucked up to begin with!"

"And we're dead weight to them now." The ugly truth lifted its head up.

The girl by the window stopped, her will crushed underneath the pressure of this desperate situation. "NonononononNONONONONO!!!"

Others watched as she broke down, wishing they could help, but not sure what exactly to say. They didn't even have a weapon to kill themselves with, before the vampires feasted on their beating hearts.

The teary-eyed girl smirked. "So much for Astopolian Knights."

Another, resigned to her fate, shrugged. "They kill monsters. Doesn't mean they save humans."

One of the less injured ones scrambled about, searching for the attic while praying for salvation. "Shit shit shit, there has to be another way! Why di-"

"Stop think about 'whys' and 'what ifs'," the pale-skinned woman said, "The people who could do something didn't do it. Doesn't matter now anyways."

"Hahaha…yeah, it's all over for us."

"…no." The child that crawled to the window looked outwards, and let that last bit of hope die. "It's all over for everyone."

---

Down in the snowy streets of Yuimas, people plotted, schemed, hungered, struggled, casted, prepared, and searched. The escapees searched for a way out of their situation. The vampires tightened the noose around their necks. The civilians hid in their houses and pretended that everything was ok. But, ultimately, that illusion of safety, that possibility of freedom, that promise of a feast, they were all broken by the sound of glass shattering.

No, by the sound of the world shattering.

Immersed in the extension of his natural magic, Tulian could feel the rats flee, escaping down small crevices and tunnels, an instinctual fear gripping them all.

Preparing to make her final, heroic stand, Myriel could feel a certain dread begin to weigh down on the atmosphere, an inexplicable sensation eroding her will to fight.

Weaving her protective magic, Lyra could feel that, regardless of how much time and effort she put in, it was going to be for naught, as her mana flow began to become sporadic, vicious.

Turning to leave the group, Araki could feel his heart bursting out of his chest, his body physically reacting to what was to come. The spirits he sensed before were torn from their position below the ships, drawn like water down a hole. That fever was coming once more, but this time, it was almost…energizing. His skin was burning, and a hazy excitement was pooling within him. An uncharacteristically joyful anticipation of what was to come.

And then, it fell.

The winter clouds split, revealing a rift that cracked open the sky. From within, only darkness could be seen, and from it, only darkness fell. There was no distinct form, no distinguishing figure that emerged as it fell onto the snowy ground.

It was simply black mud.

A flood of pitch black mud.

 

[Warm Regret]

As he knelt there concentrating, he managed to block out the white noise around him. His pain melted away and so did the winter chill The chatter from the others was lost to him and now that his eyes were closed, he couldn't see the young boy from earlier rejoin their group. The world around him slowly disappeared and the only thing that existed was himself and the lifeforms he was reaching out to. Once the ability took hold, he could sense them, the numerous rats in their immediate vicinity. They were considered vermin, much like he was but also like him, they were resourceful and the knowledge they carried just might be enough to save them. It was working, he could feel them scurrying about, those tricky little rodents always finding a way. Yes, they were leading him to…no….wait, they weren't leading him to the tunnels, it was more like they were fleeing, escaping into any type of refuge they could find. Suddenly the crafty like behavior he had tapped into became an overwhelming sense of dread and it immediately caused him to sever the link, opening his eyes with a gasp.

The flood of the world rushed back into him, overloading his senses. "Oh no. Not now...." He whispered before standing slowly and turning around. Looking up into the sky with blue gold eyes, his long blue ponytail tussled in the ominous breeze caused by a sinister presence. He watched as the heavens literally split apart, birthing a being of pitch blackness. It bore no true form, but its presence was so dark it was eerie. Although he could no longer feel his legs, he remained standing. Somehow he was able to keep his wits to gauge how large it was and what they were potentially dealing with. He had been pushed to the edge of his limits so many times today, it couldn't be a coincidence that so many things went wrong in such a short period of time. The gods were punishing them, either that or they had a hell of a sense of humor. "We have no choice but to fight now. If left alone the rift beast will destroy everything and without a method of escape we'll just be destroyed in it's rampage."

"We have to decide quickly, what are we going to do? If we fight, we have to fight it together. A concentrated effort of offense, defense and special attacks. We cover each other's weaknesses and augment each others strengths." True to his character, the look on his face never changed, though inside he wondered if such a diverse group of people were capable of working together, let alone taking down a rift beast. Their chances were slim but at least they still had a chance.

 

[Zombehs]

Araki spared a glance backwards towards the one that asked the question, and quickly looked her up and down. Unable to see anything of note or some symbol that tied her to one of the dozens of ships in harbour, he shrugged after a moment and said, "Probably?"

Blinking in surprise as he felt energy swirl around her, Araki just shook his head as he turned around to continue on his way. He was looking at the result of a run-in with a single vampire, and he didn't need to stay around to know how the scene would be painted if a group of them arrived.

He didn't manage to take another step before his heart tried to burst from his chest with a powerful beat that drowned out almost everything. Almost. It was not a particularly ear-splitting noise, but the clatter and crack of shattered glass reached his ears without any trouble. Unable to help it, his lips curled upwards into an almost feral grin as his head snapped up to look at the widening crack in the sky above. His blood warmed to an uncomfortable temperature, and the energy in it seemed to thrum uncontrollably. He knew that what poured from the burgeoning rift would almost certainly devastate Yuimas, but if anything that simply made his smile grow wider.

Still the sensation did not complete override any sense Araki had and he turned to look at what was left of the group. Talentium was still limited as before, and more injuries meant they moved even slower now. The purple-haired apparently owned several ships, but legality be damned, he needed her apparent defensive capabilities here rather than at the docks. It was impossible to keep the manic glint from his eyes and eagerness from his voice as he addressed everyone close enough to hear. "The spirits been pulled from the boats, so someone head over and prep one to get out! Anyone not needed for that and can contribute to slow this thing down? Grab a spear. And fight this thing? Yeah sure I guess we are, but we certainly aren't going to kill it. Last time, and this was a week or two ago, it took more people, far better equipped and rested, to weaken a Rift Beast, and then we still needed help to finish it off."

With a quick sigh as he finished, Araki reached into the purse that housed the previous Rift Beast's core tentatively. He watched as the black mud began to flow forth and plummet towards the snowy ground. The mud seemed to draw light into it, and his expression twisted strangely as it hit the ground out of sight, hidden behind plenty of buildings. He instinctively felt some repulsion towards the night's mud, but each heartbeat surged excitement and anticipation through his veins and mind. The two emotions clashed and twisted around one another, leaving him slightly off balance before his hand closed tightly around the small orb. It was colder than the harsh winds that whipped past him, but his blood seemed to ignite at the contact. Hard to describe as pleasant or unpleasant, but most definitely useful in clearing his mind.

'Damn…' Araki had his gold, but the majority of his supplies were still back at the Fight Club's building. 'Can I make it?' It didn't look like the mud had swept over that portion of town just yet, and he really did not want to just throw away what things remained of his family. If no one interrupted then he would make it… probably. "Damn it, I'll be right back," he snapped at the others before he dashed back the way he had come and took to the rooftops with ease.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

Alexa gazed up at the sky with a mixed feeling of horror and sheer frustration.

Oh, come the fuck on. A Rift Beast? Now? As if dealing with vampires wasn't bad enough, now they had to contend with another one of these damn things. And unlike last week, this time, most of her group was poorly armed, poorly rested, and didn't have the luxury of backup coming to finish the job. And not to mention the risk of the vampires interfering.

"...Forget this." She spat, twirling her spear in one hand. "Agatha, you heard the kid. Take whoever you need, get over to a ship, and get ready to go. Everyone else will hold it here."

Alexa glanced around, addressing everyone else present. "No one take any stupid risks. We're not trying to kill this thing here, just hold it off until we can escape. This town's already as good as screwed." She said coldly, narrowing her eyes as she gazed upon the oncoming mud. "So don't try and be a hero. We're in no condition to be killing this thing. Best we can do is get out of here and alert a more prepared force."

 

[Astoria]

Lyra had full confidence in her ability to hold back a horde of vampires, given she had support. What she did not have full confidence on, a rare thing, was putting up any sort of meaningful defense against a rift beast. As the darkened, cloudy skies parted to reveal a massive unholy void, the purple-haired girl knew that there was little hope.

A pool of darkness poured out from above. Her magic faltered, not of her inability to discipline herself, but from the simple absence of mana. It simply wasn't there. Her six shields, already formed, stayed in their places, but their petty presence in the company the unknown was frightening. It was time to go. Fast.

"…We need to leave," she said, bluntly, echoing the words of her peer. "The flow of my magic has been cut off. I can't help beyond what I already have."

The city was doomed. Lyra never cared for it, but in this moment of vulnerability, even her previous concern for her family's property was completely dismissed and ignored. She could only hope they could outrun whatever monstrosity would form out of the darkness that had expelled itself from the heavens.

She turned to look at her auburn-haired friend, an earnest and serious expression on her face. "Agatha. Can the ship run with just the few of us?"

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

"Yes, but not by myself..." Was the brunette's answer towards the younger heiress, even if she was the best airship captain in the world, she couldn't operate the vehicle without an able crew. Hoping the ex-slaves, her friends, and the Astopolian Knights to act as a solid team of air-sailors was a fool's notion, but it's not like she had a choice. "What? Ah come on... fuck!" Welp, no need to think further on the issue if the ships were rigged to blow anyway.

The arrival of Alexa's teenager friend escaped Agatha's notice, the Nightingale Heiress was fixated on her purple-haired childhood friend's decision to stay. "Lyra..." Much to her own surprise, Agatha's voice came out as soft and meek, full of guilt and doubt. Here she was, about to leave a group of innocent girls to their doom while her scholar friend, who was not even a fighter in her own right, decided to risk her life. Agatha's frame was trembling, looking down at the ground, torn between her desire to protect Elaina and her conscience. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she abandoned them, Agatha thought Elaina's safety would justify this cruel decision, but... "No... No... I..." By the skies above, hearing the desperate wails from the child, a little girl Agatha tried to leave along with the other injured ex-slaves, wracked Agatha with shame. Leaving a child to die and she called herself a captain?

"Fine." Agatha huffed, "I'm staying." the brunette said firmly. She looked down at the unconscious form of Elaina in her arms then up at the group. Approaching one of the girls, Agatha handed Elaina over to her, "Please take care of her..." She paused, pursing her lips, "If I don't make it..." which she'd most likely will, "Treat her until she wakes up, Elaina will take you to the Nightingale household and guarantee you safety, all of you." Giving a kiss on the elven maid's forehead, Agatha picked up a spear then faced up at the slaves at the attic, specifically at the young girl, "Fear not! I am not leaving you! I am staying, I will fight back those bloodsuckers even if it's the last thing I do! This, I promise you!" Smiling with brimming confidence to hide her fear, Agatha stepped alongside Lyra, "Well, looks like this is it..." already prepped for their last stand.

Or so she thought...

Music

"...!?"

Up at the darkening skies, the horizon shattered, the air grew heavy, and even the most common man could feel the foreboding omen. The rain of black mud confirmed this unadulterated fear gripping her heart, no man, no vampire, no monster could evoke such feeling, except... them. "Impossible... Rift... beasts...?" Agatha clattered her teeth, now visibly shaking, in all her adventuring life, she only had encountered the extradimensional abomination once during a group expedition in Dansila and it was enough to scar her for life. A single monster took out half of the group before it could be taken down, to make matters even worse, it was quite weak compared to others of its kind. Agatha couldn't imagine facing against a mighty Rift Beast.

"S-shit..." She was at a loss, those monsters attacked everything and everyone, in just a few seconds, the vampires became an irrelevant factor to the current threat., Yuimas itself was doomed. Tulian suggested that they fought the thing, but... they would all die, absolutely, without a shred of doubt. Well, since she was already planning to make a final stand against the bloodsuckers, the Beast's arrival only made things from worse to worst. Oddly however, the dark-haired young teen sounded eager and excited, did the overwhelming pressure snap him? Seemed so, he knew he was going to die so why waste it by wallowing in fear, might as well go down blazing, right? Understandable. "...Say that again?" Unexpectedly, the manic boy decided that running was the better option, while the calm placid Tulian chose to confront it, had the world gone mad? Ah yes, broken sky above, yep, definitely mad.

So the spirits were gone, likely scared shitless by the oncoming monster, that's how fearsome it is, even ghosts were spooked by it. "..." With its arrival, Agatha's previous decision became easier to consider, no way they were going to win a fight against the rift-beast, not injured and exhausted like this, it was either run to fight another day or be slaughtered, any sane man would choose the former. The injured slaves were doomed, no matter what. A harsh cruel fact, but a fact nonetheless. "Yeah, Alexa, gotcha.." She nodded at the Granville Heiress, "...I don't know, Lyra, but we're damned if we don't try!" then at the Mauritania Heiress. "Alright!" Agatha raised her spear then turned towards the group, "Those of you who has experiences with airships, even if just barely, follow me!! Those of you who can fight, help Alexa! Protect as many people as you can!" She then started sprinting towards the docks, "Tulian!" passing the elven male as she did, "Come with me or stay? Your call!"


[/fieldbox]

 

[Skyswimsky]

Myriel was genuinely confused about this...ragtag group's way of thinking. First, they seemed to freak out even just facing one vampire but suddenly, now, pretty much every capable fighter decided to stand fighting against a force of blood-suckers who would most likely easily decimate them by sheer number. Just how deluded - apart from the stupid shield-girl thinking she could bunker down in the first place - could they be ? With that, the black-hair's selfish plan to go out with a flash and create a distraction big enough to allow everybody else a safe escape wasn't an option anymore.

No. Myriel shook her head, already failing the initial plan against the retreating vampire whore earlier was a huge mistake, but now again? Myriel was by no means as grand as her lovely sister, though, this time, she had to do something. Not just the elves, even the humans in this group were simple-minded savages that just couldn't understand. Maybe, if she hadn't some sort of Astopolian Pride she would have simply abandoned those savages but, alas, it was her duty. As stupid as a human could be, she had to be a light in the darkness. Calming her anger for a few seconds to not just lose her temper and call them outright retarded, the small andandrogynous washboard was just about to give them some serious smack when suddenly, the unexpected happened.

"W-What?" Myriel was completely taken aback at the unexpected turn of events as suddenly everybody's attention shifted towards a crack in the sky: Undoubtedly, it were the signs of a Rift Beast. "Tzch..." For just a mere moment, Myriel didn't think too much of the appearance of such a being - as in comparison to the supposed-to-be-vampire-attack the mere appearance of a single Rift Beast was just laughable - but then Myriel realized, for just a mere moment, she had been a fool. "This can't be...." Myriel took a step back in disbelief, even a fool could realize that this was out of the ordinary. Not just its presence alone, no, even it's form was nothing comparable to anything Myriel had read in any of the various books she studied.

A myriad of unanswerable questions raced through the young Knight's had upon trying to cope with this new situation. Myriel simply faltered upon facing the unknown. Her legs, no, her entire body started to tremble as she took another step back - this was clearly the feeling of fear.

 

[ERode]

It was a shame, but it wasn't their problem, ultimately. As the black mud spewed downwards, the vampires took flight, a swarm of bats rising up and dispersing. In the distance, far from of the epicenter of the rift-beast's descent, the rag-tag party could hear the splintering of wood and the shattering of stone. Braxton Hall, against this massive way, tilted to one side, before falling, crumbling into a thick swamp soundlessly. Screams, silenced too soon, resounded from the distance as the citizens of Yuimas failed to escape the nightmarish flood.

Like an ink blot on a map, the black mud had already swallowed a quarter of the town, turning everything into a whirlpool. As Araki dashed from rooftop to rooftop, hurrying towards the tavern that held the Fight Club, his path was cut off much too quickly by gouts of mud pouring between the streets. It destroyed the buildings that he used as footholds, cutting off his path towards the Fight Club. In the distance, he could see that familiar building too be crushed under the weight of this abnormal rift-beast. With no way forward, the crystalla could only retreat.

Agatha's call to action, and the group's attempt to reach the docks were similarly thwarted by the abnormal speed of the flood. Though it initially appeared to simply be a massive blob of mud, the rift-beast was clearly moving with intent, its speed easily outstripping the movement of human and elven legs. Only those with Talentium could outpace it, but those that had Talentium to begin with were off to hold back the town-sized being.

As the black flood approached Alexa's small squad, it rose up by itself, towering over them as a tidal wave to crush them in a single strike.

This was no longer the time for talking, no longer the time for deciding.

Now, they could only act, and pray that they made the correct decision.

Up above, the torrent of black mud still had not ceased.