The City of Rothendust

[Zarrock]

Cojack stared in awe as the section of the wall came crumbling to the ground. The wall was their protection. It marked the line between humans and monsters. Now, this section of it lay in ruin. Cojack had to shield his eyes as the bits of dust and rock flew up into the air, obscuring his vision of the invading monsters. When he could see through the debris again, he was met with a sight of pure terror. The smallest monster he could see was a grade 3, and even those were at least 9 feet long. This fight would not be an easy one, no sir. There were so many monsters, more than Cojack had ever seen in one spot. They were massive, they were terrifying, and they would destroy anything in their path. Unless of course, someone stood in their path. The red dragoon decided that someone would be him.

Cojack nocked an arrow and drew the string, aiming for one of the grade 3 monsters. He felt his muscles strain against the powerful bow, the draw strength much higher than most other archers of the time were used to. However, Cojack had almost 13 years of experience with the weapon, and had grown to enjoy the heavy bow. With the arrow fully pulled back and pointed at the enemy, he fired the shot. The steel-tipped arrow streaked through the air at phenomenal speeds, finding its mark in the ackachith's shoulder. The creature screeched as Cojack grabbed his next arrow, the muscles repeating the same motions he'd practiced over and over. With the arrow drawn back once again, he fired his second shot and ended the beast's screeching, the second arrow finding its way to the monster's throat. Cojack quickly found a new target, a scalehound, and put a third arrow through the monster's skull. He gave a bit of a smile as he nocked a fourth arrow, aiming the steel tip at another grade 3. With a short yelp, that ackachith fell as well, Cojack's arrow protruding from its neck.

With his fifth arrow nocked, a raipoluth charged the building he stood on. Cojack quickly leapt to a nearby building, his massive legs propelling him from rooftop to rooftop. The wood of the roof groaned under Cojack's weight, but it held him. Cojack quickly spun around as the grade 4 monster plowed through the building, sending splinters of wood and debris flying through the air. Cojack loosed his fifth arrow, which only barely missed the raipoluth's eye as it lifted its head from the pile of splintered wood that used to be a building. The hard skull of the creature shattered the arrow on impact, leaving just the tip of it embedded in the monster's skin.

With no more arrows in his hand, Cojack quickly put his bow back into his quiver and drew his massive sword, another motion he had practiced over and over. The raipoluth gave a bellow and charged Cojack again, its head lowered as it hurled its weight towards the relatively fragile structure. Just before it hit the building, Cojack leapt straight up, watching the best plow through the building. Cojack's fall wouldn't land him directly on the monster's back as he had hoped, but it would get him close. The dragoon used the momentum of his fall to add to the strength of his sword strike. His blade missed the monster's spine, but it did embed itself into the creature's back. The creature screeched in pain as Cojack hit the ground, its head lifting from the wreckage as the dragoon rolled underneath the beast. With his massive blade stuck in the monster's back, he was forced to use one of his smaller blades to shove up into the raipoluth's underbelly. He was both surprised and happy to find that the creature's stomach was soft, and he found himself able to easily drag the sword in a long cut up the monster's body.

The monster gave a final bellow as it fell, its body landing on top of the dragoon. With a grunt, Cojack was able to throw the corpse off of him, but not before he ended up drenched in the creature's blood. He pulled his massive blade from the dead creature's back, the metal coming loose with a loud squelching noise. He put the blade back in its sheathe and was about to do the same with his smaller sword when three grade 3 creatures began approaching him. Cojack quickly backed himself into an alley, forcing the monsters to attack him one at a time, and making them unable to flank him. With his back pressed to a building, he drew his other one handed sword and dropped into a defensive stance. He swapped the blade in his left hand to a backhand grip, its blade still dripping with the blood of the grade 4. The blade in his right was held at the ready as one of the three monsters charged down the alley. With a bellow, Cojack swung his sword at the beast as it leapt at him, wishing he had someone to draw the other two away so he had a bit of time between attacks.

 

[Victor Markov]

Victor and Sorin heard the alarm ring out from the little stall on Smith's row and closed shop as fast as they could before the dragoon and esper took off for the rising dust cloud that marked the beach. He had lived through a simular thing once and wasn't strong enough to do anything. This time, he would fight. "Sorin, chain blade. Let's be ready before the battle starts." Victor said as they ran as fast as they could.
"As you wish, Victor." the esper said before he jumped ahead of Victor and in a flash of blood red light, transformed into a long chain with serrated blades attached to each link on both sides of the individual links. The handle had a few segments of chain on it, but they were smooth and wrapped around the dragoon's wrist as Victor caught his partner and continued running with the bladed chain extending behind him for several feet. Once he reached the breach, Victor spotted Cojack already fighting and in trouble. "Need a hand?" Victor asked the older dragoon as he lashed out with the whip like blade and cut deeply into one of the other monsters' flanks.
@Zarrock

 

[girlabot]

As Var spoke of other diamonds' existence, Svana turned to look at him with widened, dark eyes, somewhat startled by the new information. His knowing words confirmed what she already secretly knew to be true: the sparkling golden diamond she had received was no ordinary gem. Not only that, but evidently several others had also attracted the attention of the strange cloaked man, and were in possession of the beautiful and special diamonds. Dozens of implications arose, the foremost being that they had all somehow been chosen by the cloaked man: but why? Still processing Var Atr's words, the woman could only nod blankly in response to his eerie warning, staring with black eyes down the empty streets as plumes of dust wafted lazily through the air.

A harsh rumbling shook the cobblestone streets, sending grains of sediment down from loose rafters as something enormous jarred the city walls. The woman was shaken from her thoughts, coming to with a somewhat surprised look directed toward her Esper companion. What began as a questioning expression soon shifted into something harder when a grim realization struck home: something was wrong. A blaring second alarm confirmed Svana's suspicions, signaling that, against all odds, the wall had broken. 'And where the hell is Roth?' the woman thought in mixed fear and irritation, spitting his name in her head like venom. It was typical of their trusted leader to vanish when his people needed him most- who knew how many guards had already been killed in what was probably the most intense attack the city had seen in twenty years? Svana walked over to the edge of the smithy and peered out, her body tense and filled with electricity. Thick ram horns bobbed in a shallow but appreciative nod to Var, who pledged to remain by her side in what was sure to be a bloodbath.

Several empty minutes passed in the dry heat, and the sounds of battle carried through the deserted streets as ominous echoes of a distant struggle. Finally, when things seemed to have settled down, the woman turned to her companion with a relieved, albeit disappointed expression, letting her sword hand sag toward the ground. She raised a shoulder in a careless half-shrug-

A cluster of monsters burst around the corner, jaws clicking, claws ripping around the corner as they pounding into the pavement with snarls played across their grotesque maws. One deceitful breeze played the pair's scent in an unfortunate direction, and suddenly the small group of hounds had changed direction, now headed directly for the shop with murderous intent. It all happened so fast that Svana was left staring dumbly at the nearing cluster for a moment before she came to her senses, swinging her slender sword into position and leaping to action. All of sudden she felt an insatiable desire for blood on her sword that could not be denied.

The dragoon raised her arm against an approaching grade 2, made a quick jab, and took a step back, watching with calm eyes as it retreated and then advanced with her. The beast made a lunge forward, and she took a quick side-step in response, drawing her sword up in a neat flourish that sliced the creature's neck and shoulder open; it recoiled in pain, and she took the opportunity to plunge her sword into its side. 'Not bad for eight years off,' Svana thought in dark delight, feeling her diamond pendant glowing hot against her chest. Without a moment to lose, the woman yanked her sword free and focused on the next in line: a larger and more aggressive-looking grade 3 that already had blood dripping from its jaws. The beast growled and swiped forward with a paw full of sharp talons. Although the ram-horned woman managed to avoid the bulk of the blades, a set of secondary spikes caught her square in the side. A hoarse yell came from her scarred throat as blood dripped from the wound, but Svana squared off and readied herself to strike, a part of her glad for the pain of a monster's claws instead of Lord Roth's.

 

[Kiddo]

"Thanks," the archer grunted, grabbing one of his arrows back and nocking it quickly while scouting out a target.

"Just don't miss," she joked at him, already moving to the next guard on the wall. She watched the arrow course out into the throng of monsters, the trail of fire from the metal head making it easy to track, and the explosion as it hit something (hopefully an enemy) making its destination obvious.

"Yep," the archer said to himself, his face still in the same mask of unconcern that it normally stayed in. He wasn't one of Zora's favorites, that one, but he was decent at what he did. They didn't have the excess of possible recruits required to reject guards just because of their personalities.

"Here you go!" came a cheerier call from in front of her, and the next guard in line was holding out his own ammunition for enchanting, a pleasant smile gracing his features, though it was tinged with a bit of impatience. Yes, this was not the time to be staring at the work that her enchanting was assisting, or to consider which guards she would or would not fire had she been in charge. There was work to do, and time was of the essence, if the shaking of the wall from the monsters' assault were anything to go by. Not that she was scared, of course; monster attacks were not uncommon, and everyone in the city rested relatively easy, since they knew the trump card that was Roth would have their back were things to get too out of hand.

"Yes, Jak'yl, I have not forgotten about you," Zora said, taking the arrows and her orchid crystal in hand. "Can't let Koran there have all of the fun." She smiled, but did not give him time to respond before closing her eyes and focusing on the magic that was to be done.

"There you-" Zora began, but as she was continuing, the wall gave a heave, greater than the ones previously, and she lost her footing as the section of wall on which she was standing gave way. It caught her breath in her throat, causing a little yelp as she slid back into the two proper on the small landslide, but she was just fine other than now being on lower ground. She grunted incoherently to herself, a very un-ladylike sound, as she stepped out of the rubble. Now she would have to go all the way back around the a place where she could climb up to the wall, and with all the shaking she might not even be able to get back up. Perhaps her work up there would have to be done.

Zora glanced around the battlefield, realizing that that last hit must have knocked a breech in the wall somewhere, due to the second siren. Well, that wouldn't do. Zora checked herself, pulling out her steel knuckles and placing them over her fists. It wasn't a good weapon against the monsters, as generally stabby weaponry worked far better, but it was enchanted with a wind spell that would cause her strikes to hit with excessive power. She should be able to knock things out of her way if she ran into any trouble.

Her first course of action would have to be to get back to the temple, right? Or maybe she should pick up a more effective weapon? She started walking toward the temple, hesitated, and decided that the latter was a better idea. She was already a bit drained from her enchanting for the guard; even a weapon that she didn't know how to use would be superior to nothing when she eventually ran out of juice. She ran toward the breech in the wall, a certain weapons' shop in mind.
The scene was set as she arrived; a dragoon was facing off against an assortment of monsters. She was possibly holding her own, but Zora didn't plan on passing up an opportunity to help, especially if it meant that she would get back to her people faster.

She settled herself in an easy stance, making sure that she hadn't drawn any attention, and began her prayer, forming the specific spell in her request until she received the affirmative. Good. She opened her eyes again; precious moments had passed, but the dragoon woman was still standing. A crackling ball of energy grew into Zora's hand, its instructions very clear. She hurled it into the closest monster, and the energy coursed around its body, shocking it thoroughly before hopping to the next monster, and the next, and the next. The charge bounced from enemy to enemy, avoiding Zora's ally each time, electrifying each monster in turn; enough to stun, but probably not enough to kill. Still, the smell of burnt flesh filled the air heavily as the energy jumped one last time before fizzling out. Zora didn't have enough time to cast something new, so she instead prepared to leap away were the monsters to turn to her.

 

[Squee]

[fieldbox=Belyavor Orminai, turquoise]The first course of action was most certainly protectng the citizens. By now the local guard should already be evacuating the area, and surely Roth would be arming himself at least now. Glancing at his tower, there was no sign of movement. "Curse that damn ruler," Belyavor found himself stating aloud, though caring very little for his slip. In the heat of battle, none would be so keen to notice such a curse on the kings name. Things were looking very bad, already monsters flooded into the city. The biggest threat, however, was the alpha. Examining its body, he noticed that it had no eyes. That meant it moved base on smell, at last an advantage! It would be easy to misdirect it with wind.

However, before making a move, Captain Herleva Asler put her hand on Belyavors shoulder and spoke to him, "No eyes, uses scent, entire right shoulder is previously injured, hind legs are too tough to cut, sharp spines, keep hearing. Belyavor, help me guide this thing out of the city, If the alpha leaves, the pack follows." Herleva was able to deduce all that information while fighting this thing, and surely she knew more but had the wisdom to not waste her time with words during such a time. The wall guard captain was a frighteningly powerful woman.

"Yes ma'am!" Shouted Belyavor as he prepared his wind. He would need to do more than mask the scent, he'd have to make it seem as though it were coming form the other direction. Focusing his energy, he felt his diamond surge power into him. He had felt it before, but the adrenaline in his blood this time made it feel particularly powerful as he began to shift the winds throughout the entire city. He wanted to bring the scent around in a circle, first evading the alphas nostrils then coming in from behind, tricking it as to their foods location. This level of wind magic would no doubt take time, and knowing this, Herleva lunged herself using ehr beast stance to prevent it from advancing. The problem now was very simply that anything beneath the alpha was still pouring into the city walls. Where the hell was Roth!?[/fieldbox][fieldbox=Var Atr, orange]As Var had feared, the city began to fill with monsters from the pack, and none weak enough for civilians to deal with. He took up arms, but being an Esper many of the monsters did not waste their time on him, they blew right past him and aimed their strikes at their prey, Espers provided no nutrition for the monsters to feed off of, though this did not necessarily mean Espers would not be attacked. This particular pack, though, operated on scent, and Var smelled of no more than Metallic Earth.

As things began to look very bad, a newcomer had arrived. She appeared to be a half kindred, though also half elf? How rare and intriguing. For now his curiosity for her lineage would have to be set aside, that was not the most important event at hand. This new arrival had stunned many of the monsters in the local area, and Var took this opportunity. His leather straps loosened and unwove themselves, allowing his reach to extend. It was uncommon for Espers to have the ability to freely disassemble their own bodies in such a manner, but Var was one of the exceptions. This was more than dropping a limb, his spirit was staying connected to each strap and each jagged corner of iron. With his spear in his extended arm, Var lunged through all of the grade 3 monsters and a few grade 2 scavengers that also chose to take advantage of the breech, though they were not part of the attacking pack.

It did not please Var to see that there was one larger monster that was not sufficiently handled via the magic, this was a grade 4, and a tough one at that. Its tough body was rather intimidating. It began a charge towards the new magic user, but Var would not allow that. Before it even came close to her, he intercepted the blow with his shield. The hard horn put a slight crack in the iron shield, though Vars soul was not attached, there was no pain in the strike. "Young lady," Var spoke, his orange glow burning with fiery passion, "I request assistance." Turning his speech to be directed at Svana, Var needed someone to cover his back. "Svana, you and the wizard work together, this beast must parish lest you be the ones to do so."[/fieldbox][fieldbox=Roth , white]Sitting in his throne drinking a sweet wine, the doors of the tower burst open and a a well armed and physically fit guard bowed in front of Roth. "Sire, the wall has fallen and the city floods with beasts!"

Roth looked around him, putting his attention on each of the three women he had beside him at the throne. Each one with him since their youth and none aged beyond their beauty. They wore the iconic golden cuffs and chains. Slamming his fist on the arm of his chair, splashing his wine on the floor, Roth responded with violence in his tone. "I am busy right now! Which sector is under assault!?" Roth was clearly angry, he did not like being disturbed during his time with his Harem.

"Sire...It is the South Western area." This guard was nervous, Roth would kill a man for disturbing him.

Though instead of reacting with violence, Roth stroked his chin, then he grabbed the cheeks of the dark haired elf woman he had at his side and made her look him in the eyes. She was a pretty one, he didn't want to leave the company of such beautiful women right now. Picking his head up and letting the cheeks of the elf go, he calmly responded, "If the wall guard cannot stop the wall from being breached they don't deserve the privilege of being my subjects. If the pack moves closer I will stop them, but for now let this cull the weak."

Though the guard desperately wanted to object, he held his tongue and silently left the throne room. Roth was in a very bad mood. The night before one of his harem women, one of his favorites, had slashed at his back! At the time he enjoyed it, but he did not notice the depth of the cuts she had left. The mark could even scar! The bitch had the nerve to lay a mark on him, he would be sure to give her some 'special attention' as soon as he had time with her once more. Because of her actions he was in a foul enough mood to let people die and did not even bat an eye at the thought. For now, he'd enjoy the company of women who actually showed him affection, even if it was out of fear. Fear was better, it made Roth feel powerful, and having power over others was what made a king a king.[/fieldbox]

 

[Zarrock]

Cojack grunted a thanks at the newcomer as he grappled with the grade 3. The ackachith leapt at him again, and Cojack blocked the claws with his backhanded sword before striking at the beast with the other blade. The damned thing was quick though, and it pranced backwards to easily dodge the swing. The massive dragoon couldn't help but think that he'd be better suited for this fight if it was a slower monster of a higher grade. The ackachith was quick, and Cojack was not. That pair of facts did not add up in Cojack's favor. His strength meant nothing if the beast was too quick for him to hit. As the beast growled and pounced at him again, Cojack concocted an ingeniously stupid plan to defeat the creature.

As the beast soared towards him, its claws outstretched, Cojack swatted its claws to either side of him so the beast's gaping mouth was speeding towards his face. Cojack picked one of the monster's two ugly heads and smashed his forehead into it as it reached him, stunning the beast for a moment. The creature fell to the ground and stumbled for a moment, allowing Cojack a brief opening to stab a blade into its back. The dragoon felt a shoulder blade crack before his blade slid itself between the creature's ribs. It gave one last hateful hiss before falling to the ground.

Seeing the opening, one of the other two beasts dove into the alley, jumping over its fallen comrade to attack the dragoon. Cojack didn't have time to remove his sword from the fallen ackachith, so instead he stepped into the leap, letting the scalehound land on his back, before throwing it off, the creature landing where Cojack stood moments ago. The dragoon understood the danger that now faced him. His back was now out of the alley, and was open to an attack. He desperately hoped that other dragoon was holding his own. Even if he was, there was still the possibility of another beast attacking him, which was also bad. Any way the dice fell told Cojack that he was better off finishing this fight quickly. The downside was that with the scalehound's tentacle things on its shoulders, it had more reach than Cojack. It wouldn't leap at him. It would swat at him from afar with the clawed limbs. Cojack needed range. However, he didn't have time to draw and ready his bow, and throwing his sword wasn't an option. He'd have to get creative. And so came ingeniously stupid idea number two.

Cojack stepped into the alley and bent down towards the fallen ackachith, one of his arms sliding underneath it as the other defended him from the incoming scalehound tentacles. He simultaneously heaved the corpse onto his shoulder and took a step back, putting a bit of distance between him and the scalehound. In one smooth motion, Cojack sheathed his sword, lifted the corpse off his shoulder and into his hands, took a step, and with a mighty yell, launched the dead ackachith at the scalehound. The projectile found its mark, flipping the scalehound onto its back with the ackachith on top of it. Cojack quickly dove on top of the pile, using the ackachith's body to shield himself from the scalehound's many legs as it kicked and clawed at him. His massive hands quickly found the scalehound's skull, and with a sharp twist, snapped its neck.

Without allowing himself a moment to rest, Cojack pulled his blade from the dead ackachith and turned, glad to see that the other dragoon had handled himself against the third grade three. Cojack put his sword back in its sheathe and drew his bow, another five arrows in his hand. "You lead." Cojack said gruffly, nocking an arrow as he spoke. "You fight small ones. I fight big ones."

 

[Greenie]

When Lensue came down from the window, Ashfa made sure she was fine before looking around. Well, it was officially a chaos, exactly what she didn't like. There was nothing else to do but find a safe place and wait until the storm passed. Yes, it was probably the route a coward would take, but then again, a living coward was better than a dead brave person, right? Live now, fight another day, maybe even help someone else stay alive. That was her plan, anyway, and she figured if she was given the diamond. She looked through the masses of panicking folk as well as the guards who were trying to calm people and help them to safety. Should she follow them? She didn't know... she was a little too wary. What if the person who was spying on them was there?

She started forward, trying to recall the path that they had taken to the house from the church. Maybe it's be safe over there. Making sure Lensue followed alongside, she quickly took the the paths between the houses, hoping that at least this way, if there was any big monster, they wouldn't be able to get them. Her diamond was clutched tightly in her hand. Was this just a coincidence that the one night she was led away from home, something like this happened the next morning?

"Let's go this way," Ashfa said as she headed out of the alleyway, finding things were a little less crowded now in the main road. She could get back to the path she thought would lead them to the church. Of course, only once she exited did she realize there was a reason it wasn't so crowded. There was more than just one body littered on the ground. Ashfa's eyes widened as she quickly turned to return to the alleyway, but just as she did, a grade 3 ackachith was already headed her way, blocking her path to the safety of the alleyway. She had to run! But she couldn't just leave Lensue behind! Not knowing what else to do, she pulled out her small and rather useless against a monster knife, holding it before her as she started backing away. Maybe if she kept it distracted, Lensue or anyone else could get it from behind! At least, those were the thoughts in her head when the grade 3 monster leaped at her, knocking her down to the ground.

*****

"A safe place... safe place..." Kela muttered to herself as she hurriedly walked alongside the half dragoon... she wasn't sure if he was a guard, or soldier or what, not having time to ask. She did think of someplace that might be relatively safe. Without warning, she suddenly changed the path she had been heading in and started down a much more familiar road that would eventually lead her to the slums that she lived by. Hopefully there were still some dragoons around there. Hey, they were strong and could fight. She wasn't a pushover, but at this moment she didn't even have her bow on her, and unlike her animals she really doubted that these monsters understood anything she even said.

For the most part, she had managed to stay away from the main crowds, not exactly wanting to take aid or give it to anyone; she wasn't really the trusting sort anymore. However she suddenly paused when she heard the familiar voice of her friend the bat, who had landed on her hair. Her eyes widened and yet again she changed routes. Her mother had been spotted! Forget safety, she had to find her! "Lead me, Batty!" she called as she raced after the bat who had taken to flying once more. If anyone saw her, they might have thought she was batty.​

 

[Victor Markov]

Victor had fended off the attacks of one monster and kept Sorin moving like a storm of blades between attacks. When Cojack addressed him, the younger dragoon nodded from the left side of the ally. The third grade three monster was laying dead, missing it's head. "Cover me for a moment." Victor said before he addressed his partner "Sorin, transform. Executioner sword."
And almost on que, an eye appeared on one of the blades close to the dark steel hilt and a deep voice resonated from the weapon. "As you command." the esper said before in a steady glow of crimson light, the chain sword slowly started growing thicker and the blades started fusing together and a single edge formed. The hilt extended to two and a half times what it was. The entire weapon was made of the same dark steel that the esper's armored form was made of. The weapon almost dwarfed the young dragoon and looked extremely heavy. However, Victor made it look as light as a piece of parchment. After Sorin finished transforming, Victor turned back to Cojack and said "let's fend off the rest of these creatures. Buy the citizens some time. And where in the hells is the tyrant king!? He should be out here proving his might instead of sitting on his arse drinking wine and being a lazy coward!" as he shouldered the esper in the massive sword designed to crush bone and cleave flesh. There was rage burning in the young dragoon's golden eyes. An intense hatred for the current ruler of the city. And oddly enough, a hunger for power. Power to destroy the tyrant and topple him from his throne. But there were bigger problems at hand. The monsters storming the city. The wall needed to be repaired and the monsters destroyed. That was motivation enough to charge the pack sword trailing behind him and picking a scale hound for his next target, he launched his next attack, bringing the massive blade down on the monster like a guillotine. He then focused on the other small fry. As he continued the dance of death, he let the esper guide his hand for every strike and block. The footwork however was all Victor. The dragoon moved almost at the right moment to dodge, attack and counterattack. He knew that the alpha needed to be killed before long. Or the possibility of more monsters coming to its aid would become more and more likely.

 

[Cresion Breezes]

Lensue watched as Ashfa jumped down from the window, her jump was a boy wobbly and she fell on her arm. Though it wasn't very serious, as she got up from the ground moments after. Ashfa called up to Lensue to be careful while jumping down. It made her a bit happy, seeing that Ashfa seems to care for her safety. Then again, it was only natural instinct to worry about a child during an outbreak of flesh devavoring monsters.

Squeezing though the window, Lensue hopped down the two story building. The time she spent her childhood hopping though a horribly architected and polluted slum area had paid off in a time like this. She managed to land her her feet, kicking up the dust that laid on the ground. Ignoring the tingling pain from her ankles, Lensue looked at Ashfa, who seems to be concerned about the chaos. Who wouldn't be concerned, Lensue thought as she looked around also. In a situation like this, it was the best for the weak to run. Both Ashfa and herself can barely take a grade 3 head on, so fleeing to a safe place would be the best plan right now.

It seems that Ashfa had came to the same conclusion, she began to dash down the path. Lensue followed, it was better to stay in groups for now. They took the smaller road, a smart decision since monsters cannot move as well, or move at all in some cases, in these small ally ways. It was a few blocks down before Lensue realized that they were heading back to the church where they were last night. Anywhere away from the walls would be good for now, so Lensue followed without protest. The growls and screams of people and monsters can be heard though the small paths, leaving eerie echoes between the houses.

"Let's go this way,"

Ashfa said as she headed out of the alleyway, wanting to get onto the main road. She walked out and paused, seemingly shocked by something. It was soon clear what was happening as the smell of fresh shed blood filled the alleyway and a monster, grade 3 at least pounced in front of the alleyway entrance. Blocking off Ashfa from the path. Lensue watched as she pulled out a small knife, and started backing away. But before Lensue could react the monster leaped again and knocked Ashfa down.

In that split second, Lensue grabbed her diamond off of her collar and threw it at the monster. The small blue gem hit what seemed like the creature's head and bounced off into a puddle of blood. Without pausing she then drew her silver long sword from her jacket, the well polish blade reflected her grey blue eyes, now widen in fear, and...excitement? The monster reached to the diamond's hit, and it turned around. Now facing Lensue, who has her sword out and pointing at the creature.

"Now, if the opponent is larger than you, lead it into a smaller space, the one smaller in size would have the advantage of mobility then." It has been five years since Lensue's older brother thought her how to fight , but at a time like this it seems as if the words still linger beside her.

"Now now you little puppy, get away from her, and come fight someone who can fight back."

 

[girlabot]

Although jumping into battle had seemed like a fulfilling idea at the time, Svana began to have second thoughts as she squared off against the hulking grade 3 before her, blood oozing from the lacerations criss-crossing her side. Regardless, the dragoon's face was still like water as her slender sword dipped in an elegant but somewhat clumsy maneuver, meant to confuse and quickly slice across the beast's maw but barely catching the side of its skull. The monster gave a piercing roar, and lunged forward with terrifying speed. -ZAP.- A flash of brilliant light coated the woman's field of vision like a blanket of electric snow, startling her for a brief second. There before her stood a strangely exotic looking woman with smoking hands, wearing danger on her face and blood in her eyes.

Svana nodded begrudgingly, but was distracted from the newcomer by Var's impressive "trick," running the majority of the monsters clean through with one disassembled hand. However, the Esper's efforts did little to fell a hulking grade 4 that had somehow joined them during the fight; the behemoth charged the stranger but was discouraged by Var's sturdy shield, its horns ramming the surface with a chilling crack. Twirling her sword into an active position, the dragoon ran toward the beast for some momentum and sunk its blade into a gap in the monster's chest plates, feeling blood spurt out of the wound and onto her white knuckles. To her shock, the creature clung to life with an unimaginable ferocity, and jerked sideways to accost its attacker. To the monster's confusion, however, Svana was dragged sideways, her hands still held in an iron grip about her hilt. She fought for balance on the cobblestones, but could not manage with the black dress pooling in folds about her ankles, and instead dangled from the handle with some panic on her face.

 

[Kiddo]

"Woah," Zora muttered, dodging to the side in an practical fashion that would have maybe not belied her years of training with such things, had it not have been entirely unnecessary. The living armor had taken the blow from the charging monster, and somehow managed to stop it. How Espers could do such things was a constant point of fascination for her, but Zora had better things to focus on. They'd finished off all of the smaller guys, and all that was left was this grade 4. The Esper probably couldn't get killed by it, but he had asked for help.

Zora had been planning on merely running away had her magic not cleared things out properly. Whatever weapons she could have pilfered weren't worth a dragged-out fight. Her magic reserves were low already, and she would have been much more comfortable fighting with people whose tactics she knew. But, she had been asked to stay, so Zora did, standing to the side trying to gather her concentration for a new spell. Maybe a shard of ice could pierce its armor?

But then the woman whom she had first seen was moving on the offensive, and her blow struck true, though not true enough. The beast reared about, pulling the Esper and Dragoon with it, still attached to their various weapons, and Zora gave up on trying to do a spell. There was little likelihood that she would hit her target through all of those distractions. But she could do something if she got in close.

"Let go of your sword!" She yelled over the beast's bellows. She repositioned her iron knuckles into proper punching position, and made her move, dashing toward the beast. She dodged its flailing limbs, and as Svana dropped down from her weapon, Zora jumped up toward it, her arm coiled back ready to launch a punch. She unleashed it as she came level with the sword, and heard the satisfying crash of metal on metal as she connected with the hilt.

The spell stored in her iron weapon, a wind one, was intended to knock big things back. Focused on a light, tiny point like a sword hilt, the spell release was devastating. The sword shot forward in splinters with incredible force, driving into the monster's insides in a crazy path through vital organs and out through the opposite side. The bits of shrapnel from the shattered weapon went careening into the nearby houses, bouncing about with the left over momentum.

 

[Greenie]

The bat named Batty flew through the air with precision, missing lanterns and posts, roofs and window shutters; anything that obstructed his path was easily averted, his speed remaining constant. The same couldn't be said for Kela. No matter how fast she tried to move, obstacles kept coming in her way. She knew she couldn't expect there not to be; there was a monster attack at the moment. It just seemed to her that when she needed to do something in a hurry, another thing just kept coming in her way.

She muttered apologies to the people she had to push to the side as she followed after the bat, at one point tripping over a fallen wagon. "Damn it!" she yelped, skinning her knee as it hit the ground. She paused, sitting with her knee up, looking it over. An irritated "tch" escaped her before she decided to just ignore it for now. She looked up, to where the bat had paused in his flight, hanging from a window sill. "Let's go!" He took off and she followed once more, this time making sure that she didn't fall over anything. She could hear the yells of panic, crying of children, screams of fear. She gritted her teeth; normally she would stop to help, but right now she had to be selfish. They probably had someone anyway... there were guards that would help, right? She needed to find her mother...

Kela wasn't sure how long it took; it could have been hours, it could have been minutes. She stopped at a small clearing before a shop, panting as she reached a hand out and grabbed a railing for support. The bat seemed to have stopped as well, now hanging from a nearby awning. "Where's she Batty?" she asked, though she needn't have when she looked a little past the clearing. There were a few broken barrels, and next to them was her mother, fallen on the ground. She seemed to be bleeding profusely. "Mother!" Kela rushed over to her, though before she could reach, her path was blocked by a scalehound, its tail whipping her in the face, causing her to stumble... and as she did fall, once more to her knees, the scalehound proceeded to attack her mother, ripping out her throat in the process. Kela could only stare in shock, frozen on the spot.

.....

Ashfa had been sure she was a goner when she was knocked down. So, when the monster actually turned around from her, she let out a sigh of relief. She was a little shocked when she realized it was actually Lensue who had drawn the beast away. Now, it wasn't that she didn't believe the girl could take care of herself; Ash was just surprised anyone would want to save her rather than their own skin. This was around the time where someone would bail and run off, hoping to save themselves. Ashfa couldn't do that however.

She quickly stood up, holding the knife tightly in her hand, swallowing hard. Every part of her was telling her to run, except the most important parts, her mind and her heart. She watched Lensue leading the beast into the alley way. It made sense, of course, it would be constricted there and unable to move. Still, it was dangerous, and could still hurt them if they tried, unless taken by surprise. She slowly started her way, tailing the beast from a safe distance, looking at Lensue, her yellow eyes determined, hoping the girl understood that she would attack from behind.

As the grade 3 entered the alleyway and reared to attack Lensue, Ashfa shot forward, ramming her knife into the ackachith's hindquarter, causing it to writhe in both pain and surprise as it tried to turn to and get to the attacker. "Lensue, get it now!" Now was as good a time as any to finish off the beast!... or at least attempt to!​

 

[Zarrock]

Cojack pulled himself up onto a rooftop, scanning the area for prey larger than the scattered grade 3 monsters below him. His new ally could handle himself against the scalehounds and ackachiths. There was bigger monsters out there, and Cojack would rather fight them himself than have the white dragoon take them on. Cojack knew he could handle a grade 4, and he was sure he could somehow manage to defeat a grade 5, but he was doubtful he could take on more than one or two grade 3 monsters. They were fast, something that Cojack was not. Cojack was big as a house and strong as an ox, but he was not fast. If something was fast enough to get inside of his reach, he was a goner. For this reason, the grade 3 monsters scared him more than the 4s and 5s.

Cojack continually glanced at his newfound ally as he scanned around him for potential threats. The shape the sword had shifted to was utterly massive, but the dragoon seemed to be handling himself. He was lucky. With a weapon of that size, his strikes and movements would be slow, easily avoidable by the quick grade 3 monsters. However, it seemed that the creatures weren't interested in dodging. It seemed like a dumb move on the monsters' part, but then again, they were beasts, and they weren't trained for combat like Cojack was.

The red dragoon kept his head on a swivel, looking this way and that for larger monsters. The size difference would make them easier to pick out against the crowd. The grade 3 monsters were 3 to 4 feet tall, while the grade 4 Cojack killed was easily 8 feet. The massive dragoon hopped from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the horde for larger monsters to kill. He glanced over at the other dragoon constantly, and wouldn't go too far away in case his ally needed support. He wasn't all too confident in the white dragoon, even though he wanted to be. Then again, Cojack had been practicing the art of combat for nearly 13 years, so it was all too easy for him to pick out flaws in someone's fighting. This made gaining Cojack's faith on the battlefield an immensely difficult task.

Cojack spotted one a short ways off. A grade 4. It was charging a house, smashing the wooden building to splinters with its hard skull. Cojack could hear screams from the direction of the building, and he had to go help. He sent an arrow flying into one of the grade 3 monsters the other dragoon was fighting, hoping that the arrow would make him look to Cojack for just a moment and see that he was off to somewhere that he wouldn't be able to immediately assist the white dragoon.

As the massive red dragoon bounded from rooftop to rooftop, he grabbed another arrow from his quiver, bringing his handful of arrows back up to 5. When he neared the grade 4 attacking the house, he loosed an arrow at it, bringing its attention away from the people inside of the building. It raised its bloody maw from the wreckage and shot a yell towards the creature that had put a sharp pain into its neck. Cojack responded with a yell of his own, hoping that the fight between him and this beast would end as well as the last time Cojack fought a raipoluth.

 

[Ayla]

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragoons."

Kyo was lost admist the chaos. Everything was exploding and crumbling around her. She wished the bigger Dragoon was here. He was large and friendly and could protect her. She was so small and overly fragile, and her spine could possibly snap from a single piece of falling debris. The walls seemed to crumble around her as she scurried to find somewhere that didn't promise her demise. Or somewhere where the bigger Dragoon was. Kyo figured if she could find him, than she'd be safe. Its not like there were any other of their species in the group, or atleast, from what she saw.
Her wings fluttered with impatience and fear, and she gripped the handle of her whip as if she knew what the heck to do with it. Even if she got engaged in a fight, her chances of winning were zero to nothing. She was small and miniscule, lacking in everything. Her weapon was useless to her, having not a single idea on how to use it and most likely would injure herself in the process. As she hurried down the shaking hallway, she was starting to come to terms with her death.
Nothing had been more certain of that when she came face to face with one of the horrible monsters she was trying to avoid in the first place. He was large and grotesque, easily a hundred times stronger than her, standing several feet above her head. By the Gods, he was terrifying. She didn't know what floor she was on, but she guess it had to be somewhere near the roof. She could hear the people outside and the others shouting, except it didn't little to let her understand what they were actually saying. She was probably going to die, here and now, by the hands of this ugly monster. It wasn't the best way to go, but she hoped it was fast. Painless. She sort of did want to be with her mother again. Her life was nothing but a horrible cliché of a little baby lost without a family. It was almost pathetic, and maybe this horrible creature could grant her what she's wanted, and that is to see her mother again.
However, Kyo's mind quickly changed when his massive claw arched into the air and swung it torwards her head, missing her by an eerie few inches and lodging itself into the wood of the house. Its roar made her head throb, and no doubt it was pissed that it missed the first shot. Its second claw came rearing up, and the little Dragoon had to barrel roll away from it in order to keep her head on her shoulders. She screamed and ducked under its stuck hand and ran towards the stairs, most likely leading to the roof, until the beast's tail blocked her path.
"Theres no way it can end like this.."
She felt the hot sting in her eyes and willed herself not to cry. She didn't want to die. She wanted to see where her life would lead her and experience the things her family never could. Dying by the hands of this thing was nothing she wanted to experience for them. Except, she was trapped between its massive body and tail. She screamed louder, hoping somebody could hear her. Hoping more than anything that it was the Dragoon larger than life.

@Zarrock​

 

[Cresion Breezes]

The beast turned around and stated approaching Lensue, she slowly backed up so they would be further into the ally were the monster's movements would be more constricted. The scent of freshly drawn blood and the dust that covered the city flowed around in the air, making each second of the battle feel like an eternity. After a bit more distance into the ally, the creature seems to have run out of patience. The muscle on its hindlegs tensed up, and it was ready to pounce.
----------

"Watching the opponent's movements should always be on your mind. What they do now will let you have an idea of what they'll do later." A white haired young man said half heartedly as he played around with the silver long sword in his hands.

"...but..." He slashed at a nearby tree with the long sword, sending bits of chipped bark and wood flying, leaving behind a smooth cut.

"You'll have to know who you're fighting too, some fight with their head, and some fight with their guts, you know what I'm talking about, you're a smart girl." The young man returned the sword to its sheath, turned around, and smiled at a child who was sitting on a pile of stone bricked behind him.

"What if you don't know who your fighting?" The child asked as she tilted her head.

"Then try to know them while you fight them. Or do whatever you want, that's the second option you could choose." He replied in a playful manner, as if they were only talking about a festival instead of a potential life or death situation, and handed the sword to his younger sister.

The rest of the day slipped by quickly. It ended with the two's mother finding them, and angrily scolding the older of the two.

"Colvion! For the last time, Lensue's too young for a weapon!"

"Come on Mother, it's a dangerous world, you've got to be prepared..."

...

----------
Lensue knew that the creature was about to attack. Monsters acted on pure instinct, so predicting their movements would be easy. What's not easy is finding a way to nullify the damage before it even acts. The ally was small, so a pounce might not work the best, but it's nothing that you should let your guards down on. Lensue backed up, holding the sword tightier in her hand. Preparing to dodge the blow.

But the beast turned. Its body shook for a second, and it winched in pain. Then it turned away fro Lensue, attempting to attack something that's behind it. Ashfa. Quickly realizing that Ashfa wasn't unconscious from the previous blow, and had launched an attack from the creature's backside, Lensue scanned her brain as quickly as possible about what to do. Time was ticking, Ashfa was likely hurt from that blow, and...

"Lensue, get it now!"

Asha's voice rang though the ally way. Without another second paused, Lensue jumped up and grabbed the edge of a house's roof, rolling up on top of the roof, she then ran across it until the ally way cleared and there was no more place to run. Hopping straight down from the height she landed on top of the monster's supposed "head" and nailed her sword deeply into the first soft spot she could find. The beast howled in pain and shook vigriously, trying to shake off its attacker. Lensue pulled her sword up, bring with it a splash of blood, and was shaken off. She landed back behind the monster, and saw a deep cut still oozing blood from the combat beforehand. Once again, Lensue buried her long sword into the already open wound, causing the already open wound more pain.

It seems that I chose the second option after all.

"Hey! Ash! Run! Get away now!"

 

[Squee]

[fieldbox=Belyavor Orminai, turquoise]Belyavor was putting a great amount of effort into the spell he would cast, it was clearly visible with how little he moved and the look of concentration on his face. Herleva was still holding the alpha at bay...all on her own. The captain certainly did earn her position. Unfortunate for Belyavor, however, his concentration was quickly disrupted when the alphas tail swung towards him. The fact that he could feel this baffled him, it was as though he could feel the air moving around the whipping tail. Perhaps this was a result of him channeling his energy? No, that would be improbably, he'd put the same energy into a spell before but not gotten such a response from his spirit.

Now was not the time to ponder, Belyavor collapsed onto one knee and ducked his head lower while the large alphas tail whipped over his head, the swing resulting in his hair being blown slightly and ruining what little neatness he had in his hair. Immediately, he looked to see where the alphas tail was now. It seemed that while being distracted by Captain Herleva it was using its tail to act as a counter balance, no surprise, but it was rather unfortunate that Belyavor find himself at the alphas rear now. The tail came swinging back again, but this time a duck would not suffice. The best option was to dart towards the alphas hind legs where the tail would not strike him, but then of course was the obvious drawback of bow being so close to a ferocious beasts claws. His spell would need to wait for now.

Grasping his sword with a much more firm grip, the wall guard used the energy he'd gathered to bolt up to the beasts underbelly. This area seemed injured as well, his hands were able to grip flesh that was still wet with blood. This would was not fresh enough to have happened in this battle, this pack must have been through a battle of their own and were clearly only seeking sustenance. Had nature not made these beasts so hostile perhaps they could work together, just as man and dog.

As the alpha made another strike towards Herleva, which again was held off courtesy of her powerful beast stance, but the shake did cause Belyavor to suffer as his balance was constantly being shifted in every direction. After enough swings, the warrior used the momentum to shift his body towards the sides of the alpha, he was planning on getting to the top of it and perhaps finding a weak point. She did mention hard spines, so he'd have to be extra careful once up there, an accidental face first fall onto one of those would be an embarrassing death.[/fieldbox][fieldbox=Var Atr, Orange]Things had gone better than planned, the grade 4 was made to look like a pup before Var could even plant a counter attack. This was a trio worth keeping. Looking at the two females, Var settled his orange glow and spoke aloud, "Thank you, that will keep this area safe for longer. Svana and..." he paused looking at the new arrival, a young girl from the looks of it. Was she half human and kindred? No it was something else. He'd have to inquire later about her lineage. "I am sorry but I do not believe we have met, now is not a time for introductions. I am going to recommend you both find a safe place, but if you are to insist on fighting longer then I must insist on being your shield." It was slightly ironic that the suit of armor felt best when he protected people, a thought that often made the Orminai family chuckle, thought he never understood what was so humorous.

Var pulled out his diamond, he knew the newcomer would see this but he thought she might consider it a simple jewel. He examined the diamond closely. It was curious how it matched his glow, as if the two were crafted for each other. Just how old were these diamonds? A stone that grants power should be something of a legend, one considered a myth, but this was unheard of. An object granting power? Esper armor and weapons, sure, but Esper magic can only be imbued into metals and magically treated woods. Despite all his questions, the reason he had pulled it out this time was this bizzare feeling coming from it. The feeling was the same as when he first grasped the orange jewel. Energy just pouring into his body. Were the others feeling the same sensation? Svana...He'd gotten a good feeling about her character, although mute she was very expressive. Perhaps she'd have a better way to explain to the others what it felt like if she had felt it as well.

"I will head to the breech to protect from the alpha, it is your choice to go on your own or follow me. You know the risks."[/fieldbox]

 

[Zarrock]

The grade 4 beast charged the building that Cojack was standing on, its head lowered as it prepared to smash through the building and crush the pest standing on the rooftop. Cojack leapt to the side, skidding to a halt on the roof of the next house over. The raipoluth crashed through the building he was standing on only a moment ago, splinters of wood spraying outward from the impact. As it raised its head from the wreckage, Cojack let loose an arrow at its head, bringing his handful down to three. It was a bullseye. Almost literally. The arrow embedded itself into the monster's left eye, and the monster let loose a wail of pain before turning towards Cojack again. The dragoon had hoped the arrow would go deep enough to kill the beast, but he'd have to deal with the creature's refusal to die. On the bright side, the thing had a blind side now. So long as he stayed to the beast's left side, Cojack had the advantage.

The beast roared and charged Cojack again, the foolish creature thinking that the same tactic as before would work, even though it had failed once already. This time, Cojack leapt to his left, so he'd be on the creature's right when it removed itself from the rubble. One successful dodge and a beautiful shot later, and the beast was blind in both eyes. The raipoluth wailed and reared up on its hind legs, turning in the general direction of Cojack as it did. It was going to flop itself down on top of the small house Cojack stood on, and crush it with its weight. Cojack immediately dropped his bow along with the two arrows in his hand, and drew his sword from his back. The beast bellyflopped onto the building, and Cojack held his sword aloft above him. The weapon found a patch of soft flesh on the beast's bottom jaw, and it penetrated deep into the beast's head. The weight still crashed the beast through the roof, leaving Cojack to fall to the ground, but the weight was not enough to crush the walls, meaning that Cojack didn't have to deal with being squashed by the creature after the fall.

The red dragoon quickly pulled his sword from his fallen foe and found his bow, along with the two arrows that had been in his hand. He was about to leave to climb back onto the rooftops when he felt a strange sensation. His diamond. He had to hold it. He didn't know why, but he did. Reaching into his pocket, he found the crimson gem and stared at it as a stream of images began to flood his mind. He saw the house he had just spent the night in, but it was in shambles. He saw a massive beast, easily a grade 5, tearing the place apart. He saw the smaller dragoon trembling, terrified of the monster that would surely kill her.

He blinked, and it all faded. He would not let her die. She was small. Defenseless. He would save her. He put the diamond back into his pocket and let out a roar loud enough to be heard from a few city blocks away. Strength flooded into his limbs as it did when he first held his diamond. With a mighty leap, he landed on what was left of the roof that the raipoluth had shattered. The mighty red dragoon snarled and dashed from rooftop to rooftop, moving across the city as fast as his feet could carry him. When he arrived at his destination, he saw the grade 5 from his visions smashing a clawed limb through the roof of the house, drawing screams from the helpless dragoon inside. With a running start, Cojack leapt from the rooftop he was on, soaring through the air towards the massive beast.

Cojack realized in midair that he hadn't drawn any of his weapons, so he'd have to make due without one until he landed. Luckily for Cojack, the beast didn't move much as he flew towards it. The dragoon clenched his hand into a fist, grunting as he punched the monster with the full force of his momentum. There was an audible crack, and Cojack didn't know if it was from his own bones or the monster's. Either way, the sudden impact knocked the beast off balance, and it staggered to the side as Cojack's feet his the ground nearby, skidding along the ground until the dragoon came to a halt. The beast faced its new foe and bellowed a threat, a sound loud enough to make a trained warrior drop his weapon and flee. Cojack growled and let loose a bellow of his own, matching the volume of the beast's. The dragoon drew his sword and bared his pointed teeth, prepared to face off against the biggest monster he'd fought yet. Prepared to face his greatest challenge to defend the young girl trembling inside the house.

 

[AbstractDebauchery]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It is true that dead men tell no tales, and as such, dead men have no use for letters. An accompanying truth is that dead couriers make no profit. Time, after all, is money, and the end of time is the end of all profit. Keelin didn't much like the way the evening had turned out. A simple delivery that would have ended with enough profit to take a month off would now likely be late or canceled altogether. It wasn't a setback by any means, but a setback would have been more accepted over stagnation. Things had to be moving, it didn't matter if it were forward or back, things merely need to move. After all, peace, however comfortable it may be, is stagnation; conflict, no matter how violent, is life.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Yet to contrast her feelings on the matter of her profits, conflict most certainly was to be had on the streets of Rothendust. As the chaos grew, the city came to life. People running in the streets, the sounds of fighting, the overall feeling of panic in the air, while it was terrible, it actually made Keelin feel somewhat relieved. It proved there were still people that cared for life. Some cared enough to fight for it, others cared enough to run. It didn't matter that in the grand scheme of things most of these people were unimportant. It mattered that people were capable of caring. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]While in the midst of things falling apart around her, Keelin actually smiled. However, her smile quickly faded as she realized that despite the life around her, she was still in a danger zone. She could have all the smiles and hope in the world, but none of it meant a damn thing if she turned up dead at the end of the day. Death is peace, after all, and therefore stagnation. With her hand on her rapier she started to run, it didn't matter where. She needed to find a place where she could lie low. Anything involving guards and military was out of the question.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]They had habits of checking the pockets of those that they deemed to look suspicious. Keelin didn't know what it was she carried, nor did she really care, but plausible deniability wasn't something a loyal soldier of Roth's would care for. While running, she eventually found her way to the slums. She didn't live there herself, but she did live somewhat nearby. Home wasn't a place she wanted to go, and the slums weren't likely to be safe. Slowing down, she decided to catch her breath by walking for a moment. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Out of the corner of her eye she spotted it. A beast, not exactly large yet not exactly small stood over what seemed to be his newly acquired meal. It was a scalehound, or so she had heard them called. With it's jaws covered in the flesh and blood of the victim it had claimed it looked more intimidating than it would have without the added effect. Yet a beast doesn't merely eat only to survive. If given the chance, a beat will eat to excess then some. Once it was done with the dead elf upon the ground, it would likely begin to devour the Elf that rested upon her knees in front of it. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Keelin tilted her head for a moment as her gaze paused upon the beast's next meal. Like most Elves, she was pretty. This wasn't surprising, nor was it something she cared for. What she did care for, however, was the look in her eyes. It was the same look in Keelin's eyes when she had discovered her mother's dead body years ago. "Curious," the whisper escaped Keelin's mouth while at the same time she drew her rapier and pointed it at the hound. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A blue glow escaped Keelin's hand before it traveled along the length of the blade and lightning shot with force from the tip of the blade to the head of the hound. Not content with just one, another bolt fired followed by another one. Each aimed at the head, each struck true, and each bolt cracked loudly and echoed through the slums. The beast quickly fell to the ground with a chunk of his original, and now only, meal still clutched in between his jaws. Taking a step closer, the beast twitched, which was enough for another crack to echo throughout the surrounding area as Keelin didn't wish to take a chance.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With the eyes of the beast closing, Keelin slowly withdrew her blade as she cursed herself for perhaps using a bit too much magic in such a short amount of time. She could feel the pressure it put on herself, and feel a slight sudden wave of exhaustion run over her. It wasn't enough to put her down, not nearly, but it was enough to be distracting. Taking in a deep breath and sighing, she looked over at the girl that she had saved and canted her head to the side once more, "I do believe that running is in order… lest another one of these things shows up."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]While her eyes nor her face showed it, Keelin wondered if saving her was the right choice. It was too late to take the action back. What she was certain of, however, was that a person traveling with her was likely to slow her down. The girl was saved, she could leave now and never look back and should anything happen to her it wouldn't be her fault nor would it be her problem. Still… things were interesting. Interesting could lead places… interesting could have profit.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Greenie]

Ashfa had barely moved back from the beast, knife still in her hand, which was now shaking. This girl was amazing, it was unbelievable how cool and collected she was, in comparison to her. She watched as Lensue both attacked the creature, both from the front and then the back. It was something that she couldn't do. Running and hiding was more Ash's way after all, but perhaps it was time to change now. For whatever reason, she had the diamond now. She couldn't just sit back like a coward! Not anymore!

"Not until it's finished," she replied. She could see the grade 3 was severely injured now, but there was still life in the creature. She didn't want to leave a job undone and then regret it later. Besides... if they got injured, well, she could always call upon the magic that she had stopped using for some time. Maybe with the diamond, there wouldn't be much of a counter affect to herself. Well, she could hope. She would never find out, of course, not until the end.

Ash gritted her teeth before she held her knife before her and headed toward the monster, stabbing at it once more. Foolish, probably. But she had her reasons. And there was no way she was just going to run and leave Lensue behind. Of course, perhaps the young girl had been planning on running as well. Even then... Ash felt she had to do this.

The grade three was not at all happy with yet another stabbing, even if this one was less painful that the last. It lashed out with its forelimb, with Ashfa proceeded to stab at as well. It was clear, she wasn't a fighter. But at least she wasn't giving up.

@Cresion Breezes
​

.....​

It wasn't often that Kela allowed herself to fall into a shock as she was in now. She had faced the death of her father, her brother Das and Ilian. But she and her mother had been living together for so long, that even after the older woman had lost faith in the world, she at least had trust in her daughter. Too much trust, some might say. And now... I failed her. Because of me... she's dead. And whether that was the truth or not, Kela didn't care. Her mother had been out looking for her because she had been in such a hurry to follow the diamond.

Then there was that blue glow, which suddenly brought Kela to her senses. Her green eyes stared as she suddenly saw the beast that killed her mother being attacked. What was that? Was that a weapon? Was that lightening? She rubbed at her eyes, unable to tell. By the time she saw who the attacker even was, the beat was dead. As if in a trance, Kela stood up and walked over, looking at it before looking up. She blinked, hearing words. Someone was talking. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the person before her. One glance was enough to tell her she had never seen this human before. Even in her state, she could figure that much out.

Her eyes moved back to her mother. Kela's fist clenched tightly, her face darkening. Revenge... she had wanted it so badly, for so many years. But... how was a person supposed to take revenge on mindless creatures that didn't even understand why they were being attacked in the first place?

"Yes... running... that's a good idea," she finally said, her voice rather harsh due to an aching pain in her throat. She reached into her pocket, feeling the diamond within. She had thought that she would chuck it out, feeling it was the reason her mother was gone. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Her mind seemed to clear up, the look in her eyes sharpening. She lifted her head, and as she did, Batsy the bat flew over and landed on her hair. "Do you have a place to run to? No point in just... running."

@AbstractDebauchery​

 

[Ayla]

There was no doubt in Kyo's mind that she'd die, here and now. Her head would severed, or her intestines drawn out like little bits of moss. There was no stopping it. Her little bird feet curled up at the toes, and she covered her pointed little ears. She was defeated. Out of all the places she could have died, this had to be the place. At the mercy of some grotesque monster.

Shame.

There it was. a roar. It shook the roof on top of her head and made her overly large horns vibrate in her skull. It made her body quake with the force of it. She didn't think much of it, more than likely a triumphant victory roar from the monster that was just about to take her life. She was so sure that is what it was until something came crashing down from the space above her. Kyo didn't dare look up, afraid to see a large fang or claw heading toward her to kill her. But nothing happened. No pain. No feeling of limbs being torn off or her head being ripped off her shoulders. Instead, another roar and a growl mingled with the abhorrent snarls of the first monster.
But this time, this was no monster that came crashing through the roof to join the party. Instead, it was the larger Dragoon from earlier. Had he come to save her...? His back was to her, and she stood dumbfounded when he literally punched the monster in the damned face. She couldn't even fight off a buzzing fly at dinner and this warrior punched something much larger than him. He didn't even have any weapons as she could tell.
Maybe he really did come to save her. But, whatever his motives were, he was standing between her and the thing that had wanted to swallow her whole just a second ago, so she figured it couldn't be all bad. Kyo uncurled her feet and tugged on her little wings out of sheer nervousness. He wasn't really going to fight that thing, was he? And if he was, did he expect her help? She didn't know how to fight. She barely knew how to hold her weapon. And, the thing stood about two stories taller than her. One of its claws measured about the size of her body. Not that she was very big herself, but it still mattered!
Kyo bit her lip and watched the two monsters face off. By the Gods, what could they do? What could she do?
Out of instinct, Kyo did the one thing that popped into her head. Whether it was good or not...

Kyo jumped to her little clawed feet and scurried up the Dragoon's body, nestling her little body into the curve of his collarbone, curling her tail tightly around his neck in an effort to stay on him. She was out of the way, right? She could almost fit her entire body into the hollow on his neck, and it was almost a little comical. The amusement vanished when the beast released another growl mingled with a snarl, and it almost made sure to make her bones vibrate in the process. She clung to the Dragoon, afraid for her life.
"S-Shouldn't we run...?!"

@Zarrock​