The Sentence - IC

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<<Workplace Boredom, the RP>>
[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa stood alone in the training grounds, tearing a practice dummy to bits as she trained in preparation for the battle tomorrow. A hammer blow was followed up with a snap of her fingers that precluded her summoned swords hurtling into the straw man, ending with an orb of light that set the dummy ablaze as soon as it made impact. Planting her hammer into the ground, Lyssa stepped back and overlooked her handiwork, frowning. This was pointless. If she wanted to improve, she'd need an actual spar. Too bad for her that no one seemed to be around. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Too bad Aesil was hungry. It had only been a day or two since she left the lap of luxury that was the Palace, but she was already missing the nigh-infinite amount of fish and rice she was able to consume there. More importantly, though, she missed the fact that she could wear blankets in weird ways and that would be considered an acceptable attire for just about any situation. Kanade's clothes-shopping spree involving the beast girl had only ended up with Aesil feeling way too antsy, and, with that in mind, she headed towards the training field. At least, over there, she could switch from eating bricks to eating straw dummies.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When she arrived at those barren fields, it appeared that the only other person present was Lyssa, the knight lady with the hammer. Good. She had only been noticing it recently, but it slightly bothered her when people were surprised at her eating habits.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hello," she said, with a nod. Maybe the knight had some snacks to offer.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Aesil." Lyssa returned the nod, putting out the fire she had created by smashing what was left of the dummy with her hammer. "Let me guess, hungry again?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"How you know?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in honest surprise.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Because you seem to always be hungry." Lyssa responded, a resigned grin on her face. And then her eyebrows shot up in surprise as an idea popped up in her head. "Say...tell you what. Spar with me for a round and I'll get you some food. How does that sound?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Spar?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You know, fighting, but not to kill? I was told you had a trainer for this."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Playing? Ok." Then, Aesil blinked. "How much is 'some'?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I still have some bacon in my quarters. Enough for two days' meals, I suppose." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ok. You go first?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Nodding, Lyssa took her place on the training ground, standing across from Aesil. Raising her free hand, she conjured a few swords of light and sent them flying towards Aesil, making sure to tone down their power so as to not accidentally kill the girl. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aesil watched the swords of light with some interest as they sped towards her. They weren't as brilliant as they had been when Lyssa was tossing around her light magic against that one martial artist person she had eaten, and, well...that interest became disappointment. Not playing seriously wasn't fun, after all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Stepping in between the gaps left by the projectiles, Aesil brought up a hand, palm facing upwards, and then curled and uncurled her fingers.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Frowning, Lyssa raised her hammer, enveloping it in a shroud of light. Perhaps taking it so easy on Aesil was ill-advised, considering how well the girl handled herself in a fight. Leaping up, she drove her hammer down towards Aesil. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aesil's instinct was to leap away as Lyssa fell from the sky, but her knowledge was to stay as close as possible. If this sort of attack scared her off, she'd never be able to catch the attention of whatever other massive monsters that were going to be sent after Kanade. Rasoba had taught her to stay close, and make her the most obvious target, so that was exactly what she was going to do. Sidestepping the cratering blow from Lyssa's hammer, Aesil looked down at the knight.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Faster please."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa narrowed her eyes as she summoned forth her wings of light in a golden blaze.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Fine, you want it? You have it." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Oooh...shiny...but still nothing compared to Efrida's aura, Kanade's song, or Konyuu's divine arms. Still standing where she was, Aesil waited for Lyssa to act once more, going out of her way to motion the knight to continue.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa charged, flapping her wings to increase her speed as she rushed at Aesil with a swipe of her hammer. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Still not close. This time, Aesil opted to step backwards, just far enough that the tip of the hammer almost grazed her chest. Another motion for Lyssa to continue was done, as she wondered how long it would take Lyssa to finally hit her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The armored girl sighed, narrowing her eyes. Well, at least this experience was teaching her something: she really needed to get better at fighting enemies faster than her. Honestly, if this was an actual battle, she'd probably just try to collapse a building on a speedy foe, but that wasn't exactly feasible here. Roaring, she charged forward, putting all her effort in trying to hit Aesil.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aesil approved of Lyssa's roar, and...yeah, ok.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Another whiffed attack, and the beast girl decided that she needed someone faster to practice dodging against. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"My turn now."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Clenching her fist like Rasoba had instructed her to do, Aesil pivoted off her left foot, turning to the side as Lyssa passed her. Stomping down and launching herself with her right foot next, she reciprocated Lyssa's roar with her own, as she slammed her fist into the knight lady's back.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa grunted as she took the shot, her armor absorbing most of the blow. Whirling around, she raised her free hand and moved to grab Aesil's outstretched wrist while she was occupied. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aesil was surprised to see Lyssa take the attack so well, and couldn't help but smile as the knight's attempt to grab her was almost successful. Pulling her hand away from Lyssa's, the Beast of Goetia mimicked her opponent's actions once more, lashing out with her spare hand to grab onto the knight's hammer.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As Aesil gripped Lyssa's hammer, Lyssa yanked back tightly on the weapon, trying to take Aesil off balance before she threw a gauntleted fist into her chest. [/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]A surprise, and then a hit, strong enough that Aesil felt bile rush up her throat as she doubled over from the strength of Lyssa's punch. In that instant, her eyes widened, her hunger sharpened, and her mouth opened, but just as suddenly, she clamped her jaws shut, taking the tip of her tongue out with it. Inside her mouth, she drowned those hungering thoughts out with pain and blood, until she could breathe normally again and stand up.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Wow, congratulations," she said with a lisp, her toothy smile full of blood and saliva, "Food now?"[/BCOLOR]
 
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@ERode @Psyker Landshark @R-9 Pilot​

The day had come. A heroic wind beat down the wide street, uplifting hair and clothing as if to signal the power they would encounter ahead. For once in untold years, the two monarchic factions has come together to work towards a common intent; the elimination of a much more troublesome group that had long lost its luster to truly fight back.

Where they had met, the two faction heads had come face to face if only for a moment, looking quite stern in their sizing up of one another. Princess Efrida shook Utashou Hokoa's hand briefly, before breaking the intense stare with a smile. They exchanged words of greeting before turning to the gathered forces for the mission.

Among them, Aesil, Kanade, and Lyssa stood, alongside, surprisingly, Konyuu Shora and a host of other unknown Palace champions. Efrida's angel, Drakanael, also stood out in the crowd. It seemed the two were quite serious about utterly annihilating Goetia; whatever they feared or not, few doubted their assault would fail.

"Your mission is simple, but of utmost importance," Efrida began, "Our target is not simply those champions of Goetia who have proven the most violent to our people, but the very face of their faction."

"Escorting our friend, Estranna, you will ensure her destructive spell, aimed at the Sanctuary itself, will not be interrupted," Utashou added, pointing to a girl whose face was heavily obscured by a wide witch's hat, "Whatever comes to oppose you, if anything at all, must be eliminated." The Princess nodded in turn. The champions around the, big and small, notable and featureless, rose up their voices with a light cheer.

"These sinister mages would have us quarrel with us unnecessarily, to divide our great city and shed blood where peace can be maintained," Efrida shouted, "And as their notoriety wanes, their history and leadership in tatters, I believe it is high time we remove their infectious and devious lot from our sight! Do not think this to be an unquestionable victory already -Goetia still possesses a number of powerful individuals whom remain loyal to that cowardly man Kaileb. Should you succeed, your names will go down in history... as the ones who killed Goetia!"

The crowd roared with applause and cheers as Efrida cast a hand out towards their destination.

"Make your mark on the city forever more!"



"No one has any lasting doubts?" Tinette spoke up, hands on her hips as she looked up to the outer gates surrounding Goetia's Library. When the consensus was ultimately a 'no', she let out a heavy sigh before reaching for the metal gates and pushing them open into the grassy courtyard at its side. The place was empty of souls save their own, but she proceeded forward more carefully than seemed necessary. She was walking with Guardians, now, not just two Goetian girls; the suspicion their appearance would arouse if seen was much more drastic.

"So the plan is, go for his office first, and if he isn't there, begin an investigation?" Mimo confirmed, fingers tapping on the musket leaning over her shoulder. Tinette hummed a yes in response. Their path led them to a U-shaped portion of the building, surrounding the group on three sides by walls lined with windows. Long spires and angled rooftops extended several times over one another at the top.

As they headed for the short stairs leading up to a tall set of double doors, a quick series of shuffling, thumping noises alerted the group to a presence above. Before their heads could even turn upwards, the source had already fallen to their ground level, uprooting dirt, stone and grass in its massive wake. The creature that appeared had intercepted their forward progress, blocking the entrance completely with its colossal size. It's body was covered in a chitinous, thick carapace, and its hefty jaws dripped with saliva as it growled.

Tycen averted his gaze from the great beast and back to roof, catching sight of another figure hidden within the spires there, whom quickly disappeared as his eyes caught theirs.

"Mimo and I will deal with the summoner! The rest of you take care of this creature!" he shouted before touching the Warden's shoulder and jumping high into the air. Tinette turned to the creature and readied herself as silvery sword materialized in her right hand.

"I suppose we should've expected more resistance beforehand," she said, "First we defeat this thing, then we head inside! Kaileb has probably already been alerted to our presence!" With a click of her finger, a host of shadowy owls burst from her hand and scattered into the air before encircling the building.

"He won't be going anywhere though..."



Junkiro had awoken to a fierce shaking by Kokusho, the girl having clearly gotten up (eagerly) earlier than him. She seemed to be already dressed for a fight, though that of course simply meant she was wearing her normal attire. The destination for the start of the mission was apparently just outside the Goetia Borough, a ways away but not overtly far. Yotori would presumably be there before them, on account of his, "...seriousness for missions," as Kokusho put it.

The two walked together in the whee hours of the morning, chatting up topics mostly centered around what they'd likely be doing. Junkiro already had a feeling of what it was, which Yotori affirmed with the very first greeting he made to them.

"Ready to get back at your mysterious friend, guys?" he asked. Their target was, of course, the cat-eyed woman who attempted to turn Junkiro into a traitor just two nights prior. Local reports in the Palace stated she had headed in the direction of Goetia, and if one and one added up, and the person who summoned the Memoranth was her, then it was doubtful she belonged to any other faction than Goetia. An unaffiliated individual had little reason to try and spy on a faction's head, after all.

Thanks to the efforts of capable ninja, the girls identity was revealed, and her very home pointed out. It seemed a tad bit overkill to send the ones she supposedly attacked to go "get her" (the purpose of their visit was left ambiguous), but in these trying times, leaving someone around with less than stellar morals and a willingness to summon as terrible things as a Memoranth meant few felt she deserved to live, especially after revealing she wasn't friendly.

Ultimately Yotori revealed that the Palace was already gearing to wipe Goetia out, and that he was led to believe this girl was loyal to the faction. He didn't sound guilty when he said that she was probably going, "to go," as well. Their mission became clearer and clearer.



Their shot at a wish fulfilled was ruined by but a single individual's death. It almost seemed silly to think they had even gone through with the demon's request knowing only one person was able to find it. Worse still, they expected the journey itself to be safe. What magic sword buried under centuries of architecture would be unprotected, or at least without difficulty? The retroactive thinking wrought at the group's minds, their only solace being a near endless supply of booze paid for by Jorn.

Jorn, Zaie, Aposto, Este, and Aurora all sat together within the Goetia bar, attempting to drown out the visions of Gerald being eaten alive by a horrendous serpent of the sewers. Zaie prayed that the monster was the sole thing slithering through the Drisbane sewers. It horrified her to think there could be more, just beneath her, right there and then. Few spoke up for a time, choosing instead to be silent and introspective, or simply devoid of thought in Jorn's case.

Zaie nearly teared up in several instances, but managed to withhold a true display of despair each time. For all of them, the mission was dashed into tiny pieces. None dared return to the sewer without Gerald to lead the way, and having no idea if any other beasties lied in wait, decided that even if they could resurrect the poor boy, they still wouldn't go back down there. With little other option, Aposto spoke up.

"I say we return to the demon's court and simply say... we failed, and cannot follow through with his request. He did not sound like an unreasonable entity, far the opposite in fact. I do not think he would be angry," he said.

"Half of retrieving it, according to the demon anyways, seemed to be as much a benefit to us as him anyways. We're only doing him half a favor. It's us we have to worry about now, whatever it is he was insinuating with the whole, 'things will soon change' mention," Jorn said, gesturing with a goofy sway.

"Perhaps he could give us a clue?" Aposto suggested.

"And what? Go back down again? No matter what, I'm not going back down there!" Jorn yelled, "My wish was not so important anyways."
 
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[BCOLOR=transparent]The march to Goetia's Sanctuary seemed like a parade more than like they were going to war. Aesil and Palace champions strode through the streets unencumbered, earning countless worried looks from both fellow Aesilian residents and Goetians alike as they reached the Borough. Well in advance the sight of the Sanctuary tower came into view, the Aesil destruction mage's eyes lighting up at the sight.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Further in, the group had become more cautious of their surroundings, knowing well that a group as large as themselves probably wouldn't enter without being pointed out by loyal Goetians. That, or the faction already knew they were coming; few put it past them to be capable of gleaning the attack long ago.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Entering into a wide plaza outside the tower grounds, the group paused just behind Drakanael, who extended an arm to his side to stop them. A breeze in the air was followed by a series of innumerable moaning sounds.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Emanating from the stone square, a swathe of phantasmal, smoking knights rose up, slowly piecing together to form sets of blackened armor. Ash and embers seeped from their joints as they moved about, slowly approaching the group.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Though they presented a threat, a booming noise called out from high above, loud enough to spread throughout entire city and beyond. The normally sunny sky was quickly overtaken by an encircling shroud of dark clouds. In the center of the maelstrom, a bright light shone through, directly above the gathering fight.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Drakanael shouted and pointed his massive sword towards the ashen knights.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] "Be rid of these creatures! There are far too many to obey the Final Verdict!"[/BCOLOR] [BCOLOR=transparent]he commanded. Indeed it did seem like there were a preposterous number of knights gathered in the area; far more than anyone present had ever seen gathered in a single space. The sky above shuddered with energy, lightning crackling across the cloudline, signalling to certain doom if the "army" before them persisted any longer.[/BCOLOR]​


[BCOLOR=transparent]Aesil instinctively understood the danger before them. It wasn't a challenge, but a threat of mutual destruction. If they did not retreat, the Final Verdict would fall and everyone would suffer for it. She could understand all of this, that Kanade and Efrida would not be spared this absolute destruction, and for that, the beast girl acted first, sprinting out to meet the phantasmal army laid before her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Opening her jaws and her hands, the girl's amethyst eyes flared with arcane energy. The thunderous booms of the gathering storm was lost to her as she cast her spatial magic, a web of arcane symbols expanding from the center of the army to overtake many of them. Instead of an apple, what she wove was a pancake, and Aesil's lower jaw almost unhinged as she ate it all in a single bite.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Three of the knight's bodies immediately crushed inwards slightly, spewing a plume of ash inside their armor and jostling them a bit. Still, despite their misshapen forms, the knights continued to move forward.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kanade stepped forward and drew discalibur. She swung her sword forward, allowing its whip like blade to unlimber along the way, to its full extent as she swung it at the same patch of the army Aesil had sorcerously attacked. Any luck and shed' be able to finish what her companion started and thin their numbers before she'd have to close into the melee. Two of the knights were cut down their centers, spilling even more ethereal ichor. The blade whip unfortunately got caught midway in the second, sparing the third from ever being stricken.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa raised her free hand and grit her teeth as multiple golden swords of light began to materialize behind her, all pointed at the crowd of spectral knights. This number of blades was more than she'd ever dared conjure, but for the sake of avoiding a second Sentence, nothing could be held back. She needed to slay as many of these damned monstrosities as possible before the heavens could deliver their verdict. Roaring a battle cry, Lyssa willed the blades to launch themselves at the army before them. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Six of Lyssa's blades pierced the armor of knights, eliminating the two that Aesil and Kanade had already attacked prior. The other four seemed unfettered by the attack, though their bodies still indicated heavy damage as the ash spilled out.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Around the three girls, the other fighters were deep into combat with the countless other knights. The ember-filled golems offered little resistance, but their number seemed to be without end. As one fell, others rose up from the ground to take its place.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Through the crowd, Kanade could pick out an odd man out; a living person deep behind the waves of golems. There were no allies anywhere near the person, and his immobile stance seemed to indicate he wasn't fighting either.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Several knights slashed out at the girls, having reached them amidst the carnage of arcane spells and weapon swings. Aesil easily noticed and dodged the two knights that had swung at her, though had in turn become surrounded by the things. Kanade dodged one but was hit by a second unseen assailant behind her, though the force only served to knock the wind out of her chest briefly. Lyssa received much the same treatment, though the sword that hit her bounced safely off of her armor with a clang.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Surrounded by blackened blades that glinted in the flashes of lightning arcing through the skies, Aesil bared her teeth at the inhuman knights before her. It was an empty hunt, against monsters that she would not benefit from eating, and more importantly, she had gotten separated from Kanade in this clustered melee. That was bad, and made worse by the fact that she couldn't even smell the pink-haired idol.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Rationally, not being able to smell her friend meant that there was no blood shed…but irrationally, that emptiness bothered her even more. Turning around from side to side to look for the best way to break out of the circle, Aesil lunged outwards, aiming to grab one of the knights so that she could smash it into another, creating enough of a gap that she could escape through. She managed to pick up a knight that struggled surprisingly little when she grabbed it. Her swing shattered the entity into its constituent armor pieces, and broke a single other knight into a heap of useless metal. Several others were knocked to the side, granting Aesil a brief moment to slip through and out of the circle.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]That odd man in the back was too important to ignore, even with the battle raging around her. Kanade leapt into the air, relying on her armor's limited capacity for flight to temporarily give her a better vantage point, and called out to the nearby fighters. "There! In the enemy's back lines!" She didn't elaborate further on her observation, but flung a bolt of arcane energy right at the man, to punctuate her observation and better point him out to the allied forces.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Her arcane bolt was intercepted by an outstretched sword whose length urged Kanade's eyes to the hand, and subsequently, the entity that grasped it. Two rather large and formidable counterparts to the slow and mindless stood at the man's side, their flame-lit helmets staring far towards Kanade's position.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Drakanael heard Kanade's words along with a few others and immediately took action. With a mighty swing of his sword, he cleaved down a row of knights and charged forward, knocking over several more groupings of the golems.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll make a path! You need to get rid of the summoner," as another group surrounded him, he lifted his head and called out to them again, "I have to make sure their numbers stay lower! Go!" As he commanded, Drakanael lifted his sword upwards. A long beam of light stretched from its hilt, elongating the weapon at least thrice fold. As it crashed down upon the ground, the creatures caught in its path were incinerated instantly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A long path was created, if only for but a few seconds, for the girls to pass through.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa heard Drakanael's command and simply shouted her assent as she focused her light magic onto her back, forming her wings of light. Brandishing her hammer, she shouted towards Kanade and Aesil as she rose into the air. "Occupy the guards, and I'll finish him off!" Lyssa roared as she shot towards the summoner. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]An opening, a meal, and then...Aesil saw them.Two metal guardians, giving off the same oppressive, monstrous feel as the one that had almost killed Kanade a few days back. Ah, so that was how it was. That was the person that Efrida had spoke about, the Gurmal person who created constructs.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A smile broke her face in half, and Aesil roared out her challenge towards the man, throwing away all pretense of a hunt. This wasn't just a meal. This was going to be the vengeful violence that only a human could do unto another. With her blood boiling her thoughts away, she dashed through the corridor that Efrida's angel had created, fangs ready to take a bite out of the first real meal she had in some time.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Barely dashing underneath two massive swords slamming into the ground just behind, Aesil made it face-to-face with the golemancer Gurmal. Surprised by the sudden removal of entire walls of protection, it was clear he didn't anticipate being reached, much less bitten by some little girl. Aesil's teeth sunk into the man's arm and he cried out, with a thrash.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kanade took the opportunity given to her by the Angel's assault, and rushed right behind Aesil to meet the mage and his honor guard. Rather than strike at the wizard himself, she instead engaged one of the guards, bringing her sword up to make a powerful strike at the end of her charge. While her focus is mainly on providing a distraction, she wasn't going to hold back, either. Though they had just swung down, the targeted guard was able to lift its hefty weapon up just in time to miss a strike to its arm by Kanade.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyssa dashed forth, leaving the summoner to Aesil as she moved to engage the honor guard that Kanade wasn't fighting. Swooping down from above, she swung her hammer down at the guard, hoping to finish him in one decisive blow. Lyssa's hammer crashed upon the guard's helm, bending its inwards as the golem unleashed a dull roar.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Turning to Aesil, the two guards made it clear they could not be distracted by the other's ploys, hellbent on a singular command; protect. One of them reached down to grab Aesil from Gurmal, prying her from the bite before quickly chucking her body to the ground at its feet. Smacking into the hard earth, Aesil could feel a number of her bones instantly snap, in particular her ribs and nose. Blood jetted from her mouth as the trauma bled her internally.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The second guard reached down to retrieve Gurmal, lifting him from the dangers below and extending a sword towards the three girls as if to ward them away.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Crack. Snap. Pop. The pleasure of food was erased in an instant as Aesil was smashed into the ground, her bones breaking from the impact of the mighty blow. Iron filled her mouth and she swallowed it, a bittersweet feeling encompassing her as she realized just how tasty her blood was as flavoring. Bounding back beside her allies, she could feel herself on the verge of unconsciousness, fluctuating between brain-numbing pain and brain-numbing numbness. Her vision was hazy as well, flickering oddly with each labored breath.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It hurt a lot, but...hunger still trumped all. She cast her net of magic through the pain, encompassing the giant that protectively held Gurmal and biting down on the apple. One bite wasn't enough. She wanted all of the man. Though the knight instinctively covered the magician with its sword arm, the effects of Aesil's moon biting were unavoidable without moving. The space in the guards arms was impacted by an arcane pulse, and as it struck Gurmal, he cried out in furious pain. Instantly the guards that held him dissociated into pieces of useless armor, including the smaller, countless knights around them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]All throughout the battlefield, the ashen knights crumbled to dust and debris, followed by soft sighs as their artificial souls dissipated into the air. The champions looked around, surprised by the sudden turn of events, until eventually they found their gaze towards the three Aesilian girls standing before a bleeding, crumpled mess of a person. They approached behind them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Gurmal lay on the ground, clutching as much of his body as he could after the arcane force struck him from all angles. Drakanael put a hand on Lyssa's shoulder just behind the girl and looked towards the defeated Goetian golemancer.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Nice work you three," he commended.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The beast girl's body cracked and bubbled, burning with an enhanced metabolism as her body rebuilt itself. Bones were knit together and internal wounds were closed at an accelerated rate as she shivered in delight. Gurmal's flesh and blood was a little too aged for her taste, but it was still a relatively clean taste. Close to beef fat, now that she thought about it…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Shaking herself out of her fantasies, Aesil allowed herself one more moment to enjoy the 'antique' taste of the Goetian man. Her underwear was getting stained again, but, with so much of her blood on her, no one would notice the smell.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Walking towards Gurmal, she grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him before Kanade, tossing the whimpering man before the pink-haired girl.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Now apologize," she said flatly, placing her foot down on his head and doing her best to ignore the deliciously raw smell coming from the lower half of his body.[/BCOLOR]
 
It was the stealthiest Junkiro had likely ever been, short of trying to hide during games during his childhood. The three Palace champions stood close and low behind a short stone wall at the forefront of an untended but green garden. The interior was overtaken by vegetation of all kinds, though it looked rather wild and unwelcoming rather than 'bountiful'.

In the center of the garden was a single small home, wonderfully separate from the rest of the city's architecture. It was a rare sight in Drisbane to find a small building that wasn't attached to something else. The home had its lights on, and through the window they could see the occasional figure moving about. Though the day was young and the sun... cloudy?

A boom resonated across the sky and as the three looked skyward, a maelstrom of grey clouds overtook the skies.

"What in the world?" Yotori mumbled. It only took a few seconds for the strange formation to arrive in Drisbane's skies; they were no mere stormclouds.

"Magic?" Kokusho supposed with a raised eyebrow.

"If it is, it's a huge spell," Yotori added. Their eyes were quickly drawn to the sound of a wooden door swinging open. The home they were watching opened up, and out jogged a girl that Junkiro immediately recognized. The green-haired girl with catlike eyes, as she was known, strode outside and looked skyward as well, having clearly heard the enormous boom.

"Now's our chance!" Yotori stated, quickly vaulting over the side of the wall.

After being quite eagerly shaken awake by a very boisterous Kokusho, Junkiro's day had been a long, arduous one. Taking the trek to Goetia aside, as he chatted with his compatriots on this mission, it had become increasingly obvious this was no mere reconnaisance trip: Palace was out for blood, and they wanted the betrayer himself to be on the mission. Still not exactly the most sound logic in Jun's head, but who was he to argue with his faction heads? Regardless, he was out on his first serious mission in quite a while; his nerves were acting up, and he had been shivering most of the trip down here.

And now, here they were hiding out playing stealth outside the young catgirl's house, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Stealth, like this, wasn't really up Jun's alley, even though his stickiness made him a natural candidate for the skill. It was just...boring, when there was no action going on. He had almost nodded off once or twice in the growth around the wall, watching just some shuffling in a home...

Then a loud booming sound echoed across the skies, a mass of dark clouds suddenly obscuring the sun and dimming their vision. What was going on here? A sudden thunderstorm? Or something far more sinister? Either way, it appeared that it had caught catgirl's attention as well, as she exited her home to inspect the disturbance as well. This Yotori decided was the opportune moment to strike, as he was the first to bound over the wall they camped behind. Junkiro, however, was far more cautious. Before Kokusho could make her move, Junkiro pulled her aside, keeping her in coverage for a moment.

"I'm not here. I'm going to stay hidden until I have a clean shot...there is no benefit to her knowing I'm here too." He released his grip on her then, allowing her to join the fray. Jun knew that the more attention he drew in battle, the worse off he was to help the others with his gum. Treading carefully, Junkiro instead snuck around the wall, making sure to keep a close eye on his two partners and the enemy...

Kokusho nodded in response and followed after Yotori, jogging up to his side. Their steps alerted the girl to their presence, though by Yotori's casual stance it didn't seem like he was intending to be stealthy any longer anyways. The girl looked over Yotori before stopping her gaze on Kokusho. A grin over took her face.

"My my, this is unexpected. I would have thought you'd stay at home after losing your memory," she stated, crossing her arms together. Kokusho gave a confused look, though it washed away after she rightfully assumed the knowledge to understand was lost days ago.

"Come to exact revenge I assume? Where's your hooded friend?" she continued, peering over Yotori's shoulder towards the garden entrance.

"At least you're aware of what's coming," Yotori shrugged. The girl gave an angered look before sticking her hand into a pants pocket. With a quick jerk of her arm, she pulled out a blackened paper slip and raised it into the air. The slip immediately lit aflame and burned to a crisp within seconds.

Yotori and Kokusho raised their fists in response, of course expecting something drastic from the Goetian. A few seconds passed before something stirred in the ground just beneath a vine-covered wall. The vegetation elongated till it touched the earth, piercing into it and lifting masses of dirt in large individual clumps. The conglomeration rose to form a vaguely humanoid creature of wood, vine, and rock formed into gnarled teeth in countless mouths spread about the thing's body.

As it stood up, the creature let out a low bellow and ground its rocky teeth together. It's appreance seemed to impart a sluggishness in those that stared upon it, as if they were slowly getting sleepier...

Yotori was wise enough to ignore the summons and go straight for the cat-eyed girl. Dashing underneath the woody creature, Yotori made it unharmed to the girl's side before opening up combat between the two. Within seconds it became clear that, despite utilizing summoned creatures, the girl was no less capable with a sword.

The creature turned towards Yotori, but before it could aid its master, Kokusho unleashed a tree-shattering punch to its leg, splintering the limb into dirt and wood. As her fist connected however, she winced and fell to one knee with a huff. Eyes clenched shut, she appeared to be strained in some way.

Junkiro had watched the catlady hold out some weird card thing that set alight and disappeared, and almost made a move right there and then. There was a lull where nothing happened; what were they doing? But as he prepared to make a sneak attack, the ground rumbled and the wall by him suddenly erupted into life, a massive earthy, plant-y creature rose up out of the ground. Junkiro stared at it for the longest time...somehow it was luring him into a daze...

Jun shook his head, stumbling away from the surprisingly lulling creature. He shouldn't concern himself with that right now; his target was the cat-lady, and he probably wouldn't get more than one shot on her...he had to make this perfect. Continuing his circuitous path, he glanced behind him, looking for anything useful.

He spotted a rather straight tree branch several feet behind him-perfect. Crossing to the tree, he drew his machete, clambering up using his sticky power. With a single powerful chop, the not-too-thick branch snapped, the sound masked by the thunderous splitting of something wooden. Probably Kokusho. The four-foot branch in his hand, Junkiro began the second part of his planned attack...

At its feet, the summon threw down a chop with its thick wooden arms, nearly crushing Kokusho's seemingly incapacitated form. With a shake of her head, she dismissed whatever was ailing her and rolled out of the way just in time.

Yotori and the girl clashed, fist to sword, trading blows without landing an actual injurious strike on one another; they were evenly matched, it seemed. As Kokusho rolled to the side, she dug her left foot into the dirt before leaning her body sideways into an outstretched, double-handed punch to the creatures arm. The limb broke into pieces, rendering it a (forgive the pun) stump of its former self. The creature recoiled with a grumble as its limb was broken in half, though seemed no less animated in its movements.

Taking care not to make too much noise, Junkiro slunk back down the tree, pressing himself to the wall again. If he was going to make this work, he was going to need perfect precision...

Forming a gumwad in his hand, he stuck it to the wall, taking measured steps backward. Fourteen, fifteen.... At twenty, Junkiro stopped moving back, sticking the branch he just obtained to it. Lining up his eyesight and the center of the branch, he trained his vision on the fight, watching the golem-like thing lurch about, but more importantly, the swirling clash between the catlady and Yotori. He needed a perfect moment to release his gum-slingshot holding his bolt, a brief moment to strike...and when their recent clash forced them to separate, he let it go.

The gum-slingshot rocketed out of his grip, sending the bolt screaming over the wall, aimed for the catlady....

As Yotori thankfully moved out of the way of Junkiro's makeshift ballista, the girl nevertheless seemed to catch sight of the oncoming object just in time to raise her sword forward. The wooden projectile was split in two as it smacked into the blade, separating and flying off to the girl's sides. Still, the distraction had offered Yotori the perfect moment to finally get a hit on her. With a powerful punch to her exposed ribs, Yotori sent the girl rolling to the ground with a yelp.

Picking herself up, the cat-eyed girl grasped at her side briefly and winced. "Too late I see you came with more friends, and the near-traitor at that," she spat.

Meanwhile, Kokusho kept her paces with the wooden summon, dodging its attacks, dazed as she seemed to be throughout, and landed another body-breaking punch on the creature, this time crippling one of its legs. Still, though it limped about on an uneven stance, the creature did not falter in its attacks.

Junkiro had now been detected, but his position was yet unclear; a perfect strategic advantage. Even with no limbs, this golem-like creature was still shuffling along trying to make mulch of Cookie. He had to help her, but how? That thing probably wouldn't feel anything he could do from THIS distance. Maybe he could slow it down? Though it was pretty slow already. Or what if....

The tree once again gave Junkiro an idea. This time, he stuck a gob of gum to the trunk of the tree, pulling some with him that he then fired at the golem. This gum, rather than stretch, was set to snap back as soon as it hit something; in other words, if it hit the golem, it would try to pull it to the tree. That could slow it down, or it could case a tree to go flying...among other things. Immediately upon firing, Junkiro tucked and rolled, making sure to keep moving to not give his position away.

Catching hold of the wood creature, the gum immediately began its tug-o-war with nature and a supernatural being. Already, "on its last leg" the creature showed little ability to resist the recoiling of Junkiro's gumline, dragging it along the dirt until finally it began to topple over.

Seeing the opportunity, Kokusho dashed right underneath the falling summon and dug her feet into the ground as her head looked upwards. With a powerful jab upwards, her fist met the falling creature's chest. From the other side, its body burst outward in an eruption of wood and dirt, leaving a perfectly-sized hole for Kokusho to slip through as the thing finally hit the earth.

Patting her hands together to rid them of splinters, Kokusho turned back to Junkiro and gave him a wide grin and a thumbs up before turning to Yotori and the cat-eyed girl. Though the girl had become slower, she was still maintaining a good defense against Yotori's unending strikes. As she heard the sound of her falling summon and its summary defeat, she dashed back from Yotori and kept her sword forward.

Crossing his arms, the blonde Palacian taunted her, "Seems your own backup's gone. Can't take all three of us, can you?"

With the plant golem now defeated thanks to his teamwork with Kokusho, Junkiro saw no reason to continue staying hidden; she was now fully aware of his presence, and 3 on 1 was a tough matchup for anyone. With a grunt, Junkiro ran to the wall, vaulting over it with a handspring.

He landed on all fours, then glanced up at catlady with a smile. "Why, hello again. Didn't think you'd see me after you sicced the Memoranth on me, did you? Bet you didn't know how well Cookie and I work together." He gave Kokusho a glance, and flashed her the same grin and thumbs-up she gave him.

"Now then. You're outnumbered and outmatched. I suggest you surrender, then maybe your death will be less gruesome, hey?"

"If you're going to inevitably kill me, do it now. I won't wait around for it," she spat with a glare.

"I can imagine being put through an obvious and rigged trial wouldn't mean much if you already know it's coming," Yotori shrugged, "Drop your sword and we'll make this quick."

The girl closed her eyes and pointed her head down. "I suppose countless years of faction history doesn't mean much, and could never have expected to be invincible," she sighed to herself. Loosening her grip, she let the sword fall sideways out of her hand and into a patch of grass.

"I'll try and make this painless," Yotori grimly said, cracking his knuckles. The girl's head kept lowered.

"Just make it quick... there are two others who'd also like to take my life as well. You should probably hurry," she said with a grin. Yotori looked confused for a moment but shrugged it off as some quarrel the girl had with someone else. He placed his closed fist close to her heart, knuckles outwards.

"Any last words?" Yotori asked.

"Good luck," she responded. Yotori retracted his hand and a golden swirl of energy wrapped around it. Too fast to see, he threw his prepared punch right into the girl's chest, unleashing a shockwave of energy that burst from her back. She stood for barely a second before her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, clearly dead.

Yotori looked towards the sky to see the ominous storm still brewing. A flash of red and silver caught his eye however, and as he looked lower, he found himself facing two unknown individuals standing at the top of the stone wall encircling the other side of the garden.

A man clad in red armor, and a woman carrying a firearm.
 
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Take care of the creature? Galina thought. That's easier said than done. Turning to the chitinous mass she couldn't imagine how she would do anything more than distract it, considering its hardened outer layer. Still, she thought she saw meat at its joints which could take some damage from well-placed blows. The problem was getting to them without dying.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"We need to aim for the joints, I'll try to draw its attention away!" She called to the others. She ran to the wall on her left, jumping into the air as she approached and spinning to land on her feet. Wasting less than a second to adjust, she ran along her new floor up towards the ceiling, avoiding the windows as she drew her katar.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The blue haired guardian rolled her eyes. Oh yeah, sure Galina, scream out your plan. Not like monsters don't understand english just 'cause they're ugly. Well… in this case it worked out? Armor was only helpful in deterring attacks from the outside. Whether Galina drew attention or not, Eleena wasn't one to get caught. Charging in as if following on the words, she proceeded on a straight line to attack its leg joint. But it was only a feint. She pushed her body aside, instead attacking the other leg's heavily armored area with a burst of electricity from her hand. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With that, Eleena kicked off the beast, sending an upwards shock while sending herself reeling away, giving the girl enough time to back off a total of 30 meters. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As the creature crashed down, Natalya drew her sword, preparing her stance. As Galina and Eleena dashed forwards, one trying to draw attention and the other swatting at the creature's carapace, she realised just how vulnerable they looked, like insects buzzing around a human. If the beast turned its attention to them, who knew what it could do. Better to hang onto as much strength as possible. If it attacked any of the others, they might be weakened. If it attacked her on the other hand...Confident in her ability to weather blows, and with her powers there to support her as well, Natalya strode to the front of the beast, shouting loudly to try and draw it's attention. Picking up speed as she approached, she spun into a vicious two-handed sword strike aimed at the joint of the front leg.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Though it connected where she wanted it to, the sword's length caught onto an armor bulge in the creature's skeletal limbs, failing to cut into the softer flesh just behind it. Roaring at Natalya, it picked up its massive claw and brought it down upon her like a falling boulder. Narrowly avoiding it, Natalya moved to the side as it crushed the stone path where she had just stood.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Halberd stood firm with Retribution aloft, waiting for the right moment. Nobody had been injured yet - that was a bonus - and the legs seemed like the obvious way to bring the thing down. He'd bought all sorts of equipment yesterday, but his axe was all he needed for this evil creature. The thing looked poor at dodging, but with thick armour. An opponent like this, was Halberd's specialty. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]For Drisbane.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The deep grey coat trailing behind him, Halberd dashed for the leg that Natalya weakened before she dodged the beast's fearsome attack. By focusing the same area, they could surely bring down the beast, and go for attacks against its head. Gritting his teeth and twisting his body to the side, Halberd's muscles tensed as he briefly charged a powerful attack. After a brief delay, Halberd unleashed Retribution with a roar, spinning around; the axe blade screaming through the air.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With a sickening crack the axe butchered its way through several layers of chitin, severing the creature's forearm in two. The beast roared tremendously recoiling the dismembered limb as it sprayed black ichor about the area. The bleeding quickly stopped however, and though it seemed to still be in pain, the creature rested the stump upon the ground as support, still fairly balanced in its stance.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Galina understood that Natalya was more durable than she was, but that didn't mean she wanted to be useless while others risked their lives in defense of the city. She had restocked on throwing knives at the Guardian borough, drawing one from her belt she carefully aimed 'upwards' towards the beasts and let it fly. A hit, it sank as deep as it could into the creature's left eye, but while the beast squealed in pain it seemed to be otherwise unbothered by the attack. With a sigh, Galina prepared for more drastic tactics.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eleena stayed back and watched the scene, preparing her spirits and her body. She closed the distance by 15 meters, watching her ally's movements. The next time Natalya or Halberd attacked with their weapons, she'd join them in the assault. Rather than the beast, however, her aim was their weapons. Eleena would punch their weapon and put her growing electric current into it as they struck, pushing forward a surge of electricity into the beast. Well if Halberd just plainly cleaved through the thing like butter again, she would just… probably punch the thing, crying inside for being so weak.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing Halberd cleave through the leg like it was nothing was really rubbing salt into the psychological wounds for Natalya. With the left leg and also the left eye out of action, she dashed to the right, aiming to keep the thing pissed off, and pissed off at her. The weather had turned ominous, a foreboding storm brewing in the skies, setting an appropriately dramatic backdrop to their fight. Natalya swung hard at the right leg joint, letting out a guttural roar as she did so.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eleena saw the opportunity and charged in alongside Natalya, giving an exaggerated thumbs up before the speedster let out a roar and proceeded to punch Natalya's weapon as it moved towards the beast, planning to unleash a strong electric current into its insides. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With a great bound, the creature took temporarily off from the ground, moving a few feet to the side and landing with a heavy crash upon the ground that shuddered the earth in a wide area. It's labored dodge managed to avoid Natalya's swing narrowly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Though it's left arm had become clawless, the creature didn't seem any less inclined to take a swing at Galina while she stood stuck to the side of a wall, though her strange positioning and speed managed to save her from being clubbed back to the ground.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Halberd gritted his teeth, relieved that Galina had managed to dodge the swing. He hadn't seen what the Goetian could do before, but she was fast; her speed almost rivalled Blue Bolt. Usually, now would be the time Halberd would go for the head, but cutting off one claw had proved effective. If he could do the same to the other…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]No, not yet. He was still catching his breath from putting his all into the previous swing. Tightening the grip on the axe handle, Halberd charged forth, Retribution dragged behind him and emitting sparks against the stone. As he drew near, Halberd dashed to the side of the beast, being lifted into the air as he aimed an upwards strike for the beast's neck, trying to distract the bastard away from Galina. The beast straightened its arms, lifting its hulking torso upwards and dodging Halberd's swing. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lifting up onto its hind legs, the creature crossed its arms close to its chest as if hugging its own body. A sickening series of cracks and gurgles emanated from its dismembered arm, and as the thing roared and extending its arms outwards, the once missing limb sprouted a brand new hand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Galina managed to avoid the creature's clumsy swing, although she didn't trust her luck to hold out forever. She watched as Halberd missed his attack and, to everyone's dismay, the creature regenerated its claw. It looked like they would need to kill it in one stroke, something she was pretty sure she wasn't capable of. However, it wouldn't stop her from trying. She ran along the wall until the creature's head was directly 'above' her, gauging the distance until she was satisfied, then readied a katar in her right hand and switched gravity. This isn't going to work, was her last thought before she fell upwards about ten feet. Spinning in the air, she got her feet beneath her and landed on the side of the beast's head with her blade at the ready.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Eleena: … Regeneration, huh? Eleena looked to Natalya then sighed. Well. Shit. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"If this looks like it won't die anytime soon, we should look for an opportunity to go around it!" [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Until then…. The best she could do was try! The girl's legs revved up once more, and so closed the small distance. All she could do was attack again and again, building up her willpower to make an attack that would bring it down in a single blow! Woosh! Out went a pitifully weak punch! It would do little to the beast's leg, but a jolt of electricity would push in![/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Natalya spat out a particularly foul stream of curses when the arm regenerated. The one mark they had managed to make on it had now disappeared. It seemed that damage merely to the peripheral areas would not be enough to drop the giant insect. They'd have to start hitting more vital areas. Seeing Galina on top of the insect, it seemed she wasn't the only one thinking of hitting somewhere more important. "Hey Galina, anything up there look easily stabbable?!" she shouted up, while hacking again at the right leg. Seeming then a bit more mobile than its size indicated, the creature slid its leg along the ground to avoid Natalya's slash before bringing it back forward blindingly quick. The bony appendage smacked into Natalya and launched her skipping across the ground several dozen feet. Her arm and side were in severe pain, likely fractured in several places from the blow. They were still useable, however.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Breathing heavily, Halberd licked his lips as he studied the creature. Regeneration… of course it had to have regeneration. Perhaps Galina could find a way to bring down the beast in one blow; for now, it was up to him to weaken and distract the creature. As Natalya was smacked away, Halberd gave a vengeful growl under his breath. He'd had enough of this. Reacting quickly, Halberd lifted Retribution high, and bought it down like a meteor onto the leg that'd attacked Natalya in one swift reaction. It chopped into the leg's carapace, splitting a chunk of the armor like a clamshell. The creature's new wound bled briefly, but having witnessed the thing's regenerative power, it became clear what the temporary bleeding meant it was already underway healing.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The battle between the singular beast and the team of Goetians and Guardians continued on for several minutes, exhausting all but the regenerating beast. Every ploy at felling it proved pointless as the thing regained its limbs and armor within moments of having lost it. Even against the head, which proved formidably armored thanks to the huge chitinous plate over its neck, would not sustain damage for long.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As the group panted with exhaustion, the creature seemed unbending in its resolve and energy; it would not be tired. Hulking over Eleena, it was poised to attack the speedy girl, and because of her tiredness, it seemed her chances of dodging further became increasingly slim.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Raising up a claw, it was about to smash the blue bolt into the dirt like a stake when the limb suddenly burst into dust. Following up the arm, the creature as a whole, too, disintegrated into a fine, shining powder that soon enough evaporated into the air, leaving nothing remaining of the monster.[/BCOLOR]
 
[BCOLOR=transparent]Este continued to listen to the bickering of those weak willed humans, there was a myriad of things she wanted to say, but they would have all been wasted words on those idiots. She gave a small sigh, this behavior was precisely why she hated human nature. The vampiress shook her head. Why did they venture up anyways? "Give up on your wish? Not like you did anything? You see, we had a guide, who was guiding and ended up as a meat shield, which could have been you instead. And now he is gone, and all you do is cry? This city is old, but there has to be a map, no? And I can provide the manpower needed to do a mass-search inside the sewers." It wasn't in her nature to give up just because of one small hurdle.[/BCOLOR]
"She isn't wrong we don't necessarily need to give up, but we should reconsider our approach especially now with Gerald gone," Aurora spoke up as she walked over to Este with a chair. Pulling out a few bandages she motioned Este to give her, her hands. Pretty sure her associate wouldn't understand the "foreign" friendly jester she added. "Come we need to get that stuff off your hands."

Este took a careful step back from the human, not quite sure about her intents. "Stuff off my hands?" The vampiress was a tad confused, if in case she meant the poison of the snake, by now, the vampires regeneration had done all the dirty work.

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...Just give me your hands already. Let me make sure there is no trace of it left," Aurora demanded in a rather motherly stern tone as she put the bandages away. Like the rest of the group she was indeed unsettled about the loss of Gerald. Yet having been a Guardian for quite some time she was very used to losing people, and the emotional feeling for the act had been rather… dried up. "So then what will our next action be? If we want to put the Lost Sword on hold I believe we should return to the other disturbing hand at play. The child of the Madurn is something I believe we should investigate further no?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Perhaps, though it seems to me like there are many more forces surrounding the child already, if she is missing from the Sanctuary," Aposto stated, crossing his arms. He looked to Zaie, who responded with a dismissive expression.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Grave as the mystery surrounding this "child" seem, I don't believe it's particularly pertinent to us either way. Doubtlessly, since Kaileb entered the Sanctuary already, he's seen and retrieved the child. Unless we specifically want to question him, I care little for looking into the matter," Zaie said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"There IS no trace left, human."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Este warned Aurora, before turning to the apparent more important matters at hand. "As I already stated, I couldn't care less about the Child of the Madurn." The vampiress was still inclined about the venture in regards to the sword.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Your definitely a stubborn one," Aurora sighed in response to the vampiress's unnecessary hostility. It was yet again that everyone else seemed to turn away from the topic of the child… was she really the only one unsettled by it, and what that child could be forced to do in the wrong hands. For now she would just have to hope someone else was handling that issue as the group continued to mourn on the failure to retrieve the sword. With a light sigh she pulled out her pipe, and lit a few herbal leaves as she mulled over her thoughts. "How about in regards to the map theory. No doubt if the Madurn had some sort of connection to that demon realm I am sure this sword topic had once been brought up to them. Maybe like us they failed, but still kept a mapped record of where they had investigated?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Do we know if they ever went inside though? Seems awfully strange that we'd 'accidentally' get pulled into a portal like that, get asked to do some task, and then, using a kid with no more arcane ability compared to the Madurn than a field mouse…" Jorn said as he grasped his head and shook it, "Look what I'm trying to say is that the Madurn, if anyone at all, should be able to find this special sword, and apparently they didn't. What the hell could we do then? It's either that or they were never asked in the first place!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"It does indeed seem strange, like it doesn't add up," Aposto said, "Perhaps we're missing something key here?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Zaie laughed tauntingly, "The moment we stepped inside the Sanctuary we've been missing some things. There's so much we cannot know with the Madurn gone!" she said sourly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Why don't we put this up to a vote?" Aposto suggested, "Let's lay out our options, and then we can vote on what we should do next."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Or we forget all this and go our separate ways," Jorn mumbled. Aposto seemed to ignore him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"We can begin a search for a sub-city map in hopes that it will give us some guidance around the sewers, we could return to the demon's court and ask for any possible assistance, or…" he turned to Jorn, "We could simply forgo continuing this adventure and return to our lives."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I say we return to the demon's court," Zaie voted.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Forget it all," Jorn said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Aposto sighed, "I agree with Zaie. We return to Silzard." He turned to Aurora and Esterellia, awaiting their vote.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Este's stare intensified on Jorn, she wasn't done with this man yet. "Small words from a small man, as expected." Before giving her vote to what she suggested in the first place. "I'll look for a map."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Before I give my own response does anyone find it odd how the Madurn had a child, but they were all men," Aurora asked randomly more so at Zaie. "Add on to the fact that female we met in the demon's realm stayed out of the human world for quite awhile causing certain facts about hell to get mixed up… does anyone get the feeling that the Madurn, and this Demon Lord were possibly not on good terms. Maybe the Madurn did find the sword, and then hid it better," Aurora theorized yet that's all she felt she could do… and she wanted it of her chest. "I agree with both trying to find a map, and speaking with this Demon Lord again. If we find a map we then know that something is rather strange about our transaction with the Demon Lord. If not hopefully the Demon Lord will give us a bit more… either way we come out with a little more info on the matter," Aurora shrugged.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I couldn't have said it better," Aposto clapped his hands together, "Perhaps Zaie, Jorn, and I could return to the Sanctuary and consult Silzard once more whilst you and Esterellia seek a map?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Standing up, he seemed to indicate such would be the series of events they'd undertake; his hurriedness reflected his desire to be done with the conversation. Zaie and Jorn followed soon after, the latter with a huff of annoyance.[/BCOLOR]
 

The two newcomers had approached Yotori, Kokusho, and Junkiro in peace, hopping down from the wall and walking forward without any sign of aggressiveness. Seconds behind them, a third figure appeared, a woman, who caught up their side. After a moment, the three of them could recognize the identity of the red-armored man; Tycen Uma, of the Guardians. Yotori and Kokusho maintained a neutral stance, though their faces indicated suspicion.

Stopping a few feet from them, the two Guardians and the single Goetian looked down at the dead girl's body, seeming half surprised, and half disappointed. Warden Mimo was the first to speak up.

"Looks like you three got to her before we could, who are you?" she asked.

"Yotori, Kokusho and Junkiro, of the Palace," Yotori greeted before looking to Tycen, "I presume you are Tycen Uma, leader of the Guardians?" The armored figure nodded.

"I'm Mimo, warden of the Guardian Borough," Mimo said, turning to the Goetian woman.

"Tinette, of Goetia, or what remains of it soon enough," the blonde woman nodded.

"What's left?" Kokusho questioned. Tinette nodded and elaborated.

"The three of us were searching for Kaileb, the now missing leader of Goetia. At the Library where we sought after him, our comrades were attacked by a summoned beast," Tinette looked down at the girl again, "We followed her here after she escaped with Kaileb alongside her, though we lost him along the way, and chased after her."

"If she's dead now, the others have likely already been rid of the summon," Mimo pointed out.

"Though it may seem an accident to us, we thank you for... doing our dirty work," Tycen said. Yotori laughed and raised his hands behind his head to rest.

"Two birds with one stone? No, something like, feeding two birds with one worm?" He stifled a laugh and gestured to the body, "We have no use for her anymore. Do you?" Mimo approached the body closer to inspect it. Upon finding that she was, indeed, dead, Mimo picked up the corpse and nodded to Yotori.

"We'll grant her a grave, certainly," she said.

Suddenly, a loud boom once again shuddered the skies. The clouds had disappeared several minutes prior, leaving the sky clear and blue. In the distance, an eerie arcane glow shined over the horizon of Drisbane buildings, slowly growing brighter and brighter. A gust of wind, followed by the sound of an ungodly roar, prompted the group in the garden to head for the disturbance without exchanging any words.



Since Gurmal had been rendered unconscious with a swift knock to his head by Drakanael's fist, the Aesil and Palace champions had erupted into a boisterous cacophony of congratulations and hand shaking. Though they had been fighting together for nary a few minutes, it seemed as though countless instances of unexpected camaraderie had tied the faction together better than either could have hoped prior to the mission. The mission, however, had yet to be finished. The coup de grâce had yet to be finished; the destruction of the Goetian Sanctuary. A display to all even outside of Goetia, the removal of the almost sacred grounds once home to the Madurn Covenant was meant to inspire obedience towards the newly arisen "Overworld Alliance", tailored to transparency and peace.

The destruction mage, as she was called, was already in the midst of charging her spell, stone-still with her staff raised towards the target. For several minutes she chanted under her breath, growing the obliterating magick until it satisfied her. Eyes were on her, and soon, the tower itself, as she finished with one last shout and cast her staff even higher.

The light that gathered around her erupted into a plume of flames, and high in the sky, an arcane pulse signaled the coming strike. Five flashes of red-lined, black energy lashed out from every angle at the tower, each one like the talon of a dark god. Their blade-like forms sliced inwards, gutting the midsection of the tower like an enclosing gauntlet. All at once, the tower, well away from the group, began to fall in pieces.

Cheering and clapping ensued as the crumbling remains dove to the earth. Then, they stopped.

Midway through their fall, the pieces halted all downward progress and hovered in midair. From the newly formed "top" of the severed tower, a burst of red light expanded outwards, lightning crackling from its surface. The pieces of the tower rose around the expanding sphere, circling around it in turn.

The sphere stopped its growth and began to crack like an egg. The shell burst outward, dissipating into glowing dust, and revealed a damning entity inside. Rising from the broken capsule, a great monster of burning energy let forth a tremendous roar into the sky, as loud and expansive as the boom that preceded the storm earlier.

Those of Drisbane looked in fear to the massive beast, many of them readying whatever weapons they could in preparation for what was to come. Many ran as the sky took on a reddened hue and the clouds distanced themselves from the tower. The great demonic beast passed a single sweep of its gaze to the city below before crossing its arms and enveloping itself in flame. Collapsing into a thin tower of fire, the tower shot into the sky, far past the point of sight.

The tower finally collapsed when the demon disappeared, and the pieces that had floated around it crashed to the stone courtyard surrounding it. For a time, the Aesil and Palace champions did not know what to think of the event, eyes still scanning the sky for the demon's presence. Soon, they dismissed it, though the image remained seared into their minds.

A clamor of fear and discussion overtook the group, and likely the city as a whole, in the aftermath of the tower's destruction. What was meant to be a defamation of the Goetian's most sacred building had instead become a warning to all. A warning... that such things as the demon existed in their world.

SHINK.

Lyssa's eyes were immediately drawn to the ground at her feet. Seemingly from the sky itself, a longsword of reddish color had embedded itself into the stone before her very eyes. Soon enough others had noticed, but as soon became apparent to those present, wielding it seemed impossible. Those that grasped its handle found their hands catch fire, one after the other.

Should Lyssa choose to grasp it, however...



As the mission had come to and end, the people pf Aesil and Palace soon parted ways, though their hearts remained warm and their futures seemed bright and prosperous. Even amidst the growing fear of the demonic creature, the two factions ensured that the primary thoughts of the coming days were ones of friendliness and change.

Princess Efrida Aesil, last of the Aesil royalty, ascended the throne but several days later, seating herself on the Drisbane Throne as Queen of the city state. The First Borough was opened up to the public, and tensions between the factions seemed almost non-existent. Goetia remained as a faction, though in name only. A prior member by the name of Camlann Frua, suggested by Tinette, ascended as the "Librarian Supreme", or the de-facto leader of Goetia, now considered an arcane school within Drisbane.

Kaileb remained missing despite both Guardian and Goetian efforts.

Carol's existence was revealed to the leaders of both Aesil and Palace. She remains in the care of Guardians.

Hallus Burgundy and Eleena Ijin were promoted to Lieutenant class Guardians underneath Warden Mimo.

Natalya Gordetz and Galina Raske were offered positions within Goetia as secretive operatives, tasked with seeking out Goetians that still adhered to Kaileb's more sinister actions.

Junkiro was pardoned personally by Aosoki Hime. Kokusho remains unaware of "that day's" events.

Aesil, Kanade, and Lyssa were knighted by Queen Efrida, deemed protectors of the Aesil Borough. Konyuu Shora was let free.

After the tower collapsed, Aposto, Zaie, and Jorn made their separate ways upon finding the portal to the Demon's Court gone. Asazen revealed herself outside the fallen tower, escaping the realm at the last moment. Aposto vowed to return to Esterellia and Aurora after a lone journey of his own. He would, "need help," with uncovering the mysteries that still lingered in their minds.

And elsewhere in the world... a land set forth its plans to change the status-quo.

m3LmMD9.png

​


B6o2l8W.png


The day was sunny, devoid of but a few lazy clouds and a pleasing cool breeze. Since the day of the Sanctuary's destruction, the sky was often where people found themselves staring, half in awe, half in a light fear. Days were counted that nothing apocalyptic soared through the skies above Drisbane, and several teams of guards were created with the sole purpose of looking up and out. Few doubted the possibility of the demon returning, peaceful as its leave was, but almost no one truly mulled over it.

That back-of-the-mind fear, however, was roused into full-blown terror on this particular day, as the shouts of a guard jolted countless others into action.

"There! Something in the sky! It's headed here fast!" Bells were rung, alarms were raised, and faction superiors were alerted. A great mass of rumors managed to course throughout the city in but minutes as homes were vacated and people rushed outside to see what was coming. Amidst the tall buildings in many of the cities locations, none but those on the highest rooftops could make out the alarmingly red aerial entity flying towards Drisbane. Countless screamed in terror, others prayed, while a select few laughed.

Through binoculars, some citizens of the city made out what appeared to be a flying ship, not a hellbent and fiery demon. Still, until the naked eye could make out its crimson hull, the city was a flurry of chaos and rambling of doom. The ship flew right over Drisbane, and it became apparent that its speed would not abate even as the massive vehicle began to drift closer to the ground.

Within minutes, the airship crashed into the farmlands outside of Drisbane's main city walls, shaking the earth for miles and rendering countless crops crushed and useless. Luckily it managed to avoid sliding over any homes as it came to a halt, presumably leaving Drisbane with zero casualties after the event. Still, the crash-landing alarmed the factions of the city, and within moments, champions and citizens alike were sent to investigate the foreign vessel.
 
Eleena
"Ah, here you are! Mia Folimo right? Heheh. A little Romeo and Juliet romance going on, huh? Well, good luck. He's really lovestruck with ya!" ... Okay Eleena, stop making the poor woman blush. They lived in different districts, and while things had settled down, it was still somewhat dangerous to go wandering around. It couldn't be helped. But that's what the Guardian's were for! ... This job, this little part-time opportunity was something she picked up. Mail delivery. It was so simple, yet she never had rest. Her feet kept moving, and her eyes scanned the streets for trouble. Her nose sniffed out trouble, and her fists solved it! ... Well, more like she stumbled into trouble. She didn't really become any more perceptive, after all. But she certainly became faster! ... It was, after all, the one thing she could be good at. ... There was no sense in equalizing her weaknesses. That's what allies were for. What she needed to do... what she needed to train... was what she was good at in the first place. Her legs that carried her wherever she wanted to be.

... But she wasn't dense enough that she didn't notice the roaring in the air and the dumb gazes of the people around her. ... She tensely watched it approach. That thing in the sky. If it was going to crash into the town, then she'd have to beat it there and evacuate the citizens. ... She gulped.

But thankfully, it seemed to fly past the city, and into the outskirts. Eleena was off. A blue blur, the sound of her feet was unrecognizable as someone running. Those steps were simply too fast and spaced apart to be recognized as such. In no time, she was out the gate. And soon enough, the Lieutenant approached the scene of the crash site. In her was a sense of worry for those who may be on the crashed air vehicle, and a sense of caution for the danger this scene conveyed.
 
Natalya wiped the sweat from her brow, laying her arming sword to one side and catching her breath. The repetitive exercises were gruelling, but her blade was beginning to cut the air with a much cleaner sound, and the movements felt more fluid, effortless. 6 months hadn't been wasted. As she sat down, Leo clambered into her lap and looked at her with expectant eyes. "Ah c'mon, not even a moment's peace to myself first?" While frequently irritating, as cats so often were, his haughty demeanour made her smile. "Fine, but you're gonna have to get up first. Go on, piss off." Ruffling his ears, she shifted him to the side, before fetching the leftovers of last night's stew for his breakfast. Setting it in a bowl, she left Leo happily devouring the food as she changed into her customary tunic, breeches and cloak. Buckling her sword over her back, she stretched off her neck - a niggling ache made her think she must have slept on it funnily. "Alright then lardass, I'm off to the Library. Look out for the place, 'k?"

As she left, she smiled wryly to herself. Talking to cats, at the age of 19! Didn't bode well for the future. Her house, unassuming by the standards of many champions, opened straight onto the street. Buying a hot bun to eat on her way from a nearby stall, Natalya strolled along the street towards the great library. While a shadow of its former self, the Library of Goetia was left largely untouched by the devastation that wrought the Sanctuary, and the departure of the demonic being. Now, with Galina and others tracking down and dealing with those who dabbled in more sinister magics, the Library had become a much lighter place. The effective removal of Goetia from the factional hierarchy had led to its doors being opened to all, no matter their allegiance. Natalya, on balance, considered the new atmosphere of the library a significant improvement. She herself spent much of her time there, filling in the gaps in her knowledge. Being a street rat did little for your ability to comprehend and recognise magic, and her 'tutor' had focused only on making her more powerful. The appearance of the demon had shaken that part of her psyche that had rejected learning - the world was far too complex to be constantly surprised.

As she reached the steps, a faint clamour from the walls reached her ears. As she turned, she caught sight of a tiny dot in the skies, rapidly approaching the city. The demon? Why now? As it drew closer and closer, Natalya realised it was no demon, but a crimson object, rapidly approaching and steadily falling. As it passed over the city, Natalya began to run after it. She had no idea what it contained, or its purpose in arriving, but she'd rather find out now than be caught out later. As she approached the wall, a great smashing and splintering could be heard from the other side. Picking up her pace, Natalya came through the gate to see the mysterious object somewhat further off, at the end of a long scar in the earth. From it's appearance, Natalya would guess it was manmade; at least, it seemed to be. Approaching it more steadily, and breathing heavily, Natalya saw a blue haired chick already poking around. Eleena. Which probably meant the butcher in chief would be on his way too. Spitting on the ground, Natalya headed towards Eleena, her almost playful mood of the morning soured by mystery and disgust. Whoop de fucking doo.

"Lovely morning for a new shitstorm to strike, don'tcha think? Almost makes you wish for a regenerating insect demon instead."
 
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Kanade had had an interesting six months. Right when she'd through she was getting through to Aesil, the other girl had fled. She didn't have the clearest memor of the event, but had gotten the details fro Lyssa later. Rather than wallow in self-pity or angst, she had thrown herself into her work, focusing on those she could still help and protect. She'd come out with new songs, and continued her habits of guerrilla performances when she had the time to herself, as well as a few more formal events. For the most part, she was run ragged between Efrida's new holdings and the Palace, playing liaison for the nascent alliance.

It was no different today. Her go-between duties had her walking the streets of the previously-abandoned First Borough, when a red streak split the sky, tearing toward Drisbane. Panic quickly began around her, with people speculating on the return of the demon which had left half a year ago with such clear theatrics. Immediately, she did what she could to take charge of the situation, directing those around her to take shelter in the nearby buildings and not to panic, doing her best to keep order to avoid any undue harm to the citizens as she reassured them that the Champions of Drisbane, collectively, would protect their people.

As the potential disaster loomed closer, it materialized not into a colossal demon of flame and rage, but into a flying ship of unknown provenance. Kanade, along with many others who remained outdoors to see as much was awestruck that such a thing could even exist, and followed it as it passed over the city, only to carve a rut through the lands beyond its walls. Maybe nobody survived that crash, maybe somebody did. Either way, it would be imperative to send out an investigation team. She immediately began running toward Efrida's new citadel. No doubt she would issue a call for all of her servants, high and low. It would pay to make haste while she could.
 
In one of the back rooms of the Library of Goetia, Aiden was staring intently at his desk, books stacked to all sides. In his right hand was a small pebble, in his left a book of dimensional travel hypothesis. "...For all intensive purposes its the same as a regular pebble. Same density... weight... It looks just the same... But for some reason they can not last in this realm... If I can just study its physical properties while it is decomposing, then maybe..." Signs of strain were beginning to show. His hand began to shake, his breathing was heavier, and drops of sweat were beginning to form on his brow. He had been attempting to hold this tiny rock for much longer than normal. As he expected it took much more energy. "Guess there's no better time to study it... Breath... Now focus... Let go in three... two..."

Suddenly the entire room began to shake. The shock of the ship's impact cause him to fall from his chair, losing his focus on his fleeting pebble. Before he had time to recover, books began falling on him from all direction. A few moments later, one of the members of the library.

"Aiden! Something has crashed into the fields of... Uh... Aiden?"

From underneath a pile of books a single finger was raised. "...Ow..."

After the messenger had helped him up, and listened to him complain for a few minutes about how difficult his study is and how it is so easy to break focus during long sessions of Forging (He didn't understand any of it.) He finally remembered why he was here in the first place. "Oh thats right! Aiden, something crash landed in the farmlands outside the city!"

"You're telling me to investigate aren't you... Huuuh... I suppose it's a small price to pay for the benefits of using the Guardian's' training facilities." Admittedly, Aiden was just pissed about being torn from his study so abruptly, but after having some time to cool off, he became genuinely curious as to what crashed out there. What could have caused the entire city to shake? Once he was at the gate, it became very clear... Kinda. It looked like a large ship... Sorta. And it came from the sky. The crimson shape stood out from the usually green fields outside the main city. What surprised him was how no damage was done. If it had started falling a bit earlier, it would have hit the city. Who knows what destruction and chaos would have ensued had that happened.

He wasn't the first to arrive. Three others were there before him. Aiden thought he saw one of them in his time with the Goetia, But most noticeably was Eleena. She can be seen all across the city, delivering packages, not to mention that she is also a member of the Guardians. It wouldn't be surprising if more champions from different factions arrive soon after​
 
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[fieldbox="Galina Raske/Sitara Qadir, aqua, solid, 10, Times New Roman"]


Galina leaned back in her chair and looked out the window of Sarah's Bakery, the remains of a slice of cake in front of her and a warm cup of coffee in her hands. Over the last six months she had realized that it benefitted her mind to slow down every now and then, and she had discovered that sitting by this window and watching the lazy traffic of the Guardian Borough was a good way to do that. At the moment, she wore none of the shadowy trappings of a Goetian operative. Her dark coats and lacquered armor remained at home, although her usual weapons were still secreted beneath a red sash at her waist. As she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear she realized that, these days, she could easily pass for a normal Palace woman, which wasn't unusual considering her circumstances.

It had been a long six months for Galina. A time in which she struggled to come to terms with her own inability to do something useful as her faction was brought to ruin by Kaileb. Even her new position as a covert operative within Goetia had done little to mitigate the sense of loss she felt when she looked upon the ruins of the once great Madurn Sanctuary, although the chance to find Kaileb and pay him back helped. Ultimately, she realized that she was still very young, and as long as there were Goetians she was confident that another rise existed within their future. Perhaps, she thought, when Carol grew older she will have a hand in that rise. Her musing was interrupted by warning bells sounding throughout the city, and the growing murmur of panic in the streets.

"What is it this time?!" the bakery owner exclaimed as her patrons began to scramble to see what was going on. Galina left her food on the table with enough money to cover it and darted into the streets, effortlessly weaving between the people blocking the door. Following the gaze of the citizens, she spotted the distant blot in the sky. She didn't know much about the demon that had fled the Sanctuary, but she was of the mind that if it had lived with the Madurn Covenant it couldn't be too bad. Despite that, she recognized that its reappearance could only mean bad things for the city. Really bad things, most likely.

She pushed through the crowd, ignoring speculation and rumors in her rush to return home. With her speed, it was only minutes later that she was in the Goetia Borough, opening the gates to her parent's modest manor. It struck her once again that the destruction of the Sanctuary was much like the Sentence itself, in that it punished many for the actions of a few. Once inside, she discarded her street attire and donned the dark coat, trousers, and armor that she had worn as a champion of Goetia. Grabbing the glaive she had taken to training with from its position leaning against the wall, she returned to the streets in time to see that it wasn't the demon she had feared, but a ship of sorts which was quickly losing altitude.

Following its trajectory, she raced towards the outskirts of the city, continuing without staggering as she felt the impact shake the ground beneath her. Upon reaching the outer wall she, she skipped finding the stairs and simply walked up its side, switching gravity back to normal as she stepped onto the battlements. From there, she looked out and saw the Blue Bolt shooting across the open plains towards the wreckage. It figures she would be the first… well, I don't see any need to be the second, she thought, realizing that whatever this was had nothing to do with her. Taking a seat on a crenellation, she decided to simply watch the scene unfold. Shortly after, she perked up upon seeing a familiar figure, Natalya. It had been too long since the two of them had spoken, and if the wreckage was dangerous then Galina decided she would not let her friend face it alone.

Standing up, she focused on a point adjacent to where Natalya and Eleena had come to a stop. Then, leaning towards them, she stepped forward and dropped into place beside the two. Well, she still can't move that fast, she thought, glancing at Eleena.

"It's been a while," she said to Natalya, smiling. "We should make a point of meeting under normal circumstances, though." The next person to arrive was someone she didn't recognize, but he looked to be another champion.[/fieldbox]
 
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*C L A N G !*

"Fuck-!"

The large, hazel-haired male, sporting leather armour, dropped the crude greatsword in his hands as it skidded across the dirt. Helpless, out of breath, and sprawled on the ground, looking up with fearful eyes to his opponent.

A figure, draped in a long black coat approached. The signature axe slowly dragged behind him, glowing white runes imprinted into the pure steel. Small blades of wind seemed to emit from the Guardian's axe, and the glint of a gold badge reflected from the cap atop his messy brush of grey-brown hair. He approached his fallen opponent, slowly, ominously, and lifted the runeaxe known as Retribution. Wind energies gathered around the blade, a metallic yell giving out as he bought down the axe to his opponent's neck.

Just before the axe blade beheaded his opponent, though, Hallus Burgundy stopped his swing.

"And that's why you need to work on your footwork."


<===>

The hazel-haired male chuckled, rolling over to his side, and catching his breath.
"Fuckin' hell, Hal. You expect me to move like Eleena or some shit, heh! I know you're training me up, but go easy, would ya'?" The recruit Guardian, Terry, said.
"I was." Halberd muttered plainly. Slinging Retribution over his shoulder, he kicked the greatsword back to his fallen friend, moving over to a bench and sitting down plainly. Terry paused, before giving a groan as he got back up to his feet.

"I remember the days when you actually used to help me up, heh..." Terry chuckled. Looking down at the grass, Halberd didn't reply. His eyes were distant and unphased. Terry swallowed awkwardly, before cautiously sitting next to his friend. Halberd barely reacted.
"What's with you, Hal? I know you got promoted an' all, and now you've gotta take more duties, but c'mon. Eleena got promoted too, and check her out! ...You were never like this." Terry said, giving a playful punch to his friend's shoulder. He might as well of punched a brick wall. Terry's words were distant to Halberd - his thoughts were cluttered, frustrated, and generally unstable.

Ever since that first incident... Stiletta's voice...

"It's that Goetian bitch, ain't it." Terry suddenly said. Halberd whirled his head around.
"She's not a bitch. And no, it fucking isn't." Halberd snapped.

Happy to get some sort of reaction from Halberd, Terry snorted.
"Pfft - right. What'd she call you again? Something like a fucking cu-"
"Oh, fuck off. Training's over. Go home." Halberd spat. Leaning on the bench, he rustled around in his trenchcoat pockets, slowly withdrawing a bottle, and taking a large sip of it. Terry watched, his eyes moving to concern.

"Look, Hal." Terry began, a more serious tone coming to his voice rather than usual banter. Halberd's eyes watched the floor as he held the bottle lightly in his left hand. "You ain't what you used to be. Remember when you met me, a couple years back or something? We were both recruits, an' you weren't afraid to have a joke now and again. I... I looked up to you. You were a pretty great guy." Terry exhaled, rubbed the back of his head, and continued. "Then you risen through the ranks, and..." Terry paused, looking at his friend, slouched over the bench. "...well, look at you."

Halberd still didn't reply. After a long pause, Terry sighed as Halberd took another swig of his bottle.
"I know you do what you have to." Terry began, getting to his feet and brushing dirt off himself. Halberd looked up slightly. "...but... not everyone agrees how you do thing-"
"-I do what I have to."
"Yeah, but look. Someone told me your track record the other day. You arrest most people - that's good. But if they don't surrender... then..." Terry paused gravely. "Jail's still an option, Hal. People can be reformed. The Sentence fucked some people's heads up-"
"I only kill when I know jail won't do them any good." Halberd cut in. Sitting up, he looked sternly into Terry's eyes.

"I don't care what people think of how I do things. I get things done. Nobody innocent dies or gets hurt that way, and our citizens aren't in danger. Ever thought what'd happen if one of those crazy bastards escapes our shitty prison?" Halberd's fists clenched as he sat up even further. "No. I'm not taking that risk. Ever." Terry looked like he was about to say something, but Halberd leant in and continued.

"Criminals out there need to learn what'll happen to them if they don't change their ways. I'll do what it takes for Drisbane's citizens. I'm keeping people safe. That's what matters."

A long pause followed, before Terry sighed, turning his back.
"...Whatever you say." Terry said quietly. "But here's my advice. Get a shave, find a girl, and lay off the drink - all you do is fucking drink when you're off duty." Terry said, pointing to Halberd's bottle. "And for fuck's sake, smile once in a while! Be nice to the people you're working hard to protect. Some people are scared of you, Hal, can't you see that?! Just..." Terry looked over his shoulder to the lieutenant.

"I want the old Halberd back. We all do."

With that, Terry left. Wind gently brushed Halberd's hair as he sat, visions of a graveyard in the distance. A graveyard he'd contributed to. Looking at the floor, Halberd hunched back over the bench, and finished his bottle.


Halberd
HP: ▋▋▋▋▋▋▋​


Halberd was shaken awake from his slumped position on the bench. Bells. Alarms. Rubbing his forehead and running his hand through his hair, Halberd grabbed Retribution and fastened his coat. The hell was this all about? Wind trailed in swirls behind him as he broke into a sprint, following the sounds of commotion.

Guards moved aside for Halberd instantly when he approached the main wall exit, lugging his axe behind him as his eyes demanded answers.
"The hell is this?" Halberd muttered to a guard.
"A-An airship! It crashed, it-" Halberd didn't wait for the man to finish as he stomped outside, squinting as he looked at the crashed air vessel. It'd crashed into a farm, luckily not near enough a place for someone to be injured, though. But still - what the hell was that... thing... doing here?

As he moved forward to approach, Halberd caught sight of the signature speed and blue hair of none other than blue bolt. He guessed that meant champions were being sent from all the corners to check this airship out. Did that mean... shit. Just as he'd thought... Natalya was here.

Fucking hell... no doubt she'd give him some shit if she caught sight of him - ever since that incident two months ago, Natalya despised him, to say the least. They hadn't sparred, or even seen each other since. Today was going to be one hell of a day...

Halberd slowly walked towards the scene as his messy hair covered his eyes, approaching his fellow Lieutenant, and another Guardian he hadn't really met before. Clad in sorta fancy armour. One of the mysterious types. He gave a brief salute, before drawing his axe.
"Yo." Halberd said plainly, before frowning at the airship. What shit was in store for him today, he wondered.[/hr]
 
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A breathless blue sky stretched over the horizon, as beams of sunshine cast their warmth onto her. Her acquaintances in the Palace, the gum-boy and the fish-girl, had dragged her along under the context of 'a change of pace', and as it was, Aesil didn't mind it all too much. The cool breeze wrapped her in an earthy, minty scent, temporarily clearing her mind of her thoughts. And yet, as soon as the breeze left, the memories came back.

They were carved into the back of her mind, a brand that would never leave her blood-stained hands. Even now, she could still taste the supple flesh and the soft fat, the greasy organs and the crunchy bones. She had been close enough that she could see, through translucent layers, the beating of the heart, and, despite herself, Aesil shivered in excited lust. It had tasted divine, a meal so sinfully delicious that even now, the beast-girl wanted more.

But those damning words made themselves known once more, and the part of her who was human remembered. That this was wrong, and that her monstrous self would not be contained by human will nor self-enforced oaths. How long would it be until those two would realize that fact as well?

How long would it take until her willpower crumble and she ate Kokusho?

Dressed in her black kimono, cut short to allow for easy movement, Aesil leaned against the chimney of a decrepit farmhouse, as she cast her amethyst eyes over the pumpkin fields in the distance.

And, slowly, the boundary between dreams and reality blurred, as monsters fought alongside armored warriors, beasts of war devouring one another in vicious melee. Countless lives were lost as the Final Verdict was withheld, the mortal masses smashing into each other for the sake of mutual destruction. Overhead, a murder of crows gathered, flying in gleeful circles even as they were struck down as collateral damage, their broken forms dashed into the blood-soaked ground.

It was a delusional massacre that Aesil could not understand.

But it was one that she could enjoy, as she took another step down another path.

A few scant drops of a translucent liquid slipped down a pant leg, and drowned Aesil in their heady scent.
 
"I don't think I'll ever get use to that foul stench," Aurora mumbled as she walked down one of the rather large staircases that connected the first floor to the third floor passing by one of Este's ghouls as she aimed to go outside for a bit of air. The mansion itself was indeed very stunningly sowed together by a high level of craftsmanship Aurora had never seen before. Even after living here for about six months she still found herself staring at the beauty the mansion had to offer... though in a few places it was falling apart. Ever since the Madurn Sanctuary had been destroyed, and the search for the sword had been temporarily put on hold. Aurora had been living at Este's as the two worked together as mercenaries earning money for jobs here, and there.

"I wonder if Mimo would be jealous of me," Aurora softly grinned at the thought as she headed for the main door. Of course their were a few oddities about living with a vampire the first one being the damn stench from the Ghouls who were Este's underlings created from some of the poor saps that had pissed the vampire off. Another was how Este obsessed over Aurora's eyes though that was more of a personal weirdness rather then a vampire one, and of course the small issue that was Este's food supply. Though quite honestly Este was in very good control of herself so Aurora didn't mind that. As Aurora reached the entrance of the mansion she softly pushed the door open only to be immediately met by the sight of something far out in the distance crashing into the city.

"...Este you may wanna get dressed... seems today is going to be pretty eventful," Aurora yelled out to her partner. Another small issue... Este's family. A few weeks after Aposte had left them Aurora had did some digging around with old contacts about Este's sister... unfortunately the results were something Aurora wished she had not found out. A group of Guardians had apparently killed Atra Forbes in a battle that had literally caused a building to cave in... it wasn't shocking when Aurora discovered Mimo was involved along with two other Guardian's. That information alone was a future disaster that Aurora knew well, and was slowly becoming more haunted by the more her, and Este became friends. For now though she pushed past those thoughts as she watched the smoke in the distance caused by the foreign objects collision with the city.
 
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Drisbane had its charms, but sometimes Junkiro just needed to get away from it all. It wasn't often that Jun had the time to venture out of his faction any more, but the days he did were often filled with just as much adventure as before. Somehow, now that he had started to appreciate what a real 'day off' was, he found it more entertaining to spend his time out in the wild growth of the abandoned areas, learning more and more about the lives of who used to live in these now decrepit homes and businesses. In addition, now that he had regained the trust of the higher-ups, journeys outside the city had become more reasonable. He didn't travel alone very often, either; often, Kokusho would join him in the fun. And recently, he'd picked up a new companion for the ride: While he didn't know too much about Aesil beyond the fact that she was perpetually hungry for something, her stealth and overwhelming power had helped on more than one mission, and Junkiro considered her a valuable partner, if not a friend.

It was one of those days off Junkiro found himself in now, accompanied by his comrades. Kokusho was by his side, waltzing about the farmlands, looking at the various vegetations that had been cultivated recently, while Aesil...actually, he wasn't entirely sure where she had run off to. Probably being stealthy again. Or eating something. As long as she was around, he didn't mind, though. It was more or less a normal day of exploration....

Until a dark THING threw a massive shadow on the group. Looking up, Junkiro tried to find the source of the sudden darkness, but instead hit the deck as a massive...flying thing... flew only a hundred feet or so overhead, riding a low arc into the ground not too far away. The ground shook with its collision, and it took a minute before he determined it safe enough to stand again. Looking around the rest of the sky, he couldn't figure out what could have possibly caused a being of such size to crash...but right now it didn't matter. Glancing at Kokusho, he cocked his head, at a complete loss. "What in the world was THAT thing, eh? Kinda looked like a giant flying tent or somethin'. Whatever it is, it didn't look like that crash was very natural. I think we oughta go check it out. I'll go ahead, you make sure Aesil's with you, then catch up to me quick. I have a feeling that whatever made that thing crash isn't friendly."

Kokusho gave a nod of understanding before turning her gaze to the surrounding buildings. She wasn't the type to have particularly keen eyes, and so she knew that unless she specifically called the girl out, she wouldn't find Aesil at all. Still, she thought it a fun, albeit brief, challenge to try and play the girl's game. After a few seconds of failure, she shouted out to Aesil, hands cupped together over at her mouth.

"Aesil~! Surely you saw that, right?!" she shouted.

Red. It was red like blood, a comet without flame that careened through the skies. It was like a massive heart, the rumblings of its form clear even at this distance. Standing on the chimney of a nearby farmhouse, the Beast of Goetia narrowed her eyes as it descended, slamming into the fields and upturning countless vegetables and soil. Down below, Kokusho was shouting for her, and, for a moment, she considered not answering.

But that would be rude, and even though she had placed herself in self-exile, she wasn't going to put her lessons to waste. Leaping off the side of the building and rolling in a manner that all but neutralized the impact of the fall, the black-garbed youth nodded, a small, controlled gesture that Kokusho probably wouldn't even be able to see. With measured steps that appeared too slow to match the speed at which she advanced, she stopped five meters away from the duo, before saying, "Wasted food."

Kokusho shrugged, "A shame. There's still plenty," she said, "We should go check it out." Kokusho beckoned to Aesil to follow as she broke into a light jog after Junkiro. If anything she could stifle Aesil's disappointment by picking up any loose veggies that undoubtedly littered the area. Gods knew she could eat anytime, anywhere.

The gates to the rural outskirts of the city were wide open to citizens, as the place had long been abandoned of guards, or locks, for that matter. The dilapidated main gates of the abandoned district were off their hinges, splayed out on the dirt and overrun by vegetation. Coming around the corner of a set of buildings to the gate, Kokusho hopped atop the thick doors towards the vine-encrusted archway leading out into the farmlands. A bit of undisturbed land existed between the walls and the first set of farm fields, notable only by a single dirt road that led off into the distance. Where the ship had crashed, there were no paths to reach it, and so Junkiro, Aesil, and Kokusho had to skirt between the vegetable patches on their way to the crash site.

Having made it into the farmlands ahead of time, Junkiro was about halfway to the crash site. Though he still couldn't determine the thing's identity, whatever it was, it was gigantic. The radius of its crater looked to be...he couldn't even measure it. Not from here, anyways. As he took care not to stomp on any carrots or tomatoes, he made his way to the downed thing as quickly as he could. He could hear Kokusho starting to catch up; Aesil was probably with her as well. Turning around, he affirmed that belief: Kokusho was beginning her trek into the vegetable patches, with Aesil not too far behind. Though he knew it was best to be cautious, he called out to them anyways. "Hey! Bet'cha you can't beat me there!" The challenge thrown down, Junkiro picked up the pace, running over the patch as carefully and quickly as he could bear.

As he drew close, the object became clearer-but only in sight. What he had originally thought to be organic now looked quite man-made: Giant hunks of twisted metal were strewn here and there, and more than one portion of the thing was on fire. He didn't know too much about anatomy, but he was pretty sure animals didn't have any body parts that combusted on impact. More intrigued than ever, he quickly hopped over a cabbage in his way, now even more eager to learn more about this new discovery.

"You're already ahead!" Kokusho shouted back, "Why would I try?!" Still, she picked up the pace to a slow run, catching up beside Junkiro as her eyes looked up into the hulking metal thing's fiery wounds.

The impact was massive, but the cause of that crater was bleeding out, flames and black rips covering its carcass. It was on its death throes, the shrieking and groaning and burning all clear in the ears of Aesil, as she followed the other two champions towards that red object. It was quite a sight to behold, but she could not smell meat, nor could she smell blood. All that invaded her senses was the wetness of upturned soil, the aroma of crushed vegetables, and the smell of fire and smoke. It was a construction similar to the inhuman creations she had battle before then, a husk of a human created through arcane magics.

Dangerous.

She narrowed her eyes, still unable to forget the memory of Kanade's grevious wounds against the collossal samurai, even though she had done much worse in the past. As Junkiro and Kokusho began to run, Aesil followed, tossing away unpleasant memories in the simple-minded pursuit of a pointless goal.

Kokusho ducked as an explosion burst from the upper portion of the husk, unharmed but frightened by the suddenness. It didn't take long to start considering the thing artificial rather than living as she surveyed the wreckage. It was metal, covered in the intircacies she'd seen in small magitek mechanisms, though this one seemed less mechanical and moreso simply a large hulking metal frame.

"Is it a weapon?" she posited, head tilting to the side. She knocked her fist on the outside a few times, listening to the apparent hollowness of its interior. She jumped back when a series of raps responded to her a few feet to the right from within. "Bwah! Is there something inside?!"

The portion of the hull that featured the unseen knocks went silent for a few seconds before a single, powerful punch rocked into it from within. The dent that formed grew larger and larger, until after the fifth punch, the steel finally burst open to form a fist-sized hole... if one were a giant.

Suddenly, a scaly arm reached out from within the hull, and patted at the outside of the hull. Retracting it inwards, the scaled creature pushed its face up to the hole and... began speaking.

"Hey! You out there! Give us a hand!" it said in a gravely voice. Kokusho looked to Aesil and Junkiro with confusion, as if questioning whether they should oblige the creature or not.

Now that they were up close to the giant, flaming behemoth, Junkiro could fully experience this thing in all its glory. It was even more metallic than he had initially thought; even the more organic looking pieces were metallic. This thing seems like a huge electrical hazard...

Still, even up close, he couldn't determine WHAT it was. Was it...a carrier? Maybe a weapon of some sort? Though, as he inspected the wreck, he couldn't find anything weaponlike on the exterior. Maybe there was something inside? He was about to knock on the metal shell himself, but Kokusho beat him to it. It was...hollow? Maybe it WAS a carrier?

The knock from the inside startled Junkiro, enough to take a fighting stance for a brief second. Realizing there was no danger, at least for a few seconds, he relaxed, watching the thing from within lay into the metal thing's hull. Whatever was in there, it was at least as strong at them...

Emphasis on WHATever. Whatever was in there, it was certainly not human. Lizardlike scales coated what parts of it he could see, and it spoke in a voice that seemed to indicate it did not speak too often. And it was asking them for help? Junkiro thought the lizardman had it covered, but it wanted their help finishing the job, it seemed. He caught Kokusho's questioning glance; he pulled her aside, nodding at Aesil to join the huddle quickly.

"Okay...we don't know what that is, but we don't know if it's unfriendly. It might be a prisoner of...this thing, or it might be the one controlling it. I don't know. Here's what I think though...we should help it out, then keep on our guard. If we don't help it, it's just going to get mad at us, and we've seen it's capable of breaking out on its own. So I think we should give it a hand, but just stay wary. Sound good to you two?"

"Hello? Anyone?" the voice once again called out. Kokusho glanced at the hole before turning back to Junkiro and nodding in agreement. "I can try ripping open a piece of the metal," she turned to Aesil, "and I'm sure you're more than capable of doing the same."

Aesil did not huddle with the others. She didn't even step anywhere near them. Maintaining a distance of three meters, she observed the artificial nature of this massive structure, trying to determine whether or not it was the same as the monsters that Gurmal had called in the past. In the end, though, an explosion rupturing its metal side made it clear that whatever it was, it was on its last breaths.

There appeared to be a scaly-being in the belly of the metal beast as well, asking for help even as it went on to help itself. Aesil could smell the scent of a warmer climate on the scaly arm, unique even when masked with the smoke and the flames. She looked back behind them, at the streak of blue streaming down the horizon, and then opened her mouth.

"Okay."

The beast girl walked to the other side, as far away from Kokusho as possible, before chewing on the frame of the metal door. As iron filled her mouth, she was reminded once again by the bittersweet taste of blood.

Aesil's prompt to dig into the metal frame settled the question. With a single strong punch, Kokusho embedded her fist into the metal, requiring a few more to actually get through. Aesil's biting managed to do much the same, eventually removing a slice that she could peel away from the rest. Kokusho latched hold of the hole she made and tried tearing it away as well, though she experienced a bit more difficulty than the beastly girl.

Eventually they had made a truly man-sized hole in the side of the hull, revealing a smoking interior. Pipes ran along the inside on the opposite end, and a tiled floor ran along the bottom. The sounds of feet running along metal came closer, and within but a second, the man-sized hole was occupied by several peculiar individuals who quickly threw themselves from the interior and out onto the dirt outside. Kokusho immediately stepped back, eyes wide at the entourage of people. The many of them coughed, some laughed, and others were silent.

The last to step out of the hull was the strangest of all. A draconic creature, a full three or four heads taller than them, with wings wider than their three body lengths combined. They were folded in the cramped confines of the hull's interior, but nevertheless proved themselves immense when the creature finally had the opportunity to stretch outside.

"Ahh! Finally! Would've taken a good minute or two longer without your help, friends," the humanoid dragon said, "Saved me and my buddies from a pinch." As he spoke, a few others stood up from the ground, wiping their mouths of the saliva they accumulated from so much coughing and spitting.

"Aye. Would've choked to death in there had it been any longer," a goggled woman said, "This is Drisbane right?" Kokusho nodded silently. "Bigger than I imagined," she said, crossing her arms. A man in white stepped forth, eyes glued to the cityscape beyond even as he nearly tripped over a loose piece of metal.

"As you can see, our ship crash landed here. I don't suppose your city has accomodations for foreigners like ourselves?" he asked. Kokusho's eyebrows remained perpetually raised as she turned to Junkiro and then Aesil.

"We are the Second Wind, from a long ways away from here. We now, as you can see, have no means of returning home-"

"If we wanted to," chimed in the goggled girl.

"And no way of continuing onward until we secure some better means of transportation," the white-clothed man explained. "Do your people partake in the construction of airships?" When Kokusho continued her confused look, the man sighed.

"We'll be here a long time," the girl said.

Junkiro had helped in the expansion of the hole as well, managing to grip a large chunk with his gum and slowly peel it off the consctruct as Kokusho worked on busting in. Though he knew not what he was about to unleash on Drisbane, he wasn't going to find out until the outer shell was broken through, after all.

As the hole was widened enough to allow a person to escape through it, Junkiro snuck a look inside. The innards were just as metallic as the outside; he wondered how this thing even flew...if looked incredibly heavy. He suddenly jumped back as a throng of people, one by one, pounced to the hole and began filing out. Their clothing was quite strange, but Junkiro was a Palacian, so foreigners were no worry to him. What WAS a worry was the draconic creature that made its way out at last. Junkiro had never imagined that dragons could exist from the stories his mother told him as a child, let alone speak and walk like a human.

He had a million questions burning at the tip of his tongue: Where did they come from? What the hell was an airship, as they called it, and how do you make one? Why is there a DRAGON with them? Where are they going? What caused the crash? As much as Junkiro wanted to berate them, he knew interrogating them here would do them absolutely no good. Instead, he decided home was a better location for now.

"Er...." Junkiro stuttered, attempting to regain his sense. "L-listen....we have a lot of questions, but that can wait for now. All of you...our home in Drisbane is located within the faction known as Palace. They are very accommodating to foreigners such as yourself; most of their residents indeed came from another land. My name is Junkiro. My companions here are called Kokusho and Aesil...and we would be most honored and most appreciative if you joined us in returning there for a while. Our leader would very much like to hear the whole story from you all, I am certain. Please, follow us...and take care not to step on the vegetables please, we are in Drisbane's farmlands, outside the main city right now."

His speech complete, Junkiro nodded over at Kokusho. "We ought to let the higher-ups handle the situation...we should escort them back for now."
 
The past 6 months were troublesome. Este didn't just find any leads in regards to the blade, no, the entire mission was doomed to fail. With Aposto doing his hermit thing and the other two just giving up, the vampire noble spend some efforts into finding the blade nonetheless. This was mostly done by systematically sending her underlings through the sewer system thanks to the map they had soon found, nonetheless the complex was huge and even to this day her efforts didn't bore any fruit. Her underlings, another thing Este did in the past few months was rebuilding her kin, while it was mostly just ghouls to do some dirty work she already had a few vampires at her disposal; and being a mother wasn't an easy job. The third chance would have been the realization about the death of her sister at the hand of the guardians, already having planned to destroy them, the vampire noble had only become a tad more reckless in her undertaking. Of course, there were also those other noble vampire houses to deal with, and life would have been way to complex if not for her most loyal of all servants: Aurora. The woman that, for some reason, kept following her despite Este's behaviour. While she initially didn't really plan to abuse that in any way, she had to admit that Aurora was actually pretty capable, and keeping up a false front to keep Aurora at her side was something Este deemed as necessary. When the time would come, Aurora could surely serve as a sacrifice or similar, but for now the armored woman was of way more use to her alive rather than dead.

As of right now, the white hair was flipping through some documents that her more competent underlings prepared for her as she was lazily sitting on small throne that was once place for the mightiest of her clan. That was, until Aurora came to interrupt her. For some reason she didn't even mind the Ghoul Servants, and for another reason she hasn't really met with any of the other vampires yet. Nonetheless, Aurora was right, Este knew just too well as it would stand right now she would literally face extinction, and whatever this thing that crashed into the city was, could maybe be of some use. Lifting herself up she moved towards the beautiful eyed one. "I am always dressed." With that said, and knowing that in her absence Wilfred would take care of matters, they would most likely push towards the scene of events.
 
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Lyssa walked the streets of the Aesil faction's borough, on guard as she patrolled the area. The last six months hadn't been very eventful, outside of the incident with Aesil. Looking back, she still blamed herself for that, no matter what anyone said. Aesil had chosen to leave, yes, but Lyssa's actions had driven her to that. She had taken it upon herself to bring Aesil back for judgement, whether it be dead or alive. Scowling, she lowered a hand to the scabbard of her sword as she walked, taking comfort in the feeling of having a weapon at her side.

And then the sky suddenly lit aflame as a red streak plumetted towards the city. Looking up towards the sky like everyone else around her, Lyssa stood shock still for a moment before the streak got closer, revealing itself to be some sort of flying ship, rather than the demon most around her were proclaiming it to be. As the red streak made impact with the city, Lyssa immediately moved into action, already rushing towards the crash site. Not again. Not on her watch. Princess - no, Queen Efrida had finally won the throne after years of struggle, and nothing would threaten the stability of her hard-won victory now. By her sword, Lyssa would ensure that.
 

"Faction?" the white-clothed man responded, tilting his head.

"Sounds like a mess," said the goggled girl. The drake grumbled in turn.

"There are four-" Kokusho shook her head, "No, three factions, find their home within Drisbane's walls," she explained.

"And no single one rules?" asked the white-clothed man.

Kokusho shrugged, "Well we have a Queen, Efrida Aesil, who comes from the Aesil faction, but I would be hard pressed to say that the factions aren't equal in 'power'," she said. The man pondered for a moment before gesturing to himself and the two others around him.

"We would very much like to meet with these factions. There are others, of us, who have likely gotten free of the ship elsewhere. I would like to speak to them so we may divide ourselves and speak with the leaders of these factions," the white-clothed man said. Kokusho looked to the two others, and realizing she had little authority to command these people otherwise, nodded.

"Wonderful, they should be on the other side of the ship..." he said as he began walking around the edge of the wreck. Kokusho, Junkiro, and Aesil followed, explaining to the man further details on the groupings of Drisbane.

------------------------------------------------------

After conversing with their comrades, the white-clothed man and the dragon reappeared before Aesil, Junkiro, and Kokusho. The man appeared suddenly stunned by something before giving a light bow of his head.

"It has been too long already without having given an introduction of myself," he said, "My name is Virod Portas."

"And I'm Apex Storm," the dragon said, pointing to himself with a puffed-out chest. When Kokusho raised an eyebrow at the introduction, Virod smiled.

"An interesting naming convention, is it not?" he asked, looking up to Apex. The dragon chuckled.

"Our names mean something! You humans are always named after nothing. What in the five hells is a 'Virod'?" Apex responded gruffly, leaning his head down to meet Virod's gaze.

"Enough of that anyways. We're here for pleasant talk. I don't suppose you three could show me the way into your city? I'd very much like to avoid getting lost," Virod said, gesturing towards the city walls.



Gathered before the shipwreck, a growing crowd of civilians soon enclosed them in a minefield of chattering individuals. When the ship itself clanged a few times from within mere yards away, the crowd grew even more curious and boisterous. A large hole was punched through the ship, knocking a chunk of the metal off and onto the grass, nearly hitting someone standing awfully close.

From within the hull, a plume of smoke escaped before revealing three peculiar individuals who promptly stepped out of the choking interior and onto the upturned dirt, coughing as they stumbled forth. Several civilians began offering aid the best they could, though were pleased to find that beyond some teary eyes and burning throats, the passengers were unharmed.

A minute passed when the crowd was divided to let another group through; this one even stranger than before. The six unknown individuals quickly gathered together, exchanging hugs and words of relief briefly before one began speaking to them all. A man in white gesticulated towards the city and held up three fingers. They all nodded before splitting up into three groups. The man in white and the dragon returned in the direction they came, disappearing back into the crowd.

Two others turned to a group of civilians and spoke with them. The civilians turned and pointed towards the three Guardians and the two Goetians, whom were summarily approached by the strange individuals. A girl with pointed ears, and a rather toned girl with a trident tattoo under her eye walked straight up to the gathered faction members. The elf bowed daintily, while the tattoo'd girl simply kept quiet, hands in her pockets.

"Greetings, citizens of Disdaine-"

"Drisbane," the tattoo'd girl chimed in, correcting the elf girl who quickly turned red and flustered.

"D-Drisbane. Citizens of Drisbane.I welcome you-! No, I welcome myself!" her voice started stammering and she lost her train of thought. Filling in for her, the tattoo'd girl continued.

"Name's Okine, this here is Ferenfel. Our ship just crashed and shit, boss wants us to get to know the locale. Specifically these factions you guys got goin' on. Was pointed to you guys, being 'Guardians' or somesuch?" Okine said, shrugging one too many times during her introduction.



"And what of Lyssa? Where is she?" Queen Efrida responded to Kanade. Couped up inside the massive Drisbane Citadel, it was difficult for her to notice any things like the chorus of a frightened populace, especially with the throne room so deep within its thick walls. Kanade, along with a few others who'd take the initiative, approached the Queen and explained what had transpired outside. She asked of Lyssa, knowing well their prior association with one another; it seemed their working together wouldn't end soon.

"I want you," she pointed to Kanade, "and twelve of my men in the barracks to set out and investigate. Find Lyssa along the way if you can. I have a feeling she's gone to investigate already." Heeding the call, Kanade was eventually met with twelve Citadel "guards". Under the eyes of Heaven and with the threat of the Sentence looming down their backs, having a significant set of guards for any place was a dangerous prospect. Beyond the twelve Kanade was leading to the outskirts of Drisbane, she doubted there were many more. More than anything, they served as simple scouts, and were likely meant more so to increase presence where they were headed.

Eventually Kanade caught up to Lyssa at the scene of the crash, but one group of many already waiting and watching there. With the smoking hulk and the strewn pieces of metal and machinery about the place, it was pertinent for Kanade's guards to start some damage control and keep civilians away from a possible disaster.

At the actual hull of the ship, it seemed some commotion began to stir. A hole opened up in the side of it, and several individuals came forth from the smoky blackness within. The crowd of civilians already there grew restless and quick, far too chaotic and close for the Aesilians to do much in the way of preventing a circle from forming.

Within minutes, a second strange group approached from the other side of the ship, led clearly by some nameless Palacians... and Aesil. The girl was alongside five others; two Palacians, two humans... and a dragon of some sort. They broke their way into the crowd, disappearing behind a body of curious civilians for a few minutes before two exited the crowd, guided by two Drisbane individuals. A finger pointed up towards Kanade and Lyssa directed the two unknown individuals up to them. Compared to the two-legged dragon whose head they could see poking out from the crowd, the two that approached were far more mundane. To Lyssa, one of them could even be called familiar in a sense.

A girl in silver armor and a shorter girl of fiery hair wearing goggles strapped over her forehead stopped before Kanade and Lyssa, the one in armor staring Lyssa up and down with no effort towards discreteness.

"You are from this Aesil faction, yea?" the red-haired girl asked. When either of them responded with an affirmative, she continued, "We're here to meet with your princess."

"They said she was a queen, if I'm not mistaken," the knightess pointed out.

"Queen, whatever. We'd like to meet with her, if at all possible, or whoever's up there in rank that matters in your backwater city," the girl said. The knightess stepped forward between her and the Aesilian duo.

"Please forgive her. She's cranky after, you know, the ship crashing and all," she explained. Extending a hand to Lyssa, she introduced herself. "I am Nitanna Borquel the Second. This here is-"

"Beni Lorde," the red-haired girl finished.



The scene was without precedent. The sheer size of the ship, having touched down to something far more comparable than the sky, had fully unveiled the vessel's massive size to Aurora and Este. Countless citizens had already exited the walls of Drisbane and crowded around the thing. Up on the hill by the wall, they could make out a painter who had settled down and begun to replicate the scene onto parchment.

A few individuals could be made out escaping the hull, too far from Aurora and Natalya to be able to make out many features. Still, they seemed to cause quite the commotion as they stepped out. As they stared on, Este received a gentle tap to her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself faced with one of her vampire servants, kneeling on a single knee just behind. Raising his head, he spoke quietly, eyes shifting about the place.

"Mistress Esterellia. Sicne you've left I have been searching for you," he began, "I have received word from others that there's been a shift in the Guardian's attitude towards our dealings. A bulletin in the Guardian headquarters square has been given a new poster asking for a call to arms in eliminating as many vampires as possible. There may be a large campaign against our kind in the near future." He was quiet for a moment, head bowed once more, before speaking up cautiously.

"If I may offer a suggestion, Mistress Esterellia," he began, "Without the numbers of other houses, I fear we may not be able to stand against this coming tidal wave. We may... We may have to seek the help of other houses."
 
Natalya couldn't help but smile when Galina arrived. It truly had been too long since they'd had an opportunity to meet up properly. Natalya had immersed herself in her studies, and Galina had thrown herself back into the murky world of undercover work. Regrettably, their paths rarely crossed for reasons that were fairly obvious. However, her smile rapidly soured when she saw Halberd approaching. As he greeted them, she pointedly turned away from him, looking towards the ship.

How had it all happened? When they'd first met, Halberd had disproven a lot of her views on the Guardians. He'd cared about whether what they were doing was right. He'd fought side by side with them against the giant insect that would probably have killed them all had the summoner not been dealt with. He'd stepped up to defend a girl he'd barely known. He'd been likeable, and had indeed been liked by many in the district. To see the grim-faced executioner he'd become was almost...painful...as if Halberd had died and a new person entirely was inhabiting his body, talking with his voice. Over their regular spars, she'd seen him slip deeper and deeper into this new persona, and it had become too much for her to bear. She'd snapped. She'd reeled off a whole litany of venom at him, and yet...that hadn't been what she'd wanted to say. Open honesty had, like so many times in her life, taken a back seat to vituperative bile.

Natalya was shocked out of her reverie by the sound of thumping from the inside of the hull. Realising her eyes were moist, she rubbed them furiously. Damned smoke. As the misfit group tumbled out, Natalya picked out a few unusual characteristics. Firstly, incredibly long ears on one of them. The books in the library had mentioned various non-human species - could this be an elf? Secondly, the fact that they'd forced their way out through the ship itself meant...these guys were strong. Champion grade at least. Why were they here? Where had they been headed to? As others arrived to confer with them, Natalya couldn't help but gawk at the draconic creature. She'd never read about anything like that in the library.

After they had separated and the two asked to speak to Guardians, Natalya realised that Goetia really was a footnote at this time. Nobody had even pointed to her and Galina as Goetians. Well, if they weren't needed...

"Well, if it's Guardians you're after, I can only direct you to Lieutenant Eleena Ijin, Lieutenant Callous Butchery, and Private Whoever-you-are." Natalya said, though the jibe at Halberd lacked the usual fire and instead carried with it a hint of resignation. "You have any specific plans for today, Galina? I feel like we ought to have that catchup under more...mundane circumstances."
 
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