Fantasy Howl's Flying Castle (Finished! ---Whoo! (*＾▽＾)／)

As James informed them of how the battle of Holt was going, Lydia listened thoughtfully, staring into her bowl of porridge, her brow furrowed. The crease between her groomed brows (courtesy of Seifer) was still in place the two hours later when James then told them all of the scrying mirror. She had already returned to her studies and there were papers sprawled out on the cave floor around her illuminated by the dim glow of her light spell in the jar she had brought with them. Her skin was typically pale but her face seemed to lighten and her expression more concerned at the mention of the danger the others would be in.

Lydia quickly rifled through her papers and flipped through the pages of her journal. She was positive she had information on enchanted artifacts, especially after the recent debacle with the core, which she had already been taking notes on and studying. Once again, everything she knew about anything magical was theoretical or things she had read about and taken notes on. She had never been nearly silly enough to try enchanting something or anything like that. Casting something was different, she didn't have to worry so much about any lasting consequences if she thought out her spells right, but there wasn't exactly anyone around her home that could undo an enchantment on an object should she make something hazardous. Perhaps part of Lydia's problem was a lack of faith in herself.

Those already large green eyes widened a bit more as James asked if anyone knew how to use one. She thought surely he would, but it was no problem. Her mouth quirked into a slight smile as she thought about the fact that she and James had already conquered the spell circle that undid the body switch, certainly together they could work out how to use a scrying mirror and that was actually if the others managed to steal it. A lump formed in her throat at the thought of failure and her smile faded, but she shook her head briskly and tried to reclaim the smile as she nodded her head to Echo's question and placed her open journal down on the ground for all of them to see.

The pages she had left open were written in her loopy, artistic lettering, and while it was beautiful, it was still easy to read. These pages talked of magical artifacts and contained both factual information and her own thoughts and ideas which generally weren't just idle musings, but actual applicable hypotheses. It seemed that there were several pages on the topic of enchanted objects including scrying mirrors as well as ideas on temporary enchantments and the creation of scrying mirrors.

Katsuya Zer0

"Then, I'll be the one standing by to pick up the transfigured mirror if Rathmore gets caught." said Seth, bracing himself for his dangerous role. "If someone does get caught, what do we do?"

"Don't blow your cover." said Seifer gravely. He looked at Renee as though silently telling her that she better not go all hero mode and recklessly attack if one of them got caught. "No one is of any use if they are dead." he spread it out his hands for emphasis. "And it's better to just leave the ones who get killed."

He took deep breaths, scared, but determined. "Alright?"

Katsuya


James whistled, impressed at Lydia's knowledge. "You really are something." he said, looking at her journal and examining the notes.

When he heard Seifer's words through his ghostly owl's feathery ear tufts he shared the plans of the four to the others in the cavern. Johnny immediately leaped up and told Echo that they must begin practicing immediately so that they can turn the infiltrators into mice for as long as necessary.

"I'm thinking about the time limit." Johnny said to Echo, poking his cheek with the end of his whitewood wand in thought. "At the most, I think my spell will only last less than an hour, but that remains to be seen. Echo, you shall feel a jelly and taffy like sensation as I transfigure you." he advised her.

Meanwhile, Princess Mia stepped forward saying that she knew the words that would link the mirror to Madam Suliman's crystal ball. "Auntie Suliman taught me the incantation a long time ago. First you blow hotly upon the glass and draw the runes of the horsemen four, while saying: 'Follow the phantom hooves if you want to knock on Madam Suliman's door.'"

With that, the instructions were complete. "If possible, Seifer wouldn't have to steal the mirror and anyone who can perform magic can contact Madam Suliman, though there was still a chance of the incantation going awry and they end up contacting someone else.

With that, they decided to attempt to steal the crystal ball two hours from now.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

Renee quickly looked at Seifer, a slight glare appeared as he commented and made that pointed look at her. She said she wasn't going to fight anybody, didn't she?

"...F-fine." She wasn't going to like it, leaving someone behind but they are taking this risk and they know what's likely to happen. "Then you better not get caught or get killed, either of you two." Renee said to the guys, looking at them both with worry and a bit of grief. Though she looked at Seifer with more of a 'If you do get caught, at least stay alive so I don't do something reckless' glare, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'll watch the area and let any of you know if someone's coming. With this..." Serena cupped her hands and made a bird call, very low and it's common based on what she heard while scouting with Seth. "As a signal."


"Okay." Echo replied to Johnny, standing up and readied herself to change. It's really weird to be stretched like taffy and change into something smaller than her regular height. There, on the ground, is a red mouse and she squeaked.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

Of course Lydia smiled coyly as James expressed his admiration for her studiousness, her cheeks reddening visibly by comparison to her former pallor, her shoulders shrugging slightly as she gently shook her head at a loss as to what to say because she felt saying thanks was admitting she was impressive and that was just too bold.

Again the smile was wiped away and replaced with a serious and worried expression as James relayed yet more information of the plans of their comrades, her quill set down and her hands lightly wringing each other as she scanned over her journal with James.

She looked to the princess as she stepped forward, her expression not changing as she hurriedly picked her quill back up and dipped it in her inkwell taking dictation of everything Princess Mia had just said. She wrote it all on a separate piece of paper and this she handed to James. She wanted it to be easy to find when they needed it and she thought it best not to put it with her other notes.

It was on her eleventh birthday that her grandmother had gifted her a magic tome. Of course, the book itself wasn't magic, but it did contain the very basics of studying magic. The book was titled Magical Beginnings which was a typical cheesy title that was common and popular in the market shops of her city. Magic was considered an entertainment and most only knew of the parlor tricks.

In all, the book wasn't very interesting but it did inspire Lydia to seek out more magic books, real magic books. That was when her journal began. She developed her first theories on magic from the very basic book her grandmother had given her. And as she sought more books and took more notes, the pages she had written on became a stack that she eventually had to bind into an actual book. After that she had taken to writing in a pre-bound book, of course still filling loose pages when she ran out of room. In all, her collection consisted of 60 books, give or take a few, that were either bought as such or that Lydia had bound herself from her loose notes.

Her most recent books were somewhat different, however. Previously the books only contained information she found in other books and her own ideas and thoughts on the subjects. Now, there were more thoughts on just random things. In her own way, she was cataloging this journey she had been on since she left her home. Her moods, feelings, activities, the people around her, all had been documented starting from the moment she had entered the castle. She didn't try to theorize on the people around her, but she did keep her opinions of them in the journal, which considering that, it might seem odd that she was more concerned with not losing the journal than she was with anyone else seeing it.

Lydia collected the loose pages she had been studying and stacked them all neatly together, seeing this as no time to pursuit other areas considering the danger that Renee and the others were in, though she made sure she left out anything they might be able to use. She felt helpless sitting in the cave while the rest of their group were out risking their lives, it was very disheartening and the only way that she felt she could be of any use was to keep studying and make sure that she was ready with any information that could be useful later.

Katsuya Zer0

Johnny's eyes glowed yellow as he loomed above Echo, a giant. T'was the terrifying gaze of a hug-crushing predator eager to squeeze the adorableness out of its prey to death. Two massive hands caged around the red mouse, before it was lifted in front of the jaws of its captor and pressed gently on to his warm cheek.

"Ohhhhh, Echo, you are so tiny I can die." fawned Johnny, lightly nipping the little mouse playfully. "I'm going to eat you until you're --- rrmmph." he growled, snapping his teeth. He gazed down at her, a big smiling giant, and chuckled as he used his thumb to fix the little mouse hair that was sticking up from his nipping, his big palms a warm cozy cup.

Her transformation wasn't complete, the tiny Mouse-Echo still had little antler stubs, and instead of a mouse tail was her fluffy reindeer tail. No wonder Johnny went nuts. He checked his pocket watch to see how long the transformation will last, and busied himself setting up his tepee facing the cave wall so that Echo will have a place to put her clothes back on.


Two hours later, night had come in earnest and it seemed that there was a lull in the battle of Holt. The dark army's first attempt to break down the gates had failed and there in front of the city lay the ruined battering ram burning along with the remains of fallen warriors, which was surprisingly few. For the dead rose to join the army of the black dragon. It horrified the warriors on the battlements to see their own dead comrades rise up then fight against them.

Clearly it was the work of that death knight who can control corpses, and who stayed out of sight --- probably because if he was killed the entire army which was mostly made up of undead would crumble.

Instead of tactics, the might of this dark horde seemed to be in sheer numbers and the hardiness of its undead troops that fought on without pain nor fear, unhindered by grievous wounds. Whoever was leading this army didn't seem to be as good as those that had given swift victory to the dragon in the front Lines of Leor and in the recent battles against the Jahara Empire in the newspapers.

At the edge of the battlefield, hidden among the trees were Renee, Serena, Seth, Seifer, Johnny, and those who haven't been turned yet into mice.

Sasha was perched on the ground, a hastily made make-shift saddle of cloth and pouches on her back for the transformed mice to hold on to, where Mouse-Latifa, Mouse- Curie, Mouse-Mia, and Mouse-Midnight were waiting on her back.

The plan was to have Sasha sneak the mice into the city, while the infiltrators and Johnny stayed behind for their mission to steal the scrying mirror. James had grown fond of Midnight, and unlike some of the others who set their horses free as they'll be taking an airship to cross the ocean to Dalaran, decided to keep him.

"Are you all ready?" asked Johnny looking at Seth, Seifer, Serena, and Renee. "When I turn you into a mouse, Rathmore, you won't be able to carry anything with you. You'll turn back into a man after an hour, after that, it's all up to you how to get out of the tent without getting caught."

Katsuya , Roleplay Skittle

Echo was scared when she saw Johnny's eyes glowing like that but when he started snuggling and nipping her she relaxed. It still the same guy she like likes, just bigger. Her tail wiggled a bit and squeaked.

She is just happy that Johnny is very considerate with the tepee.

***



Serena gulped down her fear before nodding once, her lips set as a straight line and her eyebrows furrowed. This is really terrifying, to sneak into a Deathknight's tent and not get caught afterwards...

To think that they are actually going to do this...

"I'm ready..." Renee replied, somewhat distracted with how cute Sasha looks with mice on her back. It's just a cute image for the cool and collected bird and with her favorite lunches too! But more alive than dead...Yea, maybe she shouldn't have thought that. It kind of ruined the image...

The white-haired Pendragon looked over at the other three who's doing this mission and took a deep breathe to calm her fear. 'No one is going to die. No one is going to die.'

She flinched when a red and much more fluffy mouse squeaked loudly and smiled weakly at her. Even as a mouse, Echo is still cheering others on. The fawn decided to go with the princess to make sure she and the others are safe.

" Thanks Echo..."

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

"I know. Ready." said Seifer. With that Johnny transfigured them into mice. Their noses stretched like taffy, becoming pointed as whiskers sprouted out of their cheeks, and short fur blossomed everywhere. Their bodies kept shrinking and shrinking until finally a couple of mice wriggled out from a bundle of clothes on the leafy forest floor.

One of them was white and had chinky, haughty grey eyes, another was brown and sleek with mischievous green eyes.

Sasha hooted at them, and for some reason they could understand her and the other mice. 'Get on.' she pointed her beak at her talons where strips of cloth had been tied to her scaly legs where the mice could hold on to. She was to drop them somewhere within the camp as close as possible to the Deathknight's tent before flying to the city to deliver the others.

Johnny was staying behind in the forest in case something went wrong and he needed to transfigure them into mice again so that they can escape. James was going with the others to the city since he too wanted to keep the princess safe, though he would be useless for a time since he'd be without his wand. After Sasha was to deliver them, she was to act as courier and bring their belongings to the city if she could carry them. She could not carry Lydia's heavy tome or books, though.

The white mouse with the chinky grey eyes squeaked and climbed on to Sasha's leg, wriggling inside the loop of cloth near her talons to better secure itself. 'For my mother, for my mother, for my mother', it squeaked to itself.

James folded and laid aside their packs, clothes and weapons, burying them in a safe place under a tree that he marked. When everyone was ready, Johnny transformed him into a tall black mouse and then bade them good luck as Sasha spread her wings and leapt into the air.


She soared above the battlefield, wind whipping her feathers and once she found a good place to drop the mice as she flew past: the top of a very large busy tent that seemed to be where the enemy kept stocks of weapons and repaired armor, clicked her beak at them.

"Jump, little morsels!" she hooted.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

When Johnny changed their forms, Serena yelped in surprise as she felt the tugs and pulls like she was taffy, getting smaller and smaller until she was trapped under her clothing. Once she dug her way out, Johnny would see a blonde mouse with bright blue eyes, squeaking in laughter. "This is strange, but fun!"

Under the folds of another set of clothes is another white mouse, but tiny compared to the others and with seemingly glowing orange eyes. Renee is used to feeing like taffy from the last spell Johnny had placed on her.

When they got on Sasha, Renee couldn't help but feel a little amused from Seifer's chant. "Your mom would be very proud if she knew you faced your fear." Is her response to the squeaking and taller white mouse.

She heard Serena's surprised voice beside her. "Oh...I didn't know he was afraid of heights..." That...didn't help.

"Bye James!!!" Renee squeaked in a high pitch, sounding adorable as Sasha flew away. Though she looked like she was enjoying herself as she waved with one claw and held onto Sasha's leg with the other, tittering off the edge a bit.

***

When the owl lowered and told them to jump off, Serena went first, giggling a bit as she landed on a low branch.

Renee looked over at Seifer. "Come on...I'll jump with you if that makes you feel better." He already volunteered to do a dangerous role and flew on Sasha. She felt like she should at least try to smooth his fear a bit before doing his mission so that he doesn't get flustered.

"Come on..." Renee supported, nudging him lightly with her tiny paws.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

'I. do not need your help.' squeaked Seifer, his little tail and ears quivering as he looked down. He gulped. 'F-fine.' he conceded through gritted teeth. 'J-just let me hold your t-tail.'

And on Renee's go jumped with her, squeaking high-pitched curses into the air.

Meanwhile Seth had leaped after Serena, tumbling through the air then belly flop bouncing on the tent canvas and landing squarely on three paws like a little mouse ninja. 'Serena', he squeaked up at the tree branch, 'what do your pretty blue eyes see?'

It seemed that they were a hundred yards away from the Deathknight's tent. Flanking either side was that misshapen spider-like shade with the long gangly legs and a white mask where two empty eyes stared out of the holes. They were freakishly tall, and gave off a menacing vibe.

Just then, the hooded deathknight emerged from the tent flap calling some hunched up goblin nearby for something and gave it a slip of paper. The goblin bowed, muttering something and made its way towards the tent where Seth had landed on. Seemed like it'll get here in five minutes.

Apart from the stockpiles of weapons being carried out of the tent, and the wagons of armor being brought in to be crudely repaired by evil looking orc smiths. There were catapults and trebuchets nearby that had been used in the siege earlier, but had wheels that had given out and so were being repaired by some trolls.

This part of the enemy camp seemed to be a place where the living stayed. The dead stood silently around the camp in batallions, staring blankly at nothing.

In the area of the living, there were goblins arguing over loot, orcs eating man flesh, trolls practicing vodoo, ogres doing grunt work, and two nasty giants who looked more slow-witted than the ogres and who seemed to be carrying uprooted trees from the forest to fuel the fires for the forges. Outside one tent that seemed to be guarded by a very handsome, and very pale man with hungry blood red eyes, where prisoners from Holt who were being interrogated by a pale and beautiful woman with the same blood red eyes and long raven hair.

The prisoner's eyes seemed glazed over, enchanted with her as if by some spell as they spoke to her in quiet tones. One of them, a prisoner shook his head and shouted something obscene at her, to which she replied by dragging him with inhuman strength very easily inside the tent. A moment later, she re-emerged tossing aside the shriveled corpse of the prisoner that seemed to have aged decades. She wiped blood from her chin, with a hankerchief, grinning with fanged teeth.
Katsuya

'Alright...' Renee squeaked, letting him grab her tail and waited a bit so he could gather some courage.

'At a count of three...one, two...three-!' Renee jumped off with Seifer, laughing in glee as she felt the air rushing through her fur. She didn't mind the other mouse's curses nor did she mind him squeezing her tail like it was a life line.

They bounced on the tent as well, Renee cannonballed before flipping in the air and landing on her two back feet, similar to a gymnast. Then she looked over at Seifer, looking worried.

'Seifer-?!'

'Not good! Someone's coming this way!' Serena squeaked in a hurry before jumping off the branch, bouncing on the tent and landing on her four feet. She told him everything she saw, including the vampire lady and guy who are interrogating the Holt prisoners.

'We should hide then.' Renee suggested, patting on Seifer's back in comfort and looking over at her brother and friend.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

'I'm fine. And stop caring, Pendragon, we're not friends.' said Seifer pointedly, getting up on shaky legs. After listening to Serena he suggested hiding far from the roof of the busy tent they were on.

'Easy, sis, Serena, Rathmore' said Seth calmly, 'we're mice, remember? No one is going to care about us unless they want to eat us or drive us out with a broom, and a loud busy place is a good place to hide in, lots of distractions, you see.' he added as though he was used to hiding from people.

'I wonder what's in that paper though . . .', he peered from the edge of the tent roof. 'Rathmore, I think you've found yourself a ride. If that goblin goes back inside the deathknight's tent, then the only distraction you'll need is Renee getting him and the monster guards out of there so that you can steal the mirror.'

'I need about a minute in the tent.' said Seifer. 'Just enough to find some clothes or something then walk out. I hope that deathknight has clothes. He's wearing the same thing he wore last time at the King's Feast.' he wished Caprice was here, but then he was just like James who could not cast spells without a wand. He saw him shift with his clothes and wand when he turned himself into a sheep after they escaped the King's castle, but he guessed that he hadn't mastered the mice transfiguring spell well enough to do the same thing.

'I'm going to turn the mirror into a ball of yarn. Make sure you pick it up if I get caught. I'm going down. Start the distraction fifteen minutes after I enter the deathknight's tent.' he squeaked, and scampered off to slide down the wall of the tent and scuttle inside where he waited for an opportunity to catch a ride on the goblin.

'I'm going to look for a disguise in the tent.' said Seth. 'I can't pick up yarn like this. What about you, Serena, Renee?'

Katsuya

'Just because we're not friends, doesn't mean I can't care about others, Rathmore.' Renee replied. 'So man up and be grateful that I even care about you in the first place!' With a strong and final pat on his back, the tiny mouse walked closer to her little brother with her tiny nose up in the air. 'Hmph!'

As they listened to Seth's calm explanation and plan, Serena spoke up. 'I'll come with you and look for something to wear, just in case.'

'I'm going to have to go with Rathmore so I can distract the monsters while he escapes. It'll be better if I was close by and ready to cause some mayhem.' Renee answered, grinning mischievously. 'Any advice I should keep in mind?' She asked her brother as she was about to leave and follow Seifer's tracks.

Zer0

Seth gave Renee a mousy grin. 'Just ask yourself, what would Sen and Seth do?' and with that he wished them luck and a safe return before scuttling off with Serena, his tail whipping out of sight down the edge of the tent.

It was noisy inside. Orcs hammered away at hotly glowing swords on anvils, goblins screeched at each other in gobblegook, and trolls grunted and hollered at others in another unknown language as they carried crates of arrows and piles of crude swords out of the tent.

Seth stayed close the violinist mouse, sniffing the air, and looking up every now and then as he slinked through the gaps and holes of a pile of worn armor and swords that seemed to be beyond repair. 'Yuck.' he wrinkled his nose. Being a mouse, he had a heightened sense of hearing as well as smell and if he thought ogres smelled bad while he was human they definitely smelled horrendous as a mouse.

The world was so big and so large through a mouse's eyes. The crates were like buildings, and the entire tent was like a city of weapons and armor with forges being tamed volcanoes and giants abounded hollering in voices of thunder.

'So, Serena,' began Seth conversationally as though they were walking through a park, 'I was wondering, if you could be with anyone in the whole wide world, what would he be like and how would he make you feel?'

He peeked out of the pile waiting for a chance to scamper out through the forest of legs.



Meanwhile, across the tent, Seifer's heart was hammering wildly as he peered out from under the tent canvas. Everything was amplified in his ears, nose, and even disturbances in the air made his whiskers twitch. All the giant warriors made tremors that his little padded feet could feel.

When Renee rejoined him, he was brisk and very bossy with her, which could be attributed with his shaken nerves, but secretly it was mostly because he wanted to cut off all camaraderie that had developed inside him for the past days despite all his best efforts to snuff them out.

Tonight was the night he will hand over the princess and . . . darn it, he cannot let these annoying, slow-witted, trolls he's travelled with for the past days die. He thought he could do it, not care, but they were too nice and even Dubois didn't hate him and took care of his body with all his vain demands.

Somehow he had to hand over the princess without anyone of them getting killed. Somehow . . . So that he can go back home and live a normal life without endangering his mother.

The letter he had sent his family two weeks ago contained instructions on how to contact one of the dark dragon's agents. He knew they'd be sending some people to search his family's mansion after the King's assassination, and those people could be contacted and shown his letter.

He had told them that they were in Pokeshire village, with plans to head to the mountains, but said that he will be marking their passage. His past scouting around the flying castle as they travelled were made not only to check if their area was safe, but also to leave tracks for the black dragon's agents to follow.

Why Holt was attacked and why the army was here could well be because of the letter he had sent. Did the enemy somehow surmise that they were heading to Dalaran and sought to cut them off? He wasn't sure, but his previous attempt to somehow contact them was foiled when Renee scooped him out of his horse when he tried to run away with those bounty hunters looking for him.

Today was his last chance. If the princess made it to Dalaran, what will they do to his mother? His only hope was a statement in that letter saying that if they hurt her, the deal was off.

He scampered through the sea of legs and followed the goblin as it entered the tent, handing a paper to some troll who hollered at a couple of orcs for something. The orcs brought up a crate of furs and gave it to the goblin who staggered under its weight. Now was a chance to hop on without getting seen.

Katsuya

'Hmm?' Serena perked up as they scurried around. It really does smell and she almost wanted to vomit from the stench. The skin under her fuzzy cheeks turned red as she listened to Seth's question. 'W-well...he would have to be funny, able to take jokes. Smart and ambitious.' Her tone turned warm at the thought of a certain apprentice summoner.

'I want to feel special whenever I'm around him. Like he would protect me as much as he would protect his family. Of course I would look after them as well...I want to feel like I'm needed to calm him down too like he can relax around me.'


'Seifer...why are you so agitated?' Renee squeaked, annoyed and confused with his bossy attitude which made him snap at her. Sure, he could be scared and that's why he's like this but really? He's worse than the last time they worked together at the ogre cave and he was scared then too. So what's causing him to be so freaking irritating than usual, she wondered as she stared at the other mouse intensely.

Something...something else is bothering him and she couldn't think of what that could be.

When they reached to where the goblin is talking to the orcs and the goblin carried the create filled with furs, Renee quickly jumped on the fur that's limping out of the wooden box, grabbing onto it and climbed inside through a hole the create has. There she sat comfortably as the folds of furs made a small and cozy space that's big enough for the two mice.

Once Seifer came inside, she asked him quietly. 'Seriously though. Why are you so jumpy? More than usual too.' Then a thought came up to her mind and mumbled hesitantly. 'Is...Is it about your mother?'

Zer0

Deserting her journal was like losing a limb. When James buried their belongings, she too buried her tome. She wrapped it carefully and ensured that it would be secure before she placed it in a whole in the ground beside the one that James made, gently covering it like she was entombing a very dear friend. She patted the dirt down and covered her eyes like she was saying a silent prayer before she would join the others, though she would choose to stay behind with Johnny just in case since everyone else had gone into Holt to protect the princess.

While she couldn't understand Seifer in his mouse form, she could relate as she too was close with her mother despite their differences and like Seifer, she had made a point to contact her mother whenever she could, though her messages were devoid of any intention of conspiracy.

As Sasha flew away with all of their mousey companions, Lydia clasped her hands together, wishing them a safe journey as she watched them go, her hands pressed against her lips as they balled together in front of her face, her brow set in a worried expression as green eyes followed the pretty' owl's path.

Zer0 Katsuya

Seth was secretly pleased that he met all of that criteria except for one. He squeak-chuckled, 'You may want to be less protected than how much he wants to protect our sister.' He did not find the memory amusing, but he had to be delicate in earning her affections, for she still liked his older brother.

Seth had developed a crush on the violinist ever since he heard her play the violin piece about him and watched her raise her hands happily to the sky when they reached the top of the ruined tower, and had been off-handedly making reasons to spend time with her.

Sure people may say that scouting the edges of an enemy encampment and now infiltrating one isn't the best time to earn a lady's affections, because honestly he needed her protection more than she needed his, but still Seth looked on the bright side: they can still talk and he can impress her with his . . . nice long tail? Hmm . . .

Come the time when they're human again and he can wow her with his lockpicking, stealth, acting, and parkour skills, plus he's the joint-owner of a guild so . . . James who only has his magic stick has nothing on him.

They found some dirty smelly clothes that seemed to have been scavenged from dead soldiers and some goblin and human armor that they could wear, but with the many foes in the tent there was no way to change into a human and then put on the armor without getting caught.

'I think we have to wait for my sister to start the distraction, Serena.' said Seth. 'I'll try to look for something to wear far over there since it'll lessen the chances of us getting spotted as humans if we're apart.'


'What? No, I'm just quivering for dramatic effect --- we're in the heart of the dark army, sheep girl, it's scary, duh. Now stop making small talk, this isn't the time.' he squeaked, annoyed, at Renee. He curled into the furs, nibbling on some hair to calm himself down.

The goblin stepped out of the tent muttering something that sounded like it was complaining and before he entered the deathknight's tent, Seifer nudged Renee to get off the crate so that she can start the distraction outside.

"Me lord, the furs, as you commanded. I bring them." said the goblin in broken commoner's language, heaving the crate on top of a table.

Seifer could not see, but he heard the scrape of a chair and the sound of the knight's swift foot-steps coming closer and he immediately dug deep into the furs squeezing through the gaps as fast as he can to hide at the bottommost part.

Some of the furs were suddenly lifted before the cold voice of a young man said, "Good. Now get out."

There was a shuffling of smaller timid feet towards the exit, then the sound of a tent flap opening was heard, then nothing but the drone of orcs, trolls, ogres and other goblins passing by.

Seifer waited for the foot steps to go away and the scraping of a chair again before he dared to peek out very, very slowly.

The tent was simple, and was bigger inside than how it looked like from the outside. It was lit with floating candles and the air was heavy with dark magic. The table where the crate of furs sat was laden with alchemical bottles and ingredients of a sinister kind: there were pickled heart strings, dead things floating inside green and purple concoctions, and small powerfully enchanted urns that seem to hold something inside that whispered ever so quietly in agony, like tortured souls.

It was a necromancer's abode. And it seemed that even the shadows inside the tent were blacker than normal and seemed to sway a little even though nothing moved.

Katsuya


"S-so . . . " whispered Johnny timidly, sitting ten feet away from Lydia and looking at the night sky. "Thanks for . . . s-switching Echo and everybody back, Lydia."

They were in a hidden place where Serena and Seth had stayed as they spied on Holt and the enemy army earlier. Meatballs the giant boarhound was out and was panting absentmindedly on the ground under a pile of leaves and branches where only his head showed.

Roleplay Skittle

Lydia was still standing when Johnny spoke to her. She hadn't taken her eyes away from the direction that Sasha had gone, it was like she had become a statue, her hands still held together in silent prayer. She turned her head towards Johnny, her eyes slightly wider than usual as though she had forgotten he was there. She had stayed there as a thanks to Echo for listening to her in the caverns, she wanted to watch Johnny's back instead of leaving him outside of enemy territory on his own, even though she was quite sure he could probably handle himself.

After having her chat with Echo, she understood rather well why he was so far away from her, though she did close the distance slightly, thinking that it probably wasn't a good idea for them to be talking over such a wide space while they were waiting to help the others should something go awry. She held her hands out slightly as though she were calming a wild animal as she approached before she crouched down once she was around five feet from him, still maintaining some distance because she didn't want to make him nervous. She hugged her knees as she smiled to him and shrugged her shoulders slightly, tilting her head awkwardly, "It's nothing... it was my fault everyone got changed in the first place."

Lydia gave Meatballs an amused smile before she sniffled slightly and sneezed twice, her hand drawing beneath the padded leather vest she wore over a long puffy sleeved blouse and pulling out a handkerchief that was just as black as everything else she owned, sneezing into the fabric twice and wriggling her nose slightly as she drew the linen away.

Zer0 Katsuya

'You figured it out, huh? That I like James?' Serena asked, smiling in embarrassment from being found out by the little brother. Though she tilted her head as she was confused as to why Seth would say that.

She nodded at Seth's idea, only to hear the monsters yelling and screaming about something. 'I think Renee is doing her part.' Serena teased playfully as she watched the large and many feet of the trolls and orcs and goblins moving towards the exit. She caught a small sight of a goblin chasing something white when the orcs opened the flap.


Renee didn't believe him, taking in the nervous picture he is creating in her head. Her mousey eyes squinted suspiciously as her mind reeled in more ideas as it was obvious that he's hiding something.

Why did she think that? Because Seifer does not tell how he really feels to someone who he doesn't like that quickly. Not with his huge ego. Like the time he lied about being afraid of heights when she caught him. He fibbed until she dropped and caught him again.

So why would he admit that if only to mislead her?

As soon she felt Seifer nudging her out, Renee quickly climbed down from the crate and ran to the tent's folded parts where the pegs held it down, near the flap of the tent.

'Alright...now channel your inner Sen and Seth. Channel the twin-ness...' She chanted to herself, thinking of what she could do to distract these silly monsters. She looked up to where the spider-like guards' legs are before looking around and noticing the wired string that's attached to the other tents, looking like a network of wires that's organized. She guessed it's so the goblins and orcs don't trip on them while walking around.

'So these guys tied all their tents down with same string...maybe...' She grinned, now forming an idea that would mess not just the spider guards but maybe mess the other monsters as well. She just needed a perfect moment to...there-!

As soon the right spider guard moved aside for the goblin to walk out of the tent, Renee ran as fast as she could to reach the goblin, climbed on his shoe without him noticing and bit his leg. She grinned at the goblin who yelped in pain and looked down at her. It cursed, jumping and shaking his foot as she held on to his tattered shoe.

"Off! Off" It yelled, bumping into the left spider guard and pushing it. That guard stumbled, hissing at the goblin as it tripped on the wired string, untangling it from the pegs that were holding the tents down and trapping itself with that string.

The goblin finally shook the laughing-squeaking mouse off his shoe and now chased her around and under the left guard's legs with many sharp twists and turns. The left guard hissed at the stupid goblin, moving it's spindly legs away from the chasing little monster and it's prey. Only for it to trip on it's own legs and landing on the other side of the tent, the wired strings snapping and wrapping around the spider monster like a trap.

Ironic that spider monsters are trapped in wires like a fly trapped in a spider's web.

The goblin continued to chase the white mouse as the tents around the area puffed up, falling down slowly since it lost the tight strings. The other monsters joined in on catching this small and trouble-making mouse, jumping over the smithys and destroying their hard work as they chased the little mouse down. How did she move so quickly? Well she transformed when she knows no one was looking, wings appearing out of her back and fur looking more feathery then she change back while out in the open.

'Can't. Catch. Me. For I'm a sneaky sneaky mouse filled with the twins' pranking energy!' She squeaked, her orange eyes glimmering with mirth and mischief. 'Hahahaha!!!'

She's obviously having way too much fun again.

Once she believes that she caused enough mayhem, watching the monsters starting to fight each other as they didn't know who caused what and blames the others for their work to come undone, Renee ran back to where the droopy tent Seifer's in, past the bushes, and ran even further until she reached a safe distance to watch her piece of 'art' beating each other up.

She climbed up a tree to hide in the leaves and waited in case she changed back to human. Renee is tiny enough to hide in this high tree, even the lower branches should be able to hide her figure, but she stayed cautious for once.

'Your turn you guys...' Renee prayed that everyone stays safe during the chaos.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

"Well, you kinda' did play a slightly sensual piece beside him when we were at the Brandywine falls, Serena." winked Seth. "And yes, I think my sister is doing me and my twin proud." he added, before scurrying away to change.

The distraction gave him enough time to change back into a human, smear himself with dirt and grime from corpses, then quickly don on some clothes, armor, and a helmet with a visor to cover his face. He grabbed some throwing knives and waited until Serena was ready then went out, following the mob and acting all surprised, grunting as best as he could to imitate an orc.

"I'm going to wait by the deathknight's tent." he whispered to her and lumbered off, hunching and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible while keeping to the shadows and bowing his head down.


" What the . . .? "

Seifer immediately scampered behind a jar of pickled bat wings as the deathknight rose from the chair and marched angrily out of the tent. He didn't see his face as he did not dare peek out to see. He heard the tent flap open and close, and saw that he was alone in the room. It's now or never.


Renee would see the hooded deathknight march out of the tent to stand surprised at the massive brawl in front of him. His glowing eyes flashed crimson and tendrils of shadow bristled from his back. They slithered down his hand, spiking forward and elongating until in his hands he held a wicked scythe.

Without warning he hurled it at the mob, felling dozens instantly as the scythe spun through the air, a whirlwind of death. Orcs, goblins, and trolls shrieked in terror as they realized they had angered the deathknight. They scattered, and he cut them down in his rage. He was fast, like a blade storm. Seifer said that he needed about a minute, it looked like the knight would be done in just fifteen seconds.

Katsuya

" . . . Are you allergic to dogs?" asked Johnny, looking around warily in case someone or something heard her sneeze. He thought of summoning Butters, but his giant ram could not see in the dark, nor did he have a great sense of hearing or smell. "Shall I unsummon Meatballs?"

Roleplay Skittle

She nodded to Johnny's question as she wiped her nose. Her sneezes weren't big crazy honks, just little breezy squeaks and they were mostly muffled by at first her arm and then the hankie so they were more than likely safe which was probably why Lydia didn't really act too nervous after she series of sneezes. Her nose had turned a reddish color which was only made to look more so red because of the pale color of her skin, but she still had a smile on her face as her arms folded over the tops of her knees, "it's okay... I'll just try to be more quiet when I sneeze."

She didn't really know anything about the boarhound, but she assumed that there was good reason for him to be out and she didn't want to impeded on that on account of her allergies. Plus he was cute, a big fluffy puppy! Of course she wouldn't get any closer to him for fear of going into a sneezing fit, he was pretty big as it was and at the distance she currently sat from him, if he had been normal size it probably wouldn't have bothered her at all.

Zer0

Laughing awkwardly and scratching behind her head, Serena blushed when Seth winked at her. Oops...she didn't mean to play that. If Seth found out then there's a huge chance that James found out as well...

She hoped she didn't creep him out with that song.

As soon Seth looked away to change, Serena changed back into her human figure as well and quickly grabbed a bunch of furs and cloth, tying one end to another to create a short dress that reached to her high thighs. The fur that has the wolf's head still attached is her cape of sorts, using the head as a mask and covered herself with dirt and grime. Now she looked like a goblin as she hobbled her way out with Seth and nodded. "I'll be at the trees and nearby. Let you know if trouble is coming."

With that, the blonde hobbled her way out of the chaos Renee created and into the woods.


Renee giggled her squeaks, watching the chaos she created until the Deathknight marched out of the tent. Her squeaks went quiet as she watched the living army die with each swing from the scythe.

Her body started to tremble, anxiety peaked as her worry for the guys took over. She tried to calm down, remembering what calms her soul: Her brothers eating her cooking and wearing clean clothes while working hard. Then she remembered that one of her brothers are in that murderous mess...

She breathed in and out to calm down though it seemed like she was slowly hyperventilating as she watched the horrifying scene. Renee didn't notice that she was changing back into her human form, numb to the scratchy and rough bark pricking her sensitive skin. Her hands gripped tightly onto the tree trunk so she wouldn't move from her spot as her strong urge to run back to the camp and distract the Deathknight too.

The Pendragon sister breathed in again. 'They haven't been caught yet. Stop panicking, me.' She scolded herself before flinching from someone calling out her name quietly and a low bird call but she didn't look down. She couldn't look away even when she hears Serena's curses and the rustles of the leaves.

The violinist popped her head through the leaves, shaking her head to get rid of the leaves that's stuck on her head. "Renee? Are you okay?"

The white-haired Pendragon answered in a robotic voice. "No...I'm not."

Serena noticed how Renee's hair slowly changed into feathers with purple-black bird's skin blotching around her eyes and guessed that it could be her anxiety that's causing her to transform again. As she took off the wolf-head cloak and wrapped it around the smaller teen, tying the ending parts together into a toga-like robe before tucking her feathered hair in the wolf's head.

"Renee...Seth said that he's proud at what you did." Serena saw Renee grin a bit and patted her head, before doing another bird call, alarming Seifer and Seth that the deathknight would be coming back soon.


Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

A brown ball of yarn shot out of the bottom of the tent flap and rolled out into the massacre, getting lost in the chaos as it got kicked around by the scattering goblins. Seth, in disguise, saw this, but he was too afraid to go near the deathknight's wrath.

One of the tangled, spindle legged masked shades saw the ball and pushed off the others quickly to reach for the tent flap, pull it, and then look inside. It gave an angry venomous shriek.

The raging deathknight looked back to see his guard yank out a terrified, butt-naked human from inside.

"DON'T KILL ME, PLEASE! --- ACK!" there was a sick cracking of bones as the shadow hand that held Seifer squeezed him. "I'm . . . Seifer Rathmore!" he whimpered in pain, trying to get out of the strong grip. "Stop."

The deathknight hissed a command in some unknown language at the guard, who stopped squeezing, but still held Seifer in that crushing grip. The white mask suddenly cracked open to reveal a faceless head with only a gaping hole for a mouth that seemed to suck more than just air. Seifer recoiled in disgust at the sight. He tried to yell, but instead gasped for air.

It drew a deep rattling breath and those watching would see Seifer seize up as some glowing silvery white wispy essence began to leak out of his eyes, mouth, and nose; at the same time the Deathknight began issuing orders and the whole enemy camp went into combat alert; Serena and Renee would see a small orc stoop down among the freshly killed dead bodies with the others and slip something into its pocket, before helping some goblin move a dead body away from the field. Seth had gotten the yarn and he would probably rendezvous back to where Johnny and Lydia were hiding.

Seifer's body twitched, becoming limper as black smoke from the monster's hole now entwined with the silvery wisps and seeped inside him. The deathknight watched as the last breathe of light was sucked out and the last of the black smoke seeped in, before the guard dropped Seifer's lifeless body on to the ground.

It happened for an infinitesimal fraction of a second, but unbeknownst them a very tiny twinkle of light winked at the corner of Seifer's soulless glassy eyes, before disappearing inside him.

The deathknight grabbed him by the hair, then dragged his limp body across the rough ground and inside the tent, and did not re-emerge.

Katsuya


Some time later, Meatballs would growl in the darkness, his hackles rising, before sniffing the air and then wagging his tail as a horrified looking Seth, drenched in sweat and wearing smelly clothes and goblin-orc armor stumbled into their hiding place.

"We-we, h-have the mir-mirror." he said shaking. "But R-Rathmore's gone."

He told them everything as they waited for Renee and Serena. Seth was very affected and kept on talking and talking, and talking about what he saw as though trying to get his emotions out so that he'll feel better.

Sasha eventually came back speaking in James voice that they and the Princess have reached safety and were now in the city's keep and explaining the situation to Duke Maguire, the duke of the entire state of Verona. James listened to what happened in the enemy's camp through Sasha's ears and then calmly told them to come to Holt quickly so that they can plan their next move. Sasha will carry them as mice on her back while she carried the yarn, and James, and Johnny's wands in her talons.

Roleplay Skittle Katsuya

Undoubtedly, the time between Lydia and Johnny was spent awkwardly, with the occasional muffled sneeze from the novice witch as they awaited any hint of what was going on at the camp. By the time Meatballs had alerted them that someone was coming, Lydia had already begun pacing, her hands still holding the kerchief. She stopped her pacing but quickly moved again as Seth appeared, rushing to him, her worried gaze shifting wildly over his features and disguise.

Her brow only furrowed further as he explained what had happened and whether it was from her allergies or the idea of the loss, a single tear slipped from her eye and splattered on her hand just next to her thumb. She drew in a deep breath as he continued, her gaze drifting to the ground before she looked to Johnny than back at Seth, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder gently and trying to muster a smile to comfort their shaken comrade. She didn't try to verbally assuage him, just letting him talk. Sometimes the only way to get something out of your head was to talk or write about it.

Her hands had taken to wringing the black hankie she held by the time Sasha appeared and she remained silent though behind her large green eyes it was pretty evident that she was in deep thought as any time someone addressed her, she would look at them as though she had forgotten they were there.

Zer0 Katsuya

Serena and Renee managed to return to where Johnny, Seth and Lydia are. The blonde looked shaken and paler than normal. Not even a little smile on her lips or a twinkle in her blue eyes.

The pair had watched the scene from where they were sitting and couldn't move when they saw Seifer's body limp nor could they move when the Deathknight dragged his body away to his tent. Considering it was the Deathknight that deals with dead bodies, Serena could only imagine what horrors it will do to Seifer's.

"Look Renee...T-th-there's Johnny and Seth and Lydia." Serena looked over to the tear-stricken Pendragon sibling, used to the silence and shaking from her tiny body as she tugged her wrist forward to make her walk.

Renee's fear came true: someone was caught. She lost another person...another person whom she cared and she couldn't do anything about it.

"S-seth?" Renee muttered as she lethargically walked over to her little brother, hugged him tightly and finally sobbed her heart out. She mumbled into his chest, saying nonsensical things and just squeezed him lightly as the wolf-head leaned back, revealing the small wings Renee is now known for. She didn't move away when Sasha came back to tell them to proceed with the next step.

"Alright..."Serena muttered patting both Seth and Renee's heads for a moment before doing the same to Lydia. Poor dear is spacing out too...

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

"Turn them into mice now, Johnny, then dig up their things and bury them eighty paces to the north." said Sasha a bit more urgently.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake." said Johnny, who laid a warm hand on Renee's shoulder as Seth hugged his sister tightly, rubbing her back the way he always did since they were kids.

"In a few minutes this forest will be crawling with goblins and orcs." said the owl sternly. "That deathknight can read memories, he'll find you. Come now, Renee, Lydia. Serena, please get them up." added James voice gently, but firmly.

Those who would comply would be turned into mice as Meatballs dug up their things. Sasha would fly them away to Holt as Johnny would go the other direction with his giant boarhound to bury their things in another place.

Sasha winged around the enemy camp, pass the battlefield where the siege started anew as enemy catapults began hurling boulders at the stone walls, then descended down into Holt, where she circled a fortress that stood proudly at the center of the trading city, where the soldiers who were mounted on gryphons looked sleepless and anxious.

She alighted on the balcony of a tower, where she rapped her beak on the glass window.

"You're back!" cried Latifa's voice, relieved. She opened the window and Sasha hopped inside a simple bedroom where the horse Midnight was sleeping on the floor next to Frey.

"Bathroom's over here dears, ladies first." said Latifa ushering the owl into an adjacent room where there were fresh clothes upon a wash basin. The maid was white as a sheet and looked very anxious as though she had been worrying about them all this time.

"Princess Mia and James are in the war room, a guard outside the bedroom will show you the way. They're very anxious to get the mirror."

When Sasha was satisfied all was taken care of, she left immediately to get Johnny.


The war room was busy and filled with soldiers running about giving up to date news of the siege, or performing the orders given to them by a stern man who stood in the center of a vast table where a large detailed map of Holt was spread before him. Around the table were officers moving pieces that represented companies or squads of soldiers or foes.

There were four warlocks sitting in a circle in one corner staring blankly at the air in front of them as they spoke in calm tones to soldiers, taking notes that they relayed to the officers around the map table. One of them was James who was still looking at the world through Sasha's eyes.

Princess Mia was there too, and she was sitting at the opposite end of the map table watching the battle unfold anxiously.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle