Cursed IC

At first Coda was a little taken back when Eira almost ran into him. When he looked at her he couldn't help but notice her mask. He was about to ask her about it but she asked for his help instead. Coda slowly nodded in her request and placed one of her hands on his shoulder. He couldn't help his thoughts as he continued to follow the others. His pace was slow, but his mind was mostly on Eira. It had been a long time since someone asked for his help. Well Elise and the others had been asking for his help with the horns, but this was something different. Coda was never physically able to help others. So this made him feel a little bit more helpful in some way.

Coda let out a soft bit of air as he could feel the spell starting to hit him. He was getting tiered. He would have noticed the fever or the sickness coming in like Elise, but he was too use to them that he would just ignore them at this point. After going through the relapse of his spells for many years, this was a walk in the park for him. The thing that effected him the most felt more like weight, like something was always dragging him back.

(Sorry so short. Trying to move things along and to keep the IC active.) ~^_^~
 
“Thank you, Coda. May the gods bless your kind heart.” she said, allowing him to place her hand onto his shoulder. Through her fingertips she could feel the warmth of his form, and in her mind’s eye she could ‘see’ him much more clearly than before. The hazed fog from their first meeting had cleared.

She took a moment to appreciate his unique aura. “Perhaps you are wrong to think the gods forsake you...I know the Mother of Mercy would be smiling at you now.”

Regardless of any divine entities, the priestess was smiling enough to make up for any lack thereof. It was soft and content like the grin of a sleeping feline, but it sobered slightly when she felt something resonating in Coda. It felt familiar.

“You know, I used to feel ashamed for asking others to help me. It seemed unjust to drag others down with my own burdens and... I guess I felt a bit disappointed with how helpless and weak I was.” Eira’s face darkened then, remembering something. “I even tried to do things on my own, which only made things worse.”

She gave a soft laugh then, and shook her head dismissively at the ground. Absentmindedly, her hand grasped the amulet that dangled from her neck, its crystalline surface etched with the holy symbol of the gods.

Her voice was soft when she spoke next, but it held a simple confidence to it. “Then a friend told me something… read it for me, actually. There is a saying in our texts; ‘Strength comes in many forms. Find no shame in humility but in humility find courage, for only in unity is there true strength and in division, true weakness.’

It was hard to detect, but as the priestess spoke waves of warmth spread from where her hand made contact with Coda’s shoulder. There was no better way to describe it than as comforting, and stirred in the mind feelings of pleasant stillness.

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova
 
Zola pushed the barn door open with her back since her hands were full. The barns exterior was a dull red and white paint that was beginning to chip and fade away. Their was some hay leaning on the left side, and some chickens ran free next to the hay, pecking at the ground and cleaning their feathers.

While the inside of the barn would be unexpected considering the poor state of the outside. The stalls that were once used for keeping cows in the winter had been taken out, and the floors were covered in carpets of every color, shape and size to keep the cold wood from touching feet. The inside walls of the barn had been painted a warm brown and held a couple family herlomes and gifts that Zola's mother had given her.

There was a fireplace on the left wall that had a slightly torn red couch with a worn white blanket draped over it in front of the fireplace. On the right wall was ladder leading up to a loft that held a couple book shelfs, a straw bed covered in thin, white sheets, a small wardrobe, and a small window that had two rocks, one with a moustache painted on it, and the other with a bow painted on it, sitting proudly on the windowsill.

Zola brought Elf Chick over to the sofa and laid her down on it, she then covered her in a blanket. "Just chill here Elf Chick, even if your 'fine' like you say you are, it wouldn't hurt to take it easy. And I will not take no for an answer!" With that said, Zola sat on the arm of the couch and waited for everyone.
Nogoodname Nogoodname
 
Elise laid in the bed, giving a small nod up to the girl, she had given up in trying to convince them that she was fine on her own, they didn't seem to listen. While she admired the hospitality she couldn't help but lament the lost time, she had been very hopeful to finally be getting to work on her project, but now she would be stuck couchridden for gods know how long. She let out a small huff, at least she wasn't being carried around like some sort of ragdoll anymore "Thank you for your help" she said, flashing a small smile.

The elf curled up under the covers, her eyelids drooping, even the rough couch was much more comfortable than where she had been sleeping for the past few days. With a yawn she closed her eyes, resting her head on the armrest "I meant it when I said that I plan to repay my debt, if you need anything from me" another yawn came out, and she was already half asleep by now "you just need to ask" she murmured, nodding off almost instantly. The struggles they had gone through in the past few days had taken their toll on the elf, and what Coda had done to her was the final straw, she would sleep like a rock for a good few hours.
 
(Alright let's do this! LEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOY.... JENKIIIIIIIINS!)

Lithariel crouched upon the sagging roof of the farm-girl's barn, as silent and stoic as a gargoyle. The wood used to construct the shabby building had long since lost its original vitality, the years now painfully obvious in the faded grey surface. It was dry and brittle to the touch... perfect for kindling. Judging by the fate of the house, it was a miracle the structure was still standing.

She moved her hand at the thought, bringing it out to the side so that she could better see the tangle of thorns balanced in her palm. A single ribbon of smoke curled its way out from the delicate folds of leaves, the only hint of what was being carefully nursed inside. The huntress bid the leaves near the top to loosen their grasp momentarily to grant a breath of air to the embers within, collected from the ruins of the farmhouse. In response, a soft light blossomed within the bulb of thorns, growing rapidly as the plants wilted in absence of the huntress’s magic. The glow cast an eerie light into Lithariel’s eyes as they shifted towards her prey. It was time.

Lithariel let the smoldering bloom fall from her hand and watched as it bounced once on the pile of hay stacked carelessly to the left side of the barn. Fragments of ember scattered on the impact, and even more became embedded in the downy mass as the ball of fuel rolled down its side. There was a soft hiss, followed by an alarmed squawk from a nearby hen, before newborn flames began their hungering rampage.

Then, in all the careless grace of an alley cat, Lithariel turned, walked to the edge of the roof and dropped down. As soon as her feet made contact with the ground, the barren dirt began to ripple. It was as if she had disturbed the waters of a still lake, only in place of waves there were now dark tendrils sprouting from the depths. They soon condensed into barbed vines, identical to the ones she had used to transfer the embers, only larger and significantly sturdier. Each one snaked its way up the peeling entrance to Zola’s barn and entangled itself in a prickly mass around hinge and handle, preventing any sort of movement. With all the chaos it was unlikely that the elf or the dim-witted farm-girl would be aware of the attack until it was too late. If they did not perish in the flames, she would make quick work of the survivors.

Now for the runt…” Lithariel thought, bringing her crossbow to rest upon a shoulder. Within her sights she could see him farther down the path, leading the blind girl. How pathetic. Priestess or not, Lithariel felt compelled to put the crippled whelp down. One move to interfere...that’s all it would take, and a bolt would find its way between her useless eyes.

If the boy had not noticed Lithariel yet, he would soon as a powerful spike of heat stabbed itself into the back of his right shoulder. It felt like a brand, which was not far from the truth.There was hardly a moment to spare before the whistle of an incoming crossbow bolt split the air, the blackened head aimed for Coda’s heart.

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova seasonedcat seasonedcat Nogoodname Nogoodname St. Boethius St. Boethius shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Juju Juju

[and I set FIIIIIIIIIRE.... TO THE BARN!!!!! WATCHED IT BURN AS I....SHOT YOUR FACE!!!!]
 
Coda blinked as his mouth dropped slightly at Eira's words. He wasn't even sure how to organize his thoughts let alone any response to her comments. Something about the gods showing him mercy, even something about finding courage in weakness.... Or something like that.

Coda let his eyes shift lightly away from her direction as he continued to lead her to the barn. He let out a quiet sigh as his mind drifted off like his eyes. Random thoughts or even images would try to keep himself from listening about other gods or even about life lessons. He was too tired to go on with such a conversation.

Coda let his shoulders relax a bit as they got closer to the barn. They weren't that far away when he stopped. coda could have sworn he felt something pinch his shoulder. He glanced over to Eira wondering if she had..

Coda smacked Eira away when the small pinch he thought he felt came back. But instead of a pinch it was a burn. He let out a cry as he grabbed at his shoulder. He stepped away from Eira. "What the hell?!" He yelled at her. Coda bit back his words and gritted his teeth as his skin tightened. The pain was constant, but wasn't enough to take him to him knees. Coda started to pull at his shirt in hopes to see what was now forming on his skin.

He turned back to Eira, "What did you do to me?" He demanded. Coda's senses were too focused on the burn that was furthering into his nerves. Even if he knew it wasn't Eira he still wouldn't be able to focus his magic to find the person who was doing this to him.
 
Zola's calmness in the quiet barn was cut short as Zola smelled smoke. Zola jumped up as flames engulfed the entrance to the barn. 'Well sizzle, now what?' Zola quickly scanned the room for an exit as she covered her mouth along with Elise to try and dull the affects of the smoke.

Her eyes landed on the grimy window next to her bed. Zola quickly threw Elise over her shoulder as the carpet began to set fire, smoke engulfing the room. Zola began to cough as she now used her hands to protect her own mouth, to hold Elise into her shirt to keep Elise from the smoke. She then quickly climbed up the loft's ladder, her lungs burning from the smoke.

'My barn had always been quite flammable, but the question is....who started it, Emily...no to innocent, wolf-boy.... nah he wouldn't risk Elf Chick's life.... Chicken legs... Maybe, I don't know much about him and the same goes for Princess...' upon reaching the loft Zola ran at the window and jumped out, shattering it against her arm.

Zola landed on the ground with Elise, stumbling slightly from the impact, but regaining her balance quickly. She set Elise down away from the barn, her lungs and eyes stinging from the smoke. She could only assume everyone else was ok due to them not being in the barn....right?

Zola then plooped down crisscross on the ground, looking down at Elise. She began shaking her, completely ignoring the blood that ran down her arm and the deep cut along her right cheek from the glass.

"Hey Elf Chick rise and shine!"


seasonedcat seasonedcat Nogoodname Nogoodname
 
Eira was not surprised when Coda stopped in his tracks, nor did she run into him, for she knew exactly what had caused him to pause. She could feel it too. It started as a sharp pain, much like a sting from an insect… and it was right beneath where her hand was.

Coda’s reaction was to be expected, but Eira barely felt her hand being swatted away. She let out a surprised gasp, but it wasn’t for his defensive outlast. White hot pain was searing her shoulder in mirror to the source of Coda’s pain. It was not a wound, but it felt like one… digging into the soul.

‘What did you do to me?’ she heard him shout, but she found herself unable to focus on his words. She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t her, but all that came out of her mouth was a pained whimper. Where had this pain come from? There were no other fonts of emotion in the vicinity that Eira could detect.

In an instant all the pain seemed to dull as she froze, remembering the anomaly. She tried desperately to search for it, mentally praying to the gods to keep them safe. This was all her fault…

Be it the gods, fate, or luck, Eira felt something within her. With it came one thought; “move”. She couldn’t find words to describe it other than a deep-rooted instinct, something that originated long before her own existence. Without even thinking about what she was doing, Eira pushed Coda using all the might she could muster, her head bowing in the effort.

No sooner had she done this than a loud clang resounded, a telltale sign of the clash of metal. A crossbow bolt had struck the priestess’s mask, causing her to jolt away from Coda. She spun backwards from the force of it before falling to the ground.

Somewhere in the darkness there was an ominous click as another bolt was loaded into place. Soon it would change into the muted scree of another bolt's flight.


Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova
 
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Evilin couldn't believe her eyes as he barn caught fire so quickly. She had only been a few feet away from the entrance when the flames and smoke took over the structure. She had to take a step back only to hear Coda yelling from behind her. Coda and Eira were still a ways way, by the time she looked over her shoulder she clearly saw Eira shove Coda to the ground before an arrow struck at the metal mask covering her eyes.

Evilin's eyes shot wide. The first thing that came to her mind was simply that the hunting party had caught up to them.

Her attention was pulled greatly when Zola crashed through a window from the second floor with Elise in hand. Without thinking Evilin ran over to the two, rushing to her knees looking over Elise. "Elise!" She cried out as she looked from Elise to Zola. Evilin was in panic and wasn't even sure as what to do at this moment.

Coda had been too worried about his shoulder when Eira shoved him out of the way of the arrow. His footing was already not stable and his hit the ground just as the arrow struck at Eira's mask. Coda blinked with wide eyes as he watched the metal break in half. Everything seemed to have moved in slow motion at this moment for him. He gulped at the thought of them being attacked right now. This was far from good. Without Seng, Nora or Okami here... Coda would have to defend himself. Something he had been trying so hard not to have to do.

His attention drifted in the direction of where the arrow came from. His eyes scanned the area and failed to find where the attack was coming from. Judging by the barn catching flames and an attack from the woods.... This could mean that there was more than just one attacker.

Coda gritted his teeth as he knew how to settle this situation... But in doing so... This would effect not only his attackers but those around him. But for them to get out of this alive he would have to do something.... Quick and now.

Coda looked to his already cut palm, the blood was still fresh and would have to do. With his other hand he collected some of the fresh blood from his wound and quickly drew a few symbols into the dirt.

A dark pulse shifted through the ground. Those around him in a wide area would be able to feel a dark aura fill the ground and air. A chill would send striking shivers down their spins along with a heavy weight feeling within their legs.

Coda once more collected more blood from his palm and wrote a few more symbols on his forearm. The markings went from red to black and now looked more like a tattoo.

Coda slowly got to his feet, feeling his skin pinch above his temples. Knowing for well what that meant his eyes started to focus on the area where their attacker would be hiding. Red started to bleed into blue in his eyes as his focus was zeroing in on his new found target.

He was a bit taken back when his magic answered a bit of his questions. How many attackers..... Just one. the pain in his shoulder was still great, but now was not the time to worry about suck a thing.

As another arrow was quickly making it's way over to them. Coda narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth once more as he was more than prepared for this attack.

Coda waved his hand before him as a dark fog rushed from the now freezing cold ground. It rushed to the arrow that was only feet away from him and Eira. When the fog touched the arrow the arrow froze in a black ice before shattering and scattering to the ground at his and Eira's feet.

Coda let out a breath of air when turning to Eira. The blue in his eyes was now engulfed with a blood red. He reached out for the girl's hand and took it into his now freezing hand. "We have to get out of here." He told her quickly. Coda would be unaware of Eira's powers to connect with those she touched. So when he took her hand a world of darkness would rush into her. Blood curdling screams of terror and sadness would fill her mind along with images of many faces of the dead. Even in Coda's weak state, he would now be even weaker. She would feel this too... And to someone who was not use to such a weakness, they would not even know how to stand or find the energy to even breath.

Coda once more turned his gaze in the direction of their attacker. He could take her out, but something about her and her intentions made the mage curious. She was not of any royal guards and her attacks were not focused one Evilin. Out of all of them... He figured that everyone would be after her.... So why attack him or Eira?
 
Elise had awoken sometime during the time she was on Zola's back, and as she laid there coughing faintly, her weary mind taking in the events before her she looked up to her new companion in shock. "What... happened? Are the others okay?" she asked, her second question more urgently than the first. Sitting up slowly she took a quick look around to see that she had been laid somewhere outside the barn safely, and as she caught sight of the girl Evilin as well as Coda and Eria a sigh escaped her lips. Everyone was safe, the fire hadn't hurt anyone, the fire had caused her eyes to tear up a bit and her vision to fog, meaning it was hard to make out what was happening with Eria and Coda in the distance but she didn't assume much of it, her sleep deprived, now shocked mind neglected to put the pieces together.

Her hands went to the strap of her pack or, where the strap would have been, and her eyes suddenly shot wide. "My notes!" she cried out interrupting all other thoughts in her mind, her eyes went quickly to the barn, then back to Zola. Ever since her departure she had carried everything she owned in that brown leather bag of hers, her food, her reagents, bedroll, alchemy equipment... the list goes on, but the most important thing in her possession were the notes she had been taking in her studies, without those she would have to start over completely.

The elf's heart sank in her chest and she stared at the barn wall apprehensively, there was no way she would go back in herself, and she definitely wouldn't want someone to go in for her... but... those notes had taken months to write up, they were documents of nearly every new plant and possible reagent she had seen since leaving the village, as well as any and all information she had gathered about the philosophers stone itself. In all honesty she considered herself lucky to have collected everything she had so far, and starting over meant another few months of work at least.

It was this final straw that broke the elf, all the past events flowed back to her mind at this moment, getting attacked, chased, hunted down like some sort of criminal, getting yelled at for only trying to help, all the memories of the last few days came back. She didn't scream or yell or lash out, her head simply sunk low on her shoulders, and she slowly pulled her knees up to her chest to wrap her arms around them, tears welling in her eyes.
 
It would seem that the priestess chose death. How odd, most of the pious were spineless worms who shrunk away from danger when push came to shove. Regardless, her act of heroism was a great annoyance to the huntress. The runtish boy should have been dead by now, but somehow the sightless wench had managed to detect her shot. Lithariel had only taken down a handful of priests in her time, but never had they been able to do that. The arrow had even hit the strange mask she wore. Most people would consider it lucky, but Lithariel didn't believe in such things.

Then there was the runtish boy..

As soon as she felt the creeping chill, she knew exactly what kind of magic user she was dealing with. She should have guessed, but his aura was different than a typical black magic user. It only meant she would have more reason to eliminate him... or else drag him back to the headquarters for examination.

When the arrow was stopped by the fog, she frowned in annoyance. This prey was struggling more than she had anticipated. Her thoughts went back to Argen, the real reason she had been here.

This prey meant nothing, but the wolf...

She shook away the rage as she moved from her hiding spot in order to evade the growing fog. Normally she would wait until such a spell wore out a mage but that would take time... something Lithariel was in short supply at the moment. Lithariel circled around the shroud of fog like a predatory beast looking for an opening, her orange eyes blazing. It wouldn't be long before Argen's metabolism fought off the poison. She would have to end this soon or retreat.


( seasonedcat seasonedcat Zola should be able to see Lith now.. if she is looking of course.)

-----​

Eira's ears rang with the echo of the bolt's impact and her head hurt, but otherwise she was okay. Pain was easy to deal with by now. The mask had blocked the arrow, she realized, saving her life. As she lay on the ground she remembered her old friend whom had given her this gift, and sent a silent prayer to him. He had told her to keep it on her during her travels, but she never thought that following his advice would save her.

The priestess's thoughts were interrupted when she felt the ground below her turn to ice. Something dark and heavy was beginning to press down on her too, causing her limbs to feel sluggish and her breathing to become harder. Coda was beside her... but was he alright? She was finding it difficult to 'see' anything.

Eira let out a gasp when Coda took hold of her hand. It felt like the god of death himself had reached out to her, with fingers like ice. She was only in contact with him for a heartbeat before she heard them... the screams. A whirlwind of torment pierced into her heart, filling it with sorrow, rage, and agony. Images of their contorted faces forced their way into her mind, which was normally devoid of such things. Their cries were the only thing she could hear, their sorrow the only feeling in the world. Eira wanted to take her hand away, to hide, to weep, but she found her limbs unresponsive.

"N-no! Stop!" she whimpered, unaware to Coda, "I can't help you... I can't... I'm sorry..."

She shook violently and muttered I'm sorry over and over again.

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova
 
Zola frowned as the distressed elf in front of her looked ready to cry at the fact she left the notes in the burning barn. Looking at the state of the barn, the notes along with Elise's other belongings were most likely ashes or turning into them. Zola gave the elf a noogie messing up her hair before speaking.

"Don't sweat Elf Chick, you can always make more notes as you continue your great adventure!" Zola smiled widely at the girl, hoping to have cheered her up. Zola's gaze then sharply focused on a figure of a women she had never seen before. 'So she's the one who destroyed my barn!?' Zola's smile turned into a scowl as she stood up.

Zola ignored the blood dripping off her chin and her arm from the glass, some still logged in her arm and charged. She grabbed a chunk of earth out of the ground and sent it hurtling towards Lithariel before running past Coda and Eira, fist raised as she prepared to punch her. Zola had a slight headache forming from using her powers after she had reached her limit earlier while pulling her wagon, put she ignored it, ready to beat Lithariel up.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, heart racing, Zola loved the thrill fights gave her. Maybe that's why she always found herself in them.

Juju Juju Nogoodname Nogoodname Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova seasonedcat seasonedcat
 
Evilin watched Elise for a moment, a frown now forming on her own face. She couldn't imagine how depressed the girl was feeling. She had given up everything when she took the horns from her father, but Elise lost everything. Giving up something is different than loosing something and Evilin could see the difference greatly at this point. Zola's words were a bit encouraging, but even Evilin felt them falling flat in the situation.

Soon after Zola took off Evilin's eyes turned back towards the barn. The barn was engulfed in flames at this point. Going in now would be suicide, but Evilin couldn't just stand by. Not after all that Elise had done for her so far. Elise had jumped to help her and didn't even know her. She didn't really question her actions, nor did she protest against Evilin's wishes to get rid of the horns. Evilin pressed her lips together tightly as she stood up. Her eyes dead set on the door of the barn.

If Elise was so willing to help her, she would help the Elf back.

Without another second in thought Evilin rushed as fast as she could towards the door. She didn't even give herself time to think about the heat or the smoke. She had to pause at the door for a split second before charging in.

The heat alone burned her lungs with the smoke lingering behind it. Once inside she covered her mouth with her hands to try and stop the smoke. It didn't help as much as she wanted it to, but it would have to do for now.

Her eyes darted around the room quickly in hopes of finding anything left of Elise's bag. She took a few more steps in as a beam fell down to her right.... This just made the environment around her even worst. The heat and smoke were rising and she had yet to find Elise's bag.

Her eyes were watering and making it even harder to see. But she noticed something... A brown bag sitting by what looked like a couch on fire. She rushed over to the bag only to find that it too was caught in the flames.

The last thing Evilin could clearly remember was digging into the bag and grabbing what she could as she could not grab the bag itself. Hoping that luck was on her side she took what papers she found before rushing as fast as she could back out of the barn. She had only managed o grab three or four pages as the rest was surly turning to ash.

Taking in the fresh air outside made her lungs hurt ore as she coughed hard. She stumbled over to Elise and held out the pages as she collapsed to her knees. "I'm sorry." She huffed through her coughs. Her eyes still burned and were filled with dry water. Even with her brave actions, Evilin felt like she had failed the other. She frowned deeply as she handed over the papers. Some of the edges were black and even one of the pages was half burnt.


Coda snapped his hand away from Eira upon hearing her words. He looked at her shocked, even frozen. Things were quickly connecting in his mind as he realized what she was talking about before this attack. She could feel and possibly see what he sees and feels. By her new actions Coda felt like he had hit the nail on the head. This was not good... Not good at....

His thoughts were broken as Zola rushed by him and Eira. She was charging at their attacker. For a moment all he could hear was his own breath, entering and exiting his chest slowly. A red Bellfire lingered behind Lith as she moved. Coda could spot this more than a mile away. But the bigger question was how to stop the attacker. Was she after Evilin and the horns? Or was she after someone else? Coda's eyes drifted back to Eira. He would have to comfort her later, right now Lith had to be his main focus. Just like Zola.

Coda got to his knees and took more of his fresh blood. He was quick to draw and write as many symbols in the ground as he could. He mumbled and uttered strange words here or there as he did so. When he was done, he placed a hand to the ground just under the symbols. He looked up in the direction of Lith as his eyes started to glow the same red that had changed to. Uttering more words the ground started to move and shift a bit under Lith's feet. The movement would happen so quickly that she would not be able to escape or move away from the hands that rushed up and out of the ground.

About fifteen of them broke through the dirt under Lith. Some rotting, some just bone and others looked fresh... As if only dead for a few days. But all held a dark feel to their presents as they reached up and latched onto her legs tightly. So tight that the blood and circulation in her legs would soon stop at a quick pace and her legs would soon go numb.
 
Elise hugged her knees tightly to her chest as she wept Zola's words falling on deaf ears as she was much too distraught to pay the girl any mind, hardly seeming to notice as she left. There was too much on her mind for her to try and follow the others right now, they were probably doing fine anyways...

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard another person approach, and looking over her eyes went wide out of shock. "You... you didn't have to do that..." she muttered to Evilin before sitting up to embrace the girl in a tight hug. "Thank you... thank you thank you thank you" she said, hugging Evilin tightly, it didn't matter what she brought, all that mattered was the gesture, it was the most kind thing anyone had done for her since she had left home, maybe even more than that.

Taking a moment to collect herself, brushing the tears away with her hand she shook her head slowly "I... Can't thank you enough for this" she said, slowly pulling the papers from the her hand to look down at them, she could definitely work with this, it wouldn't fix everything but there was a chance that the important information had been salvaged. "But... You shouldn't put yourself in danger like that... This research may take months to gather again but your life is irreplaceable" she warned.
 
Lithariel’s attention was diverted from Coda and Eira when a large chunk of earth was flung at her. She had seen the move used on Argen during the brawl with the lack-witted farm girl. So she had managed to survive the fire after all.

With a quick turn to the side, Lithariel dodged the airborne lump of dirt and rock. It flew past the huntress to crash against the wall of a nearby chicken coop, causing the creatures inside to screech in distress.

She prepared herself for another projectile, only to find the girl charging towards her with a fist raised, looking for a fight. ‘Stupid girl’, Lithariel thought while aiming for a killing blow, channeling her hatred into a new mark. Her finger was pressing down on the trigger when something grasped her ankle, forcing her to hit Zola's shoulder when her aim was jarred. She looked down to find a dozen rotting hands entangling themselves around her legs, their boney fingers holding her in place with a vice-like grip. Her armor saved her from the blunt of the force, but she could feel the pressure crushing down on the more lightly covered areas.

It was the runt.

A flare of rage burst in her chest as she smashed one of the hands away with the stock of her crossbow, breaking the bones with a sickening crunch. It did little to free her, for as soon as the hand fell away, another took its place.

The runt dies last’ she decided, flicking her eyes back to the quickly approaching form of Zola, ‘I will make sure his end is painful.

Lithariel remained eerily still against the undead hands while she waited until the last moment to counter the girl’s punch. The farmer had strength, she would give her that, but Lithariel knew exactly how to deal with heavy hitters in love with the heat of combat. In one quick movement, Lithariel bashed Zola’s arm outward, redirecting the force before she brought her elbow back to strike the farmgirl’s face.

Before the girl could recover, Lithariel grasped Zola’s neck. There was still a use for the fool. In an instant, the veins in Zola’s neck, arms and any other area of uncovered skin began to glow with an orange light. The farm-girl would begin to feel a sickening pull from within her core, as if her soul was being drained. Every neuron in her body would feel like it was being cauterized, making movement agony and if she had been planning on using magic to free herself, she would find all earth around her to be unresponsive.

Lithariel felt the stolen magic coursing within her, giving her strength. Soon a pulsating, transparent veil could be seen outlining her limbs, growing outward and more opaque as her contact with Zola continued.

There was a sudden flash of light, followed by a hiss as the overload of magic manifested itself in a shield around Lithariel, simultaneously severing every hand that had been grappled onto her. Once she was free she didn’t waste any more time, releasing her grasp on Zola before diving into a roll.

Once she regained her footing she waved her hand over the bolt loaded into her crossbow, causing it to begin dripping with a green-black substance. Her eyes passed by the drained form of Zola before they landed on Coda. She began to lift her crossbow.

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova seasonedcat seasonedcat
 
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Evilin smiled to Elise as she hugged her and thanked her. She was happy to see the life return to the elf, but she, herself, felt short in the long run. She could only save a few pages. She only wished that she could have saved more. But Elise's next words made the princess blink. Elise wasn't just happy about the papers, she was also concerned about Evilin. Placing herself in danger like so was now starting to hit her. She had ran into a burning building to get papers.

Evilin nodded to Elise. "I shall take that into thought next time." She reassured Elise. Although the thought of being in danger was starting to create fear in Evilin's heart, she couldn't help but feel useful. Everyone else was busy with their attacker and Elise was in no shape to have gone in and tried to save what she could. Evilin let her eyes look around and was quick to spot the others.

She noticed them just as Zola was charging at their attacker. Evilin squinted her eyes trying to get a better look at the hunter. Her mind boggled as their attacker didn't look like any normal hunting party or even an individual. The most they had coming after them were guards or hired men to try and capture Evilin and to return her and the horns to her father. But this girl seemed more like she was after something else. Evilin couldn't truly say why she had that feeling... She just did.

Evilin's thoughts all stopped when she noticed a red glowing butterfly passing by her and Elsie. She watched the Bellfire dance so calmly and only noticed more when she looked past the first one. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" She blankly asked. She had never seen anything so beautiful or mesmerizing in her life.

Just as Zola was brought to the ground and her energy had been stolen, the whole field slowly revealed red Bellfires. All could now see them as Lith turned her attention back to Coda.

Coda was not bothered by the Bellfires as to him this was far from normal, but what did catch his attention greatly was a shadow like figure that had formed in front of him.

The figure started to take form.

The figure was tall and had dark grey skin. His eyes were a light blue and stood out like the short pure white hair on his head. His skin and clothing were rotting, yet held together somehow.

The figure's eyes narrowed as the arrow zipped through the air and struck him in his right shoulder. His light blue eyes slowly looked to the arrow now embedded into his rotting flesh. He wrapped his left hand around the arrow, letting his bones crackle as he moved. With a tight grip and a rough pull, the dead removed the arrow and dropped it to the ground.

Coda quickly got up to his feet as his eyes shot wide at the figure. "Demo-shin sigh." Coda stated almost under his breath.

The dark figure looked over his shoulder to Coda and smirked with what he could. His skin was barely holding onto his bones at this point. "Chinwa tsukasii." The dead stated before looking back to Lith. "Bakuya no itsumi." He tilted his head a bit and looked over the girl. "Setwa hashi tendo chiska yo fushi." His eyes narrowed but his lips curled into a thin smile.

Coda held his breath as the man spoke. His heart sank and his mind was at a lost for any thought that would help the situation. Coda rushed over to the figure and pulled on his arm. "I did not call you!" Coda yelled. The figure pulled his arm up before snapping it back striking Coda to the ground.

The dead figure turned his attention back to Lith. He reached to his side and drew the sword that had been waiting there for him. His clothing and weapon looked of old and ancient. Even the symbol on his chest was old, even too old to tell where it came from or what kingdom it belonged to. He started to make his way towards Lith.

Coda got up to his feet realizing that his energy was running on fumes at this point. He rushed at the dead soldier once more and took hold of his arm. "Dino hashiten!" Coda yelled. The figure paused once more and looked to Coda. He rushed his free hand to Coda and grabbed him by the front of his hair. A bright red light formed between Coda's forehead and the dead's hand. The light broke the connection leaving Coda to fall to the ground holding his head tightly. Hiding the now two small horns that fully revealed themselves.

Meanwhile the dead soldier took this moment to turn back to Lith. It would take a minute for Coda to collect himself, which was all the time the dead soldier needed. With his sword held tightly the dead made it's way to Lith.
 
The blind priestess was down, the farm-girl was recovering, and the runt's protective mist had all but evaporated. There was nothing standing in the way of her poisoned shot and her kill, yet the bolt didn't find its mark. Instead of piercing the flimsy black-mage's heart it became embedded within a shoulder that practically formed around her arrow mid-flight. Where a dying boy should have lay now stood a rotting figure with eyes like chipped ice.

An undead construct, was her first thought, but she had never heard of nor seen one manifest at such an alarming speed... and after such a large spell. Whoever this mage was, he knew how to manipulate black magic. Most of the time it was a double-edged blade, harming the user almost as much as the victim, but this one didn't seem to be suffering from anything other than fatigue...

...well, almost...

Lithariel had prepared herself for any sudden charge, matching the creature's crawling gaze with a fiery glare, but when the figure struck at its master she took the opportunity to reload. Normally she would shoot, but she knew that her poison would not effect the creature. Undead hardly responded to pain, but there were many ways to deal with rotting corpses. While it fought with its summoner she reached into a pocket to retrieve a handful of what looked to be violet colored sand. She clenched it tightly in a fist, sheathing her crossbow onto her back.

There was no time to deal with an undead, nor did she know just how long the mage could keep it up. She didn't come here for him, but she would have to come back. As much as she wanted to kill him, her order would want to see his magic for themselves, study it, and then tear it from his soul.

For now, she had more important matters to attend to...

Lithariel backed up slowly as the warrior-corpse lumbered towards her. She waited until it was closer before she threw the contents of her fist towards it, scattering the particles into the air, grass, and the figure if he was not careful. The huntress quickly muttered something under her breath, causing the violet particles to flare for a millisecond before returning to their usual color. Lith then gave Coda one last glare before retreating to the forest, vaulting over Zola's fences with ease.

As soon as she made it into the trees, she was lost from sight.

The 'powder' is spores, so should ANY particles get onto the undead, mushrooms will begin to erupt on his skin and start decomposing him. IF anyone breathes them in, there is a chance fungus will grow in your lungs (yay). The 'cloud' won't last very long, and should be cleared away by wind soon. -Doctor Juju
The 'powder' is spores, but if they land on the ground, they won't sprout unless a creature activates them. DON'T breathe in the cloud, or else you will have fungus growing in your lungs. The wind will get rid of the cloud soon. -Doctor Juju

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova
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What was supposed to be a quick kill had managed to become an insufferable diversion. Lithariel bit back the rage that came with the thought, instead directing it to power her limbs. It didn't matter, for soon she would be exactly where she had planned to be. Right about now the poison in the lycan's system would fade enough for him to regain his bearings. Then she would put him down once and for all.

shadowz1995 shadowz1995
 
The drug still had the lycan practically tripping over his own feet but he somehow kept himself standing upright. The sensation was nostalgic. A tranquilizer that had been used on him many times in the past. If it had been back when the two first met, he would have been out like a light or been forced to shift to full beast just to stay conscious. Years of being tranquilized by this huntress made his body resistant to the effects but it still brought him down several levels. It couldn't be that a hunter of her order was dispatched to bring him down. Maybe they had caught wind of how she was defeated by his hands and after all these years, finally tracked him down.

This was the lupine warrior's thoughts.

Until the markings just under his skin began to glow.

It normally tingled in the past and glowed softly. Now it burned as if he was being branded. It glowed brighter than a hearth. Argen clutched his chest in a mixture of confusion and panic. What in the world was happening? This wasn't possible! Could other hunters activate the mark? Was that possible? The lycan's mind ran as fast as it could under the drugs effect but the maelstrom that was his mind suddenly ceased. His mind became a silent, undisturbed lake.

All when a certain scent made it to his nose.

His eyes widened and his heart began to pound in his breast. Harder than any moment in these years he had been away from home.

He heard her footsteps. No. Heard wasn't right. Felt her footsteps. They were completely silent. Like footfalls of shadows in the night.

It wasn't long before she was before him and all he could do was stare. So many emotion dominated his mind. So many things he wanted to say but couldn't for now all he could was stare at her and say one word....

"....Lithariel...."

As much as she hated it, the huntress felt it too; the mark, awakened for one last time. How it burned in her fury, smouldering beneath her armor in unison with its twin. She remembered a time she couldn't understand what it was, why it affected her differently than other hunts. How naive of her. In Argen's absence -no, the lycan's absence- it slowly revealed its true colors.

It was a scourge, a festering corruption that every day had threatened to consume her. It gnawed at the edges of her mind, a constant pain that drove her forward on her restless hunt. It was agony, a torture far beyond words, a starvation without a hope of release. Such torment was enough to drive an ordinary person mad. Had he known this all along, eluding her so she may suffer? Perhaps he thought she would give up the chase.

Lithariel thought of this as she stalked out of the shadows towards the thorn that had been in her side for all this time, the source of her original mistake. She would watch the life fade from his eyes. She needed to remind herself of her purpose. There was a splinter of light as her two daggers appeared in hand, their silvery edges sharp and eager for blood.

At long last, it was the curtain's call. It ended now. Her eyes blazed with hatred when he stood there dumbfounded, uttering her name as if it meant anything. It was a hesitation, a moment of weakness she did not share. Without a second thought Lithariel went for the kill.

Her movements were sudden as she closed the gap between herself and the warrior in unnatural haste. Wind caught below her dagger's blade as it was brought to the side in a deadly arc intended for Argen's throat.

The lycan reacted in time but only just. He weaved backwards and the glint of silver barely nicked the front of his throat. A terrifying promise of what would have happened had he reacted a moment too late. The pain was mild but enough to convince the warrior that this wasn't some kind of dream.

Argen hopped a few steps back and called out to the huntress, "Lithariel. You're alive... I can't....I thought I k-" The warrior felt the emotions threatening to overflow but reminded himself of his situation. If this really was Lithariel then she wouldn't listen to words.

He hastily drew his blade and got into a combat ready stance. It was defensive in nature and left no openings, but the warrior's heart was not in it. He was still watching the huntress with broken awe. A dry laugh leaves the lycan's lips and for a moment it almost looked as if he was about to cry.

She was alive. She was alive. The burning in his chest proved that fact. She was alive and she was furious it seemed. "Of course you are mad. That's exactly how you would react. I'm not dreaming. I haven't gone mad yet. You are really here."

A thin trickle of blood began trailing down from the light wound on his neck but the wolf didn't even notice it.

That expression... was this some cruel joke, to act innocent after everything he had done? He wasn't even fighting. It infuriated Lithariel to no bounds. Her face darkened then, but only for a moment, and in that brief period of time came glimmer of doubt. It had all but evaporated by the time she charged yet again at the lycan warrior.

"You thought you what? Killed me? I should be insulted, if it wasn't just a pathetic excuse."

The air split with the sound of metal upon metal as her daggers met the solitary blade of his sword.

"You lie, just as when you said you couldn't bear for someone else to kill me. To think I actually believed it..." The blades of her daggers began emitting a shrill metallic sound as she increased the force behind them. "No. You ran, Argen! I let my guard down and you took the opportunity. I won't make the same mistake twice... you die this day." Now that she was closer she glared directly into Argen's eyes, speaking his name as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

The sound of metal clashing against metal filled the empty forest air. Any semblance of ambient sound was replaced by the sounds of battle. A battle that got the Lycan's blood pumping like no other person had, save his sister. Hunter and prey clashed over and over, kicking up the earth beneath them and staining the grass with crimson colors. It was a deadlock. A deadly dance of blades and fury.

The two combatants laid into each other with everything they had. Trees were felled by Argen's mighty swings and Lithariel bore holes into the ground every time she moved with a blinding burst of speed. Stray crossbow bolts littered the ground below or else lay embedded in the trees of the clearing. Anywhere their heads touched grew a small pool of a black substance which could only be poison.The fight was something akin to two demons having a blood feud and it wasn't far from the truth.

So many things were left unsaid and misunderstood between the two but it all came to bare as the bloodletting took place. After what seemed like an eternal dance of death, it became clear who was coming out on top of this battle.

The lycan's heart was not it in the fight. He landed a fair amount of cuts upon the woman's flesh but there was a distinct lack of decisive blows. The same could not be said for the huntress. Every strike was aimed to maim. Every cut with intent to kill behind it.

The warrior was losing out. His breath was coming short as his body withstood the torrent of slashes and stabs that would have felled any other creature. Be they man or beast. On the other hand the huntress seemed to be growing in strength; every drop of blood shed fueled her onslaught and each sequential attack became faster than the last.

The memory of their previous fight kept lacing into the wolf's battle thoughts and he couldn't bring himself to try to land a killing blow. It was too soon. The memory was too fresh. The emotion, too raw. At this rate, she was going to kill him, just as she wanted.

At the thought, despite himself, the lupine warrior smiled for the first time since the deadly dance of blades began. A very old smile. His eyes lit up with their old fervor. His heart swelled with fire as hot as the mark just above it. It was far too late but for a moment....he felt it again. The passion for battle. The desire for a good fight. For HER.

Argen, battered and bleeding, eventually collapsed to one knee unable to keep himself standing any longer. This was what he missed. This was what he was searching for.

"I am such a fool. Lithariel, I give you my sincerest apology. Why I ever believed you could ever be slain so easily I won't ever know." Argen choked out between heavy breaths.

The defeated man looked up from under his specks of blood on his face and the wolf laughed, despite his severe injuries. A genuine laugh that had not been heard by the world in a very long time. "Such a fool. You should kill me. For ever thinking such a thing possible. But I can't let you finish me off huntress."

Lithariel loomed over Argen's kneeling form, her blades at her side and dripping with his blood. She narrowed her eyes. "And why is that, wolf?"

The lycan's eyes fell on the spot that had marked their last fight together and such a transparent look of shame fell upon his face. "I have....much to atone for. I need to be alive to make it right."

Such a response took the huntress completely by surprise. She was speechless. The anger that had been in her eyes throughout the entire fight, the hatred that had driven each strike had dimmed to little more than embers. Confusion now ruled absolute. Lithariel shook her head in disbelief, her breaths beginning to speed up and the daggers in her hands quivering slightly when her grip tightened around their hilts.There it was again, this feeling... it reminded her of something, almost forgotten in the heat of battle.

For the longest time Lithariel knew something was wrong with her, why she instinctively refrained from letting her kind catch wind of her mark. Why she couldn't find any information about it, no matter where she looked in the libraries of her order. Why she had such a strange sentimentality towards it. She was broken and it was because of him, it was Argen. He was the source of this crippling weakness.

And now she had a chance to rid herself of it. Forever.

Lithariel lifted her dagger, preparing for the final strike. Every part of her being urged her to go for the kill. Hunters did not show mercy. It would be over soon. It would be over. She could finally end this hunt... isn't that what she wanted?

With a surge, the warrior shot to his feet and grasped both wrists as hard as he could. It was surprisingly vice like for someone who was knocking on death's gate. Despite his fatal injuries, the lycan spoke with life and power in his voice, his face mere inches from the huntress's. "Lithariel....no matter how much hatred you feel for me. It pales in comparison to how much I have hated myself all these years. How much I have driven myself to become stronger so that I would never do such a pathetic thing again!"

The wolf's knees buckled under the sheer effort of trying to stay standing but he refused to fall. He leaned against Lithariel’s smaller frame for support and never broke eye contact with her, "You're alive. All this time I spent becoming stronger was NOT in vain. No matter how many centuries it takes for you to forgive me. No matter how long it takes for you to trust my words! This....is my second chance."

Argen let out a dry laugh as he let his bloody forehead press against hers, barely able to keep himself upright any longer. "I've never lied to you. I'm not going to start now." The male closed his eyes in an attempt to steady his breath. When he opened them again, whatever fight he had left in him was projected through his golden gaze, "I...will NEVER fail you again."

"If I do...I'll take your dagger and drive it through my own heart for you. You....have.....my.....word...." Lithariel knew that Argen's word was as good as his life.

The golden eyed warrior collapsed to his knees before the huntress and only had the strength to look up at her, which was a miracle all on its own. Argen couldn't even raise his arms in defence anymore. His fate was now truly in her hands and Argen hoped, for first time since he left, he felt hope again. He hoped that he wouldn't die as a spineless coward who fled but as a warrior before the one that quite literally meant everything.

Could he not see what this all meant? There was no other choice. This hunt had to end... every hunt had its end. Hunters did not know mercy. She had to remind him of this. She had to remind herself of this. This was her purpose. He had to die.

Lithariel drew the blade backwards, its point aiming for the lycan's heart.

Argen watched the arm that contained his death draw back in preparation. Somewhere inside he knew that she wasn't going to let him go. Not after what had happened. She wouldn't be Lithariel otherwise. It was just how he liked her.

One thought did cross the werewolf's mind and seeing as he was going to die anyway he decided..........'Fuck it.'


"......I suppose if I had to die. I would want it to be holding your hand...."

"Or by it."

The wolf met her fiery gaze and he realized she didn't look more beautiful then just before the kill. How perfect. At least he got a good sight before he went.

"Congratulations Lithariel. You finally got your mark."

"Good bye."

As the dagger came arcing down towards the beating heart of the wounded wolf, two more words, barely above a whisper, left the man's lips.

".....My huntress...."

The dagger bit through flesh and muscle with a sickening tear. Yet when the huntress withdrew her hand it had not met its target, instead it stood lodged within Argen’s shoulder, a hairline from his heart. It was no accident.

Lithariel fell down onto her knees then too, supporting herself with her arms and her head hanging. She was shaking. When her face lifted enough to look at the dying lycan again there was an unsettling light in her eye.

“Why…?” she muttered, though it was uncertain if it was directed towards the injured lycan or herself. “...why DO YOU DO THIS!”

It was animalistic the way she launched herself towards Argen, her fists pounding him mercilessly. All the poise, the contained fury she once had was shattered in an instant.

“WHY DO YOU ACT LIKE I HAVE FEELINGS? YOUR DEATH MEANS NOTHING!” She roared, knocking him to the ground. Her stark hair fell about her face, fluttering wildly behind her as punch after punch she hit him. The truth was that she, Lithariel, did not know what to make of this, and in the face of this black unknown slipped back into the one thing that was familiar to her... aggression. There were no words to describe what it was like to begin trusting prey of all things when distrust was the first constant she had ever known. How could an unfeeling hunter explain what it was like to have the one thing that made you feel something for the first time just disappear one day.

In the meantime black thorns began to form in her fury's wake, their coiling vines growing uncontrollably until they had consumed the forest floor around Lithariel. The huntress hardly took notice, but they were much larger than any of her typical traps.

It continued like this, the huntress shouting at the dying warrior, kicking him now and then, punching him and shoving him. She had lost control of herself, something that had never happened before. After an unknown period of time she found herself sat in front of the bloody mess that was once Argen, her head on her knees as she just stared at the bloodstained grass. The thorns had vanished by then, her depleted pool of stolen magic unable to sustain them. Eventually her eyes made their way back to the lycan warrior, impressively still alive despite everything. He had always been tough though… the one hunt she couldn’t kill.

Just the act of remembering those hunts stung in an inconceivable way. How she hated his burning passion for a good fight, so unlike her own indifference to the kill. The way he managed to survive even when she tried every technique. How in the end she secretly looked forward to their fights. How he treated her as if she was not just a disposable weapon for humanity’s survival.

But look at him now, a dying heap of wounds she had inflicted. It was pathetic. He hadn’t even put up a quarter of the fight she knew he could. Something had broken inside him. What would she do with him now? Killing him had no appeal… it wasn’t the same Argen. She wasn’t the same either, just sitting here with such thoughts was testament to this. Lithariel Shadowbane was defected, and she knew what happened to broken hunters. This was her choice.

Lithariel then did something completely unexpected, she leaned over and hugged Argen. Such an act surprised even herself, and before she knew it there was something warm falling down the side of her face. She closed her eyes in a look of pain.

"What is this?" She whispered

"They're tears you damn idiot." The battered man choked out between broken ribs and bloody coughs. "Tears that I'm not worth."

"But one day I will be."

Through some unknown phenomena of the world, Argen somehow found the strength to push himself off the broken earth. Just enough to press his lips against huntress's own. A kiss of blood that eliminated any doubt between them. As if Argen was marking his promise on her just as she marked him as her hunt.

If Lithariel had a heart it stopped at the very moment her lips Argen’s. If she didn’t than something was there to fill the void for a short time, or perhaps it was something entirely new. Whatever it was, it worked much faster than her head and brought her a millisecond of peace as she gave way into this strange unknown. It tasted of blood, but it was warm and gentle. This was unheard of.

Then things began moving again. Everything happened so quickly. There was a tremendous stab of pain in her chest, she was being touched and she panicked. Instinctively a dagger made its way into her hand and her body automatically went through the motions of releasing her from danger. Before she knew what was going on she was removing her blade from a fresh wound on Argen’s side. Lithariel clutched the weapon tightly as she recoiled from him as quickly as a scaulded animal, her dagger raised in preparation for another strike. She stumbled slightly from a wound on her thigh, but managed to regain her balance in time to still look threatening. Her eyes held an uncharacteristic splinter of fear and her chest was heaving.


The wolf groaned as his lungs filled with blood once more, his body desperately struggling to heal from the damage it had received. Still, the lycan managed a broken gurgle of a laugh before turning over on his side to let the blood drain out of his lungs through his mouth and open wounds. "I deserved that. But it was worth it." Argen gurgled. His eyes found hers and he couldn't help but find amusement in how absolutely terrified she seemed of the gesture. He had never seen her look in such a way. It was strangely...cute....in a bloody demonic kind of way.

The lycan clearly wasn't going anywhere but he held on to his consciousness. Merely watching the huntress with amusement clear in his gaze. If he wasn't dying, he would be laughing. "It's ok. It's just me Lithariel."

At his words, Lithariel's expression changed from fear to anger within seconds. "You...don't touch me!" she growled.

All the while the huntress never took her eyes off of Argen. She lowered her bloody dagger slightly and glowered at him in silence. During this time she decided to lift a hand to her face and angrily wipe away the trails of wetness left behind by the tears, smearing old and new blood across her face.

"No promises." The warrior replied. He closed his eyes after that and lapsed into silence. He wasn't going anywhere if he kept talking after all.

"This is not..." Lithariel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you tell anyone of what occurred here I swear by the gods I will KILL you." It wasn't a bluff.

"You don't believe in gods Lithariel. But I promise..." Argen replied without opening his eyes.

"Not a soul."

Lithariel did not look amused at his first comment but fortunately what he said next was enough to keep her satisfied for the time being. She let out a sigh of frustration and finally sheathed her daggers. The lycan wasn't a danger at this state after all. Lithariel then stood up and walked around the injured warrior, her orange eyes flickering over his form while they looked for something. They stopped at a spot on the back of Argen's leg where the remains of a crossbow bolt stood embedded. The bolt had been imbued with her poison, mostly magic based and aimed at the artery so that it may spread throughout his blood quickly. It had broken during the fight and was entirely useless. There was no point in retrieving it but somehow she found herself ripping it free of the lycan's flesh regardless. It wasn't gently either.

"There's no sense in wasting good bolts..." she grumbled though it wasn’t likely that he would notice the quality of the bolts in his current condition.

She repeated this process with the other bolts remaining on his form, cancelling any enchantments and placing them back in her quiver. Once she had finished collecting her ammunition -including the ones on the ground and stuck in the nearby trees- Lithariel returned to look down at Argen once more.

"I suppose you wish to return to your weakling mages." She said blandly. "What shall they think of their ferocious protector once he returns like this, I wonder. The mighty Argen brought low by a hunter, how unsettling. I bet the she-elf might even weep."

As she said this she yanked Argen onto his feet. The warrior was significantly heavier than she was but by using the last remnants of her stolen magic, she managed to heave the warrior onto his feet. As was to be expected, the lycan was in no shape to stand on his own and stumbled immediately. Lithariel stopped his fall with a hand before allowing him to lean on her so that she may support his weight. She didn't even look at him as she half-dragged him along, simmering in an angry silence. There were so many things going through her mind at this point and not one of them was a comforting thought.

"Please Lithariel. As if any old hunter could do me in. Have some pride...."

The huntress did not respond, keeping her sullen glare to the ground. It was impossible to tell with her, but a small seed of concern had begun to grow within the back of her mind. It felt strange to be so near a marked individual without going for the kill, let alone helping them. Whatever came next was unclear, possibly the first for a hunter like Lithariel, but what she did know was that it would have to end. Argen spoke of centuries, but Lithariel saw a time much shorter than that.

At least there was time before they would realize the situation.

Juju Juju Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova seasonedcat seasonedcat Nogoodname Nogoodname
 
When Lithariel began to drain Zola's power, for the first time in Zola's life she felt disconnected from the earth. The earth and her always seemed to be similar, stubborn and unmovable, beautiful yet unbreakable, but Zola felt shaken. Even if it was only a few seconds, it was more than she wanted.

Zola's back hit the ground roughly, scraping it as the blood from her arm and cheek still flowed. Her heart was beating fast and the world was spinning, her face pale as she felt like vomiting. Zola had already been low on magical power before she started this fight, but Lithariel had taken even more of that.

Zola struggled to stand, oblivious to Coda and Lithariel fighting. She managed to weakly stand before she collapsed again, head pounding. Her arms were shaking from exhaustion, but she refused to give up, swallowing the bile in her throat.

"Damn you.." Zola said in a weak voice as she attempted to gather up any remaining strength as she watched the blurry figure of Lithariel escape. Zola let a shaky gasp as her arms gave out under her and she fell unconscious.

Juju Juju Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova Nogoodname Nogoodname
 
As Lith disappeared the dead soldier grumbled in a sense of annoyance. His almost white eyes scanned the area that she fled to before taking a few steps back to avoid the mist she had left behind.

Coda's nerves were shattered as he pushed himself off the ground. One hand still on his forehead as he looked over his shoulder to the dead man walking towards him. He gritted his teeth as he got up to his feet quickly. He rushed over to the soldier and shoved him as hard as he could. "Kagawa!" Coda cried out.

The soldier just looked at him with dull eyes and a dull expression.

"Kagawa tsu-dio." Coda narrowed his eyes at the soldier as he spoke.

The soldier in return slowly closed his eyes before his body turned to ash. The ash drifted into the wind and disbursed quickly.

Coda gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. This was something he did not want to let out. Something he did not want strangers to know about. The tales of his kind were indeed old, but also not welcomed. For some time they had been lost and not told as often like they use to. But having something like this get out and to have their attacker rush off.... This was not good. Not good at all.


Evilin gulped as she watched their attacker leave. But what brought fear to her heart was more so the black mage she had dragged along with the group. To see the dead rise was something she was trying to prevent. Her father spoke of such magic, and was trying to create a dead army. She had heard that her father and his black mages not getting anywhere with the horns, but she would not give them a chance to one day figure it out.

Her goal was to get rid of this magic and to prevent such darkness and war.

She gulped hard as the dead soldier turned to dust. Leaving Coda and the others in the field.

She wasn't sure what to think or how to act at this point. All she knew was that she had just witnessed what her father was trying to do. If this got out...... She needed to stop this......
 
Elise flashed a small smile down towards the princess, reassured by her words. She opened her mouth to speak once again but her eyes caught a glance of one of the belfires, and she turned to it curiously. There were so many of them now! She couldn't believe the beautiful sight before her "I... I see it..." she muttered, her eyes trailing over the creatures before she caught sight of Zola attempting to fend off their attacker.

A gasp left the elfs mouth, everything had happened so fast from that moment. The assailant readily knocking the poor girl out, the.... creature rising from the floor. She didn't even know what to think of the thing, it was unnatural to say the least and ever worse it seemed that the summoner could hardly control his own creation! Elise pushed the thoughts from her mind, there were more important matters to attend to, she broke into a sprint towards her unconscious companion.

In seconds she was at the girls side looking over Zola's body to inspect for wounds, her gaze shifted upwards towards Coda and Eira "what happened here? Is everyone okay?" she asked, a worried tone prevalent in her voice. She didn't have any of her supplies, even her alchemy equipment was lost in the fire! But now wasn't the time for mourning she could improvise if she needed to. The first thing she did was check to make sure the girl was still breathing which to her relief seemed to be the case. Her eyes traced over the two bleeding wounds on the girls arm and cheek and she frowned "Help me get her inside, she needs bandages" she ordered the two nearest to her. They had managed to fend off their attacker, but Elise wasn't sure how long that would last, she wanted to get the girl patched up so that they could hopefully get moving again as this town was clearly not as safe as they thought.

Her mind wandered to Argen, and she let out a small sigh, she just hoped that he would be okay... She had no idea where her companion was, and she didn't want to leave Zola alone without mending her wounds, but he was a tough one... he'd be just fine on his own... right?

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova Juju Juju seasonedcat seasonedcat
 
Coda watched Elise as she attended to Zola. Her questions would go unanswered as Coda was not in the mood to answer anything, nor did he really have the energy to help move someone. But just as he took a step forward to help the elf out Evilin rushed by him and stopped him, "Don't touch her." She snapped. This made Coda pause in step. He watched as Evilin was quick to help Elise move Zola.

*Time Skip*

It took them some time to get Zola to the house. From there the group would find themselves scattered about the main living space with Zola on a couch and Elsie and Evilin next to the fallen comrade. After Evilin's clear words and looks, coda kept himself in the far corner of the room away from the others. Evilin's reaction to what she had seen was something Coda was use to and knew very well.

Evilin took her place next to Elise waiting for the girl's instructions. She herself knew nothing about healing or patching up wounds. So to her this would all be new.

(Sorry so short and the time skip isn't that log either. That way Elise can do her thing. (^_^)...... But after she does her thing and Zola is on the mend I can do another time skip.)
 
Elise let out a small gasp as she inspected the nasty looking wound "This is bad..." she muttered, turning over to look at Evilin "she's been poisoned..." her mind was racing now, they did not have a lot of time and though she didn't like the idea of going back into the forest with their assailant it seemed like the only choice... unless... the elf shot up from the couch and made her way towards the door quickly "Keep watch over Zola for me, and find some bandages! I'll be back!" she shouted before the front door slammed shut. Taking a deep breath, she looked up towards the still burning barn which was sure to collapse at any minute. She knew that the contents of her bag were mostly destroyed by now, but her reagents.. she kept them all in sealed glass jars, as long as the glass hadn't been broken the ingredients inside would be fresh as the day they were picked! There was no time to consider alternate options, she had no idea how quickly the poison would work it's way through Zola's system, the elfs long legs broke into a dead sprint towards the burning barn.

A curse broke from the elfs lips as she found the front door to the barn was little more now than a collapsed pile of smoldering wood, there would be no way in from this point. But then she remembered a window that zola had jumped through during their first escape! She ran to the side of the barn quickly to see the smoke billowing from the small entrance. With a few more deep breaths of preparation she pulled the front of her shirt up towards her mouth to act as a sort of filter, taking a few steps back and dashing towards the broken window. With an unnatural grace the elf dived through the small entrance landing on her feet inside the burning building. The smoke was immense, it burned her eyes and irritated her skin, the makeshift filter covering her mouth did little to stop the stuff from burning her lungs. Without hesitation she whipped around to catch her bearings, the smoke and embers greatly impairing her vision. Her hairs stood on end as she heard a crackling noise from above, and she narrowly avoided a patch of burning ceiling coming down to crush her. Moving quickly on her feet now she waved a hand around to feel her way around, it was hard to remember how the barn had originally looked on the inside because she had only been in there once so navigating through it now was a nightmare.

She let out a yelp of pain as her hand caught a burning support beam and she staggered backwards until her back hit a flaming segment of wall, causing her to fall forward onto her hands and knees, coughing now from the heavy smoke that infiltrated her lungs. For a few seconds she sat there on her knees in a mad fit of coughing as her body tried to purge itself of the harmful substance. After taking a moment to collect herself she realized that the smoke wasn't as build up lower on the ground, so she took to crawling on her hands and knees to search the barn. After what felt like hours her hand brushed against a burning piece of leather, and though she initially retreated she grinned wide knowing that she had finally found what she needed. She sat up over her bag and eyed the glass jars that hung along it happy to see that most of them had been intact! She immediately went for the first ingredient she needed, a Redwort flower, letting out a cry of pain and removing her hand quickly as the now hot glass burned against her skin. With a second to prepare herself she reached up and undid the strap that held the jar to the pack, pulling the thing to her boot where she could scoop the burning jar up with her shirt to avoid injury. She did the same for two more ingredients a red ginseng plant and the nectar of a St. Jahn's wort.

With the three jars collected now she whipped her head around in an attempt to locate the window once again, she had gotten completely turned around! Shoving herself along with one hand, the other keeping the jars carefully in place, she made slow progress in navigating around. By now her vision was almost completely gone, the large amounts of smoke blocking her sight and making her eyes water until she viewed her world through a blurred and watery lens. Falling embers floated down and burned at her exposed skin, singing her hair and slowing her progress once more. Her shaky arm lost its purchase and she collapsed onto the ground, dropping her ingredients and breaking out once again into a fit of coughing, her body ached and burned, exhausted, disoriented and nauseous from the fumes it seemed like she couldn't gather the strength to continue. But slowly, very slowly the elf rolled to her knees again, scooping the jars up once again and moving on her way. After what felt like forever in this hellish inferno she felt her head bump against the wall of the barn, looking up she saw she had finally found the wall of the barn! She followed the wall with her slow but now optimistic gait until the elf found herself at the very same window she had entered from!

Her hand shot up to grab the edge of the window, cutting herself on the glass but the adrenaline flowing through her blocked the pain as she pulled her frail body up and through the exit. She fell outside onto her back gasping for breath, her aching muscles finally getting a chance to relax, though she didn't allow herself to stop there. Once again the elf pulled herself from the ground, just managing to stand in a hunched position and limp her way back to the house, her hands and knees were burnt, bleeding and covered in dirt, her hair was a smoldering mess and tears streamed down her cheeks, but she still grinned like mad as she shoved open the door to the house.
 
Eira had entered the house at the same time as the others, but like Coda, had kept away from Elise and Zola. The pain was much more potent up close, though this was more of an excuse than anything. If she was being fully honest with herself, the sting of guilt was far worse.

Zola had been so kind; cooking pastries, teaching her how to defend herself, and even giving a group of people who had killed her horses a place to stay the night. Now she could be dying… and it may have been prevented if she had just given up her facade and warned the others.

The priestess was sat against the wall, hugging her legs against a chill no one else could feel. Her self-chastisement was put on hold momentarily as her thoughts were once again drawn back to the screams of the damned. Their faces flashed back in her memory, their lifeless eyes boring deep holes into her. No living creature should ever look upon such horrors… nor should they summon them.

She wrapped a fist around the holy amulet around her neck, the pointed edges pressing into her flesh almost to the point of injury. All of her teachings told of the dark god, whose realm was the hellish underworld. Those who worshiped him were wicked monsters… but she didn’t think Coda was evil… was she wrong?

Eira rested her head on her knees, causing the mask on her face to shift slightly. Everything had happened so fast.

-----

Lithariel had been deathly quiet the entire length of the journey back to the barn. It was understandable, considering the only other person with her had been turned into a ruinous tower of blood and gore. Still, it was almost as if she was pretending she wasn’t supported a fully grown lycan. She actively kept her gaze away from him, instead glaring at the undergrowth below her feet.

Despite this, she was surprisingly attentive to the wounded lycan. There were a few times when the blood caused her grip to loosen, but she never once let her mark fall. Nor was she travelling at any strenuous pace.

The huntress reflected on this briefly, her face quickly contorting into a frown. Once more she cursed at herself for getting into such a pathetic situation.

By the time the two made it out of the forest the fire was still raging, its flames illuminated the night sky and sent long fingers of shadow across the expanse of the Darkwood Farmstead. Lithariel lead Argen up the winding pathway before stopping just as the path widened to accommodate the house and barn.

She was silent for a time, then spoke. “This is as far as I will go…” she said, raising her gaze enough to glare at the shape of Zola’s farmhouse.

shadowz1995 shadowz1995
(WATCH MEH!
...Lithariel is like me with In-laws.)
 
No one was able to move as Elise dashed out of the house. Her actions were so quick that it took the room a second or two to even realize she was gone. Coda looked to the door and then back around the room. Zola was of course on the couch, Eira had found her own little corner to occupy, and Evilin.... Coda paused when he noticed that she was staring him down. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. As if waiting, just waiting for him to make a move.

Coda couldn't help but give her a dark look back. Coda gave way after a few seconds as he shifted in his step. He already knew what was going through the princess' mind and really didn't want to be hanging around for the outcome.

"Don't move." Evilin pointed at him.

Coda stopped only to meet Evilin's harsh gaze once more.

"This is all your fault." She stated.

Coda blinked at her words. "My fault?" He asked. "How is this my fault?"

Evilin shook her head. "Don't play dumb." She huffed.

Evilin would have said more but she cut their conversation short when Elise came back. The room was a bit tense but Evilin gave most of her attention to the elf. If they were going to save the farm girl.... Evilin would have to keep Coda away from them. In Evilin's mind.... Coda was now the enemy. She would even go as far as siding with the girl that had attacked them than let Coda live. After seeing him raise the dead..... That's all she needed to know to understand that what she was trying to stop, was already real. If her father or anyone else knew about him and what he could do.... If they placed that on a much larger scale the world would fall into darkness even more. there would be no light left to save anyone.

Coda had to die.......
 

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