Fantasy In the Elements

[Ashvaliaen]

Hale sat across from Nora in the little empty room he had designated for magic practice. It was an outer room of the house, and because of their seclusion Hale didn't worry about the windows which were opened slightly to manage the wood stove. The house was a little out of date, without the typical radiators that used steam to produce heat. The stove wasn't completely archaic; it had two valves one could open to close the big chimney and send the heat and smoke through smaller branching pipes that traveled the walls of the bedrooms for the cold nights.

He tried his best to concentrate, he could see Nora was taking well with her own training. The wilted plant in front of her looked as though it had silver veins along it's leaves and stem, though he wondered if he didn't let it wilt too much to be revitalized with magic. The day before Nora had seemed to do the same thing almost effortlessly within the half hour, while today she'd been trying for almost an hour to restore the plant. He couldn't say much of his own concentration of late, he was growing more restless and he couldn't quite figure out why. He'd found any time he tried his thoughts circled back to the deep, angry clouds he seemed to be seeing more consistently of late. The poor weather hadn't fully stretched up to the little brick house yet, the wind had gotten significantly worse and there'd been a close call with a falling tree that had led Hale and Nora to clear the ones that could cause issue for them from around the house. They had it seasoning in piles outside the back of the house, and if they were lucky they'd have it to use for firewood by the time winter descended upon them.

Finally, getting frustrated with his own lack of concentration Hale said, "Okay, I think we're done for now. Were the lily still alive, it would've revived by now. Do you want to help me check the traps or would you prefer cleaning duty?"

"I'll clean, I guess," Nora said as Hale stood and walked out of the room.

Nora took a moment to sit in her spot before setting about her cleaning. She didn't like how cold it'd gotten after she'd arrived, so these days she found that she'd rather do little domestic chores around the house than trudge around outside.

Nora had been shocked to wake up with Hale doing all he could to try and reverse the damage that he'd caused in his panic when he'd seen her in full armor with her sword at her hip, unfortunately magic damage was harder to heal than most normal wounds and she still didn't have a complete sense of feeling in her arm. She was doing what she could to re-learn how to wield her longsword in her left hand effectively but it was a slow process and she knew she wasn't anywhere near what she'd been before despite practicing every evening before bed.


Cat.Chrestomanci

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

It was a rather motley crew that had been gathered with the task of eliminating the rogue sorcerer. While all of the positions that one might need for an elite squadron had been filled, the group itself had no unity in character. The talkative medic's unwanted chatter had long been silenced by the dirty looks thrown his way and he had fallen to the back of the group to exchange the occasional word with the archer. Despite her bright appearance, she, too, appeared to prefer to keep her thoughts to herself. In the end, the majority of a day had passed and he knew that his verbal input was unwanted and he had fallen to silence. It was a pleasant journey out to the countryside despite the ominous weather overhead.

It was just on the cusp of winter as they travelled by horse to the area they had been informed the sorcerer had holed himself up in. It was not far off from the city, luckily. The medic thought that he might die from the silence if it were to persist much longer. He wondered whether all soldiers were this talkative or whether he had just gotten lucky to find the three quietest members of society to be forced to work with. The horses kept even pace with one another and made much better progress than the party would have made on foot, although; as a doctor, he was not used to these animals and was quickly becoming sore. He had no idea that this would be included in the job. He vaguely wondered what the others were thinking about so intently as his mind wandered in boredom. They all seemed so driven and he felt out of place.

"We should be arriving soon," came the melodic voice of the sniper, the only one who would bother to spare a word for the non-warrior. Her words came on puffs of condensation as the temperature began to dip for the evening. "The vanguards should already have their own plan. I will be guarding you in the back," she continued. "But please try not to die. I will not be giving up my life to save you." Her smile appeared bright but there was no warmth behind it.

The woman wearing gloves in the front of the caravan stopped her horse and the rest followed suit. The dark-haired young man hopped off his horse and walked a little ways off before his form began to change. After shudders, the sound of bones cracking, and disfiguration of his form, in his place stood a large raven. With two beats of his wings, he took to the skies in order to observe the quaint brick house more closely.

While he was not technically a user of magic, his form had been disrupted by a magic of sorts and he could be detected by someone with a powerful sensing ability; although, because of the strange nature of his form, any sensor might be confused, for he felt like a cross between a divinity and a human, for obvious reasons. He soared high above the house, just trying to judge any defences for the time being.

The sniper could see windows on the brick structure but was unable to clearly see the inhabitant. For now, all she could do was put her weapons together and find a vantage point.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

The little house was just that, a house with no real notable defenses. There was a decent sized garden still flourishing in the cold, and a small woodshed off to the side but nothing terribly notable.

Hale found his way out through the back door and took a moment to summon a creature that resembled a moose if someone didn't know how a moose looked. The beast was black with long legs and a face more akin to a horse, the horns gently curved downward instead of up, and the hooves were cloven. Hale didn't hesitate to tie it to a cart he had for bringing back wood and animals he'd trapped. Before he set out he planned to have a quick look at the traps through the eyes of animals nearby and immediately he noticed something out of place. Something in the sky that he felt an aversion to using his abilities on so he stopped and looked for the source of the strange feeling.

The only thing he found out of place was the outline of a large bird in the sky though not large enough to truly cause alarm he thought. Still, he opened the door and called for Nora to shut the curtains just in case before walking beside the strange summoned creature's hind leg which mostly obscured him. At the very least a sniper couldn't get off a fatal shot and he hoped to slip completely out of sight once he was in the forest, at least until he could get the upper hand.

Upon hearing Hale's request Nora closed the curtains and turned on the gaslights. She preferred natural light, but the warm glow from the gaslighting was cozy at least. She couldn't imagine how things must've been without it, or how dark houses had to be. She wondered exactly what Hale had seen that made him nervous, but knew it could be anything even a little out of place. Were she in his position she probably wouldn't have left the house but she didn't fully understnd how it was to be like him either. She'd never been on the wrong side of the law, and certainly not for years.

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

"Tch," came the sound of indignation when the sniper saw the curtains close. They had not been informed that he had an accomplice. This could potentially prove to be a much more difficult mission than they had originally been informed. What a bothersome predicament. They had not been given much information on their target, only that he was a sorcerer capable of killing one of the finest knights in the guard, which was why this time, four had been sent to apprehend him, three if you only counted those who were capable of participating in combat, but the medic obviously had some use as well.

The raven wheeled overhead, spying a man leaving his abode. When the man had finally disappeared into the forest, the large avian alighted on the ground and began hopping about, gathering information on the place. The curtains had been drawn although he could not tell whether it was by a second inhabitant of the house or by the owner and their target. One unfortunate aspect about the hastily gathered crew was that they had no real teamwork skills. Although each was well-versed in a specific skill, there was no coordination between them. Their sniper had already gathered information as to the number of residents. The other vanguard had stayed with the group but was not particularly interested in discussing strategy with the others.

Sure, they were at a disadvantage against a magic user, but they had their own ways to circumvent anticipated tactics. The only problem that had raised its ugly head was an accomplice. In a battle with a magic user, it was usually best to avoid distance attacks he or she might lob at an oncoming enemy and engage in close combat, which was why the group assembled had the composition that it did. With two of the group members well versed in close combat, hopefully, they would be at an advantage or would give enough of an opening to apprehend the man.

"Do you guys have a plan?" the medic asked with trepidation. They were not exactly the talkative types but he wanted to help them get along and work together. Perhaps he had more use than just a member that was to put them back together if they were to be torn apart by the magical foe that stood before them.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

He doubted his current summon would be ideal for a fight if one happened so he dismissed it and summoned something else that looked much like a tiger with colorful rosettes and earthy brindling. After making certain it knew not to attack unless it needed to he watched the bird land and knew he'd been correct in his fears. He wasn't certain exactly what the raven was but he knew it wasn't an ordinary bird, not at that size. He decided to investigate further through the eyes of the nearby animals and told his summon to protect him as he sat down to do so. What he found out was troubling to say the least, glimpsing the group preparing for a fight. He stood up and made his way deeper into the forested area but told his summon to complicate their plan further and allowed it to slink off.

The panther understood it's orders perfectly, even if the wording of them was a little vague. It burst out of the treeline with the ease of an apex predator and ended up pacing in wait for the team's next move.

Nora found herself grabbing her knight's sword in case she'd need it. The blade would've looked normal if it hadn't had a revolver built into the base. There was a single brass-colored barrel built onto the side of the blade and the handle was straight out with a handguard that could be gripped for an easier time aiming the gun. She wasn't sure why she'd requested this type of blade to be made for her, Nora was a poor shot and likely to use all of her bullets while having only hit once. Still, she was certain that she'd get the hang of it with more practice, though that hadn't really been the case thus far. She vaguely remembered thinking the blade being longer than the barrel would help with her aiming.

Typically she'd hum a tune while she worked but today she wanted to hear if something happened outside so she was silent.

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

The sniper kept her gaze trained on the house as she disassembled her current weapon in order to modify it to accommodate the new situation. She changed the barrel in order to adjust for size and force required to penetrate the brick structure. "We play to our advantages," she replied in a hushed tone. "That means that you will stay quiet and stay out of trouble." As loathe as she was to play the part of the babysitter, she was the best suited considering her abilities. She had finished adjusting her distance weapon and had a smaller piece at her hip, ready to draw if anything came too close.

The blonde woman stood, having been silent this whole time and began creeping to the edge of the forest. Although her speed and power were an advantage at close quarters, there was the problem of getting to said close quarters. A close ambush was much more advantageous to her fighting style; however, she would work with what she was given. Based upon the actions of others, she would probably be able to count on the dark-haired young man to lead the charge with coverage from the sniper woman. In the confusion, she would be able to close the distance as well. Hopefully, there would not be more than two inhabitants of the cottage and only one who was competent in magic.

Given that he had strong animal instincts due to the nature of his body, he sensed the nearby predator and his eyes began searching the nearby area, hand going to his hip and drawing a silver rapier with an ornate hilt. Beautiful wings flanked the blade and the braided grip ended in a water droplet. With the senses of a prey animal, he was able to pinpoint the feline predator in the shadows. Unlike his animal counterpart, he did not flee a confrontation. He charged into the woods, sword brandished, agility higher than that of most trained soldiers due to his low weight. He was not a soldier that served the royal guard; he was a hired sword, a contractor of sorts.

The sniper's hand lept to her hip and the surprise could not be kept from her eyes despite the fact that the rest of her was composed. To a trained eye, her muscles tightened ever so slightly as she prepared for a less than comfortable battle out of her element. The other vanguard did not bat an eyelash and continued to watch the house carefully.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

Noticing a man bolt towards the treeline the instincts of the panther kicked in and she pursued with a bold roar almost as though she was indignant that she wasn't the focus of the man's attention. She launched herself at him, though without the intent of truly hurting him. The panther's goal was to pin him, perhaps he'd make a good hostage and she could get them to leave without anyone really fighting. It was what Hale wanted, so she'd try her best to do such a thing. If she could, she'd take him back to the house to Nora since the knight was in a better position to negotiate than the Panther who didn't have the advantage of words.

Hale was a way into the forest; having gotten to the area traps were laid. He paused and hoped that he hadn't been spotted; he wasn't much of a fighter and the only thing had had on him at the moment was a knife he used to help release the traps. He truly hated these encounters, and especially that they were happening more now. Before, two in the same half of the year was unheard of and now three months apart one of the most respected knights in the country and a band of what appeared to him as trained warriors with a gunner had shown up not four months apart.

Nora found herself wondering as she went on whether she should go outside and try to talk with one of them. Then again, she doubted they wouldn't just shoot her on sight if they thought her affiliated with their target. After a moment of thought, she pulled aside a curtain just enough that she hoped to see what was going on outside.

 

[Cat.Chrestomanci]

Feeling that the creature was coming to meet him, he did a simple thrust of his rapier into its large and muscular form, relishing the satisfying feeling of a blade sliding into flesh, almost like drawing a needle through a piece of cloth. When the creature caught his shoulders in its huge paws, the sword slid down from its shoulder through more supple flesh, drawing a cut downward as his arm fell to the ground but his hand refused to relinquish his weapon and he clutched it tightly, even as warm liquid slid down the blade and began to cover the hilt.

The sniper made a calculated move. It appeared as though the bird-man or whatever he was, had things sorted on his end, so she turned her attention back to the cottage. Seeing that there was a slight crack in the curtains now, she estimated where to fire a warning shot, taking the average width of a human head and shooting just beyond the ear. For someone with a larger than average head, it would have nicked the ear. The glass spidered but there was a fairly clean hole in the glass given the change in ammunition. It was something meant to pierce, either a warning shot or a clean kill, whichever she decided was the best course of action.

The medic winced as the shot continued to ring in his ears even after it had left the steel barrel that directed its trajectory. Until that first shot rang through the trees, scaring several of the avian onlookers, he had no idea the gravity of the mission he had been assigned. Now that he smelled the gunpowder in the air, his view had changed. The three that were accompanying him were killers, hired specifically for this task. They had no loyalties or ties to anything in particular and there was nothing really preventing them from tossing a useless being like him to the side for the sake of the mission or even simply because he was a dead weight in battle. The colour of his face quickly transitioned to white and he regretted his decision to accept the job.

 

[Ashvaliaen]

The injury affected the panther, but as any cat would the beast growled it's frustration and didn't let the wound slow her as she tried to get a hold on the man. For a predator, she was obviously trying to e delicate about grabbing him still. She didn't sink her claws into the flesh of his shoulders and even as she tried to figure out how best to grab him her teeth didn't break the relatively delicate skin of the human. She wasn't as gentle as she could possibly be but she was frustrated and the only thing keeping her from hurting him was the order she had from Hale.

Hale heard the growling of the Panther he'd summoned and wished he had a more significant weapon to help her with. He'd always sympathized too highly with his beasts, but it'd never caused an issue until now when he turned back to take a different route so he could help his cat.

Nora made a derisive noise, thinking that if they were just going to shoot her through a window she might as well go outside and hope someone recognized her and didn't take another shot. After all, she was known as a knight who, while not the most obedient, had always done what was best for others and often succeeded missions anyway. So she chose to walk out of the house with confidence and her sword at her hip. She didn't feel great about being out in the open but it would have to do well enough she supposed.