Fantasy (Open) The "Last Castle" Bar & Grille

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

"Depends how you want me to answer. If I was your brother, and that is IF, I would say that too many boys would be attracted to you. Drunk me would try to flirt with you or not notice, most likely. Normal me would say I have no idea, or you're okay looking."Niko replied to Mai

"Okay, geeeez"Niko said, being sassy."hard holding on to this secret,though"he added with less attitude

 

[shadowdude505]

"I think you covered all the bases," she chuckled, flashing Niko a coy smirk.

"You may not have made it personally, but it's clear some thought came from your end. It reminds me a little of home," she brushed her tail across Tom's torso. "Thanks, tiger. I love it."

Her smirk got noticeably bigger as the alpha werewolves approached. "Why, hello boys. Don't worry, there's enough of me to go around."

She was about to ask if they were going to stick around for her performance, but the growing tension at the pack leader's booth became too much to ignore. Something entertaining was going on over there. A part of her was rooting for loverboy.

~~~

Roxy clammed up in her seat. She wanted to respond to Lucas, but was too afraid to. "Y...yes sir..." she finally replied.

Randy just nodded. The terms were very clear, however, his reaction to Lucas' anger was the complete opposite of Roxy's.

"Her name's Roxanne. Roxy for short," he replied, a fiery passion in his voice. "If you killed me, you'd lose any remaining trust Roxy has in you; now that doesn't mean she'd turn against you, but you would terrify her; not a good look for a leader in my opinion. I guess you could always kill her too, but that would make trouble for Tom, right? She works here after all."

He shifted back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Maybe you don't care about that. But if you killed me, you'd prove that you're the monster that humans fear you to be. Would you be able to live with that?"

He returned to a less hostile stance.

"Sir, I don't want Roxy to die. In order to make sure she's alive and happy, that secret will go to the grave with me. I don't know what it's like to live as a werewolf, but for Roxy's sake, I hope I get the opportunity. You're the boss, you make the rules. The rules were broken. Your anger is understandable; but if anger is all that you listen to, how's the world going to be a better place?"

Gwalihir Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[Gwalihir]

<< "Depends how you want me to answer…” >>

As Niko spoke to Mai, Tom just shook his head and laughed. “God, kid, could you be a little more ambiguous? Don’t you know when a lady is just looking for a compliment?”

<< "Okay, geeeez"Niko said, being sassy."hard holding on to this secret,though"he added with less attitude >>

Tom nodded. “Yeah, it’s a tough one. But all the more reason not to open your mouth about it at all. We’re all in this together: I’m sure you don’t want to find yourself on an operating table getting dissected by scientists who want to know how you tick. That means keeping mum, you know?”

<< "You may not have made it personally, but it's clear some thought came from your end. It reminds me a little of home," she brushed her tail across Tom's torso. "Thanks, tiger. I love it." >>

“That’s what I was hoping. As I’m sure you know, the fish is the symbol for good luck. I guess I figure you’re my good luck charm, so I owe you one in return.”

• * * * * * * *

<< "Her name's Roxanne. Roxy for short… >>

Lucas arched an eyebrow as Randy corrected him, then sat back and listened as Randy continued. When Randy finished he remained as he was for a moment. Then he began laughing: a deep, hearty belly laugh.

“You got some sass, kid. And cojones the size of pool balls!

“You may not understand all there is to know about being a wolf or being a leader, but you got a damn sight better idea of it all than most.

“Among other things, you got the guts to correct me when I’m actually wrong. That’s no small thing. It’s what I value my War Chief for doing.

“You played it out a little far, assuming I’d have trouble dealing with two deaths. You two would just be found in a car somewhere in a ditch, if I decided to go that way. And everyone in the Pack would know why, and not to cross that line.

“You overestimate my concern about what humans think of me. I’ve seen what humans do to each other on a regular basis, and as far as I’m concerned they’re the monsters. I’ve fought in half a dozen wars, and I’ve seen things that would curl your hair: and not just a few sick individuals, but whole platoons killing civvies as well as soldiers in the most heinous ways imaginable.

“I don’t kill for no reason, or just because somebody’s got a different hair color than me. I kill for food, or to protect my Pack. In the end, my anger’s got nothing to do with it: just a cover to keep em off guard.

“You’re gonna have to look out. If you do become a wolf, you’re a little too smart for your own good.”

Finally he turned to Roxy. “So far, Roxy, I’d say your judgment may have been right on the money. You get to keep your land, for now. Now: I’d say you’ve kept Tom and the crowd waiting for long enough. Go do your waitressing; we’ll talk later.”

He stopped Randy from leaving with Roxy. “Stick around. Meet the boys. And girls.”

He whistled and waved, and the Alphas returned. “So, fellas, ‘Lil Sass here has got his mojo on.”

He glanced at Randy and his nostrils flared briefly. “Someone bring the kid a Bud. Tap.”

shadowdude505 Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[shadowdude505]

"R...right," Roxy said as she got up. "Thank you, sir." She quickly bowed, before rushing to grab her uniform. She changed in the ladies bathroom, taking a moment to clean the tear stains off her face.

She walked out of the bathroom and flashed Randy a warm smile as she passed him. She began to check on tables. "Good evening. My name's Roxy. Can I get you anything?" she asked.

~~~
A smirk formed on Mai's lips. Loverboy actually pulled it off.

"Sorry boys, I have a performance to prepare for. Feel free to stick around," she said to the werewolves that had tried to chat her up. She started to walk toward her room. Stopping in a doorway, she pressed her hand against it and posed flirtily. "I can be more than a good luck charm, you know," she said to Tom. With a honeyed chuckle and a playful swish of her tail, she left the room.

"Evening ladies, you ready for a fun night?" she asked the nymphs as she passed by them.

~~~
Randy looked a bit surprised as Lucas stopped him from leaving. "Thanks," he replied. It was apparent he had done something right. Reversing Roxy's punishment was reward enough for him, but he wasn't about to refuse a drink from his future leader. He waited for his drink and took a swig.

"Best be mingling then. See you around, sir." With a respectful nod, Randy took his leave from the booth; taking his drink with him.

He approached Niko and the werewolf alphas as Mai left the picture. He attempted to handshake with the werewolves. "Evening, fellas."

Gwalihir Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

"I couldn't decide how to reply,so I had to cover all the bases. "Niko shrugged
"so...what happened over there?"Niko asked Randy"because it looked like something went down"

 

[Gwalihir]

<< "Good evening. My name's Roxy. Can I get you anything?" >>

From that point on Roxy’s evening became quite busy. The paler-looking crowd tended to order just shots and drinks, but the more tanned, normal-looking tables ordered almost double the food she would have expected. Apparently Lycan metabolisms ran high. Fortunately Tom had bought the bar dinner plates the size of serving platters, and the kitchen was loading them full up.

<< "I can be more than a good luck charm, you know," she said to Tom. With a honeyed chuckle and a playful swish of her tail, she left the room. >>

Tom watched her go. “I wouldn’t doubt it,” he muttered under his breath. But that would have to wait for another time. He glanced at his watch: 7:45. Azalea was crooning a love ballad, her set almost over and time for Mai, Jeff and George to come out. Considering the difference in style between Mai’s preferred music and their usual pop hits, they had adapted remarkably well as her backup band.

<< "Evening ladies, you ready for a fun night?" she asked the nymphs as she passed by them. >>

“Always!” one of them replied brightly. A few waved or giggled as she went by. Fatima smiled at her.

“Our business is always good after your show. We thank you.”

<< "so...what happened over there?"Niko asked Randy"because it looked like something went down" >>

<< He attempted to handshake with the werewolves. "Evening, fellas." >>

Randy barely had a chance to answer Niko before Tom snapped his fingers, and Randy got a couple of friendly but insistent hands clapped on his shoulders and two guys redirecting him back to the booth. The wolves were crowding around, some moving in to sit on Lucas’s left and a cute young lady scooting in on Lucas’s right. Her brown hair was in ringlets, and she wore a denim vest with nothing underneath and a short leather skirt. She smiled up at Randy.

“Hi there,” she said: “I’m Krista.”

In a moment Randy found himself sitting next to Krista on his left and two guys in football jerseys blocking him in on his right. Across the big table a tall wiry guy in a biker jacket with his hair pulled back in a ponytail sat next to Lucas. He nodded at Randy. “Curtis. War Chief.” From there, introductions went clockwise around the table.

“Dan.”

“Gerald.”

“Isis.”

“Rex. Don’t you dare laugh.”

The two next to him were last.

“Todd.”

“Albert.”

Aside from Curtis all these guys seemed well built, looking like truckers, bikers, or football players. Isis was a tall, muscular blonde sitting almost directly opposite him. All of them but Krista had brought beers from the bar: she was sipping a margarita.

Lucas spoke up.

“So, ‘guest of honor,’ why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? Where you’re from, what you’re up to most of the time, how you wound up here. You know we’re all interested. Give it a shot.”

“Yes,” said Krista, walking her fingers down his thigh, “we don’t get many humans around here. That makes you kinda special…”

shadowdude505 Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[shadowdude505]

"I got on his good side," Randy called back to Niko as he was being escorted back to the booth, now with more werewolves in tow.

It wasn't hard to notice Krista's flirty personality. He wasn't a stranger to the ladies, but he only had eyes for Roxy; if he hadn't popped the girlfriend question yet, he would have played along to distract himself. He flashed a friendly smile.

"I'm Randy, from a little town not too far from here. Rocksprings. I'm a music guy; into the classics and grunge rock. In high school I lead a band, ironically enough we called it the Rock Dogs. It's all on YouTube if you feel like checking it out sometime," he replied. "I sang, she was the drummer," he pointed at Roxy. "We had some guitarists, but they weren't in it for the music...they decided to do other things."

"I'm here because of Roxy. She was my best friend growing up, now I finally grew the nerve to tell her about my crush...this was the only way to really have a shot at being together."

He waved at Roxy and, being too busy with her duties, she waved back.

~~~
Mai smiled back at the girls and gave Fatima a friendly nod, acknowledging her statement, before entering her room. She checked her make up and admired herself in the mirror. Liking the way she was dressed already, Mai left her room to find Jeff and Goerge. Her tail dematerialized shortly after she left her room.

"You boys ready?" she asked in a honeyed tone. "Now that I can use my magic inside the bar, be ready for a more dazzling performance than we rehearsed. When we end with Fly Me to the Moon, I'm going to make it look like we're in space. When you see stars flickering around, just think of it like stage effects." As an example, she made small stars flicker above the palm of her hand.

~~~
When it was time to perform, Mai didn't utilize her kitsune abilities until Fly Me to the Moon started to kick in. Up till that point she had just relied on her looks and natural singing talent, but when the song kicked in, she made the stage sparkle. Little stars floated around behind her. She took a seat on her stool and cast an illusion on it to look like she was sitting on the moon. She also made her tail appear for some extra pizzazz as she sat and sang; gently swishing it side to side.

"Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On a, Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me"

She blew a kiss at the audience, sending illusionary sparkles their way; letting them harmlessly phase through the crowd before disappearing.

"Fill my heart with song
And let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you."

She continued to sing. Sending a wink and a sparkle Tom's way.

Gwalihir Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[BasilOwO]

Samantha watched Mai, shaking her head. The werewolf often found herself watching the kitsune preform, though she knew deep down that the admiration for the older woman, was just that. Her singing often entranced her, and ended up getting her in trouble on more than one occasion. Sighing, she turning to what looked to be a male vampire, flashing him a smile. "What can I get for you?" She asked him, nodding as he told her his drink. Murmuring a quiet 'I'll be right back.' She made her way to the back shelf, reaching up at far as she could to grab ahold of a ten year old whiskey. A fine choice, she mused. Though she knew she shouldn't drink on the job, and she didn't. Walking back, she'd grab a small glass, filing it with ice before pouring the alcohol inside. Handing it to him, she'd turn, wiping her hands on her jeans. Making her way behind the bar, she returned the whiskey to its home, before looking for Ben.

Gwalihir

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

"Does the kid have a superpower?" Niko muttered "How did he make an alpha, of all people, change his mind?"
"Samantha,hope it's not too much to ask, but can I get a drink, you can surprise me and I will drink it, even if it's not to my taste"Milo said much louder

 

[Gwalihir]

<< "I'm Randy...

"I'm here because of Roxy… ...this was the only way to really have a shot at being together." >>

The crowd around the booth murmured, some in approval, some maybe not so. Isis spoke up.

“So: you’re here because of Roxy. Which means if she weren’t a wolf you would never have considered it.

“What do you think it’s going to be like, being a wolf? Roxy had to give up her whole life; you would, too. You’ll have a secret you absolutely cannot share, cannot give away in any way. You’ll have to pretend you’re weaker, more easily injured and stay injured longer, that you get tired sooner than you really do.

“What if Roxy changed her mind about you, rejected you because she couldn’t deal with all this. You’d still be a wolf with no good reason. Do you really want to take that chance?”

• * * * * * * *

<< "You boys ready?" she asked… ...When you see stars flickering around, just think of it like stage effects." As an example, she made small stars flicker above the palm of her hand. >>

“Awesome!” said Jeff.

“Bodacious!” said George.

“Let’s party, dudes!” they said together.

<< She continued to sing. Sending a wink and a sparkle Tom's way. >>

Tom pretended to catch the sparkle, smiling as he watched the end of the show. He had enjoyed the song when first released by Ol’ Blue Eyes, and he softly crooned along with the lyrics as she sang.

The hands of the clock slipped to eight forty-five. Suddenly there was a lurching feeling like a medium-sized earthquake shook the building. A tiny ball of light appeared over the middle of the dimly lit dance floor, crackling with sparks of lightning.

The tiny ball quickly grew, as did the sparks. In the center of the ball there appeared the figure of a raven which grew as did the ball until the ball was about eight feet across and the raven was human sized. Then the raven transformed into a tall woman with a flowing cloak that looked like giant black feathers. The woman held a black staff in her right hand topped by a triangular symbol in gold with a white center, and a black whip with brightly lit thongs coming off of the center.

Her headdress concealed all of her hair and the back sported another version of the triangular symbol from her staff. Looking at her face it was impossible to tell if she was very young, very old, or in between.

Meanwhile, all around the bar different people were having different reactions. All those wearing amulets felt as if they had been struck by a powerful electrical bolt emanating from it. Then came a surge of power such as none of them had ever felt before. Mai felt as if she had suddenly grown two extra tails and all the power that would come with them. What exactly the rest of them were feeling only they knew, but changes were taking place. Those without amulets also felt a surge of power, but to a lesser degree. Niko felt some strength and coordination returning to his body, as well as his organs falling back into place. He could tell that his grip was much stronger, and his jaw felt stronger, too, like he could bite the living flesh off a person now. Roxy and Sam were were envisioning their wolf forms, feeling as if at the moment they could switch back and forth freely between human and wolf. Randy was still corralled in by the wolves, but had a giddy sense of strength and agility he had never known before.

Being named “The Last Castle,” the bar had lots of medieval decor, including crossed swords on the wall with shields or chest plates over them. There were other wall mounted weapons as well, such as the great battleaxe and likewise very large mace and shield hanging directly over Lucas’ head. Tom sidled over to one such display and grabbed a sword and shield, while Ben grabbed the other sword. Mark also took down a sword and began to approach the woman cautiously.

In the middle of all this chaos, the woman stepped out of the lighted ball and into the room. With a flash of her whip she knocked Mark across the room, then stared about at the patrons.

“Thomas of Avalon!” she cried out: “Stand forth!”

shadowdude505 BasilOwO Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[BasilOwO]

Sam blinked, glancing at the woman. The werewolf felt stronger in a sense, as if she could shift on her own free will. Though she knew that it would be dangerous to do so, she took a breath, her eyes never leaving the woman. Thinking, she made her way around the counter, moving to stand beside Tom. The bartender had come empty handed, knowing she could use her fists better than anything the bar had. She glanced at Mark, and raised her fists, getting into what appeared to be a fighting stance. The adrenaline pumping through her veins gave her a sense of confidence, and her eyes watched the whip, ready to move out of the way if she really needed to. Something she had learned while being on her own was how to protect and defend herself, and that was exactly what she was going to do. She was going to protect the patrons and her friends, in the best way that she could. "Do we know who she is?" She whispered to him, "And what she wants?"

Gwalihir

 

[shadowdude505]

"I could have gone my whole life thinking werewolves were just fiction. I was there when Roxy was scratched. If it wasn't her, it could have been me," Randy replied with a look of determination in his eyes; a spark of his inner alpha. "In an alternate universe, you could be having the same conversation with her. If she rejects me, then I'd just have to live with that... but if I'm going to go down, I'd rather do that fighting. I've been sitting on my thumbs too long about this. If I had waited to long, she'd most likely fall into the arms of another man; but I told her earlier tonight. She's willing to pursue it; just need to get some ducks in a row first."

He took a sip of his beer. "Who knows. Maybe I was just meant for the werewolf life and wouldn't have realized that till now."

It wouldn't be too hard for him to make the transition. He already postponed college after Roxy's disappearance rocked his world. He could tell his parents that he was moving in with Roxy; they'd be pretty happy to hear their dating news.

~~~
Roxy continued to work; letting Mai's singing play in the background. It wasn't until Fly Me to the Moon, with all of Mai's magic effects, that she began to get distracted. She glanced over at Randy and hugged the empty serving tray she was carrying. Something about the song made her want to kiss him, but she didn't want to risk turning him. It didn't look like he had a bloody lip, but even a small crack would put their lives at risk.

It was time to get back to work, but then something else happened.

Roxy stood frozen. Who was the lady? What did she want? Why did she feel like she could control her transformations?

She was too afraid to pull the werewolf switch. She just stood there motionless, still hugging the tray like it was some kind of shield.

~~~
Mai dropped her illusions and was getting ready to walk off the stage when the strange visitor arrived. She groaned as she felt a shocking sensation from the jade fish amulet, then a rush of power. It felt amazing, like she had three tails total, but it was too much for her. She tried to hold it in, but her body was screaming to let it out. If a fight was about to break out; might as well prepare. She struck a karate-like pose. Magic flowed into the kitsune ball she wore around her neck. There was no glow, but anyone that could sense magic could notice how it flowed from the ball to her hands; she formed two orbs of fox fire (one for each hand) and started to burn away at the excess magic, or at least tried to.

~~~
Randy wasn't sure what was going on, but one thing he did know was that he felt great. He wasn't sure who the lady was, or what she wanted with Tom. As much as he would have liked to help, his attention was drawn elsewhere. He noticed Roxy frozen in her fear. Suddenly he looked like a man on a mission. He climbed over the table and tried to sneak his way over to her. The strange lady seemed to have her attention elsewhere. He was just small potatoes compared to Tom; maybe she wouldn't bother noticing him.

Randy grabbed Roxy by the hand. She flinched, but quickly relaxed after her brain processed that it was Randy. She crept back to the werewolf booth with him. Roxy squeezed his hand as she started to watch for what was about to unfold; whatever that would be.

Gwalihir
Nearby: Ashy_OCdesigns BasilOwO

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

Niko knew that Sam hadn't heard her, but oh well. Usually, he could barely differentiate the scents in the bar, but right now, many different scents hit him at once. He also felt like eating live flesh, which was strange for him.
"what's happening to me?" He thought, as the rest of his senses heightened and his animalistic thoughts started kicking in.

 

[Gwalihir]

<< He took a sip of his beer. "Who knows. Maybe I was just meant for the werewolf life and wouldn't have realized that till now." >>

“You really think so?” asked Curtis: “You think any of us were ever ‘meant’ to be wolves? Sure, some of us have made the best of it, but I don’t think anyone was ‘meant’ to be cursed. This is an almost random thing that could have happened to anybody; it just happened to happen to us.”

Curtis was interrupted by the sudden shift in the room, then the appearance of the raven which became the woman. “Stormcrow,” he muttered, and reached for the battleaxe. Lucas stood up and suddenly transformed into a terrifying wolfman, and ripped the table loose from the floor and flung it forward out of the booth. Now all of the wolves could stand, though most had chosen to go into their (natural-looking) wolf forms.

<< "Do we know who she is?" [Sammy] whispered to him, "And what she wants?" >>

“If I knew one, I’d probably know the other,” Tom whispered back. “Just a few clues: that name was from my early life when I was still human. That was a very, very long time ago…”

<< He climbed over the table and tried to sneak his way over to her… >>

The movement caught the woman’s attention. She waved her staff and a blast of white fire shot out at him. Just as he saw his life flashing before his eyes, Lucius dived in front of him with a shield. The shield burst into flame and Lucius dropped it, holding his burned arm close to his chest.

“None may leave till I have confronted your Master!” she yelled at the room in general.

<< She struck a karate-like pose. Magic flowed into the kitsune ball she wore around her neck. There was no glow, but anyone that could sense magic could notice how it flowed from the ball to her hands… >>

Clearly the woman could sense magic, for she spun towards Mai. “Try it, scarlet vixen, and know my wrath!” She raised her whip, but this time it was Tom who jumped in front of her target with his shield. He gritted his teeth as the whip struck the shield and covered it in ice, and he was forced to drop it.

“Stop it!” Tom yelled. “You want me? Here I am! What business have you with me, or I with you?”

She laughed a cruel, bitter laugh. “Play the fool with me, will you? Very well: I shall call your sin to mind. Have you not created all this in order to bring back Taliesan, and he the royal traitor? Wilt thou feign ignorance of the prophecy?”

“I feign nothing, woman. I have not the slightest idea of what prophecy you refer to, or why you think I follow it.

“Who are you, and what mean you by all this?”

BasilOwO shadowdude505 Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[BasilOwO]

She stalked around the woman, energy coursing through her veins. The woman's magic had given her the strength she now had, and as she watched her, she thought about launching herself forward. Attack the enemy while they least expect it, while she was more focused on Tom. Eyes scanning the area, she made her way toward where a group of patrons were standing, waiting to attack if they needed to. "Keep low, and stay out of her focus. She came for Tom, not us." She whispered to them, eyes never leaving the woman. "If she attacks, run. If she doesn't, stay close, and don't, whatever you do, do not make a sound." She nodded toward them, before making her way back to Tom. Noticing that he had dropped his shield, she once more got into a fighting stance, ready to possibly par the blows that would come at her.

Gwalihir

 

[shadowdude505]

Randy nodded his thanks to Lucius. He would have kicked the bucket back there for sure and that would only put more stress on Roxy; stress she didn't need right now.

Behind cover, Roxy continued to squeeze Randy's hand. She felt useless as the standoff between Tom and the strange magical lady continued.

~~~
Mai made her fox fire fizzle out. It was what the lady wanted, but not enough to escape from her wrath. Luckily Tom stepped in to protect her. She made a mental note to reward him later, once the magic bitch left.

The kitsune still felt like she had too much magic running through her body. She'd just have to endure it for now; she didn't want to make more trouble for Tom. Waiting for the point where words would no longer help, Mai positioned herself behind Tom.

Gwalihir

 

[Gwalihir]

(Ashy, please catch up when you can.)

<< Behind cover, Roxy continued to squeeze Randy's hand. She felt useless as the standoff between Tom and the strange magical lady continued. >>

At a gesture from Lucas, Dan pulled down the great rectangular shield on the wall and positioned it in front of Roxy, Randy and Krista.

“You three are our weakest. Stay there if you can,” Lucas instructed.

<< She nodded toward them, before making her way back to Tom. Noticing that he had dropped his shield, she once more got into a fighting stance, ready to possibly par the blows that would come at her. >>

Tom glanced back at her a moment, then set his eyes once more on the woman. “Good girl,” he muttered under his breath. “If I charge, you flank me. She’ll hit me, but you’ll get an opening. Got it?”

<< The kitsune still felt like she had too much magic running through her body. She'd just have to endure it for now; she didn't want to make more trouble for Tom. Waiting for the point where words would no longer help, Mai positioned herself behind Tom. >>

“Mai,” Tom muttered quietly, “If you can, if she gets distracted, grab a shield, invest your power in it and pass it to me. Understand?”


Azalea stepped forward. “Morgan le Fae. Much you see aright, but Thomas is innocent. It is I who have contrived this night.

“Oncst seven races all combine
At six times of sevens thrice
A thousand years of charms untwine
Taliesan rises from the ice.”

Azalea continued forward, walking past Tom and the two women behind him. She had been somehow transformed into wearing a glowing white robe. She removed the white rope at her belt and let it trail like a loop in her hand. “This must be done, sister. The world in chaos lies, and unity may be our only savior. And why would there be a prophecy if we were not meant to fulfill it?”

“Unity?” cried Morgan: “You dare speak to me of unity in the name of our betrayer? Where were you during the years of slaughter? What did you see during the ‘glorious’ crusades? Women and children hacked to pieces in the name of the ‘One True God!’ There lies your ‘unity:’ the unity of the oppressor, standing on the mountain of his kills!”

“You cannot lay this blame at the door of Taliesan or his student,” replied Azalea: “They did their best to join traditions and peoples. It was those who came generations after, zealots who ruined it all.”

“But it was they who let in the Christians,” hissed Morgan. “Let in the dog, you are responsible for the fleas.”

“Not the fleas from a hundred years hence,” replied Azalea, “And those we faced in that day were not like the others: they were fair of heart and soul, and lived for the legacy of Taliesan and Uther’s son.

“You forget the dream that was Camlann, and that dreams can live again.”

“Fie!” shrieked Morgan: “‘Tis you who forget how one man’s dream becomes another man’s nightmare: how dreams fester and die in the cold light of day. I’ll not have your dream turn into yet another terror. I shall stop you, by whatever means I can.

“Six times of sevens thrice: an’ here we be, on the twenty-first day of the twenty-first year of the twenty-first century. Soon shall come the twenty-first second of the twenty-first minute of the twenty-first hour, and the times shall be complete. I’ll not let you join in ceremony: the time shall pass, and prophecy be broken!”

Azalea shook her head. “You grow weak, crone. The power it takes to keep open this bridge drains you and strengthens us. We will fight you, and be victorious.”

Indeed, it seemed as if the figure of Morgan had slumped and her face taken on the lines of age. The woman scowled about. “Seven races, all combine: I rob you of one, you have not the power to break the curse. Which shall I kill? You, the Tuatha de Danann? The little vixen? The human, or the zombie?”

Morgan raised her staff and spun it above her, white fire appearing in a ring and growing stronger every second. Azalea stood swinging her white belt, but looked small and frail in front of the Fae.

Tom reached back for the shield from Mai, and yelled: “CHARGE!”

Ashy_OCdesigns shadowdude505 BasilOwO

 

[BasilOwO]

Sam stood behind them, stalking around the woman. Her eyes were fixed of the other wolves, including Roxy and the human boy, Randy. Shaking her head, standing in front of them, her pupils dilating. "Stay back." She snarled to them, crouching low. Unless they had a death wish, which she assumed they didn't, they would stay behind her. A growl grew in her throat, and she'd once more go back to watching the woman. "Morgan..?" She murmured, until she heard Tom screech attack. She launched forward, attempting to get close to the woman.

Gwalihir

 

[shadowdude505]

Randy and Roxy huddled behind the shield. They didn't quite understand everything that Morgan said, but unity didn't sound so bad. Was the prophecy really such a bad thing? It kind of sounded like Morgan was stuck in the past.

Randy held Roxy close. "It's going to be OK," he said softly. He didn't know everything Morgan was capable of, but they had a lot of able bodies on their side; he choose to be optimistic and put his faith in his new acquaintances.

~~
Mai nodded to Tom.

While Azalea and Morgan were debating, she sneakily grabbed a shield and slowly imbued it with her fox fire. She handed the shield to Tom when he yelled charge, but she didn't join in the charge itself; even though she did have claws, her strengths were better suited for ranged magical combat.

Gwalihir BasilOwO Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[Gwalihir]

<< [Sam] launched forward, attempting to get close to the woman. >>

She was not alone. Lucas (in his Crinos wolfman form) brandished the great mace, Curtis (also in Crinos) swinging the battleaxe and most of the wolves in their natural wolfen forms charged as well, as did about a third of the vampires on the other side of the room, some human and armed, some as giant wolves and some as great bats. Todd and Albert stayed human and behind, grabbing shields and swords to stand guard over the three behind the wall shield.

Ben grabbed Niko, dragged him over the top of the bar and dropped him behind it for his protection, then stood guard.

Morgan appeared startled by the sudden attack from all sides, but swung her staff down towards the floor and in a great circle around her. The ring of white fire expanded as it came down and struck the floor, then rebounded out from her in a dozen small white fireballs. Where each of them struck one of her opponents went down injured, but there were too many for the fireballs to take them all out.

Tom’s shield was struck by two bolts, but Mai’s foxfire snuffed them both out. He ceased his charge and ducked as the battleaxe and mace swung through the space where she had stood a moment earlier. She had leaped away a few feet, but now was bowled over by other attacks. Someone grabbed her staff and someone her whip and ripped them out of her hands.

“RELEASE ME, NOW!!” she screamed, and a shell of power knocked her attackers away. But her clothes were torn, there was blood on her arm and face and her headdress had been ripped away. Her frizzed gray hair hung disheveled about her shoulders. Her figure burst into white flames and grew, but wavered as she staggered back.

“You win this round, betrayer of Tuatha! But she who sent me shall not let this stand! E’en if Taliesan rises this night, we shall stop you!”

She clapped her hands above her head and vanished in a ball of white flame. As she vanished the extraordinary powers she had brought with her faded, and each person was returned to their normal state.

And for a moment, there was silence...

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

"self control" Niko muttered to himself as quietly as he could as he scooted away from the battle.
"Okay...So a random magic lady came here and boosted our magic?"Niko said the first word quietly and then raised his voice by quite a bit(he's by the door)

 

[shadowdude505]

Mai leaned on a stool as her magic levels returned to normal.

"I'm not sure that was intentional," she said to Neko. "Sounds like she wanted to pick a fight. Why boost the power of your opponents?" Maybe to make things more entertaining if you're sure you can win, but Morgan seemed too by the book for that."

Mai walked up to Tom and planted a kiss on his cheek. "For being my hero back there," she said with honeyed eyes. She flirtily walked her fingers up his arm.

~~~
It was over...for now anyway. Randy and Roxy came out from behind the shield.

Roxy didn't feel like she could transform anymore, not that she had wanted to in the first place. If she really had to, she probably would have; but she didn't want to rip her clothes in front of Randy at the moment.

She stayed huddled close to Randy as her brain process what the hell happened.

"W...what was that all about?" she asked Tom sheepishly. She turned a little red as Mai kissed him. A part of her wished she could reward Randy like that...but right now a hug was the best she could do. "Who is Taliesan?"

Gwalihir Ashy_OCdesigns BasilOwO

 

[BasilOwO]

Sam watched Mai, eyes narrowing. Shaking her head, she turned away from the two, looking pointedly at Roxy. "If I had to guess, she wanted something from Tom, or the one who spoke up." She explained, rubbing her face. She had little care for the woman, and that could be seen in her actions. The way she moved, while being subtle, was still enough to show that she had been shaken and downright bothered by the interaction that had occurred. Not only had she launched herself forward with little care for her own safety, she had been struck by one of her attacks and she still found herself on her feet, albeit drained and suffering from multiple wounds, the most notable one being the one of her stomach. Her shirt had been all but incinerated by the attack, and now that the pain and energy drain set in, she found herself collapsing to the floor. The burns on her stomach weren't bad, though they did end up causing her to whimper softly from the pain. Of course, her whole body had been covered in burns, seeing as she had ran in with nothing but her fists and her sheer will to protect the patrons and her co workers. Wiping her face, she winced as the burnt skin peeled from her hand.

shadowdude505 Gwalihir Ashy_OCdesigns

 

[Gwalihir]

<< "Okay...So a random magic lady came here and boosted our magic?"Niko said >>

“No, not random,” Tom replied: “That was Morgan le Fey, sister and enemy to the King Arthur of legend. Have you truly not heard of her?”

<< "I'm not sure that was intentional," she said to Neko. "Sounds like she wanted to pick a fight. Why boost the power of your opponents?" >>

“Quite right,” remarked Azalea: “The enchantments that prevent us all from using our powers here are like a blanket covering the ground, keeping anything (magic) from rising. To be able to use magic herself, she had to lift all of the blanket: a tremendous effort, and one with certain side effects, like raising our powers.”

<< Mai walked up to Tom and planted a kiss on his cheek. "For being my hero back there," she said with honeyed eyes. >>

Tom turned to her kiss, then swept her up in his arms and planted a kiss on her lips worthy of Valentino. Azalea paused a moment, respecting the intimacy of the scene. Finally Tom broke the kiss and spoke.

“First I thought I would lose you, then you gave me power to fight back. I will not risk losing you again.”

He set her down gently, then turned to Azalea. “What the hell were you thinking, opening us up to THAT!”

Azalea answered. “I planned this, true, but I had no idea that Morgan of all people might show. I thought her lost in the mists of time, a legend long gone.”

“And yet, here she came,” replied Tom, glowering.

Azalea repeated his words. “And yet, here she came. She had good reason: this one night perhaps of all time, we have a moment in which we can free Taliesan from the prison in which she yet holds him after a thousand years.”

<< "W...what was that all about?" [Roxy] asked Tom sheepishly... "Who is Taliesan?" >>

<< Shaking her head, [Sam] turned away from the two, looking pointedly at Roxy. "If I had to guess, she wanted something from Tom, or the one who spoke up." She explained, rubbing her face… she still found herself on her feet, albeit drained and suffering from multiple wounds, the most notable one being the one of her stomach. Her shirt had been all but incinerated by the attack... >>

Azalea gasped as she saw the extent of Sam’s wounds, and rushed over. “Oh, you are badly hurt! Give me just a moment… “ As she laid her hands on Sam’s shoulders she quickly chanted words in some language Sam didn’t recognize. Sam gradually felt a different kind of power coursing through her, bringing healing to her burned skin but not her heart.

Azalea took both of Sam’s hands in hers, gauging the success of her healing overall. But she could see that something else was wrong: something that pained the bartender when she looked at Tom and Mai.

“What is it, Dear? Did that display of affection hurt? Had you feelings for Tom?” Azalea spoke quietly as she searched Sam’s face. “Or, not Tom? For Mai?” Azalea squeezed her hands in sympathy. “I won’t tell. We should talk sometime soon.”

Then Azalea turned to the room and spoke louder. “For those who know not, Taliesan is the first name by which he was known whom you would call ‘Merlin.’ If we free him, it is my belief we can free Arthur the king, and bring forth a new era based on the principles of Camelot.”

She looked to the clock, which now read 9:05. “Sixteen minutes remain. If any have questions, I plead you to ask them swiftly.”

Ashy_OCdesigns , shadowdude505 , BasilOwO

 

[BasilOwO]

She shrugged, pulling away. "I don't like Tom, and I never will." She growled under her breath, getting to her feet. The pained look stayed on her face, but she knew it was hopeless. "I have but one, why would she come for us if she's searching for Merlin?" She asked her, making her way a few feet away from everyone else. She felt safer in her own skin that way, possibly because no one could see the mental damage placed on her by the attack in general. There were things people didn't get about her, and that was okay. Perhaps it was jealousy, but she saw what the two had and longed for it. Being as she was, she had gotten used to being put on the sidelines, downright ignored in some cases, and not even a thank you when she all but burned up. Sometimes, she wished her wounds hurt her enough that more than one person would notice, but the mental wounds, the ones placed on her by her parents, her siblings and even her old friends struck deep within her heart, leaving scars there that never left. When she was human, her parents had outcasted her, made her feel unwelcome in her own home because of the fact that she liked the same gender.

It never made sense to her, the feelings she felt for people she knew she would avoid for as long as she could before running once more. She always ran, had a knack for it and while she didn't pride herself in it, it had saved her more than once. When she had been turned, she had ran. When she had found Tom.. she had ran from herself.. even if she had stayed in the god forsaken bar that had caused her the physical pain she had felt only moments ago. Get yourself together, Jones. Your parents wouldn't approve of this and neither should you. She cursed herself internally, a growl rumbling lowly in her throat. Take it from experience, never find yourself crushing on a vixen unless you'd rather have your heart ripped out by the roots and given to a vampire on a silver platter.

Gwalihir shadowdude505