Difference between revisions of "Hunt For Priest"

Latest revision as of 00:19, 7 March 2014

Hunt For Priest
Date of Scene:	06 March 2014
Location:	Mullonde
Synopsis:	A small group of Shadow Lords, led by The Huntress, descend upon a local church.
Thanks to:	Artemis, for organizing the scene.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Will Sherman, Kaydin, Morrighan Alazne, Sanel, Artemis Eurus, Louis LeBlue, Arkham Fisher, Queegmaa, Echo, Warden Thache, Lynn Cascadia

Warden Thache has posed:
The sun is bright. The wind is clear. The creaking of the topsails cause a smile to come to Wardens face. Its a familiar, pleasant sound that has been with him for many a year. Hes fallen asleep to it more times than he can count. The wind in his face ruffles his hair and tugs at the ears that are pricked all the way forwards in anticipation of what is to come. This is always the best part of it. The initial reaction. The preparation to see the look on their faces when everything comes together.

Today isnt a day for sleep.

Its a day to set to work.

The silhouette of the Bloody Pearl rises like a sea monster from the depths as the ship clears the forest surrounding his target. The dragon skull-and-crossbones snap in the breeze causing shock and panic to ripple through his target. Warden knows just how intimidating the sight of a 29 gun brig-o-war is when you aren't expecting one to be /flying/ like that. The pirate captain laughs, the sound harsh and mocking as he settles his tricorn on his head, smirking at the figures dashing to and fro below him.

He raises his voice, amplified three times over by the systems of his ship to boom down like gods own thunder upon the hapless monks and clerics that inhabit his chosen prey today.

"HEAVE TOO AND PREPARE TO BE BOARDED YA ROBE WEARIN MAGGOTS! LEAST I DECIDE TO SHOW YE THE FACE OF YER GOD TODAY!"

The man knows how to use that voice to its fullest, cowing lesser figures into surrendering just so there /is/ no bloodshed.

Spooks peers down at the church below him, frowning slightly. "...I dont think they can heave too capn. Its...a church..."

Warden cuts the outside feed and drops his voice back to normal levels as he smirks towards his racoon. "...oh I know. But its the principle of the thing. Have to keep in practice and all that. We haven't had a good pirating in awhile. I mean..." He gestures to the roaring crew on the deck behind him, waving weapons and all itching to get to the plundering. "...look at them! I couldnt let them down could I?"

"I suppose not, capn. I suppose not."

Artemis Eurus has posed:

The Church is actually open for a mass today, some of the local folks sit in the pews to partake.

The priest, one Father Benedict, is a man just a bit past middle aged, judging by the grey of his hair and frown lines; furrows of righteous damnation formed over years of condemning those who don't follow the doctrine of the church. While he isn't the most powerful man in the Church, he is outspoken. It is known that he has been involved in the capture of many supposed heretics, a label that is often applied by men like this on a whim. Most go to prison, their lives ruined, their families lives ruined. Many are tortured, forced to confess crimes they didn't commit. Some are put to death, and by then it seems a mercy.

Those who flee are hunted relentlessly.

Af if that wasn't enough, there is something darker still lurking in the shadows of the Church, a darkness only a few know of. Heretic, they brand, to cover their own shame.

"We must condemn the heretics! They bring danger to us all! Only in turning these poor souls over to the Church can their souls be saved! They taint all they touch--do not give a known heretic aid, for they will bring ruin on your lives and your souls!" the Priest preaches, his powerful voice rising to carry to the back of the sanctuary. The people sit, enraptured by his charisma, caught up in the fear for their souls.

They don't know what kind of darkness lurks.

Today the Huntress will stalk that darkness. For an oath. For vengeance.

Warden's voice booms out from aboard the Bloody Pearl and the congregation gasps, shocked! They're being attacked by PIRATES!?

Only a moment later, the beautiful stained glass of the window behind the priest shatters into multi-hued shards as an armored figure crashes feet first through it, swinging down on a rope from the airship above. The priest turns around just in time to get an ax kick to the face, sent sprawling forward, blood and bits of his teeth flying from his mouth to splatter the nearby pulpit.

The Huntress lets go of the rope and lands neatly, drawning her blade as she stalks forward toward Father Benedict. The tall figure with long golden hair draws the shadows around her, a misty darkness flowing around her form and the mask she wears, a menacing green light shining from her eyes. The darkness almost seems to take form as it shifts and undulates around her, forming the maws of various beasts of battle for only a moment before they melt back into the shroud of shadows.

"Leave," she says simply to the congregation, and they are trying to do just that. The doors have been thrown open as the people scramble to flee. The Huntress' eyes are only for the priest as she moves toward him, smoothly drawing her blade from its sheath as he tries to shuffle away from her, eyes wide with terror. "No...no...it can't be..." he sputters. "Vile heretic! She's come to murder me!" he yells, hoping someone will help him.

Warden Thache has posed:
"I have to admit," Warden adds towards his everpresent familiar and companion the gun-toating racoon names Spooks. "She /does/ know how to make an entrence."

The racoon nods before he pauses a moment. "...you sure you just don't like the way she looks in that tight outfit while swinging around on a rope."

Warden pauses to give it some thought. "I admit. It helps."

The racoon sighs. "...boss, yer impossible."

Faruja Senra has posed:
There are only a few things certain in life: death, taxes, and Faruja Senra poking his fuzzy whiskers into Artemis Eurus' business. Especially when that business is Heretical with a capital, bolded, underlined, and flashing 'H'.

Faruja Senra, is in fact, on vacation for once. There's this lovely little lake nearby with a small shrine to Ajora, and after a good round of fishing? Faruja's heading back to the small church, the freshly cooked catch still steaming in the basket he's stuck them in. At his side is a certain Sister Arkham Fisher, the person who's all but forced him to take a vacation after stress and injuries put him in a bed for about a week. The cure? A relaxing fishing trip, with the catching to be distributed to a family of poor parisioners.

Faruja is greeted, however, with the sight of fleeing men and women, and screams of 'Heretic'!

Luckily, Faruja brought a fishing spear. "...Methinks our vacation is over, Sister. Come!" Hopefully Warp magic doesn't upset Arkie's stomach as the rat wraps them in a swirl of light that spits them out into the cathedral proper. It's there that his eye meets a familiar figure standing with drawn blade.

"HERETIC ARTEMIS EURUS, IN THE NAME OF FARAM, LAY DOWN THINE ARMS AND SUBMIT TO THE JUSTICE OF THE LORD!" Furious would be an understatement. Faruja's squeaky, roaring voice has the nearest pews shaking. Leaping forward, he all but tries to tackle the woman...and therefore ensure the Priest's escape!

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin was hiding amongst the congregation, hoping to see a friend of his. He had hid himself completely with robes acting as a miser. He only halfway listened to the ma-okay the priest made his eyes glaze but he did pay attention to the first few minutes atleast before all hell decided to break loose. When the woman comes and kicks him in the face, he actually began to pay more attention to the goings on with a curious gaze. He remains seated when the rat and company warped in and he gives a smirk under his hood. He then reaches the nearby basket of cooked fish to munch on some fish from under his hood. "Why Faruja, I never knew you would give me dinner and a show." The robed man spoke as he continues munching.

Queegmaa has posed:
In truth, Queegmaa didn't buy a good percent of what the church tried to pass off as 'the truth', but since this institution was actually less about spirituality and more about imperialism, he had a niche, thanks to the letters of reference given by Rakassa to Cardinal Jaren, upon his transfer. Bishop Emerald was particularly fond of the troll because he'd done all sorts of slimy deeds under private contract for her when he wasn't on duty in Vector, but Que's days as a Vectorite were seemingly over, because now he'd been fully ordained as a 'Exalted Chaperone', which was something akin to a cross between a priest and a crusader.

Being that he was a 'chaperone', he had to make an attempt to watch over 'the flock', thus, the kappa was obliged to put forth some sort of effort to see that Father Benedict wasn't slaughtered by some disgruntled marauder. He was in one of the back rooms when all of the bustle was developing, and entering into the main body, he took sight of Faruja ordering Artemis to stand down, which immediately made his stomach turn-- he didn't want to have to deal with Artemis, since she had demonstrated an ability to lift an entire deer with one arm while holding a sword in another, as best as his memory recalled, beyond the fact that she had weird shadow magic at her disposal.

Peering around, he looked for somebody else to fight, or at least hinder, considering that he preferred to mitigate the melee aspect of combat, while inflicting weird anomalies from afar..... and taking shelter, whenever possible. Que started to fiddle with some of his adaptors on his cybernetic appendages, preparing to use all sorts of gadgets on whoever would be so unlucky as to have to deal with him!

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
Lynn is just here out of curiosity for lack of ever having been in this area, and getting drawn into the mass because she heard it was today, and why not? Perhaps her curiosity would get her in trouble, but that wasn't going to stop her from checking it out.

She really wished she hadn't. Heretics, heretics, heretics. Heretics from dusk 'til dawn. Religion was not particularly her strong suit, but this was both dull and rude.

The dull part would be shattered a moment later when the stained glass window behind the priest shattered too, and a shadowy woman leapt in to attack the priest... and then someone showing up out of nowhere and declaring the shadowy woman a heretic. Ooh. Fight's about to break out... who's in the right? Who to side with...

Arkham Fisher has posed:
It's not that Ser Senra isn't a skilled mage, and she /certainly/ doesn't have a weak stomach, it's just that Arkham Fisher wasn't anticipating the jump. It'd have been nice if he'd waited until she'd finished standing up, for instance.

She lands in an extremely awkward crouch, catching herself on the corner of a pew, and opts not to stand, just yet. Tall weeds get cut, you know.

She was, in fact, rather enjoying Faruja's holiday; she'd been hard upon the poorhouse circuit for weeks, and she rather felt she'd earned an afternoon or two. Alas, it's not to be. Here she is on the front lines again.

She grips her work knife-- the only weapon to hand-- and looks for the /other/ threat. Even as imposing as she is, that samurai probably didn't storm the chapel alone... Aha! Found you, Warden, skulking around the margins there. "By the right," she announces to whoever's listening, indicating the pirates.

Warden Thache has posed:
I'm in an airship above the church! I'm not skulking!!

Echo has posed:
"Hrm... /religious/ folks. The kind of people who'd disguise their own darkness and malignance with doctrine. This place has become unsightly, torch it," Echo muttered aloud to herself as well as Morrighan Alazne, who had come under a rather miraculous attitude adjustment the past week or so, it would appear, as she was apparently here along with the shadow bat herself. "Afraid it's the only way to save 'em from getting further and further into their wickedry, Morri," she shook her head sadly as she looked over at the dark elf, and went about patting out the sleeves of her dress and rustling her wings as she prepared to get a good deal of fire magic ready for the church.

Sanel has posed:
This sacred church that is holding a mass with the locals. It was an ordinary day. The presence of chaos is joined soon after. Where as the people have gathered in the mass are under attack by the Heretics, this presents an opportunity.

...An opportunity that should be utilized.

"Winter Dusk. Your task is simple. Get to it."

Where as the arrival of a ship by the pirates comes barging in and the stained glass shatters in a mess with the armored figure making her presence known...

A very ominious malign magic pervades the air. This dark magic is a sharp strike towards those with magic senses. It is a very powerful, overbearing source of magic that is feels like a numbing hum. This feeling is far beyond darkness. ...It is chaos.

Even worse, the air becomes uncomfortably chilly. Walls are slowly building up frost and those within the people scramble to flee, they are starting to shiver uncomfortably before collapsing from the frigid cold. Even a breath will leave a thick white mist of the chill.

A figure approaches.

This small figure is a little boy with an oversized coat who does not look any older than fourteen. A golden yellow eye has no life in it, yet the mass of hair covering one part of the face has an ominous red glow.

The presence of the frigid cold is all coming from the boy.

Some may once known him as Sanel.

However, the person before them is the Frigid Executor, Winter Dusk.

He only surveys the surroundings, taking everything in. The attackers, the defenders. The eye falls over towards Faruja briefly.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Miraculous adjustment indeed.

Morrighan who'd gone missing for a week, has now suddenly turned up at the side of Echo; who was apparently a Shadow Lord. Fun times for all. She also seemed to have undergone a slight bit of a makeover. Her big, white dress was gone, instead replaced by a gothic, black number. Probably Echo's choice. And someone also saw fit to finally give the girl a haircut. Probably her first one in a handful of decades.

The dark elf stood by the bat mistress' side, eyes mostly blank, and just a little bit cold. She did not seem to have much of an opinion about anything or anyone happening at present, save for Echo. Upon hearing 'torch it', Morrighan's expression did not change, but she nodded just slightly.

"Of course."

That said, she pulled a gun from her dress, watching as Artemis pulled her dramatic entrance. Was she the one they were supposed to be assisting? Without much further thought the elf stoof at the ready, apparently waiting for their ringleader to make the first move.

Oddly enough, she didn't seem to recognize Will, Faruja, Kaydin, or Queegmaa. Knowing Morrighan she definitely would have made /some/ sort of sassy remark. But there was none.

Just silence.

Louis LeBlue has posed:
Father Benedicts had recently invited one of the Knights Templar to visit his congregation. Honored by the request, Louis of course traveled to the church. But as he'd told the man at the time, his time for pleasantries was short, and he was liable to arrive late. To think that arriving late would have such consequences. Would the Huntress perhaps have chosen a different target had Louis been there?

From the distance, Louis approaches over the hill, riding his massive black and armored Chocobo. Having spotted the strange Airship looming above the church from a distance, the man continues to spur his Chocobo on to go faster, the large halberd out and at the ready. "Heeee! Faster!" He calls out, as he squints his eyes to get a better view on what is going on.

It's certain that Warden will get the call from his friends on the airship with him, who are liable to be keeping an eye out for trouble. But surely, a single rider shouldn't be that much trouble. Still, the man has presence. Even from a-far, his voice booms through the air as the black Chocobo dips down a hill towards the church. It won't be long before he'll make his appropiate entrance.

"!! Who dare attack a church of the holy faith!? !!"

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
The complications just keep piling up. Unable to really decide who's right or wrong, Lynn defaults back on her instinctual methodology: just make sure nobody dies. She's none too perturbed by the frost, but she can tell the people who were trying to run are, so she sends them flowing out on a gentle stream of warm water that should hopefully rouse them enough to let them get away from the scene. That said, the main conflict at hand, to her mind, seems to be the shadowy woman and the one declaring said woman a heretic, so...

Warden Thache has posed:
"So much shouting down there," Warden comments to his crew as he glances over his crew. "You think attacking a church wouldn't be that big a thing. I guess some people round here take the whole religion thing fairly seriously."

"Yeah, makes me glad I'm a racoon. A lot less pressure. Seeoahtlahmakaskay isn't all that jealous. He's pretty chill really. Keeps wanting me to get married though." Spooks replies as he frowns down at the mess starting below.

"....thats a mouthfull." Warden replies as he eyes the little guy. "I didn't know you were religious at all....does that make you the ships Chaplin?"

Spooks shrugs. "You're apparently a favorite of Coyote."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Warden smirks as he looks back down at the mess on the ground. "Alright though. Enough shouting. I don't see anyone standing down. TO THE LONGBOATS!"

A dozen crewment rush to the pair of smaller airships, intending to get to the ground. Warden goes with, leaping into the front of the boat on the way down. He pauses to shout once towards the deck of his ship.

"SHALE! GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!!"

As the airships sail down to deliver the load of loot-hungry pirates the ships cannon /roar/ and the steeple and belltower of the little cathedral take a full broadside. Demolishing the stonework and scatteing the steeple and the bell itself across the countryside.

He /did/ warn them.

Good thing no one was up there at the time.

He flips off the airship to land easily in the courtyard with a smirk. "Get to work boys!" He calls cheerfully. "I'll keep them busy for you!" He adds, landing not /too/ far from Echo and Morri and somehow managin a sweeping bow in the process. "Ladies," A feline grin is given. "Glad you two could join us."

Artemis Eurus has posed:
The heretic would not hesitate, if her eyes could be seen they would be resolute in her purpose. This man had made them run. This man had ordered innocent people tortured. This man would continue to hunt them still. Ramza and the other Braves would be a little safer if this man was conveniently missing his head.

Before she can make a real grab for him however, Faruja bursts through the doors and condems her in a breath.

Artemis pauses, a well of conflicting feelings rising in her. Memories surface, battles, talks, other...things. The memories of many lives. Gently, she frowns beneath the shadows that obscure her face. While recognizable, Faruja would find Artemis much changed as she wields the darkness around her.

"No," she says to Faruja, her voice distant, even as he flies toward her, looking to tackle her away from the priest she means to kill. She meets him by calling up the darkness, the jaws of a wolf forming form the dark cloud to snap in response as Artemis dances to the side to avoid being tackled. "I don't want to hurt you Faruja," she says with an unnerving familiarity, at least it would seem to him. "This man has innocent blood on his hands," she continues, her body moving seemlessly into a ready stance, her katana raised.

The Huntress notes the others in the Church, assumably Faruja's posse, though Lynn appears to just be trying to figure out what is happening before she chooses her path. It would also appear she and Warden have a degree of backup? She has noted Echo and Morrighan's presence, but for the time being, she must deal with Faruja.

A barrel falls over, and the king of hobos falls out. A friend, she had thought. He won't think much of her friendship now. No expression can be seen through the mask of darkness, but she turns her glowing green gaze toward him, her voice carrying a note of sadness. "Ramza does not know what I know now," she answers. Truly, she knows eventually this path will likely get her killed. But if she can save Louis? That could break the cycle...

Then Sanel arrives. The temperature plummets, bringing this sunny early spring day to one of frigid cold. Artemis looks toward Sanel. That child...? Ramza had told her about him. He'd been /very/ concerned about the danger Sanel posed. Well, she supposed she would see.

As if the moment hadn't had enough revelations, Artemis hears Louis' voice and it echoes through her very soul to strike a chord in her that is fundamental to her being. One thing that had been the same a dozen times. Will would notice the strands of fate between them. "Louis..." she breathes.

Queegmaa has posed:
The imp grumbled as a certain dark elf appeared on the scene, preparing to commit arson to a building that he had to act like he didn't want to see burnt; this was going to be fun. She may have been in enough of a trance to rob her the ability to recognize him, but he could tell who she was quite adequately! Que still had a vendetta against that woman for what she'd done to him a couple months ago.

Grinning at this little turn of events, Queegmaa shouted out to Faruja, "Din I tolja dat Morray is a skank! ya 'fended 'er at da trial cuz ya din listen t'me, 'n now yer seein' dat she shudda been stuck in some 'ole somewhere fer da rest 'o 'er days. I'll be da first ta tell da bishops 'bout dis, if ya dun clean't up!" He grins widely, trying to maneuver some tactics into his diatribe, declaring, "Ya do me a favor 'n keep Arte ockeepied, 'n I'll deal widd da elf!"

Not that the Burmecian wasn't battling Arte already, but Que didn't want to have to deal with the befouled bushi, so he figured this would ensure she'd be kept off of his back! With this, he starts to charge up, so that he can do something unpleasant to Morrighan, soon thereafter.

Louis LeBlue has posed:
A few moments later, the massive black chocobo warks and pads its way down the center of the church, proudly carrying its master forwards to the altar. "Stop this foolishness!" The man calls out, pointing his halberd towards...

Artemis?

"Artemis?" At first, it is a question. Then, it becomes a statement as his eyes narrow to mere slits. "Artemis. After all this time you come out, and the first thing you do is to commit to violence on a man of the cloth?" It is almost like the man sounds disappointed in her.

"First you murder your father, then you set out to kill innocent priests? I will have none of this! The Faith will be protected of the deeds from people like you. And I shall be its guardian!" The halberd is raised to the air, drawing the attention of those around him, before jumping up into the air, off of the Chocobo, and comes down like a Dragoon, lance down and going straight for a kill. From there, he tries to swing the lance back around his neck, and sweep it along his arms towards Artemis' midriff in an attempt to literally 'fling' her into a nearby pew.

"The fact that you are my sister will not stop my blade."

Will Sherman has posed:
Things get very weird...

Very bad...

Very fast.

Will's eyes dart to Sanel, widening in horror and distress...and then to Morrighan, and following the trail of magic right towards Echo. For a moment, he looks stunned...and then growls...

Those with magic affinity will feel something highly powerful, potient, and destructive raise right out of Will. A matter of...will...suppresses the killing intent, however, both Will and it seem to focus their power into a coalescing that is weaker than what is originally felt, but stronger than the Hobo was before. Those with knowledge: Fae will get a idea what this is.

Those with Knowledge: Aesir, know exactly what this is. The Chained Loki.

Will's demeaner changes, his eyes sharpen, and his arms glow red...so many things to do, so little time.

"<GOOSEHONK> All this crap. I AM GOING TO KICK SO MANY BUTTS, I AM GOING TO BREAK AT LEAST THREE BUTTS BY THE TIME I AM DONE.." he points at both Sanel's Keeper and Echo, "STARTING WITH YOU TWO!"

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin finishes the fish and puts the bones into the basket. Seems while the fighting was going on, He ate the fish Faruja caught, not seeming to mind the destruction happening about him. He pulls the hood and robes off however to reveal and armored left hand, the right hand wrapped with chains which connect to a black sword. "Now that I have eaten, I can join the fight proper." He says as he begins to walk towards them. For those who could sense the light and darkness, it is clear that if Kaydin was part of the church, he was from their dark knight chapter. Which they dont have. Plus the sword has the symbol of Baron on the blade. Speaking of blade, Kaydin's sword flies for the woman, and then the chain is swung to send the blade back at her a second time. "Faruja, you cant cook." He says to the Burmecian.

Arkham Fisher has posed:
Alright, /now/ there are pirates. Swaggering, not skulking. The samurai is a diversion, effectively if not intentionally; those dozen raiders are going to be the real problem.

A wash of warm water around her ankles nearly makes Arkham jump, and she can't track the source. It's enough to get her moving, though; things are going to get hot here in a hurry.

She joins the surge of churchgoers toward the doors, to run some interference for them. In the courtyard, the pirates descend from their longboats, perfect targets for a crosswing.

Reaching open air, her element, she snatches up some power, hastily, and a sudden gust sweeps the street and sky.

Sanel has posed:
Those cold eyes drift over to deal with the survey at his following results:

A girl who has been healing the people affected by the frost. There is no interest in the girl. The eyes soon turn.

There is a glance over towards Will for a brief moment. There is something about Will. The boy is gazing over towards the stranger for moments. The attention has fallen over him. In fact, there is something else peering towards the stranger who had arrived to talk about Sanel.

~ An opportunity. Winter Dusk, deal with... Hrm. That stranger will have to wait. What a pity. Crowd control. ~

The loot-hungry pirates have started to invade the courtyard. That brings the Frigid Executor's attention towards the very area that they seek to invade. The interest in Will is one that is put on hold to deal with other important matters.

...Execution.

The little boy walks with a slow, methodical step. Each step after another is intentionally slow. With the pirates.

The boy simply lifts a hand up towards the air.

"...Worthless trash."

The voice, while that of a child, is hollow. There is only emptiness int hat tone. Wires suddenly snap from the ground. The razor sharp wires lash out. That dark aura emits a very ominous glow.

"Perish."

Those strands seek out to rip through the invading pirates by the numbers, the strands soon multiple to form like a spider's web.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Warden is given a brief glance. "...." Some small part of her found his antics amusing, and so she cracked a slight smirk, but said nothing. It was Echo's job to do the talking. She had nothing important to say anyhow. All she needed to do was to act on the requests made of her. And that right now was to assist these people in the burning of this church. ...Whyever for, she didn't bother to question.

Feeling the temperature dramatically lower, The elf's gaze fell upon Sanel and she narrowed her eyes. "....." That boy was trouble. She could sense it in every way. Some part of her saw him as the real threat here, but...something caught her attention. Did someone call her name?

Glancing over towards Queegmaa, Morrighan arched a brow delicately. ".....?" His accent was terrible, and the statements he made were completely foreign to the woman. In response, all she did was squint slightly at the kappa's appearance.

Will's outburst provided another brief distraction to her. The dark elf tilted her head slightly in confusion. But then shook her head. "He seems angry, Mistress. Why is that?" And all while asking, she casually set an ammo cartridge into her gun, turning her attention towards Queegmaa. In an act of what might be irony, considering she has no idea who he is, she pointed her gun right at him.

And then the trigger was pulled, releasing a sudden blast of flame, piercing through the air at high velocity and aiming to scorch the man without a second thought.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Kaydin gets a grin as recognition dawns, tempered with the righteous indignation so common to his calling! Though there's far less than one might imagine! He's had some experiences with other dark knights, after all.

The parishioners are out...on a wave of water? The oddly water-haired young lady gets a worried glance, but Faruja's first concern is the priest. With Louis taking the front on her brother, The Burmecian leaps back, armor scarred from the snapping teeth of the darkness-hound. His eye goes wide, holy magic flaring around him.

"...Ye hath fallen so low." His words are tinged with sadness. Surely this is a Templar mourning for a lost, fallen soul!

"But ye shalt not drag this man down! If he hath any crimes, the office of Holy Inquisition shalt see to them. Ye art..."

Morrighan. Sanel. Echo. Three figures he recognizes. Fear runs down his spine. A mere look tells him that isn't the boy he knows, but the horror that he saw so long ago. That strange woman, and...Morrighan.

"Lady Alazne! What art ye doing? Hath ye forgotten all that the Church did for ye!?" Queegma does a good job of reminding him of how badly this is all going for him.

"'Tis...it does not make sense." Indeed, the rat sounds confused...and suspicious.

Then pirates. Damnit. The Burmecian pulls the Father behind him, even as he thrusts his blade at ARtemis.

"I hath a duty to do, and ye shall not keep me from it, Artemis Eurus." Holy light slams down from the sky.

"Holy Explosion!"

Kaydin gets a squint. "...remind me to take up lessons after we take down these Heretics!" He actually sounds happy to see the man. Will too!

Echo has posed:
"Looks like someone doesn't like us, what do you think we should do with this man?" Echo peered over at Morrighan with a curious tilt of her head, perhaps wondering what the memory wiped Dark elf might be thinking. "I don't know who he is or what he wants but I'll handle him so you can get on to the great work we're here to do, yes?" Echo patted the dark elf on the shoulder as she loaded her gun. Morri had turned out to be such a great experiment so far, she was thinking on keeping her, really. Always helps to have a magically-inclined dark elf around!

"Alright mister, lets dance," Echo stared down the crouching hobo magic king, her slender bracelet'd arms down at her sides like a cowboy, lightly wriggling her delicately nailed fingers as if she was anxious to get her hands and arms into motion and cast.

"Draw!" she raised her hands forward and sent a sparkling mote of energy forward that when impacting the earth in front of Will, EXPLODES and sends the earth itself rising up around him, trying to bury him it would appear.

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
And then, suddenly, onslaught. Accusations, assaults, revelations. All of it comes at once. The church is now a battleground for who knows how many sides, how many forces, how many goals and motivations. Trying not to think too much, for thinking would just cause unnecessary hesitation, she mutters a few soft words.

"It's your show now, Nereid..."

With that, she enters a sort of half-awake trance, still actively shaping the water around her, the water in the air. She's not much for hurting people, but protection she can do. If the goal is keeping people alive... start with the most bruised, and work upwards from there.

Artemis Eurus has posed:
Another recognizable voice. Queegmaa? The cowardly creature she'd met while hunting? Rakassa's minion. What is he doing here? Tch! If he gets in her way, well...if it started a quarrel with Rakassa, so be it.

Artemis turns to face Louis, the darkness whirling around her. "You spout the same old nonsense! I am not the one who killed our father! IT WAS THAT /THING/ INSIDE OF YOU!" she replies, voice booming like thunder. Louis descends on her like a stormwall, strength lauded by all who meet him--he'd always been keen. A prodigy of battle.

Artemis brings her blade up to block, but flies backward anyway to crash into a nearby pew. Wood splinters and flies at the impact, but Artemis rolls and is back on her feet in a heartbeat, just as Kaydin comes in with his sword. The woman's katana moves to pary, though with Faruja coming in to attack her as well she is unable to completely deflect the attack. "Stay out of this dark knight," she says to Kaydin. "I have no quarrel with you."

Faruja's holy light slams into her then, the darkness that surrounds her raging against it with claws and teeth and unheard howls of primal fury, but the light burns her still. "Tch! Like the Inquisition has seen to the deaths of innocent people!? They do nothing but kill and cover up their own blasphemies! They will never see this man pay for him crimes! He will continue to spread his hate and his fear, and when someone speaks up against him they will be branded HERETIC, hunted down and tortured! No Faruja, I will slit this man's throat," she tells him, flicking her sword up quickly.

Artemis looks to Louis again, her gaze brightening. "You...you I will SAVE!" she cries, the sweeps her sword out in a powerful arc, darkness and the force of her cut slamming into those around her to try to push them back from her, and destroy that much more of the church around them. More pews explode from the force, another nearby window shattering.

Then Artemis moves for Faruja again, trying to get past him to Father Benedict, not forgetting her mission. Louis tempts her...but she's not ready to do what needs to be done with him. Not today.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa is definitely sensitive to magic, since he was a demon in his own right, and his specialty was a blend of technology crossed with divination-- he was not a knight, a monk, or something of that nature. This said, he became uncomfortable when Will started to channel something freaky through his system that felt more powerful than a lot of whatever else was being flung around in the immediate vicinity, causing Que to start debating the idea of fleeing.

For now, he could still tolerate the chaos, but already his courage waned; besides that, since everyone was trying to save their own skin, or flay somebody else's, if he did take it on the lam, who would actually notice, and get him reprimanded? The troll could always claim he was hit by a stray 'Confuse' spell that was the culprit behind his departure. Although innocent of her effrontery, Morrighan will still take the heat for her assault on Que, who has no intention of forgiving anybody, anytime soon.... especially people who shoot him!

Queegmaa condenses a little as the blaze envelopes him, causing him to howl, which depletes even more of his willpower to stay. His response is to call upon an acidic downpour to soak both himself and Morrighan, enabling the flames to be doused which had ignited him, but also to cause her grief in the process. Water and poison wasn't something that was terribly detrimental to the aquatic imp, so he could afford to take an acid bath.... fire was much worse for a fellow who liked to stay moist. "Why're ya sittin' dere all silent? Bat got yer tongue?" Que scowls at Morrighan, at first. "I sawwed ya come in wid 'er!" He grins, and rethinks things, "Well it dun make no difehrnce t'me, if'n fact I might even say it's nice not havin' tuh have ya runnin' yer trap, cuz half the folks 'round here luhks like garbage.... 'n anyding comin' outta yer mouth wud jus' be addin' tuh dat garbage!"

Warden Thache has posed:
It seems that Warden has drawn a bit of attention with his rather flamboyant entrence. Some of it isn't /that/ unpleasent! He saw that almost smile there Morri. Some of it is more so, the gust of wind borne by magic snatches one of the longboats and it skews off-course.

The cat captain howeveris quick on his feet, leaping up and planting one foot in midair. Air for him that is solid as stone to throw himself towards the control pannel of the small airship and right it before it crashes into anything.

A glance down towards Arkham and the man gives her a half-grin of amusement. "That wasn't very nice there you know." He drawls out towards her. "I supose we can't talk about this?"

A pause.

"No. Supose not."

Leaping out of the longboat the man's hands seem to fill almost by magic with a pair of pistols.

Just as he is about to fire, shouts of dismay from his crew catch his attention as he turns to see his men being...well...mangled by webbing from a...little boy.

The captain frowns slightly.

"...normally I'm not much for aiming guns at children, but something tells me you're not a conventional little boy. And I'm afraid I can't have you just mangling my crew without trying to stop you." One of the pistols angles towards Samel. "It would be bad form you know, and I can't have that."

Will Sherman has posed:
Will's attention was drawn towards Sanel for a moment...those things were horrifying...

And then Draw!

The earth tries to eat him, and it does...but a moment later, he brusts out, hurt, but not done yet. His eyes blazing as he stares down the Bat.

"I'm not playing." he says, his voice reverberating. Two speaking as one, it almost sounds like, as he shoots right towards her, aiming to drag her to the ground through sheer grabing the strings of fate an...

A gust of wind happens.

This puts her right in his path, as he drives towards her, aiming to punch the bat across the face...his hands weakening her strings of fate, aiming to tear out at her resistances to his power.

"I can see what you did to her, you witch! I can see the magic, the strings of fate, and...WHAT I am about to do to you!"

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin shakes his head. "You spend your time practicing as you do with your worship, you would be a master, Holy Knight." Kaydin says. When the woman tells him to stay out of it, he pulls the chain and grips his sword. "If you kill Faruja, then I will no longer have a reason to come to church." He says as he charges in. When her attack comes, he watches the darkness, studying it and like a dragoon, Leaps up over it, however he gets to see what it does to Faruja. He gives a slight gasp before for a moment Darkness surges about him and he comes down onto Artemis, eyes darkening as he brings his sword down with the intent to cut her in two as well as her defenses. As he strikes, a blast of dark energy surges from his sword to engulf her should he not cleave her in two.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Feh. The same old argument, with new bloodshed and crimes. That strange, far-away voice...it scares Faruja, even as much as the resurgence of Sanel's alter ego does. Faruja's eye narrows.

"I am afraid, then, that ye shalt hath to go through me first, Heretic. I hath no intention of standing down." A glance back to the Father, the rat nodding confidently...even as he forces the man back towards a back room. He'll have to get the man out of here.

Artemis comes for him, and she strikes him true. It's the Father that bungles any attempts at a parry, grasping to his shoulder as he is, and only a last minute shove of the Father prevents him from being skewered as Artemis' blade roughly goes straight into his body. Blood soon coats the Father's clothes, and Faruja gurgles and coughs.

A shaking hand grips Artemis' arm.

"To use such fell power...pathetic. It shalt not heal thine wounds. This? This is a path to destruction, and the Abyss. Turn away, while ye can." With that? Faruja's shining spear comes at Artemis' side, flowing with holy power in a hard stab.

Arkham Fisher has posed:
Arkham's attention is not drawn to the horror that is Sanel; they've met. No, her attention is drawn to the horror that Artemis has just visited upon Ser Senra.

Not /again/. She can't let him out of her sight for a minute without he's getting sawn in half by something.

Dangerous, though, letting him split her attention like that... a medic's no good if if she needs one herself. Her hands still twined in the breeze, she sweeps Warden's broadside aside, and turns to her /primary/ responsibility.

The winds may whip harshly, but at her command they blow smooth and soothing towards Faruja, carrying as much of Faram's love as she has in her. May his strength never flag.

Louis LeBlue has posed:
"It is the truth, and you know it!" Louis calls out towards Artemis. It is hard to tell sometimes, whether this man is a liar, or if he truly believes this... made-up truth. Is the demon within him that strong, or is it something within his psyche that has simply become so twisted under the pressure of the reality of his action?

He doesn't respond to the accusation of something being 'within' him. Artemis has already 'seen' that demon through his actions and the revelation by Ramza. "And you are wrong! You have a quarrel with him. You have a quarrel with me, with Sister Fisher, and all those who believe in the righteous Faram." The Halberd comes to fall with its tip to the ground, and the man slowly moves upon Artemis' position.

"It is not _I_ who needs the saving!" Louis replies to Artemis when she calls for his own need to 'be saved'. "It is I who will /free/ you from this mortal coil, so you can redeem yourself to our Father." The Templar swings his Halberd, letting it come down with a violent arc towards Artemis' blade, halting the approach upon his body. Sparks fly between the blade and the strong body of Louis' weapon. His muscles tremble from the violence and struggle of strength between the two.

Artemis can tell she's a little stronger. Like she can push him back a little more than before. But it's not enough. Louis draws back, and the flash of darkness from her attack rampages outwards, but has lost its ability to strike Louis. The man's blonde hair trails with the force of the strike, and splinters fly around as the pews behind him explode. The man shows his teeth in anger.

"You've grown stronger, my sister." The man growls.

Artemis tries to head towards Father Benedict, but Louis moves to try and cut her off from her path. But Faruja is there before him. Louis continues on his way, and just as Faruja finishes his attempt to stab Artemis, he moves before the Burmecian and lays a hand on his shoulder. He gives Faruja a stern and confident look. 'I've got your back', he seems to be telling him.

The man then twists around and thrusts his Halberd out towards Artemis' midrif. And before his reach even goes far enough to strike her, his other hand moves to the pommel of his blade. Artemis knows him to rarely take out that blade in battle, unless he feels an opponent deserves the full measure of his strength. It is not in Spear-wielding where his true strength lies after all.

And with a wild upwards movement, the blade escapes its scabbard and cuts out towards her face, easily capable of granting her a nasty scar lest she move back in time or otherwise resist his attempt to mark her body. Finally, he stabs his Halberd into the ground and takes the Katana with both hands.

"This stops here." His gaze settles straight on her, and her alone.

Echo has posed:
"Urgh!" Echo winced as she was pulled down by some kind of force--the flecks of dirt and rocks flying as her attack burst open the earth around them. Her wings flapping, Echo growled back at the male and tried to pull herself back into the air, her feet pointing down and sandals raised in case she came crashing down again, her arms focusing a surge of electrical energy down at Will, the sound of lightning crackling.

"Gonna have to try harder than that with this witch, honey!" she snarled with a malicious grin, ivory fangs quite evident in the bat lady's sneer.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Morrighan only blinked slowly at Queegmaa's insults. The acidic rain drew a brief grimace out of the elf, and instead of saying a word, she just raised her gun again. "....." Undeterred by his words, she pulled the trigger once again. Another shot was fired, this time, in the form of a crystalline dragon. It crashed headfirst into the troll, causing a freezing burst of ice.

Morrighan could feel the poison seeping into her body, and only spared herself a brief glance. ...No time to remove the effects. And besides...

What went best with water?

A little lightning of course.

Wordlessly, the mage raised her free hand, causing a magic glyph to appear in front of her. It began to crackle with electricity, an omen of what was soon to come. And come it did. Shifting her stance, the gun was pointed at the glyph and the trigger was pulled once again. Another lone bullet was fire and as it passed through the magic circle, it trasformed into an array of chain lightning, several of them lancing out and and then converging onto Queegmaa in shocking surge of electricity.

"Who are you and what issue do you take with me?"

Asking calmly, despite the fighting, they were the first words to be uttered from Morrighan towards the kappa.

Will Sherman has posed:
The Lightning fires at Will, and he rolls, he feels it dance over his back, but not a full on strike. He rolls to his feet, and once more strikes at the fate, instead of a gust of wind, a barrel falls out of nowhere, aiming to send the bat crashing back to the earth. She was sure there wasn't a barrel there before.

Will comes in again, "Well, I can't control everything, so forgive me." He says, with a wry Grin, as he comes in again...

This time, he aims to plant BOTH feet into the chest of the Bat, aiming to flip off of her and come down on top of her...using his unique Hobo sent to make things...bad.

And then he aims to just sit on her chest. "Now, how about you stay still while we have a conversation about NOT using your powers to screw with people's brains, right?"

Sanel has posed:
The Abominable Horror exists within the body of a small child. Coldness embodies the form in both demeanor and physically. The mangling of the pirates yields no smile. It yields no frown. However... those that die?

If Will looks directly at the course of the event, there is something resonating around the boy. The wbloodshed caused by the boy's actions is drawing the fallen over to the boy. That ominous glow fills the boy, taking in the deaths of the pirates that have fallen.

...It all comes straight towards something along the boy's neck.

His eyes lift up towards the pirate as he pistol angles at him with a gunshot. Once the pistol fires, the boy already springs back to avoid the rounds fired his way. The force behind it does send him in the air, and he hangs along the ceiling. The soothing wind runs along the boy, giving a brisk, refreshing feeling. ...Provided that he could feel it.

However, just as the one form of Sanel hangs along the ceiling...

"Worry about yourself."

Another Sanel has appeared right beside the pirate. The arm moves towards the pistol-wielding arm. The way how the other form moves to ensnare the arm... and possible snap it. The hand then quickly snaps at the side of Warden's knee. Should both strikes hold true, he seeks to lunge forward with a flying knee towards the man's face.

Echo has posed:
The smell of ozone and burning hair is probably evident as the surging bolts of plasma-like lightning race for the ground, sending up more chunks of earth and debris. When black mages fight, stuff is going to get messed up, yo.

"Wuh-ooh! I can do this all day long!" Echo found herself back in the air, but already being pulled down again, the bat basically becoming a yoyo, a bit comically. As Sherman approaches her for his vault against her, his feet would find empty air as the bat sidestepped and zipped off to the right, almost too quick to see. Leave it to her upbringing by assassins to finally pay off in unexpected ways.

As she was quite close now, Echo snapped her fingers and jumped back, shards of what looked like crystal erupting from the ground and speeding at Will like daggers, her white palm outstretched to send a few more blasts of magic at him.

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
An eye of surprising calm in a storm of chaos, Lynn lets her tranced state take care of what she intends to do. No thoughts about morality, about right or wrong, just about life. Brutal assaults are flying about on all ends, but her focus is directed toward the original pair that dragged her attention into this conflict in the first place. Gentle streams of water spiral around her before seeking out each of the pair, and, when (or if) the streams catch them, whirling their way around the two, soothing their pain and mending their wounds. She really cares not for the fight at all.

The priest Artemis has been targeting hasn't escaped her attention, though. If people would stop trying to murder each other for two seconds, she could do something about that...

Artemis Eurus has posed:
Someone from the crowd has been using their magic to help her. That hasn't escaped her notice, though she hasn't had the chance to thank her. The woman gets a glance and a nod, whoever she is. Unexpected help was certainly something she hadn't expected.

As Kaydin swings for her again, wielding the darkness with it, Artemis brings her blade up and stops his, redircting his momentum to parry as her own darkness surges up to protect her from his. "Tch! I don't want to kill Faruja," she informes him. Her tone seems genuine despite the battle that rages between them. This is how it is almost always done, after all. A hint of a smile might be seen as the fog of the darkness shifts around her face, only the glowing green of her eyes unmoving.

She winces as she sees Faruja's blood, to see the wound she's given him. Memories surge through her but she must let the pass, she can't become distracted. Faruja brings his spear toward her, the blade glowing with holy light, aimed for her side. Artemis brings her sword down to parry, but the spear cuts through the dark armor to the skin beneath, a bit of her blood spilled on the sanctuary floor.

The Huntress looks to Faruja, the darkness parting for her face for a moment so that her expression can be seen. "It's almost always like this between us...but it is not always. You called me friend in another time, another world," she says softly.

In a blink Artemis turns to meet Louis, sword bluring to come up to try to block his strike. The bones of her arms vibrate, muscles screaming with the effort of holding him back. She is stronger than last they fought, yes, but Louis still hits with all the power of a charging krogan. He forgoes the polearm for his sword and Artemis leans backward as he brings it toward her face, the darkness parting for the blade. The physical mask beneath cracks, but does not shatter.

When she looks to Louis, she feels more than just rage. There is great sadness, a sadness so deep it eats at her soul. How many times had his blood been on her hands? How many times has she watched him die, become a kinslayer to avenge their father? Again and again and again!

A cycle of violence.

No, she would end it.

"You're wrong Louis," she tells him, swinging toward him with her blade, several strikes in rapid succession, fast but also terribly strong. "We both need saving!"

The darkness of the Huntress rises from around her in another surge, beast of battle forming to try to keep Faruja and Kaydin off of her, creatures of shadow that form and disappear like waves.

Queegmaa has posed:
Morrighan keeps shooting her pistol, and Queegmaa has an easier time blocking the ice attack as it surges at him, but he has a harder time with the electrical attack, that sends striations of plasma through his body, causing him to convulse, and some of his robotics to spark. Evidently Morrighan had enough consciousness to be able to discern what elements went with what other elements, for it takes awareness to do any kind of math like that, but maybe not enough to tap into the fullness of her identity.

Whatever Echo did, to Que, it didn't matter, because he would've been just as malicious towards the drow, even if she's acting oddly serene through the whole affair, "Well if ya dun know whatcha done den why shud I tell ya? Ya blastit me b'fore 'n now ya started shootin' me affer I tol' Faireejee dat I was gun deal widd ya. Cudda talkt it o'er, maybe, but ya went'n shot me cuz yer a savage, unwasht mongrel! Ya dun know nuddin' but how tuh try'n bully udders aroun'!" He barks at the dark elf, accusing her of being the instigator in all of this.

Did Queegmaa have any real plan to 'talk it out' with Morrighan, originally? Of course not! But that doesn't mean he can't /claim/ that was what he'd had in store for the two of them! And who can prove him wrong, since he didn't fire the first shot, so to speak? Once again, Queegmaa lying through his teeth, making others into the victimizers while playing the part of the innocent martyr! But he also plays at something else rather well-- spellcraft! So immediately, he draws his hands up, and a stone-made jagged array of teeth seek to bear down on the dark elf, to gnash her within them, before it would spit that energy to Queegmaa, if successful. Lifeshaver has been employed!

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin evades the attack or tries to, but she manages to sick beasts of shadow on him and he is driven back hard. He then manages to move in with speed unbefitting a dark knight and shoves Faruja away. (well more kicked him away if we are going to be honest.). Course with him now taking the woman, he groans as his body almost explodes with the black energy of darkness, and with a swing of his sword he sends a massive blast of darkness to Artemis and if she manages to evade that, he swings his sword twice more, sending two blasts at her.

Will Sherman has posed:
Things aren't going well for Will today, apparently because the sliding scale for hitting things is still waaaaaay overblanced towards accuracy. Go figure?

Will is driven back, growling...he needs just two good hits on her, he knows...he weathers the pain, driving back to his feet through sheer determination. His eyes narrowing at Echo as he gets into a strange stance. Once more, he goes on the offensive, aiming to strike at her, fists aiming to catch her face, before he moves to sweep the leg, but then turns into a mule kick...it looks like some sort of break dancing.

"You talk too much." he says, before fliping back to his feet. "Don't you know? Fortune favors fools and children." he grins...and Will is technically both.

Warden Thache has posed:
A flash of movement, a flicker of shadow. Who is to say just what gave Sanel's gambit away. As the boy's hand clamps down on Warden's arm, he would find the captain smiling at him. Its a sharp smile, a foxes smile.

"I plan on it."

His second strike is blocked as Warden simply drops his pistol to grapple. The Pirate's agility is something to behold, faster and more liquid than any human could match. A grace in each action that gives way to something brutal as the Pirate kicks his gravity boots on and leaps into the air, spinning the captive 'boy' around once to build momentum before flinging him at Arkie.

Sorry. Have to put the healer down.

This is not to say that he isn't paying attention to everything else. Artemis' duel is the centerpoint of things. Its intresting really, he'll have to ask about that later. Echo and Morri have thier own fights, but they seem to both be holding their own /and/ looking good while doing it.

"Spooks! Go! Get the wounded out, and grab anything else you can." He calls towards the Racoon to get his men moving. More worried about crew than loot at this point. His job is to get their attention, and well. He's managed that.

Back to the combatants the Pirate smirks easily. "...you don't like pirates much do you, boyo?" He asks of Sanel.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja nods swiftly to to stern form of Louis, the man taking strength from his fellow Templar. Faruja continues to give ground, all but kicking the door to the back off of its hinges; there's less room here, and thus less opportunity for the good Father to be harmed!

Arkie's healing is more than helpful, and Faruja is filled with Faram's love! As well as a desire to return it in the form of stabbing-related hugs. To Artemis, anyway. "Hold fast, Arkham!" Calls out the rat encouragingly. He'd help, but he has a distinct Heretic problem. Cue protective spells her way!

Faruja looks into that ghost of a smile in the darkness. Confusion. Even a hint of fear sits upon his muzzle. He's silent for some time as he tries to fend her off, constantly shoving back the wayward FAther. The man's soon behind a desk.

"...What in the Lord's name art ye talking about? What...other worlds?" Squeak-growling, the rat readies another spear strike! But then, there's a majestic boot to the rat, and he goes flying riiight atop the Father. Squeak. Old man groan.

"Th...tank ye Ser." Oh, and it seems the oddly-haired woman is again healing. Both of them.

"M'Lady, while I appreciate the assistance, PLEASE DOTH NOT HEAL THE EVIL, HERETICAL DARKNESS-WIELDING MISTRESS OF PIRATES." Sorry, you're now officially evil Artemis.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Morrighan simply blinked once again in response to queegmaa's claims. "......" Well, whatever. If he wasn't going to tell her anything, then she didn't care enough to push the issue. That wasn't part of her directive. Nor did she really care that much. Queegmaa would be correct however, in assuming that Morrighan's mental facilities weren't completely messed with. She was still intelligent, able to think and solve problems. ...She just conveniently seemed to remember no one.

In response to the rather fierce attack coming her way, the elf simply hopped aside a bit, expression betraying nothing. She was as calm as ever. After that was out of the way, the elf straightened her stance again, casually ejecting the spent cartridge from her gun and replacing it.

"I'm only going to say this once." She began, a faint magical aura beginning to ripple off of her body in waves. "Leave. Get out." A deep breath was taken then. "If you continue to spout nonsense, then what comes next will be on your head."

The aura of magic was growing stronger and stronger. It was clear now, that Morrighan's powers were not impaired in the slightest. And that something big was going to happen, if the troll not heed her words...

Warden Thache has posed:
"As a note," Warden's cheerful voice cuts into Faruja's yelling. "Mistress isn't quite accurate! We havn't slept together, yet!" A pause as he adds. "I wouldn't mind making it official sometime, but...just thought you should know."

Echo has posed:
"How'd ya like that? Shall we go again?" Echo's eyes grin soon turning into a look of surprise as the man moves toward her with a burst of speed, catching her head in a punch, and a sweep that knocks her off balance. "Augh!" the bat goes rolling back, before finally coming up to rest on her arms and knees, her yellow eyes narrowing in on the martial artist.

Her wings snapping up, the bat magician's hands began to glow blue, like eldritch fairy light. "Freeze to death!" and as she beat her wings, surges of cold wind like that of a blizzards began to surge toward him, covering the ground below in sudden ice crystals, forming here and there.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"...BY AJORA'S PANTALOONS I DOTH NOT WISH TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF HERETICAL BEDDING ARRANGEMENTS!" Notably, Faruja's nose is bleeding. It wasn't prior.

Warden Thache has posed:
"...for someone swearing by a pair of pants, you sure do seem touchy about talk of people without them!" Warden calls back. Just pointing out the obvious here!

Arkham Fisher has posed:
Why, Sanel, back so soon? There's really nothing Arkham could do to help the poor boy, or herself for that matter, even if she was prepared for the attack. As it happens, she turns back to the pirates just in time to catch a flying ninja full in the face.

Sanel should be grateful, at least, that she broke his fall. She, in turn, is grateful that a row of pews broke hers. Sort of grateful.

Now she really /will/ have to do something about that cat. With more ease than you might expect, she shoves Sanel off into the aisle, and hauls herself upright on a shattered bench. This time it's not the sky she reaches for.

With a crackle like a musket volley, the cobbles of the courtyard shatter upwards in a whirl of shrapnel before Warden, while behind him a great stony spine rushes to make his acquaintance.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will decides to change tactics, she wants to keep to the air, so he'll just have to fight her there. He crouches, and then FLIES straight up, Csys luck isn't with him today, but that's okay...if he can just get close to her once more. He kicks the code, and curses the name Oathkeeper for some reason, but that is mostly because Will messes with the Fourthwall sometimes. He doesn't need to knock her out...he just needs to do this ONE thing.

He soars at her, aiming to litterally drive through the ice, the blizzard tears through him, freezing him, making things hard to feel...but he still flies, aiming to...

Litterally hit her in the face with his head...

And drive both fists down, aimg to strike at her...but the attack isn't just physical, he strikes at the strings, at the magic she has binding Morrigan's fate to her own.

"SHATTER!" he shouts, aiming to destroy the magic, and hopefully Echo.

Sanel has posed:
The other Sanel watches Warden from the entrance of the church, standing on top of it with crossed arms. He is gauging how the man interacts with his other form. The eyes keep that focus on the man. No scowl. No frown. Just intentive gazing.

The one on the ground range with Warden does not have luck as the man drops his pistol. The man has a very dark grace and manages to grapple the boy and quickly sweeps the form over towards Arkie. That second Sanel is tossed immediately towards the woman, but it manages to catch itself and skid along the ground.

The first Sanel springs up from the top of the Church to land on the ground. The boy starts walking towards the man, then he lashes out a wire over towards the man's neck. As the wire seeks out the pirate's neck, the boy brings his hands over an eye.

"It is better that you perish."

As the boy uncovers his hair... it reveals the scarred part of the face. It's as if someone burned the face. The eye that is revealed is that of taxidermy. It is unnaturally melded on... and demonic.

Should the man's eyes fall to the boy's gaze, there is a massive eye opening from underneath the Pirate. A dark light illuminates. It is a soul-burning gaze.

Louis LeBlue has posed:
Unexpected help that goes mostly unnoticed by the man known as Louis, for his ability to read magic is almost non-existant. Aside from the fact that there are /streams of water/ enveloping her and Faruja. It's not something this man cares about though. He keeps his eyes on the prize.

"Stop speaking nonsense and fight me!" He demands from the woman, bringing his blade up once more to ready for another strike. Internally, he is hearing her words though. They both need to be saved. Somewhere, far at the back of his mind, perhaps there is a Louis that understands her words. That would accept her words. But that part of Louis is deeply burried beneath the controlling nature of what 'possesses' him right now.

She comes to him once more, and this time Louis doesn't een move to block. He stares her right in the eyes as she wings her blade, and it cuts over his armor. It's a powerful armor, and her first blade-strikes merely carve a path across the armor itself. There is little in the way of them making it through yet.

And Louis continues to raise his blade with both hands above his head. Power begins to eminate from him. Straight, pure, utter power that is generated by the kind of man Louis is. That kind of killing intent... that power only a master of blades produces.

How many times had they been like this? "I strike Thee down, in the name of the Lord!"

And down comes the blade, powerful enough to rend a man in twain. The power of a demon. The power of something beyond a man. Even were he to miss, the very ground, and the wall behind her is likely to split from the sheer force of the kinetic strike! A single, powerful hew downwards. Simple... yet incredible.

Echo has posed:
"Lets go!" Echo bares her fangs and launches herself through the air, the impact of Sherman's attack leaving the bat thrown back by the force of it, as if from a huge explosion, but she's still hanging there in the air, dress tattered and wings still keeping her aloft.

"You can't break my spell, now do your best impression of a marshmallow" she extended both palms outward, her eyes flickering with a sudden glow, flashing red for just a second. Then suddenly the air exploded into a giant searing gout of flame, sailing directly toward the hobo. Hardly epic dialogue, but do you know how much talented writers cost these days? Psh.

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
Message received, Faruja. Questionable how well it's been internalized, but the streams of healing water do make their way away from the two and toward a certain dark knight who has been battered around by at least a few attacks by now. Lynn still remains silent, as she has been ever since entering the strange trance, but no voice is necessary for something like this.

Arkham Fisher has posed:
FIRE

FIREFIRE

It grabs Arkham by the hindbrain, and sends her diving for cover without even time to scream.

She hits the floor between benches like she wants to be under it, and cowers there, lost to the world until Echo's heat fades.

Will Sherman has posed:
The seal isn't broken...the magic is strained against, but it doesn't break. Damn...is it too soon? But Morrighan fight it on her own? Will...this be all he can do? Maybe it's enough, maybe it's weakened...but this mage isn't dumb, will she allow the seeds he spreads to grow? Will can't take that chance, not while he can fight. The fire comes, and he uses his IMPROVED EVASION, to flip backwards, over the flame, and use it to propel him. Right back into the face of the bat. He moves, aiming to try and use his elbow to smash her back into the ground, and fly back after her. His fist glowing purple, aiming to strike it right between the eyes of the bat, once more trying to break the spell with all of his might. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Artemis Eurus has posed:
Father Benedict is escaping. This is undesirable. If he escapes today? Well, a hunter is patient. She will track him down again, kill him in the darkness. He isn't a man who deserves an honorable death. She will pursue.

Artemis looks to Lynn as healing energy washes over her. Powerful magics that remind her of her mother. "He's right. You should not aid me," she replies to the woman. If seen aiding a heretic? She would find herself branded one.

Kaydin leaps in front of Faruja to protect him for the darkness. She supposes she couldn't fault him for not exactly belieiving her profession of not wanting to kill him, however true it may be. He couldn't know how it is between them.

Perhaps Artemis forgets, Faruja doesn't really know either.

"I would explain to you Faruja, but this is not the time," she replies to him.

As for mistress of pirates? No reply. To Warden, she only gives a look. A look that is completely unreadable. Unnerving.

To Faruja, she grins momentarily. "That is not what you have always said," she replies to him.

Artemis then makes another attack on Father Benedict, darkness bursting from her toward the man, trying to cut him off from the exit. She'll not finish him off like that, though. His blood will be on her hands. As she'd done this, she'd left herself open to Kaydin, his own dark energy slamming into her and pushing her back toward the pulpit. More wood splinters and cracks, more destruction. Artemis leaps back to her feet, eyeing Kaydin. "Good. Protect him. Get him out of here," she says to him, motioning to Faruja.

The demon inside Louis will not be ignored. Artemis meets him again with her blade, sword to sword against this giant of a man who makes Artemis, who is quite tall, look small. She pushes against him, clashing, dancing to the side only for him to strike her again, a brutal blow, sword plunging through the darkness and the armor beneath to pierce her side. She hisses with pain, but only for a moment before she strikes back, adjusting her grip on the sword as she pulls herself off of his, swinging the tip of the blade for his eyes.

"DEMON! You won't win. Today you will draw my blood, BUT I WILL HAVE MY BROTHER BACK!" she roars. The sound of muted thunder shakes the atmosphere, a crack then WOOSH as Artemis seems to split the fabric of reality, disappearing, only to reappear charging like a freight train for Louis, bringing her sword in close, feinting high onto the drop down low and aim a wicked slice for his legs, trying to knock one out and disable him from the fight. It would be clear to him and anyone else who knew anything about melee combat that she was /not/ trying to kill him.

Queegmaa has posed:
The goblin chided Morrighan, "Always givin' orders! Ya think yer in charge 'o eryding, and eryone, but yer just a delusheenul wench who kin see reeltee fer what 'tis even when it's starin' 'er right in da face!" He then feels Morrighan powering up.... something, which had spooky vibes just like when Will was radiating his bizarro energy. Quickly, Queegmaa retorts, "Ya got no rebuttal! That's all da wit ya got! Threats! I telled ya whatcha done, and you dun even acknowledge't.", in the hopes of getting her to think, and possibly to drop her guard for a moment.

Whatever the case, he hastily launches a metal wire from his arm like a bola-rope, attempting to have it wrap around Morrighan and bind her in place for a half a minute or so, to aid his escape. As if to ensure that he didn't get held accountable for abandoning his post, he exclaims, spontaneously, "How.... colorful....! n' yes, I do 'gree.... da chicken came befer da egg!" and then attempts to give Morrighan, Faruja, and Echo a 'buff', to further the idea that one of her attacks had a delayed muddling effect on the kappa, which was only just now setting in!

"I HAFTA FIND DA CHICKEN B'FORE 'E LAYS ANUDDER EGG, OR DA DEBATE'LL REIGNITE FEREVAR!!!!!" and with that, he runs off zigzaggedly into the distance, spouting similar nonsense which would've required either extreme brilliance to contrive, or true madness. Morrighan did claim he was speaking nonsense..... best not to make a liar out of her!

Echo has posed:
Sucking in air, Echo cracked her neck a bit by moving her head from side to side, tossing her long black hair back. Her eyes narrowing into slits, she dances out of the way of the human's attack, one of her wings even striking his shoulder to give her balance as she pivots out of the way. This was more like her using his own body for inertia as she beat her wings harder, careening off him and turning around to point at the ground, a large boulder of mud and rocks siezing up from the ground to try and strike him. Meanwhile, vines and plants slithered up to try and catch at him to grip him in their deadly embrace, ringed with thorns.

Warden Thache has posed:
"Well my friend," Warden calls towards Kaydin. "If you leave a name I'd be happy to---"

Oh god shrapnel.

Warden's cheerful banter is cut short by the shattering of cobbelstones. Flung backwards he catches the spine rushing up towards him out of the corner of his eye.

Twisting just enough he eels around the spine, using its stony surface as cover from the shrapel. His gaze strays towards Sanel's first form just in time to catch that dramatic reveal and the lashing wire.

There is a flash of bright blue, and what catches the wire isn't Warden's neck. Its the edge of a glimering eletric blue Light Katana. He's kept his Grid weapons, mostly because they are flashy.

He likes flashy.

A smirk is angled towards the boy with the demon eye, even as an eye open under Warden's feet. "...I think I have a few other things to do than perish. Sorry." A flash of a grin. "Next time perhaps."

"Right now..." He stomps down hard on the eye under him. "...I think playtime is over."

The stop takes him high in the air, the Katana twisting to snap the wire that wrapped around it. As he lands the Katana itself is already shifting, a different form. A large bore blue-tinged weapon. Very much like a shotgun.

The weapon roars, aiming for Sanel before the captain rushes in. Mechinism on his wrists whip out gleeming golden energy ropes, one aiming to wrap Sanel up much like a mummy, and fling him high into the rafters.

The other snaking towards Arkie with similar intent.

...at least he's not trying to kill them?

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin pants heavily as he feels his wounds healing and see's water doing it. He nods to the woman. "Thank ya." He says before he picks his sword up and grunts as he charges after Artemis this time, fighting with Louis to bring the woman down, a sword strike aimed at trying to get past her defenses, before a quick thrust aimed to try and see how good she was.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
While Will and Echo fight it out, something tugs at her mind. "...!" She wasn't in range to hear whatever the two of them were saying, but a sudden headache had begun to assail her, and she grasps the side of her head with her free hand.

"....What...?"

Confused, the elf looked around for a moment, trying to ascertain what was happening to her. But as soon as it had set in, it was gone.

And then right after after that, Queegmaa's wire caught hold of her torso in the time she was directed. "Tch...!" It was easy enough to destroy the wires, but the time it took had given the slippery troll the time he needed to make his apt escape.

"....." Well, he knew how to move at the very least. But with her target gone, Morrighan had no reason to unleash whatever terrifying magic power she was holding back. And so, the aura that was rippling off of her faded away... She sighed then and looked around. "......" My, she'd been so focused on Queegmaa, that she hadn't been paying attention to the other clashes happening around her.

And then suddenly she gasped, the first real show of emotion from her since she'd arrived. "Mistress Echo!" Suddenly remembering, Morrighan turned and ran off in the direction of Will and Echo's fight, stopping just short. "My lady!" She called, witnessing the fight in progress, but not moving to interrupt just yet.

Will Sherman has posed:
Once more, Will draws on the strings...he tries to DRAG her right back down...one of the mud balls flies off course, which...shouldn't happen...

Too bad Will isn't a girl, right?

Vines grow, mud hits, as he pushes through...once more, trying to get close to Echo. He's bleeding, bruised, he's pretty sure his anckle is dislocated...but he drives through it anyway. He's only got to seal the deal, His hands glowing. Come on...just a bit more, he thinks as he dives right towards Echo...

Aiming to use his head.

By trying to headbutt her. Repeatedly. "I SAID LET GO! LET GO OF MY FRIEND YOU WITCH!" WAM.

Arkham Fisher has posed:
Fear is powerful, they say.

Knowing only that /something/ is coming for her, and it might be flame, Arkham scrambles further down her aisle, frantically.

"No! No!" The wind hears her, and a gust like a knife cuts Warden's bindings even as they near her.

With that cooling breath, some measure of her wits return to the scribe, and she climbs to her feet in the outer aisle.

Louis LeBlue has posed:
The Demon inside does not ignore Artemis. Not in the least. Especially not when Artemis reaches back with her blade towards it. Artemis' approach has her blade be diverted as it comes towards him - failing to notice the faint. Louis did, but the demon doesn't have that innate knowledge. Artemis will see the flaw in his movement...

And she takes that moment and exploits it. The cut across his legs rends flesh and blood from the man. But instead of falling over, the man grabs for her clothing - for the clothing just beneath her throat, and tries to pull her close to him so he might whisper in her ear.

"You will never have him back." The demon hisses at her. "This body will forever be mine." As it stares into her eyes, there is a yellow possessed glint in them; a mere momentary glow, before it pushes Artemis back and shows that Louis truly is no ordinary human as long as the demon resides within him.

While both legs have suffered severe damage, he stands. But it's obvious that it takes quite a bit out of him to /remain/ standing.

Echo has posed:
"Argh!" Echo comes back with her face bleeding from the sudden headbutt, maybe she's gotten hit in the nose, or perhaps a bit of skin above one eye cracked and was abraided to splitting by the force of it, but the white fur of her face is suddenly stricken with red.

"Owww, did you not have parents? Didn't you ever hear not to hit a lady!?" Echo stared down coldly as a red hot laser went searing across the earth from one of her finger tips, the ground actually /catching fire/ and erupting as it focused in trying to lock onto it's target!

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's not at all moving from his possition atop the Father this time. No, as that wave of darkness cuts towards the Father, the ratling taking it all bodily. More blood spills, and he falls to a knee. Only the powerful healing magics of the others is keeping him up. A glance to Arkie. She's not doing much better, and that fire has her screaming. His whole body shivers in sympathy. But he keeps his mind on the prize; protecting the Father.

Pause. Faruja's entire face is red, beneath the fur. His ears fold back. "...What do ye mean I did not always..."

Then, it hits him.

"VILE LASCIVIOUS TEMPTRESS, YE SHALT HAVE ME NOT!" There's more nervousness and outrage in there than anything else. Yeah, his mind went there. Someone soap this rat's brain.

Cue more fiery blasts from the heavens. "HOLY EXPLOSION!"

Sanel has posed:
The wire meets with the blade of that light blue katana. The impact sends the wire snapping back to its proper place. The boy brings his hand out and draws the wire back underneath his arm. His gaze locks towards the pirate as he stomps down at the eye. It is thankful that his actual eye is not on the ground, but the boy narrows his gaze at the man.

As he takes himself into the air, the katana takes the form of a shotgun. As it aims for the boy, Sanel lifts his gaze up, the mechanism releases a rope that aims to cover the boy. Sanel's eyes darken and then he quickly sweeps his form over and away from the coil. Except.. it ensnares his arm. As it quickly wraps around the arm to prevent it from escaping....

The hand forms into a blade. It's as if that arm shapes itself into an actual knife and tears against the coil.

"...Annoying."

The boy lifts his gaze up towards the pirate, and then he takes a leap forward. However, the one boy remains in place, revealing that other Sanel. That other Sanel springs out with another wire. This one is snaps out towards the man's legs in effort to bring the pirate on the ground.

Sanel, however, seeks to not only bring the man down to ground level, but the other form reveals a tanto. That tanto blade gives a very dangerous glint to tear into the man. As the boy seeks to pass through, there is only a bit of chilliness of the frost left behind.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin moves to Faruja, remaining by the Burmecian and the father. "I never knew your services were like this all the time, Paladin." Kaydin says as he keeps by the Burmecian now. Seems he had no quarrel with the sibling rivalry, and remained close to his 'friend'.

Will Sherman has posed:
"No my parents was a self absorbed jackass who only wanted a prison, and a trio of crazy fate ladies. Hint, my parents were weird, had poor values an-OH you mean the people who RAISED me...well. Mom did teach me once that It's bad to hit a lady." he says, correcting his movement. Flare explodes around him, as he dives towards the Bat. The ground aims to swallow him, but he drives through it, once more trying to connect with the face of the bat with his head.

"But she also said that any lady that wants equal rights, deserves equal punishments!" BAM. "NOW LET MY FRIEND GO!" BAM!

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
Good is not nice, dark is not evil. Morality is weird in this world of ruin. Perhaps it's for the best that she's not thinking about it right now. Artemis's discouragement is received, though questionable on internalization as with Faruja's. Lynn's mentality-altered attention turns toward Arkham, the healing streams weaving over toward her. A fear of flame may be soothed by a ward of water, perhaps...

Artemis Eurus has posed:
It's chaos in what's left of this church. She takes in what she can in a the brief glance she can spare. Warden is doing well enough it would seem, but Will looks to be hurt a great deal from his battle with Echo. She seems to be in a similar state, but...

Artemis looks to Lynn. "You should turn your efforts to that man," she says, indicating Will quickly. She's protected him before, and that hasn't completely changed. Many things have changed...but the core of her remains. Whatever it is.

Louis is struck, a hard blow, one that should have crippled him for the time being. He reaches out toward her, reaching through the dark must to grab hold of her breastplate and pull her toward him to whisper in her ear. She growls at the words she hears, vindicated by the knowledge and the golden light in the eyes that should be the very same shade of green as her own.

Then she headbutts him.

Pushed back then, she slides across the slick chapel floor, the polished wood slick with blood and covered with debris. She had intended to no longer attack Faruja, though she is unsurprised by his reaction to her words. She is also unsurprised by the smiting that follows. The holy light sears through her darkness again to burn the flesh beneath, earning another growl from the heretic Huntress. "Faruja I must INSIST you remove yourself from my path!" she exclaims, flashing forward in another blink that has her disappearing and reappearing quickly with great forward momentum, slamming herself into him before disappearing again, flashing backward to repeat the motion toward Louis in hopes to render him unconscious, which would at least slow down the demon until the body was healed. There was only so much punishment Louis could could take.

Just as there was only so much she could take.

Echo has posed:
The bat in critical condition, is able to sidestep Will again, almost like a bull fighter, before aiming her palm towards the ground and charging up a blast of fire for where hse thinks the young man will eventually connect to the earth.

"The hex be damned, melt!" and the earth would suddenly explode in flame, as if the ground itself was becoming molten along with it.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydin moves in with Faruja and while the woman is distracted with the two people, he comes up to slash at her with a powerful strike meant to destroy her defenses and a quick slash once said defenses are gone. "You are not going to win. Get out of here before I decide to get serious." He says to her seriously.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will growls...falling to a knee...

"Morrighan! Come on, fight her!" he says, he's tired, his body is near it's limit. He might house a near god like being, but he's still young for his species...he takes a breath, he has to. He can't give up...

The Shotgun of Leadership flies into his hand. And he pulls it up. BANG.

"Remember that talk we had?!" BANG.

"Remember Avira? Max? What we did to get through to you?

Bang! "Don't give up, fight for a future that is YOURS.." BANG!

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Ye should be here on Ajora's day! Singing and dancing, and praising...less violence and explosions." Responds the rat, smirking.

Whack! Faruja is sent spinning by Artemis' blinking dash. Landing upside down on the wall, there's suddenly a rat-shaped imprent as the Burmecian slowly unsticks. Thud! Clank. Little chocobos dance above the rat's head as he tries to regain his senses.

The Father just cowers.

But, with a great leap, the rat takes the skies. "Come now, ye ask a knight to abandon his duty! NAY, UNTIL I SIT BEFORE THE HOLY FATHER HIMSELF!"

It's Faruja's turn, the ratling aiming a shining, holy smack to the face with his spear's blunt end, resulting in the /other/ wall of the Church to get another hole. No, he's /not/ paying for this.

Arkham Fisher has posed:
Another wave washes over Arkham, and, fisher girl that she is, she takes heart from it. Somewhere back in the melee is the girl responsible, but she won't have a chance to thank Lynn yet. The damnable pirate is still coming. You'll forgive her tunnel-vision. Being a fisher girl, she has /feelings/ on pirates.

Further, she has feelings on people who think to loot churches, and people who toss children around, and people who aid Heresy.

What's coming is big. Warden's a man of the sea, he should feel it in his bones. A distant thunder rumbles, and lightning flashes in Arkham's eyes. Those winds she grasps stir themselves into a grim fury; clouds mass bruise-black over the church and courtyard.

Behind them, the sun shines a sullen red.

With a crack, the storm breaks, unleashing a curtain of hail and rain, and great gales whip the shattered cobbles into stinging cyclones.

Sailor, take warning.

Echo has posed:
"Pfft, do you think the girl even really wants to remember all of the suffering she went through? She's much happier this way, I think," Echo's irises narrowed into tight slits as the sudden blast of... buckshot, magical energy? She wasn't sure, flew towards her, her wings deciding to work again as she pulled herself up into the sky.

"Can erase YOU too!" both of her hands glowed red and blue, a duo of harsh, rending magical energies flowing out from her palms at the hobo wizard.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"......!"

There it went. That headache again. And this time it came back even worse than it was before. "Ugh...!" Having put her gun away in the moment, Morrighan held her head with both hands, doubling over in pain. "Ugh...agh! What...what is...happening!?"

Through the pain, she could hear Will's voice, imporing her to remember.

That voice sounded familiar somehow. ...Somehow, she knew that voice. And it irritated her.

"Shut...up...!" The elf growled out through the pain. "I....I said shut...UP!" Yelling that out, the elf glared up at Will angrily.

But then something snapped. Like a string being roughly parted.

All at once, Morrighan's eyes widened. "...W-Will...?" Well, seems he managed to get through. "W-Wait....what am I...? How...?" She mumbled, hand still on her head in lingering pain and she looked about at all the chaos around her.

And then she remembered.

"ECHO!"

Quickly, Morrighan glared up at the bat, magic power suddenly rippling off of her again.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will moves to avoid...

BOOM.

The shards of ice race by him, and he rolls...and down he goes, barely down, but he can't fight. His vision is too blury, but...

But Maybe he did it...maybe. He breaths, trying to focus, if anything else he managed to keep her from burning the place down...

And then the voice...Morrighan's voice. Will's eyes snap open...a second wind, so to speak courses through him. The shotgun comes down again. "NEVER! I will live with my suffering, my pain...because it makes the good times better! The joy, friendships I have had the pleasure of learning! THE JOY from everyone I have met and loss.." he narrows...

BLAM!

Warden Thache has posed:
This is going south.

Fast.

Between the amount of healers, the nasty Templars there, the random ninja boy, and the hobo with attitude. Well. Warden can see which way this ship is sailing.

He doesn't like it much.

"Boys! Back to the boats! Get what you can and lets head home!" he calls out to his crew who start to beat feet back from here they were doing the important job of looting and defiling the area. "I'll get the ladies."

"Artemis! Your ships waiting! Do what you wanted and lets be gone. This is getting boring anywa--"

He's cut off as Sanel suddenly phases /past/ him. Now that he wasn't expecting, the man hisses as the cold and the pain that pass leaves. The stab wounds don't help either.

His men are already loading things in when the strange mass of clouds. The pirate glances up before he sucks in his breath.

Red Skies.

The gales slam into Warden. Smashing him against the wall of the church. He sees red. He sees pain. He coughs slightly before giving the angry anti-pirate healer a slight smirk.

"Appropriate." He wrenches the words out betwen bruised ribs. "I approve."

A pause again before he shakes his head, trying to recover whats left of his wits. Morri's sudden shout gathers his attention and he curses under his breath.

"Ladies! We are leaving! Now!"

His energy ropes angle out again, however they arn't aimed towards Arkie or Sanel. Now, but towards Artemis and Echo. To help them board if they wish. The now tinged green ropes infusing them with energy as he leaps aboard one of the little longboats. "Come on Artemis! if you die here who is doing to make /anyone/ pay for /anything/ eh? And Echo if you die here I'm going to loose out on a guided tour, so get on the boats!"

Echo has posed:
Getting grazed by the sudden blasts, Echo grimaced as she reached to her shoulder and felt her hand come away wet, eyes nrrowing again. "Can't you even go down right?" she coughed, looking over to a pair of the fallen crystal shards she'd fired before, and seemingly levitating them with her magic, as the rose back up into the air and turned their sharp edges towards Will.

Then all of a sudden, each crystal shard would zoom to intersect him, like an iron maiden.

Louis LeBlue has posed:
Louis responds to the headbutt by blinking a few times; a small trickle of blood dripping down from the edge of his hairline. What follows shortly there-after is a little growl of anger. Louis strengthens the grip on his blade, the pommel creaking as he tightens his hold... and waits for Artemis to get closer. He's leaving himself open on purpose, exuding that sense of danger.

Any lesser swordsman might not even dare approach him. But Artemis is certainly no 'lesser' swordsman, or swordswoman for that matter. Her blade carves across his back, slicing off his armor and revealing the scarred back as both leather armor and cloth falls off...

The man, bloodied and beaten, slowly turns. He moves his arms to let his upper clothing fall off comfortably, revealing his strong muscled arms and chest. There's a massive scar over his chest, where Sanel had struck a good while ago. Every scar tells a tale...

His presence looms over her as his eyes settle on her again, and he adjusts his stance. He's tired, but he manages to gather all of his energy into himself and his blade. His muscles visibly twitch and move, his skin rolling perfectly over them. He brings his blade to his side and takes a single step towards her.

His head lowers, some of his blonde hair falling over his face. He looks the part of a demon man sometimes.

"Claudia." He speaks her name with a sense of reverence. "You've never been able to best me. And today will be no different." His legs tense, and he leans forwards a little... and then... almost seems to disappear.

It's a sudden quick swoop. Like a Samurai, bringing his blade towards her midriff and slicing the blade out and forwards. When he comes properly back into vision, he stands behind her, blade brought to the air. Where he stood mere moments ago the cracked stone of the church showing a foot's imprint.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Suddenly, Morrighan was in front of Will, taking the brunt of the magical assault in his stead and kicking up a cloud of smoke.

"......"

% Once the smoke cleared, Morrighan stood still as ever, and she raised her head to glare at Echo. "You interfered with my life and used me not once, but twice." Drawing her gun and pointing it up at the bat mage, she went on. "You and I are going to have a long talk later."

And then the trigger was pulled, releasing a blast of chain lightning that spiraled and converged on Echo.

Sanel has posed:
That second Sanel that has been in existence...

...fades.

It now reveals to be one Sanel. The boy looks over the pirate. It looks like that the pirates are starting to flee. The boy lifts a hand up, opening a palm before twisting his fingers in preparation to snap.

....To slaughter the pirates where they stand before.

... Until something snaps the attention of the boy.

"...Hrm."

Soon, the boy no longer pays any heed to the pirate as he leaves. Winter Dusk was called to have no interest.

This being turns away from the departing pirates to return whence he came.

...At least...

...Until he collapses and shuts down.

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
For once, the suggestion is taken seriously, as the waters continue to snake around, making their way toward Will. Then the onslaught, and someone taking a hit for him. No. No dying here today. Lynn redoubles her efforts, the waters speeding along to swirl around him and soothe his wounds a little before anything else bad happens. Her trance is faltering, but it's done its job.

Echo has posed:
g Just as the long crystal shards were ready to impale Will finally, Echo was speechless as Morrighan was suddenly there and pierced by them, stunned.

"But I gave you what you wanted, what your heart truly wanted..." Echo could feel blood dripping from the corner of her mouth and it wasn't somebody elses this time, it was likely due to a blow before.

"Gyaaaah!" the sound of the bat's voice is undulating due to the convulsions of the electricity suddenly lighting her up like a christmas tree, the wings and full skeleton of the bat clearly visible for a moment as she's elecrocuted by a short but massive voltage.

"Uhhhnnn... ohhhh..." her hair standing straight up and dress clearly burned and probably even on fire in some places, Echo topples over with a thud.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will looks up...

Well...he gave it everything he had. There wasn't any shame in that. He smiles a little. At least he managed to reach her.

And then Morrighan throws herself in the way. Will looks staggered, falling to his butt and looking up as Morrighan, for possibly in the first time in her life, looks /epically/ heroic, and blasts a chain lightning at the bat.

"M-morrighan," he says, with a smile on his face, as the waters of life flow over him. He stands, waving towards Lynn! "Thanks." he says, and looks up towards Morrighan.

"T-thanks. I guess we saved eachother's bacon there." he manages a grin, and still looks pretty shaky. He gave it his all, and the healing was just enough to close his wounds, not heal the over exhersion.

Artemis Eurus has posed:
Artemis turns toward Kaydin, his sword slicing into one of her arms as she turns to minimize damage. The armor takes a hit, and some of the darkness drifts away from her form. That green gaze narrows slightly.

Then Faruja gets back in the game and takes to the air, to the sky (there goes more of the roof!) only to slam down on her again with his spear. Artemis displays the ridiculous, beautiful, deadly grace, as she dancing backward from where Faruja lands, slicing out with her sword toward his legs as she executes a spin. A quick bite of her blade.

"No, I don't expect that you will give up. You always did fight to the end. I always respected that in you," she answers, her voice warmer than would be expected of someone /stabbing you/.

But to leap up to spear her, he'd stopped shielding Father Benedict. Warden is pulling an evacuation, and while she could just use the dark corridors to escape, there would be no defeating those who came to defend.

She only wishes they knew the kind of man they were defending.

Artemis narrows her gaze on Father Benedict again, who cowers and condemns her still. The darkness undulates around her, the a raven, a wolf, an eagle take form brielfy in those rolling depths. "Sleep today Father, knowing I will be coming. Know that the Hunt will find you, and I will drive you before me like the beast you are," she tells him, her voice sharp as glass.

Almost reluctantly she turns toward Louis, still standing, still fighting. That move...he'd taught it to her. He'd been her first teacher. Not her only teacher, though. No...so many others. Artemis stands her ground against Louis, bringing her blade up to block him, the steel of her sword cracking...she can't hold against the sheer, brute strength of him. He's bigger, stronger...but she's quick, skilled, and has the experience of fighting for her /life/ for years on end to aid her. She throws her hand outward, hopiong to hit him with a wave of force and crackling blue energy. "You're wrong. So wrong, Louis. I've bested you many times...oh, but I wish I hadn't," she replies, sweeping her sword outward in another slice, sending another wave of force and darkness around her.

Then the Huntress makes for the ship, as Warden so wisely suggested.

She passes Lynn and stops, then bows to her. "Thank you," she says, then runs to meet up with Warden.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Hmph...!" Her glare didn't falter as Echo finally fell unconscious. "Gave me what I wanted? You fooled me into thinking I killed my friends and family, and then rewrote my memory for your own selfish ends! How is that anything that I would want?"

Granted, Echo couldn't answer, but she had to get that out of her system. The elf quickly glanced toward Will and nodded, managing a genuine smile for once in her life. "...I guess we did. Thank you."

She then looked towards Echo's fallen body once more. "I...still have business with that woman however. She has done nothing by ruin my life recently. I want answers from her." Saying that, she took steps toward the bat lady's body, intent on retrieving her.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"...I would be a poor knight if I did." Faruja laps back, legs sliced. He can barely stand. But ARtemis retreats. Faruja watches, her threat to the Father ringing in his ears as he collapses to one knee.

"...Father, we shalt need ye to move to Mullonde proper." States the rat bluntly. Then, when the samurai is gone? He's making his way over to Arkie to check on his field medic.

He makes it half way there before collapsing from blood loss.

Kaydin has posed:
Kaydincomes after Artemis as she seems to be fleeing. "Unlike these honorable folks, I dont mind hitting women in the back!" He says as he leaps after her, grunting as he focuses more darkness into his muscles, bringing his sword down to try and cut past her defenses, using gravity to help before swinging his chain to send the sword up at her with two swings, not willing to let her go so easily.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will staggers a bit, aiming to grab Morrighan's hand. "Yeah, but you think the Shadow Lords are gona let you? Come on, we're exposed out here.." he says, "Me because of what I did to Maleficent and my connection to Mercade...you because you know, betrayal and her fetishes." he says, trying to warn her. "Come on. I'm still pretty hurt besides."

Louis LeBlue has posed:
The man turns and cuts through the wave of blue energy, carving through it and redirecting her own force right back at her - his eyes spelling out something. Some... understanding. Like he might know what she speaks off. But that 'look' disappears after a mere moment of time has passed.

And the man remains in that pose, at the climax of the swing, blade outwards and aimed towards her as she makes for the ship. Louis, a most tight frown adorning his expression, doesn't move as his chest begins to bleed; her strike having cut the wound on his chest open.

And then, only when she finally passes out of the church...

Louis takes a knee and plants the blade into the ground to lean upon it.

"You've grown stronger, sister..." He whispers to himself. "I'm proud."

Warden Thache has posed:
"Oh hell," Warden works at the controls of the airboat. This is defintally going south /so fast/. The Pirate however notes the damage that Echo is taking, the pain that Artemis is doing.

"Spooks, take over." He calls as he vaults over the side of the boat as it hovers maybe ten feet off the ground. He hits the gound running, hearing the scream of Echo as she falls. "Artemis! Go! I'll be right behind you!"

He calls as he pounds over and scoops the napping bat-mage up in his arms. Crouched in front of Morri and Will the cat just smirks. "Sorry to cut in and run, but..." And holding the lady bat cradled against him he flings one arm back. The energy rope lashing to his boat as he reels himself and the lady mage both up to the deck.

"You," He adds to the napping figure in his arms, a smirk. "Owe me one."

Gently lying the mage down in the bottom of the boat he takes the controls, zippng the airboat back to the proper air /ship/ and back for medical aid.

"I'd recommend," He calls down to the gathered winners below. "You clear out my friends! I'm going to flatten that church with canon fire when I get there!" At least he warned them. "What can I say. I'm petty like that!"

Sanel has posed:
After moments...

Despite of the boy shutting down...

The crimson eye opens once more. The Horror stands up to its feet and it starts to walk along. In fact, that figure is staggering out of the church. That crimson glow fades. The boy merely grimaces and wanders...

Everything feels so muddled.

"...Fuzzy."

....With the chaos, the boy wanders out into the lands...

Just as a person wanted.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"I'm willing to take that chance." Morrighan replied as her hand was grabbed. "Besides. She's a grunt. A mook. On the lowest rung of the shadow lord ladder." Explaining that, she pulled her hand away and continued her approach. "I don't expect them to--HEY!" Morrighan shouted after Warden.

"GIVE THAT WITCH BACK! I STILL HAVE BUSINESS WITH HER!" Shouting more, Morrighan's magical power flared up suddenly. Eyes glowing red, the dark elf spread her arms, in a classic and familiar display of power. A magic glyph formed on the ground. A rather huge one at that. And then from it, torrents of searing, magical energy erupted, veering through the air . It transformed into a legion of phantom blades, aiming to rain upon Warden and loose his hold on Echo. "DROP HER! NOW!"

Lynn Cascadia has posed:
Lynn Cascadia's consciousness flickers out of the trance she's been in for the entire chaotic mess now that things seem to be calming down. The thanks from two people are like music to her ears, letting her know that yes, she did a good job. She's not about to stop anyone from doing anything -- her policy of non-interference (relatively speaking) has served her well enough, no reason to change it -- but Faruja's sudden collapse does draw her concern. Dashing over to the fallen Burmecian, she loops the healing stream back around, trying to see if there's anything she can do for him. No dying on her. Not after all that.

Will Sherman has posed:
Will stands next to Morrighan as she just...

"Wow." the both of them say at the same time. Even Loki was impressed. However, Loki goes back to sleep. He is satisfied.

Will grunts...he shakes a little, accidently leaning against Morrighan. He's exhausted.

Warden Thache has posed:
So busy is Warden with piloting up, well he doesn't see the spell coming from /down/.

"Uh boss?"

"What Spooks?"

"I think you pissed some--INCOMING?!"

Warden looks down into the face of a (admittedly attractive) dark elf raging at him. Then at the torrent of magic that is tearing up towards him.

"Oh. Well."

The magic crashes into the little airboat with a series of explosions. The wood of the vessel splinters right down the middle and the back end...with the bat mage...splits right off to fall back to earth.

The rest of the magic continues right on and into Warden and the energy conduits of the ship.

"ABANDON SHIP!!" Cries the pirate.

"I DON'T THINK THATS A PROBLEM!!" Replies Spooks as the forward part of the ship explodes and hurls both pirate and racoon high into the air.

Arkham Fisher has posed:
The front has passed, and it's time for the medic to do her job.

This is her job, you know. Gluing Ser Senra back together. Someone's beating her to it, though.

Arkham doesn't interfere with Lynn's efforts, of course. It must've been her with the healing waters; just as well, because Arkham doesn't have her kit with her.

"He'll thank you when he wakes up."

Artemis Eurus has posed:
Artemis glances toward Kaydin as he comes at her again as they are retreating, turning to parry his blade, the strike only glancing her arm as it slips past the swords guard. She throws it back, green gaze unblinking, unwavering. "Very charming," she says, that dark voice dripping sarcasm.

She grabs a line then, and hauls herself gracefully on the ship as Warden goes to grab Echo, tsking, a frown hidden by the shifting mask that obscures her face.

The woman Echo had bespelled seemed to be free from it now, and she was /pissed/. Understandable, though she winces as Warden faces her wrath. It is /some wrath/ too. "Bloody pirate, we need to talk about your associates," she grumbles, then concentrates her darkness to open a dark portal as she had been taught, calculating the trajectory of Warden's inevitable flight backward from that holycrapwhatthehell explosion of magic. It

Warden would find himself, likely still clutching Echo, blown back into the familiar darkness of a portal, only to then end up skidding across the deck of his ship, where the portal lead.

Artemis moves to stand over him, extending a hand. "Shall we?"

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
And as Echo goes sailing through the air...

Morrighan catches her. Perfectly princess carry style. Panting a little from the magic extertion, she glanced at Will, and then at Echo.

"Come on. You need to rest." She says to Will, nodding looking ahead. Squinting her eyes in focus, a white light begins to envelop the three of them. It was the spell Warp. "Sigh...well then. Let's get you to the TDA building. After that..." The elf glanced down at Echo.

...And then she grinned like a predator.

Warden Thache has posed:
Warden takes the offered hand, dusting himself off from the remains of his longboat.

"We shall." He replies as he stands before smirking towards her. "What can I say?" He adds. "I'm a sucker for a pretty face, and they were two of them." He seems. Well. Not in the lest apologetic. "I supose we'll have to get her back eventually. Once there is money in it."

Then he grins again before glancing over the side. "Hrmmm...SHALE!"

"Aye sir?"

"Tell them they have the standard five minuites to clear out before I scuttle the church."

"So tell them five minuites then fire in four?"

"Indeed!"

...what can I say. Warden is petty.

Will Sherman has posed:
"We could keep her in the TDA," Will offers, but he's not exactly going to resist going home. He's pretty beat up.

"In case they come lookin' for her,"

Artemis Eurus has posed:
Artemis narrows her eyes at Warden. "Kindly give them five," she says.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Now, now. You should rest and recover first. We'll worry about Miss Echo's arrangements after."

And then in a flash, they were off.

She had other plans of course.

Warden Thache has posed:
"Fine fine Huntress, no fun at all. I'll give them five." Warden sighs. Freeking lawful evil. No fun at all.

Difference between revisions of "Hunt For Priest"

Latest revision as of 00:19, 7 March 2014

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