Eye for an Eye: Confrontation

Eye for an Eye: Confrontation
Date of Scene:	12 March 2013
Location:	Farplane
Synopsis:	Together, Hati's friends and family fight against the dark force threatening her life.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Skoll Ulfang, Hati, Katyna
Tinyplot:	Eye for an Eye

---

Hati has posed:
Sometimes things don't go according to plan. The plan had been to meet up at the hotel the next day and find a way of tracking down the rogue undead daughter of Hati's foster-father, but instead, the Heartless had come in droves. It was hard for anyone to get in or out of the city, and Skoll would have certainly had a rough time getting back to the hotel after seeing Avira's transformation during the conflict with Hades.

Of course, convincing the wolf not to fight seemed like an impossibility. Stubborn to a fault, it probably had taken the intervention of both of her 'guardians' to keep the girl from just wading out into the Heartless and risking greater harm to herself. Being helpless doesn't suit her, and it's certain enough that she'd have taken down a few before anyone could drag her back to the room.

That, of course, had taken it's toll, and the wolf-girl's moment of foolishness had resulted in her being laid up an extra day to rest. That had given Faruja time to do some Templar duties and catch up with the Shard Seekers. Now, they're all gathered together again, all except for Evja. It seems that while the Viera had used the excuse of impartiality for not helping the wolf-girl, it might have had more to do with her attempted murder of a Twilight Detective and the little fact that he's working for Hades.

Just now, Hati is kneeling on the ground, still wearing a that pair of borrowed robes over her own clothes. It does add to the whole 'magical' effect that's hanging in the air. Before her, there is a bowl of some nearly clear oil. Her eyes are closed, and she's so still one might wonder how the normally active wolf even manages it. She could certainly rival a few Templar in such focus.

She's waiting for the others. The potion has helped some, so that she doesn't look quite so worn down. However, the black infection in her veins has continued to spread. Almost her entire lips are black, and it trails far up her forearms and down her neck. They didn't have much time left. Tonight would have to be the night, and Hati is already prepared.

Katyna has posed:
Traverse Town had been a chaotic place, with the sudden influx of heartless who were chasing after the survivors of Manhattan and the Dusk Princess, Avira. Katyna had not been there to help her fellow VALKYRIE however.

Instead, she had hovered around the hotel, fending off any heartless who wandered too close to Hati's room. In her weakenned condition, Kat was doubtful that her affiliation with the shadow lords would be enough to keep them at bay..

It's true that Kat should have been out there, fighting the heroes as Ember, but, more and more she was starting to realize that she despised that part of her. She had found people dear to her, Avira and Hati among a few handful of her friends and she no longer wished to harm them, even though she knew that eventually she would be forced to face the Shadow Lords, and make a decision.

For now however, she remains here, as Katyna, Hati's other guardian and co-conspirator of sorts. It is only when the heartless thin out a bit that she dares to return to the hotel, breathing quite heavily, a bit cut up and bruised in places but relieved to see that Hati is still here in one piece. At least for now. The unicorn potion had helped slow down the affliction upon her body, it had bought her a few days to be sure, but it had not stopped the curse completely.

Hati was still dying, faster than she realized.

"Hati!" eyes widen as she rushes to her side, reaching frantically for the rest of the potion although barely any remained. "Hati...Hang in there! The heartless are gone for now..We should be able to leave..Can you track 'em? Are you strong enough?" Never has she felt such concern, such love for another being, not since those she cared about died before her terrified eyes in what seemed like such a long time ago..

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll has been rather quiet since the day of the heartless invasion. Between seeing Avira like that - and the betrayal he feels within his heart - and having had to protect his sister from the heratless themselves, he has a lot to carry on his shoulders right now. But all in all, he knows that Hati has far fewer friends to take care of her.

Not to mention, she's his sister.

Right now, Skoll is seated straight in front of Hati, watching her as she seems to be... praying to the bowl? He figures he knows what she is doing. When Katyna barges in, Skoll looks up and makes a small motion with his hands; bringing two fingers closer together. He's trying to tell her to be more quiet. Or maybe just less energetic?

"She's concentrating." He tells her, and then turns to look at the girl again, leaving his two hands on his knees. The brother is of course incredibly worried about her right now - but it's best to let her do this. He doesn't want to have Hati feel like she can't do anything. And more importantly; this is what needs to be done...

Faruja Senra has posed:
So too had Faruja been assisting in defending poor Hati! Indeed, he sports a few more bandages now thanks to the lingering effects of battle, and his ever-present ability to get himself hurt. It's part of the job description as a Templar, alongside slaying Witches and converting non-believers. Opening the door, he pauses, the sight of Hati's ever-increasing deterioration stealing away his breath. Teeth grit, and he walks further in, closing the door behind him. "M'Lady, panic shall avail us of nothing. We shall cleanse her, my friend." the rat states to the worried thief-knight, his own voice trembling despite in terror. She really could die, and it grates on the rat's soul.

Faruja sits at a chair, noting his robes on her form. Somehow, the fact that she continues to wear them pushes a light smile to his muzzle for a moment. A glance to Skoll. Having recently found out about Avira, he can't help but give the wolf a sad look. First his sister, now a woman he seems to care so much for? "She will be cleansed." Faruja repeats quietly for Skoll's benefit. Good wolf, we'll save your sister.

Then, his eye turns to Hati fully, awaiting her instructions. After all, it's /his/ blood that's needed.

Hati has posed:
The wolf-girl lifts her head at the sound of Katyna's entrance. Unlike these others, she's probably far more used to the other girl's enthusiasm, although the affection that has developed there is a far more recent thing. Though her lips have darkened, they still manage a small smile. "I'm strong enough." She would never admit otherwise. Stubborn wolf.

Since she hadn't left this room for days, she had only gotten some news second hand. It's a matter to deal with later, but for now, she has more pressing things to deal with. "Faruja." She looks towards him then, holding one hand out. Beconing him forward, the wolf explains for those that might not have seen this particular ritual before. "Everything is connected. Call it magic, or fate, or the hands of an unseen god." Her lips quirk at that, "What this lets me do, is use those connections to see things far away. I will be able to find her."

She seems certain of this, even as she motions Faruja to her side. "For lesser things, oil and focus is enough, but for this, some sacrifice is needed. It depends on the energy of the one who chooses to lay their blood in the bowl, so you'll need to focus with me. Imagine what you want to do, and hold it in your mind, but shield yourself from outside influences. Any time you open a bridge, it goes both ways." It might sound like some superstitious nonsense, but Hati believes in this magic.

"Focus, hold your hand over the bowl, then offer a few drops of your blood to the ritual. That's all that's needed." She then looks to Skoll and Katyna. "You should focus on keeping the darkness at bay in yourselves as well. She knows this magic like I do, and she may target anyone who shows weakness."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll's right ear flicks, as if he were trying to get rid of a fly buzzing around his head. "I'll be fine, Faruja." The wolf whispers, nodding his head a little towards the Burmecian before turning his attention back towards his sister. He does believe that his sister can be cleansed. But he can't imagine why someone would want to do harm to her. Although... she had indeed once been a Shadow Lord. But from what he understood, this had nothing to do with that.

The wolf gets up when Hati begins to explain things to Faruja, and makes a motion to show to him that he may have his place, before moving over to where Faruja had decided to sit down, and waits for him to relinquish his seat.

"I will try my best." He then whispers to Hati. But it will be difficult to put Avira out of his mind.

Katyna has posed:
Yegads, everyone is here and..And...Oooh! Katyna sweatdrops when she realizes what Hati is doing. Oi, there's a bowl of oily liquid before her, just like that last time when she tries to teach Kat to scry..Eyes widen upon Skoll when he shushes her, a snarky comment ready on her lips, but in such dire situations she lets it fall silently, just nodding and shutting up instead for once as she kneels on Hati's other side.

Faruja is given a glance and a small smile. "Yeah, Hati knows what she's doing, nothing to worry about!" Then, Hati gives her little explanation and it causes Kat to smirk, realizing that it's almost identical to the explanation she once gave Kat when she first taught her how to scry...Except..This time she'll be using blood. Kat narrows her eyes, wanting to be helpful somehow, but only ending up feeling pretty awkward as she watches.

When she speaks of that darkness in Kat so openly, Kat frowns, arching a brow at Skoll too. Was it the same for him? She had seen him use portals and dark magic before. It made her wonder exactly what his deal was, if he wasn't a shadow lord. And who were these gaudium Lords? Had they used him the same way the Shadow Lords had used her? She..Had questions. Lots of them, but now was not the time.

Let's just hope he doesnt suspect and end up ripping her to shreds. Again Kat swallows and just nods to Hati, clenching and unclenching her fists, looking terribly nervous for some reason. "A-alright, Hati.." And with that, she closes her eyes, rubbing a finger over her rosary, murmuring a soft prayer to herself. Faruja might recognize it as a common Prayer of St. Ajora..

Faruja Senra has posed:
Switching seats with the wolf, he lets the other male take his own, concentrating on the wolfess before him. Twin ears tilt in her direction, the ratling taking note of the prayer in the room. It does much to calm his nerves, as he does his best to not think too much about just what he's doing. Never would he have thought he'd help with a blood magic ritual!

At Hati's lip-quirk, it's returned. "...Mayhap this ritual is less impious than previously estimated." He says quietly, trying to allay his own fears verbally. Deep breath. Tail flick. Be calm, Sir Churchmouse!

then, he's at Hati's side, offering over his hand above the bowl. His eye closes, concentrating. "Understood." There's an edge to his voice, that zealous hint of barely contained righteous wrath. Already, as he concentrates on the idea of the one who cursed Hati, her whereabouts, and the simple /idea/ of visiting righteous vengeance, his hand begins to glow white. It's not soft at all, bright and almost hungry in its intensity. Around the initial glow, something softer forms: the love and care for the wolfess beside him. His desire to see her cleansed of taint, healed, made whole and /happy/ despite all she's been through.

"At your leisure, dear Hati. Lord protect us all."

Hati has posed:
There is a faint growl that comes from Hati as she looks towards her brother. "Can you at least try to clear your mind, dear brother. The last thing I need is to end up scrying one of your girlfriends instead of the person we're looking for." It isn't that she doesn't have some sympathy for Avira or for the wolf's concerns regarding her, but if she decided to make a deal with Hades, then that is her own problem to deal with. Right now, Hati needed to deal with Lillian.

Hati extends her own hands to cup Faruja's over the bowl, her eyes closed. Rather than the dagger she would use with outisders, the wolf instead uses just the sharp edge of her thumb claw, carefully scratching just enough of a wound for a few drops of blood to slip down along her fingers and fall into the oil below.

She has no words at this point, only her green eye looking down into the swirl of color against the oil. It seems to take a long time as she searches, watching until the vision becomes clear. All of them might feel the moment that connection is made. Faruja would feel the worst of it, Lillian's magic trying to backlash at him, but his own holy energy is unfamiliar and she can't make much headway as Hati had guessed. Skoll and Katyna are further away, but they might still feel something trying those defenses of their mind.

Hati, for her part, just grits her teeth, then raises her hand and draws a rune into the air. Where the dark symbol burns, a portal opens. These are familiar enough to Katyna and Skoll, and perhaps even to the churchmouse who might have seen Shadow Lords using them before. "We need to go quickly. She doesn't know we're coming, but she knows we're looking." She'll probably need a hand-up onto her feet, but after that, the wolf is motioning them forward. Travel by darkness. Not many Templar who can claim they've done that before.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll turns his gaze away from Hati and lets out a long sigh, and then nods his head; "I will try." It will be troublesome, but indeed, it would be bad if she tries to scry Avira. The youth closes his eyes and tries to imagine a happier place.

// CHIBI VISION //

Skoll, running around like a little upright wolf, prancing through a land of bacon and meat, while dragging around a giant bone in his mouth.

// END CHIBI VISION //

The youth continues to concentrate on this happy place, and lucky doesn't have to see his sister cutting the poor mouse. But then there is that sudden feeling of... someone pushing at his mind. Now, one might be surprised to know, Unlimited minds are actually a fortress of mental resistance. This makes the fact that the particular Gaudium Lord that made him forget had gotten that deep down such an amazing feat.

Poor Lillian probably feels more resistance than anything else. The youth stands back up from the seat, his ears twitching and his tail lashing about. The portal opens, and the wolf rumbles a sound. Hati must have once been in the place they are going. He wonders what they are expecting to find in that place though.

It matters little, because the wolf is ready to do anything to save his sister. He looks back to Faruja and Hati, then Katyna. "Faruja. I trust you to help my sister." He tells him, before jumping straight forwards through the portal in an attempt to halt anyone who might be trying to travel /their/ way.

Katyna has posed:
Katyna arches a brow at Hati as she talks of one of Skoll's girlfriends and again she smirks at wolfboy, wondering what sort of weird thoughts he is having now. But then she remembers Avira's situation and she shakes her head slowly.

"Dont worry about her, She has lots of people looking out for her. She'll be fine. Right now, Hati needs your help..." Turning back to Hati, she smiles a strange, peaceful smile as she replaces the rosary under her shirt. Seems that the little prayer had calmed her own inner demons, if only for a little while. But she knew her own time was running out.

For now however, Hati is her only concern. Like the others, Kat feels Lillian trying to pierce her mind and it causes her to flinch a bit, but she is used to the darkness. She has seen worse afterall. Riku saw to that.

Kat sees the portal openning and she rises more confidently, nodding to Hati. Clearly she's familiar with such portals and seems not to hesitate even a bit at the sight of it. "Then there's no time to waste. Let's go!"

After helping Hati to her feet, Kat steps in after her, staying close by her side..

Faruja Senra has posed:
For some vague reason, Faruja /swears/ he smells bacon. And has the sudden urge to chew on a leftover chicken's bone. How strange!

Faruja's hand twitches at the cut, but otherwise doesn't move. At first, when the connection occurs, the rat shudders. Lillian is powerful indeed! The thought of such a corrupted, /foul/ thing attempting to reach into him only further infuriates the Templar. An angry snarl rises up in his throat, red eye glassy as he feels waves of magic crash against that of his own as well as his mental defenses. Like some general looking down a hill, the ratling observes, yet is still very much a front line soldier in the fight at the same time. Teeth snap, and his fur goes on end, the Templar seeking to both draw in the Unsent Fiend that is Lillian, surrounded her, and rip her apart. Vicious, and angry, he doesn't bother hiding his bare contempt and hatred, only fanning the flames of his holy magic, seeking to purge the unclean thing before it.

Faruja snaps out of it, mostly thanks to the words of the male wolf. Shaking lightly from all of the effort, trying to calm at least some of his lingering zealous fury, he gives a short nod to Skoll. "As I trust her brother to see her through. As I trust Lady Redsvaren to help us. She cannot win."

A nod to Katyna as well. "Yes, let us be off! It shan't do to see thy brother fighting alone." Then, he's off with the girl, shoring up Hati's other flank.

Hati has posed:
Even now, it irritates Hati to show such signs of weakness, but she takes the help one way or the other. The wolf offers a nod, then moves along with the others. The sooner they traversed the distance, the better their chances of getting a drop on Lillian.

What they arrive to is a place not all too dissimilar to the one that Hati and Katyna had first seen when they confronted the dead girl the first time. Pyreflies are common here on the edge of the Farplane, and the vast expanse here shifts and changes with the mind. It's the sort of place where if you focus for too long, you might see people or places long past.

What had been a building before, now shows ruins. This is not quite the same area as before, but perhaps it is closer to what Serrak and Fessner had first seen when they came here in search of the answer to life after death. Rather than a tunnel and a trap, what they come to find is instead a girl, sitting calmly among the pyreflies.

Now and again, it's possible to catch a glimpse of what she might see. The ruins appear as a home, shifting in and out of existence with her memories, what little of them still exist in this tainted form. However, their arrival is enough to break her from her reverie. The blonde-haired girl turns her attention towards the arrivals, and a sneer shows on her lips.

Like Hati's tainted eye, the opposite one on this girl is darkened, with a blood red glow behind it. She rises then, smiling and moving her hand out as if welcoming them. "I knew you'd come sooner or later, but I see you've brought 'friends'." Lillian chuckles. "It's alright, though. More for the pyre. Come, girl. It's time you give that eye back to the one it belongs to."

Hati growls under her breath, and this close to Lillian, it's impossible to not to see the force that the dead girl's power has on her. "Over my dead body."

"That is the plan..." Lillian replies with a smile.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Thank you, Katyna." Skoll whispers just before he moves through that portal. Some relief in thinking about Avira at least. It's true what Katyna says. She has many friends. It is nice to be reminded of this.

When skoll breaks through the portal, he immediately takes an offensive stance. But their 'enemy'... is just sitting there. Suspiciously, he looks around. Pyreflies. He's visited the Farplane, so he knows what this place is like. A place that fate tells him that he will never visit.

The images that glance in and out of existance around her confuse him. Just who and what is this girl?

No, it doesn't matter!

"Girl, before you can try and kill Hati, you will have to go through me. And I promise you, it is a lot harder to kill me than you think." He points a fist out towards her, then moves one finger to point at her. "Prepare for a pummeling, for treating my sister like this! You wretched creature!" Of, there's darkness there alright. But it is there alongside the light. The light of the desire to PROTECT.

Katyna has posed:
Katyna steps through the portal and continues to stride with a strange kind of confidence down the eerily familiar path of the dead. The pyreflies seem to bother her more than this place or even Lillian perhaps, and she frowns and swats them away before they can form into one of many familiar images that might bring back painful memories.

No, she does not have time for that right now. Now...

Gritting her teeth, she trudges onwards, not stopping til she sees Lillian up ahead and recognizes her instantly. "Hah, Lillian. You're not terribly suprised to see us. But I dont understand..Why are you doing this? I KnOW Lord Serrak loved you and never tried to replace you with Hati. He never forgot about you, Lillian, dont you see? That's why he came back here, to try and make things right..."

It's strange the way she speaks, as if she not only knows Lillian, but she knows her father, the Shadow Lord quite well. Kat slowly draws her sword as she glances around. "Is she here too? Felicia? And...Jasmina?" Would they be coming for her next?

Faruja Senra has posed:
The girl might have been pretty once, but all Faruja can see before him is an enemy, and an Abomination. Stepping forward slightly, he takes up a guarding position in front of Hati, single red eye burrowing into that unnatural one of the girl's. Corrupt and unclean. A spear is leveled.

Skoll is spared a glance, and the smile he favors Lillian with is nothing short of hungry. He's going to /enjoy/ slaying this one. "I do believe the good Ser has adequately covered my thoughts. Go to the Lord's arms, may He forgive thee thy sins." The words are cool and professional.

The Burmecian saves all of his anger for the column of holy light that proceeds to fall from the sky as he thrusts his spear in Lillian's direction, his anger and fury palpable in it's soul-tearing wrath, reflections of his parents' dead faces in the light doing nothing but fueling the pyre of his contempt for Lillian.

"Such a pity /we/ shant have such divine mercy."

Sorry Katyna, Faruja's too caught up in the urge to simply slay the being who's responsible for the continued plight to Hati's life.

Hati has posed:
"Aww. Isn't that cute." Lillian levels her eye at Skoll, clearly not taking his threats at all seriously. "Another mutt to be put down. You forget, little Unlimited, I don't have to /kill/ you. I can make living hell." Wait, how would she even /know/ about him and what he is? Could it be something that she got through her connection to Hati, or is there something more nefarious going on here? The way that creatures like this work, it's more likely the later.

Katyna's attempts at reasoning with her are met with a pitying gaze and a click of her tongue. "You know nothing, little shadow. My father was a fool and he died as a fool. To think this... curr could replace me. That he would give her /my/ eye." Hati snarls at the notion, and Lillian just smiles at the reaction, "Do you know what they do to dogs that disobey their masters? I will take pleasure in taking that eye back after you're dead."

Her taunting of the wolf is cut off by the questions about the others, and her only answer is a cold smile. It is a smile that only lasts briefly, as the girl is forced to her feet in order to dodge that column of holy light. It singes the ground around her, and where that image of a home was there one moment, a fighting pit replaces it in the next. This is where Katyna, Hati, and Morgan would come to hone their skills, dragged up, perhaps, from their memories.

Hati draws out one of her daggers from beneath the robes, making a rune in the air which vanishes in an instant, only to reappear as a dark glyph beneath her. Lillian, on the other hand, just seems amused by their attempts to defend the wolf. "What good is your meager ideas of love and loyalty, when everything you care for will turn to dust?" That is when the pyreflies begin to react - dragging up their memories and giving them form. For each of them, there would be the image of someone they cared about, and each of these stands between them and Lillian, phantom defenders.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Tssk." Indeed, Skoll is forced a little aback by the statement that he is an Unlimited. How did she know that? It's not like he really goes around saying this to everyone. Only a very select group of people know. "You'd have to live in order to back up those words, demon." He answers the girl. That's when he notices the images changing. Thing is though, he doesn't know that training ground, so there's no way for him to assume that these are Hati's memories.

Instead, he ducks his body down and runs forwards towards the girl, only to suddenly be halted by something. An image... an image of Hati herself. He cares about his sister after all. He glances back towards Hati, and then towards the image. "You can't fool me!" The youth calls out, lashing his chains straight through the very image itself, sending a wave of dark crackling energy across the room before the chains stab into the ground before Lillian, and Skoll jumps out in order to deliver a flying kick...

A flying kick powered by chains pulling him there at magically high speed that is! "Stop being such a brat! None of this is Hati's fault!"

Faruja Senra has posed:
An image of his Sister stands before Faruja, the Burmecian's attack going quite off course as he aims a crescent of energy for the shell of what was once a person. A tear wells up in his eye...and he grips his spear all the harder. "...No. HOW DARE YOU, DEMON!? DO YOU /MOCK/ ME!?" Even so, he seems loathe to strike at an image of his kin. Leaping quickly into the air, he attempts to come down upon the corrupted Lillian.

"If you've a mind to apportion blame, place it upon the feet of the worthy! 'Tis hardly Hati's doing, but none other than thy own father's! Blame him or Faram if you so please!"

Katyna has posed:
"Unlimited? What do you mean..?" Kat glances curiously over at Skoll, but then she remembers how Hati once said that he's hard to kill.."What..is he immortal or something?" Seriously? She..She cant help but feel a tinge of jealousy at that...Power..Had always been something she desired above all else. But right now, she's sure this undead fiend is just trying to push their buttons.

What Lillian says next however, causes Kat to growl, raising her sword again. "Grr...why dont you just shut up! I cant believe you'd say those things against your own father. He LOVED you! He would do anything for him! And this is how you repay him!? You make me sick!"

And then the pyreflies come up, taking the shape of Ser Kasrillen, and she pauses just a moment, seeming to lose resolve. "S..Ser Kasrillen...N-no, you wouldn't..Not her..." She glares at Lillian, seeming to peer beyond the illusion, "I...Wont be fooled! Take this!" and she rushes at Lillian, uttering a battle cry as her sword bursts into flames, lashing again and again, unleashing an explosion of fire in her wake.

Hati has posed:
The image of Hati before Skoll vanishes, but it's replaced by others. Where she had stood a moment before, now stands his mother, her ears drawn down, looking at him with such sorrowful eyes. "Why weren't you there to protect us?" She begs of him, pleading. Next to her is a female werewolf with golden ears and a tail. "You never even gave me a chance. And now you'll /always/ be alone." There isn't really any way for Lillian to know these things, but maybe... Hati had said that the way the eye worked went both ways. The unsent could have snatched these things out of the girl's memories, as painful as they are.

Where his attack lands, Lillian simply is not there. She moves like a phantom, like the ghost that she is, smirking. "Not at fault? You believe her to be some innocent? She's killed just as you have. Blood on your hands and hers."

Hati growls from behind them. "I know I've made mistakes. I'm /trying/ to change that." The image of a werewolf charging at a group of soldiers. As Faruja's own attack misses, he'd land right in the center of the ghostly images, only to realize that they are templar. Hati had asked him what he would think about her crimes, and there she was, attacking a squad who protected some artifact from her and another Shadow Lord.

The only attack that seems to hit is the one from Katyna, and even then, the fire only licks at the edges of Lillian's form, causing her sneer to change into a grimace. "You think dear Fessner was any better? He failed to save his own daughter just as my father failed to save me. And then look... he brought some pathetic replacement from some other world to try to fill the gap. You think they really loved the two of you? All they felt for you was pity."

"They should have done what I will do... make the worlds burn for their pain."

And that is what she does, leaning back and calling up a powerful blast of energy. Hati, even in her weakened state, manages to move forward, growling as she moves in front of Katyna and Faruja, ready to take the brunt of it for their sake. She might not be able to fight, but she can at least still defend them, even at the cost of her own life.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Surrounded by a pack of his fellow knights, he watches as this ghost Hati lashes out. For a moment, anger and betrayal wells up in his heart. Teeth clenching, he grips his spear tighter. Would she really betray him so easily, go against all that he stands for?

A wall of flames, and Hati is there, defending him. Calling out her name, he ignores the images. No. He /believes/ in her. Leaping to her side, he quickly assumes a guarding stance, even as he turns his gaze to their enemy. "Hati...nay, I believe in this girl! Within her I place my trust, my faith, and my heart! Thy foul illusions shan't dissuade me, vile Abomination!"

Chanting, white surrounds his hand. Yanking out a spear from seemingly nowhere, he tosses the gleaming object directly for the evil, corrupted girl's eye! But can he hit her?

Katyna has posed:
"Guh, she's strong! Where did all this power come from..?" Kat grits her teeth, stepping back as Lillian prepares another brutal attack. "Is this really you speaking, Lillian, or has your spirit become so tainted with the dark magic that Felicia clearly used to bring you back to life? It was all a trick, wasn't it? She never really brought you back...This isn't the Lillian that Lord Serrak knew and loved..You're just a cheap imitation, an empty husk!"

And then, she speaks of Lord fessner, and she shakes her head in denial, blinking back tears. "No...No way! That's a lie! Lord Fessner loved me..He was the only one who still believed in me..He spared my life..You Liar!!"

Again she charges the fiend, attacking in a blind rage, protected by Lillian's own attacks by Hati's cover.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
When those images appear - those different images - things are... a little different. Skoll is halted, something 'jumping' in his heart. Like someone just reached in and grasped his heart. It halts, and painfully so. "M... mom..." He whispers. His eyes concentrate on her at first, and then he glances to the golden eared and tailed girl. The one Odin had always wanted him to marry. He'd always viewed her with great disregard. As a thing that he was being forced into. Never had he considered that perhaps - she had feelings of her own regarding him. But her words...

"No." He growls, ears slicking back and his tail poofing up. "I will not be alone! Even if I do not find my Golden Wolf - there are people who care about me!" The youth then brings his chains up and around him, forming a massive shield of chains in a circling dome around himself. The blast of energy doesn't even buckle the chains. However, he's forced to watch as Hati takes the attack for Katyna and Faruja!

"Hati! No! Be careful!" There's no point to them being here if she's going to get herself killed. The youth then does something none in this room have probably ever seen him do; he stabs a good series of chains into the ground... and the room begins to rumble. The ceiling forms small cracks, and the room itself forms cracks here and there. Then, suddenly, chains stab all around the place, trying to make it harder for the ghostly girl to move, purple lightning sparking between many of these chain-metal 'poles'!

Of course, they deactivate if any of his allies get close. But skoll is forced to hold onto these chains and not move in order to ensure this effect remains.

Hati has posed:
The blast of dark energy slams into Hati, causing her to fall to her knees even as she keeps her hands raised defensively. A growl shifts to a whimper at her lips, but her eyes are still intense and focused... even the demonic one that matches Lillian's own. Where the wolf-girl remains there on her knees, clearly struggling with the pain as well as the unsent's own dark magic, she growls to herself, knowing full well the sort of things that this creature is forcing them to see. Tainted memories, ripped from her own mind and shown to them in the worst way possible.

"You think I show you illusions? Ask your dear wolf then. Ask her if she hasn't tasted templar blood." Lillian croons for a moment, before crackling and shifting backwards. The spear doesn't strike her eye, but it does graze her shoulder. Should Faruja actually look back at Hati, her eyes would meet his in that somber sort of way. She had done a lot of things in the past, and many of them she wasn't proud of.

"An empty husk... no more than what you've become. There isn't much difference between you and I, little fire-wielder." She grins then, "Do I lie? Maybe you'll get to ask him yourself someday. Oh, I'm sure /my/ father is dead, because I killed him with my own two hands. He was a fool, and he deserved his end." Her voice changes to one set sickeningly sweet, "Maybe yours is still alive. Oh, maybe you should run off to go rescue him before it's too late!"

Even as Katyna attacks, Lillian parrys the attack with a blade of her own that seems to match Katyna's, as if it were pulled out of Hati's memories. The Ember knight is pushed backwards, and Lillian vanishes into the mist again, only to face down Skoll instead.

Skoll's chains do catch the ghost girl, but she doesn't seem truly startled, or even bothered by his trap. "Aww, poor little wolf. You never thought about that, did you? Your precious golden one is dead. Everyone else you ever cared for will grow old and die while you stay young. Your life will be NOTHING but pain and misery. Why do you still fight when that is all your fate has for you?" She smirks.

Then, there is another blast of that same dark energy, exploding out from the unsent. This time, Hati cannot protect them, and it lashes out, trying to drag them all into the darkness. Should it hit, it's the sort of magic that would bring out dark fears, darker images, and a cold that is hard to escape.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's eye meets Hati's. It closes, and the rat shakes his head. Glaring at the dark girl, he snarls. "She is not that person any more! With memory comes clarity! Atonement shall come for one whom seeks it!"

Then, the magic comes, dragging him closer to the blackness. Images of his home burning, the Templar held down by Alexandrians as the Heartless swarm, rip, and tear. He screams, feeling strength being ripped from his being even as blood splatters the ground. Coughing and choking, he pulls back, body shining as he fights off old nightmares.

"No, demon! Back! Away with thy horrid images!" Calls out the Templar, already casting curative magics upon himself and Hati.

Katyna has posed:
Kat's eyes widen as Hati crumples under Lilian's attack. "Hati!" She steps forward, trying to push the wolf girl behind her. "Please..Stay someplace safe..You're too weak! Dont make this battle for nothing!" Glaring back at Lillian, she snarls. "What do you know about me, or Lord Fessner? I am NOTHING like you, you pathetic excuse for a human!"

But, how sad..Is this what happens when you mess with life? To come back like a monster..Would Kat end up this way too, if she continued down her current path of life?"

She continues to shake her head in denial, gritting her teeth as she advances upon Lillian, her sword flaring to life again as she deflects the dark magic that blasts towards her. "Heh.." She continues to advance upon her, even as the dust clears around her.

"That the best you got? Now it's my turn! Take this!" Her sword flashes black now as she advances upon Lillian, slashing thrice as it creates a trail of flames in her wake that explode with delayed reaction once she steps back.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Who cares if she killed some damn Templars?" Well, their families obviously do. But really, Skoll knows better than to concentrate on such things when it came to the darkness and its battles. "She was lost, and now she's found her path. Unlike you - who seek out to do harm instead of good!" The youth twitches a little, annoyed with the girl. He doesn't know enough about Katyna to really defend her though - not vocally.

Instead, he concentrates on keeping the ghost girl from reaching either him or Hati anymore. The chain-fances that form throughout the room keep cutting her off anytime she tries to get near either of them - blocking her path with dangerous dark energy. And when that blast comes from her, the chains strengthen, pulsing with dark power, holding that that which comes off of her. "You will not touch my sister! Not anymore!" Of course, there is an effect on Skoll. Sparks run off of his collar, and wisps of darkness float up from his body, but the youth concentrates on the battle at hand - not the thoughts that come bubbling up.

In fact, he shows just what distance he's walked as the girl comments on his immortality. "No,she wasn't /my/ precious Golden Wolf. Fate will not let that happen! As for my life. You're once again wrong. If I can live forever, then I will walk forever besides friends! I will make happy memories for them! I will not walk the path to destruction. I am not that blind! Not anymore!" Some of the chains then pull out, drawing back up into the ceiling. For a moment, it looks like Skoll might be losing some of his power...

Only to be proven wrong as massive chain spears fall through the ceiling like a cage in an attempt to trap Lillian and fry her with his dark energies!

Hati has posed:
There is no time to justify her actions, if Hati would even try to make excuses for them. The past happened in the past, and there is nothing she can do but make efforts to move forward. Seeing the others struggle against one of those mistakes is hard enough, but she takes some heart in the fact that they are doing so for her sake. As Faruja's healing magic comes over her, Hati pushes herself to her feet, nodding once and feeling as a bit of lethargy comes into her limbs. The darkness is spreading now that she's closer to the source.

"Kat..." She speaks softly towards the knight. Rather than diving for the front-lines again, though, Hati just growls, her own dark energies coming off of her like waves of flame. From her place behind the others, Hati raises her head and howls out to the sky, causing a glyph to appear under each of the others, strengthening them for the next assault.

While Lillian does let out a cry of pain from Katyna's attack, Skoll's fails to trap her. Perhaps his darkness and her own are a little too close for that to work effectively. "Oh, I can do much worse..." She reaches up and touches a crystal to her own eye, which causes that howl of Hati's to cut off and the wolf-girl to fall again. This time, Hati curls on the ground in a fetal position, her body twitching madly. "I know your weakness. I don't have to hurt you... I can just hurt every person you care for."

This voice doesn't quite sound like Lillian speaking... no, this sounds more like... Felicia.

"Brave words, wolf, but you'll see soon enough. Your hope is misguided. You will see nothing but death, and sadness. Mark my words, soon enough you will know what it is like to have your heart torn out... We'll have to see if it still beats afterwards."

With another blast of that dark energy, grasping hands try to lash out at them, a feeling as if they were going to be dragged down into darkness.

Katyna has posed:
Kat continues to glare at the fiend, hatred seething from her eyes. "You...Why are you so full of hatred? Why are you even doing this? It's so messed up!" And then she attacks Hati directly, and Kat flinches, leaving her wide open for attack as she rushes towards Hati. "Hati!!!! Ugh!"

She screams as darkness tears through her, causing her to shudder and stagger back, nearly losing her footing. "Ooh, you are soo gonna pay for that! Leave Hati alone!" Again, Kat charges towards the fiend, but she has to pause a moment first to catch her breath.

Faruja Senra has posed:
That glow glyph flares around the Burmecian, the ratling glancing to his companions. "Do not give in to the poisoned tongue of this wretch! She is naught more than a twisted shade!" He calls out to the others.

"Hati! Oh, Faram! 'Tis worse in this one's presence. DEMON! I have had quite enough of thy attempts at taking the life of the woman I love! KNOW THE WRATH OF THE LORD!" Screams out the ratling, confessing even as those hands come for him. The only way to save Hati is to kill the Unsent. As the hands rush towards him, he leaps into the sky. Twisting, dodging, and slashing out with his spear, he knocks them aside as holy light flares about his weapon. Landing on the cage of spears Skoll brought down, he kicks off of it, a blurr as he unleashes all of his strength in a holy thrust towards Lillian! Landing, he slams one foot to the ground, thrusting again. A flurry of quick, deadly strikes follow, as he attempts to perforate the unholy being, teeth snapping as he unleashes a tide of violence against the one threatening Hati!

"PERISH, FIEND!"

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Indeed it would seem that the werewolf's own darkness cannot mesh with this monster of a fiend. But Skoll continues his attempts at cutting off Lillian. But with some of the chains removed from the defensive setup from earlier, this is made somewhat more difficult. But far more than that - the fact that Hati just stopped howling and suddenly curls up makes him far more angry. "You really don't understand, do you? Angering us will only lead to one thing, and one thing alone; your inevitable destruction!" Skoll roars, before he speeds forwards, letting go of the chains, and attempts to grab onto Lillian - to hold her down. "Hang in there Hati!" He calls out to his sister.

On hi way, the werewolf dodges the grasping hands. Some of them graze him, cutting his clothing and creating little bruises on his arms. But it seems that the werewolf is in the zone right now, because he's not letting Lillian truly 'touch' him even for one moment. He ends up jumping in order to try and truly latch onto her, before attempting to bring his hands to her chest and flay her with chains that were held in his hands and attempt to stab into her and make her into a pincushion!

The youth then hisses; "I am sorry that you were never able to know love. I guess you can't help it that you think like this. I'm sorry for you. In fact... I /pity/ you."

Hati has posed:
While the fiend might bare the likeness of a person, it doesn't seem to react the way you would expect one to. Rather than a true cry of pain, she only makes the slightest movement each time that Faruja's spear strikes her. In the end, his spear slams home right through her stomach, attaching the living corpse to ... a stone wall.

The illusions fade and the place returns to that image of a ruined homestead. It isn't quite the place Katyna and Hati had first seen, but maybe the true location that had been the source of the trap for both them and their masters. Stuck there, it is all too easy for Skoll to begin to rip away flesh that seemed only held on by some sort of magic. Within, there is no heart or organs, only black blood which bubbles up from the surface.

The demon girl looks at them with that one, fierce eye, dark blood upon her lips. "Fools." She cackles at them, "What good does it do you to kill the dead? Or to pity them?" She grins, black clinging to her teeth. It's an amazing thing that this unsent can still be alive like this, but clearly her power has wained now.

"You... this is only the beginning. Darker things will come." She laughs then, head tilted back, "This... isn't.. the end." She breathes, and then her head lols to the side, returning to little more than a corpse.

Hati still lays curled on the ground, although she, too, has gone still. The wolf had stopped her convulsions in the same moment that Lillian had drawn her last breath, leaving them with that ominious threat. Since it is inevitable that they would rush back to her side, they would find the same black blood on Hati's lips, although both of her eyes are closed, and the spiderweb lines seem to have vanished. It's hard to tell, in that moment, if she is breathing at all.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll lets go of the corpse, growling at it once more, before stepping away from the black blood. He doesn't want to catch anything. "Katyna..." He then mutters, "Burn this thing to ashes." Before he notices, behind them, that Hati has stopped... well... moving. "Hati!" He calls out desperately and indeed rushes to her side. He doesn't really think too much about Lillian's threats in that moment. He just cares about his sister still being alive and well.

When he gets to her, sitting just above her head, the youth gazes upon her body, desperately looking for a sign of 'life'. "Hey, hang in there sis." At least the veins are going back to their normal color. But that black blood - why is it there? "Hey... wake up!"

Katyna has posed:
Katyna is bout to lash out again at the detestable fiend, but then Skoll and Faru beat her to it, tearing mercilessly at the fiend until it stops talking and lays still.."Burn it, huh? Sure, I can do that!" Perhaps it will stop it from coming back! She yells as she slams her burning sword into the corpse, unleashing a brilliant exlosion of flames, not stopping til it is burnt to cinders...

Then she turns to see Hati's fate..But it seems Hati too, lays still. No! Dont tell me it was for nothing!

"Hattttiiiii!!!!" She gasps, rushing to her dear friend's side, checking her pulse, wiping the blood from her face. "Hati...No..Dont tell me it was all for nothing?"

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja doesn't spare the corpse another glance, leaving it neatly pinned to a wall as Skoll deftly tears it apart. Katyna's flames burn along the thing, the rat nodding. "Well done." He compliments his comrades, sighing.

Down Hati falls, and indeed over to her side does the ratling rush! Black blood. Faruja scowls, instantly reminded of the same oozing substance within Leida's veins. For now, however, he has more important things to do. Head to her diaphram, he checks her breathing. First, a Curaga spell, holy energies washing over the wolfess. "So help me Faram, you shan't die here!!! Not like this! Shall you truly slip away so easily, Hati? /UP/ with you!" Yells the Templar, voice desperate despite his taunting words. Should she not be breathing? He'll start to give the wolfess CPR while casting every healing spell he can think of. Thankfully he used mouthwash this morning. Pump, pump, breathe, off!

Hati has posed:
As the fire catches hold of the corpse, it seems to take an inordinately long time to actually burn. Maybe it was Serrak's magic that had kept her preserved for so long, or perhaps whatever force had reanimated her into the monster they had seen today. As the fire finally starts to strip away the remains of the flesh, what it leaves behind is perhaps more creepy. The skeleton is black, as if it had been somehow changed at the core into something wholely unhuman. This, the fire doesn't seem to touch. It leaves the skeleton pinned to the wall, a gruesome reminder of the battle of life and death that was fought here.

The wolf-girl's form is limp, but she has a pulse, and the weakest sort of thumping of her heart in her chest. Luckily for her, she's got concerned friends, one of which has the power of a healer. Although the moment she convulses, he and the others should probably move. Her eyes flutter open briefly, and with a look like choking, Hati shifts and expells a torrent of the black sludge from her lungs, coughing afterwards as she tries to get air.

"Ungh." She coughs a couple more times, then wipes a hand across her mouth before flopping back onto the ground, catching her breath. When her eyes open again, they seem clearer, especially the blue one which is... miraculously blue again. There are still faint hints of those black lines, but surely they'd fade fully given time. She blinks, squints, "I'm... I'm okay." She coughs again, looking at worried faces.

Her ears tuck back, and she looks around, obviously trying to find what had happened to Lillian.

Katyna has posed:
For the moment, Katyna seems more concerned about Hati, than the fate of the undead woman once known as Lillian. She just continues to stare at her in wide-eyed worry, not daring to even breathe until Faru's healing spells take effect. Only when she opens her eyes..Which both look normal thankfully, that Katyna sobs, jumping towards her and hugging her tightly.

"Hattttiii!!! Yay!! You're alive!!!!" she sniffles, before backing down, getting squirted with that black icky stuff which causes her to flinch a bit, wiping it out of her face. Aah what the hell...Hati's alive and that's all that matters!

It's only when she searches for Lillian's fate that Katyna too, glances to the remains of Lillian and sighs, bowing her head as she utters a prayer for her soul, rubbing her rosary.

"She..She was not always this evil, Felicia did something...I'm sorry we had to kill her..May god rest her soul.."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's eye goes wide as Hati starts to convulse. "/BACK/!" The rat then follows his own advice, leaping back a good foot or two as she spits up black gunk. He winces, rubbing his stomach as he tries not to lose his lunch at the sight. That isn't normal! When Hati's done? He kneels down and offers a handkerchief.

"...Hardly! 'Tis not 'okay' to spit out black sludge. However, better that than within thy veins." The rat shudders. Should no one else do so? He'll start to pick up the wolfess, sparing one final glance at the odd black-boned corpse. "...May she find peace in the next life." He adds to Katyna's prayer.

Then, he looks to Hati's eyes, smiling. "My dear wolfess, have I ever told you how simply beautiful thy eyes are?"

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Hati! You're okay!" Skoll is perhaps not as energetic as Katyna, but it's very obvious that he's relieved to see that she's alive and 'well'. "You had us worried for a moment there." The youth observes how her eyes are turning back to their 'proper' color now. He even brings a hand to his chest, making a rather human expression of relief.

The youth then stands up, taking a step back and giving Hati some space.

He does eye Faruja for a moment, and smirks. "Remember what I told you once, Ser Senra?" He asks. "In regards to you and my sister?" He's refering to both the 'you hurt her, I will keeeel yuuuu' - as well as the thing about how Faruja would do well with Hati.

Hati has posed:
It's a strange thing to come to to worried faces and sudden hugs. Hati blinks, "Of course, I am. Couldn't leave you by yourself, you'd get into too much trouble." She chuckles at the girl, brushing at her hair affectionately, "I'm supposed to get into that trouble with you, remember?" As much as there is exhaustion written on her features, Hati still manages a smile for her sake.

She takes the handkerchief from Faruja, using it to get rid of the worst of the grime. Better out of her than in. She doesn't protest as he hefts her up. It would take her a few days to recover her strength, but you can bet that she'll be back to normal soon enough, and the whole damnsel in distress thing will likely die with it. Oh well, at least Faruja can be secure in the fact that he is her hero today, they all are.

Hati reaches out a hand to ruffle her brother's hair, not about to get into whatever it is that he'd told Faruja. Older brothers had that way about things, and as far as she's concerned, the mouse can handle himself. She might have said something, though, if it weren't for Faruja's words catching her off-guard.

Poor wolf.

She blinks, flushes slightly, and then just lays her head on his shoulder. Nope, not saying a word.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Smile. Smiiile. Faruja manages to look suitably nervous as he's eyed up by the male wolf. "Oh, quite, quite! Worry not, dear Ser Ulfang, thy sister is in capable hands." Certainly they're merely speaking of healing, right?

No response, but Faruja's smile just deepens. Leaning in with his neck slightly, he kisses her on the forehead. "Rest, Hati. Let us take care of all else."

Pause. Blink. "...This of course begs the question, /where/ in the Lord's name are we and how do we get out?"