Memories Forgotten - Part 2

Memories Forgotten - Part 2
Date of Scene:	16 November 2013
Location:	Farplane - The Edge
Synopsis:	Morrighan, following a trail of subtle clues, finally comes face to face with....herself. Words are exchanged, loved ones are spotted, magic flies, and finally; things come to an end.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Deelel, Morrighan Alazne, Shadow, Queegmaa

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Morrighan Alazne has posed:
The Edge of The Farplane.

A wonderous place. And yet, also a eerie one.

Starting as a large set of stone steps leading up to, and into a cavern, it eventually gave way to several more flights of stairs. An arduous journey to be sure. At the top awaits a great plateau, seemingly airborne. Far, far below, one may lay their eyes upon the Farplane in all it's mysterious glory. Breathtaking forests, striking waterfalls and flowerfields that stretch as far as the eye can see. And among it all, eerie pyreflies drift about, their ghostly whispers carried on the wind.

It is here that a certain figure awaits. Adorned in an extravagant black dress, her eyes glow an eerie blue, and her skin quite fair. Spilling out from behind her is a head of extremely long raven hair. This mysterious elven woman seems content to stand upon the plateau, staring down into the Farplane and casually playing with any pyreflies that chose to drift about her form curiously.

Why was she here?

That was a good question.

Perhaps the answer could be found far, far below, through the vast cavern and down the flights of stairs outside. Approaching the ancient steps and coming to stand below, a tan skinned woman stared up with furrowed brows. A dark elf to be precise, if appearances were anything to go by. She wore a rather fancy cream colored dress, and her long hair was held up in a thick ponytail. She did not look all too happy. After all, this was hardly a pleasure trip. Weeks of searching and subtle clues, almost as if left on purpose, finally led her to this place. She knew that what she was seeking was up there.

It was time to face it and put an end to this game of cat and mouse.

Queegmaa has posed:
The church had not had Morrighan in their service for some time, due to the fact that she'd lost her identity, disallowing her to inform them that she'd wandered off to various parts of the world under the guise of 'Kara', but that hadn't meant they'd stopped harboring interest in such a prominent member of their flock. When Faruja had met up with her after she'd regained some fragments of her whole being, the church had been a little reluctant to bring her back into their midst immediately, because she was.... practically obsolete, considering that her powers had abandoned her-- no, Glabados didn't forsake her entirely, but they didn't place any large investments in the woman until they knew there would be potential payback of some kind! With there being rumors that there was another entity akin to the dark elf, a new hope appeared on the horizon for the church to reclaim one of its most powerful magicians, and so they sent Templar Faruja Senra, one of their most expenda....exceptional members to try and aid her, to the best of his ability; this was Emerald's idea in particular, since Jaren had essentially washed his hands of the Nezumi, after their little spat over what utilitarian purpose Faruja was actually providing in the ranks of Mullonde's elite warriors, when accounting for his various botched missions.

If Cardinal Jaren had it his own way, Faru would've spent the rest of his days rusting on guard duty at the head cathedral, doing mundane tasks, but Bishop Emerald convinced him to put a little more faith in the ratling. As if to embolden Jaren's inclination towards subscribing to this little enterprise, he sought aid from her equally morally-perverted ally Admiral Rakassa of the empire, to send her finest Mtek to accompany Faruja, since the empire was occasionally known for hiring out to private contractors in order to make a little extra munny, if, and only if it didn't conflict with the interest of the imperial agenda! Not one to get into mud-slinging contests, and a cringer, Queegmaa was the first she offered the job to, but he declined, using some dog-eat-homework excuse as to why he couldn't do it at that moment, which meant the job fell to Vohstras, the most formidable retainer in Vector! Higher up militarily, but less so politically, he was definitely better suited to combat than Queegmaa, and in more ways than one; part of his suit of armor included one of the pieces of the fabeled Oni-Yoroi, which, in this particular case, granted him the power to telepathically communicate with Faruja without need to speak, that as it just so happened was necessary to relay any strategies pertaining to team-dynamics, since his voice-box had been severed by the corrupted warlord Rohy, some time back. He was sporting his signature platinum attire(save for the one alien piece belonging to the Oni-Yoroi set, which was dark violet) which glistened like snow, which had sky-blue trim, which all further accentuated his affinity with the element of water.... or more specifically, ice.

His weapon was a kama-yari, as seen before by some folk in the battle inside the Mtek factory, and it was a rather long one, as was the case last time, to accommodate the fact that the captain himself was abundantly statured, at a height of six and a half feet, or thereabouts. It was true that Rakassa didn't like even a single morsel of the demon-armor getting out of her sight, but it was also true she couldn't let on that she was anything but ignorant to its nature, ergo, if Vohstras wanted to wear his own segment of the thing to combat, she couldn't even go so far as to hint that she found the notion objectionable. It was just as well, if Vohstras was to be an effective support to the Glabados' cause, the Mtek had to have some way of exchanging battle plans with Faruja, henceforth, he would probably be seen wearing this out-of-place addition to his otherwise-fashionable ensemble! Upon reaching the area where Morrighan was located, he attempted to send a telepathic message to her, and her alone, ignoring the dark-haired woman for the time being, unless the ponytailed girl rejected, or blocked it.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja Senra's week has not been the best. Problems with his boss, and then vampire bats have made the rat desperate for something to go right for once. The idea that he can help a fellow member of the Church is a welcome one, particularly given he's not having to chase after any annoying intelligent Heretics.

The Burmecian isn't sure what to make of Vohstra, especially his odd style of communicating. But he doesn't complain. It's the knowledge that a certain ninja may well be joining them, thanks to the efforts of a certain Bishop and a lot of coin. Whatever the hiring of the man might say for the rat's supposed competence, Shadow has been nothing but useful and professional when they've worked together. It's a comfort, really.

But the knight's focus is on Morri. Walking hardly a step behind her, he pauses as she does. Even now, his spear is at his side, the knight gazing about with all the paranoia of a tried and true bodyguard. As far as he's concerned, this Yevonite holding is a hotbed of Heresy, and he'll be damned if he's going to let the dark elf be taken in by it. Even if she seems to think answers can be found here.

"Be cautious, Lady Alazne. This place bodes ill. We shall protect thee, however, M'Lady, with our lives." He nods to Vohstra in particular, as if seeking agreement on that statement.

Shadow has posed:
In a world largely driven by good feeling and a positive moral compass, the figure of Shadow is a relic of the past. It is a reminder that the worlds that join together were not always so fortunate and that darkness requires many tools to advance its agenda or have it driven back. An engima driven by coin and something else that resonates in the hearts of many honor-bound fighters-- though most are relucant to admit having something in common with an assassin.

The ninja and his dog pass in a silent fashion alongside the Burmecian and the Imperial Retainer. The Cardinal did spend quite a bit of coin on his services-- and it came with a single, if not odd, side condition of an audience with Rakassa herself. In times of old Vectorian understood that "a job is a job" and held an economic stronghold on premium services. It is not personal-- though it just takes one emotional leader to block the ninja out of an entire providence's work. Unfortunate for the nation-- it benefits no one.

Interceptor barks to Faru's declaration of protection. Yes, the dog is more a paladin with his little dog helmet on and fierce loyalty to cause and women everywhere. This occurs regardless of Shadow's disposition-- as it mirrors his heart more than he cares to communicate. The truth is that he sees Faru as reliable and formidable-- and many Vectorians, Q and V included, in the same category. All this is said with a well placed, "..."

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
One of Morrighan's eyes twitched a bit at the telepathic message that invaded her mind. Having been devoid of magic power, and left unable to respond in kind, the (mental)action was nothing more than an annoyance. Of course, she could reply verbally, but simply chose not to. If anything, she seemed more annoyed than anything at the entourage plodding along behind her.

After all, she hadn't given Glabados many details, nor did she ask for any sort of assistance. And yet here she stood with a rat, a mute, a dog, and a suspicious looking ninja for company. "...You needn't tell me that." The elven woman replied to Faruja, still keeping her gaze on the sight above. "I may not have much magic power at the moment, but I can still feel how utterly abhorrent this place is to the living."

But nevertheless, she wasn't going to turn around and give up just because of a few ghostly whispers on the wind and some chills up her spine. "...We're going." She announced after a moment longer before taking the first step as she began to climb the stairs leading to the cavern above. "Just a fair warning; I am not responsible for what happens if I do find what I suspect is here. I never asked you all to come after all."

How pleasant. Or maybe that was her way of trying to spare their lives?

...Nah, of course not. This was Morrighan we were talking about after all.

Queegmaa has posed:
Vohstras turns to Faruja and stares at him silently, for a second, then casts his gaze forward once more, without indication that he agrees with the rat's sentiment-- he doesn't believe in redundancy, and since the good Captain would have no vested interest in this affair were it not for Faruja's institution's sake, it should've gone without saying that he was there to offer backup with his compatriot, Faruja Senra. It's not the most reassuring thing to have a man who's supposed to be guarding the Nezumi's flank to receive the cold-shoulder when addressed, even with something as minor as a nod, but the fallen samurai has no cause to offer pleasantries to one who had /yet/ to earn his respect in any sense of the word; Shadow was a completely different story. Vohstras would render unto Shadow what was Shadow's, and to the undeserving.... nothing-- Shadow had proven himself in their last duel, and he -does- actually get a bow of acknowledgement.

Morrighan, on the other hand, receives no further transmission, since her most recent remarks have no bearing on Vohstras' sentiments, for he already knew she wasn't responsible for his life.... and honestly, his life practically /didn't matter/, because it was far more important to live honorably, than to live at all, plus, thus far, he'd already shamed himself once by surrendering, instead of dying in battle like any reasonable retainer would do. She didn't ask for help, but Vohstras didn't even ask to be born, however, that being as it may, since he was made to exist by his parental units that had cast him aside almost upon his day of birth, he had to serve some cause.... and so, what he did was not because Morri asked, but because his master asked; on another day, he might be just as soon ordered to slay her, and he'd do it, too, without the slightest reluctance.

A samurai does not question their master, a samurai lives to serve; how convenient, too, since the lustful, decadent, self-entitled Shadow Lord Rakassa /adores/ being served. He probably wasn't as mean-spirited as Morri, in his own defense, he didn't show anyone delibate contempt, at worst, he ignored folks, whereas the dark elf was prone towards occasionally acting spiteful towards others, probably brought on by a harsh past, or something equally traumatic! Vohstras might have had more in common with her than he knew, but he wasn't about to break protocol and inquire, even if.... in truth, he was remotely curious about her! At the very least, he follows the woman, since it's his job, and maybe along the way, he'll learn a few things about this unusual woman.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The Lord works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, in fuzzy, canine, samurai-ly, or stealthy ways. Faruja smirks just slightly at Morrighan's retort. "...Still the same." He seems /pleased/ by this, not that he'd admit it. His gaze turns back to Shadow as Interceptor barks. The dog gets a nod. The rat and dog are on the same page. "Ser Shadow, you are the swiftest amongst us. Should the time become appropriate, see the Lady to safety, hmm?" Another nod to the man. He doesn't need confirmation, Shadow is too /good/ at his job to not do so.

The lack of response from Vohstras has the rat's eye twitching in irritation. So very rude! He'll have to complain later about such lack of proper conduct.

"Orders my dear, orders. Even if it were nay..." He glares into the Farplane hatefully.

"None should go into such a place alone. 'Tis a risk I am willing to take." The Burmecian starts up the stairs beside her, motioning towards Morrighan's flank to Vohstra. HOpefully the man will comply.

Shadow has posed:
Of all the placements for the ninja-- he makes excellent background decoration. Where there is a spotlight there is often a blind spot created by the glare-- and that is where Shadow tends to stand. Though there are greetings that are in order. His motions are brief but direct. Vohstras gets a simple nod of respect and acknowlegement-- sparring provides more understanding than many nights drinking at any tavern.

Faru, in turn, gets his nod-- though it is also in response to the evacuation orders. "I will," he responds. It is important to frame the expectations of his employment-- a mere nod wouldn't work there. It also means that he would leave Faru and Voh to fend themselves-- a risk that all soldiers understand when guarding a VIP. His gaze turns to Morrighan-- an unpleasant pair of vacant eyes that will monitoring from here on out. Interceptor lightens it up with a noble 'Woof!' which clearly means 'No fear, I will protect you!'

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Orders. Of course." She muttered, rolling her eyes. A thought came to her mind after and she asked. "If you were ordered to leap into a pit of lava for the good of the church, would you?" Posing that question, Morrighan lead the way, walking along the stone path and up the flights of stone steps until eventually, they found their way into a vast cavern. It was quite spacious, but beyond that, the eerie feeling that they had felt outside was more pronounced within.

"..."

The feeling made the dark elf's skin crawl and her eyes narrowed. She spied a few stray pyreflies drifting through the air and frowned. What were those supposed to be? Lights? Ghosts? ...They didn't particularly give her a good feeling. "...What is she doing in a place like this?" She muttered to herself quietly. But alas, there was no finding an answer just standing here and marveling at the sights.

Leaving that aside, Morrighan proceeded to move on, not all that keen to stick around and see what exactly those wisps were for. No, she had more important things to focus on right now. "...Mhmhmhm~" Like that faint laugh she could hear on the wind right now!

Wait a moment-

"...That laugh..." That was definitely Morrighan's voice. But she hadn't laughed! So what she was seeking /was/ here after all. Regardless, hearing your own voice despite not speaking was delightfully unnerving.

She'd give her unwanted companions another warning, but they'd already given their responses to the matter. Instead, the elven woman proceeded to climb the expanse leading up to the plateau above... She wasn't exactly looking forward to what she was going to find up there, but it was necessary.

Queegmaa has posed:
When Faruja gestures for Vohstras to follow up behind Morrighan, he's quick to do so. Not only will this give him superior access to safeguard the drow if danger comes her way, but this means he also gets to steal a few glances at her rump, which is a rather attractive one. He intended to keep his mind on the task at hand once any threats became imminent, but if given the choice between looking at rat-b*tt, ninja-b*tt, or dog-b*tt, he'll gladly pick a view that places him right behind the beautiful sylvan female.

Now, dogs may be in the habit of sniffing other animals' rear-ends, but while Vohstras is situated near prime real-estate, he doesn't take the opportunity to inhale whatever scents Morri might have down there-- it's definitely good to gaze at, but the Captain wasn't going to steal Interceptor's thunder; let the pup-paladin do what he's most qualified to do! As they all ascend the stairway, taking the scenic(and only) route to the top, Vohstras peers at the odd flitting pulses of spiritual energy fluttering around, getting a sense that something was supernatural about them-- this should've been obvious already, but the Oni-Yoroi's ability to detect spirit energy made it all the more evident that something was amiss about the Farplane. With no loved ones dead, no memories manifested into forms before him to derail his thought processes, and thus, no emotional outbursts would be witnessed from his behalf!

He kept a relaxed, but stable grip on his weapon, ready to strike as needed, even so.... he might have to call forth his elemental powers, since phantoms occasionally mitigated physical attacks. The takeo(dark samurai) doesn't trust this place any more than Morrighan, and though they probably both have trust issues even without the abnormalities at play, this only intensified his paranoia. When Morrighan brought up something about 'that laugh', Vohstras attempted to send her another message psychically, unless she willfully prevented it, because... all in all, he'd never heard Morrighan laugh, and though it could be construed that it sounded similar to the dark elf's voice, erring on the side of caution was best in these situations..... It could be the drow was just talking to herself, which is something Vohstra never understood, which, if that was the case, clarification was definitely needed for the one who had some ignorances towards humanity, or that of relatively similar species.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's eye squints at Morrighan, peering balefully. "Have more /FAITH/, Lady Alazne! I would give my life for any fellow Child of Faram. But to spend it wastefully would be a sin. And a crispy Burmecian is of little use to the Church. I doubt I would taste well fried."

Shadow, the rat could hug you right now. Finding a person who actually acknowledges the plan is refreshing. Faruja tries not to overthink the idea that the stoic ninja is one of the more chatty members of the group. It's slightly frightening.

Into the caverns they go! Faruja's fur visibly stands on end, the ratling waving away a few pyreflies. Brow rising, he looks to Morri again. What does she mean by 'her'?

A familiar laugh, and the rat double checks to make sure it's not the elf before him! "M'Lady, what is going on here?" He has a feeling he won't like the answer, and closes ranks closer to the dark elf protectively. His spear is already out, glowing white. An ominous feeling passes through the rat, clenching his fingers around his spear's shaft. They feel ice-cold.

Shadow has posed:
Traveling around is Shadow's default state. As a result he has a very relaxed and sheathed approach. When a threat is nearby his senses kick in. What he doesnt sense, Interceptor often does. If neither kick in-- then the threat has well earned the element of surprise. He wastes little energy in the anticipation-- more the snap reaction when it is required. Still his senses stay sharp to the environ-- serving as both sword and shield while keeping in party formation towards the back of the group.

For a moment his eyes wander in the cavern. Lights play on his imagination. Lives may rarely be claimed in this world-- but the ones that were have a way of haunting with the flit of light from a pyrefly. The ninja has little trouble climbing, but the dog is less versed for it. The sort of synergy the two have together is well seen in how they help each other get up. It is more if they were the same person, seperated only in the physical shells they were split and poured into.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
The mute's telepathic message was gotten, but not immediately replied to. The elf was too busy frowning upwards as she climbed the stone steps. Faruja's question following Vohstras' finally gave the woman slight pause, in which she gave them a fittingly vague response. "...I could waste time explaining. But I have a good feeling that you all will begin to understand the moment we arrive up top."

Leaving the matter at that, she proceeded onwards, plodding up the final stretch of stairs till they came out of the cavern and onto the top of a raised plateau. It was quite wide and the number of pyreflies about were much more numerous. Great. Well, this WAS the farplane. Far be it for dead spirits to be lingering in a place of the dead.

Shaking aside those sarcastic thoughts, Morrighan's crimson eyes swept the area quickly before they locked onto a figure some distance ahead. Her back was turned to the group, and a head of long, long black hair obscured a lot of her figure. "So you were here after all." The dark elf commented, clenching a fist by her side as she stepped forward.

The figure gave no reply for a moment. "..." But then they slowly turned around, revealing an elven woman that was nearly identical to Morrighan, save for a few minor details. Her skin was fair instead of tan, her eyes were blue instead of red, and her hair was black. She wore a similar dress, but it was black instead of white. All in all, she was a dead ringer for Morrighan, color differences aside.

"Finally, you caught up to me. I was beginning to think that I had made myself too subtle..." The woman spoke in a voice that was exactly Morrighan's. A smile played upon her face as she brought a hand up to her cheek, observing the others through half lidded, azure eyes. "And I see you brought friends. How nice."

Queegmaa has posed:
Having lived a hard life in the wilderness in isolation, at times, as part of his training, Vohstra had on occasion, eaten fried rat, so when the Burmecian claims doubts as to how delicious he'd be cooked, the corrupted samurai immediately recalls to memory some of those fine rodent-steaks he'd had when larger prey was scarce.

Yes, Faru was sapient, but if Vohstras could kill it, as well as fry it up, and he needed sustenance, there was no question in his mind as to whether or not what he'd do when faced with starvation, versus a full belly from ingestion of someone for whom he didn't care much one way or another; mayhap ironically, he would still allow Faruja a totally fair chance in a solo duel to preserve himself, rather than something so cravenly as a spontaneous ambush.... whereas, life that was merely sentient was not afforded such honor, or privilege. When they arrive up top, finally, Vohstras inches to the side, so that Morri isn't /directly/ in front of him, he can still protect her backside from this position, except that if he needs to shoot a deluge of frost at the creepy, but equally attractive pale-skinned elf, the Mtek Captain can do it without accidentally striking his ally.... Vohstras was more ice-elemental anyway, so friendly-fire would've been out of character for him.

He has no words for anyone, at this point in time, since mutes aren't conversationalists, and it required a bit more effort to talk telepathically than verbally, which meant words were best used, and not wasted.... The blue-haired man with the robotic arm and the yari-spear wasn't a diplomat, anyway, so he wasn't going to carry on a long conversation with some psychotic elven witch; that was a job for theraputic shamans who had narcolepsy, who might or might not have assisted Morrighan on her last quest. Immediately, as a precautionary measure(we did mention that he plays it safe), he calls forth a barrier of energy to protect himself, conjuring the 'Safe' spell, which some infusees were endowed with, if they received certain esper benefactors. He doesn't want to provoke an unnecessary attack, so he doesn't use any adverse spells that might cause anybody harm, but he's certainly within his rights to erect a barrier around himself, if he so chooses; even Bobby Brown would agree.... it's his prerogative!

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja is soon frowning. Morrighan's answer is /definitely/ not helpful. Worse, it's foreboding, which he's already feeling thanks to how unnerving the Farplane is. A sharp ear might notice him mumbling something about really needing that last raise.

The Templar crests the top of the stairs, peering about the area, before his eye spies the elven beauty atop them. His muzzle hangs open for a full second, before he pulls it back up. The rat's brain tries to process the whole sight before him, looking from elf, to other elf, and back again.

The pair speak. Faruja lets out a low, frustrated sigh. Part of him wants to begin sobbing. Two Morrighans. Really, on some level, he likes the woman. Despite her haughty arrogance, there's a good heart under there. He's learned that. He still wants to strangle her sometimes, and /two/ is almost too much for the Burmecian.

The point of his spear levels at the Morrighan doppelganger, Vohstra's actions actually meeting the rat's approval. "...Who, or for that matter, /WHAT/ are you? And without the Lady's usual biting sarcasm and wit, if you please." Demands the rat. He takes a step closer, to better guard the dark elf's side in case this vision decides to attack.

Pyreflies thicken. To the rat's side, they gather. Like so many others, the knight has those he loved. Called by his presence, the ghostly creatures slowly solidfy, though the rat doesn't yet notice...

Shadow has posed:
Everyone has ghosts and skeletons they'd soon wish didn't exist. They are a deep part of the heart-- be it of a person who was once close and torn away or a scar of guilt for being the one doing the tearing. Shadow remains nonplussed by the encounter. If there were not so many distractions it would be easier to detect that he is 'at the ready'.

However Shadow is not a diplomat here-- nor the person doing the talking. This discussion is between the two elvish beauties and they both get equal measures of his attention. If things get hostile... well... he has his orders to carry out. Until then he remains a standby ninja with a standby dog who gives a standby bark to the massing pyreflies nearby. Bark bark. BARK BARK. BARKBARKBARK. It is unnerving for the dog.

Although Shadow ignores it in favor of focusing on the VIP elf and the her twin, there are a great number of pyreflies around the assassin. People he has terminated-- notably-- do not take kindly to him being here. The reaper is always one step behind Shadow-- and he decided to show up to his neighborhood uninvited. Only one pyrefly bothers to take form-- a young man, a rogue, who watches the scene silently. This cresendo of tension has an audience now.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"My, already spoiling for a fight I see. How utterly barbaric~" The mysterious woman spoke derisively, bringing a hand to the side of her face. "But alas, I suppose that you simply cannot force a monkey into a suit and expect his manners to change, ohohohoho~" Right there. Morrighan's trademark haughty laugh. It was being used by someone ELSE.

Simply hearing and seeing the motions caused Morrighan to grit her teeth in anger. Was she always this insufferable? It was like looking in a mirror! "I concur with what Faruja has said; I know what you are, but WHO are you, and why did you bother to lead me all the way here?" The dark elf demanded of her high elf counterpart.

The woman simply stared about, watching as Morrighan's companions found themselves visited by various...others. They had an audience.

How quaint.

Putting that aside, the dark haired elf responded casually, shrugging her shoulders lightly and closed her eyes. A gesture of complete nonchalance. "Why did I lead you here? ...I wonder." Fitting. A non-answer "As for who I am..." She opened her eyes then, resting a hand upon her chest as she spoke. "You may call me Eir Atropos Alazne, dear sister." Upon introducing herself, Eir began to pace about, tapping her chin with a finger, propping up that arm with her other.

She was either supremely confident in her abilities, or simply didn't care.

Morrighan frowned at the introduction and asided to Faruja and the others. "Do not be fooled. She is no sister of mine. She is a fiend. A fragment of my soul given life by ancient magicks."

"Oh my, so cold!" Eir gasped in faux-drama, a hand brought to her mouth to complete the gesture. "I am hurt. My own sister rejects my existence! So, so sad..." The woman recovered quickly after, pausing in her pacing to face the group. "...But I must ask you; you have come just as I intended you to, but what exactly do you hope to accomplish?" The question was then posed to all. "What do all of you hope to accomplish?" She then spread her arms. "Do you plan to kill me? ...With all these people watching?"

Queegmaa has posed:
Vohstra may receive approval by Faruja, but he doesn't show appreciation or shunning; he simply does his job to the letter, and whether his allies have personal feelings about it, he doesn't care, lest those feelings be so strong that they bleed into pragmatic aspects of his affairs, in which case, the sentiments matter more than the sentimentality surrounding said sentiments. Vohstras keeps the back third of his spear tucked under his arm and trailing behind him, while the middle covers his navel, and the front sticks out before him-- the true eastern style of bojutsu revolves around the number three. Twirling the pole three-quarters of a circle to get good momentum, as well as keeping the spear mentally divided in three sections, so as to maximize the command, besides the stability, that one has over their weapon. Having a spear outstretched when lunging is optimal if the thrust is for but just a moment, but ideally, for the sake of perfect balance, the samurai shall keep their weapon gripped with two fists, subsecting the pike into thirds, to keep the best hold over it that is physically possible.

This also allows the center of the haft to function as a makeshift shield, albeit one that requires motion to deflect with, since a pole is but a thin object substituting for a true barricade. Vohstra /does/ briefly side-glance at the young man who takes shape near Shadow, and he blinks.... which is the most real 'interest' he's shown on an emotional level this entire time, beyond when he got to scope out Morrighan's posterioral assets. During the fight, some time back, Rohy had denounced Shadow for betraying some kind of ally of his, and running like a coward; shortly before having his larynx slashed by the ninja, Rohy had almost given out a name of some kind, too, that started with the letters 'k', 'u', and 'r'. Was this man haunting Shadow named 'Kur', or had that been Shadow's own name at one time?

One thing was for certain..... it was very possible that this was the person who Shadow had 'left behind', according to a certain, millenium-old demon-bushi who had captured himself, and Cadence, before Shadow had assisted in their rescue. Vohstras is practically /dying/ to ask questions, but if that did indeed happen, then he might be keeping Shadow company in a less corporeal fashion than he was currently, so it was a better option to stay alive.... at least for now. His eyes retrain themselves on the imposter-Morrighan, and veer away from 'Kuraido', for the moment, but Vohstras /will/ bite the bullet and ask Shadow at least -one- question at the end of all of this, if they're both alive. To Morrighan, Vohstras sends yet another signal, indicating that he was at her service, regardless of whether it meant becoming sororicidal, or not. The dark elf's pleas for innocence from being labeled as an inhuman, bloodthirsty monster fall on deaf ears-- if Morrighan chooses to kill her sister, or a total stranger, so be it.... To one who has feelings, such as Faruja, it might be a true testament to her redeeming qualities that Morrighan would hesitate to harm someone of her own blood, but to the Mtek, blood and water were the same; honor was the only thing that mattered, and honor was found in the midst of war.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Every muscle in the rat's body clenches, the urge to run the other-Morri through rising as it has so many times with the real thing. Teeth grinding together, he fixes a baleful stare until the haughty fair-skinned elf. "Do be so kind as to watch one's own manners before besmirching another's! Why, I do believe the fair Lady beside me could teach thee a thing or two. And a sight more beautiful at that." Really, he'll take the real elf over this one any day.

Falling silent, however, he briefly glances to the dark elf. Listening to the exchange, his face grows grave. A fiend, unholy amalgam of spirit and the effects of this Heretical place...truly, proof of the misdeeds and corruption of the Yevonites! Hopefully the holy energy bleeding off of the rat's afronted form doesn't effect pyreflies!

"Then a fragment that must be returned, methinks." Whispers the rat to the dark elf. If he has his way, that 'returning' will involve a spear to the throat. He could use some stress relief after all that's befallen him recently!

Still, he doesn't act on the impulse. The shade asks its question, and he nods to Morrighan. The ball's in the elf's court. Really, this entire operation is her show, and he defers to her judgement. His stance is defensive, ready to act at the elven woman's behest.

Interceptor's barks catch the rat's ear. That single eye of his shifts just slightly. What greets the rat, from his reaction, is hardly something he expected. Those pyreflies solidify into three figures. The first, a tall Burmecian woman, with pure white fur, and kindly red eyes. She regards Faruja with a loving gaze, her long black hair so very mirroring the Templar's own. Indeed, aside from their height difference and gender, the two look so very alike. A clawed hand reaches out, the touch to Faruja's cheek tender. Sliding to the bandaged, missing eye, the woman's gaze is full of sorrow. Beside her, short like the Burmecian himself, the dark-furred visage of a male Burmecian can be made out. Though not so tender as the woman, the gaze upon Faruja is appraising...and approving. Pride and love mix in the eyes of the male, nodding. The male salutes the golden-armored Templar.

Behind them both stands a figure that both Faruja and Morrighan would recognize. It's none other than Valos, the very one who helped Morrighan enter the Church, and secured her so much worth.

Faruja's face, already white thanks to the fur, manages to go several shades lower. He very much looks as though he's seen ghosts, heart stopping for a moment as he gazes upon his parents, so recently lost. Unshamed tears spill from his eye, a hand moving from his weapon. His hand runs through his mother, pyreflies dispersing, then reforming as he once again grips his weapon.

A sleeve wipes away his own tears. "Mother, Father...it has been...so long." Mutters the rat, voice choked. He holds back the tears. "I love you. But this place is not thine own, 'tis evil. Go to the Lord's side. Do...by Ajora, do not linger in this wretched place." His voice, low, uncharacteristically so, is pained beyond description.

Finally, his gaze falls to Valos. A hand touches the silver dagger hidden within his robes. "...Lord Valos. I ask this one thing: take them from here, to the Lord's side, if ye've any faith left. If...this is naught mere evil, mere taunting illusion...please." Begs the rat quietly of the spirit.

Crossing his chest, Faruja says a low prayer for the souls of all three. He takes a deep breath. He has a job to do. With a Church to cleanse, and faith within him to be restored to those within it, he nods to the three. "I must focus on the living, and the future. The past is done. Begone, aparitions. Trouble me naught, and find rest within the Lord's arms. Amen."

Features hardening, he turns away to face the image of Morrighan's double. Pain, loss, and even grief remains as the pyreflies begin to dissipate. Purpose remains, the Templar making peace with his past. Valos dissappears, as if leading the way, only for his parents to smile. Both shedding tears that drift away as pyreflies, they follow the dead Count.

Faruja, silent, stands guard beside Morrighan, attention fully now upon the false elf.

Shadow has posed:
Shadow certainly would kill her, if asked to. One of the many things that is covered under Platinum Ninja Services from Shadow Inc. Judging from the confrontation, the ninja suspects that shouldn't be necessary or desired. At least the dog and his companion are keeping quiet as good party guests.

Although the 'manifested' figure in Shadow's little ghost troupe edges closer, he does not speak. He isn't here to interupt the Alazne sisters-- just breathe down Shadow's neck. Literally. Shadow simply ignores him. Baram always was a bit of a jerk. He might even be enough of a jerk to make Shadow's life just a little harder than it already is by... well... perhaps that is a sidequest for another time.

The ninja's focus remains on his job-- on Morrighan and her sister-- and judging when a throat needs to be greeted with a sharp object.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"...?" Up till now, Morrighan was focused solely on Eir, but the mention of 'all these people' caused her to shift her gaze away from her counterpart to see just what she meant. And then it became clear. "...Who...?" She muttered faintly as two Burmecian figures came into view. Watchingg Faruja have his moment, Morrighan's frown lightened a few degree.

Were they his parents? ...Huh, parents. She wasn't sure about all that. No one was going to come and visit her. She was sure of that. But spying a taller figure behind them, the dark elf's eyes widened a bit. "...It's you." She grumbled in irritation, eyes lingering on Valos' form. After a moment more, the frown disappeared and she simply sighed. "I should apologize." Morrighan finally said, looking away in the process.

"...I was terrible to you the entirety of the time we knew each other. And throughout it all you were patient." She turned her body away entirely at that, looking downwards. "Whatever you're doing now, I hope you're at peace." A pause, and then she added. "...Actually, I imagine you'll find some convoluted way to refute that statement, so I rescind it."

Crossing her arms, the dark elf frowned at Valos and shook her head. "Take them away from here. We have business to attend to." And with that said, she returned her attention to Eir, just in time for the high elf to start clapping.

"Bravo, bravo~ Good show, you people~" Smiling, apparently entertained, she spoke on. "Though your friend in black could do with some more colorful reactions, I suppose I will give you all an A grade regardless~"

Morrighan's eyes narrowed and she shook her head at all that her counterpart had said. "That's enough out of you." She trailed off, thinking hard for a moment. "And I have an answer to your question; I'll be taking you back into myself!" Abruptly, she pulled her, now signature, gun and pointed it at Eir. "Now die!" Her finger moved to pull the trigger then, but...

"....?"

For some reason, she couldn't.

"Ah, ah, ah~" Eir intoned playfully, wagging a finger. Apparently just that action was enough to seize control of Morrighan by way of magic. "You really thought you could touch me? We're the same person. You can't harm me. Not even a little bit~" Arm outstretched, the fair skinned woman then clenched her opened hand into a fist. "On the contrary, I believe I will be taking YOU into MYSELF."

With an evil grin, she watched as Morrighan sunk to her knees, clutching her chest in some sort of pain. "Ugh....ergh...ghk...!" Eir's gaze turned impassive as she looked upon the others and held out her other arm. "...As for you lot...please disappear."

With with a waved of her hand, magics began to take form. Fire, ice, and lightning were summoned forth to do the deed.

Queegmaa has posed:
Vohstras observes as Faruja engages the memories of those for whom he had much compassion in life, undoubtedly, two parental figures, and a third, whom might have been a patron of some kind whom Faruja served as a member of a noble family? As unfeeling as Vohstra is, his lip emits a shadow of a quiver as he observes this heart-wrenching sight, being that he himself had never known his parents, and allegedly..... his mother had cared for him, enough to have him ferried away before his traitorous father could sacrifice him due to his deformities-- yes, we did not mention this before, but Vohstra has two cutaneous horns arising from his forehead like that of Diabolos himself.

An omen.... a terrible omen. Not condemning Faruja for having wept ever so lightly, the fallen retainer fixates on the scene for but a moment, as the spearman returns his attention to the enemy at hand. Normally, he finds emotional displays unacceptable during a job, but since he's not here to judge others, the Mtek decides his job is to send someone /TO/ be judged, perhaps-- Morrighan's evil clone. Like Shadow, Vohstras must keep his mind on introducing blade to flesh.... or false flesh, if Eir is not quite composed of matter reminiscent of her 'sister'. Before this day is done.... there will be more death, even if not a drop of blood is spilt; the death of a memory, the death of a figment of one's imagination, or the death of time itself, but Vohstras hopes it's not the latter, for having hours of his life spent for naught is highly frustrating, especially after the tedium he endured to get to this strange place, after putting up with Morrighan's pomposity at different junctures. At least there was one satisfying element to all of this-- he got to see the wench get a taste of her own medicine. Then.... the drow began to get into a lengthy monologue with the 'Valos' character, perplexing Vohstra.... that fellow must have been a real benefactor, if someone who spewed as much poison as Morrighan did, could have even a solitary compliment reserved for the taller apparition. This distracted him for just long enough for Eir to unleash an elemental onslaught on Vohstra that had such force that it propelled him backwards, and.... off the edge of the cliff! Was he dead?! Not a chance.

There was a singular finger clinging to the very borders of the plateau, made of metal. No human finger had enough strength to support an entire body with the added power of an aerial trajectory, but a robotic one? Yes. That one finger helped him cling to the edge, and Vohstras immediately yanked himself back atop the strange mesa, where he extended his organic hand, fingers curling inward as a titanic glacier of pure crystal surges towards Eir. The lightning portion of Eir's attack had so much potency against Vohstra that it'd sent him soaring, and he was going to extend to her a similar courtesy! With Morrighan looking pained, the samurai wasn't taking chances.... he was attacking! No war-cries from him, though, and nothing to signify Eir's attack was agonizing.... beyond some gritting of teeth, that is; he's a mute, so what could one expect?

Faruja Senra has posed:
So too is Faruja barraged by the elements, the ratling squeaking out in pain as magical energies engulf him quite nicely. Leaping away from the blast, he ends roughly in front of Morrighan, the rat coughing and gasping as he lands. Looking more than a little singed at this point, he's definitely going to need some new armor. Frowning as Morrighan takes to a knee, unable to shoot, he stands guard for her. Vohstra attacks, and Faruja takes the chance to wash a Regen spell over himself and his allies. They'll need to be there for the long haul if they're to return this fragment of Morrighan to her!

Nor does he miss the conversation between elf, elf, and spirit of Valos. "...Fiend indeed. Lady Alazne, hold fast! We shall have thy errant soul-bit back where it rightfully belongs." Tank stance go!

Shadow has posed:
Lack of color is what Shadow does best. Something about the name. Something about his black clothing. But-- it had to be magic. It had to be something not confined by the ground, as well. It leaves few options for him-- and the ones he does act on leaves him burnt, frozen, and shocked in no particular order. Smoldering would be a good way to describe what is left after he gets his bearings once more.

Holding his hands together he focuses-- creating a stillness and distortion that chills over his persona. It extends to those nearby him that had to deal with the similar attack-- Interceptor, Faru, and V.

When the stillness is complete, Shadow drops into a fighting stance. He will have to find an opening. The healing helps.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Morrighan glared at Eir through half lidded eyes. The pain in her chest was becoming unbearable. It was like someone was grasping her very being and squeezing it. She couldn't assist in battle like this. Watching her companions get bombarded by an array of magic spells, /her/ magic spells, just made it even more infuriating. That was her power that clone was throwing about!

"Oh my, you people should do a better job of paying attention, ahahahaha~" Laughing, quite amused with the turnout of her initial assault, Eir watched as Vohstras' response came right for her. The attack hit it's mark for sure, but there was no visible indication of such on the elf. Rather, her body just flickered a bit and she frowned. "...Hmn...I suppose I should make an effort to avoid too much damage..."

Watching as Shadow and Faruja took ready and defensive stances respectively, Eir weighed her options before snapping her fingers and casting another set of spells. "Well then, let us see how you fare against this!"

Following that, a massive orb of silvery, non-elemental energy formed above before descending onto the plateau with crushing force.

Queegmaa has posed:
Still not able to recover his spear, which was knocked out of his hands when he was blasted off the side and nearly into the abyss, Vohstras needed a secure window to collect it, but in the meantime, he wasn't helpless. A trick that Queegmaa had 'up his sleeves' was something Vohstras himself possessed-- something akin to a bola-rope which was actually a metal wire, could be projected from his mechanical arm, amongst the many adaptors and special features it lodged. Rakassa was a twisted individual, and since Vohstra was a student of this wicked lady of shadows, who was the embodiment of 'lust', he had profited in some ways by the designs of her backwards mind. Rakassa was oft compared to a black widow spider, who ensnared male consorts she found appealing, and kept them prisoner while they served her ever whim, thus, it had taken form in Vohstras' arsenal as a cord that would shoot out and tangle up his opponents, either fully incapacitating them, or just partially, for a temporal interval.

Sometimes he could bind their arms, sometimes their legs.... or if he was really lucky, he could wrap the thing around their throat and choke them into unconsciousness; such a thing might've been useless on Eir, but he was going to seek to hamper her movements somehow or other. Rolling to the side, he got up on a knee, and launched this surujin at her, but at the very same moment he did this, the high-elf engulfed him with a compressing sphere of magnified pressure, causing sparks to fly from his bionic arm as some of the valves were clamped shut, whilst simultaneous to this, some of his armor began to warp as it bent inward, save for the piece of Oni-Yoroi which was all but /unaffected completely/ by the massive blast... as though it had the very density of a neutron star-- something that might catch the eye of Eir, if she's greedy and likes collecting powerful pieces of equipment.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Silvery light slices into Faruja, blood staining the stone upon the farplane from the force of the spell. Dents and cracks in his armor appear, the rat certain a few of his ribs are broken. Agony runs through his body. /Rage/ fills him, at this abomination daring to desire to consume a child of Faram. Holy light flares from the rat, as he spits out blood and a tooth or two.

"/VILE ABOMINATION/! Ye whom would presume to hold the construct of this woman's soul! Thee wretched, filthy fiend! Hold naught upon this mortal plane! Go, GO to thy owner, returned from whence ye came! By the Light of Holy Faram, and by the strength of the Holy Prophet, be PURGED AND SET TO RIGHTEOUSNESS!"

Leaping into the air, his holy energy burns and wraps around his spear as he Jumps, spear pointed towards the chest of the fake Morrighan. The holy power explodes, cutting into the very stone.

It's all a distraction, an over-long feint. Knowing well the vulnerabilities of undead, his tail reaches into his robes. A knife is drawn; a silver dagger, belonging to a certain Count. Quite simply, he attempts to perform a holy-infused, silver shanking into the pyreflie-gut of Eir.

Shadow has posed:
This time the magical assault meets different results. The soul hazing makes it more difficult to hit him-- like a raincoat in rain. Shadow sprints towards the attack-- aiming to get past the silvery ball of doom before it lands right on his ninja face. The evasive options are still razor-hair thin-- with the sapping effects of both a Drain and Bio only missing his persona by a razor's width. He slides the last moment-- bypassing the Ruinous magic's impact point as he aims upwards towards the elvish attacker.

The wave of magic has Shadow ride the force forward as salvo of projections erupts-- a combination of metal shrapnel to mix with a single 'herbal' filled orb. If Faru is going to go from the top, Shadow is going to go from the bottom. And V-- well that must mean V has the center.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Eir's eyes were indeed fixated upon Vohstras' rather intriguing contraption. So much so that Faruja and Shadow were given clear openings to land their attacks. As usual, there was no satisfying crunch or otherwise physical indications of damage, but the magic power behind them, especially Faruja's, caused the elf to wince in pain. "Grh...!"

Given pause, she looked away, deeming the mute's possessions to be a non issue at the moment, no matter how interesting they might have been! "I see, you people are not too bad...Well then...." Smirking openly, Eir straightened herself up and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes. "Time to unleash a fair bit more of my power. I really do need you fools to vanish after all."

And with that, the pyreflies drifting about the plateau would find themselves drawn towards the high elf, gathering as a force akin to a black hole began to form. More and more spirits were forcibly gathered and then compressed. They crystallized, forming a massive black cluster that looked more like a dread glacier. "Dear sister, I'm afraid you will be bidding your friends farewell soon!"

Then sharply, her eyes opened and her arms thrust forward. "Disappear from my sight!" And with that, the dark fragment descended onto the plateau, aiming to crush and shatter, sending magical force exploding outwards at high velocity.

Queegmaa has posed:
Vohstras didn't have any magical weapons like silver daggers, or holy powers to use against phantoms of the night, but he did have a nice piece of armor that allowed him to speak telepathically, besides offering unequalled protection.... even if it only covered one small part of his body! His cybernetic arm had a few tricks to it, but what he prided himself upon was his spear-play, and he was going to reclaim his signature weapon if it was the last thing he did.... which, at the rate things were going, it might very well have been such! Closing the distance between himself and his weapon, he continued to meander across the battlefield until he reached the thing, and seized the end of it. The impact from that initial barrage by Eir had actually sent the spear into a hunk of rock where it'd become embedded, so Vohstra needed to use all his strength to emancipate the destructive device.

For now.... Shadow, Vohstra didn't have center; this fellow couldn't die honorably without a weapon in his hand, or in his body, and since Eir was using mysticism to dish out the punishment, that meant the only armament he could rely on having on(or in) his person was his own! The dark glacier has such tremendous might behind it that it pulverizes a fair percentage of Vohstra's armor as he's blown clear of the place where he was trying to remove his yari. Fortunately, as he clenched his eyes shut in a mixture of dealing with the pain and exerting sufficient force to retrieve his spear, that the added power of the blast /assists/ with ripping it free of its confines. Shaking his head, the Mtek now has a weapon in his hand, even if he's on the dizzy side.... that last bombardment was considerably menacing, and he needed a moment to recollect himself.

Deelel has posed:
Where has Deelel been?

"I do not think so, that is enough out of you!"

Deelel runs a few commands and engages a fire wall protocall somehow. Queegmaa and Faruja would find that this is not magic but it is something close enough. So now with her allies protected somewhat, she pulls the disc off her back and it humms to live.

"Got a bit lost, sorry about that, shall we get it and my apologises Morri..."

Faruja Senra has posed:
And power the Fiend has, that dark fragment exploding into the Burmecian. Sent flying, he skitters like a stone flicked across a lake, landing at the edge of the stairs. Coughing, hacking up blood, his spear is sent careening down the very stairs. Pain assaults his senses, dark magics flowing into him, pain wracking his body. Crawling forward, all he has is a knife on him, and even his magic falters. Spying his allies, he does what he can; feeling himself bolstered as psuedo-magic falls upon him. Slowly, he gets to his feet.

"By Ajora, Deel! I /swear/ that boy is rubbing off on you!" Clearly Deelel has contracted a case of the Reizeitis.

Green light flashes over himself and Shadow, the most wounded of all of them; twin curatives attempting to seal their wounds.

Shadow has posed:
It looks like that is the end of Shadow. Even Interceptor gives one last bark as the dark figure evades 'into' the attack. Its almost as if the guy is some sort of fatalist-- or if he is trying to prove something to his ghostly friend that is watching. The reaper comes for everyone-- and when the dark glacial attack lands-- it seems as if that is the end.

Game Over. Continue? . . .

And there he is. Cue the trumpets. Cue the well-placed green glow from a Faru that returns some much needed vitality. Cue-- offensive ninja.

Finally the blade is unsheathed from Shadow's side with the sort of silvery blurr one expects from the whizz of a bullet. Yet that isn't the worst of it-- its all for positioning. The bottom of his sword's hilt detaches with a thin metal wire-- attempting to grapple with the sorceress and stiffle her voice. He gambles that the last attack left her just weak enough to pull it off. But the true action-star of this? Interceptor-- who is already charging and waiting for his ninja to grapple the foe right into pounce-chomping time.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"Hmn...Shame. I must have miscalculated the power on that spell." Eir mumbled, disappointed at the turnout afterward. Yes, she did manage to deal a good bit of damage, but no one was gone. What a shame. And now they have a chance to recover.

The appearance of Deelel gave the elf pause as she arched a brow. "...Oh, so there were more of you. Wonderful." At this point, Eir was growing rather fed up. Shadow's quick combination was met with the barest defenses as it came as a bit of a surprise. "Tch...!" Jumping back to put distance between them, the fair skilled elf eyed Morrighan who at this point, could feel that hold on her waning. "...Why don't you just give up and become part of me already?"

The question was met with a scoff as Morrighan rolled her eyes, taking a few moments to catch her breath. "...You realize that is a far off dream, yes? After all...I'm the original here. ...If we come back together, I'll be the one in control." This statement was met with silence from Eir, who then began to laugh. "A-Ahahahahaha! Nonsense! That is complete nonsense! Why would I have called you out here just to become a part of you again!? Are you mad!?"

Morrighan just stared for a moment and then smirked. "...But isn't that exactly what you were after? You were just too awkward to say it outright." Another bout of silence between them. At that point, Morrighan set down her gun and shakily stood, an arm held out to signal the others to hold their ground.

"...Am I wrong?" The dark elf asked then, staring holes into her counterpart.

Queegmaa has posed:
Morrighan's word is law, and though he was still at a moderate level of health(over half), with enough vitality to keep fighting physically, exercised restraint by standing by for further instructions. His job was to 'keep Morrighan safe', and if the attacks stopped from Eir's end, there was no threat, especially since now the drow had regained enough strength that she could stand.... even if she was staggering while doing so. Vohstras kept his spear leveled, ready to strike Eir at the first sign of trouble re-emerging, but for now, he'd silently regenerate some of his health in his own, unique way; the esper he'd been infused with was a creature of ice, and water....

The water aspect meant he had gained some healing properties, so unlike the destructive side, which involved freezing things into total stasis and death, he could rejuvenate over time, if slowly. Panting, he'd been given a thorough workout, but he was a tough nut to crack, which was why he was in better shape than Faruja, even though both of them had taken the same attacks, and in defiance of the fact that Faruja was also an armored fighter! Perhaps now the Nezumi will believe Queegmaa's boastful claim about how stalwart those Magitek Knights were!

Faruja Senra has posed:
Bloody, battered, and beaten, Faruja very much holds his ground. Slowly getting up, he limps to stand towards Morrighan's flank, nothing more tha Valos' silver dagger in his hand. He didn't have the strength to summon up another spear, instead holding to his single weapon left. It's through sheer willpower that he moves to try to protect the woman, staying true to his word to the dark elf. If he died today, he'd have few regrets.

Indeed, the magitek knight's abilities certain play in some corner of Faruja's mind. But most of it tends to his allies. The Burmecian works healing magics onto himself, and others, even as he speaks.

"...Do not deceive thyself. You know with whom you belong. Join to her, and cease this conflict." Speaks the rat to the light skinned elf.

Shadow has posed:
The ninja has his sword pointed at Eir. That cold look is similar to the final moments that would follow some serious damage. Yet Shadow notices Morrighan's command and without a hint of pride he sheaths his razor sharp blade.

Interceptor whines-- being more childish of the two. He already had a taste of her from the last attack and has this 'But I can beeeaaatttt heerrrr' in his puppy dog eyes. To this Shadow shoots a chastising glare. The client comes first, dog, remember this.

Shadow paces to Morrighan's side. His tertiary function is still evacuation-- and if whatever happens next leaves the elf threatened-- his priority is not as an assassin, but as a transporter. This has been prepaid for under line item eight of the platinum ninja clause.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is glad to lend her aid to her friends, even to Morrighan herself. She smirks a bit at the comment about there being more.

"What can, I say?"

She glances over to her companionsm taking stock of their condtion. I could be worse but both are alive. The imperial gets a look, however prehaps things are even between them now.

Shadow and Faruja are alive, Interceptor is also noted as being all right as well.

"Being broken is no easy thing, I have been there...if you join you will be one step closer to being whole."

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
"......This is hardly fair." Eir grumbled after several moments of considering Morrighan's words. Quietly, she eyed everyone present, contemplating letting off another magical barrage. She had enough strength to let off that spell again, and more. ...But what was the point? Even if she won, she'd still lose control to Morrighan.

Morrighan meanwhile just closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "...When is anything ever fair? You and I both know how that is. We're the same person after all, you and I." Stepping forward cautiously, and then another, and another, slowly approaching her counterpart, Morrighan eventually reached her and they stared eye to eye for a moment.

"...Fine then." Eir grumbled, letting her arms lower to her sides. "I'm done, do as you will."

Morrighan nodded and closed to distance. In a decidedly uncharacteristic action, Morrighan pulled her 'sister' into a rather motherly seeming hug, smoothing out her hair as she spoke. "It was lonely, wasn't it?"

Silence was all Morrighan got for an answer, but it was enough. Eir soon broke down into wisps of light, becoming drawn into Morrighan's body. There is a brief flash of light for a moment before it subsides, and all that remains is Morrighan alone. "...Phew." Opening her eyes, the elven woman looked around and then checked herself. "Looks like that worked."

And immediately to test, she held out a hand and focused a little. Without any struggle or effort, a large plume of flame burst to life above her hand, flickering wildly. ".../Finally/!" Confirming the completion, Morrighan let the flame die and turned to look at the group. "It seems as if the job is done. And no one died. Congratulations~"

Speaking clearly in a good mood, Morrighan approached, arms spread, and she immediately began exercising her good old healing magic to help heal everyone's wounds. "Now then, let us depart from this dreaded place. I'm sure you all are rather weary of it. I know I am!"

Unbeknownst to Morrighan however, two figures were beginning to take form from the pyreflies drifting about... One of them was an older man. His skin was of a dark complexion, almost grey. His hair was short and white and he was extremely tall, at least Valos' height. He must have been a dark elf. His expression was somber, almost apologetic as he beheld Morrighan's form.

Standing at his side was a much smaller woman. A high elf if her fair skin was anything to go by. Her hair was long and brown and she wore a rather regal looking dress, one certainly not fit for travel. As she regarded Morrighan, she smiled sincerely, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, which she reached to wipe away quickly. ...Who were these people?

Morrighan was currently oblivious to them, but her companions could definitely see them.

Queegmaa has posed:
Vohstras peers over at Deelel, but says not a thing implying that he feels they're on good or bad terms, he's fairly neutral about everyone here, since this is a private contract. On the other hand, he was the one who didn't give the hordes of soldiers leave to pursue Maira to recapture her, so combined with that fact that he'd aided Morrighan, maybe these two things impressed Deelel to the extent that she no longer begrudged him. Though he doesn't say it, he actually had nothing to do with Maira's kidnapping, her confinement, or anything other than guarding whoever(or whatever) Admiral Rakassa brought to the Magitek Factory upon which to be experimented. Not quite in paramount condition, but already showing signs of robustness from his perpetual rejuvenation process, the ice-elemental Mtek who could sometimes influence time(mainly slowing or stopping it, as cold tends to do for movement) began to breathe more lightly as his health was becoming more abundant.

The man named Vohstras could truly take a licking and keep on ticking, but it made no difference, because Morrighan had dealt the finishing blow to Eir, who in essence, was destroyed.... in that she ceased being who she was.... a meager fragment that was lost, instead, returning to her source, reincarnated as a whole entity-- Morrighan Alazne! Vohstra stood upright, quietly, and put away his yari in its holster, since he assumed the fighting was done with; all that was left was to return to his master and receive his reward for a job well done. And unlike some wimps who served the sadistic matron of the navy of Vector cajolingly, who'd settle for second-rate treatment, he expected no patronization from his superior officer, and no sarcasm, having earned a genuine reception full of warm gratitude..... even if the warmth was phony, since, after all, Rakassa wasn't capable of being sincerely compassionate towards others. Vohstra glanced over at the newly arrived elves, and tilted his head to the side, questioningly, then.... he was reminded of something. Shooting a glance to Shadow, he sent the ninja a telepathic message that only the assassin alone could hear inside of his mind.....

Queegmaa has posed:
....There would be no proof of anything, regardless of how Shadow answered....

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja stares back at Morrighan, a smile coming to his muzzle as two become one. "...Quite. A rousing success. I must say, the Lady hath a fine point. Let us quit this place. Enough of this place for a lifetime, methinks...

Healing magic has Faruja moving, the rat offering a nod to the dark elf as he starts to turn away. Pausing, several figures catch his eye. His body stills. Gaze sweeping over them, he burns those figures into his memory, taking in every detail he can. Faruja, ever a loving homebody at heart, knows a family when he sees one. He'll be cursed if he won't remember this one. Kneeling briefly, he crosses his chest, muttering a prayer for the departed. Then, standing, he offers a bow to the figures present. A smiles comes to his face.

"She shall be fine. Go to the Lord, with pride of thy kin."

With that, Faruja turns sharply, walking out beside his companions today; heart far less burdened than when he entered.

Shadow has posed:
The worst of the threat is done, but there is still the matter of leaving the party in safe ground. This is hardly safe ground. Shadow lets his accumualted momentium return to a natural stillness as he moves away with the others. Interceptor barks once-- feeling as if he missed out on some sort of climax. The ninja appreciates it more like a fine drink you can savor-- in a tavern-- with the money he earned.

The assassin got the message-- but the reply to it is wordless. A typical, "..." with a cold glare back to Vohstras. Some secrets are better left in the dark. Thats what he prefers at least.

Among the watching spirits, the shady form of the rogue claps his hands together slowly and sarcastically. As Shadow goes to leave-- the spirit breaks the assassin's stride by stepping in front of him. "We need to talk." Shadow stares at him. Cold blue eyes. No. They don't need to talk. Shadow steps around the figure and continues with the team. He has a job to do. He has a payment to deliver. He has an Admiral to meet later. He-- has all the reasons he needs to run away. Again.

Morrighan Alazne has posed:
Morrighan never did see those figures. By the time she glanced back, curious as to who Faruja was praying to, they had already vanished into the farplane. "....?" Left confused and with no answer, she shrugged and followed after the others with a smile on her face. Finally, she was complete.

Garland's little game had been bested and she was whole again. That's really all that mattered to her. Having retrieved her gun on the way out, she tucked it away before rushing along to not get left behind.

Queegmaa has posed:
With Morrighan whole, Faruja already leaving, and Shadow showing no interest in providing any answers, Vohstra gazes at the spirit who asked Shadow to speak to him. Interviewing 'Baram' might have done some good, except that as Shadow is departing, the magic of the pyreflies loses potency, thus preventing the spirit from maintaining cohesion when the only remaining person here is one with whom the ghost had no attachments. No answers are to be had, but Vohstra has a feeling that this was the one.... how the ancient demon varg knew of Shadow's past, is beyond Vohstra.... but he is a small player in this vast, tangled web, a newcomer.... whereas Shadow and Rohy had been around much longer, and Morrighan.... she, being a dark elf, was probably also far more 'in the know' than himself. Sighing silently, as no real sound erupts from his mouth, the Mtek begins his descent to the bottom, so that he can get his payment, and from the very same person who Shadow was going to see; despite that, the chances were, the two would not see each other again for some time.