[img]http://i.imgur.com/9qAfFLn.png[/img]

[b][u]Aliquam: Academy of the Arts – SW Section[/u][/b]

“Lu… te… nggah…!” Rose clenched her teeth tightly, gasping in agony and pain as she struggled to back free of her poor horse Sebastian’s prone body thanks to Lute’s assistance in lifting the heavy animal and gently lowering the soundly sleeping horse back down. 

Agony washed through Rose’s body. She could feel pain screaming at her, twisting through her leg as if she had been stabbed by knives. The way in which she and Sebastian had fallen was bad, but now she was positive – her ankle or leg was broken, and it took all Rose had not to cry or fall unconscious. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Not because of a thief like this, a duplicitous coward who had to resort to tranqualising and harming poor animals. As much as her body hurt, she was more concerned about Sebastian… and more determined and resolute to make their attacker pay. 

As Trixie kept their attacker at bay, Lute had done the courtesy of breaking her free. But during that brief distraction, their attacker had managed to approach and attack him – pulling his trousers down and assaulting him with some of those vile stink bombs he had used before, this time with added stickiness. It was all so… elementary and uncouth. Immature. And aggravating. She wanted to be able to stand up and draw her rapier free, and fence the toad through the shoulder, pinning him to the wall. 

It seemed Lute had the same idea in mind. A loud scream of indignation erupted from his throat. The way in which he screamed his resolution, and unsheathed his sword with an accompanying sound projecting slash… it was the way a man should act. Confident and determined. Dependable and resolute. A hero. 

Rose blushed. She could hardly believe this was the same man she had first met in the Academy causing a terrible scene, or the confidence lacking man she had danced with in Tobias’ gala. This… this was a new man altogether. 

Or at least it would have been if, even in the gloomy darkness, she couldn’t see his teddy bear boxers affectionately smiling back at her. 

He had a way to go.

She closed her eyes and strained her senses. The pain in her leg hurt immeasurably, but she wouldn’t give in or be forced to sit on the sidelines. She would be a part of this fight too, no matter what. 

Her hands touched the ground, and she began to pour her magic into the ground. Vines that snaked up the walls of the Academy began to twitch, and turn, and writhe, slowly slithering downwards towards the floor. The effort was exhausting and Herculean, but she planned to trap and ensnare their opponent, to allow Trixie and Lute the ability to finally catch that slippery bastard.

-----

[img]http://i.imgur.com/2uDBgEK.png[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/WDVJyuu.png[/img]

[b][u] Aliquam: Academy of the Arts – Central Section[/u][/b]

“Lucien!” Estelle hissed in a whisper. “Lucien! Are you okay!” Amy gave her friend a sideways glance of confusion, wondering why she was eliciting to try and whisper when their attacker was no doubt able to hear anyway, even with the fact that Estelle couldn’t possibly do quiet. At all. Ever.

“No he’s not bloody okay!” Tobias’ voice emerged in response. “He’s unconscious and he weighs a ton! Get him off me!”

Estelle had been inching towards them, but then stopped and rolled her eyes. They could stay there a bit longer then. Truth be told, Tobias was probably safer there. 

“Amy, can you see anything? Make your gem glow brighter, or some- look out!!”

A wooden crate came hurtling from the darkness to the north, aimed directly at the cleric, before Estelle grabbed and pushed her to the side, dodging the crate as it exploded behind them into shattered splinters. They were given no reprieve as another crate came flying at a slightly altered angle at a frightening speed:- Estelle swung her sword out and destroyed it. And then again the pattern repeated, another crate hurtling towards them at another angle, followed by another slice from Estelle’s fireblade. 

Estelle’s teeth gritted together. Their enemy… the ‘Masked Phantom’… was circling around them, throwing more and more crates at them as they did. Well enough was enough, Estelle wasn’t take any more of that. 

She surged forward, dashing into the darkness where she predicted her foe would be, fireblade held up firmly at the ready to strike as soon as he saw him.

Unfortunately for both her and Amy, they had fallen into Francesca’s carefully laid trap…