Djarkel was never a place Annabeth could imagine living at. She held no belief of the feud between Djarkel and Eania, but that didn't mean she felt she could live in Djarkel. It's atmosphere, it's grimm nature, and it's dark history made Annabeth uneasy in these lands. Sure there were virtues that Djarkel displays best, and not everyone from these lands are bad. Just about everyone aside from Annabeth and E'nasha came from Djarkel, and they weren't bad people. Well, vampires and assassin aside. They were good ones.

But as they traveled through Djarkel towards Craigsville, a sense of foreboding kept bothering Annabeth. Perhaps it was simply because she was an Eanian in Djarkel lands. Perhaps it was because the Nox was about as familiar and peaceful as the Inferno, as far as Annabeth knew. And she honestly knew less about the Nox than the Inferno; before Tyrael had all demons banished, she had heard tales of life in the Inferno. But she has heard nothing about the Nox. It's mysteriousness was both intriguing and frightening to the Lues blooded mage. Mostly frightening.

A few weeks had passed since they had left the last village. The carriage and drivers did not stay with them, and only Annabeth had Samson to ride. And even with him here, he was very afraid. He could sense a maligned influence, and only because of Annabeth's soothing presence (And magic) did he not simply turn tail and run. That being said, his fears mirrored Annabeth's own. Only, she didn't intend to run away from danger if she could help it. Soon the party reached Craigsville, where they were given the orders to scout the area of danger. Of course it wasn't long before danger found them, in the form of the ghouls that Craig had spoken about. They shambled towards them and Athalus's crossbow went to meet them. His first shot hit a woman dead in the chest and it would have killed her, but she simply continued forward. It was only after she was shot in the head that she had fallen.

"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. The undead may be slow, but they're never easy to kill."

Annabeth took out her bow and a few arrows. The shambling undead were easy targets for her, and landing her arrows through their eyes was a simple feat. If she could land the same hit on a deer running away from her, she could do the same to the undead coming towards her. Of course Samson was even more afraid now, and Annabeth had to calm him with her magic. She knew that if these things came in a larger horde, or if a bigger monster showed up, Annabeth would either have to let Samson run or use her magic to keep him calm. She hoped it wouldn't come to that, but she kept it in her mind. Annabeth unleashed two arrows in rapid succession, each one aiming for a different ghoul, but only the ones who were armed.



The night was young and blustering with life. Unlike Djarkel's usual atmosphere of dark dreary greys and black, this night was vibrant with colors and light that one may not typically associate with both Djarkel or Vampires. Multicolored flames illumiatning the halls as stain-glassed windows brought the moon's radiance in a variety of hues. There was a light mist covering the halls with a pleasant scent, along with food that would smell delicious and appetizing for a vampire. Unfortunately for those who weren't, the food was quite raw and pungent, what with it being various exotic meats freshly butchered for the palate of it's vampire guests.

Put if one put aside the visceral food arrangements and the odor, this gala was somewhat pleasant. There was an orchestra of skilled musicians providing ambiance, and as soon as the College students arrived they were quickly greeted by various guests, most of whom were allies of the College. The chats were simple and mostly greetings, but for some of the students they could easily discern the purpose of these meetings when their wards felt a slight pressure on them. Just a small one, as if one had bumped into them as they were walking by. But it was obvious enough: Psychomancers were trying to prod into the minds of the students. They were cautious enough to do so only briefly, and hidden in a crowd. Should Ssarak try to scan the crowd, he would find that this room had an large amount of wards present, many of them above novice quality. A few in particular were quite strong, so strong in fact that pinning down their exact location would require much of his focus.

It would be some time before the guests of honor, Lord Carmine and his son, would arrive. In the meantime the college students would have some time to leave an impression for the various barons, who seemingly were minding their own business, but were in fact watching them carefully. Fortunately, the students would have some ideas of which barons they should speak too thanks to their allies here: Baron Bryland of East Reach, Baroness Alfstanna Eremon of the Crashing Seas, and lastly Sighard of the Wyvern Hills. These Barons were only fridge allies with the College, but were much closer to the Baron Carmine. But the college's allies also warned of a threat; a few factions who disliked the alliance with the college, wishing to cut off from it to pursue their own interests. None of these factions would act overtly of course, knowing full well that in a direct confrontation they would be defeated by the college. But they should be watchful of subterfuge.

Bryland is a minor, fairly new noble. He owns only one holding, but is Lord Carmine's champion. A simple vampire, who lacks a faith in magic and prefers more physical skills. Alfstanna Eremon has been taking in refugees from all around Djarkel, and while she is willing to lend assistance to them she worries that all her resources going to them will weaken her barony. A woman of both strong will and kind heart, however she's been known for her dry wit as sharp as her arrows. Sighard has a large contingent of mages, perhaps the largest controlled by a single Baron, but lacks the facilities or teachers to train them. An elder vampire who's appearance reflects his age, gruff and aloof. However it's also said that he is one of the few vampires who could still be affected by alcohol's influence, but only a certain brand. Perhaps it is a curse, or even a blessing, but whatever it was it was also a secret. With this information the college students should figure out among themselves how they could try to gain these barons favor, or simply wait until Lord Carmine shows up and speak with him.

Among the many guests socializing, Lyn may notice one in particular. A dark-skinned man wearing a fine suit of purple velvet lined with golden silk. Glimpses of his face were short, but sure enough if Lyn had a good look, this man was unmistakable; this was the same man who had saved Lyn from the Poison Blooms from before. He was enjoying a light snack as he spoke to various barons and knights. He seemed genuinely interested, but quickly left conversations after he started them. It wasn't long before the man walked towards one of the balcony for some fresh air, leaving him to his lonesome.

Helena smiled at the sound of bolts swishing past her and finding home in the thin flesh of the enemy. It was nice knowing that those with ranged weapons were good shots. Not that she'd doubted Althalus’s abilities any. But she had the advantage of growing up with stories of him being told to her. He was almost the same age as her father after all.

She on the other hand, didn't have the range the other's had. She couldn't throw as accurately from as far away. So she had to get closer. Which was not something that she was particularly excited about. She did not relish the idea of getting in that close to basically the living dead.

“Well time to go die,” she sighed, more to herself than anyone around her. She left the others, somewhat, striking out on a wider arc and coming at some of the outliers who seemed at least mostly weapon free. She stepped lightly, avoiding drawing attention to herself for the most part. Though once she was somewhat close enough, a head did turn in her direction. She slowed, taking a firm hold of her blade before tossing it at the shambling creature, missing the face that she’d aimed for and instead hit something below, towards the chest. Which seemed to do nothing but piss it off and have it fully change direction towards her.

“Well fuck me,” she groaned, reaching for her other blade easily, taking her time this time. She did not want to become food.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

As the gala was beginning, Ssarak supposed that it would be in the best interest of himself and the other students to speak to the important barons attending the event. Here, they were not just students, but rather diplomats. They would be approaching the Djarkel nobility on equal terms, rather than as servants or messengers. It was not a position Ssarak had imagined himself being in before, but he could give off as much confidence as needed to represent the College as an organization of power and authority.

Becoming acquainted with the leaders of the local factions was certainly important, but Ssarak specifically had other responsibilities among the group. Namely, he was their psychomancer, and events like these were a mental battleground. His first task was identifying his foes. With each greeting he received, he was attentive. Rather than prod the mind of every single person in the room, he decided to approach the problem more conservatively. Whenever one of the psychomancers would prod his ward, he would act quickly to follow it to its source, then try to identify them in the crowd. He also used the minds of others, such as Lyn, for the same purpose. She was allowing psychomancers to access a small sliver of her mind, so Ssarak waited. Then, when another psychomancer would find their way in, he would follow it to its source. Ssarak did not think that he could identify them all, but he was finding them one by one.

Through the course of examining his allies mind, Ssarak noticed how the vampire, Keri, was obviously uncomfortable. Moreso than the other students. He would not even need to break into her mind to make that assessment. She was not at home in a large, crowded gala, but unfortunately, she would have to act like she was. Ssarak stepped up alongside her, looking down upon her with an intentionally calm expression. ”We do not have to remain here long, so as long as we remain focused on our task. If you are nervous, stick together with one of us, and be ready with your wards.” He said to her telepathically.

Location-Craigville

Colette, standing, frowned at the sudden weather. She was gaining a bad feeling about this storm. Goosebumps forming on her exposed skin, she looked back at the town of Craigville, taking notice of the woman. Something didn’t seem right about this woman. Tensing, she let her hand touch the handle of her rapier. Atticus was growling as zombies seemed to appear more.

”Atticus, Hyllos we have a fight on our hands” Pulling out her blade, she held it front of her. The noise of her pulling out of her blade gained some of the attention of the thing and they began to go towards her. Cringing at the moaning and groaning noises, she began her run towards them.

Being taught that she should wait for her opponent to make the first move, this was a bit odd for her to make the first move, but since these things were technically alive like other ones would be, that little lesson shouldn’t count, right? As she got close, one managed to grab her, but with her vampiric speed, se broke the arm off and sliced its head right off.

Seeing some of the dark red blood spatter on her new clothes, she had to hold down a gag. Normally, yes blood would definitely make her want to drool, but blood belonging to something already dead and rotting smelt so damn bad. Hearing a yelp, she saw two pinning Atticus downand try to take a bite out of him, she rushed over and kicked them away and into a tree.

”Oops sorry tree forgive me”, she sliced the two open and jumped back before any more blood could get onto her precious clothes. Looking at her rapier, she wanted to gag eve more seeing the slimy substance drip off the once clean blade. Oh yes she would definitely need to get her rapier cleaned.

Location- Sansar

Summer followed the Yollin person, standing being Mar. She had seen how she was acting and it caused quite a bit of concern for the female naga. She wanted to pulled her close and comfort her, so the only thing she could do was lay a hand on her shoulder and hold it in a soft way that meant comfort. It was a thing her mother did for her for several weeks after her sister went missing.

Looking around the city, she felt a huge sense of uneasiness. It was the same uneasiness she felt on the last day she saw her parents. There was maniacs running around them and even bodies laid scattered around and it didn’t help that everyone was exposed to danger at this point. Oh yes, not a perfect moment to let your guard down. She even had her hand on her bow, ready to use it if needed. With her hand still on Mar, the shiver that passed through her body could possible be felt by Mar.

”So sir, Mr Yollin, you seem very well known here. What do you do here exactly?” She had taken notice how the people seemed to part for him when they were walking through, it was a bit strange to her

Keri Wolf

Location-Hysteria

So many new faces covering the ones she already knew. Death lingering in the corner like an old friend waiting to greet all those who enter the vampiric world either willingly or by force. These thoughts, among others, slowly filled the back of the vampire's mind as they crept inside the entrance. Her dress was much more showy than she had originally wanted, but then again this was Djarkel. No, it was Keri's homeland. She knew this yet she felt like a stranger here. Perhaps it was the events that lead the young woman towards the college doors or perhaps it was because her lover wasn't by her side. Only time could tell what this feeling was actually was.

The dress seemed to fit inside this world fairly well though the back braided cloth slowly brushing past her high heels, made walking much more difficult. A simple dress would have satisfied Keri yet Lyn and her helper decided to go just a bit more fancier. Though it would have been better if Colette had come as well. The young woman glanced down towards where the ring was placed original and frowning at how bear odd it felt being placed on a piece of leather around her thigh. This was to keep it hidden from prying eyes. The front was nearly waist high then diagonally lengthened to a few inches above the knees. A small ribbon laid on the midsection to keep the dress parts together with what looked like a small design on her upper leg.

Ssarak's voice sounded inside the vampire's mind causing her head to jerk up."I know that it will end faster if we work it's just...I'm still not good with groups or people in general. We need to keep an eye on Lyn too. If it's not too much to ask will you please help me with this?" she asked in a much more gentle tone then before walking around to play her part.

Lyn, Hysteria (Djarkel)

Anxiety gathered in Lyn’s chest. The longer she was aware of the crowd, the harder her heart rapidly pattered against her ribs. The pace was similar to how Samson trampled through the forest in a flat out run, his hooves slammed into the ground and pushed onward in terror. Like his relentless pace, she was sure if her heart had been forced to endure this much longer than it would run away from her. Instinctively, Lyn’s hand raised to her chest in a faint hope to sooth it. No such luck sadly, she realized in disappointment.

Her eyes scanned the various attending vampires, noting each face in her notes. Causally, in an attempt not to draw attention to herself, Lyn glided over to one of the tables, moving from Keri, as she glanced upon the feast. She smiled softly to note several were just right for her carnivorous appetite. She felt a few eyes brush her direction and pressure on her ward, then quickly released shortly. Her figure barely reacted to the invasion while shepretended to browse the selection. It was lucky she would only have to do so many times because she had few childhood memories, a fact she knew wouldn’t go unnoticed forever.

Pushing the worry aside, she looked up to spot her quarry. She bit her lip in thoughtfulness as she watched him flutter from one guest to another, his expression active in his interest but quickly moved on. Her figure moved away from the table to slowly follow him when he started toward the balcony. She reached for the handle and pause, her bottom lip sucked in hesitation. Sharply inhaled, Lyn pushed forward through the door. It clicked shut behind her.


Mar, Sansar (Yarsomere)

Mar tensed visibly when she noted Yolin linger on Summer. Gradually, her eyes shifted and noted the woman tearing up at the sights, her worry increased when she heard his ignorant words. Mentally she tried to figure how to rein in the woman’s crying as Athalus, came into her mind. He would easily know how to easy this, but Mar hadn’t the faintest idea. Emotional experience was still needed and only slowly gained over time, her own a struggle to contain as it was in the current situation. Frustration building up, Mar’s eyes jerked to examine the scenery instead.

When she felt the touch on her shoulder, Mar’s head jerked with a start then relaxed. Summer’s hand rested on upon it and seemed to attempt to comfort her. Something Athalus would’ve done. Absentmindedly, Mar raised her own hand to rest on top as they walked farther into the city. The moment a shiver passed through Summer, Mar leaned in to whisper quietly. “Easy little one. Keep calm and swallow your fear, if they try to do anything defend yourself. If they try to claim you broke a law, claim ignorance of the land’s laws.”

Retracing her head, she returned to study the city. Individuals, mostly adults, had busied themselves cleaning up the leftover debris from some past conflict. A woman paused long enough to idly chatter as her lips pulled into an overly pleased smile, her arms exposed enough to show how stained they were with blood and grime. The woman seemed to hardly notice while she spied a child rush forward past the growing pile. Something else bothered her as she panned about, trying to seek the source until it suddenly came to her. There was literally no life aside from human within the city. No bird, rodent or even small lizard that even Naga spotted while in the wild. It was strange and unsettling to see the lack of animals in a place where they should’ve thrived. She fought the urge to slip her tongue out and taste the air, determining the last time they filled the streets but resisted.

Gradually they arrived into the market place where a crowd had collected. Mar bitterly heard the man’s revelation about his savior, noting the details might’ve been skewered by his opinion, as she trailed behind the group. The crowds seemed to part and made way for Yolin and his guests, their eyes widened in fright as they recoiled to the sides. Their host, obvious to the reaction, merely spoke praises of his cooks then sat down. His hand gestured them to follow suit as they settled in. Several soup bowls were placed in front of each seat while he continued to address the college students.

As the others questioned Yolin, Mar closed her eyes briefly. Her heat pits near her tear ducts flared then registered the numerous bodies surrounding them at a distance. The guards barely approached as they stood at attention around the collected group, their presence might’ve not even been needed at all. Another strange thing was the fact no one stood within a building's shadow despite the heat beating over head and being near the hottest time of the day. Gently, Mar opened her eyes and nudged with her elbow into Summer (when she finished talking and got her answer) to get her attention. She then pointed toward the fact, not saying a word in order to prevent Yolin taking notice. She hoped the girl was smart enough to notice what she saw clearly without being told.


_{@Rtron,@Lucius Cypher, @May, & @Luna}





The once man rushed forward, a gnarled looking undead, as his half rotted face showed the ill signs of inside decay. His jaw was dislocated and hung at an odd angle, still barely able to jerk up and down in a lopsided movement. Arms raised to stretch outward with clawed fingers still attached by their tendons as he lunged. He moved easily for his stiff remains as his teeth snapped oddly together while he moaned hungrily, gradually covering the distance between Helena and himself.



The blood that splattered on Colette was more gel like and filled with clots, black little dots settled in the congealed red fluid. It gave off a foul, iron smell even for those not sensitive in the nose department. The undead seemed unfazed by the loss of its arm as she lurched forward and tried to once more grapple the vampire. However, she was going off to help Atticus, the neko pinned by two of her fellow undead. They barely knew what happened when they were knocked suddenly into nearest dead tree, the trunk splitted into two and crumbled into the nearest house. It made a loud crack which was followed by the lightning overhead and the storm’s last warning to seek cover.



Several undead dropped before Annabth’s arrows, their shambling corpses heaped into a small growing pile. Sampson snorted and pawed the ground, his nostrils filled with the natural stench of death. His mouth opened to emit a whinny of disapproval as he struggled not to bolt, the psychomancer’s influence helping in that regard. More bodies collected and attracted by the struggles between the threes volunteers and the horse’s panicked screams. While Annabeth was a good shot, but she was limited by firing one arrow per round from her crossbow. With the numbers growing and her focus on Sampson’s growing fear, it was not a surprise she failed to see one shambling out of the nearest building behind her. It’s half decayed face turned to the horse’s rear then lunged. Sampson screamed and reared when red hot pain flared across his flank. The movement was sudden enough to toss Annabeth from her perch and into the dirt while her mount kicked out with his strong hind legs, nearly missing her head, into his attacker. The undead man flew backwards. His ribs cracked and ruptured through his rotten flesh, then crumbled into the nearest wall where his neck snapped loudly.




The wild mage finally moved. His senses felt the Nox pulse, disrupted by the death of the undead and the teacher’s influence of it His head tilted, seemingly to listen to the numerous vibrations within the unseen then moved to the skies over head. Thick, dangerous looking clouds moved across the skies as flickers of lightning grew with the passing moments. Their sounds cracked loud enough for even the students to hear and seemed to warn them to take cover, a fact Craig had to ignore. Through the two open holes within the crow like mask were two wild, blood shot eyes staring into the air. Nothing dare approach him. His aura made sure of that and blared out in a sickly, dangerous way that warned off all civilizations within the town.

staring through with a crow like mask at the scenery. Nothing approached him, his aura blaring out a sickly dangerous energy, as he lifted the strange lantern up to his face. His other hand reached upward then unlatched the glass door. The light twisted and blackened into a dark green one, his lips curved into a wicked grin. “Tsk, tsk. Naughty, naughty little fledglings. You should’ve left the little Nox students to me. Now… you’ll suffer the same fate within the Nox.”



As the last of the undead were slowly getting out of hand, a strange and fearful sensation wrapped about the hearts of all those within Craigville. The Noxomancer teacher stiffened in confusion as he tried to locate the source. His hands were raised, each Nox student now in possession of a Nox rune made by Val, and a thin black energy warped and shimmered from his fingers to it. Feeding it with power, he twitched when the sensation washed over him. Sweat beaded from his white brow causing him to grit his teeth, fighting the power trying to overwhelm his link to this world.

Underneath each person’s feet, their shadows jerked and animated into life. Screams of students erupted when a few less focused individuals looked down and spied the strange beast lurking in their shadows. They jerked upright and stepped out of the circle, their feet gripped by a vice strength then sank into their shadows. Their limbs tossed about to detached the being only to be gone a few moments later. The volunteers were not expected from this fate. All four of their shadows came to life and snapped up their hands, seizing their owner’s figure where they started to drag them into the Nox. Despite their struggle, there would be no escaping from its icy cold grip as the world suddenly went black.

Within the Nox…

The Nox was a strange place, a twisted mirror world of sorts and often reflected the true nature of things on the surface. It was here numerous strange and unique beasts lurked in an endless struggle. Their forms governed not by evolution or past events, but by the very nature of the Nox. Athalus (who was ghostly and glowing), Helena, and Colette would soon find themselves in the middle of an alleyway, the walls made from black stone, stretching before and behind them. The one ahead bent off into the right and seemed to disappear, their vision no longer able to tell where it lead thanks to the limited light Athalus gave off.

Surprisingly… Annabeth was nowhere to be seen. Unknown to the group, she had emerged in the Nox several feet behind them. From her position, she could easily see Athalus’ light and could easily make it there when she woke. However, her horse was nowhere to be seen. He either was never sucked down into the Nox or was somewhere else, the latter a much more worrisome thought because if left alone too long he would become a Nitemare.

Now, anyone that researched the Nox would know the reason Athalus literally glowed and look as he did was because the Nox had given him a role: that of a guides. Guides were those individuals that led others, fighters that could influence the Nox more directly, to the very core of the maze they were now trapped within. They unable to affect or be affected by the wildlife-through they couldn’t pass through walls or open doors- within the hostile but they also could easily become trapped since they couldn’t influence the Nox itself.

Currently their figures laid out not far from each other and aching with pain they were unfamiliar with, their shapes unmoving. Athalus would be the first to wake as in the background, howls of wild beasts followed by shrieks of dying students erupted around the darkness. However, the direction was impossible to tell. Something click in the shadow nearest them, likely catching the man’s attention when it skittered forward toward Helena, the nearest of the trio.

Slowly a deformed, grey mottled creature crept out of the shadows into view. It looked like a cross between a human and some sort of insectoid, stopping short over Colette. It’s delicate little hands touched and propped, a sticky fluid emitted from the palms then started to coat her surface. It hardened and held her fast, her vampiric strength even finding it difficult to struggle out. Not wasting time, it started to drag the vampire back toward the darkness. By this time… the others should be waking up.

Helena watched the man come closer. Well sorta man. But he was coming closer, regardless of what he was. She gripped her knife tighter in her hands and waited until he was closer, she was a better shot when the target was closer. He was quick though, and not steady enough for her to aim at his skull and actually make it. So she decided to embrace her strengths and came at him. Sorta. She headed towards him, but to the side somewhat. The creature was quick for the rot, but it’s brain wasn’t as quick. It started to turn in to her change of direction, but she was quicker than it.

Dancing up alongside it, she took her blade and thrust it deep into its eye, her arm just avoiding the clipping of its crooked jaws and teeth. “Shit,” she hissed. It grabbed onto her before she could get back, but the grip lessened a moment later. Or at least didn't tighten more. It was fully dead now.

But she didn't have a moment of victory. Instead her elation quickly turned to panic as the hands that held her tightened again, a darkness around them that grew up from the shadows at her feet, controlling the corpse. She'd been pulling her blades free when he'd reattacked, and she held one in each hand as it started to drag her downward. She struggled in its grip, but all she succeed in doing wa freeing the arms from the rotting body. They still pulled her down as she yelled, fighting against it with all she had.

And failing miserably.

Darkness surrounded her, and she struggled to stay in control, but she failed again and was gone. When she felt the tickle of stirring she moved quickly, sitting up fast and patting herself down for any of her knives while she tried to get a better look around her. But sher glasses felt like they were very dirty.

She could see Althalus though, he was ghostly in the haze, the only thing she could safely identify. But she could hear the skittery, the sound of approaching things that she couldn't fully see. And it was close. She hurried to get to her feet, reaching for her ring as well as a blade as she went, trying to decide how much light would be wise.

Location-Craigville

Gagging more, Colette continued her fight against the undead, fighting alongside her feline demon, barely dishing the undead who went to grab her. Cutting down another, she smirked at Atticus, who bowed his head at his mistress. Hearing the thunder getting louder, it managed to distract her and she was suddenly smacked into a tree with Atticus.

There was a large crack as the smacking of two bodies had enough force to crack the tree almost in half. The split tree fell onto a nearby house, wiping the house down to the ground. Lightening whipped violently across the sky, as if warning people to see shelter.

”Damn it all to hell” Sitting up slightly, she made note that her left shoulder blade and back was aching from the hit. She might have ruptured a disk or two in her back, but she would heal quickly. Ah the good thing about being a vampire, the quick healing that came with it. Getting up, she bit her lip, that didn't stop her from feeling the actually pain for a little while. Looking over Atticus quickly, she sighed in relief that he was not seriously injured.

”Come on Atticus, we have a fight to finish”Smiling encouragingly, she helped the feline to his feet and grabbed her blade. Seconds later, the two were back in fight.

Just as the last of the undead was slowly stopping, Colette was filled with an odd sensation. It was a sensation that she was not familiar with. She looked around in confusion and distress, noting that the other students were also feeling it, judging by the looks on their faces.

Her eyes went to the the Nox rune she had in her possession and noted the small dark glow coming from it. Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip on the hilt, preparing herself. With what was already happening in this mission, things could only get either worse or better for them.

Seeing her shadow suddenly jerk and come to life making her gasp. She couldn't move from her spot. In her shadow, she could faintly see something that wasn't part of her shadow before, a beast of some kind that jerked up out of it. Her feet was held down by a vice grip as it sank back into her shadow.

The limbs of her shadow looked to be tossed around and detach, but then vanished. Before Colette knew it, she was grabbed suddenly and dragged into the darkness that was the Nox.

---

In the Nox

Groaning, Colette opened her eyes and found herself not in the same place as she was before. She seemed to be in an alleyway, the walls looked to be made out of a black stone that stretched before and behind them. Noting that she was not alone, she looked at the faintly glowing, ghostly Athalus and Helena gripping her rapier that she lucky had with her still. Looking around again, she felt panic rise like bile in her throat. She didn't see Hyllos or Atticus anywhere.

Unfortunately she didn't have time to summon them as something seem to come out of the shadow. It was an odd creature that was like a spider, but it was too different from a normal spider. This thing was ugly. Colette backed up when it went over to her and she felt this slime stuff being coaxed onto her body and before she knew it, she was stuck where she was.

Struggling,in, she was finding it difficult, even with her strength to get herself free. Well this was just an interesting predicament she found herself in and now she had to find a way to escape this disgusting harden slime.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak nodded to Keri. “Just try to think of all of this as strictly business. Despite the formal clothes, the food, the festivities, nothing about this place is meant for entertainment. Honestly, I would wager that everyone here views it the exact same way. From my understanding, every event is all politics to Djarkel nobility. I will stay close to you and keep alert for psychomancers while we speak to the nobles.”

As soon as Keri had mentioned Lyn, Ssarak had shifted his focus back to her. As such, he saw her start to make her way towards the balcony. Given that they had only arrived a short time ago, Ssarak did not even need to try to get into her mind to know that something must have caught her interest. It was unlikely that she would be so uncomfortable as to want to leave so quickly. Naturally, he felt the need to keep watch on her, but not physically. Instead, he focused his magic on her, and then tried to concentrate on any minds immediately around her.

”I shall also keep my mind on Lyn.” Ssarak reassured Keri before sending a telepathic message to Lyn. ”Is everything alright, Lyn?”

E'nasha Williams and El'kan Rovis ~ In Yarosmere

---

Yollin’s answer to their questions was.. Actually a little unexpected. The prophet had the power to change the entire country as they’d known it, but didn’t have any friends? Not even in that of his second-in-command? ”No, no more questions for now.” E’nasha said, more to herself than anything as she looked around.

The crowds were strange, or rather, it was strange to be ‘in’ the crowd, because they really weren’t. The people kept a distance from Yolin, and from the edge of their group as well. She supposed the strangeness she felt could just be because of this ‘bubble’ that existed between their group and the rest of the crowd, but as she watched the people around them she noticed other odd things. No one stood in the shade, and she felt like they were purposely avoiding it.

When Yolin asked them all to sit, she decided to do something, probably kinda stupid. She began fanning herself with her hand and moved to sit in the nearby shadow of the building. The air felt slightly cooler there and she felt a little nervous acting in a way that the other, normal people were so obviously avoiding. She remembered she had a small paper fan in her pocket and pulled it out. Feigning that she was simply trying to escape the heat may gain her a little leniency if she were doing something apparently wrong.

She sat on the ground and began fanning herself, closing her eyes as she listened to maybe hear what was being said at the table not too far away.

El’kan didn’t even blink when E’nasha left his side. They’d talked about how they should act in order to not draw any attention to the fact that they were friends. He wondered what the heck she was doing, but only on the inside. On the outside, he grinned at her retreating figure and sat at the table. ”Heat must finally be getting to her. This soup looks great!” His voice took on his normal jovial tone as he laughed brightly. ”In fact, I’d say it looks soup-erb!”

Darius Jura

Darius frowned after Yolin answered his question. This "Prophet" sounded like a very dangerous man. If he had the ability to make everyone fanatics for this "Sun God", the group needed to be careful around him. Darius kept his eyes on the crowd around the group as they entered the marketplace. These people feared the man who led the group to their destination.

And that made it easier to spot people who looked like they didn't fear the man.

They were moving slowly through the crowd and were spread out, but they were slowly inching their way towards the group. These men did not look like civilians, and if he were anywhere else, and with anyone else, Darius would have thought these men were thieves. But he had a hunch and decided to act on it. When they sat down, and E'nasha left the group to find shade, Darius whispered under his breath and used his magic to send it to the man directly in his line of sight

"Stop right there." Darius stared right at the man as he focused on making his voice reach only that man's ear. "If I can see you, the guards can see you. What you do next may be the last thing you do."

---

Leith tugged at his right sleeve. He felt uncomfortable showing his gauntlet off to the crowd, but that was what he was told would work for his formal wear. He had gotten used to his cloak hiding his arm from sight. Here, however, the demonic-looking gauntlet that covered up to just past his elbow was visible to all. With a sigh, Leith stopped playing with his sleeve and looked around the room.

When he and his fellow diplomats entered the room, he had been running all five of his warding runes, but once all the greetings had died down, he gave them a rest, but now it was time so socialize with some of the barons they had been informed of that were close to Lord Carmine. Leith scanned the crowd and found Baron Bryland, he was one of the many people that had greeted them when they entered the room. Might as well start on making a good impression. Leith eased his way through the crowd and soon found himself in front of Bryland. Bowing his head lightly to the man, Leith spoke up with a smile.

"Baron Bryland, I've been told that you're Lord Carmine's champion. If you don't mind me asking, what is your weapon of choice?"

Yolin smiled at Summer. "I deliver penance. I take sinners, traitors, and law breakers and I deliver the atonement they are too afraid to take upon themselves. Some of the rebels call it torture. In reality, it is purification." His eyes tracked E'nasha as she walked towards the shadows, waving the three guards back as they went to stop her. "I must confess, I am surprised at all of your ages. I expected the College to send more..experienced people to this meeting. Tell me, why hasn't the College sent any of their master or expert mages?"

Aramir answered, idly watching the others. She felt tense, like the moments before releasing her bow at prey. "The College is very busy. We're the best they have." She turned to look at Yolin, inclining her head. "We apologize if there is any offense." He waved a hand. "None at all! I'm just pleased you're enjoying your meal. It is poor fare, but it is all Sasnar has right now."

The man Darius was talking to imperceptibly stiffened as Darius' voice whispered in his ear. He didn't reply, merely bringing his hands up in a prayer. "In the name of the King, I offer my Life. Gaurot favor me." With that, he and half a dozen similar men yanked hidden swords free, charging forward with battle cries. In the same moment, hands appeared from the shadows behind E'nasha and she was yanked into the portal.

Chaos erupted as the crowd tried to flee, the guards tried to protect Yolin, and Yolin smiled at it all.

The guards went forward to meet the attackers. Strangely, despite the numbers being in their favor the attackers chose to meet the guards one on one, the other three moving quickly towards the College students. Why would they charge men in full armor? Aramir thought, pulse pounding as she tried to watch the men charging her and the fight between the guards and the attackers. In the next few seconds, she found out why. In a blur of dodging, parrying, and striking, the attackers killed the guards. Swords found gaps in armor, and blood sprayed over the sandy ground.

The three attackers approaching them stopped a good distance away, eyeing Yolin warily while talking to the students. "Quickly! You must run! We won't be able to hold him and she can't hold the portal open much longer!" The shadow portal was indeed standing open, waiting for the students to run into it.

Yolin stood up, smiling. "I should have known some of you Sand Cobra filth would still be clinging to life." His eyes began to glow with a white light. "I will personally deliver you to your final penance." A wall of earth slammed up between him and the rest of the group, separating Yolin from the students. A mad laughter could be heard behind it. "Mar!" Aramir hissed, pulling on the Naga's arm. Her eyes were wide, and she was shaking, but this would be a perfect chance to make contact with the resistance; And save Mar from being found out. "Take Summer and Baulder with you through the portal. We need to find out as much as we can about this resistance and get you away from here. Summer isn't holding up well and I don't trust Baulder not to do anything stupid in the feast. Darius, El'kan, and I will meet you back at the College with our reports."

The next thing she knew the earthen wall behind her was shattered outward, Yolin stepping through the remains. His eyes shone brightly with a white light. "The Sand Gods might flows through me! Flee, rats, or be slain by the divine light!" He moved, almost to fast to perceive, and crashed into one of the Sand Cobras, slamming the man into the ground. Yolin tutted, staring down at his opponent. "You really should keep old injuries covered better." He touched a scar on the man's body, and it burst open, blood splashing over Yolin, as if it had just been freshly given. The Sand Cobra screamed.

"Go!" Aramir shouted, pushing Mar.

Baulder

Baulder was slow to react to the sudden eruption of violence. "This soup, I..... there is a spice here. Some plant? Surely, in this soup it is some sort of root yes?" He was so fixated on the soup that they had been given that he continued eating despite being sprayed with blood. He had never tasted such a spice before. He couldn't help but wonder if this is what all of E'nasha's food tasted like. When he felt more warm blood spray over the back of his neck and into his soup he finally turned around. "E'nasha my dear! Is this what all your food tastes like? It's..... sensational!" It only took him a few moments from there to take in what was happening around him. The most notable feature being the portal that had appeared and the absence of E'nasha.

At this point Baulder slammed the clay bowl against the table and jumped up from the bench, only to be immediately knocked aside by a massive rock wall. The edge of the wall caught his foot and successfully caused him to do a flip. He landed on his back hard and he winced for a second before standing back up. Baulder became enraged that he was now in pain, which meant John was summoned as an afterthought. Pulling his demon bane blades from his hip and looking around for E'nasha again. All he found was other students and some other ragged looking folks. Pointing with his left arm and blade in hand Baulder yelled at the nearest intruder "Where is she! The Yarosmerean girl, where is she!" He then heard Aramir yell something about him being stupid. "Your insults do not go unheard you base elf! John!" John took his meaning immeditaly and took of sprinting at Aramir, preparing to tackle her.

"Through the portal you fool! Run!" The man quickly retorted before the earth wall smashed open and the man known as Yolin stepped through with an odd aura about him. Baulder could barely perceive Yolin tackling the man he had just yelled at and turning him into a pool of blood. Baulder felt a few more drops of blood land on his face, such power. Baulder turned to the shadow portal like the man had said. He could feel something compelling him to stay, but he didn't want to end up a puddle either. Pausing for a second trying to decide what to do Baulder growled and gritted his teeth before putting his blades away and sprinting towards the portal. As he was about to enter the portal he saw John attacking Aramir and Mar. He growled again at Mar getting in the way but he decided it didn't matter much anymore and he jumped through the portal.

Meirin Kurenai

Meirin has been at big parties before, the College hosts them from time to time. But here at Djarkel, everything just felt so much more... Different. Not friendly at least. Having spent all her life in Djarkel, she has seen it's good and bad side, and she knows it's unfair for her to judge Djarkel's nobility. But see has seen the poor, ruined husks of villages she had to escort travelers through, the ragged and deranged bandits who were once just townsfolk trying to get anything to stave off hunger, and here she was, dressed in clothing that could buy her land, eating food that could feed a whole village for months. She was always aware of the difference between the upper, middle, and lower class, but this would be the first time that Meirin realized just how prosperous Djarkel can be, considering how poor she usually saw it.

And it made her a bit angry too. These people had all this luxuries, and who benefits the most from it? Certainly not the ones who fight and die for it. She didn't even see any guardsmen here. And Meirin wondered if this was normal for all nobility. Taking deep breaths, Meirin had to calm herself. This was a diplomatic mission. She had handled diplomats before. And she knew about Djarkel culture, at least a little bit. It was a good thing that Ssarak wasn't here, because Meirin was going to have to show a side of her that she seldom liked to show; her haughty side.

While the other girls had dressed quite fancily, with some like Lyn using actual magic, Meirin's dress was both well crafted, made of top quality materials, and emphasized her figure. Namely, her dress showed off a generous amount of bust, hugging her curves so tightly that one could almost see the muscles through her dress. Her shoulders were exposed and it looked like that any strenuous movement would cause her dress to fall, though thanks to the craftsmen at the college, that would never happen. There was a slit on the side of her dress that went all the way up to her waist, showing off her leg and stocking, as well as allowing her silken shoes to be more predominately displayed. But while her dress may look more appropriate for a courtesan then nobility, she also wore a silken body suit underneath, thus showing no skin, with golden embroideries of the college's emblem placed where her skin would have been seen. A combination of modesty with sexual appeal, just as Meirin liked.

Among the accessories she carried, she also had a parasol. This was not a hidden weapon, though the canopy was made of harden silk layers, good enough to catch blades without allowing a clean cut. But this parasol had a different purpose, and that was the intricate runes carefully carved onto the cloth. These runes simply glowed in a multitude of colors, but if need be, Meirin could control the color and image the rune showed if she had to incorporate her skills into a performance. As far as Meirin was aware of, rune magic usually is done on solid things like metal or stones. To see that the college could inscribe such things onto cloth would certainly interest many Djarkel barons.

As such she approached Sighard of the Wyvern Hills. She could smell the alcohol off of him, but he was neither drunk or pleased. It seemed that he hasn't quite found the poison he was looking for yet. Looking at the collection of chalices, Meirin could recognized a few of the scents from her time in alchemy class. Getting a good idea of what he has tried, she approached the old baron. "Greet's my lord. I am Meirin Kurenai of the Twilight College. May I entertain your company?" Meirin said with an air of arrogance, as if she was implying that Sighard was bored or even boring.

Myrn Vaan'Atisha

Myrn had been quiet the entire time they arrived in Yarosmere. It was just all so... Horrible. Scenes of death and destruction everywhere, and though Myrn has seen first hand what sort of power a maliced Naga can unleash, she was more sad than scared looking at them. Myrn's relationship with the naga was little, and Mar was hardly the most pleasant woman she's ever had to interact with, but even they don't deserve this. The torture they were suffering at the hands of the Yarosmere were better fit for demons, not human beings. But maybe now they're nothing more than monsters, pretending to be humans.

Things didn't get any better when they arrived to the market for a meal. Suddenly they were attacked, and Myrn had her weapon drawn to fight. E'nasha was taken into a portal, followed by Baulder. Baulder, for some reason, sicked John on Aramir. Myrn and Mar quickly cut off John's path, and in Myrn's instances, intended to cut off John's head. "Mar you aren't safe here! Go to the portal and beat the shit out of Baulder, we'll figure out what's going on here!" AS Myrn slashed at John, she tried to also give Mar a path straight towards the portal. She knew that Mar wasn't very good at walking still, and would need as much of a clear path as she could get.

After Mar nudged and pointed out one of the Sand Cobras to Summer, the man stiffened immediately. His eyes widened and the scarf covering his bottom half shifted, mumbling something quietly. Faintly, Mar realized what it was. A prayer for Gaurot’s favor, one that humans made when they were about to die in service. Her heart skipped in sickening acknowledgement over something as all Inferno broke out. Several similarly clothed men wrenched out their hidden blades and screamed battle cries, their forms shoot to Yolin, his guard and the students. The guards easily become dispatched when the blade points found purchase in the armor’s weak points. Their figures crumbled then bleed out across the sands, never able to rise again.

Mar immediately jerked upright and snapped her head over to E’nasha, just in time to see her snatch. Her figure quickly vanished into the shadows without a trace. On the defensive, her mouth open then her fangs ejected from her gums. She let out a rasping hiss at the nearest man. His figure stalled and stared, surprised at her inhumane behavior. Her eyes narrowed in aggression while her hand reached for her bone at her side. Meanwhile, her ears caught Yolin’s words raise above the conflict and draw her attention. His eyes became stark white without irises as he rose to the challenge. Any more images were blotted out when a huge, earthen wall shot up to the sky. It hummed with energy and magic, thickening out to shield the screams’ sources.

"Mar!"

Mar’s head jerked to Aramir, her small arms tugged on the Naga’s rapidly. Fear, heavy and obvious, penetrated the snow elf’s eyes causing the Naga’s own to swell and become infected. "Take Summer and Baulder with you through the portal. We need to find out as much as we can about this resistance and get you away from here. Summer isn't holding up well and I don't trust Baulder not to do anything stupid in the feast.”

She turned to the others and shouted their own directions. “Darius, El'kan, and I will meet you back at the College with our reports."

With a ear splitting rumbled, the wall shattered. Rock pieces and worst came flying toward them as their host stepped through the rubble. The white light shined in a eerie and unnatural from his vision, his words determined and cold. "The Sand Gods might flows through me! Flee, rats, or be slain by the divine light!"

A blur, then he touched one of the Sand Cobras. The man’s body slammed into the ground and Yolin held him there, tsking. "You really should keep old injuries covered better." Gently brushing the scar, it came undone and crimson blood gushed out. It spilt over the host causing pain, the victim screaming from the wound.

"Go!" Aramir shouted into the Naga’s ear then started to shove the wobbly woman. Her feet stirred into the familiar movements of running, the soles slapped hard against the scorching desert. Her eyes snapped up in time to see John rush toward Aramir. Without thinking, her hand pulled the bone loose and surged her vitamancy into the very arcanite causing it to crackle. It lengthened in moments just when Myrn’s blade slashed across the demon’s neck.

"Mar you aren't safe here! Go to the portal and beat the shit out of Baulder, we'll figure out what's going on here!" Myrn called when her blade connected. He dematerialized when Baulder entered the portal. Nearly tumbling on her path toward the portal, Mar jerked into the darkness. The element swallowed her up, left her cold and numb almost instantly while it swirled about her. Up and down had little meaning to her sense of direction before she thumped down hard on something solid, her flesh screamed in protest about the landing.

When the world stopped spinning, Mar sat upright to examine her surroundings. Her tongue slipped out to taste the air and came back musty and damp, a cavern of some sort she thought. Something moved in the shadows, several men approached cautiously with blade held out. Their eyes narrowed on the foursome to have arrived as Mar heard the portal close behind her. It was a dangerous position they had landed themselves in. Her eyes shifted until they found Baulder, heat flared in her irises during their glare at the broken being.

Annabeth fired off as many arrows as she could, most of them hitting their mark but a few whiffing through the air. Try as she might however there were simply too many of these creatures for Annabeth to get all of them, not to mention that some of the others were breaking rank and running off. If they went off alone they would surely be swarmed and they need to stick together if they wanted to make it through. Unfortunately for Annabeth however she wouldn't have the pleasure of acting on that sentiment as she was soon surrounded and isolated from the others, with the ghouls between her and her allies. Samson was rightfully freaking out and Annabeth didn't intend to sacrifice him to the horde. "Get our of here Samson!"

Of course the horse didn't need Annabeth's prompting to buck her off and flee. Fortunately as he did so he did clear a path through the crowd. Falling to the ground Annabeth lost many of her arrows but held onto her bow. Wasting no time she dashed from the ground through the crowd, drawing one of her few arrows and readied herself for the worse. Of course, she had expected for the horde to descend on her not for the ground to open up and swallow her. In her panic she show the darkness to no avail and was dragged into the Nox.

Annabeth woke up with a painful headache and no reconciliation of what just happened. First it was darkness and then... Nothing. The ground felt cold and solid, as if she was laying on stone. Her head felt as if someone had been beating her with rocks. Even her body ached for some reason, though that may have been because she was bucked off her horse. She did a quick inventory check and put up her wards as they usually dropped whenever she loses consciousness. "Ow ow ow... Ah, still have my sword, armor, helmet, shield, bow, and... Five arrows. Damn, didn't I start with thirty?" Annabeth would just have to be more careful with her ammunition. She still kept her bow out just in case, but for now she needed to find the others. Fortunately there was some sort of light source ahead and while Annabeth was distrustful of it she went forward.

As she moved forward Annabeth did a curious wide-concentration telepathic scan of the area. She was hoping to find the others or at least something. She was only vaguely aware that she was in the Nox; nothing really told her explicitly, but considering that the Nox was a core part of her mission and everything around here was unnaturally dark even for Djarkel, she had a pretty good feeling she was in the Nox. As she moved closer her telepathic scans picked up a sense of panic, struggling, and more importantly Colette. "Colette!?" Colette was fighting something, Annabeth just knows it. Scanning again near the direction she detected Colette, Annabeth sensed something but it wasn't anything she ever had to deal with before. It wasn't the others, perhaps it was a beast or demon she wasn't sure, but whatever it was it was attacking her friend.

Annabeth was moving blind through the nox careful but quickly. She had no idea what was around he, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She could at least detect Colette and whatever it was that was attacking her, and with or without vision she could sense it well enough that by the time she arrived she could shoot it. While her telepathy might not be as powerful as Ssarak's, Annabeth's specificity was perception and awareness in any situation. As long as she could use her magic she could coordinate her action in a chaotic melee or strike foes she physically can't see as long as they can be affected by her telepathy. "Get away from Colette you wretched monster!" Annabeth drew two arrows and fired them simultaneously, doing her best to aim at the center of the mysterious force she was detecting.



The man Lyn followed was quite aware of her presence but didn't seem to react to it. He merely took out a pipe from his coat as well as a match, striking it to smoke a fragrant incense. Of course being a vampire he could neither taste nor smell the smoke, but it was an old habit of his. But what he could smell was the mortal blood flowing through Lyn's veins. Like all vampires, their senses were highly attuned to the life bloood of mortals and Lyn was no different. Young, virginal, female... Three things that vampires would love to feed off of. But this man had had his fill of blood for tonight and merely snacked in celebration rather then hunger. Once Lyn approached closer he spoke. "A lady who approaches me alone is either bold or naive. I wonder-"

When the man turned to face Lyn, now that she was closer he paused. He felt like he recognized her, but something was off. True this man was indeed an old vampire and the faces of those he met while mortal were now hazy or forgotten. But this face wasn't from long ago, but fairly recently. Yet somehow Lyn looked... Different to him. Though that was because he saw her as a child. Now she was a woman. The vampire was quite confused but maintained his composure. "Hmm... Forgive my manners. A man of my statue ought to show a woman proper respect. I am Sir Iscariot. And you are?"

Inside the knight Leith spoke to turned towards him. Although he kept the company of sniveling lackeys and courtesans Bryland could tell that Leith was from the college of Twilight, he was close to losing his humanity, and that his hand was demon possessed. Indeed a knight was more than merely a man of the sword, but one who could preform in the court of intrigue and investigation himself. But for now he would play the part of the jolly fool, as he suspected that Leith merely wished to engage in conversation. "Hello good sir! I prefer a hand-handled longsword myself. Though I'm skilled with many weapons I favor that sword as it fits my status and my enemies. Many of whom who are lightly armored or rely on their harden flesh over harden steel. And what about you, sir mage? I don't imagine that a college of mages and scholars engage in many martial arts."

Sighard meanwhile seemed to merely be sampling the various wines mixed with blood as he stood by himself, with only his retainers keeping him company. When Meirin approached he merely scoffed at her, wondering what she wanted from him. "You must be one of the jester since you're making a fool of yourself. I've nothing to say nor any desire for socialization. I am here for ceremonies only and I'll be leaving soon after." Sighard resumed drinking from the various chalices, but despite quickly draining each cup in a second he showed no sign of slowing down, nor even a hint of inebriation. Though it seemed like whenever a new platter of drinks were served to him each ones was different. As if he was searching for the right one.

Lyn, and an old friend Hysteria (Djarkel)

Lyn hesitated when she heard the vampire comment on her experience or bravery, her feet grinded to a stop almost immediately. Her eyes studied his Yarsomere complexion, his curly black curls and willow stature seemed to draw her in. He didn’t recall her, she realized, when he called her a lady and never once looked back. Lyn thought it would’ve hurt more, but found herself not surprised. It had been at least a year since they last met. She doubted he would’ve bothered remembering a young, mute girl lost in the Djarkel wilderness.

”Is everything alright, Lyn?”

Ssarak’s voice broke through her ward fairly easily. It caught her attention causing her to shift her focus, his magic able to gain the sense of calm and even joy. ‘Yes. I am just meeting a old friend and wanted to thank him.’

Letting the words stray back to Ssarak, Lyn pushed onward when the vampire turned to face her. His expression become rather confused at her appearance, something easily seen in his eyes, and it softened her expression. His mannerisms quickly recovered, even altering some, when he again addressed her. “It’s nice to know you name now. My name’s Lyn. I never got to tell you since I couldn’t speak back then.”

Her hand reached for her head, then pulled away the Lucilia flower from it. She held it out gently toward the vampire to example it through she wasn’t sure if he could tell its age or even realize it was the very same one. She continued with her words, seeking the correct ones to choose. “I’m not surprise you’re confused. Not many people know that Naga Hybrids are able to grow at very strange rates and it’s just recently, my aging has actually slowed down to a reasonable pace. I never got to thank you for teaching me the difference between the Lucilia Flower and Death Blooms. I’m sure you’ve got some questions budding on your mind right now… right?”

Fate was strange indeed. After all this time he had thought he would never meet this girl until she was much older. Well, she at least looked older now. He listened intently as Lyn introduced herself and reminded him where he had seen her before. Barely a year ago and this little girl was only knee high. A year later and now she was just about to his shoulder. He was indeed confused at first though when she mentioned she was a naga hybrid he started to understand, or at least, was able to come to his own conclusion. He doesn’t know much about the Naga beyond that they are serpentine like people being hunted down in Yarosmere, and the fact that this little girl from a year ago was one of them really did affirm that fate had a strange way of interacting with him.

Touching the flower that Lyn had extended to him, it only confirmed to Iscariot that this was the same girl from before. He didn’t realize it was the exact same plant, but not many would decorate themselves with a Lucilia flower. Their proximity to Death Blossoms made most peasants avoid them and the Death Blossom’s status as weeds and pest tends to eradicate them and the Lucilia flowers that grow near it. That and the flowers fell out of vogue about two years ago but that was beside the point. Taking in the flower’s scent he thought about a few questions for Lyn. Mostly about Lyn. ”A naga hybrid? Who are your parents?” Iscariot doubts he’d actually know them but it would be useful for later. He could also guess that the girl was with the college. He didn’t exactly pay attention to their company before but it would be like the Twilight College to be the home of someone as unique as Lyn. Which only made him wonder why the college had sent this obviously shy and mousy girl to the courts of Djarkel. ”And how is life at the Twilight College?”

Lyn chuckled lightly as she stepped over to the balcony, her torso leaned forward over the edge. She rested her arms upon the flat stone while her eyes studied the outside scene. However, her voice was focused on Sir Iscariot and their conversation. “My mother is Mar, a naga that came to the college because she had developed vitamancy. My father, Athalus Marik, is from Port Slaughter within Djarkel and has noxomancy. Their relationship started off rather rocky at first, but it’s obvious they love each other deeply and with everything that’s happened, it’s made them stronger.”

Slightly amused by the fact both her parents had different bloods than herself, she took the flower once more. Her mage blood flowed causing the flower to twinkle and shimmer, a fresh life filled it while it bloomed. “The college is a peaceful and pure hearted place to live within. They are everything their reputation claims they are: generous, neutral, and open doors to anyone who seeks them out for help. However, anyone that threatens that will feel the full wrath of her students and find themselves facing a force like no other. I feel wanted and happy whenever I’m safe within those walls.”

She placed the flower back upon her head. Her words continued a bit longer, her arms folded underneath and her eyes turned to him. “I chose to come, through many felt it was a bad idea. However, I wanted to see you and thank you so it was worth the risk.”

Iscariot nodded his head. Just as he thought, Lyn was almost painfully naive. But the college has done well to hide it’s horrible secrets from her, especially when she mentioned who her father was. While arguably not famous (Professional assassins try not to be after all), the vampire did know the name Athalus Marik. An assassin who, up until recently, suddenly betrayed his own guild and vanished. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that the college had accepted him considering the other company they keep, and frankly Iscariot felt more the fool for not suspecting it. Someone would pay a pretty penny for this information.

But that was beside the point. It seemed that despite the college’s own reputation as both a haven for the lost and the damned, it hasn’t quite corrupted this pure and innocent girl. Where Iscariot a base-level vampire he would relish in corrupting the girl by spreading lies or even telling her the truth, but he had other plans. Namely when he saw Lyn use her magic to make the Lucilia flower bloom, it made the vampire realize that he wasn’t quite certain what the college’s students were capable of. He simply assumed they were just here to save the college some face for neglecting their own courts. But perhaps there was more to it then that. There usually was.

”Ha! You wanted to meet me, a complete stranger? Up until now, you did not even know my name. But it must be fate for us to meet again during this auspicious evening.” Looking up to the moon, today truly was a fortunate day. First the Lord Count was blessed with a son, then Iscariot was able to meet Lyn again. And of course, he had his own purpose to be here, and for good reason. ”You’ve grown rather quickly since I’ve last seen you. If you are an herbamancer, then even Death Blooms would have been no trouble for you. Of course when I first met you, you were a child, so I would not have expected you to have done much. But now you are a woman, and even your small display of magic right there shows more skill than what some people would learn after years of training.”

That was only a slight exaggeration. Djarkel’s mage school tends to teach their students how to control their powers well enough not to harm themselves, and those who could afford it could do even more. But even for those who find out about their mageblood during their childhood, they don’t have Lyn’s level of training until at least four years, or whenever they mature in both mind and body to handle that power. The fact she was able to do this in one year interested Iscariot. And he wanted to know what else she could do.

”If I had to guess, you aren’t just here for celebration. Surely you have some mission or job for the college? They normally don’t send their students to events like this unless they have a good reason. Perhaps I could help.”

“I don’t think it’s much as I’m still a novice really. I’ve seen advance and masters do so much more than simply make a flower bloom.” Lyn stated honestly as she smiled, her hand curled a lock of hair around her ear. She found it curious why he seemed to focus his attention on the college now, but pushed it aside. Surely he didn’t have any ill intentions or he would’ve never saved her, right? The question pulled a sicking sensation settling in her gut and weighed in her middle. Shifting to a comfortable position, she thought a moment. “Personally, for me, it’s my first official time outside the college. At least one that hasn’t nearly gotten me killed so far. As for our reason here, we are here to represent the college and attend the gala. In addition, it’s always a good idea to get acquainted to those the college is on good terms with. Maybe make some new friends too.”

She carefully hinted to the fact they were there to remind everyone that the college existed. The young girl hoped it was in a vague enough way it would seem to be polite and didn’t attract his attention to press farther. “Considering you’re so interested in me, might I ask why you’re here? You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself very much so I’m curious why you would put yourself through such misery.”

Smirking, Iscariot could tell the girl was hiding secrets. But then again what girl doesn’t have her secrets? While the vampire wasn’t sure what Lyn was hiding, he had a feeling that her reason being here was just the tip of the iceberg. When she directed the questions to him he thought about it and then answered. ”Well, you’re not wrong. I don’t find any particular entertainment being here. It’s not miserable mind you, just… Boring. I came hoping to see some old friends with new ideas, but well… Vampires, you know, are creatures of the past. Once they set their minds on something they won’t ever give it up, no matter what day or age. That is to say, a lot of the other guests here I’ve already met, spoken to, and know much about. They haven’t really changed last I saw them and not much has happened since then.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I know a lot about people being stuck in the past as my mother is one individual like that. Then again, considering her and my whole race is being wiped out in Yarsomere… Someone has to keep their traditions alive. Not that it really matters since few of the Naga accept me because I’m a hybrid,” Lyn stated, idly. Her legs pulled back and her chin lowered to rest upon her arms, her eyes focused on the scene a bit more then she felt like doing. Despite the cursed nature of Djarkel, the air was cool and lovely on her skin as the goosebumps raised across the surface. She knew staying out here too long was likely to make her sick or worst, but she didn’t want to go back into ballroom.

The place reeked of hidden secrets and tensions, something that brought her more awareness about the dangers than she wanted to acknowledge. It was strange. So different from the college, less safe, but then again… what place was? She inhaled to calm her jittery emotions then hid it with a smile.

Looking at the little girl Iscariot felt he may have been a bit wrong about her. Surely even she couldn’t ignore the naga genocide going on. Even for people who’s never seen a naga would have heard of it, or at least of the violent uprising in Yarosmere. Though he did wonder if she truly knew the reasons it was happening. Though the fact that she’s even met other naga also piqued his interest. He could understand one or two arriving to the college, such as her mother, but Lyn made it sound like an entire community had shunned her. And while nagas escaping Yarosmere was certainly believable, how did they arrive to the college without notice? It was something that Iscariot was genuinely curious about.

However there was other ways to ask it. It seemed like Lyn was having a bit of a crisis of her own, being an outcast for who she was. Nagas hardly have a good reputation here in Djarkel, and either no one knows who they are, or they only know them as xenophobic snakes who are more annoying dead than alive. And Lyn certainly wasn’t like any naga by that description. She was just a girl born into a very unique situation. ”Acceptance… I suppose that’s something everyone wants, don’t you think? Like all those people inside. They may laugh and joke among each other like old friends, but each one is a different person from the other. They have secrets that they won’t share, and everyone wants to know way. And it’s because of that they can’t trust each other. It’s unfamiliar, unknown, and beyond their understanding. That sort of thing scares them. However…”

Iscariot reached out and touched the Lucilia flower on Lyn’s head. He just had an idea. ”Lucilia grows where death blooms. While there are certainly dangerous things in the unknown, there are also beautiful, good things there too. It’s because of ignorance and fear that people would hurt them. But if someone were to show them the truth, that they are kind and mean no harm, no different from them or at least allow them to understand who they are, then they won’t be scared. They’ll know who you are and that you can be trusted. It won’t be easy, but with dedication and help you can change their hearts, Lyn. You just need to show them yours.”

Lyn leaned her head, letting the vampire touch the Lucilia flower, as her mind absorbed what he had said. “I tried, but it didn’t seem to work. If it wasn’t for the students at the college, I’m pretty sure my father would’ve killed their already small number, the ravine dangerous even for their kind. The only two out of the six or seven that didn’t hiss at me were the matriarch and my mother’s brother. Now, they’ve been relocated to Tidewater because there’s nowhere else to put them where they wouldn’t be killed.”

She exhaled, her thoughts drifted to her current mission. “It just reminds me of how little I know. About the outside world or even here, our host’s name is the only thing I know. Personally, it’s rather discouraging because I’m worried I’m going to mess up. What if I say the wrong thing or something goes wrong… I don’t know what will happen or how badly it will turn out. I don’t want the college or my parents thinking that it is best just keeping me home.”

Remembering the things Lyn was telling him, Iscariot had to think carefully about what to do next. Technically speaking, he just heard some very, very valuable information and he should leave now to go report it. However he was not a heartless monster. He didn’t want to leave Lyn depressed at this gala, full of doubt and self loathing. It brought too much painful memories about himself, and he’ll be damned if another falls into that same darkness. ”Hmm… Well, that’s why I said you’ll need both dedication and help. You shouldn’t give up yet Lyn. A solution comes to those who seek it. And help will come from those who help themselves.” Taking a napkin from his jacket, Iscariot began to write something down in very fine print. It was small, but clearly legible, as well as very neat.

”There will come a time where you can’t do it by yourself, Lyn. So you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help, be it from friends or strangers. If I may be so bold, do not be like the other nagas. They are dying because they don’t have friends to help them when they need it most. Even the college couldn’t help them since they have never tried before. You certainly have a lot to learn Lyn, and now is a good time as any to begin.” Iscariot handed Lyn the handkerchief, which had quite a bit of information written on it. Despite it’s small text, even Lyn could read the writing. He made sure to use simply words too, as to not confuse her.

On the handkerchief were just some notes that Iscariot had obtained from various nobles at the part. Important information that could help Lyn and the others earn their favor, as well as prepare for possible threats. Baron Bryland for example is an astute individual, but would never back down from a challenge. His honor would also prevent him from using his full ability, as well as being more cordial for others to take advantage of him. Alfstanna Eremon was a kind woman who’s very sympathetic to children, or those with a childlike demeanor like Lyn, and Iscariot has noted that not many traders go through her lands. If more trade were to increase, she could gain much needed resources by trading with the merchants for her valuable Mithrils, which she has in abundance. As for Sighard the notes for him were more like a list of various herbs, spices, drinks, and a direction to make some sort of odd cocktail. For some reason or another, it involved letting a piece of Godstone of all things soak in the mixture for a few minutes.

On the other side was more notes, which looked more like gossip. For Lyn it might go over her head, but for others they could glean some valuable information. Namely, that one of the Psychomancers here had obtained a powerful Daemon Art that allows them to amplify their magic powers for a brief duration. Details of the Daemon Art was unknown aside from it’s power, but it was certainly here. And whoever has it was a Psychomancer. And lastly, it was information about Lord Carmine himself. It seemed that he hasn’t come up with a name for his child yet, though he wants it related to Aarem in some way, in honor of his blessing. There wasn’t any suggestions for names beyond that.

Lyn read, her face filled with confusion then slowly evaporated to realization. The information was over the current barons at the gala as she looked up, meeting his eyes. Without warning, her figure jerked forward and her arms wrapped about his shoulders in overjoyed hug. She lingered there. Her body held close and arms rested enough for a firm, but not suffocating embrace. After a few moments, she released him then smiled brightly. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I wish you luck on your endeavor to pursue your ideas with the other vampires and if I can return the favor, please let me know. As for the Naga… My mother suspects their behavior is something much deeper and lost to history. If what she once told me about her vision was right, then I don’t blame them in the least for fearing or wanting nothing to do with something they don’t understand. It nearly wiped them out once already.”

The girl started to move away before her feet sudden stop then looked back. “Ummm, if you ever need to get in contact with me then request my name at the college gate. If I’m around, I’ll be sure to come running. Again, thank you with all my heart.”

The hug was… Awkward to say the least. How long has it been since Iscariot has been shown such affection? Centuries at least. He doesn’t even remember the last time he was given a hug. He merely smiled at the girl as she turned to leave, but once she was gone he turned back towards the moon and was solemn. He took out his pipe and went through the motions once more, sighing to himself. ”Ignorance is bliss, little girl. You’ll learn that soon enough…” His time here was over. Now that he was alone, the man walked towards the opposite side of the balcony where no one could see him, jumping off the edge and into the shadows below. There was some important information that needed to be known.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Naturally, Ssarak was immediately suspicious as soon as Lyn gave him her answer. The claim that she wanted to meet an “old friend” seemed almost ridiculous for someone who had been alive for only about a year, and while he certainly trusted that Lyn was being honest with him, that did not mean he trusted that she was safe. This “old friend” was an unknown, and in this environment, this gala, anything unknown was a potential threat.

Ssarak stayed close to Keri, but did not tell her what he was doing. He did not take pleasure in keeping important secrets from his allies, but knowledge was dangerous in this place. He could not assume Keri’s mind to be safe from the intrusion of psychomancers, so the less she knew about what Ssarak was doing, the safer Lyn would be. His first step was, of course, to get a sense of what Lyn was walking into. He already had access to Lyn’s mind, so mentally, he tracked her mind as she stepped out onto the balcony and searched for any other minds around her. She seemed to be alone, save for a single other person, and a few nearby songbirds. His next step was to prod the mind of the person Lyn was meeting, though he made sure to do so in no different of a way as all of the other dozens of psychomancers had been doing since they had arrived. Immediately, he detected a strong ward, so he stopped any further attempts to pry into the person’s mind to keep himself from being detected. Feeling a simple prod against one’s ward was nothing unusual at the gala, so it was unlikely that this “old friend” would have a reason to believe they were being specifically observed.

Despite the setback of the ward, Ssarak was not without options. Being that he was inside Lyn’s mind, he could read her senses of sight and hearing to spy on the conversation without Lyn being any the wiser. However, given Lyn’s knowledge of psychomancy, she had thought far enough ahead to specifically ask Ssarak not to do that exact thing before the gala. Ssarak was willing to break that promise for the purpose of protecting her, but not when he had another option available to him. While there did not seem to be any other people outside, there were far simpler minds he could manipulate. There were birds already close by to the balcony, so Ssarak entered the mind of the nearest one and manipulated it to make it seem appealing to stay in place. He intruded into the bird’s sense of hearing and sight to give himself a metaphorical fly on the wall with which to eavesdrop onto Lyn’s conversation.

With the bird under Ssarak’s influence, he heard everything in the conversation between Lyn and this vampire man. It allowed him to finally understand the context of how Lyn could have an old friend to begin with; however, the vampire did not reveal too much of use about himself. He seemed friendly, but Ssarak knew well how, with some practice, one could easily hold an olive branch in one hand, and a dagger in the other. Unfortunately, Lyn was not nearly as reserved in what she said, and she gave away information Ssarak really would have preferred to keep secret. Information that could be dangerous to the Naga. As Lyn was walking back inside, Ssarak did not stop observing, so he heard the vampire’s final comment, which only further solidified Ssarak’s desire to act. He encouraged the bird to follow after the vampire, and while Ssarak would not be able to maintain a mental connection with the bird for too far of a distance, it would at least give him a few moments to make his next decisions.

_{@Rtron,@Lucius Cypher, @May, & @Luna}



The crawler paused and looked down, her eight eyes stared intently at the vampire. Colette was covered in layers upon layers of white, sticky thread and with each movement she became entangled more. They clung to her then seemed to cut into like thin blades, creating small sparks of pain across her surface. Thankfully no blood had been drawn. When Helena scrambled upright, the sound echoed off the walls causing the beast’s head to whip up and acknowledge her.

She lets out an ear piercing screech at Helena which ends in a death rattling sound. Her front lowers defensively and hind legs curl backwards, ready to push forward. Just when the crawler is about to, Annabeth’s voice rang out. "Get away from Colette you wretched monster!"

Whoosh and followed by a thunk! The first arrow misses easily as the crawler jerked back, her legs pulled back and she smacked into the nearest wall. It flies on by then nicks Helena’s hair before passing through Althalus’ torso and down the long hallway. The second one soundly lands into the spiderish torso drawing thick, black blood. The crawler lets out a blood curdling screech. Her back legs stretch to use her wall climbing ability to scale the wall’s side. She hissed for a third time and gradually attempts to climb to the roof.