The battle had ended before it had begun. I know that that's sort of a cliche thing to say, but just look at it! Star had descended upon the leader of the group, never aware that it wasa KING she was assaulting, and a bodyguard of some kind had gotten in the way. The gargoyle would've been the last thing the captain saw, glaring vicious intent and effectively not even seeing her until she was already gone. In afterthought, Morningstar realized that someone had gottenn away, the reason why this man bearing the crown was on the ground below her, and not a splatter himself. He also seemed to be employing some sort of shield. Interesting...

Oh, and apparently six hundred armed soldiers had just exploded behind her, bathing her with intense firelight as any residual flames from Garlock's spell did absolutely no harm to her whatsoever. In fact, she turned to look the cat mage's way in confusion, surprised that he had even bothered to help her. Had he said something about facing his wrath? If he was attacking, though, why did he use a spell that could never hope to damage her? Unless...ohhh...he'd been fooling these people into believing he was on their side.

Oops. I think I spoiled something here. Oh well.

Garlock was looking over the scene, as of now. He probably shouldn't have used his greatest fire spell on this. He'd destroyed the army of soldiers, as intended, but with the second stage of the spell, he had utterly destroyed the area around them, leaving nothing but wasteland of broken everything, including that demon king that he'd been getting on with. Well, he'd been playing with the idea of stalking and killing him, anyway. Tasty birdy. The dark magus sighed as he approached the now-landed Morningstar. He knew that she was looking after what she considered the best interests of the Cathedral, but they would have gone away, none the wiser.

"A little overkill, don't you think?"

"You're one to talk. Look at this place!"

She gestured to the scorched landscape, looking a bit pissed off.

"You left me behind. I didn't know what was going on!"

"It was none of your business what I was doing. Now, you've gotten us both in the middle of this thing."

The demon scowled at him.

"There wasn't suppose to BE 'a thing'. You made it a thing, you stupid cat!"

The black magus growled at her.

"Everything. Was. Fine."

Aaand it's about this time that King Lucius regained his footing and addressed them. Really, Star was surprised that he could stand after that, let alone breathe and...you know...be in one piece. In fact, this intrigued her enough that she actually smiled at him.

"Well, hey! You're still alive! Of course, you can live! I need someone to bring back, or else this was a total waste! Ummm..."

Star seemed to falter for a second, then inclined her head more towards Garlock to ask just who this guy was, exactly. Garlock facepalmed.

"Oh, for the love of... Alright, fine. This is King Lucius of some country at war with a place called Amali. Look into that, would you? I'm going to be very busy, for a while."

"Why, what're you gonna be up to?"

Garlock vanished, and then Lucius would find his crown taken from him, and placed upon the head of...King Lucius?! There was another king in their midst! Garlock had cast an illusion to appear as the winged man himself, battle damage and all. He walked past Lucius with a grin on his face.

"I go where the muse takes me..."

Any attempts from Lucius to stop Garlock from his act of limping away now, like a wounded warrior making his way to some sort of refuge, would be met with Star's mace blocking him. She would look, rather calmly, into the man's eyes, and speak plainly now.

"You are my captive now, and must accompany me to the place of my lord, where you will be questioned."

And this would be something of an eye-opener for Lucius. Not only had he been assaulted by two powerful foes, but they had a leader above them?! And just wait 'till he meets Volaris! Star now attempted to grab Lucius so that she could fly him back to Dead Moon Cathedral, as Garlock fully intended to become The Cat Who Would Be King.

“Careful Baron. Your arrogance is showing.” Anna glanced up at the creature before returning to her book, unphased in the face of his display. “Come down off your high horse for a few seconds and let me ask you something. If I refer you as the steward, outside of context of your position, does that make you my steward? No you, as we all are, are servants of the Masters of the Cathedral and thus “the” is in relation to our positions to the Supremes and which is why I said “the pet” and not “your pet”. And yet you believe I would have the audacity to claim that as ours.” She gestured flippantly towards the errand boy and turned a page with a small tsk as her eyes scanned the page. “No. Unless the Supreme Beings demanded it, I would rather have nothing to do with someone as punctually challenged and disaster prone as that.” She flipped another page.

“And secondly, I hardly find it proper you handing out punishments. Your authority is borrowed Baron. Given to you for a specific purpose or task. In this instance, it seems to find information and since I have hardly done anything to interfere with that, unlike someone trying to intimidate another working Guardian, I see no reason for your temporary authority to allow that.” Another page flipped and she paused with her finger on the page, opening another book to look at something else. “However if you feel the need, perhaps following up with our Lord Volaris may benefit your cause. Yet as I was a direct result of his whim, I find you may have difficulty with that particular path. Or, even better, you can continue with our job and we can move on with our lives, supporting our Lord rather than falling into petty fighting.”

She snapped the second book shut, muttering “And I thought I may have had something.” With a wave of her wand, the scroll unrolled across the table and she set her first book down and pulled the scribbled writing on the scroll closer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




'Thank you for making your NPC intelligent because I nearly messed up and we’ve only just begun.’ Volaris barely refrained from face palming as he heard Elizabeth quickly correct herself. He really should have had the foresight to consider that particular issue. He watched as Elizabeth mended the two soldiers’ wounds. It seemed healing magic still had the same effect. That was a relief.

“Helping a soul in need is the responsibility of anyone with the power to do so.” Volaris waved off the thanks. He regarded the pair. The man was useless now, sleeping peacefully now the pain had been washed away with Elizabeth’s magic. The woman now owed him a debt however and he fully planned to exploit that. Volaris sat, making his way slowly to the ground and laying his walking stick at his side. He looked back up at Elizabeth.

“Thank you for healing them Elizabeth.” His voice stayed cheery as he spoke to the girl, “Would you be a dear and take Megu to check the surrounding area for other survivors? I believe there was a fort further on that they could have taken refuge in. I will join you after I have taken care of these two.” Volaris smiled at the two and turned his attention back to the two soldiers, holding out his hands. “Create food and water.” A small loaf of bread, a bit of cheese, and a full waterskin appeared in his hands.

“You must be hungry after your ordeal. Eat up and perhaps you can explain what exactly happened here. Unfortunately, I am rather out of touch with the world. It feels like it's the first time I’m seeing it.” Volaris laughed. “I had secluded myself but with my granddaughter’s father gone, her life is in my hands and the life of a hermit is the life for the old, not the young.”

As soon as the orders were given, Samael turned to face Abaddon then back at The Supreme being that is Lord Volaris. He must have his reasons for keeping Abaddon away from missions at this moment. Perhaps he is needed here in the Cathedral as a safe guard against intruders...yes, that must be the reasoning behind Volaris' actions. Samael stood up from his kneeling bow, his cape slightly billowing in the motion. Without a single word, Samael took his hat off by the brim and gave a flourished bow with it towards Volaris. A portal of inky darkness appeared behind Samael as he stepped backwards into it then vanished. He looked around the outside, south of the Cathedral. A cursory glance told him that Volaris' words rang true, and they truly were not in their swampland anymore. "I suppose if stealth and discretion is the aim of this mission then I shant be seen." Samael's eyes glowed a menacing yellow as his skin seemed to strip away, flecks of flesh flying off and disintegrating as a shadowy form awaited beneath. Once the transformation was done all that was left was a shadow of Samael's former self, literally. The being of pure darkness, no longer bound by the worlds laws, melted down onto the ground and slithered through like the shadow of a bird flying high above. He lurked from shadow to shadow, attempting to further conceal himself so that anyone around couldn't notice him, keeping an eye out for strangers in his quadrant that he may observe, and if need be, take captive.



Having received no instruction from Lord Volaris, Abaddon knelt silently for a moment. One hand grasping his weapon as the other lay across his knee, awaiting his orders. Soon it would appear that none were going to come, Abaddon took that to mean he was free to do what he seemed fit within the confines of the Cathedral. He stood up and turned to face the Sanctums door, the turn billowing his feathered cape as they rippled and became four large angelic wings. Having the blessing of a Seraphim granted Abaddon great speed, which he utilized to fly out the sanctum and towards the Cathedrals exit. All one could hear within the sanctum was the flap of four large wings, a thunderous boom that was localized to only the sanctum, and then silence. Abaddon could hear the wind rushing past them, howling in his ears as he sped through the air in great speed. Their robes flapped about from the force and then suddenly, silence. He had reached his destination, the top of the cathedral, hovering above it so that he may look onto the North, South, East, and West simultaneously, once his hood was drawn back to reveal the four faces, each looking at their respective cardinal directions.

@Ithradine

@Ithradine@Achronum
Elizabeth wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or proud at the woman's reaction. She seemed amazed, stupefied, at the mid-tier spell that the mage had cast. Like she couldn't believe what she had just seen, let alone experience. The disbelief could be viewed as an insult depending on how Elizabeth wished to view this, but instead, she took it the way she knew best.

The best way to describe it would be 'proudly'. Extreme and uncensored pride, which the girl didn't bother to hide as she basked in the woman, who she learned was called Cisna, and the praise she heaped on both her and Volaris. Though she didn't speak, it was obvious from the look that formed on her face and the way she held herself that she was enjoying it. Even if she knew most of the praise went to Volaris, as it should since he was a Supreme Being, she still took this as a confirmation that her abilities were in fact as extraordinary as she believed them to be. But of course, they were! If they were any less, she would be dragging her father's, the most Supreme of Supreme Being's, name through the mud!

"It was nothing...grandfather." At his words, a smile lit her face up despite the slow pause that preceded her calling him grandfather. It was foreign to her and felt disrespectful in many ways. Both to Volaris and her Father.

But, it was a necessary act that he himself also seems to be following. Perhaps he had been testing her to see what sort of cover story she could think up on the spot? Of course, that was it! Leave it to a Supreme Being to keep someone such as herself on her toes. She wouldn't want things any other way, the only way to get better was to be continuously tested and overcome such obstacles. Perhaps another reason he also took that form?

Regardless, at his request for her and Megu to go on ahead she gave a brief curtsy in response as she bowed her head in deep respect. "But of course grandfather. Consider the deed as good as done." A hesitation followed soon after as she gave the duo another glance. When they were in the Scrying Chamber, she had mistaken these two for humans. She was visibly disappointed they weren't, she hadn't met many another humans and she had thought this to be such a rare chance but alas it wasn't to be. They were quite human in appearance, but the horns and tails were dead giveaways that they weren't a hundred per cent, bonafide humans. A shame indeed.

The pause lasted a few moments longer, slowly turning her gaze back to Volaris. She seemed to have something to say. But was this the time and place to say it?

"Young Elizabeth wishes to request a personal audience with these unfortunate souls upon her return." Megu's voice bought some relief to Elizabeth's face. Leave it to her personal attendant to be able to read her like an open book and adjust accordingly. Though, her voice seemed a little strained. Almost as if not being able to speak using the full respectful terms she addressed them with pained her.

"It has been some time since she has spoken to one close to her age, so I can only ask that you consider the proposal. And you needn't worry about catching up with us, I am more than capable of defending Elizabeth. I have done so ever since her Father contracted me to do so after all."

Elizabeth nodded both in appreciation of Megu stepping in to air her thoughts, but also in how she had effectively explained her presence here. Sure, they could've passed her off as Megu's older sister. While Elizabeth was clearly in her mid to late teens, Megu more had the appearance of a more mature human woman. Perhaps mid-twenties. But as a mercenary guard? She seemed to have taken an interesting cover story. In a way, it was extraordinary truthful without telling the entire truth.

"It's as Megu says. I do insist you consider it." Elizabeth wasn't stupid. She knew quite well that Volaris if he found these two to be useless, could quite easily end them. Especially with his comments on adding them to the undead defences from before. So, by asking this she was effectively asking him to spare them long enough for her to fulfil her own, admittedly selfish, desire.

With nothing much more to say, Elizabeth gave another brief curtsy while Megu bowed before the duo said their farewells and went to follow Volaris' order. Go and gather more information about their surroundings, about that fort in particular. Especially from any individuals they may encounter. At least, that's how Elizabeth interpreted it. She would probably leave a lot of it to Megu, information gathering wasn't her forte.

So, unless they met or saw something that was of any real interest they proceeded to make their way out of the forest and towards the Fort. Making sure to keep a keen eye out for anything that might be important to learn about or that may be of a threat to themselves first and foremost, and then the overall safety of the Cathedral second.

---

@HueMan@Achronum
"Careful...careful..." Kat mumbled softly to himself. In his arms was a stack of books so tall that it beggared belief. This was beyond what Baron had asked him to read over, it must've been around thirty or so volumes of books he had stacked in his arms! Just the sight of it was preposterous, let alone the fact that the kitsune who was prone to tripping over literally nothing managed to walk, even if shakily and uncoordinated, without dropping a single one as he made his way to a nearby desk was a nothing short of a miracle granted by a Supreme One.

It wasn't until he got to the table and went to slowly place the stack on the floor that the expected disaster happened. The entire stack of books fell backwards and on top of the kitsune, but not before he let out a loud cry followed by a very loud thud. A lot of very loud thuds actually, each book was quite thick and it hurt being crushed by them all at once. But soon after, his head poked out. His ears twitching furiously as he heard the two talk about him. How rude and cruel Lady Anna was being!

It wasn't his fact that his stats were the lowest of the guardians, meaning that he was by that fact one of the slowest with low stamina to boot. That, and there were so many goddamn stairs he had to use to get there! Unlike her or Lady Elizabeth, he didn't have the luxury of teleportation magic! Nor did he have the wings and speed of Lady Morningstar!

And for another thing, he was buried up to his neck in scrolls, errands, books and other assorted tasks he did daily! He had to finish those before he could attend the summons otherwise the other Supreme Beings would have his head if they found out he shirked his duties!

"I'm no pet!" He huffed loudly, finally managing to get out of the pile of books. "I am the proud disciple of Lord Butcherman23! Do not disgrace my creator's name!" Though he used a serious, almost angry-sounding tone the overly cute pout that accompanied made him very difficult to take seriously. In fact, it was almost impossible to take the Kitsune serious.

"...But Lady Anna is correct in that we should focus on our task....even if it's almost no different to my usual job." He couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the pile of books he had gathered. Well, it was easy to guess why he had been chosen out of everyone for this job. Because not even he could fuck this up.

@Lugubrious

The mere presence and actions of the priestess seemed to lift up the villagers. Any despair that had shown in their faces previously was gone for the moment, replaced by expressions of gratitude and interest. It seemed like every single last human there wanted a chance to speak with here, and the priestess appeared to be enjoying being among the masses much to the annoyance of her paladins. It would not last long however.

The fox ears of the priestess twitched forward shortly after the sounds of the explosion reached Helena, her eyes briefly widening though it seemed her human audience did not hear it. Both of the paladins saw this expression on her face, and decided then it was time to end this small act of charity. Despite her swift return to her carriage, the villagers happily waved goodbye as the door closed and the curtain drawn. After she was secured in the carriage, the paladins mounted their horses and the convoy began to move once more.

In the opposite direction, the road stretched on for a long time with little noticeable changes except for a one. A maiden of pure white. Everything from her hair to her dress was pure as snow. The dress had long sleeves that were nearly see-through, the holes at the end far larger than her hands. The length barely reaching her knees. She had one other item besides her dress: a large ornate scythe held in her left hand. The size and weight alone would make even the strongest humans use two hands, yet she wielded it effortless with one. A blank expression shown on her face, her gaze vaguely in Helena's direction.

@FalloutJack

Lucius bore the expression of a person in a complete state of disbelief as Garlock vanished only to reappear later with his symbol of authority and a stolen identity. Seeming to understand Garlock's intentions to usurp him, Lucius desperately tried to move whatever muscles would listen to him. He seemed unable to choose between fear and anger, the two volatile emotions battled it out in his movements. A fierce grimace crossed his lips as Star intercepted him with ease. The entirety of his body was ready to yell something profane at Garlock, before the color drained from his skin once Star spoke "Your...lord?" Noticeable fear trickled into every syllable.



The charred fields faded into rolling hills with black stone that occasionally pierced the surface and short grass that was a dim green color. Nothing stopped Garlock as he headed south, following the direction the real King Lucius and his soldiers had been headed. Small mountain ranges could be made out in the far distance to the east and south-west. As he moved further along, A enormous wall that extended outside of his range of vision came into view. A large gate made out constructed out of dark grey stone and silver-like metal blocked a nearby road with several soldiers wearing the black and red that marked this kingdom's soldiers. They appeared to be scrambling and sure enough, a patrol of three soldiers took flight from the gate and headed right for Garlock.

They moved quickly through the air and landed in front of Garlock after a short time. The armor of the three soldiers lacked the same quality that the six-hundred soldiers did, but the one in the middle was decorated with small amounts of gold and a red cloak. This was the same soldier that came forward to speak "King Lucuius!" His eyes were wide as he examined your condition, saying your acquired name with absolute reverence "You two! Get him steady!" He barked out orders, pointed at both of the two on his right and left. The two grunts that accompanied him came to your side, pulling each arm over heir shoulders. It was obvious that panic had set in for the three soldiers "Who dared do this to you, my liege?" The officer asked, as the soldiers began to move you along towards the gate.

@Achronum@Lunarlord34

Cisna did not seem entirely convinced by Volaris's words about responsibility to help those in need, choosing to simply nod once as a reply. Her pale blue eyes watched carefully as he moved forward and ultimately sat down in front of her. It appeared besides being grateful, she did not know what to make of the three. However, once Volaris mentioned survivors her diverted from Volaris just off the side staring into nothingness. It wasn't until he addressed her once more that she semi-broke out of it, looking back at feeble looking old man and the appearance of food and water distracted her from whatever thoughts were coursing through her mind.

Eagerly she accepted Volaris's gifts, and offered a small, soft smile in return for his laughter. No waiting for a moment longer, she first drank from the waters-kin like a traveler in the desert. The food she took a longer time with, looking almost unsure if she wished to consume it. Once she finished, her gaze drifted to the ground and grief once entered the expressions of her face "I..I will try my best to tell you what I know." Her words stumbled on top of each other while she tried to hold it together.

She took a deep breath to calm herself before beginning "We are...well were.. soldiers of the Dremorian Empire, the country just south of here. The two of us were part of its 'special soldiers' program, although Rath is a generation before mine. I..." She looked back at her now sleeping comrade then back at Volaris "I still don't understand. All of the previous generation soldiers were ordered to take and hold that fort, everyone thought we were heading to war...." The edges of her eyes began to tear up "Instead, I and all of the soldiers from my generation were ordered to march out to the fort under our king: King Lucius. W-we got to the fort and..and...and...." At this point, any control she was maintaining broke "It was a slaughter. Our king decreed that all those in the fort were traitors and sentenced them to death. The horror that followed....I-I don't want to think about it." Her body shivered at that moment.

Her face twisted as she tried to regain some semblance of control "Rath is the only survivor. I...had to save him. A few of the soldiers...they held him down...and....and cut off his wings." Cisna flinched just by mentioning it before continuing "I killed them...just barely. I took off with Rath towards the forest and...then we ran into you." She finished almost quietly. Streaks of tears were clearly visible down her cheeks "I-I will try to answer any other questions you have. It...it is the least I can do to try and repay your kindness."

@Lunarlord34

Nothing remarkable lies between you and the fort except for a trail of dark blood extends from the forest to a large hole in the side of the fort, likely belonging to the two soldiers you just recently saved. The fort resembles a large stone tower nearing six stories in height. From the outside, it appears to be constructed with a grey stone and reinforced with metal on the corners. The ground is soaked in blood and littered with shattered weapons, but no bodies. However, you can just see inside entryway of the fort. Inside lies three mountains of bodies dressed in similar armor to Rath. Various body parts are strewn about the floor which has been coated in dark red, the smell is nothing less than horrific.

@Trainerblue192

Sameal found himself moving along very uneven ground, the land south was full of small hills and small crevices. Further south, he could see a length wall that stretched across from east to west well out of his range of vision. There was also a wounded looking man in tattered armor that was being atteneded to by three beings with black, featherly wings and dressed in full armor. A short distance away from them was a large, fortified gate.

Outside of the forest, there did not appear to be any civilized settlements of any kind. That was except for the semi-decayed fort to the North-West, which had been the site of a very recent battle. Megu and Elizabeth seemed to be at the location looking for information. West of the forest was charred, warped landscape with small embers of fire still lit, pieces of gore littered the ground and parts were soaked dark red. In the North-East, Helena was with a few others overlooking a village and were in the processing of heading along a road where a single figure, quite some distance away, dressed in complete white was heading towards them. South you were able to see a single figure moving further south towards a large, dark colored wall that spanned for several miles. A large mountain was just visible out west, the form was somewhat blurry and dark. Far to the east, there was a strangely dark looking cloud that appeared to remaining still.

[Deleted]

@Ithradine@FalloutJack



Well now, isnt this interesting? Nephilim? Fallen angels? Or simply bearers of magic items. Either way, they may hold information of this area and it appears one is wounded. Perhaps I can gleam something from their conversation. Sameals shadowy mass constricted to the shape of a flock of birds, all of the wings fluttered so as to touch shadow to shadow, giving the impression a flock was flying up above. He moved swiftly towards the shadow of the injured man and as soon as he entered it, began to mimic the torso. No arms, legs or head so as to not have to mimic too much delicate movement. From there he would lay in wait, listening to their conversation and moving along with the shadow of the man. Samael studied the way the men acted, spoke, what they wore and any symbols they may have to attempt to gain any piece of knowledge that would be of use to Lord Volaris. He knew not how he would communicate this information to him as magical means of communication were denied and he would need stay with this gentleman for a small portion to gain as much information as possible.



Abaddon stayed atop the Cathedral, watching over the others to ensure they did not need further assistance. It seemed, for the most part, that many of them were keeping true to the mission. Some scouted without being noticed, others were caught yet remained neutral as instructed, it appeared a recent fight had broken out and left charred remains and league's of blood to drench the scene. Whether it was one of their own whod faught or someone of this world, was unknown. If it was a resident of this new location then it was worth noting the immense strength that they were capable of using. Abaddon continued to examine the area until called for, needed, or if he deemed it necessary to report to the Supreme of any urgent news.

She could understand the king wanting to bring everything he could to bear at Garlock, or even just to spitefully shout at him for daring to undertake the task of replacing him. Heaven and hell knows, he deserved all he got. Garlock was a sinister creature, a beast of deviousness and plot crossed with a sheer destructive force and an anger towards lesser beings. Morningstar was certain that if it did not belong to the feline persuasion, he cared literally nothing for it. Of course, she had no way to tell that that was not technically true, but then...Star had never known his full background. Only Daryl did, and he was gone now. It was terrible, having to keep remind herself. It was one of the reasons why, when she got in Lucius' way and explained that he was her prisoner, she was somewhat subdued in her speech. She brightened up after seeing his reaction, though.

"Oh yes. For surviving one of my attacks, you've definitely earned the right."

Go on, Lucius. Try to imagine what fighting this girl in earnest is like. It'll take your mind off of immediate concerns, like how lucky you are to actually be alive. No, wait. That would actually focus you onto that. This girl's attack strength was as devastating as that mace, which clearly withstood a terminal velocity strike. Having grabbed the crownless king by his armor to pull him along, Star now spun her Morningstar alot like Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and propelled them high into the sky, where she spread wings to fly along at a great speed.



No longer scouting at this time, Star would bring him back towards Dead Moon Cathedral directly. Lucius would get, of course, a HIGH view of the surrounding territory as they moved towards a structure that he knew damn-well hadn't been there before. Uhhh, she was coming in awfully fast. Umm, slow down? Slow down?! HEY, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! Star had taken a dive straight towards the Cathedral, then allowed her wings to catch the wind about 300 feet up to glide down to the ground. She would land soon after with Lucius.

"Hellooo! Lord Volaris! Anyone else! I brought a prisoner! He's a bit thrashed, but he's still in one piece-ish!"

One piece-ish? So, who's about right now to hear Star calling out?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



The walk was sadly tedious for him. Garlock could not amuse himself while playing the wounded king of wherever the hell Lucius ruled. He had to keep acting like a man who's grimly set upon making his way home on foot, because he can't go wingy and fly off. He had to keep pretending that he was a king returning from a battle harsher than he'd ever imagined. At least he had time to contemplate how he was going to play this out. The cat magus did not know much about the lands at all. The less he actually said that could be checked on or countered, the better. At least...so long as he knew or did not know things. What he did not know filled an ocean. In fact, he didn't even know where the nearest ocean WAS. That could put a severe damper on things.

Still, it was not long before he came upon something most unexpected: A big wall. He would call it impressive, but it was useless against a race of flying people, unless their enemies had no such power or simply did not need to build a high wall because it had magic shields or something. For now, though, he could clearly see one thing that it DID have: Guards. Several such guards were on duty right now, and two of them with...let's call him captain, for now...flew directly to him. They were shocked by his condition, the condition which the real Lucius was currently in. Garlock idly wondered if Star was going to heal the real Lucius, since she had nothing to fear from his comparative lack of strength. He grunted as two soldiers now helped him along, the third one addressing him. He spoke in Lucius voice, speaking in a manner strained from pain and exertion, but still with the flames of life in it.

"We had them, dead to rights. It was almost over before it began. But there was someone among them, a stranger. Either he was a caster-turned-demon or he was always a demon. Either way, one-such beast stood in our midst, all of a sudden. With so few of them left, it must have been a last-ditch effort at defiance, bringing in an outsider. Perhaps he WAS a devil. He tore into us all, men torn limb from limb in a single swipe of its claws. However..."

And here, he put on the Lucius charm by smiling just a little, just a hint of his vicious self.

"...we still killed it."

He then went a bit grim, after that, though.

"We swarmed over the beast with many attacks, all of us determined to end it before it ended us. Every last one of them died to cause the creature wounds, and in the final moments, my captain threw herself in its path and bade me to deliver the killing blow, though she might die in the process. My sword struck true, but then as the demon expired, it exploded in some wrathful combustion, leaving me in this state. My sword is sadly missing, either thrown clear or destroyed. I did not find it."

And so, Garlock told a clever yarn with details mainly focused upon a foe that would test the fullness of Lucius' power, one which would account for his severe state. As he had done so, there was a feeling about him, a presence. It was...familiar. Had he waltzed himself into the scouting patrol area of one of the others? They would have to talk, provided of course some privacy or some line of communication could be established. Hmmm, no... Volaris had specifically demanded no magical communication. And even if he decided to break that rule himself, whoever was literally shadowing him now would not. So, 'till later, then...

A quick peep over the ravine's edge confirmed that the priestess seemed to notice, as well. A mixture of curiosity and worry adorned the woman's face, and when her guardians moved to evacuate her, she did not resist. Curiously the humans appeared to be unaware, which baffled Helena given the noise, vibration, and ambient rise in temperature, but she soon reasoned that her senses must simply be more acute than theirs. Regardless, the holy company made haste to depart, with the carriage rolling out once again in a matter of moments. Ah, well, Helena thought. Can't be helped. At least there seemed to be no impulse to find out what the source of the disturbance was, which is prudent. Though no benefit to the Cathedral came to mind, the ghoul commander could not stop herself looking over the faces of the peasant crowd. Every one of the humans looked more full of life, able to stand a little taller with smiles of joy on their faces. That woman...even if here just for a moment, she changed these people's lives for the better. A hint of a wistful smile tugged at the corners of Helena's mouth. She would not at all have minded such looks of happiness and fulfillment directed at her.

“...Commander?”

With a slight start, Helena turned about at speed. Tungus, who spoke, instinctively recoiled, but the visage of annoyance on Helena's face was not meant for him. Her loathing fell upon herself for having let herself be distracted by something of no consequence to her guild. Composing herself in an instant, she clasped her hands behind her back and replied. “Yes?”

Tungus pointed a thumb in the direction of the southern road. “Spotted some'ne 'eaded this way, boss. A ways out and movin' slow, but take a look.”

After moving across the ravine toward where it sloped up and going prone, Helena did exactly that. Through the fronds of grass her sharp eyes could make out a solitary individual, also human, clothed in white. The cleanliness and the starkness of her garb contrasted the pastoral world around her utterly, but not so much as the weapon she possessed. Held in one hand as easily as Tatter might hold her Steward's Wand despite appearing heavy enough to tax any human, the scythe glimmered in the daylight menacingly. The lady in white walked as though in a trance, no emotion shown on her face nor awareness given to her surroundings, in the direction of the village. More than that, however, Helena got the feeling that this mysterious new arrival was headed toward her.

The notion intrigued her enough to give the situation some thought. Scythes, though ostensibly implements for farming and fittingly unwieldy, often appeared as the weapons of choice for reapers, liches, and devils, whose natural abilities made moot the tools' impracticality. More to the point, they carried with them the connotation of death, supposedly reaping lives as effortlessly as they reaped grain. Could it be that this stranger sensed death, or undeath? Not unreasonable to assume, though why then would she be targeting Helena? I'm no expert of monsters, but I'm sure that ghouls are not undead. I was returned from death, but using a flawed Revive spell rather than necromancy, which Tatter used Ghoul Vitae to complete. More plausibly, the stranger could sense monsters, or perhaps malefic auras. If so, that tidbit might just be the most poignant info Helena found so far, since it would mean that measures would have to be taken for aura or essence masking for future expeditions.

Helena backpedaled back down into the ravine until she could crouch while remaining out of sight. Urgency in her voice, she gave her orders. “Head deeper into the ravine so that you're out of sight and move into the forest with Wide Warp. Lieutenant Gretchen, Warp back here after you move the two of them. Our aim is to maintain stealth and disengage, of course, but if that woman can detect us through some extrasensory method, we must deal with her. Go.” The group, save Helena herself, began to move at once. They hurried into the lowest point of the ravine and a moment later vanished in a black cloud, leaving their commander alone to watch. This will tell us who she's after, if any of us. Could be that her target's the village itself, or perhaps the priestess and her crew, though this one's moving far too slowly to have been in pursuit of that carriage. If it turned out that the stranger could sense Helena despite the magical masking provided by the Skulker's Veil, things could get interesting.



With a solemn, woeful air, Jack patted his oblivious Bruiserjack farewell and retreated to an optimal distance. After watching the corpulent plant monster looking around for a moment, the pumpkin dandy threw a beseeching glance Tatter's way. “Must I truly invite annihilation upon so innocent and innocuous a henchman? Barely has my piteous creation begun its ponderous existence, yet for the sake of your hideous experiments I am obliged to exterminate him.” Jack laid the back of one hand against his orange forehead to emphasize the tragedy of the situation.

Tatter's disregard, meanwhile, could not be more pointed. “You can just make more, pal. Besides, I'm doing this because Volaris asked me to. You're not going to go against the will of Supreme Lord, are you...?”

She knew that Jack never intended to, but rather was compelled to milk the situation for dramatic effect. As she expected, he shook his head in theatrical fashion and squared his stance. “Vine Scourge!” he cried, and one of his hands shot out to form a barbed tendril. He lashed it across the Bruiserjack, slicing into its rubbery flesh and sending a spray of greenish fluid into the air. The creature moaned, but Jack did not relent, whipping it again and again until it was covered in bleeding gashes. A moment later his vine arm retracted, and he called out, “Infect!” His arm twisted to form sickle-like protrusion replete with dripping spines, and with an expert step forward Jack smashed it into the Bruiserjack. A second later clouds of poisonous gas welled forth from its bleeding wounds, bringing the monster to its knees in a moment.

With a nod as his final farewell, Jack altered his arm one last time, making it into a thorn-covered scythe. “...Expunge!” At maximum force he ripped into his own minion with the weapon, and its afflictions exploded, a massive amount of fluid blasting from each wound. Gurgling its last, the Bruiserjack fell apart into drenched chunks.

Jack recoiled, rushing to brush the plant matter from his cloak. “Eugh! How repulsive! I don't remember those attacks being so...hideously visceral. I imagine I shall have nightmares for days.”

A giggle could be heard from Tatter. “Guess everything works then, maybe even better than it used to. Got all that, Es?”

The demon elf nodded, holding up her stack of papers. “Yes, Miss Tatter! All of Jack's spells and actions exceed expectations.” Her gazed hovered over the gigantic patches of corn seeded, grown, and engorged moments ago.

Tatter sighed, crossing her arms. “Kind of a shame neither Rule nor Lexicon showed up. Where is everyone?”

She looked at Jack expectantly, but he didn't seem to notice. Her woven brows narrowed at this. “Hey, you're not ignoring me, are ya pumpkin head?”

The gentleman held up a finger. In his empty eyes a subtle lime-green glow could just be made out. “My sentries! They behold the magnificence of Morningstar, poised to enter the Cathedral. She seems to have a captive. Her dulcet tones address Lord Volaris.” The glow faded, and a look of irritation came across his face. “It would be my joy to bid her welcome, yet here I am, sequestered on the fourth floor.”

Already Tatter was soaring away, making a beeline for one of the great banners hanging over the spectators' seats. “Don't worry your hollow orange noggin there, Jack. I'll zip on over and say hi. Make sure to clean up your mess!” A moment later her body hit the tapestry and went limp as her spirit transferred through the enchanted cloth.



Just after Morningstar made her way through the Cathedral's main entrance, watched at all times by Jack's pumpkin monster sentries, one of the nearby wall hangings began to unravel itself. The lengths of cloth danced through the air like a flock of flying snakes, and when they grew close enough they wove together into the shape of a young girl. Tatter did not bother forming her lower half, as usual, instead letting those strands drift about in a fittingly ghostlike manner. Her bright teal eyes fixated upon the new arrivals, and the sun from outside shown upon her mischievous smile.

“Hey Starry. How's it been? Volaris isn't here right now -or pretty much anyone else, for that matter- but if you'd like to leave a message...?” She snickered, floating closer so that she could get a good look at the old, battered man in Morningstar's clutches. “So who's this ancient mess? If you violated Volaris's orders to stay stealthy already, he must be pretty important...” The Ubergeist caught a glimpse of the bones poking through Lucius' wounded back and grimaced. “Ew! Honestly, he could go at any second in this state. Want me to fix him up? If you were planning an interview, it'd be better if he remained conscious.” She put her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer from the king's captor as though he weren't there.

Volaris watched the pair go while he listened to the woman only half way. He hadn’t considered that Elizabeth and Megu technically hadn’t interacted with individuals outside the guild, to his memory, with the exception of slaughtering intruders. She wanted to speak with them later, hm? He would indulge her this once at the very least. He planned to keep them alive for a while anyway. He was quite interested to see if the Eldritch Horrors could still be created. He turned his attention back to the woman as she finished telling her tale. It sounded like someone was trying to cover up their tracks or perhaps the King was just paranoid. It would be lucky if he was, much easier to prey on and have one of the NPCs to replace. Maybe send Anna and have Garlock start destroying cities to turn the country’s attention inwards. Worth considering.

“My you’ve had quite the ordeal. At least you have this moment to rest.” Volaris said sympathetically. “I would appreciate the help however. In my eagerness to show the world to my granddaughter, I seemed to have over shot my desitination. Where exactly did I land?”

@FalloutJack@Lugubrious

A empty looked filled the battered and weathered features of Lucius's face, the realization must have hit him of what kind of power he was dealing with. Despite the speed the traveled at, there was not a sound from Lucius. However, once on solid ground once more he collapsed onto the floor. The color of his face went pale not from blood loss, but from the sheer majesty of the cathedral. The speed at which Star descended might have also had minor in that as well. This would not be the only surprise to startle him.

Lucius watched with wide, crimson eyes as Tatter reformed in front of his very eyes. He shook his head, as if he was beginning to doubt his own sight. When tatter asked for his identity, he very weakly spoke "I-I am King Lucius, of the Dre-" Tatter interrupted him with her reaction to his poor state. From there, he looked on in growing annoyance as he was ignored.

@Trainerblue192@FalloutJack

The soldiers and even the captain himself seemed absorbed in your tale of your 'victory'. Each one of the bore a mixed expression of astonishment and humility. What was important was that they seemed to be believing every word you spoke "M-my liege, you truly are the greatest King and warrior to ever rule Dremoria! A true legend! I humbled to be in your presence!" The captain vibrantly praised. With the assistance from the two soldiers, you soon found yourself in front of a massive gate made of a heavy, dark wood reinforced with the same black metal on the now deceased soldiers' armor.

Standing above the gate, were two soldiers patiently awaiting your arrival "Open the gate!" The captain's voice was firm and loud, booming clearly through the air. Both of the soldiers brought their right hand, closed into a fist, to their heart and turned around to face the inside "Open the gate!" They both relayed the order. It took mere moments until the large gate doors began to lurch inward to create a large enough passage for the four. Garlock was hurried inside where he would see a small military camp attached to the gate house. He was brought directly to one of the larger tents, in which there was several cots and medical supplies. A single attendant was checking a table with some medical instruments on it, a noticeable collar was tightened around his neck.

The captain made their presence known "Alskyra, you will drop whatever it is you are doing right now! His majesty needs your immediate attention!" Alskyra nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise, before turning around to see you for himself "O-oh your majesty, I-I didn't know-" A aura of fear loomed of the man, who did not have any features similar to the soldiers around him. He was cut off violently by the captain "Shut it! Just get to work!" He aggressively ordered "A-alright, please p-place his majesty here." Alskyra softly gestured to an clean, empty cot. The two soldiers gently placed you on a cot, then performed the same fist-to-heart salute the guards on the gate did before leaving through the tent's entrance and taking position just outside.

"I apologize your greatness. This slave is the only healer we have available. We will make sure he does not try anything." He showed clear disgust towards Alskyra, before backing off to let the healer get to work. Alskyra walked over, his posture somewhat bent, and began to slowly look over your injuries

@Lugubrious

The woman in white continued on her path towards Helena's direction, not once attempting to check the surroundings around her. Suddenly, she stopped completely. That was when a voice, flowing like water, surrounded Helena coming from every direction "Si ea'i fina?" It inquired, though no one else would be able to hear the words the feminine voice spoke "Pha'ir sia'i vi fina yeaeg?" A second, seemingly different question was asked. The language was nothing known to the Cathedral and every word had an almost tangible power attached to it.

@Achronum

The edges of her lips curved into a slight smile as she gave small nod. When Volaris asked his question, she took a moment to think before speaking "This forest lies on the very edge of Dremorian controlled territory and borders two other kingdoms. Farther North is the kingdom of Armintium. It is the greatest of the human kingdoms and is home to the Order of Paladins. West is the floating isles of Anserith, a kingdom with which Dremoria has been in countless wars with. South lies the Dremorian Empire. If you head out far to the east, you will enter Altamea. I do not know much about them." She seemed a little ashamed by the last part.

Her gaze drifted towards the ground in a sorrowful manner for a long few seconds, before she attempted to hide it behind another weak smile "All this talk of other places...makes me realize I no longer have a home." She shook her head strongly, as if to physically rid herself of the thought "Nevermind that, do you have any other questions?" Her voice softer than it was moments ago.

She was wondering just what kept anyone, when who should appear but Tatter, with a quick entrance and a funny quip. Star chuckled at this, saying "I am feeling better, honest.". The demon did, after all, feel kind of bad about her earlier outburst way further down into the dark recesses of the the Cathedral. It was never her intention to shout at Volaris like that. It was just that the Supreme Ones were the greatest, the wisest, and the most powerful of Yggdrasil. It didn't seem possible that nearly all of them could be consumed with the world as their domain passed through to this place. It shook her belief, for a while. These people were important to her, and now most of them were gone. That'll make anybody's day HELL, but at least her mood had improved. A bit of violence HAD helped, to be honest.

Now, she was about to explain about her return with a prisoner, since Tatter had mentioned that she would need a good reason to break stealth. Star had one, but the Ubergeist interrupted both her AND Lucius, who was attempting to make himself known. The reason, though... That was a good one. She noticed kind of the same problem that Tatter did, actually.

"Yeah, he does look pretty bad, doesn't he? If you could make him more stable, but maybe leave the wings hurt? I don't want to have to chase if he tries to leave. That could get irritating."

Not difficult, just annoying. He couldn't get away, but if he started running, she was gonna sic the Manticores on him. Number-15 was suppose to be especially frisky right now. Could end up chewing him quite badly...

"Oh! Uhh... Anyway, the reason I came back is because I got some royalty. He is King Lucius of...ummm..."

Well, this was awkward. Star looked at Lucius, her expression one of puzzlement.

"Sorry, where do you come from again?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dremoria... That was the name of the place, this country. He was disguised as King Lucius of Dremoria, and he was SO badass right now. The guards were eating this up. Either that, or they were very good liars. Either way, it would all become extremely entertaining. The great wall loomed before them, and as the gate opened, Garlock could see what all the bustle he had been hearing beyond it was in reality. It was an outpost, a big camp to guard the wall. This was border guard stuff, no doubt with patrols going up and down the length of it to the next base and the next. Are you getting all this down, shadow? It was all going to be important later...for as long as it was intact.

They all went to a medical tent, no doubt to get him fixed up. Good. He wanted to rock some mobility in this form, at least. Walking was only fun when he knew he was goofing off. This...was still fun and games, but it was a different kind. It wa the kind with some stakes on the table and something to lose. True, they had more to lose, but HE wanted to ponce about as King. Can't do that if you don't play the game. So saying, he still needed to play like he was an aging warlord trying to maintain his strength throughout now, as the captain got an obvious slave to get to work as he was placed upon a cot. Alskyra would have no trouble applying medicine or healing magic, dependent on what he had to work with. Since Garlock was not undead, he would not be hurt by actual healing power. However, since his health as at full, he would have to fake his recovery by making his form look like it was gonna mend itself according to his methods. Right now, of course, he looked like he was at the limits of a man, the state of a man who's been through hell and needed a fairly-sizable remedy.

"If that is all there is, then let it commence. Make quick your work, healer. I have much to do, and I don't intend to lay dormant for long."

The Cathedral’s main entrance had been opened and standing there waiting was the combined force of Xirphi and Sagi, reinforced by the two Undead Knights that Lexicon had sent them earlier. Of course, they were standing a bit far back, and it seemed Morningstar had dragged something in, then Tatter appeared. While Xirphi would be content to let those few talk, the golem was not so eager, as it was his directive to carry out the word of the Supreme One’s task that had been bestowed upon them.

However, Sagi could not simply fire off an explosion and cause collateral damage to the cathedral’s structure or the the other designated guardians. He raised his Halberd and began to march towards the small group, ready to end the life of the weakling that had been dragged in. His massive weight prevented any sort of stealth or silence, metal boots stomping on the ground, and a gauntlet of eyes focused on the target. The construct readied his weapon, before stopping mere paces away from the group.

“Primary Objective given by Lord Volaris; destroy any who enter, excluding guardians,” Sagi stated, his gaze place wholly on the welp. ”Morningstar and Tatter, I would advise to move away from the target so that I may destroy it,” he went on, raising his Halberd to kill the man. He would have carried out before Xirphi held the end of the weapon, causing the construct to lurch forward but for the weapon to remain in place.

”Hold on, big guy. Morningstar probably brought him here for a reason,” Xirphi said before releasing her hold on the Halberd, walking from being the golem. ”Hey Tatter, hope the brat didn-”

”Irrelevant. Our objective is to destroy any who enter, save other guardians,” Sagi responded.

”Show a little restraint,” Xirphi barked, turning her attention to Morningstar. “”Why did you bring him here?,” she asked, her voice becoming more serious as she focused on getting back onto the task at hand.

The commander's silent vigil almost fell to pieces as a sudden, inexplicable voice resonated in her mind, for so wholly unprecedented was it that Helena nearly jumped out of her skin. Fortunately her steely nerves took hold the next instant, allowing her to stay still and listen to the words that, while incomprehensible gibberish, bore a distinct reverberation. A moment later the unbidden whispering ceased, leaving her mind to race with pondered possibilities.

When Gretchen warped back a few moments later, Helena lurched forward to clap the old witch on the shoulder with utmost urgency, her manner so intense as to paralyze the poor crone in terror. “Did you hear a voice?” the ghoul intoned in a low voice, to which Gretchen could only jerkily shake her head. Leaning back against the ravine's earth wall, Helena breathed a frustrated sigh. That meant that the stranger's words sought her out alone, meaning in turn that she failed her mission of stealth. Somehow, despite the presence-masking hex of the Skulker's Veil given to her by Yseult herself, her position had been compromised to the unknown woman in white.

Helena prepared to move. Her compatriot stared at her desperately. “Ma'am, what are we doing?”

“Damage control. For me, at least” As she spoke she brushed bits of dirt and grass from her torso, lifted her cap for a moment to straighten her hair, then pulled her sleeve back to examine the back of her wrist. “Does my skin look gray?”

“Ma'am?” Despite her mask, the witch's confusion was clear to see. “Er...only a little.” She seemed to catch on to her superior's intentions a moment later. “Not unnatural, I mean. You would have no problems passing for human.” Trying to help, Gretchen reached up to pluck a stray dandelion from Helena's bun. “Good luck, ma'am.”

A moment later, Helena strode forth from the ravine, heading toward the dirt road that the woman in white stood upon. Aside from her expensive black uniform, which couldn't be identified as any nearby nation's, and the slight pallid look of her flesh, nothing could be said to be unusual about her—except, perhaps, that even if she lacked any awareness of it herself, her beauty as a treasured creation of a detail-oriented Supreme Lord stood out as far above the average human.

Clasping her hands behind her back, Helena narrowed her eyes as she grew near and began to circle the stranger, sizing her up in the manner of a seasoned veteran. “What manner of sorceress are you,” she drawled, “That can speak strange words into a person's mind?”



The Ubergeist's woven eyebrows rose as she was made aware of the new captive's profession. “Oh wow, a king? How convenient is that?” At Morningstar's confirmation she held up a hand and treated Lucius to her most winning smile, though the expression came across more as 'conniving'. “Okay then, I'll take care of you. Don't worry, Your Royal Highness, I'm a trained Cantor, so you're in good hands!”

Effulgent green particles welled from her hand, and without delay they coalesced into a stream that flowed straight into Lucius' chest. His wounds and burns began to heal with impossible speed, sealing up and disappearing in less than two seconds. The piteous feathers on his wings fell out, pushed by a new, pristine crop. After just a moment's time, the man might very well be feeling better than he ever had in his entire life.

By the time Tatter ended her treatment, a few new faces had moseyed onto the scene. The golem in particular arrived with a tremendous noise, though since the Geist floated she did not feel his stomping. She knew both Xirphi and Sagi more by reputation than acquaintance, given the distance between their domains, but unlike their little brother Lexicon she found no reason to dislike them. At least, she did not until Sagi voiced his intentions to slaughter Lucius on the spot. “No, you dope,” Tatter chastised him along with Xirphi. “You're not following his orders right.” Knowing that the proclamation would get Sagi's attention, she crossed her arms and grinned as she floated up to meet him face-to-face.

“You said you're supposed to destroy any who 'enter.' Well, that's an active verb, and Lucy here did not 'enter.' He was brought. Passive. So you shouldn't destroy him. Duh!” Tatter held her hands up and to the side, palm-up, to show just how obvious the correct course of action should be. Meanwhile, she left handling Xirphi to Morningstar.

@Ithradine@FalloutJack

---

"M-my liege, you truly are the greatest King and warrior to ever rule Dremoria! A true legend! I humbled to be in your presence!" Samael listened intently to every word that left these mortals mouths. Any information is good information after all, strengths, weaknesses, locations, whatever he could gather for the supreme will be considered a victory. Dremoria, it appears that is our current location. We seem to not be in Ygrasdil anymore, just as our supreme had anticipated. What's more, it appears I found an appropriate target, a king of all things. I must report what I know so far.

As the King laid on the gurney, barely clinging to his life, Samael took the time to prepare a missive. He allowed his shadow to extend slightly, out of anyone's view, underneath the gurney. There it would begin to split, duplicating itself on the dark mass that laid below from the lighting. A clone of Samael, formed of a shadowy mass, now lingered beneath as Samael made his way back into the kings shadow. No words were needed to he exchanged as the shadow fully understood its purpose and slithered through the cracks of the building and outside. Leaping from shadow to shadow attempting to remain stealthy, once it had finally reached the forests line, it bolted with immense speed towards Abaddon. "Samael sends word. He has entangled himself into this kingdoms leader, The King of Dremoria, and is currently gathering intel for our supreme. It appears a struggle happened somewhere to the west of where Samael was stationed. They made mention of a demon who was inevitably slain. These inhabitants have wings, dark as night, Fallen, Nephilim, or something entirely different is unknown." With that, his shadow began to search the surrounding areas for others, so as to inform them as well. Starting with the East, through the North, then West.

@Ithradine
The trip to the fort was rather uneventful. Boring in fact. If the trip wasn't so short, Elizabeth might've just wandered off and let Megu investigate the place. She was far more interested in the greenery around her then some ruined fort. She hadn't been outside in so long, and there was plenty of wildlife around that she hadn't seen before. Even in Yggdrasil. But soon enough her crimson gaze fell upon it's ruined state. The fort itself was a building of rather ugly design, especially compared to the beauty and magnificence of the Cathedral.

Though it was an impressive size, being made of stone and stretching far up into the sky. It must've been five...or maybe six or so stories tall. Her gaze fell further down onto what she assumed was the battlefield for the slaughter which had happened here. Broken weapons littered the bloodstained field, but a surprising lack of bodies. Had they disposed of them already?

That question was rather swiftly answered by the next sight as she and Megu silently approached the tower. It was rather clear for Megu, but for Elizabeth, it took some strain to see. The large piles of countless limbs and body parts. It would seem they hadn't disposed of them all that well at all, instead opting to just stack the corpses atop one another and leave them to rot. The smell was nothing short of putrid and caused the girl to wrinkle her nose in disgust. Truly they were dealing with barbaric savages with no respect for their fallen foes, they could've at least used the parts if they weren't going to dispose of them properly. No matter, she was sure one of the others might be able to at least use some of it. Waste not want not after all.

"Megu, check the corpses. Maybe there's a familiar emblem, anything of note. I'll look to try and find wherever these savages keep their records." After a quick moment of thought, Elizabeth barked out some quick orders before striding towards the hole in the fort wall.

"Of course Mi'lady, I shall do so with haste." Megu was concise in her response, following after her mistress. Kneeling down besides the first pile, she began to shift through it. Making sure to carefully examine the first few corpses or limbs atop the pile. Not only looking for an emblem that might help aid in where they currently where, but also to check the bodys overall condition. If they were still in 'reasonable' condition, then maybe Tatter or someone of that ilk had use for them. If nothing else, food for their various 'pets'.

While Megu searched that, Elizabeth was quick to get away from the overwhelming stench of death and decay. Not because such things bothered her, one only looked at who her Father was to know that was untrue. But more because it reminded her too much of him, the fact he was gone still being a rather raw subject for her. Once inside the fort proper, she wandered how best to find wherever the equivalent of a records room would be. The place was rather large, so searching it room by room would take far too long. And she lacked the correct skillset, being a mage more focused on healing and combat, to search it that way. So instead she would prioritise and search any rooms that looked promising, or ones that at least looked like they contained something interesting anyway.

@FalloutJack@Trainerblue192

The words seemed to startle him "Y-yes, my king!" His voice almost quivering as he continued to assess the overall damage. His eyes went wide as he realized the extent of the injuries, perhaps wondering how anyone could remain standing in this state. Soon you felt a slow but steady flow of healing energy enter your body, a low-tier spell called 'Mend' it would appear like "Y-y-your self-regeneration s-should be boosted. I-I am sure you will be walking out of here shortly.." He shakily said.

Garlock's clever ruse seemed to work on the Alskyra, who ceased his work after seeing the majority of the surface damage done. He backed away and dropped onto his right knee, bending his back downwards "I-I believe I have done all I can, your majesty. I shall send my prayers to Tyris for your complete recovery." He said with fear and reverence, remaining kneeling on the ground. Something that came to your attention was that the medical tent was surprisingly empty save for you, Alskyra, and the border captain.

The heavy footsteps of the captain could be heard long before he spoke "My liege, I sent two men to deliver a message to Prince Desmond and Prince Dante. They will likely head for Armos and await your return." Once again, his right fist was placed over his heart.

@FalloutJack@Lauder@Lugubrious

The shock of so many powerful creatures began to wane on Lucius's mind, as if any ounce of hope that remained was crushed. It was as if the reality of this situation was something he was struggling to comprehend. It was only upon hearing Star's question that he really began to react at all "I..I am King Lucius of the Dremorian Empire..." There was clear disdain in his eyes as he looked at Star, the look of a man's pride reduced to nothing but ash. The revelation that all of these beings served under the same master seemed to strike him, as his face drained of any expression.

He had no power to resist Tatter even if he wanted to with the state of his body. A bit of color came back into his face as his body was cleansed of any and all damage, even restoring his energy completely. He held out his arms in front of him in amazement then let them to fall to his side, as he took a more dignified stance. His eyes narrowed and gaze flickered to each one of the beings before him, examining each one of them for a few moments "Forgive me for not expressing my gratitude, Tatter. It is difficult to be grateful to a group that slaughtered so many of my toys." He seemed to regain a little of his boldness with the energy lent to him. However, he did not seemed to be preparing to escape.

@Lugubrious

The woman in white stopped as soon as you appeared, her eyes and expression unchanging. No matter how much closer Helena got, the woman did not make any movement whatsoever. Her gaze remained locked on the road ahead and didn't follow Helena as she walked around her, like a predator to its prey. However, when she heard the words a bit of sadness seemed to seep into her face as she looked down towards the ground slightly. When Helena made her way in front of her again, the woman in white stepped forward and without a word took a hold of Helena's hand in a speed only other guardians could muster. Her grip was soft as it could be, just like her skin. Both of her eyes closed for a few moments, appearing to be in a kind of trance. After those few moments, her eyes opened fully and her hand slipped away.

She glanced at the ground before you while furrowing her brows, then looked up into your eyes "I am a messenger." She spoke with a monotone, but beautiful voice. Now that you were closer, you could see that she was actually blind. Her silver eyes bearing the same traits of one who could not see "You are confused. A fear resides within you, hidden behind a steel composure. Do not be afraid. I do not intend to harm you, or the others of your party." She did not show any signs of being dishonest "I was given the name Priscilla. May I ask yours?"

@Lunarlord34

Nearly each corpse was covered in several mortal wounds centered around the chest along with several signs of massive burns. However, the good majority of the corpses seemed to be in a relatively good state showing only a few hours of decomposition. The armor consisted of the same black metal on the two survivors with Volaris and we were all in a similar state. There was one item in particular that showed up on nearly all of the dead bodies. It was a silver metal object, in the shape of a small shield-like badge. There was an inscription on the top that read: "Through the Fires of Hell, We are Reborn." . Under that, was a insignia of a pair of black wings against a wall of fire. Along the bottom read another inscription: 1st Gen. Nothing else of value came up in the search.

Blood was splashed against every wall that Elizabeth passed. Remnants of a makeshift barricade were scattered across a hallway leading to a spiral stair-case. Every room that she passed had its door forcibly broken down and the splatters of blood made it obvious what happened to the people inside. It looked mostly abandoned except for the signs of the recent battle. That was until Elizabeth reached the room the barricade was meant to protect. A table was leaning on its side with only two of its legs intact. A mostly intact map with a small blood splatter on its bottom-left corner laid on the floor.

After a moment of silence Helena narrowed her eyes. No response seemed to be forthcoming, and not just verbally, either. Aside from the stranger coming to standstill, she gave no sign of awareness that the woman in black existed. A couple seconds of pacing later, Helena started to feel ridiculous. Her imposing behavior came to no effect, leaving her a performer without an audience, though that in itself told her of this person's abnormality.

As the ghoul commander started left again, her eyes slipped from the woman's weapon to her face, and with a frown she noticed a very slight, almost imperceptible change of expression. The moment that Helena passed in front of the stranger's face, however, the still-as-a-statue figure became a blur. Helena's reflexes, couched, tiger-like, sprang into action. Her right hand, clasped behind her back, shot around to grasp the hilt of her dagger, but before those digits could so much and graze its pommel its brief journey came to a dead stop. Helena jolted as she felt the woman's hand close around her own, paralyzed not by an iron grip but by her own shock.

Her dark eyes locked onto the sightless orbs of the stranger, her breath suddenly a touched labored. How!? the thought resounded through her mind, over the chaotic tumult like a thousand angry hornets buzzing around her mind at once. I-I-I didn't even see her! She must be as fast as...as Garlock, or Baron. How could I not sense her power!? Heart beating like a drum, teeth clenched, she watched as the woman held her palm like a seer. Some sort of trance had overtaken her, but it lasted only a moment, and in the next Helena came to her senses and yanked her hand away. In fact, she went straight into a shadow dash, bursting a few meters backward before sliding to a stop in a cloud of dust. What did she do!? She tore off her black glove and examined the skin, finding no mark. Not a physical attack. Her eyes fell on the stranger once again, who did not seem to have moved. The absence of physical trace could only mean some kind of foray into her spirit or her mind.

The so-called messenger spoke then, stating her duty and then laying bare the emotion that clutched Helena's heart. Her assurance a second later that she meant the ghoul commander no harm did little to assuage her fear. A being as fast as she, boasting the power to behold things magically concealed and to peer into one's mind, posed an incredible threat. Though stronger guardians could take her on, and Volaris could no doubt annihilate her, Helena's own vulnerability came as both an gut-wrenching shame and tremendous liability, since this woman might very well be able to glean from her consciousness some information precious to the guild. There's no telling what she stole from me just now. If I am responsible for losing guild secrets, I must atone for it here and now. For the safety of our guild, I must kill her, capture her, or die trying.

An instant later, the accursed Void Stiletto was in her hand, and she assumed a battle-ready stance. Helena refused to answer this Priscilla's question, since to some sorcerous beings names held power over their owners. She could feel the eyes of her troops on her, waiting for her orders to attack. They would die for her, but their sacrifice would be meaningless against an entity more powerful than Helena, if not somehow beneficial. Moreover, she did not want to see the lives of her soldiers wasted. She whispered a Message to them: ”Run.” Then, she reached with another Message to the mind of the remaining ally she knew best. ”I have engaged a telepathic enemy at the very least faster than myself, northeast of the forest south of a village. I need backup just in case.” She then looked Priscilla straight in the face and raised her voice.

“You lie, for you have already harmed me.” Her tone came colder and sharper than the steel of her composure, its timbre full of deadly intent. Keeping out the specifics of her background, she got straight to the point. “You have stolen knowledge from me, and by extension my organization. The penalty is death. Explain yourself immediately, or by the authority invested in me, I will enact your sentence.”



“Slaughtered?”

Forgetting Sagi, the Ubergeist treated the newly-revitalized king to a questioning glance, then directed a suspicious one at Morningstar. Assuming the man told the truth, which he really should be given the circumstances, Tatter could begin to put two and two together. “...Hmm. Well, last I heard there wasn't any slaughtering on today's chore list, so try and keep your finger pointed in the right direction, wouldja?” She blinked, realizing another thing Lucius said, and gave him a grin. “Oh wait, you said 'toys', didn't you? You're that type, huh? That's fun. I hope I get you afterward!” Reaching forward, she tapped the king on the nose, giggling. The dial on her chest flared slightly. “Shame your spirit's already a bit broken, though. I don't like playing with other guardians' scraps.”

She then backpedaled to float around, spinning every so often in excitement. “So, you wanna Message Volaris, Starry?” she threw out the name of the Supreme Lord without much care for Lucius hearing it. “Or ya can squeeze Lucy here yourself. I'd be glad to heee-eeelp!”

The next moment, however, she froze in her tracks. Her glowing eyes were motionless for a few seconds, her attention focused on something only she could perceive. Afterward, her expression morphed into one of determination. “It's Helena. Calling for reinforcement, east-northeast of here. Sounds like she's encountered some kind of super-fast mind-reader.” Turning to the other guardians, she scanned their faces or, as in Sagi's case, face substitutes. “I can go myself, but it'd take forever. We got anyone nearby we can send?”

Having been asked to work her magic, Tatter soon healed Lucius to a reasonable amount, a proper fortitude in which he could function well enough, or at least be expected not to die at the hands of the next stiff breeze that played through the Cathedral...which could get awfully drafty, let's be honest. Daryl's tower had heating, thanks to the efforts of the Homunculi, but they might all be busy right now with their patrols. Now, Lucius had been kind of re-introducing himself in the state of a dead man before, but as he addressed Tatter afterwards, he had far more vigor. Star gave him a smile and clapped him on the back.

"That's the spirit! Never say die!"

THUMP! Lucius hit the floor. It was no more harmful than being shoved to a floor by a normal person, but he basically fell forwars there due to a more playful action. The gargoyle looked down sheepishly with an "Umm...oops.", realizing that she really should be more careful there, and not let her enthusiasm get the best of her. So, all in all, things were going well right now for Star, at least until two other Guardians showed up. Sagi and Xirphi. What a pair... This was like keeping her and Garlock together. Better that we don't, right? Well, maybe, maybe not. Because while the tall monstrosity wanted to immediately bring that huge and impressive axe down on Lucius right off - Star moving to block that by hand with Stone Skin activating - Xirphi was holding him back. Tatter got up in Sagi's face to argue him down, which was probably going to work well enough because she was following orders too. Still, it looked to be necessary to explain that here to Xirphi, and if Star got Xirphi to listen, Xirphi would get Sagi to listen...in case he didn't now.

"I brought him back because that's part of my orders. Lord Volaris said that anyone who compromises us who isn't eliminated has to be taken here to the Cathedral. Well, I might've let 'em go if they weren't so close, if Garlock hadn't been standing right there, and if they hadn't all been taking off to the sky at once. There's an entire people here who could fly over at any time. With that stuff going on, I had to prevent anyone leaving. Garlock helped after, but he was clearly playing around, as usual. And now, he's decided to go be king, because this guy is the king of Dremoria. I suppose that's a useful thing to do, since we can interrogate this one while Gar goes off to rule, but I don't like that cat. I don't like what he does."

Sorry, she sort of went off-topic there, but it boils down to her orders being to capture anyone she doesn't kill for information, and this man survived. So, with that having been done, we now return to that matter, as Tatter addressed her about contacting Volaris. She got as far as "Sure, I'd like th-" before Tatter froze, having received a message from Helena, who was calling for reinforcements. This was surprising. Given the relative ease in which the men of Dremoria had folded, you'd think that might be the standard, but guess again.

"North or East? Ah, I don't remember who's up there. Garlock headed the other way, so he's no help. I can fly there pretty fast. Don't tell her I'm coming, though! Mind-Reader!"

She said this last part as she took a run to leap off into the sky again at high speed...utterly forgetting about Lucius and leaving him to the mercy of whatever creature decided to claim him. All in all, not a great day for King Lucius.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

King Garlock, however, was feeling fine. He noted that whatever presence was around him had sent off something to somewhere, potentially for the express purpose of sending information back to base. If this was what he suspected it was, then there was no real harm in such occurring. Really, he needed a moment alone with whoever it was in order to properly determine that. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be anytime soon that he could expect so, at least not without a kingly demand for everyone to bugger off. Perhaps that was in order... He managed to keep those observing him from noticing anything out of the ordinary. Good. Garlock behaved as though his strength had returned. Not perfectly, but reasonably. He sat up, clenched his fist as though to test its strength, appeared moderately satisfied, and said...

"It serves, for now. I will find another if my strength does not persevere alone."

But it probably would, FYI. Bwa ha ha ha haaa... Now, he saw that there was but the slave healer and the captain from before, who informed him that word had been sent to a pair of princes, Desmond and Dante, presumably about developments in the area. He nodded at this.

"Good. Now then, I have orders. The soldiers in this area will be placed on alert, but hold to the wall, keeping watch for more possible shadow demons. No one is to be left wandering to be caught unawares. If there are any others, I want to know it, and I want any that there are to break their teeth on our fortifications and feel the crushing blow of Dremoria."

He then gestured to Alskyra.

"Take him away to be put to use elsewhere. I wish a moment to myself to contemplate the meaning of the demon's presence in the first place, whether it belonged to anyone or if it was pure happenstance. When I emerge, I want a fresh sword at my side and a map of the area to determine the point of origin."

And only AFTER he was to be found alone in the tent, where no one could be heard to be nearby with his cat senses, would Garlock then say...

"Now that that is out of the way, would you mind coming out? I wish to confirm who it is that followed me in. I think you'll find this very interesting."

Even if he didn't know precisely whom it was he was dealing with, he had a fairly good idea. The nose had been close enough to where the interloper was once he lay down for his heals. It DID smell familiar to him. It smelled of one of the Guardians, and of the Cathedral. Things could get very fun around here...

Volaris nodded sympathetically at the last admission. Feeling adrift in a world you no longer know-Volaris could empathize. However, it was odd not experiencing panic or dismay. His emotions were blunted; they felt secondhand at best. And oddly, he found a sense of comfort in that fact. It was easier without the raging of the human condition distracting him.

“Rather, I have a request. Some rest would do you well I think and my granddaughter wishes to spend some time with you. Would it be safe for you to accompany her to the nearest town? We could hide your appearances in an illusion long enough to get you clothes to disguise your traits if necessary.” Volaris sighed. “I need to return home for a day and make sure my overeagerness didn’t disrupt a few of my experiments. Magic is so temperamental and it would be years of work gone and frankly I’m not sure I have enough time left. I feel it would be detrimental to her development to drag her back and forth so much in such a short time. I would let her go by herself, she certainly can defend herself better than most, but her lack of social skills could land her in some… unsavory situations. Some hooligan might try to swindle her and I cannot have that nonsense!”

Volaris wanted to return to the Citadel to check in with the other groups and Elizabeth’s desire worked perfectly into that. Worst comes to worse, a low level suggestion spell would fix the problem.