---

Karina heard what Tayla had to say with a stone cold expression. The very idea of seeing whatever that was as anything other than a cult was ridiculous to Karina. Was she simply unaware of what the cult was doing not only to the people but to the town as well? Despite Karina's cold expression, when Tayla began talking about how she killed her 'allies', Karina could help herself but let out a chuckle. Was she just dumb? She expected Karina to not kill them when they were clearly trying to kill her? That girl... Did she think that the world was just a sea of roses?

When she began talking about the war between touch and sight though, Karina's only nodded her head in disappointment. She didn't seem to know the circumstances of the war nor she seemed to have eyes to look at the kingdom of sight to see how rotten and fragile it was. Indeed, the king was weak and pathetic, but if the nation of Touch simply left them to their own devices, that would only cause more chaos... Especially regarding the Crazed.

"OPEN YOUR EYES, FOOLISH GIRL!" Karina shouted, with a serious voice and a piercing stare at Tayla once she was finished.

"Look around you. Your 'family' did this. Look at what your little cult brought to this city? You wanted me to not kill your friends when they clearly wouldn't give me any mercy? Are you really that dumb?" Karina started, her voices cutting as deep as her own blade.

"Don't even get me started with the story that the cult came here because of the war... Open your foolish little eyes, naïve girl! The kingdom was rotten long before the war started. I wouldn't be surprised if this cult's claws were already firmly digging into the kingdom long before the war." Karina continued.

"Besides... You don't seem to really know the circumstances behind this war, do you? Did you know that for a long time, crazed coming from dungeons on the Nation of Sight fled towards the Empire of Touch. Killing, pillaging and destroying villages wherever they went. They went as far as to form bandit groups, which continued to cause destruction for a good time until they were caught..." She continued.

"You ask me what threat did the nation of Sight pose to the empire? Incompetence, that is the threat. This wreck of a nation was just a step away from turning into an absolute chaos long before the war! If that happened, like it's happening now, who do you think it would need to clean the mess and deal with YOUR KING'S incompetence? Your king tried to bribe us in many ways for what happened, for the crazed bandits, the villages that were destroyed and the lives lost, but he never once tried to actually do something to solve and prevent those problems... He just wanted us to turn a blind eye to the filth that were already spilling into our lands while letting his own kingdom ROT!" Karina said, looking deep into Tayla's eyes.

"Your king wasn't competent enough to keep his own kingdom in order. In order to protect the Empire of Touch against his incompetence and negligence, especially regarding the crazed, we took the matter into our own hands. If he refused to deal with the threat of crazed himself, we will do that." she finished.

"Open your eyes and see what your cult is doing to the townspeople. People are killing their own families, having their mind controlled by whatever vile power is behind your cult, burning their own houses and their own city! This is your last choice, Tayla. If you fail to see the cult for what it really is, the corruption it's spreading, you will be considered part of the corruption and dealt with accordingly." Karina finished.

"Damn it! He's getting away." He thought to himself. The blinded cultists would acquaint themselves to his bamboo staff. With a satisfactory "thwacking" sound he'd defeat his toes. All that was left was Smit who already had made some distance as he scrambled to get to the top.

"Damn..." He said to himself.

Alone. He now found himself alone again. It felt odd he had managed to get by, but it hardly felt like victory. It felt like he had made a mistake of some sort separating himself. Now he was alone, tired, and feeling miserable from all the deterrents he had been subjected to. He tried to think positively, he wasn't and this experience with the deterrents would help him overcome them in the next fight.

Still he was already weakened from the pollen and he felt a bit fatigued from this long battle. Also, his mind was racing as he faltered in walking up the stairs. He cursed silently as he knew if he had his power he'd be up already. He felt the pressure of time on him as his neck felt hot and with this annoying, dull, prickling sensation. It was at this point he decided to stay still and focus on breathing. It was interrupted after all, having been disrupted by the pollen.

It was tough as he felt all stopped up and dulled by the effects. But he willed himself to just simply breathe. Breathe and walk up the stairs. Discard these feelings of the deterrents, tiredness, and urgency. He would get there eventually so long as he kept his pace and breath. "I'm sorry Týfurkh, Karina... If you can wait just a bit longer I should get there."

@13org

---

Foolish? Dumb? Naive?! Tayla's face darkened with every condescending word that left the white haired woman's mouth. Her words adding fuel to Tayla's hatred. Its growing flames drying up her tears.

"You asked me why I joined the clan." Tayla said coldly. "I joined because of privileged little princesses like yourself. People like you who have never known what its like to scavenge in the trash for their next meal. People like you, who talk as if they care for those beneath them, but in reality they know nothing of their struggle to survive. Unlike your country, everyone in the clan has an equal opportunity. We all start from the bottom, and each of us can rise to the top."

Movement by the stairs caught Tayla's eye. She didn't dare look towards it. Instead she lowered her left hand to the dangling remains of her sleeve which hung from her right side. Tayla continued talking. "You think the Crazed is the real reason the Emperor wanted to invade this country? Are you really silly enough to think we haven't stuck our... 'claws' in your country yet?" Tayla let out a dry laugh. "If anyone here is naive, its you."

A shadow of a man inched closer to the white haired woman. In his hand he held a knife coated in deterrents. "And it is that same naivety that will-."

The floorboards let out a creak behind the white haired woman. Cursing Smit immediately rushed forward, getting in a slice with the knife.

Meanwhile, Tayla reacted with hesitation. Pulling on her dangling sleeve, raising it up and across her left side so that it covered her neck. She tasted the saltiness from the blood in her mouth. She used its taste to trigger her magic and harden her sleeve so that the woman's rapier wouldn't skewer her neck. She then kicked her feet against the ground underneath her while ignoring the pain that shot from her right foot. The push sent Tayla sliding away from the woman. With her right hand, she reached into her pouched and popped a brand new set of cotton tufts into her mouth.

Getting to her feet, Tayla gave a determined look towards the bell...

Removed. Duplicate

---

"An equal opportunity, yes. Of being brainwashed and turning into a monster just like that woman, Syella! What then? Will you keep making people kill their own families? Controlling their minds or maybe you will be the one to ravage a city to the ground?" Karina shouted.

"Do you think I am where I am right now just because I am 'a little princess' as you say?" Karina asked, almost hissing at Tayla.

"I am where I am due to my intelligence, skill and excellence in what I do! How many years do you think I spent training my swordsmanship, how many years do you think I've spent studying? Even knowing that you still DARE to call me a privilleged little princess? While you groveled at your misfortune, I trained and studied! Don't you dare blame your misfortune in life for your poor decisions!" Karina continued.

Karina would have continued but the second Tayla asked if she thought the crazed were the only reason for the Empire invading the Kingdom of sight and concluded asking what made her think that the cult haven't dug it's claws on the Empire yet, Karina knew she was done talking.

"Then It's my job to purge whatever vestige there is of your little cult from the Empire... Alongside with you." Karina finished.

When she was about to end Tayla though, a sound coming from behind her alerted her to someone else's presence there. Despite her fast reaction, immediately dodging to the side while trying to finish Tayla, the other cultist was still able to get a small cut on her arm with his knife. The second his blade touched her skin though, she would notice that it was coated with numbing oil, which would prevent her from using her magic for a while. Cursing her own lack of attention in her mind, Karina saw as Tayla somehow was able to block her attack, using her own ability to deflect her blade.

"Hmpf... Unfortunately, you two chose the wrong side." Karina said as she dodged the cultist's blow, whom she recognized now that she took a better look at him. It was the same troublesome cultist who helped her back when they fought last time. Smit if she wasn't mistaken.

With a fluid movement of her body, Karina dodged Smit's attack, using the same momentum to launch a counterattack, lunging towards him with her rapier. She wouldn't let Tayla escape again nor she would keep playing with her little helper. Tayla was wounded. She would quickly deal with Smit them move on to her...

Little did Karina know that Tayla wasn't really trying to run away this time and had other plans in mind...

---

^{@Pezz570@HokumPocus}
When Malkev, the man who’d so clearly signaled his distaste for Ferris, said he’d put aside his biases for extra help, Ferris relaxed, nodding. He’d expected this at some point, yes, but he’d equally expected to be ambushed at that point, considering everything that had been said and done. With their hosts’ opinions voiced, Ferris figured the threat was now reduced to near zero since those who had individualized sets of morals had to operate on trust more than anyone. After all, they needed some sort of basis on which they could request help from others.

As Malkev continued, however, giving away his real position in respect to Kharu-Natjer’s, Ferris’ eyes darted to the center man, his ease slipping away. That Malkev wasn’t the most important person to impress meant that there was still a chance of things going south, but thankfully this too passed as the conversation progressed. As Kharu-Natjer divulged some information, Chres answering his questions with choice words Ferris barely resisted raising a brow at, the center man seemed to grow happier and happier until he finally clapped his hands together, uttering a name it took Ferris a moment to place. As soon as he did, though, he tensed, glancing between all the faces present. If Kharu-Natjer knew that much, Ferris wasn’t too keen on finding out how much more he knew. Still, he forced himself to relax again. Though the here and now wasn’t where and how he imagined giving away more information about himself, there was no ideal time he was hoping for either. Besides, it might not come to that anyway.

---

Ferris adjusted his flasks under his coat restlessly as the crew regrouped outside. The unease he now felt was precisely why he preferred working alone. When he was on his own, he didn’t have to worry about politics and power plays, didn’t have to scrutinize every action, word, and minute flicker in expression for some vague takeaway. There was no one close trying to sabotage him, no ally who could devise plots and to squander and get the upper hand.

The high-pitched voice of Chres’ familiar interrupted his thoughts, and he looked over, drawing a blank. What was he to feel about her complete lack of care?

Chres’ question about impressions brought Ferris back to his drawing board, and he listened closely to Octavio’s words, nodding as he brought up the woman. When the man suggested ‘meddling with her,’ Ferris furrowed his brows, a frown crossing his face when he realized that he found himself agreeing more with the man’s familiar than with the man himself.

“The woman seems to have some amount of respect or loyalty to Kharu-Natjer so as long as we keep him content I think we can see her as a non-threat. That said, I do agree that she seems dangerous. Her lack of care for veiled comments, of discretion one who negotiates would usually have is nonexistent, so she strikes me as someone who favors the battlefield over the discussion table. If we ever come to blows, she’s the one to watch out for.”

He paused, thinking over the next figure in the conversation. ‘The Being of Many Names’—what an inconvenient and utterly ridiculous name. As much as he was now in the debt or sway of said being, Ferris had no love for him. The Being had proven the magnitude of his powers, his weight in the playing board of the land, and though it was clear he had influence, Ferris didn’t like how close to home he’d hit.

That, though, wasn’t what Chres had asked, so Ferris took another moment to wrap up his thoughts before speaking.

“The Being—he seems to hold a lot of sway with a lot of people,” Ferris said carefully. “For all the power Kharu-Natjer seemed to hold, the Being seems to hold even more, or at least be out of Kharu’s grasp. It seems that one thing he’s getting from us is information on the Being, so perhaps we should continue holding that close. Who knows how valuable that is,” he said, glancing up to scan the city heights. Flying familiars did wonders for paranoia.

@13org @JerkChicken @fetzen @Typical @HokumPocus

---

Smit yelped at the woman's quick counterattack. Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! He thought, as he flung his body hard to the side in order to avoid the worst of blow. The momentum, of his turn, threw him to the ground and into a roll. Quickly, he grabbed a handful of dust sand and tossed it into the air behind him as he exited his roll.

Smit paid a quick glance behind him. No ice blades yet. He thought. Did the numbing oil work, or is she plotting something else?

A sudden flash of movement shot up from behind the white haired woman, catching Smit's gaze...

---

The loss of one of Tayla's boots meant that launching herself to the bell was no longer an option. She needed to apply velocity to both boots to ensure the launch wouldn't put her off balance. With a second boot to stabilized her 'flight', she would have to reach the bell by other means.

Tayla tried to moisten her lips with her tongue as she focused on the savory taste in her mouth. Suddenly, the floor beneath her bare foot warped upwards. Sending her up and onto a wooden beam under the roofing that covered the bell.

The sudden movement made her feel dizzy, causing her to nearly topple off the beam. She put her left hand against the stone roof to stabilize herself. Either she was overexerting herself... Or perhaps the dizziness was simply from the loss of blood. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. This battle ended now.

"Hey Princess!" She mocked, while trying to hide the exhaustion from her voice. "Fuck off." Tayla placed her right hand on the giant bell as the taste of sour filled her mouth...

---

Smit furrowed his brow as he watched Tayla warp herself to the rafters above. What is she doing? He wondered. His eyes went to the giant bell above them and widened in realization.

"She wouldn't..." he whispered under his breath. They were not supposed to kill any of the pact makers. She knew that, right? Tayla placed her hand on the bell.

"MOVE!" He shouted. Directing his alarm to the white haired woman, while turning to make a mad dash towards the stairs. A loud groan came from above. Several cracks and a snap. And then came the whoosh and a crash.

The bell easily smashed through the wooden floor beneath them at an incredible speed. Smit jumped towards the floor, barely managing to get out from under the bell. However, the force from the impact had damaged more than just the flooring directly beneath the bell. Much of the flooring beyond the impact zone had broken away as well.

Smit found himself without footing. He screamed helplessly as the floor broke away from beneath him. His cries drowned out by the resounding clang of the bell as it smashed its way further downwards.

Interaction with @Typical @HokumPocus

---

Chres covered his mouth deep in thought, nodding as they spoke. Acknowledging their comments. “I don’t like this.” Chres said. “The woman I feel we should steer clear of, but the Kharu-Natjer is a mystery to me... The clothing he wore, his accent, his skin tone even... His slaves, their ethnicity was obviously the same. How come there haven't been widespread rumors of these people walking about?“

More questions swam through Chres’s mind. Who was this man really? Where did he come from? Did he travel far to get here? And for what? To end the cult? Why? Revenge? Power? Wealth? What relation did he even have with the cult?

“The question he asked us…” Chres said “It was not a question. Rather he was confirming our association with the Being. Which implies there likely is other means to obtain the knowledge we had on the cult. But who or what would that be?” Chres grit his teeth. “Whatever the case, he seemed quite pleased to have learned that information.”

He furrowed his brow lost in thought. His eyelids felt heavy. How long had he been up now?

Chres shook his head. The cult had also sought them out, because of their connection to the Being. Pact Makers, the cult had called them. Makers of the Unspoken Pact. What importance did their connection to the Being hold?

Stifling a yawn, Chres’s thoughts began to stray...

Chres stared down into the dying gaze of the woman before him. Her face becoming less recognizable with each strike to the face. Her struggle against his hold had become non-existent. Chres rose his fist in preparation for another strike-

A finger prodded Chres’s forehead.

“Chres?” A familiar voice… The voice of his wi-

Another poke on the forehead. Chres opened his eyes. Sil’s form fluttered just level with his eyes. Her head cocked to the side curiously. Left forefinger touching the bottom of her lip. Chres blinked twice. Had he just dozed off?

Sil smiled. “There he is.” She said warmly. She giggled softly to herself, before fluttering away.

Chres felt a shiver go down his spine. His hand lowering to his ring. His wife use to do that him.

Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back to his companions, acting as if nothing happened. “We should connect with the others.” He said. “Share what we’ve learned and-“ Chres looked to Ferris. “-introduce our new companion.”

Before they could respond, a deep clang rang out in the distance. Chres turned his gaze to the center of the city, a top the hill from which the clock tower sat. Even from this distance, Chres could make out the roof of the tower crumbling apart.

“The clock tower…” The Innkeeper said. “Weren’t the others at the clock tower?”

Chres grit his teeth and nodded. “Go back to the shelter.” Chres said to the innkeeper. “We’ll meet you back there.”

Karina Frost

Despite the ungraceful movement, Smit was still able to dodge Karina's counterattack, making Karina noticeably annoyed. Even though Tayla was wounded and not in good condition to fight, Karina was still fighting against two people and she wouldn't be able to use her magic thanks to Smit's dagger that had grazed her. Still, her magic wasn't the only thing Karina was good at. It was really unlucky for Smit and Tayla that she was well known for her exemplar swordsmanship, agility and dexterity when wielding a rapier. As Smit rolled away from Karina's attack, he grabbed a handful of dust sand, throwing it into the air. Quickly turning her face away and jumped back to defend herself from the dust sand he threw. Even though the dust sand didn't get into her eyes, it was still effective in giving Smit some breathing room as Karina protected her eyes.

Turning back to Smit and Tayla a second later, Karina quickly tried to situate herself, Smit was still recovering himself from her lunge, but before Karina could do anything or even turn towards Tayla, she heard the woman's voice, mocking her. Much to Karina's surprise, Tayla's voice was coming from the ceiling... The second she looked up, Karina saw Tayla's exhausted, but clearly defiant expression as she touched the huge bell, hanging above them.

Karina only had time to give Tayla a cold, piercing stare before the bell came down with a surprising speed, notably faster than it should given it's weight. Almost instinctively, Karina dashed to away from where the bell would fall. As the bell came crashing down with a thunderous noise, Karina threw herself, only barely avoiding the fall. Smit wasn't that fortunate though, as his screams echoed together with the bell as he fell down. Even though Karina wanted to chase Tayla and Smit, specially after Tayla's crazy idea to crash the bell down, there was a huge gaping hole where the beginning of the stairs should be and without her powers, Karina wouldn't be able to get there by herself. Jumping wasn't an option.

"Damn it!" Karina cursed, sheathing her rapier as she looked around, trying to think in a way to get out of the tower. The chase and the fight were over, thanks to Tayla, but Karina still had to see if DB and Týfurkh were fine. After that they would have to run away from that location. The entire town had heard the noise from the bell crashing down... If they didn't leave, the situation would become even worse than it already was...

@13org @JerkChicken @fetzen @Typical @HokumPocus

---

"NO!" Tayla cried out in frustration. Little Miss princess had managed to avoid the bell before it crushed her. Tayla made to unsheathe her blades when Smit's cries of alarm snapped Tayla out of her rage.

She blinked, looking towards his falling form. Her heart went cold. Her eyes went wide. "Smit-" she mouthed. Without a second thought she dived down from her post.

What am I doing? The words flashed through her head as she went into free fall. Her ears filled with the roar air rush by as the ground rushed up before her. Why am I risking my life for this man?!
Tayla clenched her fists. Her knuckles whitened. She wasn’t catching up to Smit.

I almost had her! The thought raged in her min. I ALMOST HAD HER!

Smit’s terrified eyes locked with hers. His arm outstretched helplessly.

“Damn it all!” She cried. Gritting her teeth, she placed her hand to her belt and focused on the tingly taste of sour that coated her tongue.

Tayla’s waist lurched downwards from the sudden velocity applied to her belt. The uneven force caused her body to flip mid-air. Disorientated, Tayla’s vision swam. For a moment she panicked. She was facing up, right?

Smit’s cries caught her ear from below. His screams growing louder. Tayla looked down in time to see his blurry form shooting up past her knees. She flung her arms out wildly, catching the man in an embrace.

Closing her eyes she focused. She needed to slow their fall.

Up... that was the direction they needed to go… The taste of sour lingered on her tongue.

The downwards pull of her belt relinquished. Instead, she replaced it by an upwards pull from her pants. Carefully, she applied the same force to Smit’s clothes. The pull was small at first, but it quickly increased.

Their body jerked downwards from the intense change in velocity. A final loud clang rang beneath their feet. The sound of the bell smashing to the ground…

---

Tayla firmly griped the hilt of her swords. Her hands shook with frustration as she gazed upwards at the hole in the floor above.

Beside her, Smit knelt on his knees with his hands to the ground. Smit’s breath came heavily. His eyes wide with shock. A bead of sweat dripped from his face.

“She’s still alive…” Tayla growled through gritted teeth.

“She’s still alive?!” Smit said between labored breaths. “No, I’m still alive…”

Tayla frowned, unsure of what to say. She turned her gaze downwards. “You’re… welcome?” She said awkwardly.

“Welcome?” Smit said as he barked a laugh. He gave her an incredulous look. “I’m welcome, am I?”

Tayla’s frown deepened at his sarcastic tone.

Smit waved an arm to the ruined bell beside him. “Tayla… Are you Crazed in the head? You almost killed me!” He said exasperatedly.

“Almost killed you?” Tayla said. “Smit, I just risked my life to save you.”

“Risked your life?!” He scoffed. “Yeah… After nearly killing me with that damn bell.”

“Are you dense?” Tayla protested. “She would have killed you if it wasn’t for me! You’re still alive because of me!”

“I’m still alive,” He agreed, “but they sure aren’t.” Smit nodded over to three corpses that had been crushed beneath the bell. Tex was among the bodies.

Tayla took a step back. She looked to the surviving clan members. All of them beaten up and bloodied. “I-“ She stuttered. Tayla blinked and shook her head before looking back to Smit defiantly. “If you hadn’t gotten in the way-” she started.

“Then, you would have died!” Smit finished. “She had you on your knees with a blade to your throat.”

“I didn’t need your help!” She yelled.

“Oh?” He said. “Well, perhaps you didn’t. The rest of us, though,” Smit gestured to the remaining clan members, “we needed your help.”

“Don’t act like I did nothing here! I risked my life keeping those two at bay! Meanwhile, the rest of you-”

“Enough!” Smit yelled. Taken aback, Tayla shut her mouth. She had never heard the man yell before.

Smit slowly got to his feet and stared her down. The look he gave her was unnerving. Reminiscent of how her father looked before he-

“You intended to kill her from the start, didn’t you?” Tayla said nothing.

Smit shook his head disapprovingly and turned his back her. “Where’s the target?” Smit asked the nearest clan member. The man simply pointed up.

“Smit-” Tayla said. Smit ignored her.

“You,” He said, pointing to one of the clan members, “Our leader’s actions has likely place the rest of the clan on alert. Warn them of the Pact Makers. Explain to them that the Pact Makers came here and attacked us first. Tell them of the comrades they’ve slain.” The man nodded and took off.

Tayla gave Smit a cold glare. “Smit…” She growled. “This is my team.”

“As for the rest of you-“ He continued.

“I’m in charge here!” Tayla yelled. Within a second, she whipped out her blade and put it to the man’s throat.

“Is that so?” Came a dry voice from behind Tayla.

Tayla paled. She knew the owner of that voice. Sheathing her sword, she whipped herself around to face the looming figure of Sightless Nieffar.

“And pray tell me child,” He said calmly. His voice a deep contrast to the displeasure written across his face. “what exactly are you in charge of?”

All Týfurkh could feel was his right knee collapsing due to a sudden kick from behind. The combination of pollen and dust sand had worked well enough for him to be unable to just shoot Smit from point blank range when the latter had slipped past the giant. Now Týfurkh could see the steps below him becoming bigger in his view rapidly, his great height allowing for his head to gain a lot of speed before the inevitable collission. He tried to counteract the fall with his free hand but still there was a considerable impact on his nose and forehead. Momentarily stunned, Týfurkh's body started rolling down the staircase until it reached the next intermediate level where the steps changed direction.

By the time Týfurkh was fully conscious again a nice little pool of blood had formed around him, causing some of the red liquid to drip from his hair and his face in general as he, slowly, tried to get back on his feet. He moved his fingertips to his nose only to retract them immediately when their touch triggered a surge of pain. Probably broken. Blinking, he looked up the staircase he had just come down, but Smit was nowhere to be seen anymore. Apparently he had already reached the top of the tower.

Speaking of which... Something was odd. Why was there so much light coming from the exit above ? When he had went up there the first time the roof had pretty much prevented sun or moon from doing anything. And then there was so much fine dust floating in the air and irritating his breathing again... It seemed that the ubiquitous layer of dust that had settled on the walls over time had just been disturbed and blown off the surface it had clung to. Týfurkh suspected that his own self hurtling down in an uncontrolled manner had caused enough wind to do this, so he didn't spend much more time on thinking about it. He followed his original intention of getting downstairs again, though quite a bit more slowly now and very cautious that noone could ambush him from behind.

The dust didn't get away. In fact it only became even more concentrated the closer he came to the main hall at the bottom of the tower. And then Týfurkh saw it, his facial expression instantly changing to something close to please tell me this is not real!: The bell had come down and buried itself in the stone floor, the broken remainders of the roof it had been hanging from decorating the crash site along with debris from an undetermined number of other wooden floors. Of course this could hardly be a very badly timed accident, but still this level of crazyness was an astonishing feat. Týfurkh rushed in closer was on the verge of shouting out for Karina, but stoppped dead in his tracks when he started hearing unfamiliar voices. A discussion seemed to go on and it didn't seem to be anyone of his own team debating what to do next.

Trying to act more cautiously, Týfurkh hid himself behind the next corner and continued listening. He needed to find out what the situation was while hoping that his appearance had not yet been discovered. He wasn't exactly good at stealth after all...

Interaction with @Typical @HokumPocus
Referencing @jerkchicken@fetzen@13org

---

Chres’s heart raced as he made his way to the clock tower. The success of his comrades’ mission was key to getting out of this whole mess. If they failed to get word to the Empire’s army, then who knows how much longer Chres would be stuck here.

Chres made it to the top of the hill where the clock tower sat. A crowd of people had gathered blocking his path to the plaza ahead.

Damn… Chres thought. Damn, damn, damn!

There were too many people watching to make a move towards the tower. Too many people who could be with the cult.

“What happened?” A female on-looker asked.

“Don’t know.” Said a man next to her.

A second man chimed in, “I heard that some idiots attacked the clan.”

“You mean the cult.” Spat the man next to the woman.

“Bout time.” Said the woman. “Look at what’s happened to this town since those scum arrived.”

“Have you not been to the markets today?" Said the second man. "The clan has the town’s food under their control. ‘You don’t prod or enrage when seeking mercy from a Crazed’. Those fools may have lit a fire under the rest of us yet. Way I see it, best to sit quietly and live another day than to invoke the clan's wrath.”

The first man clicked his tongue in annoyance. The woman, however, seemed more concerned. “You think they’ll punish us over the actions of a few?”

“Perhaps not today,” Said the second man. “but if such attacks continue…”

Chres tuned out the rest. Sil, he thought to his familiar, what do you see? Anticipating a roadblock Chres had sent Sil to scout ahead.

A birdie just plopped a nice milky white puddle atop a woman’s head. -Hehe, That's nice- She keeps screaming the words 'Oh my God! Oh my G-'

Sil, focus!

Oh! Right, right… hmmmmmm… Let’s see... Miss ‘Hair’s Been Bleached for Days’-

Karina. Chres corrected.

Ah, yes- Miss ‘What You Said’ is stuck at the top of the tower. She’s pacing back and forth like a cat afraid of a puddle.

Chres raised his brow. Did Sil actually make a coherent simile? She’s stuck? Chres asked.

Weeell, not really... Sil corrected. I suppose she could always just fly down from the giant hole in the floor, which is currently blocking her path. Speaking of which, where do you humans like to hide your wings, anyway?

Sil…

No, really! Where do you put your wings?

Sil, we don’t have wings.

Really? Sil said, sounding surprised. Weird… Humans are silly.

Sil, what about the others? Chres asked, trying to direct the conversation back on track.

Don’t see ‘em. Sil said causally. Maybe they decided to say hi to that weird eyeless guy that showed up.

Chres sucked in a breath. One of the Sightless was at the tower, and they had neglected to bring any crystal jade candles with them. Stupid.

Sil, go to Karina- Chres said after a moment.

Who?

Miss ‘Hair’s Been Bleached for Days’.

Miss 'Hair as White as Snow'?

Chres rolled his eyes. Yes, her. Go to her and let her know we are nearby and are working on a plan to assist.

Okie dokie, Mr. Porkie.

Porkie? Chres repeated. Sil merely replied with a giggle.

Chres shook his head. "I swear, its like pulling teeth with her." He directed to Octavio and Ferris.

Pulling out his flask, Chres took a quick swig of his flavored water. "Karina's trapped on the roof. No sign of the others. Oh, and we got a Sightless somewhere inside."

Chres corked his flask and stashed it back into his shirt. "Probably not best to go charging in there, especially since they know what Octavio and I look like. I could construct a path for Karina to get down from, but that would be rather noticable. What I can do is construct a pathway that can get one us on level ground with the tower."

Chres made eye contact with Ferris. "If I do that, do you think you can get to the tower and back with your abilities?"

Karina Frost

If Karina wasn't under the effect of a deterrent, she would surely have frozen half of the clock tower already. Despite her silence, it didn't take much to realize how angry she was. She had hesitated, she could have killed Tayla and finished all that, it was already the second time the woman almost ruined her plans but instead, Karina let her run away... Again. Even though she tried to talk, to understand her reasons... Karina was naive. She was a cultist, a crazy lunatic just like the rest of the cultists. Next time she tries to escapes...

"No... Enough playing. There will be no next time." Karina said to herself with a menacing tone as she looked at the gaping hole where Smit had fallen and Tayla had just jumped to.

Even though Karina would love somehow get down and finish what she had started with Tayla, she was in a severe disadvantage. Not only she was unable to use her magic, but she was outnumbered, she didn't know where DB was (or even if he had survived the bell falling) neither where Týfurkh was... She had to find a way to get down, unfortunately, so far she was apparently stuck there.

"Damn it!!" Karina cursed again, holding herself to not shout.

Jumping down from where she was would be just suicide, her access to the stairs was gone, together with a good part of the floor and she wasn't able to use her magic just yet, thanks to that man somehow being able to find the correct deterrent to use against her. Waiting until the deterrent effect ended was not a good option too, since the noise probably alerted the entire town... A moment of hesitation, a single moment of hesitation was all that it was needed to put her in such a terrible situation...

---

Octavio took off towards the tower in a wild sprint, feeling as if his heart would burst at any moment. He came to a near crashing halt at the mass of people blocking the way, while Lynx trailed along as stealthily as he could. It would be hard for the familiar to scout ahead to any extent that would benefit them with so many gawking faces surrounding them, so he settled for weaving between people’s legs for the time being.

Chres planned on sending Ferris to meet with Karina. It should have by all means filled him with relief and happiness to hear those words come out of his mouth, to know that the hastily put together strategy of using his teammates as meat shields that he put together upon first meeting them was being formed right before his eyes. But... this was a team effort. All of their lives were at stake right now. He didn't have time for the foolish ideas he once mistook for tactics. It seemed that despite their initial disgust at the idea of cooperation, both of them had come to rely on and even enjoy the presence of others to an extent. Even the selfish little Lynx had stayed put, awaiting instructions.

"We'll assist if needed," said Octavio, gazing across the perimeter of the clocktower. "My hold over illusions grows fainter the more distance there is between us, but I suppose I could use some as surveillance."

Their main use was as distractions, but something about Ferris made him feel he wasn't the sort of rogue who needed that. He seemed more professional and mysterious than Octavio, and probably had a less bizarre method of getting what he wanted. Octavio was almost jealous.

Lynx craned his neck through the sea of human torsos obstructing his vision. "I can go up easily. Down has its difficulties."

And before you ask, he told Octavio, I can’t see anything that fairy didn’t.

@13org

After several minutes of rest, the fighter had finally recovered enough energy to continue moving. He needed to hurry and continue moving as there was scarcely any time to linger. The climb upstairs seemed to take longer than it did him racing downstairs earlier to take on the cultists. It was a contrast to the way he was bounding down the tower as he skipped flights of stairs and made use of gravity to get to the bottom swiftly. Tired and still suffering from the effects, he ran up the stairs until he took a pause.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNG

It seems that the bell somehow got struck by the fighting that was happening upstairs. At least that was what he thought until he noticed that ringing seemed to get louder and slightly more distorted. His heart raced as soon as he realized that the bell had been freed from its holding. Not only that, that it had managed to be sent down with enough force to broken through the top-most floor and was now hurtling to the bottom as it broke the stairs. The man managed to dodge the bell before it smashed through the stairs he was about to cross. He was most relieved that it seemed the deterrent that actually affected him had worn off. Half out of habit and half out of curiosity, he called upon his power to give him a boost in dodging the bell and it gave him that extra boost. This was heartening as now he was able to make his way up where he heard footsteps on what remained of the floor above.

He wondered who it was, as there his two allies and the enemies they were fighting. Before heading any further he called out to them, "Týfurkh? Karina? Are you guys there?" There was a worry and urgency to his voice as they really shouldn't be lingering now that the bell dropped after all these cultists swarmed in. He was anxiously waiting for a response as he didn't know if his allies were there or if there was only foes left trapped at the top. If they were enemies he would just leave as the damaged segments would delay them from reaching him. He was considering leaving through a window; the prospect of fighting more cultists at the bottom was not a thing he wished to repeat especially if his allies had been killed or injured.

@13org @JerkChicken @fetzen

---

"S-sightless Nieffar!" Tayla said, bowing before the Sightless. She did her best to keep the alarm from her voice. "Praise the Unseeing Eye for your presence! The heathens, they-" Tayla hesitanted, giving a quick glance back in Smit's direction. "They attacked us while caught unaw-"

"Silence!" Nieffar demanded. "Do you think me ignorant of what happened here?"

Tayla quickly shut her mouth. She knew better than to answer that question.

Frowning from her lack of response, Nieffar continued. "Tell me child, who instructed you to attack the Pact Makers? Further more," Nieffar's expression grew dark. His voice turning to ice. "who's idea was it to almost kill the female Pact Maker?"

Tayla's back stiffened at his question. "Sightless Nieffar, I believe you are mistaken. Nobody tried to kill-"

"Stand." Nieffar interrupted. Reluctantly Tayla complied.

Nieffar flexed his right hand's fingers with anticipation. One by one, his fingers extended like tendrils, down onto the ground. Slowly, the fingers slithered towards Tayla like a tangle of snakes. Tayla felt her nerves spike. Instinctively, she took a step back.

"Be still!" Nieffar hissed threateningly. Tayla froze in place obediently. The tendrils had began circling her feet like a wolf would to it's prey. She clenched her hands tightly at her sides in an effort to resist the urge to squirm.

A cruel smile cross Nieffar's lips. The Sightless appeared to take pleasure Tayla's discomfort. "My dear child," He started, while allowing his tendrils to wrap up and around her ankles. "you know that this town was given to me to me by The Eye. Given to me so that I could help guide it's people down the path of Insight. Yet, despite knowing this, here you are disobeying my orders and making a mess of my town. To make matters worst, you lie about it."

Tayla said nothing. Instead she kept her gaze level, doing her best to ignore the tendrils coiling around her knees.

"Why is it that you lie?" Nieffar continued. "Without the clan, you would still be that same weak little girl sleeping on a pile of trash, with little to no understanding of your own abilities. We took you off the streets. We gave you a home, food and a family. But, most importantly, we gave you access to the Insight and a promise of power. Perhaps, that was a mistake..."

A sudden chill consumed Tayla causing her to shake uncontrollably. Tayla collapsed to the ground shivering. Her connection to the Insight had been cut off. "No..." Tayla cried. "Don't do this! Don't take it away!" Tayla stretched out her hand toward Sightless Nieffar.

Nieffar sneered at the display. Using his tendrils, he pulled Tayla's ankles out from under her. Tayla fell forward onto her stomach "I said be still!" Nieffar said, his voice firm and authoritative.

The tendrils wound up Tayla's legs. Around her waist. Past her midsection. Across her arms and chest. A sense of panic began to spread through her. She was trapped. Bound. Shackled. The touch of his tendrils across her skin made her stomach turn, yet what was she to do? She needed the Insight and the power it gave! Without it, she would never find her father! without it, how would she get her revenge?

"Please..." Tayla whimpered. "Please give it back..."

Nieffar's sneer deepened. "I want you to beg." He said coolly. "Beg... Like a dog."

The tendrils slithered up her neck. Her shivers intensified. She felt gross. Weak. Disgusting. And yet, she inhaled deeply, preparing to whine like a dog...

Until, Nieffar's tendrils brushed across her cheek.

Too much!

Something snapped in Tayla. She became feral, like an animal backed in a corner. She fought fruitlessly against her bonds. She kicked, screamed, and squirmed. It was pain that shut her up.

Barbs, much like those on a rose bush, protruded from Nieffar's tendrils. Tayla sucked in a breath of air as she felt the thorns rip into her flesh. "Let this be a lesson to all of you." Nieffar said to the clan members in the room. "Resisting the Unseeing... lying to a Sightless... Those two things will only bring you pain."

Nieffar's tendrils shaped fingers slowly started retracting back into his hand. Tayla cried out in pain as the barbs began tearing their way through her flesh.

"Sightless Nieffar!" Smit interjected. "It wasn't her idea to attack the Pact Makers! It was... Sightless Syella's."

The tendrils stopped their retraction, bringing Tayla a wave of relief. Nieffar smiled. "Sightless Syella, you say?" He turn his eyeless gaze upwards. "Ah yes... I see... She must have hid the conversation within the cover of light. To think she would go against our Lord by ordering the death of a Pact Maker..."

"With all respect, my Sightless, you misunderstand." Smit said.

Nieffar frowned as if annoyed by Smit's words. "Explain." He said without looking to the man.

"Sightless Syella merely ordered us to capture a specific Pact Maker. The one who fought against her. We were given strict orders not to kill."

Nieffar seemed disappointed by Syella's order not to kill. "You say that, and yet the Insight appears to show otherwise. The two of you attacked and nearly killed the female Pact Maker."

"That is... not entirely true." Smit said hesitantly.

His words brought a sinking feeling into Tayla's heart.

"I attacked the woman hoping to cut our loses and save Tayla." Smit corrected. "Tayla, on the other hand..."

A sense of betrayal swept through Tayla. Smit, of all people, sold her out. She strained her neck in an effort to look Smit in the eyes. The man looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"I see..." Said Nieffar. He turned his gaze to down to Tayla.

"I-." She began.

"Before you say another word, I would advise you think hard on whether or not it's a lie." Nieffar said coldly. Tayla, held her tongue.

"Fortunately for you, child, not all was lost by your inability serve our Lord." Sightless Nieffar said. He outstretched his left hand to his side. "It seems we have a guest!" Nieffar exclaimed. Suddenly his fingers shot from his left hand. Extruding much like how a tree would sprout from the ground. They sped through the air and around a corner. Straight towards the giant who lurked behind...

---

^{@Pezz570@HokumPocus}
Ferris fixed his gaze on Chres when he heard the plan. He was to head up on his own? Though that course of action made sense considering the Sightless, it also meant that Ferris would be first meeting and aiding the others of the group alone. While he’d been able to establish himself with Chres and Octavio relatively easily, he hadn’t had to use his magic before he told them about it. Given peoples’ usual assumptions about augaisionists, Ferris preferred meeting people outside battle, but at the same time actions spoke louder on words, especially on the battlefield.

“Getting up there should be easy enough,” he said, looking up as he reached for the bottles along his belt. He would be jumping from a constructed platform into the tower and possibly into an ongoing battle, so strength and speed, perhaps reflexes, would work best. For jumping, his reflexes mattered more than his speed, especially when it came to finding and maintaining his footing once he landed.

Uncorking two vials, he swabbed one finger over each, then mixed the smells on the back of his gloves. Then, corking the vials again, he lifted his mask and wiped the smells onto the back of it before replacing it, checking that it was tied tightly. As he breathed, the thick scent of overripe bananas wafted in, interrupted by the piercing tang of vinegar.

“If anything, shrouding me in an illusion might help, but there’s no point if it fades by the time I’m there,” Ferris said, glancing at Octavio. “As for your familiar, the Sightless have seen him before too, correct? If so, there’s no point in sending him up. He’ll be another target, or an obstacle.”

Looking to Chres, Ferris nodded. “Ready when you are.”

---

"DB, is that you?" Karina asked back in a low tone the second she heard a familiar voice coming from the floor below. His voice was close enough so she didn't need to shout but still, she said in a volume that DB would have to pay attention to hear. The last thing Karina wanted or needed was alerting more cultists that they were still there.

"I'm fine, currently stuck up here but fine. I've been grazed by a knife laced with deterrent. It's just a very small graze, but it affected my abilities... Týfurkh though... I don't know where he is neither if he's ok. He went down to try and help you a few moments before the bell came crashing down." Karina finished updating DB on the situation.

She was relieved to know that DB was fine but she didn't know if Týfurkh was fine or even where he was, not wanting to keep shouting and attract attention from possible enemies, Karina had made her message to DB brief and short. She hoped he knew where Týfurkh was. Even though their main objective was successful, it didn't happen as they were expecting. Somehow, the cultists knew where they were going and ambushed them. They had to get out of there as fast as they could. She knew the tower was probably already surrounded by cultists. It was but a matter of time until they finally were able to put their hands into them.

She hated the position she was currently in, but it was undeniable that she was currently powerless. Both literally and figuratively. Stuck on the top of the tower, she hoped either DB or someone else could help her, otherwise her only option was to wait until the effect of the deterrent was over and she could get down herself.

"We need to find Týfurkh and get out of here, fast... Before more cultists show up... Karina said, hoping DB had an idea on how to get out of there.

@Typical @HokumPocus @jerkchicken@fetzen@13org

---

Sil shot through the air, the wind rushing across her illuminating physique. "Weeeeeeeeeeeee!” She shouted. Her glee coming through in a wide grin that spread from ear to ear.

If Sil were to make a list of that which she loved most, she would put flying right at the top. Just above Chres’s giant nose and self-important Lynxes.

Yes, flying was the most amazing thing in the world! Her silly pet, Chres, didn’t know how much he was missing out on. All he ever did all day was walk, walk, walk, run, walk. Oh and the occasional ‘Wah, wah wah!’

Sil shook her head. See, that was the problem with Chres! Half the time, he was like ‘Woe is me!’ The other half, he was like, ‘Blah, blah, blah! I’m Chres. Half of the words I say aren’t even real!’

Sil sighed audibly. Poor Chres. All nose. No fun.

And that was what Sil was for! It was her job to poke him in the eye until he decided to lighten up. A difficult job for sure, but somebody had to do it!

The clock tower loomed just ahead. Sil had been assigned a top secret mission by Chres. It was her job to save Ms. ‘Maybe it’s just wig’. She had it all planned out. Sil would swoop right in, do a jig, and then-

“PUDDLE!” Sil shouted in awe.

Little drops of puddles slowly began to fall from the sky. Sil began zipping around in excitement, making a figure eight pattern.

“PUDDLE! PUDDLE! PUDDLE! PUDDLE! PUDDLE!”

Puddles were falling here! Puddles were falling there! Everywhere there were puddles! Everywhere! Just what was a girl to do?

Nobody appreciated puddles like Sil! If Sil were to make a list of things she loved most about the world, then puddles would be right at the top of that list. Just above ‘Man with a stick’, and ‘Metal, tree guy with a hint of mouse’.

Sil?

“You get a puddle!” Sil exclaimed, zipping past a random bald man. “And you get a puddle!” She said pointing dramatically to the pigeon poo covered lady standing right beside him.

Sil!

“Everybody gets a puddle!” She sang, doing a twirl in the air.

Sil, focus! Chres’s voice rang loudly in her mind. Mission first! Puddles later!

“OH NO! The mission!” Sil zipped away from the couple, leaving the two of them thoroughly confused. “I’ll save you Ms. ‘Seriously! You have no hair color!’”

Focus renewed, Sil flew to the top of the tower speeding up as her female companion came into view.

“Have no fear!” She shouted to the woman. “Sil is here!”

Moments later, she abruptly stopped her advance. Stopping mere inches away from the woman’s face. Leaning forward, she lightly poked the woman on the nose. Adding a playful “Boop!” as she did so.

@Pezz570@13org

"Yeah it's me." He replied to Karina.

The man was relieved to find out she was fine. Well, save for being afflicted by the deterrent, but that was something minor. The problem was one, Týfurkh was nowhere to be seen and most likely fell when the bell dropped. Secondly they really needed to get out now and do that quickly before more cultists came. There was no way all the commotion in this tower didn't go unnoticed.

"That's too bad, I got hit by damn near all the deterrents in my fight. Luckily for me, it wore off in time. As for Týfurkh, I fought alone and never saw him. I was already making my way to you guys by the time the bell fell. I think he crashed to the floor. Anyway, we need to get out before more cultists come. I don't think I can do another repeat of downstairs' fight even with you on my side." He said to her.

He took a moment to think and then spoke, "You think you could try jumping down and letting me catch? Maybe we can find a way to sneak out safely." Of course, he didn't see Will fly in. He was still under the impression that they were alone and the others were still busy doing their task.