Time:Evening
Location: Outskirts in the trees not far from Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Alivefalling@Dezuel
BGM:Music


Knelt down on the tree branch, Risa was as frozen and in shock of the world as one might be as they awaited their executioner. His ax would drag against the ground audibly as he approached from behind, ready to remove the head of the person in question in one sweep as the victim knelt in the dirt for all to see. Risa had never seen an execution, but at this moment, she understood what it must have felt like to kneel there, waiting for one's impending doom...

Her wide eyes were fixated downward at nothing in particular, her violet eyes lackluster and no different than that of a corpse's eyes who had been left open. She swallowed hard and painfully as she gripped the skirt of her gown with clammy hands as finally, a thought broke through her still mind:

I want some water.

It felt as if Risa had knelt there for hours and it almost felt like she had been floating the whole time. She had lost awareness of her limbs and for a moment nothing mattered. It was a sort of peace she wished she could stay in forever. There had only been a few moments in reality that had passed before someone had grabbed her after she had fallen to her knees. The minute she felt the touch of another, the panic set in.

Dionaea.

She saw Dionaea's facing when she had smiled back at her as they had run through the forest. Then she saw the young blonde girl as she kicked her legs in the river, her face reflected back in the water. She saw her face as she danced with a boy. As Dionaea studied in school. As she teased Kyran. Faces upon faces tumbled through her mind, the images getting more and more rapid in tune with her racing heart. Then she finally saw Dionaea, bloodied and lifeless. In that very moment, the reality of someone grabbing her set in and she wailed immediately, kicking backward at her attacker.

"No! Leave me go!" Risa wailed, "Please! She needs me!" She wrestled to get free, hysterically crying and beating at his arms with her fists with as much strength as she could muster, even if that wasn't a lot. If Dionaea was nearby, she could still heal her. He had to give her a chance. If she was captured or killed now, Dionaea would be hopeless. She was just hurt and if Risa could just get to her...

Then Elthrael's voice set in, though it was quite some time after he had first spoken:

"Time to fly!"

"Elthrael..."She drew off in realization, her voice still choked up as she glanced down and looked for Kyran but he was nowhere to be seen. Before, she had truly lost her trust for the moth fairy, but now she was so torn and desperate she just wanted to convince him to help her find Dionaea and Kyran. She thought she saw the dark form of something running through the woods, but it was much too big to be him. Overwhelming panic and despair filled her as she realized the people she depended on all of her life were not here in this moment. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "Elthrael, please my friends need help."

Elthrael Vol'Kerno

He had successfully managed to grab hold of Risa and lift her up into the air and Kyran would surely be unable now to catch them. The reaction he wanted from Kyran was partly obtained in that his rage got the better of him, to the point of him changing his very shape. Elthrael had previously assumed the big fox which had fought against the dark elven warrior time past, had been Kyran. Yet this transformation was nothing like that. It were as if the young man had thrown away all sense of reason and turning into some more primal beast on two legs.

'Oh? You've lost! You vicious vulpine! More than the lady, you even lost yourself! How truly ironic!' He thought with glee as he watched over his own shoulder, carrying Risa who was beating on his arms in an attempt to let her go. He couldn't let her go now. The moth fairy had seen these kind of creatures before, the one which Kyran had turned himself into, although they were extremely rare in the forest he dwelled in, they were most surely more common the further north you went. Kyran, or rather the beast he had turned into had given chase for abit, but soon changed his direction. Once himself and Risa had gained sufficient elevation he turned his attention on her.

'To think that foxboy had that kind of thing in him... even so a power you cannot control is not a power but a curse.' He thought to himself, thinking back to Elsea momentarily before looking over Risa.

"She needs you? Who does? Your friends? There are things you can and cannot do princess. Your friends such as Elsea are beyond any help which may be given right now, you know these words be true. Foxboy even turned into some frenzied beast." Elthrael said in a calm tone of voice, without looking at her, the fairy inspected the large building to the side which almost seemed to shake and there were screaming within. The trap had been sprung and now the ones which triggered it would have to pay the price for doing so. The moth fairy softly shook his head to himself. He had refused to enter the place himself, keeping himself however in the vicinity just for the potential to snatch Risa and fly off with her.

"Risa.. you are too important to this world than you know, without you the rebellion will ultimately bring the rise of a new tyrant if Aklenroth is indeed defeated... everything would be for naught. Everyone would want a chance at his throne if there is no clear powerful successor to bring back order, and who has the support of the people. Your friends, family... these humans... all would have died in vain for a peace which would never come. As long as you live, the claim on the fairy throne can be used to bring true order back to this world after the lich is defeated. This is your destiny Risa, this is the path you are meant to take. The hope that so many has no doubt has died believing in, and still believe in. Join with me and we can destroy Aklenroth together and bring this world peace under a grand fairy empire."

"As of now Risa, I am the only one who has not abandoned you. I will not allow them to harm you. You are under my protection now." He said softly, trying to comfort her by looking to her face. He began to fly towards the north, further away from the large building and the screams within it. "We cannot help the ones within, to keep you alive is to aid the rebellion and keep the beacon of hope lit. The dreams and hopes they all shared." He said softly to Risa's ear, his eyes darting around to survey the surroundings for any dark elves or beastlike foxboys.

'Now I just need to get her to one of the fairy kingdoms and the right to the throne will soon be mine. Oh I wonder if you will make it on time for the wedding, oh ever persistant foxboy.' Elthrael mused inside of his head, as of this moment things were all in his hands. He was the one holding the cards now, now he just needed to play them right.

"Do you believe in destiny, princess Risa?~" He asked softly in a seductive manner of voice.

Myra was relieved to see Darius was fine when she ran towards him with Mathis. Unfortunately, as Darius himself said, Artemis had left his side. Darius seemed to be worried about Artemis too. Maybe she had a feeling that something was going wrong, just like Myra did. Despite Mathis and Darius' words trying to calm her down Myra was still incredibly wary and alarmed, looking around and reacting to every small movement around her, making her mask immediately fall off her face. With her claws and teeth showing, she hissed and growled, assuming a low posture and making the other people who were probably as confused as she was get away from her with fear in their eyes. Her threatening posture sent a message clear enough for anyone to understand, regardless if they were confused or couldn't understand her. Danger. Those who got close to her at that moment would be tore into pieces, a side of her that even Darius wasn't used on seeing.

There were a lot of people screaming about humans, getting up on tables and chairs and Myra couldn't help but have a very bad feeling about all that. She wanted to just use her camouflage and run but she didn't want to leave Darius and Mathis alone. Not only that but she didn't knew where Artemis was. What if she was in danger? Darius did mention something about her getting into a fight... When a voice suddenly talked on her head, she knew that something was going to happen. Something bad. Following the voice's suggestion, Myra began walking away from the center, walking around Darius and Mathis, still hissing and in a threatening posture, her tail forming a perimeter around both of them, making sure no one would approach and making sure they would follow her, pushing them towards the center of the circle if they tried to get out. Circling them almost like a wild animal would do when trying to protect something when surrounded, she started trying to lead them away from the center despite her alarmed state.

Just at the moment they got away from the center, Myra heard a voice talking above the rest. The elf who was responsible for it though was suddenly tore open by something inside of him. As it's body was turned into pieces, a large demon appeared, floating before Myra's attention was drawn once again as she saw something being thrown to the air right in the middle of the ballroom with the corner of her eyes. What appeared to be a crystal, shattered mid air, making a strange thing appear from it, almost as if there was a hole on the air itself. From that hole, a terrifying creature came out, speaking in a frightening voice that echoed through the entire ballroom. Myra's very instincts shouted to her that she should get away from it. It became even clearer when the creature grabbed someone from the ball and unceremoniously threw it inside it's own mouth, killing it with a single bite. Before Myra could ever react to it though, something else drew her attention. A much more immediate danger than the giant demon creature. Coming from one of the corners of the ballroom she heard a loud howl, followed by a huge black wolf-like creature, running straight towards Myra while biting and throwing those unfortunate enough to stand in front of it's path towards Myra. When their eyes met, it was obvious that Myra was the target. Even though she wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts that might leave her wounded, she knew that she had to lead it away from Mathis and Darius, lest they become it's target as well.

With no other choice but to fight in order to protect her friends, much to the creature's surprise, instead of running away, Myra used her claws to rip her dress, which was restricting her movements apart and dashed straight towards it, making a sharp turn to dodge just as it was about to get close enough to bite her. The moment she dodged it, Myra jumped on it, her claws and talons slashing it's side before she used the creature's own body to jump away, running away from it and from Mathis and Darius in hopes it would chase after her. The attack she made, despite her sharp claws and talons that were enough to leave deep wounds in large animals like adult wild boars, wasn't lethal by any means, instead she did so in order to provoke the creature to follow her instead of focusing on Mathis and Darius. After that small encounter, the creature would soon realize that Myra was, in fact, rather light for her size, becoming quite obvious that it was likely able to overpower her in terms of sheer strength and weight. That said, Myra's speed and agility were still a serious threat and her claws, talons and teeth were still a clear threat.

While making sure to not run quick enough to make the creature lose her track, Myra tried to keep the perfect distance for it to continue following her away from her friends. Myra did know that, for some reason, she wasn't going to be able to get out of the ballroom as she had seen a few people trying to get out and hitting an invisible wall. The biggest problem though was that Myra would be forced to fight against the creature if she wanted it to keep it's attention on her, since she was trapped inside the ballroom with the creature and she could tell that if the creature managed to get a clean hit on her, she wouldn't come out unscathed...

Even though Ayita did say they should protect Risa, she couldn't help but look at the people who were openly defying Aklenroth. She knew that the Lich King wouldn't hesitate in slaughtering everyone in that ballroom. In fact, she was expecting something to happen, she knew that Aklenroth, who tried to burn down an entire forest just because of her wouldn't hesitate in slaughtering a few dozen bystanders just because of a few rebels. Could she really flee to her own safety and simply leave the others who were fighting to fend off for themselves? No... Ayita was a warrior and the shouts of people who were willing to fight against Aklenroth fired up her own heart. When she heard a red haired woman shouting as she jumped on a table, tearing her mask and the disguise she was using off, revealing herself as a human, followed by another one who did the same thing, jumping on a table and taking off her disguise, inspired by the redheaded girl, it became even harder for her to simply leave. She was a warrior. Running away wasn't in her blood.

"There are too many humans, too many allies here. We can't leave them to be slaughtered by Aklenroth. I'm sure he wont let this opportunity pass." Ayita said in a grim tone as she heard Cade's words, agreeing with him. Just as he said though, Risa was an important piece in their fight against Aklenroth, someone they should definitely defend.

Sakura also seemed to agree with Cade's suggestion, saying that she would go with Ayita to protect Risa while Cade tried to gather the humans and take them away from the ballroom. Before doing so though, Sakura gave both Cade and Ayita a talisman, explaining that they should only tear those to guide them towards her. Despite her desire to stay and fight, Ayita knew very well on how much disadvantage they would be if they fought there. Sakura was right, they couldn't fight, at least not there and not now.

"Cade, be careful. Try to..." Ayita began saying before she was interrupted the moment a voice rose above the rest, asking for the guest's attentions as he began a speech.

Ayita didn't need to hear what he was saying, she knew something bad was about to happen. Almost as if confirming her suspicions though, she looked around just to see that there were a lot of people that were trying to get out of the ballroom but were stopped by an invisible wall. They were trapped inside. All of them. It was at that moment that she realized that the ball, all that was merely a big trap... Was Aklenroth expecting that rebels and humans would attend to the ball in such numbers? Did he prepare all this? Was this his plan all along...?

"Everything was... A trap..." She said with her eyes wide open, alarmed just as two long black arms erupted from the elf who was doing the speech, tearing it's body apart and revealing it's true form, a huge demon.

Almost at the same time the large demon finished it's speech and revealed his true form, a crystal was thrown in the air right in the middle of the room before it burst in mid air, making a rift appear exactly in the middle of the ballroom. From the rift, fingers appeared, tearing it open little by little before a huge demon appeared from it.

"Cade, Sakura... We don't have a choice anymore. We're all trapped..." Ayita said in an alarmed tone, pointing towards the doors, where many guests fruitlessly tried to get past the invisible barrier.

Ayita couldn't help but feel hopeless for a moment as she looked around. In the blink of an eye, huge demons started appearing one after another as the slaughter began. People were crushed under the weight of giant demons, others were swallowed and killed or bitten and mauled. It was so obvious it was a trap... She knew it was a trap but they fell on it anyways, having left even their weapons behind.

Despite all that though, Ayita wasn't the type of person who would lose control and get desperate or give up. It wasn't the first time she had faced death in the eyes and it wouldn't be the first time the had greeted it with a smile.

"If I have to fall, I will fall fighting." Ayita said, with a determined expression as she kneeled down and grabbed the bottom part of her dress and ripped it with her hands around the middle of her thighs in order for her to move herself more freely and taking off her heels before she got up, grabbing her mask and taking it off her face.

"I would love to have some weapons right now... It seems I won't be able to use the ones you gave me Cade, sorry." Ayita said as she took her hand to her forehead, where the symbol Sakura had painted to make her disguise was before erasing it, dispelling her disguise spell.

After saying that though, Ayita turned towards the banquet table that was behind them, grabbing the large knife that was nearby the meats section.

"There is a word in my people's language... Gurahiyi. It means to 'stand alone together'." Ayita said in a serious voice as she looked to Cade and Sakura with a determined expression before she smiled and dashed towards one of the guards, that were on the corner of the ballroom.

Despite being in a closed space, the moment Ayita started running towards the guard, she felt once again the wind running with her as she dodged and weaved through the people that were panicking across the ballroom. Despite the confusion, the guard, who was wielding a halberd, still managed to spot Ayita. The moment he started lowering the halberd and pointing towards her though, she closed distance with a burst of speed, once again having the same feeling that she did in the forest of running together with the wind. Grabbing the shaft of the halberd, she pushed it away from her as she jumped at the guard, grabbing him by the hair as he fell down and slicing his throat in a single, brutal movement.. His blood sprayed on her face and her dress as the guard gasped for air one final time before his body went limp and his halberd fell to the ground with an audible noise.

Grabbing the guard's halberd which was now stained with his own blood, the dagger that he carried under his belt and the shortsword, discarding it's sheath before jumping on a nearby table, rising the halberd on the air while holding the dagger and the shortsword with her other hand.

"Open your eyes and look around you! This is what Aklenroth truly is! A cruel and violent tyrant that knows no honor and brings only death and destruction! Look at the dead around you! Unarmed people that were loyal to him lie dead along with innocents and even his allies!" Ayita shouted, with her face still bloodied. With an intense fire in her eyes and no hesitation in her words, she continued.

"Aklenroth asked for war and I will give him what he desires! Will you fight for your freedom or will you bow down and live like mere cattle for Aklenroth to play with? The time to chose is now, are you with me or against me?" she said as she pointed towards the demon who had emerged from the elf who was giving the speech moments before everything began. Should their eyes meet, he would quickly realize that Ayita's words were more than just empty threats and her eyes weren't one of a naive girl. They were the eyes of a warrior.

"Arm yourselves and fight! Fight for your land, fight for your lives, fight for your freedom!" she shouted before whistling towards Cade and throwing him the guard's halberd.

"Aklenroth's corruption will be cleaned with blood! Make your choice now, for there will be no mercy for those who side with him against this land and it's people! Be them humans or not!" she finished, taking her hand to her face, which was still dripping with the guard's blood, and running it across her face, painting it with the red of the guard's blood.

"Rise and fight Avalia! For even if we stand alone, we will stand alone together for this land! Gurahiyi!" Ayita finished with a battle cry as she threw the large knife that she had used to kill the guard at the same demon which she pointed at with the halberd, looking at him for a few seconds in defiance before she got down and headed back towards Cade and Sakura.

"Here, take it. I know you prefer magic but you should at least have something for emergencies." Ayita said when she got closer to Sakura and Cade, handing the shortsword to Sakura before she looked at both of them.

"Escaping is not an option. The exits are barred. We need to find who is responsible for the barriers or if that's not possible... Trying to deal with that monstrous thing in the middle of the ballroom..." she finished as she looked to them.

"Try to get the guard's weapons, arm as many people as you can among those who are willing and capable to fight against Aklenroth." she finished as she looked at them with a determined expression. Just like she said before, she didn't plan to go down without a fight.

---

Another had jumped up onto a table and began speaking up like Elsea, causing the redhead to grin triumphantly. She then also noticed another familiar figure circling her table and the other human woman’s table, seemingly protecting them. She gave him an appreciative smile, but soon her attention was pulled away and up to the balcony. She recognized the elf that was up there, she’d just spoken to him moments ago on the balcony. Her blood turned to ice as she listened to him speak and soon came to realize that he was on Aklenroth’s side. She then watched as a winged woman flew up into the air and destroyed a crystal. A rift opened up above them and soon a massive demon came climbing through. She stared in horror at the beast as he picked up a very familiar looking dark elf and consumed him. Her stomach churned and it took everything in her to not vomit.

Finally she pulled her attention away from the demon and her eyes scanned frantically over the crowd, watching people panic and try to escape yet there seemed to be a barrier blocking any escape routes. They were trapped. Was this how they were to die? She closed her eyes and sent a prayer up to the gods, thankful that Risa and Kyran had gotten out before this shit show began. Elsea’s eyes flew open as she began to feel herself lose her balance and she realized there were masses of people knocking into the table she was standing on. Before she knew what was happening she was falling off the table, landing right at the feet of the large cat man she’d seen earlier. She frantically tried to get up, knowing if she didn’t that the chances of her getting trampled were high.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Evening

LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City

INTERACTIONS: @13org Myra

The undead general turned to face the strange creature that had appeared in front the middle of the ballroom. “Damn it” Biting his lower lip enough to draw blood. He could not explain it but he felt a need to protect Myra. Summoning his staff and making his way over; Luckily he was still inside of the ballroom while he was making his way outside. Casting a spell that would help slow down Zelginn; From small portals appearing came chains that wrapped around Zelginn's wrist.

“Go for the eyes; try to blind it” He yelled loudly for Myra to hear him. Moving closer towards the two of them. He felt more anxiety watching Myra fighting this thing. Casting another spell firing a magical energy spear; trying to aim the the spear at the creature's leg to try and cripple it. The thought in the back of his mind; was what Aklenroth and the others were watching and use this event against him. Another concern for him was the safety of Darius and other civilians. The chains slowly sucking the life force of Zelginn.

"We'll definitely be fine."

Darius couldn't believe he said something so untrue. Myra's demeanor had said otherwise as she hissed and looked around in all directions. She was anticipating things going horribly wrong and the next chain of events would prove her right. First was the creepy voice he heard within his mind. It was unlike Malgormuun's voice that was much deeper and slightly distorted. Umber's warning made him flinch but heeded the demon's message. Even if he chose not to, Myra went into 'mama bear' mode and guided O'ner and himself away from the center of the room by forming a perimeter around them. She did this by continuously circling around them while using her tail to create as long a boundary as possible. They only stopped when a voice was heard above the rest. The elven greeter was making some kind of closing speech…

"Fuck, what's… What?!" Darius shouted as he watched Umber tear out the elf's small body as if he had been folded and compressed inside. He watched and listened with wide eyes as Umber set the stage for Azriel to stylishly summon a giant monstrosity in the center of the ballroom. Upon entry, it crushed dozens of guests. Their lives instantly ended. Darius stared unblinking at the deceased.

No training or words of experience and wisdom could prepare him for something like this. When it came down to it, Darius had never truly witnessed someone die in front of him. There were visions that Malgormuun plagued his mind with. Of the many humans that had died in Avalia, but this was different. His breathing went shallow as his facade of confidence shattered in the face of the scene before him.

Keep away from this one. Ahzmorath will not spare you… And neither will he.

He snapped out of his daze and looked toward Spellbane in shock as the large black fox demon headed his way, all while slinging people away with his jaws. What was he supposed to do? Fear gripped him as he braced himself.

Darius! What are you doing?! Move or fight! DARIUS!

He froze, but luckily for him, Myra sprung forth. She attacked the creature before continuing to run off. Its attention was on her, and Darius was aware that it was exactly what she wanted. She was still protecting him.

Look at you. So weak that you need to be saved! What has Kol taught you?! What have I taught you?! You fail your kind! You disgrace them with your weakness! Darius watched as Myra darted around the ballroom before his eyes caught a glimpse of one of the humans that had revealed herself moments ago. Then a familiar voice stole his attention. Ayita. She was everything he was not at this moment. She was brave. She was fully committed to her cause. She stood ready to face her enemies and strike them down without hesitation. LOOK AT THEM! Even the foolish ones of your kind choose to act at this moment! Move! Take a fucking step! MOVE! This. Is. A. WAR!

Tears welled up in his eyes. Malgormuun was not a liar. He had been honest and did not spare Darius' feelings. Was it because he did not care for his host or because he wanted to be aware of the vicious truth. He gritted his teeth as he grew frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he move? He could at least run for an exit or maybe he should have charged at that demonic fox.

It's not easy Darius, but I can help you overcome this feeling. Dread is a friend I know all too well. You freeze because you are afraid to act… In your memories, there is nothing such as this, but you need to move. You need to live. You need to find Risa Millinia. Overcome this paralysis. He shut his eyes tight to keep the tears away and opened them to find Caius staring him in the face. Not Umber, but Caius.

"Your feelings are more delectable than the warrior woman who threw a knife my way… I know what you truly want. And I can help you, child. You just have to do one thing for me in exchange…" Darius' hallucination of Caius grinned.

Time: Night
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction with: @Tae Azriel, "possibly" @Dezuel Terneus

---

The chaos and bloodshed would make any sadistic demon proud of Ahzmorath's summoning. To call Azriel and angel was a crime. She had the heart of a demon… because he made it so. He idly observed and enjoyed the scene while he kept the guests locked in to become victims of Ahzmorath's violence. He crushed and devoured those that aimed to combat him. The cowardly female human and her companions' loss gave Umber an emotion to snack to feed on. Grief and guilt were sweet and savory. It was almost enough to make him forget the presence of the Light Elf Governor… Almost. He was so close to him and his facade of loyalty to the throne only made his true feelings seem as if they were amplified as he internalized them.

What if he focused on tossing the elf to Ahzmorath?
….
….
….
….
….
Not good enough. Besides, someone was vying for his attention. He could feel the animosity aimed his way and managed to lock eyes with the culprit. Strong feelings emanated from her body before she launched a knife his way. He could use the governor to shield himself from the knife.
….
….
….
Also not good enough. Umber simply teleported an inch to the left. Her attempt at rallying guests was amusing to him. Hope was not enough for victory, but he would admit the resistance here was more than what he imagined. He was beginning to wear down as desperate guests beat on his barriers. With Ahzmorath attacking anyone in his sight, Umber could soon fall victim without enough strength to fight back. He needed to drop the barriers, but Aklenroth would have his head if he did so willingly. Then his eyes fell on a treasure trove of emotion. Darius. So vulnerable that he could be twisted any which way. The empathic demon used his power to create hallucinations to influence Darius in assisting him. The human obliged….

"Azriel. Follow me out!

Water suddenly gathered into beach ball-sized spheres around Umber. Umber looked around at the spheres that generated from the air.

What an odd trick. He thought before the sphere burst, both wetting him and possibly Terneus while distorting his view.

In the meantime Darius could be seen shooting water with enough pressure towards the ground to help vault himself up towards the demon. Darius made inches away from Umber before being stopped midair with telekinesis.

"]This was your plan? I chose poorly." Umber stated just in Darius' head who scowled at him while also dripping wet. Umber was somewhat disappointed, until Darius winked at him.

"Gotcha... With your own stupid move too." Darius said almost coldly before using water covering both of them to send them both flying to and then off the balcony. Umber released his barriers just as he had wanted and the two fell from the building.

Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @Helo Bowyn & Cade @Potter Belle @13org Ayita @baraquiel Sakura
Mentions:

---

The sound of Caius' voice coming from above caused Torvi to stop in her tracks, her blood going cold as she turned to look up at him. As she did this, Belle slipped out of her grasp, but thankfully the smaller woman didn’t try to get up on a table again. Something was very wrong and this was proven as the form of Caius was torn apart and in his place now floated a horrifying demon. Belle’s voice caught her attention and she looked up to where the woman was looking just in time to see the rift open and another massive demon stepped through. Torvi was all for a good fight, but this demon didn’t seem to be something they wanted to mess with unless there was an army of humans. They just needed to get out of there.

She turned to see Elle leading Belle away and then noticed that people were trying to get out, but there was a barrier blocking them. They were trapped, they were very trapped. She cursed as she spun to look at Bowyn once more. ”Bowyn I’m going to try and find us another way out. Please get yourself as far away from that thing as possible.” She pleaded with him before disappearing into the crowd. She set her sights on a dark elf guard that was shoving people back from an exit, even though the exit was blocked. Would he be trying to prevent people from leaving even if the exits weren’t blocked? She was willing to bet he would be. So she shoved through the crowd and right for him.

As soon as he noticed her approaching he moved to attack, but she sidestepped him. He hadn’t been expecting her to do so and so it gave her an opening to kick him in the back of the leg. He fell to one knee and swiftly she moved, snapping his neck. The quickness of it all caused the guests nearby to shut up and stare at her in horror. She ignored him as she took his short sword, then was delighted to find he also had a handaxe on his belt. She moved back towards the crowd who quickly backed away from her. She ignored them as she surveyed what else was going on.

She heard the voice of another speaking out against Aklenroth and then watched the woman throw a knife at Caius. As this was happening, however, she began hearing whispers of others. ”Perhaps if we start killing off the rebels they’ll let us out. Kill the humans that just revealed themselves and they’ll let us live.” There were several others saying similar and then she noticed a small group of three heading towards the woman who’d spoken out moments ago with obvious malicious intent. It appeared that they’d acquired weapons as well and Torvi couldn’t just leave them to potentially harm the woman or her allies. She closed the distance and before the three could attack she threw the handaxe at one as she ran the sword through the back of another. This caught the attention of the third who looked at her wide eyed, but attempted to swing his sword at her. She parried his attack before retaliating and running him through as well.

Now covered in blood, Torvi pulled her sword from the chest of the one and then retrieved her axe before turning to look at the group. ”I apologize for the rude introduction, but things seem to be going Helheim and I couldn’t leave allies in danger. However this isn’t a fight I think we want right now and I’d advise us all to work more diligently on finding a way out.” As she said this she took notice of a human going after the demon Caius. In mere moments they both disappeared and then there was more commotion from behind her. She spun to see people moving out through the exits finally. ”Well that’s convenient.” She mumbled, before turning back to the warrior woman and her companions. ”I suppose that’s my sign that it’s time to go, I hope you all will do the same.” She said to them before moving towards the exit, all while scanning the crowd for either Bowyn or Belle. She only hoped the two of them were safe.

Zelginn Darkmane

The 'chicken-stealing' demon had eluded the snapping jaws of the wolf like creature, not only that but she had slashed away at his side using her own claws. Zelginn's head quickly turned at the jaw snapped after the white demoness as she jumped away from him. The stinging pain in the side caused by Myra's claws, the scent of blood and the rage boiled in the dark beast. Zelginn lunged after her, it was almost as if she was taunting him. This made him even more thirsty, as he crashed through a few tables and chairs, with some unfortunate people being caught in the path got trampled.

'Fast! So fast! I like fast food! You make me salivate!' The beast thought, picturing the moment when it's jaws would clasp down around it's prey and crush it. The large black wolf-fox like creature snarled as it readied to pounce on Myra, despite her being awfully quick, the beast was only thinking of making her it's dinner. The beast lunged forwards, but mid flight it was stopped dead in it's tracks as some things had attached themselves to him. Zelginn let out a loud whine, as a dog which had gotten stung by a bee, before looking to what was holding it stuck. Chains. Magicals chains were attached to it's limbs. The beast turned it's head around, spotting a man standing still amidst the chaos. Zelginn attempted to break the chains by brute force, but they would not break, he was stuck. The man didn't waste time, he yelled out some orders for his allies. Zelginn was far too riled up to pay much heed to the command, but he did watch that mage's movements. The man quickly hurled a magical energy spear towards him, seemingly aiming for his restricted limb.

Zelginn, the Spellbane then opened his jaws wide on seeing the magical spear fly towards him, and as the spear came into contact with his fanged jaws it seemed to vaporize into nothingness. The jaws quickly closed and he snarled at O'Ner menecingly, the mage which had trapped and attacked him. Zelginn proceeded to open his jaws again and bit down on the chains restricting him, causing the magic to vaporize upon getting into contact with the snapping jaws. The beast took a second to watch the mage before looking towards it's initial target, which seemed to be tempting him. And he gave chase again, using it's head and neck to hurl a man who got caught into the path several meters up into the air.

Terneus Andros

Chaos. The entire ballroom were in chaos. Yet amidst the chaos, the light elven governor found himself as an example of order, civility and levelheadedness. There was no voice in his head denying him these things. There were at least three demons in the room, the first were the one stomping and eating people left and right, then the other tall demon which had located itself near him yet for now ignored his radiance. How did it dare! The third demon he had laid his eyes on made him sweat, he recognized this demon from fighting which occured before Aklenroth became king. This demon was known to his people, but overall amongst mages as Spellbane. A demon which had aided Aklenroth in his conquest of the world by fighting alongside most of the other demons.

This particular demon was known to have killed many mages in the old glorious elven days, and likely even more in the past. Even to someone as esteemed and grand as Terneus himself, he did not want to cross that thing. For a creature which would be able to even resist his powerful magics were terrifying, only Aklenroth had a terror which surpassed it. The dragon serving the king, whilst certainly a powerful creature were not as worrysome for the light elf. After all, as long as his foe were not resistant to magic he could best it. At least that's what he believed.

As the carnage in the ballroom continued, the elf began to worry. What would happen if all those less important people down there would all be killed, would these demons set upon him? That would not happen, not on his noble watch. He watched as some other beast and a mage attempted to fight Spellbane, keeping that hound of the lich and demonkind busy. That was good. And the rest of the crowd were occupying the big one. Terneus found himself looking to the side, as a human had propelled himself up to the railing where the demon stood using some kind of magic Terneus was unable to identify.

'What -is that-?' He blinked quickly, how could such a simple looking creature possess magic which he could not? The human appeared to have the audacity to take on the large demon by itself, this was the moment where Terneus saw his moment of opportunity. The elf smirked at his own cunning plan as he held out his hand and prepared to shoot a beam of light towards the demon (Umber). He could always blame it on the human later or that he 'missed', while the latter should only be used as a last resort explaination. The beam of light shoot out from the governor's hand and towards the demon, but due to some twisted unholy play of fate, the human had forced the demon out of the way as they both went over the railing and into the main room. The magical beam slammed into one of the walls and the governor cussed slightly.

'For the beauty of me- Curses!' He thought as he hurried over to the railing next to him, looking over it. People seemed to be able to get out now. The wardings were fading? This was his moment to move, even if he hated moving quickly, it ruined the elegance and caused his hair to bounce abit.

As he made his way down the stairs, he was met mid-way by a demihuman who was panicky. "Ahh! Ruuun-" He said to Terneus face, grabbing unto the elf's noble garments. This is where he chose wrong.

"Unhand me you inferior idiot! You are luring that thing towards me!" The governor yelled in his face, grabbing the man's arms and kicking him in his stomach, causing him to fall backwards and tumble down the stairs.

'Ahaha! I can make it.' His left eye twitched as he began to run, which wasn't very fast or elegant looking. He really hated to run. Terneus then heard a big stomp behind him, it was the large creature. Why were it so close to him now? In front of Terneus he saw a young woman looking startled while sitting on the ground, she seems to have been trampled over, she looked up at the silverhaired elf with begging eyes. "H-help... please help." It was in this moment, that the governor knew he had to mend his ways. There was no way he could leave her there, he could never forgive himself. There was one person he had to save. He quickly stretched down and took hold of her hand, pulling her up to her feet.

"Oh thank you, thank-" She said with tears building up, as her panic ridden face was trying to gather what was going on.

"Help? Why ofcourse! Do make yourself useful..." Terneus said the final words in a low voice to her, before he pushed the woman into the direction of the large demon, giving himself a head-start to get away from it and make his way towards one of the exits. He had to save himself. A larger crowd had been gathering by one of them and were pressing to get through, stepping on each other and screaming.

"Oh look! It's Lord Andros! Thank the elder trees!" An elven man yelled and turned back, pulling at Terneus clothes, he was soon joined by a female elf which was pulling on the governor's other arm. "Help us Lord Terneus! The doorway is too crowded!"

"My people! Everyone calm down! Get out of my way!" He threw both of the other elves aside as he began to pull person after person from the line in front of him. "Get out of my way you half-bred imbeciles! Important people first! Then other elves! Then women and children of noble birth!" Terneus screamed in a mix of anger and desperation as he pulled demi-human after demi-human out of the path. He wondered if his hands would ever be able to be regarded as clean after all of this. All these dirty half-breeds.

Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Tae@Potter@Dezuel@13org


Malachi was not surprised to see the fiery woman, with hair as red as her flames, he had met yesterday, jumping on the table and bravely speaking out. She seemed to have nothing to lose and it was certain Avalia lucked out in receiving someone so willing for the cause. He was not happy with her revealing herself nonetheless. She could have gotten away with just posing as a rebellious light-elf; there were enough of them to go around for it to be very believable. He groaned audibly. Younger beings of all dimensions were all the same. He could not help but lean his hands on the back of his head, staring with annoyance as another human girl also jumped on the table and threw her false elf ears down too. The spirit and bravery were only admirable if it did not result in their deaths. What are you girls doing?! Oh, Solaris and Lunathea!

A large string of curse words started to go through Malachi's head as he listened to the two of them back to back unravel on top of tables without a second thought. There was nothing he could even do to stop them. He glanced down at Corvina, having had just hugged her and gave her a look that said "if you so even dare..." His eyes were stern and filled with more ferocity than he had ever displayed to her. He took a moment to then scout his surroundings. People were agreeing with the human women and seemed ready to fight. Though this would normally be a good thing, what the girls had done could not be undone: Aklenroth and his followers were surely present tonight and going to react. Absolute madness was about to unfold and no one was guaranteed to get out alive.

Corvina thankfully was not an idiot. She caught on right quick and started voicing her want to leave. He rubbed her shoulder when her voice cracked and glanced down at her. Risa's words about the humans had been echoing in his head ever since she spoke. The humans had not asked to come here and yet he had a direct hand in bringing them here in pursuit of saving the land and had not really given them much thought. Corvina was so young too and here he was, the one who had personally dragged her here to fight. Had she even caught on to him lying to her? For her sake, he hoped not. He needed her to trust him and Kenia. His thoughts went to Rei and he hoped they could even get back to him after all this. If they did not make it out of here, would Rei be all alone?

Kenia's grip on his hand pulled him out of his thoughts. He listened to her as she spoke softly. They had apparently been on the same wavelength. She voiced concern over getting separated and again tonight he had to see the fear in her beautiful eyes. Malachi bit his lip as he felt her tighten her grip on his hand and he took her other hand as well. He considered this next decision could be a mistake but who knew if they'd ever see each other again. Malachi pulled her in to kiss her on the lips gently, but not without passion. He let go of one of her hands and rubbed her cheek with his thumb, "Kenia..."His voice drew off as some old elf started talking, rudely interrupting him.

Malachi turned to glance at the balcony, glaring at him. He raised a brow as the elf spoke and then proceeded to turn into a disgusting, over-sized monstrosity of sorts that started spewing blood on people as he shifted into it. He made several different faces of disgust as it happened, but thankfully it was not too long an event. "I hate demons."He muttered.

Next, a winged demi-human started to fly into the air, crystal in air. It was surprising to see a demi-human aligned with Aklenroth, but he supposed it was fitting for her to just be an oversized insect. Malachi moved in front of Kenia and Corvina and pushed them backward. This is bad. As everyone watched the rift open, Malachi began glancing around at the exits. There was definitely some sort of barrier outside the place for them to plan the attack. They were trapped. It was very possible they were in for a battle of life or death. Another demon started peeking its head out of the rift on the ceiling, it was just as bad looking as the other smaller one but this one was just huge. Malachi stared with widened eyes for a moment but he was soon disenchanted by it when it started going on a stupid, dramatic tirade about Lilith and blood. He was glad to be reminded that demons were imbeciles like everyone else, just oversized at times. Though their size was clearly a big issue and not to be underestimated. It went to town stomping and eating someone right away. Malachi wasn't too upset as it looked to be a filthy dark elf.

To make matters worse, Malachi spotted the child that had disturbed their afternoon prior and groaned again, distracted from the giant demon for a moment. He really disliked this boy and was not surprised to find him here. His eye lit up a bit as he watched the child turn into some freakish beast as well and may have clapped his hands together if he had not been intent on holding Kenia's hand for dear life. Malachi had been on to that kid and even in this madness, he had to take the satisfaction, "Told you."

It was not a matter to linger on long as it was imperative to him that the demon not kill any humans if he could help it. He kept pulling Kenia backward with him towards a safer area as he took a moment to try to think through a plan, but it was almost impossible with all the crowds pushing at him and all the screaming. The room was in complete disarray, screams filled the air and people were banging on the windows and doors. Windows were broken only for the people to find themselves banging on barriers. Attacks were being made against the giant creature with even dark magic to Malachi's surprise.

A girl soon bumped into him and he did not make much of it until she looked up at him. He softened a little as he noticed the sadness in her eyes. It was the girl who had jumped up on the table earlier to speak after Elsea. Malachi bit his lip as her face seemed to flash into that of his wife's before his eyes as she stared up at him pleadingly, rain hitting her face and the background becoming a battle-torn elven town. She told him with blood and tears dripping down her skin just as the girl speaking to him now did:

"I want to go home."

The image and voice all snapped away as he looked back up at Kenia and then down again at the girl. His choice was to find a way out for himself, Kenia and Corvina, or to think of the others as well and stay and fight. Malachi rubbed his temples as he noticed Corvina was now missing. He glanced at Kenia, "Go after her and get Corvina out of here. If we cannot meet up again after this, then I promise I will find you at the Port. Go there. I have to stay... I put them in this situation and I have to get them out." He told her, squeezing her hand tightly, "Stay alive. Please." His voice cracked a bit and he stared at her with a degree of intensity. He let go of her hand reluctantly as the crowd seemed to liven up around them. The moment he let go of her hand had felt like a heavyweight had just crushed down on him.

He knew they would be separated at this moment either by death or distance. A tear spilled down his cheek.

Please let me find you again...

With a sigh, he knelt down and hugged the blonde human. "Just stay close to me and I'll protect you with all I have."
He could hear another girl yelling out for humans to fight. Her words were heavy as they spoke of no mercy for those who sided with him. The room was torn with battle and chaos and many had chosen to stay and fight against all odds. Malachi decided he liked the dark-haired girl speaking.

Malachi noticed then that people were now able to exit. The barriers were down. This meant Kenia, Corvina, and everyone had a good chance to get out now. He now too jumped on a table and bellowed, "The barriers are down! Everyone leave as fast as you can if you are not prepared to fight!" He moved fast to get back down to the blonde girl's side, "If you want to leave, I'll understand. Go find that blonde woman I was just with if you can. I am going to stay and try to help as many as I can." Malachi knew his actions were uncharacteristic of him. Staying was obviously the stupider option with an escape route right then but he could not pull himself from this fight.

The black wolf creature that had previously been a child went rushing past him towards another creature. Considering that thing was certainly evil, he had a feeling that the white creature may possibly be deserving of help. Apparently I have lost my mind. He thought, irritated with his sudden rush of empathy. Malachi formed a ball of light magic in his hands and thrust it toward the black fox determinedly, trying to wave over the white demon towards him as he made the move.

Time:Evening
Location: Outskirts in the trees not far from Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Dezuel@Potter


"She needs you? Who does? Your friends? There are things you can and cannot do princess. Your friends such as Elsea are beyond any help which may be given right now, you know these words be true. Foxboy even turned into some frenzied beast."

Risa's expression broke. She had almost forgotten Elsea. Her heart was racing and now her thoughts were being pulled in three different directions. A sob almost escaped her lips. She could not stop thinking of the three of them and then seeing Dionaea that way. His words of not being able to give help were no comfort as it was all she could think about at the moment. No one deserved to be left behind, especially those she cared about. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she listened to him continue. It was easier to listen than to try to conjure her own thoughts up just yet. Elthrael continued about the importance of her living to claim the throne and how it was her destiny.

She could not find it in her heart to care about destiny at the moment if there even was such a thing. She had never been one to believe things were written in stone. Her grandfather had always said the future was a blank canvas that had not yet been painted and it could become whatever she chose it to. If that was the case, then she needed to find a way to compose herself and think without panicking. Her friends were counting on her and Elthrael just did not understand that.

"As of now Risa, I am the only one who has not abandoned you. I will not allow them to harm you. You are under my protection now."

Risa stared at him as they met eyes, her violet alighting with anger and passion. That anger was enough to bring her to some sort of sense in her despair. It had been so long since she felt this emotion that it felt like a release that had been waiting to be unleashed for many years. He asked her if she believed in destiny and narrowed her eyes, "I believe in creating my own destiny. Nothing is written in stone for me. You have abandoned me twice now, Elthrael."She started lowly, her voice rising as she spoke, "My friends have not abandoned me. I am NOT abandoning them in their time of need! What kind of queen would I be to take the throne if I run in when adversaries appear? It's one thing to become a queen, but it's another to become a queen people will follow. "

She placed her hands on his arms and began struggling to push herself up, frustrated tears dripping down her cheeks, "Elthrael. I want to work and trust with you, but I need that back! You have to understand Kyran and Dionaea I have known all my life and I have spent day and night with Elsea the last week. I am not going until I know for myself there is nothing I can do. You must have loved ones and understand how I must feel right now!" Risa was not sure if Elthrael was scared or if he maybe he knew more than she and things were truly hopeless. She knew she was weak. It was clear she was not cut for battle and she was just a stupid, little girl but she did not care. Risa was willing to fight.

"We create our own destinies, Elthrael,"Risa looked back at him again, ready to fight against even Elthrael if she needed to. She had been about to try her best at conjuring vines at some branches to stop their movement or at least slow them down. It was not her strong suit but she had been practicing lately and could have possibly pulled it off. A loud, piercing scream reached her ears, causing Risa to instinctively put her hands over them. Then, something came flying towards him from below suddenly.

Elthrael Vol'Kerno

He snorted slightly on hearing Risa's defiant words, then let out a scoff. "Hah! Yet here I am now? What does that tell you hm? A queen without her people is no queen at all, yet a people without a queen is nothing. Just a rabble of headless chickens, running about without any purpose." Elthrael said softly, still scanning the surroundings.

"Let me tell you then about their fates. Kyran will lose himself in rage and get himself killed, possibly because of you. Elsea has not the mindset needed to master the power she holds. She will die and take others with her. As is the fate for all those who crave the power, but cannot control it. They will find themselves controlled by others, and ultimately tossed into the fire when their usefulness is at an end." Elthrael said in a grim manner, a slight smirk forming on his lips, causing his cornerteeth to be visible. Then came the question from Risa, if Elthrael had loved ones himself, the question seemed to both stun him but also amuse him.

"My loved ones hm? Why don't you ask your grandparents? What their ancestors did. About what happened to my family line. How the just and noble forest fairies killed, imprisoned or exiled them all. You might not want it to be the truth, I don't want to believe it neither. But unfortunately it's true." Elthrael gritted his teeth, eyes darting from side to side.

"My destiny has always been... to take it all back, and I'll do it. With or without you." He said softly, as their conversation was cut short by a loud pitched sound. This in turn caused his hands to reach for his ears, after he had tossed Risa up into the air. The moth fairy however, while being unable to hear, quickly glanced around for an enemy and he noticed something coming towards him from behind, he fluttered his wings sideways, dodging the stick as it flew off into the distance. Had someone just tossed a stick at him? Someone had indeed laid a trap and was trying to catch him or Risa. Elthrael's eyes grew grim, as his eyes set on the area from where the stick had been propelled from. He removed his hands as he was effectively having his hearing dullened by quite the amount. He couldn't see anyone as it was, they were hidden well. And he couldn't hear anything due to the ringing in his ears. The fairy nontheless stayed put and glancing about, before opening his mouth to call out.

"Servant of Aklenroth! How considerate of you to save me the trouble of finding you! I cannot see you, nor can I hear you. But... I can smell you! Mhm..." He stretched out his arms and began to channel his plant magic, creating a powder of a poisonous plant and allowed it to trickle down before increasing the amount and fluttering with his wings to send it towards the area where the stick-attack and sound had come from. This particular powder had the properties of being able to cause fierce stinging in the eyes, mouth and nose. And upon consuming enough of it, it would cause temporary paralyzation. Paralyzation were one of Elthrael's favorite things when it came to poisons, while other types of poisons could be used to weaken enemies physically or mentally or potentially kill them, for someone of his teasing nature it was perfect. For by using it, he could often find himself taunting his foes while they would be unable to retaliate.

Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Darius & Umber @Dezuel Zelginn [@130rg] Myra
Mentions: @Eviledd1984 O’Ner

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The chaos that ensued after Azriel shattered the crystal and released Ahzmorath was absolutely glorious. She’d made sure to back herself up as far away from the demon as she could, keeping herself flying up near the ceiling that way she could observe things from above. Poor Xenelith wasn’t lucky enough to get far enough away from the massive demon and soon became his first snack. She let out a small giggle as she watched it happen and then watched the panicked little insects run into the barriers. The hopeless wails and screams was like music to her ears.

Something else caught her attention then, however, as the small fox child she’d met before transformed into another demon. This truly didn’t surprise her as she’d suspected there was more to him than met the eye. When he went running towards Darius and his companions, however, she was filled with a bit of concern and irritation. If he harmed the human then there would be hell to pay. Darius was her new...friend? Was that the word she’d use? She was unsure if that was correct, but she did wish to keep him safe. Before she could do much, though, the demoness that accompanied him seemed to take the wolf demon’s attention. Then O’Ner, still in disguise, seemed to join in trying to help the white demon. She watched in intrigue as Zelginn seemed to devour the magic that had been thrown at him. It was quite something, but what would he do against an attack that wasn’t magic? Could he devour that too? She looked at three of her mithril feathers in her hands and then down to track the fast moving targets. Lucky for her those eyes of hers were trained for seeing distances and tracking fast moving targets. She then swiftly threw all three feathers at the wolf demon, smirking down at him to see what would happen.

Her attention was pulled away from the scene, however, as Umber’s voice entered her mind. Apparently it was time to leave, but as she turned to look at her mentor she saw the water gathering around him. Well that was quite interesting. Then Darius was there, seemingly attacking Umber but Umber caught him mid air with his own abilities. Was Darius truly trying to kill Umber or was this something else? Either way she watched with interest until both of them went falling off the balcony and she sighed with a shake of her head before swiftly following them out. Umber, she knew, could save himself from the fall, but she was unsure of the human. So she swooped down and caught Darius before he hit the ground. ”Now it won’t do if you end up with a broken leg or something, will it?” She said into his ear teasingly before setting him on the ground safely and landing somewhat between the two. She gave Darius a small smirk as she crossed her arms before bouncing her gaze between the two of them. ”So who wants to explain to me what’s actually going on here, hmm? People were now flooding outside the building which told her the barriers had been dropped and the fun was about to its end.

Cade glanced at the talisman Sakura handed him, nodded, and placed it in his pocket. This was smart, a way for them to find each other again should they become separated, and he would be sure not to lose it. As events further unfolded he became even more thankful to have such a trinket in his pocket. The horror of the dracolich paled in comparison to the two demons that appeared, one bursting forth from inside the greeter and another summoned from a rift opened by an Avian woman. Cade had faced trolls and ogres before, seen orc hordes and dark elf armies and all those creatures had seemed like foe’s that could always be defeated with the right allies at one’s side. The massive demon that ate a dark elf like it was a bug however seemed insurmountable. Much like the dracolich had, this seemed like an impossible feat, the icy grip of pure terror seized him as he stared at such a creature, a being of pure darkness.

Ayita recognized the trap first, and as he looked around at those clamouring to escape he saw that it was true, they were all trapped inside with the terrible creature. It was Ayita’s words that followed that released the grip that terror had on him, if he was to die here then he would die fighting as well, he would go out no other way. He turned to the human with hair like fire who stumbled from the table where she had spoken her own words of defiance, and gripping her forearm pulled her back up to her feet.

“It is an honor to stand with you, brave creature of Earth.” Cade said, bowing his head slightly, then catching the halberd tossed to him by Ayita. He took a second to get a feel for the weapon’s weight and moved himself in front of the human as a second, who gripped the table in exhaustion, joined her. He kept his eyes trained on the chaos of the room, keeping those who ran in a frenzied state away from the humans with the shaft of the halberd. His first priority had to be getting the humans out safely, for they were the best chance at saving Avalia. The exits were all crowded, a matter only made worse by the light elf governor shoving his own way through the nearest exit. The middle of the room was not a safe place to remain as several people had already been trampled, he needed to get them closer to an exit, and further away from the large demon in the middle of the room.

“We need to move, to get out of here, and get as many others as possible with us, then if either of you has a way to level the building, that could crush the demon.” He suggested, the humans and the other innocent lives had to be evacuated, but after that the large demon could not be allowed to leave the ballroom and continue it’s path of destruction throughout the city. Just as with the dracolich it would take some sort of magic to stop this creature and that was beyond Cade’s ability.

---

Bowyn was thankful when Torvi grabbed Belle, they were finally leaving. This place was becoming far too dangerous and he didn’t want to have to stay. Before they got the chance to make their way out, all hell broke loose. The greeter exploded and from inside him emerged a demon, and before he could even consider that creature being one of the most terrifying things he had ever seen another, much larger, and more menacing demon tore its way through a rift. The massive demon, though horrific, seemed to pale in comparison to the realization that he recognized the Avian who summoned it. He had shared a dance with Azriel, he had thought she seemed nice, friendly, the first actual Avalian he’d met in a long time who didn’t seem awful but that had all been a convincing act. It would seem Azriel was worse than the average person, a servant of Aklenroth, and a herald of death. He saw the demon she had summoned as it crushed those beneath its feet without a second thought, eating those unlucky enough to be within its grasp. As terrible as that was, it was just a mindless form of evil, and whatever Azriel was, was something far worse, something that could wear the mask of civility while treating lives like they meant nothing, and it disgusted him to know he had shared kind words with such evil.

In a blink the two humans he considered his friends were gone, while he had been distracted by everything they had left him, vanishing amongst the panicked masses. It wasn’t fear that Bowyn felt then, but the pain of old wounds being torn open as he realized he was alone again. The plan had been to stick together, and though rationally he knew sometimes plans had to change, that he wanted them to make sure they survived at all costs, all he could think about was that he had been willing to stick with them and they had left him. But Boreas had not left him, the loyal bird perched on his shoulder as Bowyn remained in the air, flight keeping him off the ground and away from those who stampreded in a panic. He kept his distance from the demons loose in the ballroom, watching as others ran into magical barriers that kept anyone from leaving. The panic, the screaming, so many people dying in the chaos; this was the rebellion and it had no plan. He flew higher, further away from it but all he could hear was the chaos, the screaming, and it was the exact horror of when his own people had attempted a rebellion.

The same air of panic, the lack of a plan, no real leadership, all while pure slaughter commenced. When things turned dire, they hadn’t held the line, everyone had died. Everyone would die here too, trapped and overwhelmed. Reality was hazy, those crushed by the demon began to look like winter fae, covered in blood, no life left in them; just bodies in a clearing. Why try? This is what happened, it was always what happens. It was hard to breathe, hard to see what was happening and even harder to tell the difference between what was happening now and what had happened then. He tried harder to focus, to look for the familiar faces of Torvi or Belle but he did not truely want to find them, to see them among the dead that lay scattered about. Would he die here? Trapped in a room with demons, full of evil, and of the dead? No, if he died Boreas would die as well, and he was tired of those he cared about dying, tired of being surrounded by death.

“What do we do now?” Boreas asked.

“We have to fight too.” Bowyn answered. Even though he didn’t want to, even though failure seemed like the only reasonable outcome, to keep fighting would be the only way to change anything. Aklenroth was a symbol of death, to do nothing while he continued to rule Avalia would only mean that Avalia would continue to be ruled by death. His vision tunneled in on the first thing he saw, the demon who had burst forth from the greeter and the human who had been the first to speak out against Aklenroth falling, propelled by water, together from one of the windows on the second story of the room. Azriel soon followed after them and in that moment he knew that human was in grave danger.

“I told you crows should never be trusted.” Boreas said as he saw the same thing Bowyn did.

“And you have always been right, wisest of birds. If things look bad for me, you leave.” Bowyn replied, and he noted that the barriers were now gone. If humans really were the best weapon against Aklenroth then those willing to fight needed to protect against all costs. He also hoped those kept in their undead state would be released from it should Aklenroth fall, that even if he died here his cause to lay Aeryn to rest still had a chance. If Torvi and Belle, and countless other humans he had not met, could show bravery for a land that was not their own then he had too as well.

“Yes, it would be nice to be a normal bird again.” The merlin answered, and Bowyn believed him because Boreas had never lied to him before.

He flew after them, diving down near Azriel, the demon, and the human caught between them, summoning daggers made of ice in each hand. Once close enough he threw them, one towards the demon and one towards Azriel, hoping to provide the human with enough distraction to get away. He remained in the air, out of reach as long as they remained on the ground and with enough distance that he could have a chance to move should they fly after him. His thoughts struggled to stay focused and think only on the present; help the humans here, try not to die.

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Ahzmorath. Sakura couldn't believe Aklenroth will allow such a horrifying demon to be unleashed here of all places. At least she finally guessed what her father's plan along: to kill every single human and creature aligned with them. She looked around and saw everything was indeed in chaos. People fought against each other as the exits were surrounded by an invisible barrier, no doubt the work of one of Sakura's kin. She then saw Zelginn, her young dance partner from earlier, turn into a demonic creature in front of everyone which only confirmed Sakura's thoughts on him. Cries of anguish echoed throughout the ballroom while there were already lifeless bodies on the ground, surrounded in a pool of their own blood. Sakura would've reveled in such an occasion but now may be an inappropriate time.

Sakura watched as Ayita destroyed her dress, take off her heels and mask, and removed the mark she put on her forehead, exposing herself as a human too. The demoness was angry at first but decided to just go along with it. If she learned anything from this night was that humans were foolishly brave and stubborn. Ayita killed a soldier and Sakura watched in horror and awe as Ayita threatened Ahzmorath too. She then handed Cade a halberd and Sakura a shortsword. Torvi then approached their group while fending off more enemies and advised them to get out since the exits seemed to be unblocked now.

All while this was happening, Sakura was thinking heavily. Whatever she decided to do at this very moment will have severe consequences in the future, especially on her. Was it advisable to just go along with everybody and escape or should she do something about this now? Sakura looked at the determined faces of Cade, Ayita, and the human girl on the table. Sakura knew they will have no chance of winning against Ahzmorath even if they all work together. She was also sure that her kin will just chase after them as well. She breathed deeply and exhaled before turning to the group. "She's right. The best course of action right now is to escape. Ayita, you go with Cade and the other human girl. Try to find Risa while you're at it too. I'll stay here and keep this demon occupied to give you a chance to escape in one piece. Remember, you have my talismans so use it in case you get lost."

Sakura handed Elsea the shortsword and turned to Cade and Ayita. "See you when I see you." She cupped their cheeks before turning her focus on Ahzmorath who's too busy having fun ripping the heads of several demihumans and elves he caught. Sakura flew mid-air until she's hovering in the middle of the ballroom and shouted to get the demon's attention. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone you're own size, rat face?!"

She procured several talismans from her sleeve and they all hovered around her. She pointed her middle and pointing finger on her right hand and placed it on her chest while she created a five-pointed star with her right hand, making it glow pink as the five talismans fixed themselves on the star's points. Sakura then chanted:


The star glowed and pink chains made of pure energy emerged from the five talismans. They all fly in speeds towards Ahzmorath, wrapping both his wrists, ankles, and neck in chains as the demon roared in pain as well. Sakura had to focus harder as Ahzmorath thrashed, trying to free himself from the chains with his sheer strength. "I-I don't know how much longer I can hold him." She said to her group below, her voice strained with the effort in keeping the chains intact. "You need to go! Now!"