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Carolina closed her eyes and let out a slight sigh as she looked between both Jack and Klara and shook her head slightly as Klara decided to be a little bit petty and just healed herself in front of Jack. Though true she could have done a lot more to help Klara and she did feel responsible for her loosing her soul. "And I am sorry for that and I should have done a lot more to help." Carolina said as she heard the two horses demanding their attention and to be let out. "They are good, they'll help us." Carolina said to Jack as she started to head outside and made her way to Mercymourn and Butter Rum. "We are ready to get out of here." Carolina said to the two skeletal horses as she untied them from where they were.

Carolina closed her eyes, they needed to find a way to get out of here, the only lead that they had was her girlfriend October who had died so many years ago. She got the sense that she was somewhere within Limbo but not a specific location, Carolina tried again and managed to find a location. She could see a castle on top of a massive mountain. "The only lead we have is Witchfire, can you take us to a castle thats on top of a mountain?" Carolina asked the two of them and looked at Jack and Klara. "Are you two coming?" Carolina asked as she went to get their chariot set up again.

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Madalyne flinched slightly when Sym spat in her face and glared at him, she really wanted to murder this demon and wanted to make sure that he would never be seen again. Ananym's screams became much louder now, and then silence happened she looked down she regretted not helping her at all and felt helpless. Madalyne cried out in pain once again as Sym brought down his club onto her knee, it hurt like hell as she watched the demon bringing his club above his head to go down on her head. When she heard another voice and her eyes turned towards a demon who appeared just outside of her torture chamber. Apparently there were more Sorcerers Supremes out there that would be able to help. However Sym had other plans for her and pulled out some kind of potion, he forced her mouth open and poured it down into her mouth and forced to swallow it.

Madalyne tried to resist whatever it was but eventually her mind went blank and Sym released her, as he ordered her to lead the demons outside to attack her fellow sorcerers outside. She waved the demons to follow her outside and stood in front of the castle, her eyes turned to face the ones that were outside. "Kill them all!" Madalyne ordered the demons to attack the others and she set her eyes on Runa seeing the elderly woman who looked very frail to her and an easy target.

It took her two tries but she managed to summon her sword and quickly charged forward and swung her sword at Runa aiming to kill the old woman only for her to block her attack with her staff.

---

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Annika felt her cheeks warm when the woman spoke to her. Although Annika knew this to be untrue, Runa spoke as if she had known the language her whole life. Surely, she would have known of such a woman within her stories if it was. Annika smiled warmly, stepping aside to watch Max take Runa up to the top of the cliff. Annika debated shifting into an eagle when Edus approached her and offered her a spot on his floating platform. Annika hopped up, mindful of the small space and thanked Ed.

It was a quick trip, and Annika was grateful to be on solid ground again. For some reason, being human and flying was far more strange than being a bird. Annika didn’t have much time to assess her surroundings before the great door to the castle opened, and a familiar face greeted them.

”Madalyne!” Annika called in greeting, holding her hand up. Kill them all! Annika’s eyes widened as her group was charged at. Madalyne moved on Runa, but before Annika could intervene, Runa defended herself. Relieved, Annika turned her focus onto the demons coming for her. She needed a way to turn the tide, to connect with the land here and learn of his secrets. Clasping her mother’s necklace, Annika shut her eyes and started to chant. Her skin began to glow, and an invisible wind whipped around her as she communed with nature.

The information pouring into Annika’s body was more than she expected. Once the land finished speaking to Annika, she was released, and her vision cleared. She really wished she hadn’t dropped that knife before she came here.

”Tiatén:ro!” Friends, she called. ”Weapons of iron or purity will help our fight. Holy words spoken by our Creator will help end these demons. I also know of several entrances that will get us inside.” She turned and looked at Edus. ”We need to get inside. There may be someone I know who can help us and help break the enchantment on Madalyne.”

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Prudence chuckled inwardly as Max went off, carrying Runa with him. It was rather silly he thought she would care in any way what he thought or said. At least he had some skill to back up his mouth, though she got the sense it got him in more trouble than even he knew. That left her with the werewolf girl and Ed to help climb the steep shift upward. Thankfully, Ed seemed to conjure up something more useful, allowing her on board.

Though he offered her no hand, she waved it off nonetheless. Soon they made their way up in time to see more demons along with another girl. One that a few of their number recognized. Prudence rolled her eyes. Did everyone know everyone else apart from her? It was growing rather tiresome.

Still, she fought off the urge to send boils at the girl attempting to harm Runa. Instead, she opted for one of her finer tricks, flicking a glance at Maddie, Prudence bewitched the girl. What happened within Maddie was a battle of wits between Prudence's own magic and the mind control potion she had consumed. Prudence, though, won out in the end. Maddie would become transfixed with the first person she saw, which happened to be Runa. Maddie would feel compelled to do whatever she could to earn Runa's love. "There, she's taken care of. Runa can handle that part. Now for the demons."

Prudence attempted to send out her previous armed spell, but it fizzled. She tried again, landing a curse on one of the demons on the side. The demon's body soon filled with boils and bumps, all large ad filled with puss. The poor demon would find it very painful to move or do anything and should one of those things burst. Well, Prudence stood back for a reason.

"Runa, the lovely girl in front of you is under my spell, but you have the power. She is compelled to listen. You can break her out of it with a word."

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Klara looked over at the horses outside, before following along after Carolina and Jack back outside to them, and she rolled her eyes slightly at Jack asking if they could understand him. "Of course they can understand you. All animals can understand people anyway, most just choose not or choose to ignore them. You just have to learn how to listen. Or have a spell so you can more easily talk to them," she said to him as she walked over to Mercymorn and Butter Rum, figuring that they'd likely have to ride them since the chariot was gone by now with all that had been going on.

"Hey Butter Rum, would you please kneel a bit for me so I can climb on?" she asked the horse with a smile, and the horse did so, allowing her to more easily climb onto the horse's back. "Thank you very much. But you two are right, we definitely need to get out of here, so let's get going if you know at least vaguely the place that Carolina described," she added, basically ignoring Jack's entire existence at this point now.

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Mercymorn rolled her eyes - or rather, the motion she was trying to make did suggest that she was rolling her eyes. She didn't have eyes. Just sockets. I was here before you, I know what's going on!!! Mercymorn protested.

You do? Butter Rum then asked. Because I wasn't super following... they admitted sheepishly.

Mercymorn made the same eye roll like motion again, as if to say 'see what I have to put up with?'

Carolina wouldn't manage to find the Chariot - the Green Eyed One must've stashed it somewhere else. However, there are saddles - also made from human skin, but what are you supposed to do? Not use it? Klara managed to get up onto Butter Rum, who had already been saddled up. Mercymorn's saddle will need to be put onto her.

With the Green Eyed One gone, we can get you out of the maze, easy, Butter Rum agreed.

Are you sure you want to go to Witchfire, though? She's as crazy as her dad, Mercymorn said. Mercymorn bent down slightly, to make it easy for Carolina and Jack to hop on, with or without a saddle.

I heard she eats her own toes! Butter Rum added, whinnying nervously.

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Runa paused for a moment, hearing the name Madelyne screamed beside her. She had not been to Limbo before - if she had ever been, she had long since forgotten the occasion - but even then she knew the connection between Madelyne and Limbo. They had been a child on the first Goblin Night when Madelyne Pryor had attempted to end the world. They hadn't done anything about it, merely watching and observing. It had been in the days when she had been convinced her destiny was to bring about darkness and misery. It had been ages later that Runa realized the universe was perfectly equipped to do so without her help.

They had blocked the first few blows with their staff. While they were blind, they were not defenseless. They had mastered the staff before their sight had failed them, and they had spent eons perfecting their technique after they lost it. It also helped that the demon attacking her - this "Madelyne" - was considerably noisy.

Runa drew a rune from her back - īsaz - and was about to press it into the demon attacking her when Prudence announced she had ensnared Madelyne's mind, and given ownership of it to Runa. Annika had already pleaded that Madelyne was under an enchantment. Runa assumed that Annika must have met Madelyne earlier in Limbo. Perhaps the demon had been pretending - perhaps not. Either way, Runa was wary to relinquish control.

They knew that a hero would release Madelyne.

"Child, help us," Runa instructed instead. Annika had specified that Holy Words and relics and whatnot would prove effective against these demons. Runa let the rune for ice slip from their fingers, falling back into the bag. Instead, they drew another one, feeling the stone pieces and the carving. ansuz. The rune of their grandfather - the All-Father Odin.

They held the rune in their palm, hand outstretched.



With each line, the rune began to glow brighter. By the time Runa reached the end of the prayer, of the invocation of Odin, it was blinding. To an infernal creature, it would be unbearable - it would be like bathing in the core of the sun, every atom of their being threatened to be consumed. But it would not only be the demons who were screaming.

The empty sockets that once contained Runa's eyes were streaming with fresh blood, an unsettling black goop.

Prudence would feel the flames burning within her soul. As would Madalyne. And Annika. And Max.

When the glow of the spell faded, the pain remained. Most of the demons that had been assaulting them were petrified. Runa collapsed to her knees, every inch of her body aching and crying out for relief. They imagined that they were falling into a dark pool, drowning, gasping for air but only managing to fill their lungs with water.

A horn sounded. The front gate of the castle opened. The next wave of demons emerged.

---

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"...Witchfire?"

Why did that name sound so familiar to him? Jack took the human skin saddle, and spent a few moments attaching into the Mercymorn. It had been a lifetime since he had been around any beast who needed one, so it was awkward at first, but he got the straps fixed around her in due time. Quietly, he contemplated the name while climbing up to ride. "Yes... Take us to Witchfire. She'll be able to help us sort this situation out. I think." When Carolina got on, they rode, and Jack delved into his mind to unearth whatever memory he was thinking of. The horses seemed to know the way themselves, and it gave him the space to think in peace. The name Witchfire had some sort of importance in Limbo, so he should be able to know it, but why didn't he?

"I know that name from somewhere."

The last time Jack was in Limbo, he found himself at a table in Belasco's sanctum. He was in the middle of a card game, where the demonic Sorcerer Supreme had boldly wagered an anthology of incredibly rare books native to his home. Jack, being a man of impeccable reason and self-preservation, challenged the bet by putting own soul up for grabs. Over a dozen demons watched the match unfold, with two thirds of them feeling tempted to jump across the table and kill Jack where he sat. To Belasco's credit, he was able to keep his demonic servants in check, but not fast enough to notice that Jack had shunted the entire deck into his pocket. The table was fraught with howling, flared tempers and egos bristling against one another. But Jack was as cool as a mountain's summit. Poker was not Belasco's strong suit, but Jack considered himself a somewhat decent teacher, so the late Sorcerer Supreme seemed to grasp the basics well enough that he'd rather beat a human at his own game. Alas, Jack omitted the number one rule of playing any card game against someone possessed of magical talent: Don't do it.

Jack won the game, cheating in ways most humans would deem utterly impossible, and made off with the entire collection. Belasco did not realize he had been scammed out of a soul for at least three days. When Jack returned to the Everdark, he and Nochalla read through them all. They were wonderful additions to his library. One book was a chronical of Limbo's future days yet to come... One of them mentioned Witchfire. But the book was so full of footnotes and singed pages that Jack couldn't possibly make out anything further than the fact that she was someone of great important to Belasco. Someone he took pride in, a person who he could trust to-

"Ananym-" He turned and faced the two he was travelling with. "I knew I recognized that name from somewhere. I can't say for certain, but I believe I know Witchfire personally. Though, if I'm correct, she goes by a different name in this time. Are either of you familiar with a pitiful fool named Belasco? He was the previous Sorcerer Supreme of Limbo, and I suspect Witchfire is his daughter."

Based on what he could guess from, Witchfire could've been Ananym. But she also could've been Magik, Belasco's unwilling apprentice. Or someone entirely unknown to him- He didn't care for Belasco's personal escapades that much. "I have always had a great distaste for time travel, but it seems we're all being pushed from our comfort zones tonight."

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Ed froze when the Indigenous woman called out a name. His eyes went to the only unknown person on the field that wasn't a fiend. The face was familiar. The name was familiar. That was his (step-) daughter. He touched his pocket where a candy bracelet sat. It had only been a few hours for him, she was almost 3 for him. But here she was, a fully grown adult.

"Mads." He whispered. She would not be hurt. Not here. Not under his watch. Something was going on with the others. Ed wasn't certain, but it was time for him to do something. He flicked his right hand and then his left hand in quick succession. Those who had worked with him before would recognize the movement. His force blasts. Normally these were blasts that could knock an opponent back, or a projectile from the air. However, this time the orange light was thin. Almost invisible and it cut through a swath of the demons. Each wrist flick had killed five of the fiends. It was not enough.

Ed ran forward stopping next to Madalyne. Something was wrong with her. If the newcomer woman was right, she was under some sort of control (other than Prudence's), and Ed figured she would. The sweet child he knew...she wouldn't attack like this. He slowly reached out to touch her shoulder. Theoretically, he could have healed her from a distance, with the bracelet. It was hers, it would have her DNA on it, but from here he could protect her better.

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The holy words were working. Annika did not understand the language Runa spoke, but she understood prayer when she heard it. Annika was quick to add to Runa’s words with her own prayer. She called on her Creator, thanking him for life and Breath of Wind. She called on Mother Moon and Sky Woman, who birthed twins. She thanked the good twin for the sun, life, food, and the Sisters of Corn, Bean, and Squash. She even prayed aloud to the bad twin, fearing he ruled in this unforgiving land. Finally, Annika finished with a Catholic Hymn her father would sing. His strong baritone resounded in her ear even as her alto filled the space around her. Several demons fell victim to her prayer, and as Annika watched them burn, a hint of a smile ghosted her lips. If only the demons in her world fell this quickly.

The doors swung open while the creatures burned, and a new group of demons swarmed them. There was no way Annika could leave her group to fend for themselves while she went inside to try and find Ananym, who very well could be Witchfire. Instead, Annika threw her arms wide and looked up to the sky, calling on Brother Eagle to join her. The familiar warmth of the shift enveloped Annika. The bones in her arms grew hollow and light, and feathers quickly covered her body. She shrunk in size, but her power grew. With the change complete, Annika snapped her head down. She looked left and right as her golden eyes took in the surroundings with added attention to detail. Annika took to the air with a loud screech, soaring high above her companions before she dove to grab onto the burning demons below. Despite her new power as an eagle, Annika could not pick the demons up. Screeching in annoyance, she released the demon she had a hold of and flew away, circling once more to rethink her efforts.

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Like pulling the Tower from a deck, Runas words served as a dark warning. As soon as she declared that something was wrong, the doors to the castle flew open to reveal someone leading a Demon army. The others joined them only to be faced with the wall of a demonic horde just moments before the leader ordered them to kill them all. Max didn't know how to fend off against demons, Angel's sure, ghosts even better, he could exercise people to no end, but demons in their home world? Annika seemed to know one of them, the one leading them now known as Madalyne. Though it appeared the familiar face didn't do anything to stop the oncoming waves of demons for them to fight. "Holy words?" he asked with widened eyes. He never paid much attention in church, mostly because they could never answer his questions to his liking.

Now he was faced with the task of trying to remember a hymn or prayer or anything. Prudence stepped up to the plate and took control of Madalyne, and just as that was settled Runa began to speak words of her own. With every word that she spoke, Max began to feel a burning sensation in his chest. Something was messing with his soul, an all too familiar feeling after his encounters on Genosha. He tried to fight back, to stay standing and push the pain aside, but even though she'd cleared the field of demons, a horn simply sounded and brought upon another wave. "Bullshit." Max almost missed Ed's familiarity with the girl as well, watching as he made hisbway towards her and stood by close. Risky. Clearly it meant they couldn't take care of her, she was more than another demon.

Annika began to pray, moments before shifting once more. That would never not be cool. He took a deep breath and tried to think. Scanning the field before finally deciding on something. His hand swirled with mystic energies as he held his hand out and created a Devils Trap beneath one of the demons. It appeared stuck in place, unable to leave the circle. "Give me a break already." he whispered to himself. "Alright test round completed now it's time for the big one." Max snapped his fingers and his magic swirled into action. Lines encircled and shaped around a swarm of twenty demons before finally completing the trap and ensnaring them within it.

His chest still burned as Max leaned against his soul staff for a breather, gripped at the fabric as if he was clutching pearls. There was a slight chuckle as the image reminded him of his Nanny Gabriella who would clasp her rosary when he powers first began to form. He recalled the words she said like a prayer each time as if it would remove the offending ghost… How did he not think of this before? What did she say?

Shock doesn't begin to describe what Max was feeling when he watched as thirty demons lit up in Holy flames and vanished. "Fine. After this I'll pick up a Latin Bible and any other religious texts."

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Carolina took a step back as she would let Jack grab the saddle which was also made out of human skin which again was a little bit creepy, the Green Eyed One certainly did like using human flesh for a lot of things apparently. Mercymorn and Butter Rum were talking about Witchfire, sadly she was their only lead on getting out of here. "Yes I am sure thats where we need to go." Carolina said as she quickly pulled herself up onto Mercymorn's back shortly after Jack did, and they were quickly on their way now to where they needed to go.

Carolina looked at Jack and gave him a slight shake of her head. "I don't know anything about him honestly." Carolina answered Jack as they started to move out of the maze now. This was her first time being in Limbo and she didn't know anyone here aside from the people that she had bumped into since she was dropped in here.

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Madalyne groaned really annoyed when the old woman used her staff to block her attacks she wanted to try and take out the old woman out as soon as possible. When she felt someone else entering her mind, and Madalyne quickly stopped her attacks, her eyes staring directly at Runa fully under Prudence's control now. However she listened to Runa and told her to attack the other demons and she did what she was told to, as Runa used a spell and took out a large number of demons. Only to hear a horn going off and another wave of demons started to come out of the castle and attacked them.

She paused for a moment when she saw a familiar face, seeing Ed her step-father there as he approached her Madalyne wanted to hug him so much, however she was compelled to attack the demons that were coming out of the castle thanks to Prudence' influence over her mind and Runa's order. She held out her hand started to chant a spell and started to send out an eldritch blast at the oncoming wave of demons managing to take out a few of them easily.

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Prudence felt the tide turn in their favor, if for a moment. Runa had managed to sway the girl to their side as she began to pick off the demon's herself. Soon the hex would wear off and, if all went well, the mind control would be no more. Still, Prudence would keep an eye out. She did not know the girl, after all.

Still, Runa held off the attacks easily. As Runa called forth whatever power she held, Prudence felt, with each word, a fire grow within her. It burned and pushed her to her limits. Eventually, Runa collapsed to the ground. Prudence did not know what it was, but whatever she called forth had decimated the remaining demons. Prudence would ensure Runa paid for using her, if that is what she did. Blind and old be damned.

A horn sounded as another wave approached them. Everyone, even Ed, summoned their own powers to unleash hells on them. So Prudence opted to call forth the storm again. She felt herself push to her limits, the fire Runa summoned probably wiping her energy. Prudence felt faint, but she managed to push through, as a storm cloud appeared and unleashed a torrent of lightning strikes on the demons, obliterating half of them.

The demon's numbers were dwindling, but if they had any hope of seeing this to the end, they would need to turn the tide and quickly.

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"Well guess we're going off places, who knows how this will turn out, I also still have no idea who Witchfire is or why we'd even want to go there since all I've heard is that Carolina's soul apparently is claimed by them or something like that. I don't know how all of that works out, so who really cares," Klara commented a little annoyed that it was taking the other two a while to even get on one of the horses, since she wanted to get moving already to start dealing with the list of problems that seemed to just be getting longer.

When Jack mentioned someone named Belasco, she just sort of shrugged a bit when that comment was made. "I don't know who that is, as for the whole time travel thing, honestly I'm fine with it. Makes things way more interesting that way overall. Especially since you run into people who you've either met or have yet to meet. I always thought that sort of thing was interesting, though typically that sort of thing is frowned upon cause you can screw everything up."

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We know who Witchfire is, duh!! Mercymorn butts in. You may have been just asking Carolina and Klara, Jack, but clearly Mercymorn and Butter Rum are not beyond chiming in, especially if it could be helpful. They live in Limbo after all. The rest of you are tourists.

And Belasco, yikes, the creep, Mercymorn then adds.

But he's been gone for ages, Butter Rum says. Magik banished him.

Mercymorn whinnies slightly. She's hardly any better. When's the last time you saw her around? Never!!

The skeletal horses move quickly - either that or the landscape of Limbo seemed to compress. It would not be long until you found yourselves riding up a steep slope, leading to a castle on a cliffside. The sound of battle roars from above, as demons assault figures in strange red cloaks...

Friends of yours? Butter Rum asks.

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With each invocation of holy words, the pain rippled through Runa once more - just as it would spasm through Prudence, Annika, Madalyne, and Max. They gripped their staff a little tighter, using it as leverage as they attempted to stand from where they had collapsed on the ground. They could sense the battle swirling all around them, they could hear the cry of the demons as they attacked, but the sounds were quieter now. The hoard was almost beaten back. That is, until a fresh wave would be sent after them. Limbo had no end to their supply of demons, it seemed.

"They will fight us forever if we allow them to, we need another way," Runa urged. Their voice was sore and quiet, low enough that it would easily be lost in the cacophony. More invocations would likely kill them and others as well. She did not mention that part.

However, the fighting then suddenly ceased, as the horn blew twice. Runa strained her hearing. Although she could not see, she heard as the doors to the castle opened.

"Stop!" a loud voice called out. Those who could see would see a cruel purple horned demon, Sym. "The lady Witchfire invites you all for tea," Sym then growled.

Again, while Runa could not see, the others would spot to his side a blonde haired woman dressed all in black. "I do hope you'll accept my invitation."

Runa frowned. They felt uneasy. "Madalyne, you are no longer bound to me," they said. The spell placed on Mads would break - her mind would be her own once more. She only hoped that they demon child was not as feral as she had been at first meeting.

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Ed was pulling at his magic again, preparing to kill more of these demons. He wondered if demons counted in the family laws. He felt like they shouldn't. The laws tended to mean humans (or other mutants). He did not have any holy magic so he had not thought he would be able to successfully defeat more than a few of these at a time. If Max was able to do that there was a chance he could too. He had been taught Latin growing up, so he spoke it well. Some of the family's old texts were only in Latin. However, a horn sounded and the attack stopped. It was a bit disconcerting to have a battle such as this end so suddenly.

"Remind me later, and I'll help you with your Latin." Ed said to Max, not even realizing he had said it. A small hint at the friendship that had or would form between the 2 of them.

Ed reached into his pocket and found the small candy bracelet. He wondered if it would fit Mads' wrist now; it probably would be too small. Runa had released Mads so now he turned to her. Sure, they had to head in for tea time (the absurdity of that aside), but first, he wanted to speak to his stepdaughter. He honestly didn't know how much longer he would live. With the battle over the fear of death diminished some, but he knew it was coming.

"Madalyne, are you alright?" He asked, Runa's magic had hurt her somehow (and the others, but for some reason not him). He wanted to hug her. Did she know who he was?

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A horn had gone off twice signaling that the fight had ended, she turned to stare at Sym the demon who had forced her to attack the others, and a strange woman in all black stood next to him. Madalyne stumbled slightly as she felt her mind starting to clear again she had free will again as she looked at Runa as she helped the elderly blind woman up to her feet. "I am so sorry I didn't mean to attack you." Madalyne said, she was hurting herself due to whatever spells Runa had been using. "I didn't hurt you did I?" She asked her she wanted to offer whatever aid she could for the elderly woman.

Madalyne turned to Ed who had addressed her, and she instantly recognized him she hadn't seen her step-father since she was three years old. She was surprised that he recognized her right away she was a lot older now, and her demonic features as well to she made her way over towards Ed and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm alright dad." Madalyne said to him, she always did see Ed as her father sure her mother did move on eventually and remarried but she had always felt attached to him. "Where the hell have you been?" She asked him they had a lot of catching up to do. Her attention then turned back to the woman and Sym, she didn't trust either of them especially Sym. "I don't trust either of them." Madalyne whispered to her step-father she then turned to see three more Sorcerer Supremes approach on two skeletal horses, noting one of them was a child.

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Carolina continued to listen to Klara as she spoke, she did know the girl when she was a lot older but like Klara said she didn't want to bring that up since it would probably change things. They were getting a lot closer now as things seemed to warp and change into a new scene she could hear the sounds of fighting going on as Butter Rum and Mercymorn brought them up to a large castle. But things seemed to have stopped as the horses stopped. Carolina noticed there were more Sorcerer Supremes there as well to, and Max was there amongst them she was still annoyed that he just disappeared on her and Klara.

"They might be." Carolina said to Butter Rum as she got off of Mercymorn and gently patted the two horses, her eyes turned towards the purple demon, and the woman in black who she instantly recognized October right away when she spoke. She hadn't seen her since she had died in her arms in Coventry all those years ago. "It seems like we missed the party." Carolina said as she turned to look back at October once more and smiled at her.

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Max smiled at the handsome older man, a lopsided grin plastered on his face as he grasped at his staff with white knuckles. "It's a date then." he said weakly. It made no sense, the holy words had destroyed the demonic army, but in invoking them they were somehow injured themselves. Well, all save for Ed it seemed. He was about to make his way towards him when Ed left to be by Madylne's side. It seemed like some form of reunion so he didn't want to disturb them. His attention shifted focus towards the demon that invited them to tea on behalf of another. This would be the second time that he was invited in for Tea in Limbo, and he had to say his first encounter left a sour taste in his mouth. He turned to look towards the others when he notice a pair of familiar faces, Klara, Carolina, and the Horses had all made it to the same destination. Along with a third man Max hadn't recognized, though he was strikingly handsome in his own right.

He mustered what energy he had left, and made his way towards the new pair of supremes, halting just short of hugging the pair of them. "I'm so glad you two are safe! I was trying to teleport Klara out of her clutches when Limbo hijacked my magic and sent me here in the middle of a demonic horde fight. Not exactly sure how or why, but I feel like this dimension has a way of warping things, including any ability to teleport." Max tried to explain in between breaths. "Sorry, the waves of demons really took it out of me."

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Even as the horses butted in, there clearly wasn’t much knowledge on Witchfire between the five of them. As they trotted along, their scenery warped further. It was largely quiet, and Jack had enough time to notice the aching feeling from his wounds begin to grow a little loud. He briefly considered uncorking the alien alcohol he still had in a pocket, but decided against that in the presence of a kid. Besides, he’d only launch into a ran about time travel in response to Klara’s input if he was intoxicated. Just as it became boring, the sounds of a distant battle could be heard. Alarmingly, Jack could visibly see traces of magic, and a violent light fill a battlefield which he was nearing with Carolina and Klara. They weren’t in a condition to fight as a group, thought Jack could reasonably banish a few assailants if the need arose.

”That must be our destination,” And their destination it was, for as they finally came upon the castle, there stood a grand total of six Sorcerer Surpemes, for nine in total. It was going to be one of those days. An old woman who seemed dreadfully fatigued, some vaguely familiar twinkish guy who looked like a comic book necromancer… Anong them were his former companions. ”Annika! Madalyne! There you are, where is Ananym?”

Unfortunately, that question would have to be put on hold for a moment, as the woman of the hour was addressing the crowd. A blonde, ominous woman who didn’t look like a future version of Ananym. Could his theory be wrong? Anything was possible where Limbo and the future were involved. Jack was a touch surprised when Ananym seemed to recognize her. ”You know her?” He stepped off of Mercymorn, taking a moment to thank the horses for their effort. Standing beside them and his human travel companions, Jack studied this Witchfire. She certainly seemed to be the intelligent type of imposing, with how collected she was. No one became a person of renown in Limbo without a story. The dethroning of a powerful wizard, a tale of conquest- People feared the woman they were all addressed by for a reason, even if that reason wasn’t apparent.

She was offering them all tea, when her forces came out in full forces against the other would-be Sorcerer Supremes. An interesting change of pace, but one he wasn’t in a place to comment on due to arriving this late. Knowing that this was Limbo, he wasn’t inclined to trust Witchfire, or anyone for that matter, not to slip poison into the cup. At the very least, the tea wouldn’t curse him.

”You… Lady Witchfire.” He elected to address the woman directly, and as professionally as he could. This could be delicate. ”Your offer is generous. I simply must ask, though- And this may sound strange. Do I seem familiar to you? The whims of fate suggest that to were once someone I knew, and fate can be strange in Limbo.” That wasn’t a lie, Jack’s history was rather whimsical, after all. Jack was, of course, referring to his theory that Witchfire was an older Ananym- She could’ve learned shapeshifting magic, or inhabited another body through necromancy. He wouldn’t know just by looking at her, though. If he happened to be correct, then this night may be somewhat easier.

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Klara sort of was ignoring the whole situation in general with regards to what was going on with Witchfire. She didn't really have a care with regards to who that was or anything like that, no. Her attention was solely on one person who was with the group that they had just come across, and it was someone she didn't like at all. Probably someone she thought worse of then Jack currently, since Jack popped up and actually seemed to do something (even if it was idiotic in the long run) but nope. Max had left them right before all the chaos happened.

Hence she very much hated him.

Without much thinking or caring at all to what was going on around her, Klara walked over, and in one quick motion drew her sword and promptly stabbed Max in the leg. Careful to not actually cause any actual damage, well, permanent damage anyway, but enough that would cause him pain. "You left us. I would not say we're okay, but maybe your idiotic brain doesn't register that. Things are not like that at all, but you don't actually seem to care anyway," Klara said, pulling her sword out then, before turning her attention towards someone else in the group who she found to be interesting to say the least. That being the old hag over there. Klara wandered over to look at Runa, "Who are you?" she asked her.

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Annika soared high above the fight, watching her enemies fight against the people dressed like her. In the distance, she spotted more people riding towards them. Annika couldn’t tell if they were friends or foes. She couldn’t fly over and examine them closer due to a burning sensation that filled her body. Annika screeched in pain and confusion before diving down to make an attack. Before she could move, a horn blew twice, and the demons suddenly stopped fighting. Annika spread her wings to slow her descent and squawked quizzically before landing on the ground behind the others.

Tea? Were they invited to tea? The woman looked nothing like Ananym. So Ananym had an older sister then. Annika folded her wings behind her, stretching her neck out and shaking as she listened. She heard her name being called and turned her head to look behind her. Her sharp golden eyes focused on Jack, seeing him in a new light. She cried out acknowledgement and set about shifting back to human.

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Runa felt steady, soft hands grip her own and help her up to her feet. The voice belonged to Madalyne, it seemed that whatever trance(s) she had fallen under had been dispelled. "You did not hurt me, child," Runa said, attempting to reassure her. "I am not as frail as I look." Had she eyeballs left in her sockets, Runa would have winked for dramatic effect. They had not survived the wasteland of their world by being helpless. They had not slain a legion's worth of magicians by being weak.

It took power, skill, and patience to impose one's will on the universe - and even more to ensure that it stuck.

But even now in their old age, they were still surprised. There was a new voice near them, young yet cold, as if someone had made the approximation of a child but had forgotten to give it any heart or feeling. It was a voice they had spent decades hearing, if not longer. And while some things had faded with time, this memory did not. A small smile traced Runa's lips. Their name had already been revealed to those assembled, that danger had past.

Runa reached out a hand in the direction of the voice, beckoning for that person to take it. "You know who I am, Thordattir," Runa said. "I am Baldur's child."

They turned their head, though, in the direction that Witchfire's voice - among others - had come from. "Won't you guide a frail one? I traded my eyes long ago," she then asked Klara.

Annika would successfully turn back to a human, although some avian features were retained - such as talons on her hands and feathers mixed in with her hair.

The Lady Witchfire had returned Carolina's smile, a sweet darkness in her expression - the very sort of almost dreamy horror that as a child had dominated the personality of October Crypt, Carolina's lost love. "I knew you would find me," Witchfire said. Her hands were folded together in front of her, as prim and proper as ever.

Her eyes then flickered over to Jack, a bit of annoyance briefly rippling the surface of her face. "I believe you are acquainted with some of my family, yes," she said. "My father, perhaps. He was a renowned occultist in his day. But my mother was the real power behind the throne."

Witchfire then motioned for everyone to follow her, before sweeping back inside her castle. There was a grand hall, lined with suits of armors and debauched paintings, most of them depicting the corruption or the consumption of the innocent. Stone sconces provided the only source of light, bathing the marble flooring in an eerie yet warm glow. Heavy tapestries hung from the walls. To the right was a spiral staircase, to the left was a door that led down to the dungeon Madalyne and Ananym had been tortured in.

They went straight, as the doors opened up for Witchfire, revealing a grand throne room. It was dominated by a stone throne, with clawed feet and strange archaic symbols. About ten feet in front of the throne was an elegant table, black wood with a grim red table cloth. It was set for tea, although instead of pastries and fruits, there were body parts and knives. The tea glowed a mysterious shade of green, bubbling and almost sounding like it was alive, speaking tongues. The table had been set for nine.

"Please, sit," Witchfire said, before sitting on her throne. The purple demon, Sym, stood by her side, holding a platter of an assortment of items from the main table.

Once everyone was seated, the Lady Witchfire continued. "While I am overjoyed to see you again, my love, I must ask - what brings you all to my realm?"