Varya Chandrar

As Varya charged ahead, the raging bear barreled toward him with alarming speed! He knew the bear would be able to sniff him out as his illusion spell couldn't mask his scent, but how did he discern his exact location so quickly? Panicked by the sudden rush of teeth and muscle, Varya immediately turned tail and ran in the opposite direction as quick as his augmented legs could take him! Panicked as he was, his eyes darted around the room, looking for something in the environment to use against the furry menace. He had to think and act fast! He noticed some sort of macabre operating table. He ran towards the table, luring the angry bear toward it. He lept onto the table on his toes with precision so as to avoid brushing his bare feet against the instruments. When the bear lunged forth to attack him, Varya leapt and fliped backwards into the air, at that very moment his invisibility faded. As Varya descended behind the bear he slashed downwards at the bear's buttocks with his twin blades. Assuming that Varya could dodge the counterattack, he would circle around to the next operating table, using it to act as cover against the mauling fury. The bear attacked like the mountain, so Varya must attack like the sea. He will use his speed to maneuver around the bear, slashing at the bear's limbs and body whenever he saw the chance. Varya would have to bleed him dry, even if it took a thousand cuts to do. He could only hope he could injure his opponent before he himself ran out of steam, knowing full well he could not win the battle of endurance.

At least he could slow down the bear to make a decisive strike, and maybe Solomon could patch him up later, though right now Varya's own survival was of far greater concern than that of the raging beast in front of him.

---

Well, that was unfortunate. Not only was it not possible to avoid fighting the bear, but that he was actively seeking out one of their party members. Thankfully, Varya’s display of agility allowed him to essentially dance around the raging beast avoid most if not all of its deadly looking claw swipes. Of all the intelligent bears Solomon knew, which was a surprising amount at this point, this one was the most aggressive and the least apprehensive to using his strength. Even as Varya used he weapons, the bear looked as determined as ever to catching his prey.

“Alright girls, that bear is easily three times your size. It might be best if you stay here. Find another solution.” said Solomon. He looked around the corner again. Varya was holding around the tables, and Wideria wasn’t in view yet. This should be enough time.

“Stand back.” said Solomon. His glove hand glowed an odd black energy, almost like it was absorbing light than emitting it. Solomon turned to face the larger laboratory as the energy began to snake from the large tome at his back into his hand. Wisps of silver swirled into the darkness. Then the magical energy trailed from his hand into the ground a little ways in front of Solomon. “I call for your aid. Bartholomew of vengeful retribution. Heed my command and come forth.”

The ground from which the energy lingered began to crumble as a mound formed from below the tiles. Dirt cleared revealing a metallic surface that continued to rise out of the earth. Further pieces of metal was uncovered. The various pieces started to assemble themselves, as a suit of armor rose from the earth. Dull steel, with tattered insignia bearing familiar colors of Kindeance. Even without a body, the armor stood tall under its own power. A burst of heat localized around the figure emanated as a flash of fire erupted from where the head should have been. An imposing figure, the undead armor stood tall, large pauldrons, and thick greaves, the armor did not appear light in any capacity. A ball of bright white fire replaced the head, and though it lacked eyes, it seemed easy to tell where the entity was looking.

“Solomon!” the large fellow bellowed, “Again so soon? What have you been getting yourself into?”

“Bartholomew. Now isn’t the time. There is a rather unique bear that I need you to subdue.” said Solomon. The flaming armor turned his head, at least one could assume it did so. Even without a mouth, it managed to click its tongue.

“Not the druidic one? Say no more.” Bartholomew’s voice was full of eagerness and anticipation. One could tell the animated armor was excited for the opportunity to face battle once again. It knelt down, plunging its gauntlet into the mound it had just emerged from. In one movement, the armor lifted his elbow, his grip around a metal handle. As the armor stood up again, a large double headed bearded axe erupted from the soil. He carried the momentum of the weapon up, allowing it to land with an audible clang over his shoulder. “First you send me against a bear of a man. Now it’s an actual bear. Have at thee.”

Bartholomew took his axe in both hands and charged right for the enraged bear. Should the bear continued to be hyper focused to face Varya, Bartholomew was poised to attack the hulking beast while it was distracted. Heavy steps, yet large strides ensured that it was only a few steps before the armor would engage.

Solomon nodded his head as the flaming armor departed. “We shall see what the mage decides.” said Solomon, “based on what happens next, we can decide our next course of action.”

Like a guillotine, the ice blade twice bigger than an average human came down. It managed to withstand the heat as it cleaved the enraged's hardened body starting from his shoulder. As it reached the heart, the glowing blood splashed about, and suddenly the body started to lose its integrity and shattered.

Evan had carefully positioned himself and the blade so it wouldn't get into the range of Jonas' Radiant field, but still, moving that enormous mass of ice was very taxing he could feel his magic reserve draining.

It was one down and two to go.

___

Even Jonas could be blinded by his own light. As the sword staff became bigger and brighter, something whistled in the air, followed by a sharp sensation of pain. He did not see it when it struck, but he now knew that an arrow shaft seemed to have sprouted out from his right shoulder.

Adrenaline was a hell of a painkiller. Even after recognizing his blunder, he continued his channeling, eyes focused on the black-haired, cat-eared shieldbearer, who after dastardly backstabbed him when he was not looking, rushed again toward him to attack.

Yes! That's what you are. Dirty, plague! Can't help yourself but poking your nose where it doesn't belong, right?

His giant spear came crashing down. Initially impinging upon Athena's shield and nailing it deep to the ground before impacting the earth with immense force it blasted Athena and sent her flying.

The Rosenving rushed from another angle, and in response Jonas moved his massive weapon sideways, intending to swipe incoming attackers away, but his arms finally gave in. The massive spear stopped midway and disappeared. Too weak and too slow to properly block, the Delving patriarch retreated back. Yvonne's sword hit a thin air.

Another arrow came, and he could see it this time. Gathering every ounce of willpower he could muster, Jonas hastily conjured a protective layer of light on his body before rushing sideways to evade it and the incoming blast.

But no explosion could be heard or felt. Instead, he got another backstabber. Louise rushed to intercept and ran her blunted sword on the old man's pelvis. His armor blocked the thrust, and Jonas retaliated by kicking the squire in the gut.

"Trash! Everything was fine before you meddlers showed up!"

Shifting his attention to the side, Yvonne had closed the gap, faster than anticipated. Jonas pathetically raised his hand to block, but no shield made of light formed, nor protective layer reached his arm to protect him. His magical energy had been all used up it only partially covered him.

The mad blade's sword cut his forearm off. Her mace followed and struck Jonas right in the face. His protective layer negated half of the damage, but the sheer willpower behind that swing knocked him down regardless. Laying on the grass with a bloody nose and lips, Jonas Delving coughed, spitting teeth and blood in the remainder of his consciousness.

___

Jazdia released the string from her fingers and detached her enchanted arrow. Blood was still trailing from her upper midriff, soaking her leggings and right shoes. Trying her hardest to avert her gaze from her own bloody shoeprint, or the puddle of blood she departed from, she returned her glowing arrow back to her quiver and left.

She has to be there, she must catch up with Yvonne on the others! The Rosenving was still not on her sanest, and God knew what those three Government employees would do in front of a defenseless traitor.

"Yona, remember the plan..." her voice came out huskily. The pain was getting unbearable, and she could only clutch it, and press the bandage to stop the blood from seeping put.

---

The light was starting to shrink and fade, yet the two surviving enraged remained frozen. Whatever unholy magic that governed their movement seemed to have been broken by Jonas's radiance spell. It raised a concern about who actually controlled them. Was it done autonomously? Remotely controlled by someone? Could that spell be reactivated? Repaired?

One thing was for sure, their glowing heart was still beating.

The twins looked with huge eyes at the creature that just erupted from the ground, completely dumbstruck. Rose especially, was having great difficulty processing what she just "saw". Seeing an entity's aura materialize out of another's, using drawn in 'lambent glow', was a thing she felt she would never even hear about, let alone witness directly.

That was not even talking about the creature itself. Unnatural. Not properly alive, yet still living.

It was contrary to everything they had seen, heard, or learned.

The shock and awe of it lasted only moments as the creature boomed out its pleasure at facing what was in the next room. The doctor said it was... a bear?

The word had taken this long to register. Yes, they smelled a bear in the air, but with the reek of all the pungent smells down here, it was hard to tell one from another-- Maybe cedar just really needed a bath? It wasn't CEDAR over there, was it?!

Lily poked her head around the corner for only a split second, to verify that NO--THAT WAS NOT CEDAR over there. She only saw his butt, but whooooo.... What a butt! Too bad about the bloody slashes over it, soaking the fur like that, but with how that fellow was trying to turn that little blue elf man into a purple stain? She couldn't say they blamed the fellow for giving that handsome lunk a sore posterior. Any place you can safely strike.

She looked at her sister Rose, who was still struck with confusion, not in line of sight of the wonder just beyond. Wordlessly, she shook her head "no", as her sister nodded in understanding, then turned as if to leave.

"Where ya goin'!?" she hissed at her. "He's big as a house! It gonna take us both!"
"I HAS an IDEAR!" Rose hissed back, taking only moments to dart across the antechamber to snag off a blanket from the nearest bed, then scurry back. She had already begun furiously rolling the edge up.

"Up an' o'er?"
"You got it!"
"onleh one shot.."
"'En we bettah makes it caount!"

Rose had completed "half rolling" the blanket in such a way that it retained it's "long length", and over the short edge, was rolled up half way, in an overhand roll. She concealed it in over her shield-arm, behind the shield and nodded to her sister that she was ready.

Lily turned her head back around the corner and looked out once more. The strange metallic monster with the flaming orb where a head should be was laughing loudly, while swinging that brutal looking axe around like it owned the place. This time, the vantage of the man-bear in the room was face-on and she saw more. His chest had a livid bald spot that looked vaguely human-shaped, the center of which glowed menacingly from beneath the skin. His face was swollen and distorted over his muzzle, like had a raging infection inside it. It must be horrifically painful-- Spittle flew from his mouth, and he swung like he meant it. Even disfigured (and glowing) as he was, there was no arguing that he was a VERY. HANDSOME. BEAR.

AND BIG.

The momentary pause she had indulged for the eye-candy broke, and the seeming slow motion she had been watching rushed back to full speed, as that momentary glimpse sprang into full force-- The Bear-man and the Metal-monster swinging at each other; the former raging curses that would make their father blush, and the latter laughing in a deep baritone, while the elf-man slashed and darted about like mosquito, striking where and how he could.

"Damn he pretty..."
"NOT NAOW! We's can oogle 'im oncet he all tied up, NOT AFORE!"

Her sister was right of course-- That.. WOULD.. be the correct time to.. "Get a good look"... A dirty smile curled on her face, then she strolled out into the room, her sister in hot, close pursuit behind her.

"HEYA 'DERE FELLA!!"
"WOULDA NEVAH GUESSED YA'S INTA BOYS!!"
"WHY DON' YOU COMES PLAY WIT' US ASTEAD!?"
"--ER DOES TWO FINE LOOKIN' LADIES MAKES YA SCARED!?"

They quickly maneuvered themselves into position in the threshold of what appeared to be a nearby bedroom, and took up placements there, ready to each spin around, grab an end of the rolled up blanket, and haul it over his head while ducking to either side of the doorway when (or if) he should take the bait, and rush at them.

"C'MON AN' MEETS US IN DA BEDROOM!"
"YOU KNOW YOU WANNA!!"

Then in unison:

"COME GIT SOME!!"
"COME GIT SOME!!"

Dragging the oversized knife around the anti-magic field. Evan walked, laboriously. He's so clearly short of breath, and it hurt to take a deep breath of air. He was extremely tired.
Soon, this concave field of frost around him turned into a full circle as Jonas' sanctuary waned. Evan watched as Jonas' entire arm gets cut clean off.
Evan had conflicting emotions. A little schadenfreude at the deed, but annoyed that he wasn't the one doing it. In fact he wasn't sure if he ever landed a clean hit on Jonas.
There's so little in his understanding of mana and magic. Everything about it frustrated him. His mana surges out, freezing the nearby grass into fragile shards of ice, as the oversized knife he's been lugging for a while now just fully darted back then swung itself at an extremely high arc, hurling itself to slice through or crash onto the two remaining thugs that remained frozen even as the anti-magic field dissipated.

This mana thing. He seemed fully out of it, and he only had a few more seconds of his Blood Sight active, to watch Jazdia walk near. Blood dripping from her belly, through her torn liver, and down to her lower body. Evan raised his left hand, showing long hair-like ice strands emerge from his fingers.
"Do you need..." Evan's vision dropped about two feet as he was suddenly down to his left knee. "help..." His hand reached for the ground for stability but it was a little too low down, until it rapidly wasn't.
Thud. He fell to his side. Fully out of it.
A mixture of pain, bottomed-out mana, and the feeling of a lack of air.

The sharp pain of someone trying to move his body would surely wake him up again, though.

And just like that, a star - a legend - have fallen. A flicker of weakness where his magic fails him, one that Yvonne capitalized as she sliced through the half-formed protection like hot knife through butter. The relic blade of the Rosenving remained as sharp as the day it left the forge, cleanly taking off the arm that was raised to block. A blow to the head immediately followed up, with only the barest bit of awareness to hold back lest she pulverized his entire face.

There she stood, breathing heavily, the red receding as she gazed down on the broken form of the old knight. A triumphant moment soured by a resurfacing memory. Of a greying man with gnarled, trembling hands and wobbly legs, who find little comfort in doing nothing at all. His lips dry, face withered, with liver spots mottling his head...

...and still enough skill to slay men a third his age in a single flourish.

"I realized a long time ago that, when you become someone of my reputation, any route to death is going to be a disappointing one. They'll write it in the books how someone below my stature slew the great swordmaster. It's hogwash. If you want the truth I'll tell ya. I fear what I know is coming. That my body will betray me in the last moments. With time at its side, my body is what is going to kill me. The knee will lock, the grip will loosen, the shoulder will weaken. For all my speed and instinct it was time that has crept upon me, slow and steady, with no heat nor cold to give it away, it simply was and is and will be. I always thought I'd be bested by another swordsman. Someone of talent. But I suppose I was too good for that."

Yvonne blinked, the red rapidly receding from her sight, and the ache started to made themselves known. Her gaze fell on her sword-arm, shaking in barely perceptible tremor, before shifting to the sorry sight of Jonas Delving sprawled before her. It's always a cycle, wasn't it? And one day, she too will be on the receiving end of all this.

"...time to sleep, old man."

She stepped on his remaining good hand, pressing down her knee on the armored form of his chest. Her sword find its way to the ground, rivulets of crimson barely perceptible in the dark of the night, her freed hand going to the artery at the side of his neck. She applied pressure, firmly and carefully, not relenting until she choke the consciousness out of the old man.

Afterward, perhaps she should see to his bleeding stump.

Louise got booted on her gut area by Jonas Delving. Luckily, the breastplate blocked it and just made her stumbled back, she regained herself after as she fixed herself from getting stumbled and breathed out. Her thrusted seemed work well to distracted the noble old man for Yvonne's attack. She the later watched the small mercenary woman put him to the ground.

She then walked nearby Yvonne, blunted sword on her right hand and standing tall. Eyes were back to normal, glared on her with a cinnamon look. Looked away, scanned the remaining thugs with a glowing hearts.

"There are still enemy remaining, Madam Rosenving. Those hearts are the core of those poor abomination and it seems they still up without the master." Louise said to Yvonne as the barrier is dramatically fade away.

She is prepared herself for incoming attacks.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment." Yvonne remarked, turning her head only to wince when even that simple motion pulled her muscles the wrong way. Still keeping her hand on Jonas until he pass out, the mercenary saw the squire's blunted blade and gestured at the grounded sword with her chin. "Use this if you have to."

Well, at least the battle's over now. She idly wondered how the infiltration team fared. Surely they've found Cedar by now?

"I see." Louise replied on Yvonne, she sheathed her blunted sword and took Yvonne's sword. As she grabbed, an immense feeling made Louise paused for a while, looking on the blade. After it, she turned away Yvonne. Headed to the frozen thug, made different posture that able to make small mercenary recognize a familiar posture. Louise eyes are pupil less and gave the thug two handed thrust right through the glowing heart.

Her body moved on her own and the thrusting power is much greater than her usual strength. She stays cautious and give the rest of the thug an end too.

---

Athena stayed true to her charge while Yvonne and Louise did the same at either flank. She slowed her run as Delving kept his focus on her. Her hand gripped the shield’s handle tightly as she anticipated the attack from his ever glowing spear overhead. Still, she moved forward almost taunting him. Where she went wasn’t any matter of Delving’s. Defiantly, she continued forward.

When the spear came down, Athena stopped and braced herself as best she could against the colossal weapon of light. The moment it started descending was all the clue she needed to prepare. Still, the shear size and power behind the spear was more than the smaller nekomata could handle. The spear hit the shield, but right on impact, the shield was half buried into the earth.

“Haaangh ahh!” Athena cried out. She crumpled into the ground as the shield pulled her down with it. Leather straps dug into her arm, tearing through leather and skin. Athena’s shoulder popped out of the socket, and her elbow was similarly dislocated. Wrenching pops of bone fracturing was only drowned out by the rumble of the light spear hitting the ground.

As the giant spear of light struck the ground, Athena was thrown with the mounds of dirt and sod. Her mangled arm slipped out of the shield’s straps which now lay implanted into the topsoil. Athena's spear also flew off in another direction, spinning several times like a twirlers wand before landing at an angle, spearhead piercing the ground. Athena’s armor helped against further abrasions, but offered nothing for the bruises and blunt force trauma. She lay unconscious as Delving’s counter attacks diminished in effectiveness.

Even as the light from Delving’s power faded, Athena lay on her back, her limbs splayed, her left arm bent incorrectly. A cool breeze blew across her face, brushing some of her hair over her covered eyes. Though labored, Athena was still breathing steadily. The pain would eventually rouse her.

Landing on all four, the giant bear let out a roar when he realized that his enemy had escaped his mighty hug.
Varya leaped to his back and began hacking his hind leg with his butterfly knight. His visibility faded. At the wrong time. Really.

He felt a surge of electricity suddenly ensnared him from his back. His legs refused to move, and his hand suddenly went limp. Enraged Ted did not waste a moment to turn back, but instead, he used his hindleg to kick Varya back, hurling him to the other room. The sound of door cells being clanged open could be heard before his body finally crashed against the hard and cold wall.

Behind the bars, a beautiful red-haired woman smiled mischievously. Her staff glowed in pale white when she stomped it to the floor. Runic letters glowed on the cell doors and wall behind him, and as if moved by some unknown power, the door swung shut.

"Ah! A new test subject! Be a dear and make yourself at home. Fret not. This will be over soon!"

___

Ted the Gladiator growled and turned back. Then turned back again. Huffing like mad. Confused was an understatement to describe what he felt right now. He stood by his two legs again, trying to sniff that wretched magic. It was gone now. Did he pulverize that thing under his legs?

"Ted. Focus! llonydd!" The doctor shouted something powerful. It felt like something was blitzing in his head when he heard it, yet the magic felt calming. Focus, yes, he would be so.

Fully adjusted to the room's ambient brightness, he could clearly see them now. The intruders, this many, surround them. blocking his way from the entrance. What they want?

"You see, my boy? They are here for mother, they are here to kill mother."

His heart raced. A voice in his head spoke up, and it was somewhat familiar. Yes, what about Mother? If the intruders were here, would that mean....? He shook his head. The pain swelled again. No, Mother IS safe, she is in the big house. Those intruders came here through tunnels, like rats they were.

Yes... don't think much about it. Mother is safe, but Ted has to do something to keep her safe. Get rid of those intruders! Crush them! Don't think much! Remember Mother think. Ted Smash.

Mother think. Ted Smash.

Mother think. Ted Smash

Crush them!!!

His enormous hand caught the axe, letting the warm iron dig into his palm. It was shallow, almost painless. This old sensation, adrenaline, the rush. The Gladiator Were-Bear grabbed the axe with his two hands now and tried to take it by force. The armored thing refused, so Ted swung his arm and thwacked the blazing specter's chest armor.

The fire temporarily ignited his fur, but such minuscule pain was a mere trifle thing to him.

---

Ted might be slow, dull-witted, and sees himself as a wild animal. But they did not crown him as the arena's Champion out of pure savagery alone. And thus, he was capable of logical thinking, and if those juvenile bears thought they could lure him like an animal in heat, they were wrong.

Jazdia was in a hurry, but even then she slowed down to watch where the hell those oversized ice swords were going. It careened itself overhead, flew past injured Athena, and crashed itself on the two freezing enraged by their east, knocking them over, but failed to cleanly sever their bodies. Their hearts were still beating.

"Do you need..."

And there he was, the mage behind those spectacular displays. Jazdia responded by shaking her head. Not sure what was the purpose of showing off the conjuration of ice strands on fingers at this moment, nor she would spare a moment to ask.

"Yeah, please light that campfire. Can you do it?"

She said, walking past him, and not even bothering to see that the man had slumped down behind her.
___

Jonas Delving, with what was left of his strength struggled. His arms, then outstretched and feebled, now moved to clutch Yvonne's hand, trying to release her grip from his neck. His stumped hand was outstretched, smearing blood onto the mercenary's upper arms and clothes.

"That's enough."

Still struggling, his eyes stared at the approaching elf defiantly, tears formed in his eyes, his sclera reddened, and saliva ran from the corner of his lips.

"YVONNE ROSENVING, THAT'S ENOUGH!!!"

She grabbed her by the shoulder and squeezed it with her bloodied and trembling hand.

"Let... let him be. We need him alive..."

"He aint goin fer it Rosie..."
"Uh kin sees 'at!"

The pair were vexed that the big lunkhead seemed angry enough to chew nails, but collected enough to not take the bait and rush them.

The elf man was now out of the picture as well. This was looking bad-- they needed to get Mr Tall Dark and Gruesome out of commission, so they could focus on that spell slinging bitch instead, before they ALL wound up caged in there.

"Covah meh!" Lily barked, then dove into the bedroom, rapidly looking for anything and everything even remotely useful, only to find books well beyond her understanding on various dry and uninteresting topics in the nearest cabinet, which she cast onto the foor irritably. Moving to the second one, there was a large container of sterilizer grade alcohol, for cleaning skin prior to performing surgery. THAT she eagerly grabbed up, dirty visions dancing through her head. In the far end of the room, was an odd crystal container filled with what looked like blood. Sadly, not very useful given the situation. Clutching the large container of alcohol tightly, she darted back through the threshold.

"What'd ya find?!"
"A buncha books-- an DIS!"

She opened the stopper to let the pungent odor out, but only for a moment.
"Dis aughta set hims worl' on fiyah!" She cackled.

"Good one Lil! Let 'im have it while i mess wit' em books!"
As Lily lined up and timed the throw, it was Rose's turn to dash into the now very untidy bedroom, where she quickly loaded as many of the heavy books into the center of the stolen blanket she could convince to fit, then tied it up into a nastly little bundle fit for bludgeoning.

She was just finishing up her hurried task as her sister wound up, and tossed the large specamine jar full of alcohol at the huge hairy hunk at the farvend of the room.

Varya Chandrar

Varya's blades found their mark on the beast's backside, though this did little more than annoy the ferocious bear. Its going to take a lot more than a few nicks from his sword to tire this brute out. Before he had time to run, his spine jolted and his nerves were frozen in shock! Powerless to move, the bear kicked him with his hind leg, launching him into a brick wall. He would have curled up into a ball if he could from the enormous pain, instead he laid there. He then heard the clanging of metal bars, and looked to see he was now in a cell, warded by some unknown magics. The redheaded woman looked at him with a sadistic smile. "Ah! A new test subject! Be a dear and make yourself at home. Fret not. This will be over soon!" That witch!

Varya tried to get up from the floor, but his limbs would not obey his commands. Get up! Get up! Your allies need you! He cursed his helplessness. His allies were fighting and bleeding for the mission, and here he was lying as if napping on the floor! He felt shame and humiliation, how can he be so careless? He didn't have much time to pity himself though, his allies were in danger! Though he willed it, his body did not feel it. He could only watch and hear the chaos erupting around him. Ok, don't panic, look around if you can. Maybe Cedar is in one of the cells, or there was a vulnerability to exploit? Given his position, there was nothing he could do. He hoped that his allies could persevere without him, and forgive his incompetence.

Yet another interruption. Yvonne flinched at the grab, turning around with a snarl, only for her sails to deflate at the sight of Jazdia's pale and bloodied figure. Sparing Jonas one last glance, she scoffed and let go as she stood back up and did her best to wipe the bloodsmear off her arm.

It didn't help by much.

"A few more seconds and he'd go to sleep. If I want him dead, I would've caved his head in." For all the complaint she uttered, she did stopped choking the old man. Now he's slumped on the ground wheezing, looking nothing like the striking figure he was a few minutes prior. "His arm needs treatment, but to hell with that. How in the world are you still standing?" A hand went for the potion belt, thumbing the lids to identify the content. "I have potions. It's nasty, but it does the job-"

To think that her supply of healing potion will be gone after the first battle. This certainly wasn't how Yvonne envisioned her mission.

Location: Underground complex, Lab area, Stritzel's Estate, Western Kindeance.

---

There had been a plan.

Shit, shit shit!

And if it weren't conceited to say, Veronica would like to have thought it was a good one.

Fuck, fuck fuck!

But you know what they say about plans and first contact...

Veronica's charge briefly stalled, as the massive unknown bear immediately proved himself to be unfortunately and aggressively hostile. Nothing that large should be capable of moving that fast, was her first thought. The second concern was largely with the fact that the redheaded mage wasn't the first potential target to appear. A lot of things started happening very quickly, yet for all her experience, even with a flash of precognition, Veronica could only shamefully admit that she hesitated, got lost in her thoughts.

And that hesitation cost them. Or maybe it hadn't, and she was just blaming herself needlessly? Thoughts for later.

Varya managed to dodge the surprise attack of the giant bear, even managed to get behind it and slash at his legs, but the sudden spark of magic from the mage and the counterattack of said bear sent him flying backwards out of sight in a flash of movement. Veronica's vision flashed towards the immediate future. She saw herself rounding the corner, saw the mage slamming a prison door behind Varya, taking him well out of the fight.

Fuck, fuck fuck, we needed him to keep the frontline busy!

She could hear the bear sisters shouting something, hear Solomon calling upon one of his undead servants, but her own focus was on her own situation. Her run had briefly paused, as the vampire absorbed how fast things went wrong. Yet, her momentum had not wholly halted, and her thoughts whirled with ways to turn this to her advantage. She had paused right before rounding the corner, right before she would be in direct eyesight of the mage, and the immediate future told her-

That will work.

She slowed her pace further, lightening her footsteps from a dead sprint, silencing her passage with practiced footwork. And in the split moment that she had to react, in the brief moment the mage turned around to magically shut the cell door behind Varya and lock him within, Widernia's voice heard gloating at the victory, Veronica breezed around the corner like a whisper, passing into the redheaded mage's blind-spot. She held her scythe far aloft to her right, ensuring its bulk stayed hidden within the blind-spot as well, as Veronica circled the mage from behind, matching her turn with inhuman dexterity and grace.

And as the mage turned around to berate the giant bear and speak some strangely emphasized word, Veronica flashed her precognition again, whipping her scythe around one-handedly with inhuman strength, so that it would pass right underneath the mage's chin, blade bared before her neck... As Veronica's posture shifted, right leg raising in a snap-chambered side kick, aiming to ram her foot into Widernia's back from behind and then jerk the scythe back in the same movement to immediately behead her without hesitation.

Louise paused as those objects passed overhead from her. Her eyes returned to normal, made a paused and witnessed those things attempted to defeat as it went down into the frozen berserkers. As the result their has a severe injuries but still alive as their glowing hearts are still beating. She approached the nearby surviving thug and thrust Yvonne's sword through it heart to put it out off it's misery. Same fate on the last remaining berserker.

Later, she started to collect some belts and straps from the corpses. Headed back to the elven woman and small noble mercenary woman.

"I got some belt and straps to stop his bleeding and to tie him later. Lord Thernous have his words once he regain conscious. I shall carry you all one by one to retreat on the carriage, tend wounds and recover injuries there." Louise spoke to the Jazdia and Yvonne.

"His arm needs treatment, but to hell with that. How in the world are you still standing?" A hand went for the potion belt, thumbing the lids to identify the content. "I have potions. It's nasty, but it does the job-"

"I can't drink it." Said Jazdia, immediately diverting. "Yes, We can use belts as a tourniquet."

When the choking stopped, and after a fit of cough, Jonas chuckled. His hands went limp again.

"Still couldn't help yourself, can you? After you turned my family against me, you still meddle, Even in death--- Destroyers! I hope you will live to see this nation crumbling to dust!"

Jazdia knelt beside Yvonne, pinning Jonas's arm with her knee as she drew her bow closer to the Patriarch's face.

"Struck a nerve didn't I? Ha Ha! That's the spirit! Come on then! Finish it!"

"Keep holding his neck, but don't choke," she instructed before pulling the string. A faint light emanated somewhere between the arrow rest and the nocking point and it disappeared with a small bang as Jazdia dry-fired her bow.

Like being bludgeoned to unconsciousness, Jonas Delving laid still, eyes closed.

Jazdia too stumbled a few steps back and was knocked by an onset of headache and nausea. She, Lurea, and her quiver lay on the grass. Blood was still dripping from her wound, but it wasn't as profuse as before. Above her, the sky was dark grey, it would still be a while before the sun rises.

"I got some belt and straps to stop his bleeding and to tie him later. Lord Thernous have his words once he regains consciousness. I shall carry you all one by one to retreat on the carriage, tend wounds and recover injuries there." It was Louise, returning after giving the remaining Enraged the coup-de-graces Jazdia immediately shook her head in utter disapproval.

"I need to rehydrate myself first, and some fire... I will be long departed before we can make it to our camp. My dear Yvonne, could you help this little old me walk?" She said, hobbling just to wake up and stand again, using Lurea as a supporting stick. "Those guys' camping spot... yes, that's the place. Dissaray as it may, they still have some campwood to burn. Miss Squire, would you kindly check on Miss Athena and Young Baron Evan?"

Hmm. Not dont want to, but cant? Allergy or something? Well, Yvonne personally would prefer risking the allergy than bleeding out from a literal hole in her torso, buuuut Sparky knows herself best. Hopefully. If it save her the potion, she's not complaining.

"Choking is safer than blunt trauma, you know." Yvonne quipped with a hint of disapproval, but didn't dwell on the topic. She stood up with a groan, carefully propping the elf as she belted her mace again. "But whatever. Good idea, Airy. Maybe keep his arm somewhere, Solomon can probably reattach it."

Half-blind, the two of them hobbled excruciatingly slowly toward the remnant camp of the gate guards. Why'd they set up in the middle of the damn field, she had no idea. Perhaps they realized how futile it was, watching over this much stretch of land with so few people, and have decided to just fuck it and camp in the middle. Regardless, it's right where it stayed.

The fire had long since doused, obviously, but there's still some small collection of firewood and Yvonne wouldn't mind tossing a bedroll or two to keep it going. At first she had intended to grab one of it for Sparky to lay on at, but the stench of sweat and dirt immediately made her reconsider the decision. Odds are the wound would get infected just by touching the damn thing... sighing loudly, she unclasped her cloak and lay it flat on the ground. There's definitely a bunch of tears and blood on it by now, but somehow it's by far the cleanest piece of fabric within reach.

They're so doomed.

"Stay down and keep pressure on the wound, I'll get the fire started. Then we can see how badly you've got fucked over." Reaching for the other side of her belt, Yvonne fiddled a bit to release a water canteen and a silver flask before handing it to the elf. "Water and hard liquor. You'll probably need it."

Now, the firestarter... Thank the quartermaster for drilling the habit of carrying emergency supplies. Gathering what little bit of dried straw and branches, Yvonne hunched over the still-warm remnant of campfire as the rhythmical tapping of flint and steel rang across the night.

Louise wrapped as function as tourniquet to stop Jonas Delving's bleeding part with some belt and straps. She then tied him to restrict his movement when he get conscious, compatible on the bleeding prisoner just like her usual job back then.

"Miss Squire, would you kindly check on Miss Athena and Young Baron Evan?" Jazdia turned her head facing Louise to asked her.

Louise nodded. "Crystal." She agreed to do the elven woman's favor. She gently put Yvonne's sword nearby the small noble woman on the ground. She then checked her med-kit from her back and rushed toward Athena, ignoring the chill man if nearby.

Louise approached Athena with a friendly and positive aura. "Miss Voltspear. Wake up. Stay with us. I am here to help you." she said with a calm and angelic voice that might be heard by the yokai cat woman.