[IC] Crossroads of Astas [High Fantasy]

[Major Ursa]

Skender fell off the of the elf's lap, when someone from outside yelled something about night lurkers. Why would Skender-bird worry about such petty things as insects...? Oh...wait...the rest of the town had humans as well! When a few armoured people opened the door to leave the tavern, the shapeshifter shot past them, flying high and far into the sky, circling overhead for only a moment...considering his options. Keeping himself in the area affected by night lurker, but keeping away from the fighters, guards, and others jumping in...he dove down at a great speed, slamming into the side of a lurker's head.

Grabbing on with highly sharpened talons, he pulled out one eye with a talon, and the other with his pointed beak. Flying up higher into the air for a moment, before the insect creature could even let out a pained-angry cry and thrash, his bones let out audible cracks as he became a much larger size. An unnaturally large, almost wyvern-sized eagle. Grabbing onto an uninjured night lurker, and forcing his sore muscles to comply, he pulled the creature high into the air. Well...tower high, as speed shapeshifting and the heaviness of the creature made it incredibly painful to do more than this. Dropping the lengthy, insectoid partly onto the blinded lurker from earlier, as well as a healthier one...in the air, dropping just behind and in the shadow of a building and onto the lurkers, Skender stabbed his blade in between the armoured shells of the lurker…the one dropped on top of the other two.

The result? One lurker was impaled through the head, twitching slightly before going limp...the other was grazed on the back of through the neck. Removing his sword in a quick motion, he came back and sliced the lurker open from the side of it's mouth to it's neck. It fell limp after a few moments. The blind lurker thrashed around, hearing but not seeing the death of it's fellows. Skender nonchalantly wiped his lurker-blood covered sword on the expensive, tailor's nobility style trousers...wondering what Salam Vintair was doing. No doubt showing the other nobles his wonderful, superiority in the art of war...and dancing. Oh, dancing with a majestic bear or lion would be so cool...distracted by his daydreaming, the blind lurker thrashed…and hit him across the back…

“Ooooooof~!” Rolling along the ground to lessen the force of the creatures hit, he quickly recovered and got on his feet…pain. Skender suddenly felt pain, but on his side, rather than his back. Toughing the pain, his lifted his hand…blood. Blood, a gash on his side...blood, blood on the ground…sword, sword also on the ground. Ah! It was all coming back to him! Swords were pointy and/or sharp, he rolled with his sword…! He fell on his sword! Oh! Oh…! Blood pouring from the wound he barely put pressure on, he looked to the lurker, than to his sword on the ground, then to the blood leaking out of the wound and through his fingers. Huh.

---

Luka heard some screaming from outside. Leaving her sword to the blacksmith, who also came outside, with a mallet in his hand as she held a whip in hers. Large insect-like creatur-

"NIGHT LURKERS!!!"

Okay, night lurkers, as somebody running past just up and rudely yelled in her face. Running up to the nearest shit disturber, she entangled her whip around one of the armoured creatures, and tugged at it...hard. It was tugged towards her, but didn't give up, and tried to pull her towards it in turn. "Woah." Being pulled in for almost a foot, it was definitely going to need her full attention. Tugging hard, so that the loose blade at the end of the whip would tighten and scratch the armour...she was pleased greatly at the sight of deep scratches, "So your armour isn't anything special, huh?" With a smirk, she tightened the bladed whip. As a result, the blades dug in, causing it to get trapped…ish. In mild confusion at some of it’s movement becoming restricted, it pulled her. With it’s strength, she was getting dragged about here or there…letting it pull her in, she unsheathed a blade and stabbed it in the side of it’s head. First hitting it’s carapace, then hitting a weak spot, “Woah~!”

[chukklehed]

Alteral turned his head toward the other vampire, grimacing. A hundred and eighty years of experience told himto kill it on the spot, but the last twenty spoke louder. "Not as such no, there was a time that all I needed was the sun. I do have something else that works on us though." He reached back through the Tear he made, calling more power. Grabbing the other man's arm, he sent his healing magic to fonish the job of the vampire blood. "Luckily my healing isn't based on my religion." He said, pulling his hand back, "Maybe it's time I start learning some new tricks. If we get out of this how about you teach me some?" Suddenly a lurker dived at them, and he had to jump away. Landing on it's back, he stabbed his flattened hand into it's eye, hitting it's brain. A quick shot of healing and his broken finger realigned, but he knew he needed to slow down. If he kept using his magic like this, he would be devoured.

---

Luna leapt across to join Esailia, looking down as she did. Below her there was a child and her mother trapped by one of the beasts. Looking around quickly, she spotted a couple of potted plants and grabbed them. Running back over, she dropped one of the plants on the Lurker with uncanny accuracy, making it look up. The second plant hit it square in the face, and the creature reared back, letting the two escape. Turning back to Esailia, she said "What? That wasn't fighting, it's a grey area."

[ShadowD]

Xavier was surprised that the healing worked "How...from everything I remember about healers and well any of their magic known to, well, man, mer, and whatnot we could never be healed by it, fascinating." He nodded at the invitation to teach "I haven't taught anyone in over three centuries this will be fun, I don't know if lightning based magics are something you'd learn but I could help with the basics of others anyway." he says as a ball of lightning appears in his hand and he flings it at another Night Lurker, the ball blasting open and channeling electricity throughout the monster. "I am surprised however that you just do not wish to kill me, even if you are a healer I know that holy magics are deadly to creatures like us." He says and feints a thrust at another lurker granting them a reprieve as it retreats a little, snarling at him. Xavier smiled and winked at the creature, knowing the blind monstrosity wouldn't see the jest but it made him feel better, it tried slamming it's tail into him and he ducks and moves in stabbing it through it's softer underbelly armor. He pulls the blue blade out and looks around, others were having trouble with the beasts, the big knight with a group of soldiers "Should you go over there and aid them priest? While I help some others with these creatures, also my name is Xavier Dimitriaski, it is a pleasure and I look forward to meeting up later to chat about that healing you did and help you with some other type of magic." He says as he moves towards Thalen and a few more of the beasts. The man was a hunter as he could see from the man's thorn whip, they hunted a lot of different creatures, no doubt vampires would be on that list, however he hoped the man would realize he wasn't any danger to him...at least with these beasts lurking around. "Need a hand?" He calls as he flings a throwing knife at one of the Lurkers, it pinging harmlessly off it's chitinous armor.

[WitchChild]

Thalen leaped back right before the jaws of the first night lurker snapped shut where his face was. He snapped his whip at the beast, the steel thorns rending flesh and scratching the chitin that was their armor. The lurker shrieked loudly in pain, a horrible sound that made one’s flesh crawl, so to speak. The night lurker was angered, obviously, and tried to maul him by running him over with its great bulk. Thalen twirled out of the way and plunged his sword into the unarmored section of its chitin. Dark ichor flowed from the newly made wound, causing the Vekian insectoid to shriek once more in horrible pain. From its other side, a single patrol of Skath guards with spears attacked the Night lurker, plunging their spears into its flank. “Thanks” Thalen said to them, lashing out at the lurker’s eye with his blade.

The four of them managed to take the lurker down after that but the patrol went straight to fight another lurker. There seemed to be even more coming from the holes and were swarming the city. Screams of people could be heard almost everywhere within earshot which was a lot from the market. The city was in panic and more and more guardsmen practically poured out of the barracks armed to the teeth. Not to mention that portions of the honorguard from each house were also there, elite of Vekian guards. And not to mention that mages were also being sent out, especially pyromancers.

The Rath’kar warrior looked around quickly. He saw people climbing up on roofs to get away from the monsters, which was smart. The night lurkers wouldn’t be able to climb that well with crossbow bolts and spears going into their sides at irregular basis. He also saw spellcasters flinging their magics about. One was even flinging lightning, a black clad man partnered up with another black clad man. Why did everyone decide to wear black? Thalen always saw at least half a dozen mages from the houses come and try to handle the situation only to be met with more Night Lurkers.

Thalen was treated with the sight of a guard being torn apart by a pair of night lurkers, one of his comrades screaming in anger as he plunged his spear into the unguarded flank of the beast. The market was being flooded with blood and ichor, the howls of pain and agony filled the center of Vekia. It was utter anarchy and chaos in the famed merchant city as if a deep and lasting scar was being carved out very very slowly. The Rath’Kar spirit caller fell back from the bulk of the Night Lurkers, stepping closer to the pair of black clad spellcasters. Vekian mages were also getting there and slowly, very slowly, the cursed monsters were being driven off. Some of the more wounded Lurkers went back into their holes but the majority of them rampaged through the city and seemingly heading for the walls, some through homes, where they could do a lot of harm to the people.

He then looked behind him to see the black clad man that was flinging the lightning before asking if he needed help. “I think I am good but there are so many of them, it will take so long” He said a little sarcastically, looking back at the nearby lurker and lashed his whip at it, rending flesh and scratching chitin.

===

Haklo Desol stayed in the tavern when the night lurkers rose from the ground. His honorguard went to his side in almost an instant, drawing their weapons as they prepared to defend their lord with their lives. Haklo watched from the windows, watched the nightmarish creatures practically tore apart the city…his city. Although he knew it wasn’t his town, it would be one day. He sort of felt some responsibility. He had his hand on his black sword as his jaw tightened in offended anger.

He then suddenly looked over at the entrance of the Farmer’s Daughter and laid his eyes on a knightly clad woman, judging by the sound of her voice, addressing his name while carrying a very large sword. His honorguard partially drew their blades and readied them to go to his defense. “Yes, Ser Knight? Can I assist you?” He asked in his best voice of competence and calm.

Xavier

A cold shiver goes through the blackened clad vampire after the use of so much magic, throwing so much lighting around. The feeling resembled the feeling of being watched if the watcher's, or watchers', gaze was also a beam of cold to the back of the head. A strong, instinctive need to hide would hit the vampire. It was one of the signs of Wraiths were at least glancing in his general direction.

Alteral

The magic that the vampire priest was using was getting a bit dangerous. What felt like heat from two pokers dangerously close from his temples. The feeling of want to physically pull back would almost come to the elf vampire. This was a feeling that would give him the possible assumption of Wraiths at least passing by the rifts he was creating for his magic.

[Lucius Cypher]

The Azure Knight noticed the other guardsmen, better equipped than the ones she was with. They seemed to be protecting Haklo, but regardless she needed to let him know why she was here. "Me and some of the local guards have been dispatched to fine you and bring you to safety." The Azure Knight leaned out of the door and shouted to the Captain, who had just finished slaying another Night Lurker. "Captain, I've found him!" Soon the Captain of the Guard came through, with the Azure Knight not too far away. The Captain of the Guard explained to Haklo how they were going to get to the safe location, as well as the general situation and what would soon be happening to put an end to it. The Azure Knight didn't really get to hear much of it, as a Night Lurker had broken into the tavern. It got the jump on her, but unlike the others she wasn't about to fall to it. She smashed her pommel into the beast's underbelly, giving her enough space to move her feet and kick the bug off of her and onto it's back. Before it could get up the Azure Knight was already on her feet, and plunged her blade into the monster's unarmored underbelly. Multiple times. "Captain, there are more coming! They will overwhelm us if we do not leave soon!" The Captain left to organize his men, leaving the Azure Knight to state the obvious. She went over to Haklo , or at least as close as his honor guard would allow her, and tried to communicate with him. Knowing that he was nobility, she tried to maintain an air of sophistication. "Excuse me, Lord Haklo. I am the Azure Knight. I came with the local guards when the outbreak of Night Lurkers occurred. I am helping them fend off the beasts, but we have a mission to lead you to safety. We should leave as soon as possible, but is there anything you need us to do right now?'

[Esailia]

"Remind me never to annoy you around flower shops." Esailia quipped, loosing another arrow down at one of the monsters below. She noted a small band of fighters making their way somewhere into the city, while many people were scrambling around like mice running away from cats. She met eyes with one of them. A strong one that appeared to be dressed up to emulate that of a spirit or ghost. The Feline woman held that gaze for a few seconds, the world slowing to a crawl....before a scream right below her on the street brought her back.

She nocked another arrow, aiming to hit the Lurker below, who had just caught a civilian. He was already impaled by the lurker's huge teeth, his death assured...Esailia closed her eyes, muttered a short prayer for both their spirits, and let go of the string. The arrow found its mark, and the screaming stopped....

[WitchChild]

Haklo arched his eyebrow at the knight. He had not met many that refered to themselves as "The Something" as he found it rather pretentious of people. He approached the Azure Knight and looked her up and down, taking note of every detail he could find. Stance, armor, weapon and other flair to her regalia. "Thank you, Ser Knight. THere is nothing I ask of you other than to keep anyone in Vekia safe from these cursed creatures" He said to the Azure Knight, drawing his own sword, the black blade gleaming in the dim light of the tavern. His retinue followed his example, drawing their blades as well, also black yet somehow, not as much as the Desol family blade. "The safest place to be would be the city hall where my father and other heads of houses are located with their guards. Once there we can discuss your reward for your aid" He said and began to make his way outside the tavern.

He looked over at the market, seeing the blood covered cobble and the corpses. The more unnerving sights there outside of those were the trails of blood that lead to the tunnels that the lurkers had made with their entrance. There were still lurkers in the market but they were obviously dispersing into the city to cause way more havoc. They were showing awful amount if intelligence in their attack, acting more like pack animals than their usual individual animals. The only way they would act like this is if in their lairs. They weren't blindly attacking and acting together somewhat.

[ShadowD]

Xavier nodded at Thalen grinning at the hunter's wisecrack, he sent a few more lightning bolts at a lurker when suddenly he was hit by a chilling feeling. He quickly closed his tear and stopped using magic. He looked paler than normal and for one moment he was cold again, chilled to the bone, he knew the feeling, it happened only three times before and he made sure each time to not use any magic at all for the next couple days. He instead started using his blade and his fists more often. He looked around, more had surfaced and they were leaving the market, "We should kill the rest of them here and clean up the city as fast as possible, the more time these things have to wander the city, more innocents will die." He says stabbing one through it's soft underbelly. This was odd lurkers were smart but not this smart...or coordinated something was off, they needed to end this quickly.

[Major Ursa]

Putting the blinded lurker down, then killing a healthier one with much more difficulty...the shape shifter didn't attend to his injury, and instead twisted his sword and sliced the dull blade through the side of the worm-thing, before pulling it out with even more difficulty. Nodding approvingly to the number of human guards who had come to his aid, and to the aid of the people of this area...he watched for a few moments as the crossbow bolts flew through the air, and swords clanged against the hard carapace of the night lurkers. Wobbling to the cover of an abandoned house, he sat himself onto a table and pulled his shirt up. The slice from rolling over...and over onto the only sharp side of his sword had given him a nasty gash on his side. A good amount of blood began to pour out of him. There were a number of animals he could transform into to increase the speed and potency of his natural healing...in fact, the act of shape shifting itself had capabilities of increased healing...but...too many humans nearby.

Wobbling off his spot on the table, he knocked over a chair in the process of dropping onto the floor, resting his back on the wall. A guard, who had noticed him earlier, peeked his head in to ask if he was alright. Though he would've normally reacted positively to the presence of a human, he was injured...not feeling too good. Somewhat irritable. In response he merely threw a fallen tankard at the wall beside the guards, "OWOWOWOW! Out!"

---

"Thanks a bunch!" Luka continued to trap night lurker after night lurker, with the barbs and blades of her whip...as well as digging her feet into the ground or using walls/buildings as leverage. When the lurkers were rendered immobile, the guards struck, stabbing and slicing at the weak points. Kicking the corpse of a particularly tough lurker, the guards followed her as she walked through the back alleys. Blood, corpses, all upon the cobblestone like a sick display, gore decorum. "Damn, there will be a lot to bury in the coming days..."

[hefewy]

A half-elf walked through the darkened alleyways of the infested city, resting her sword on her shoulder and her shield on her back, making what looked like a casual stroll through the visceral streets. As a sort of sick camoflage as well, the woman was covered in a thick layer of blood and gore, dying her white hair and armor a dark, sickly red. However, her eyes were narrowed and focused, ready to react to any threat that may come her way, clearly having fought a great deal of the wormlike monstrosities roaming the streets. She payed no attention to the corpses and blood decorating the streets, her iron will causing her to focus on the tast at hand; Destroying this threat to the city.

Turning around a corner of the alleyway, she suddenly noticed movement amongst a particularly visceral part of the alley, and a lot of it. Stopping herself, she hid behind the corner briefly to assess the situation. "A group of Lurkers... ? Small ones, by what I saw..." She thought to herself, her grip around the handle of her blade tightening, reaching over her back to grab her gigantic shield. Taking a deep breath, she put a scowl on her face before letting out a mighty battle-roar, turning around the corner, blade and shield raised... Only to see a group of guards and a rather scantily-clad woman. Struggling to stop the weight of her equipment, her roar turns into a confused moan-like sound as she stumbles along the ground to a halt in front of the group, almost slipping on a puddle of blood as she does so.

However, after taking a short breath, she looked at the group with slight curiousity, hardening her features behind her wet, bloody bangs at the woman. With a stern and slightly 'husky', low voice, she addressed the female in a commanding manner. "... Trying to survive as well, hm? Well, I know not who you are, but I will travel with you to increase our chances of survival. I've more strength than your men combined. You would do well to accept."

[Lucius Cypher]

"Yes sir!" The Azure Knight shouted as Halko and his entourage moved out. She went back to the other guardsmen, who were already beginning to clear out the tavern area of the Night Lurkers. Some had to stay behind and guard the entrance to the underground, preventing more Night Lurkers from emerging. This lessened the numbers of the guard, but since they could now rely on Halko's own honor guard, they were more than ready to deal with more of the vile creatures. The captain of the guard including ten other men and the Azure Knight reformed their shield wall and acted as the vanguards for Halko, being the first to engage any threat. Their confidence renewed they managed to lay waste to most of the enemies that they met with, while the Azure Knight made sure to protect the guardsmen flank, intercepting any Night Lurkers who got behind the shield wall. During the few occasions a Night Lurker got pasted them, they usually ran towards Lord Halko, only to be unceremoniously cut down by his personal guards. Between fighting off the Night Lurkers with the guardsmen, the Azure Knight had acquired for herself a crossbow from one of the literally fallen sentries, who's lack of a leg signified that he was likely dead. She used it occasionally, firing it one handed at a Night Lurker to weaken it before she and the other guardsmen took it down.

[Major Ursa]

Luka looked this new person up and down, curiously. This individual was covered, from head to toe, in blood and viscera. This scantily-clad fighter didn't know why exactly somebody would be covered in this much gore, as it must have been intentional, cause the covering was quite thorough. To Luka, it would only serve to make one more noticeable, unless they were laying down and playing dead. But here this person was, not playing dead. All in all, this person seem too...too...they seemed trustworthy. Listening to this person speak, she pointed and wagged her thumb at the guards not far behind her, "You haven't seen them fight, then. These guys know what they're doing...but it'd be good to have a well armoured person, such as yourself, protecting a person like me with less armour." With this, she walked over to the guards and mentioned something to them, though they did look hesitant to just up and listen to her...but it was mainly telling them to leave and help evacuate more citizens to safe places, which was what they've been itching to do.

Returning to this new person, "The guys'll go and see about helping the stragglers along, we got the job of clearing the close areas out for them. Show me this strength of yours, then later, we can hang out. You look and smell like you've been rolling around in the gore, you sound like you've been gargling it!" Chuckling to herself for a moment, slapping this armoured person on the back, hard..."Once this is all over, we should head over to a bathing area...!" Suddenly, she took notice and pointed a gauntleted finger at a night lurker coming out from the shadow of a building, before speedily sprinting at it, and entangling it in her whip.

[ShadowD]

Xavier chuckled at the newcomer his eyes were still glowing from the battle, and his fangs bared as he sliced another Lurker in two, his vampiric strength showing this warrior just how feeble her command was. "I think not." He calmly replies and looks at Thalen shrugging, he truly did not like people who walked over and gave him orders...unless they knew what they were doing, however during this time, and this kind of fight the two vampires, himself and the healer were strongest. He did witness many peculiar feats of prowess and strength this entire day however, the chase, the knight and the guardswoman both keeping up with him, the Lurkers and their almost strategic movements...and finding someone that he needed to end...or at least find others like him so he could end them. And of course, for once since he self exiled himself some 200 years ago he was fighting alongside people again, almost as a cohesive unit, this newcomer would aid them but not as a leader. "Hmmm looks like the half naked girl took the newcomer, we should head farther into the city, they seem to be thinning out here, a push to the center of the city is advisable to quell the rest." He says and starts moving towards where he saw many Lurkers heading.

[chukklehed]

Alteral caught up with Xavier just then, having dealt with a small group of the beasts himself. His chest was heaving, and he was soaked with the blood of the fallen creatures, as was the sword he had acquired somewhere and his staff. He had not managed to escape unscathed however, and now had a long gash running from his shoulder down to his stomach. "They seem to be thinning out." He said between breaths. "Good thing too, since I don't have the strength to fight indefinitely. I need to get somewhere soon where I can wait for the wraiths to lose interest in me, I can't risk any healing right now." He looked around at the destruction that had happened in just a few hours. "It pains me to say this, friend, but what say we cut our losses here and retreat? I have a place we can hide out once dawn breaks not too far from here."

---

Grace looked around quickly, making sure all the Lurkers in this area were dealt with. "Alright, spread out! Check all the houses, make sure nobody gets left behind!" She heard what sounded like yelling from one of the houses nearby. Hurrying over, she slapped one of the guards on the back to let him know she was there, and passed him. Seeing someone lying on the floor bleeding, she knelt down. "Sir, can you stand? We have to get you out of here, there are medics waiting outside of town who can patch you up. Do you need any help getting there?" She held out her hand to him, grimacing slightly as she saw the wound on his stomach. "Here," She said, reaching for her emergency kit, "Let me bandage that." She ignored any protestations and started working. "After I finish here, I'm going to take you to the nearest medic station myself. Hold on." As she finished tying off the bandage, she asked again "Can you walk or do you need to be carried?"

[RumikoOhara]

KWAN

Kwan sat grinding a medicinal combination for one of her patients sick with a fever. Many would have thought her so engrossed in her task that she might not even notice the rumble of thunder. Those people would have been so wrong for she was a Mistress of Qi and holder of Guǐ Jiàn "the Ghost Sword"
She felt a strange presence in the air, an evil and deadly presence. She ceased her task and seemed to flow upwards like a column of smoke. She stepped into her courtyard seemingly oblivious to that which hid in the shadows, night lurkers.
These strange creatures rushed her seeking to get past her and at the weak an infirm that lay within her hospital.
Her sword Guǐ Jiàn appeared like magic in her hand as she began he elegant an dangerous dance. She and her sword spun in a glittering circle that when in bisected the form of a lurker split the creature in twain.
She was a whirlwind of death and completed her art without a sound other than the grunts an screams of the dying lurkers mingling with the cutting sound of her blade.
Once all the vile creatures were dead she stopped moving an allowed her Qi to expand outward seeking any others nearby. She was mildly shocked when her ability to sense spirits encountered a multitude in the city.
Tonight it seemed that death had come to rule like a plague. She thought of moving outward to save the city but she was bound by the safety of her patients.
Knowing she must do something she barred her hospital's door and began circling it's precincts. Where ever she encountered Lurkers she dispatched them with speed and skill leaving their bodies as warning to the brethren where they fell.

[ShadowD]

Xavier was stunned that the healer would suggest cutting their losses "Aren't you a priest, meant to protect the innocent, I may be a mercenary only here for gold but..." He points the pale blue blade towards the carnage and death around them. "You and I are two of the strongest people here, we can stem the tide, I can't use my magic either but we can easily help these other fighters. Besides maybe the only way to end this curse is dying, and I'd rather it be in battle like this then hunted for sport with so many knowing what we are, best to garner some favor now with the nobles and such that way they don't outright kill us for being what we are." He says looking back at Alteral "Besides wouldn't your gods look at you with displeasure leaving the weak and innocent behind Sir priest?" He asks more as a playful jest than anything else towards the priest.

[WitchChild]

Thalen lashed his whip again, this time the thorn like blades tearing apart one of its eyes which made it shriek and squeal higher than ever, scuttling away. He heard the black clad fighter’s remark about the thinning herd of lurkers and he did agree. They warriors of Vekia would need to get rid of them soon. He picked up a fallen spear and hurled it at the retreating lurker only to see it glance off its hide and clattered to the floor. “These fowl beasts have an agenda. It is no mere hunt” He said aloud as he turned to face the, unbeknownst to him, vampire.

He looked upon the scantily clad woman with a group of guards nearby confronting a gore covered warrior clad in blackened plate armor and carrying a large tower shield. They seemed to be engaged in their own battle and then another figure approached him and Xavier. Another black clad who Thalen had seen wielding some sort of light magic. He spoke about the wraiths and how he could not wait for them to depart from his rift and then speak about hiding like some craven fool. He felt disgusted. He understood but was still disgusted.

“You may hide in your hole as you wish. These monsters are still running amok and killing honest folk” He said to the other, again unbeknownst to him, vampire. The mask hid his expression so neither would be able to see his expression of stubborn fury at what was happening in the city. The ichor on his weapons dripped onto the stone ground, his head turning slightly when he heard the shrieks of lurkers and the screams of people, one in particular a woman’s scream. “I don’t know about you” He said to the vampire priest “I can’t stand to hear suffering going on when I can do something about it” he said and walked past the priest and walked through a nearby alley.

He walked briskly but surprisingly met up only with a few looters which he knocked out without his weapons. This happened just before he walked in on a pair of people, one a woman dressed in militia gear and a man wounded and in need of a healer. He recognized the woman from chasing the blackened clad man he was fighting with not a few minutes before. He didn’t know the man however.

“Need help?” He asked as he approached them, the thorns on his whips retracting into the leather of the weapon. “I know of a woman called Kwan who might be of help” he said, keeping his distance
=====

The son of Desol walked at a rather brisk pace to the city center. The guard with the help of the Azure Knight and the Desol honorguard did their finest of dispatching any lurker that decided to come at them. There was only a single instance where Haklo had to raise his hand and that was to kill a lurker by stabbing it right through the hear carapace, his crimsonite blade going cleanly through it while his honorguard had stabbed it on each side with the blades literally scrapping against each other within the beast.

The group past the streets where less and less lurkers had made their way and they were at the city center where the dome roofed building stood. It was closed off too, barred from the inside while archers manned the roof and windows. There were over a dozen dead night lurkers around the building and twice that many militiamen of all three houses, dead or dying. More lurkers were approaching the building from other streets. Honor guards from each house were outside with the guards, the black armored Desol, the white armored Skath guards and the red armored guards of Vintair.

“Make way, Make Way. Open the gates for Lord Haklo Desol” Said one of the Desol guards in Haklo’s entourage as they cleared the street they were in and at the domed building. The milita inside could be heard as they scuffled to unbar the gate. Haklo Desol and the Azure knight were trapped outside while the gates were unbarred but they managed to be opened before they’d be overrun by Lurkers. Inside they were met by guardsmen wielding spears and shields and archers at the end of the gate hall. They were aiming at them for a short moment but seemed to relax when the gate was closed.

“Lord Desol. It is great to see you unharmed” Said a Skath Captain of the guard who was also a dwarf with a fire red beard that was matted with lurker blood, same as his tabard which was also torn up. In his hand he wielded a weapon which was a mix of a battle ax and a mining pick and it was obvious that the pick end was the one used through the day. “Captain Skallagrim, I, myself, am very happy to be unharmed. The militia, my honorguard Sebastian and Jonathan were a great help. But so was this woman, The Azure knight” Haklo said to the Captain and gestured at the entourage and the armored hakedian. “How are the Desol Lords?” He then asked the dwarf. “They are all fine. Lord Vintair is on the roof with the archers while your father and lord Skath are up on the eastern balcony discussing things. I don’t know what. I’ve been here since the blasted lurkers began to attack this building. We have been getting messages from messenger arrows that the lurkers are gradually falling back as if this was some strange hit and run attack.” The dwarf replied. “Thank you, Captain. I won’t keep you any further” Haklo said and turned to face the Azure knight. “I thank you for helping me and my people here. I’ll make sure that your assistance won’t go unrewarded but now is not the time. There is much to do and the people of Vekia are dying” He said to her, unsheathing his blackened blade. “By what I’ve seen you won’t just stop helping just yet so if you wish to continue, the milita is still in need of help here. Report to a commanding officer and he shall give you a task suited to your particular skills which I trust they will much appreciate” He said to her. “Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me in this rare calm?” He asked her.

=====

High ranking officers of the militia of all three houses were sent out from the barracks with a large squad of guards that were all capable fighters to escort or help barricade families in or from their homes. They escorted them to a safe place, to places of faith that could be turned into fortresses. They also took in looters, thieves and rapists that were taking advantage to the situation to prey upon the weak. They didn’t kill them, those that gave up. Some of them even went in so willingly due to the barracks and holding cells where they would stay until the attack would be over.

The second priority however was to fortify places of healing. The first being to drive off any lurker away, preferably kill them. The mages of the militia also requested any lurker bodies for study and those orders were to be carried out to any and all militia that were capable.

[Major Ursa]

After the guard left, another took it's place. Ah, what a healthy amount of stubbornness, admirable, even...humans were just amazing. Leaning forward a bit, at her questions, the shape shifter didn't say anything for several moment. Instead, he let some strands of hair cast a shadow over his eyes as the female guard began to work on his wounds, before opening his mouth and speaking his piece...slowly...measured...because he knew better than to trust Skender to speak non-nonsense without thinking deeply on it, "It's only...a flesh wound..."

Letting her finish on his injuries, he held his hand out once she finished tying up the last of the bandages, getting up and picking up his worn sword, "I can get up...I can...fight with you, if you need me to. I was just...resting, for a moment." He fixed her with a hard look, that hid his usual nature very well. "I don't believe you can afford to brush aside such an offer from a skilled swordsman, the city is still currently under siege from the night lurker vermin, there are people who have yet to evacuate." All while saying this, internally, he bid farewell to his intended early rest...

[chukklehed]

Grace hesitated for a moment, then took his hand. "I suppose I can't at that. If you're sure you can fight take up your sword again. Stay near me, I'm responsible for you now." She sure the man could stand by himself then started heading back out. Only then did she see the man in the doorway, just as he asked his question. "Don't worry citizen, he'll live. If you have a mind to, there are others who will need help." She drew her sword as she passed him, meeting his eyes for a moment. She waited to see if the two of them followed before turning to a fellow guard. "Any new developments?"

---

Alteral's eyes hardened from their uncertainty, and he grabbed the edge of his cloak. Quickly tying it into a crude bandage around his torso, he tightened his grip on the sword. "Let's go then. It's not like dying a second time will hurt any more." He turned to Xavier. "Lead the way."

[chukklehed]

Sorry