Pezzle

The Five Senses

Sounds good!

The Five Senses

I think you got this chicken! Just let our dear friend HokumPocus finish his post first.

The Five Senses

Sorry about that Org.

Lol, now I'm picturing Karina sitting there just twiddling her thumbs. "Are you boys done yet??? No? Okay, that's fine by me... Because look at these thumbs gooooooooooo!"

Lol actually, that seems more like a Sil thing.

The Five Senses

Go for it!

The Five Senses

So chicken PMed me and said he would be fine with smashing the candle in his next post if everyone else is down. Is that okay with everyone else? @Jerkchicken, @Fetzen, @13Org, @HokumPocus

The Five Senses

So, who would like the honor of smashing the candle, thus putting an end to the first half of this Arc?

The Five Senses

Chres Sansus

Interaction with @Jerkchicken, @Fetzen, @13Org, @HokumPocus, @elevation

---

"So, are you... are you an Illusion... the real thing... or... or did I... did I just hit my head way too hard?" Chres asked while focusing on the crystal jade candle which had caught his eye. A ray of white light appeared to be coming from the glittering candle, pooling onto the roof's surface in front of the candle. The light was different from dulled daylight emitted by the Distortion's strange green sun. It seemed to enhance it... or cut through it. Yes, perhaps that was a better way to describe it.

Chres slowly picked up the candle. It had been right under the spot where he had awoken. Was that what he had felt poking his ribs? Chres rotated the candle in his hand, the light rotating with it. There was a small crack in the candle. It was from that crack, the light poured out of. It's brilliance shining into his eyes. Blinding him.

An itch crawled up the back of Chres's neck as he shut his eyes reflexively and covered the crack with his hand. Chres opened his eyes seconds after. His vision spotty. The pounding in his head intensified.

Chres rubbed his eyes with his free arm and blinked wildly. His vision gradually returned. Just in time to make out several other cult members heading their way. The words he heard after regaining consciousness echoed in his head. The reinforcements were coming and they didn't look very pleased.

There was no running from that mob, at least not like this. What was it that Gin had said? Light would protect and shield them from the cult's gaze?

Chres tightened his grip on the crystal jade candle. Old stories heard over a night of drinks popped into his head. Stories of long time Crystal Jade miners going blind. Tales of flashes of light being unleashed after every fall of the pick. A flash so bright, that it could even be seen when covering one's eyes. It was for that reason crystal jade miners had taken to wearing darkened spectacles. A protection used to avoid an early retirement.

Chres raised the crystal jade candle into the air and slammed it down onto the roof's surface. The crystal hit the ground solidly, and... nothing happened. Rather than breaking dramatically, the force of the impact caused the candle to bounce out of Chres's grip and away from his reach, rolling to a stop dangerously close to the edge of the roof.

"No!" Chres cried out in alarm. Instinctively he tried to rise to his feet, only to gasp in pain and collapse back to the ground.

"The... The Candle!" he shouted as best as he could. "Someone get the Candle! We... we need to... we need to smash it..."

Perhaps shouting this was not the best idea, as the first person to respond was the cult member who had tackled the healer to the ground. Seeing his colleagues already preoccupied, he immediately released his grip on the healer and dashed towards the candle.

Chres summoned the last of the body heat stored in his shirt. He compressed it into a single condensed Heat Construct. Chres lifted himself off the ground with his left hand and painfully threw the Compressed construct at cult member with his right hand.

It was wonderful throw. too bad the aim was lousy. Instead of hitting the Cult member as Chres had intended, the Construct ended up hitting the roof top in front of the cult member. The impact, released a powerful burst of energy. Fortunately the blast had been close enough to knock the man backwards and onto the ground. The man landed on his back and groaned. Slowly he rolled onto his stomach and began to lift himself off the ground...

The Five Senses

@Pezz570 I think I still owe you an answer with regard to your question why the clan member has been grinning all the time. Well, it originally wasn't in my mind, but I really like the idea of the dagger having been poisoned somehow. So if you'd like to see Týfurkh slowly being flattened by that poison (and ultimately maybe even being abducted ?) I'd be completely open to arranging something :)

@Fetzen

Abducted That's an interesting story line to tread. Any particular ideas for how you would like it to play out if we go that route. If you get captured, then most likely they would place you in a dark room overnight and force you to submit to the insight's influence.

The Five Senses

Tayla

Interactions with @13org

---

Tayla hit the ground and felt sharp pain the pierce her left shoulder causing her to gasp and cough out the tufts of cotton. Tayla grit her teeth to the pain discreetly reaching for a new cotton tuft with her right hand. Her mouth was a touch dry from the use of her magic. "It's over." The white haired bitch said. Tayla felt a rise of panic. "You fought well, you have something that trained soldiers took a lot to learn. Adaptability, improvisation and an exceptional combat sense. If you weren't a cultist, I wouldn't think twice in recruiting you."

Tayla looked at the white haired woman and saw death. Suddenly she wasn't Tayla anymore. At least not the Tayla she led everyone to believe she was. Instead, she was that 15 year old girl again. Her father banging against the door, yelling her name. Threatening her. Slurring his words. She was all alone. Scared for her life, huddled in a corner. Hiding in plain sight. The door wouldn't stop him. Doors never stopped him.

No... No, please... The panicked thought raced through her head as she felt the fear for the first time in many years.

Tayla's eyes widened in terror as the killing blow rushed towards her. But... the blow never came. Smit had jumped in, throwing a rock in the woman's direction. It grazed the her head, stunning her.

"Tayla!" Smit yelled at her. "Move!"

Tayla didn't hear him. She was frozen to the spot. There was no hiding! There was no running!

"Tayla! She'll kill you!" Smit yelled again.

NO! Tayla got up and ran, her left arm hanging stiffly beside her. She reached the roof's edge and jumped, popping the cotton tuft into her mouth. The tuft tasted of lemon. Sour.

As Tayla fell towards the ground, she used her magic to decrease the momentum of her clothes, slowing her fall to a safe speed. Tayla hit the ground and continued to run.

"That bitch..." She said softly as tears began streaming down her face. More than just her shoulder had been wounded. Her pride had taken a vital blow as well. "That damn bitch..."

Tayla ran till she no longer knew where she was going, only stopping after upon reaching a dead end of an alleyway. There she collapsed and curled into a ball. Shivering despite the warm summer day.

As the day wore on, the fear eventually faded. In it's place, a flame burn coldly... A flame of pure rage...

The Five Senses

Chres Sansus

Interaction with @HokumPocus

---

"Chres!" Chres heard a familiar voice call out... his name? Yes... that was his name...

Chres shifted his weight painfully to get a better look at the one calling his name. He could feel something underneath him. Something poking him in his ribs. What was that?

Chres blinked his eyes a few times, trying to clear his vision and focus on the one calling him. It was a finely dressed man running frantically towards him. He knew this man.

"Oc... Octavio?" Yes Octavio. This man's name was Octavio.

Chres tried again to move. The pain and nausea came, but he expected it this time. He was able to keep what remained in his stomach down and ignore the pain. Slowly he got himself into a sitting position.

Chres closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his right hand. His head was pounding like crazy. It was so hard to think...

"Are... Are the others oka-" Chres began as he looked up in Octavio's direction. He stopped mid-sentence however because- "Wh- Why are three... No... Four? ... yes, four... four Octavios..." Chres slumped his head back towards the ground, sighing audibly. His hand still rubbing his head. A useless attempt to make the pounding go away. "Why? ... Why are there four of you, Octavio?" Chres must have hit his head really hard.

Chres looked towards the ground. Some of his belongings appeared to having been knocked out of his traveling bag. This included a few Crystal Jade candles. Their Crystal Jade surface sparkling amidst the day's light.

One candle in particular caught Chres's eye...