Tuujaimaa

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

Panting in heaving breaths with the exertion and exhilaration of what she'd just done, Ophelia felt absolutely no need to let the momentum of her attack die down. The fire inside her was not nearly quenched, only stoked by her giving in to the sticky and visceral heat of that primal desire. The beastman's mewling cry for help elicited not even a single jot of pity from her, and she felt an uncanny urge to add the thing's eyes to her collection--she wanted to taunt it, to tell it that she'd warned them she'd have to kill them if they had the scourge and they still tried their luck... but the time for talking was over.

Braced as it was, it was simple enough for Ophelia to call upon the reserves of strength and vigour coursing through her fire-drenched veins and thrust the spear with as much force as she could muster towards the base of the beastman's throat, angled slightly upwards so as to have a shot at wounding the Mad One in the doorway if the beastman somehow managed to evade the attack sufficiently... but she truly was aiming to finish the beastman off, heedless of strategy, so fiercely did the fire inside her burn at that moment. The world narrowed to a pinprick of blood and vengeance, the entirety of her being absolutely dedicated to ending this thing's life that had had the unmitigated gall to come after their sleeping kin and demand they help. It was the pallid man that had really directed these things, of course, but Ophelia's mind was too wrapped up in the heat of the moment to worry about that. The beastman first, the pallid man next. She barely even spared a thought for Victor, Torquil, or Farren in the moment--but if they tried to get her attention, she would make an effort to respond.

The Prophecy - Dreams of Destiny

Deo’Irah

“There is no corner of my heart I would not turn over to save the lives of the innocent. No secret kept, no resource withheld. In the sight of blessed Reina, let it be known that I would do all this and more to mend their flesh and ease their suffering. Without witness, without hope, without reward. All of this is rather waxing poetic to say something at its heart quite prosaic: I did not have to mention any of this. It would have been much safer for me had I not. Whatever questions you have, whatever judgements about my character that you make, remember how much I have sacrificed already for the sake of these innocent people, and know that I would sacrifice yet more to save them.” Irah said, her mien thoughtful and gaze suddenly distant. When Tedwyn spoke up at the mention of “reward”, her serene bearing regained the fury she had been suppressing earlier and she shot him a glare that could only be described as withering.

“Your reward is the knowledge that your inadequacy and cowardice shall betray you from within for so long as you live. You will get what you contributed: nothing.” she spoke, her tone suddenly venomous and heated. If there was one thing that she truly could not stand, it was a lack of principle: indeed, that was partially what had motivated her to be so forthcoming. Even after having known them for only minutes, really, Deo’Irah could tell that Sirs Yanin and Freagon were truly principled people, with beliefs that might be unknown to her, but whose dedication to those beliefs was evident. Everyone in the room, barring Tedwyn, had come together in a time of crisis to enact the one thing truly required of the strong: to protect the weak. Her heart might otherwise have fluttered with trepidation at the notion of being so unusually forthcoming, but something about these people… she felt among kindred spirits, she supposed. Not unlike another collective of people she was proud to be a part of.

With that delivered, she brushed herself off and gave Lhirin a gentle guiding pat on the arm not tracing over the pages of the journal to direct him while he read. It would not be the first time that she’d had to guide him while he was utterly engrossed by some knowledge promised from a tome–it certainly would not be the last, either. She took a few steps towards the exit before halting, waiting for everything to resolve before she actually visited the stagecoach to gather her things.

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

Everything had happened rather quickly from that point: Victor having gotten a cleaver directly into his face, Farren's burst of surprising--and inhuman--speed in getting a nick against the digitigrade legs of the beastman, and Torquil's absolutely immense swing down into the beastman's clavicle in return. Several thoughts rushed through her head at once: she should check to see if the good Hunter was okay (and if he needed blood to regenerate), she needed to get out of the way of the door given the gunfire she'd just heard from in there (and she needed to take a look to see where the summoned Mad One was; that thing ambushing them would be quite terribly bad. She'd seen just what they could do when the Witches had needed someone... taking care of), and she--most viscerally of all--needed to take advantage of the moment of weakness provided to them by the combination of attacks against the beastman. The other thoughts became distant and vague, and her right hand twitched as if on its own--and before she could really collate these rapid thoughts her almost-bestial instincts had kicked in and she had already taken two quick steps in succession towards the beastman. She ended up just in front of his kneeling form, with the open door to her left (well, what remained of the frame, at least).

A small fleck of spittle escaped the corner of her mouth as she found herself nearly drooling at the opportunity, and instinctively she plunged her free left hand into the midsection of the beastman just below the ribs. Plunging through the skin and fur was like punching through paper, even corded muscle yielding to the sheer inhuman burst of strength that filled her. Her eyes glittered with an inner fire, and she subconsciously licked her lips as she revelled in the sheer heat of the beastman's innards. She grasped whatever she could find and wrenched it free in a spray of gore, taking a half second to catch her breath before she dashed over to Victor's prone form and inspected him quickly. She knew he'd be able to regenerate, and if he was still alive she'd press her bloody hand to his lips to help the process along if he seemed like he needed it--otherwise, she'd attempt to cover him as best as possible, bracing the spear against the advance of the beastman if he came for them.

"Amazing! You're a natural!" she breathed out quickly to Torquil, hoping that her encouragement would serve as both direction and earnest praise.

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

Ophelia opened the door and peeked her head out, looking ahead towards the view that awaited her--as well as being a clue as to where exactly they were--and then to her left and right. She saw Victor first, and caught a glimpse of someone on the other side of the door that she couldn't see. Farren, she supposed. She walked forward, beckoning Torquil behind her with a gentle motion of her outstretched hand. She got maybe six feet from the door before making a show of looking around and turning back towards the entrance to the clinic, shrugging her shoulders for any to see, as though indicating the coast was clear--and she waited patiently for the beastman to follow, only for Farren and his new ally to spring their trap upon it.

She brandished her spear ready to react to the first movement the beastman made, relatively safe at the furthest point back that she could be--Torquil would be directly between her and the entrance, and the other two were closer still. She'd have plenty of time and reach with a spear to make a decent first move as soon as she assessed how the beastman would react to the ambush. Her first thought was to drive her spear as far as she could into its eye: even if the thing regenerated, which she knew that beasts could do (and Hunters, she tried to keep in mind), temporarily blinding it and hopefully limiting its range of movement in combination with the narrow space it found itself in. Of course, this would depend entirely upon what her companions ended up doing... but she was braced for that manoeuvre in particular, and would adjust on the fly as the situation demanded it.

The Prophecy - Dreams of Destiny

Deo’Irah

Upon entering the Fadewatcher station once more, Irah’s crimson-red eyes glinted in the firelight as she surveyed the state of the wounded once more. She was drawn first to Madara, who was currently helping one of the men become reunited with his lost digits–and Irah couldn’t help but observe the process with keen interest. She’d seen things like it before, though Deigan hands were surpassingly delicate even by the standards of hands and the swiftness and neatness of the work Madara was doing impressed her. She knew better than to interrupt an artist in the middle of her work, especially something as fiddly as this, and so she placed herself somewhere unobtrusive but with good visual access. She could observe this with keen interest and simultaneously listen to the scout Quintin’s report on what precisely was happening with the bandits–and though she did not vocalise her willingness to assist in favour of listening, she would move to assist Madara if at all requested in whatever ways she deemed helpful.

Irah nodded along as they described the densely wooded nature of the route and that sleeping atop a horse or other beast of burden was not going to be a viable option–she’d expected as much. She observed the drawings Quintin laid out with keen interest, and even keener interest that Sir Yanin (or Jordan, she supposed) would carry such things with him. She’d expected a journal of some kind, something to take notes, but it seemed that the knight was really quite exceedingly prepared. She felt a twinge of admiration cross her face as a wry smile formed on her lips, and then Irah tuned back into the conversation at hand: some 30-odd–better to estimate up to 40–bandits with decently maintained equipment and enough sense to have some order to their operation.

This was certainly not a run of the mill operation–a loose collective of bandits wouldn’t number much past ten without intelligent leadership and a steady stream of profit or other resources. They were bold enough to have attacked a guarded settlement, too, intent on taking the healer specifically. Given the ease with which they’d thrown away the lives of their compatriots, Irah suspected that it was the leader or someone close to them who required the attention of the healer–otherwise such a risk would be the height of foolishness, and their organisation was such that she did not feel comfortable assuming that.

Whatever motivations she could glean from this limited information were… imprecise, at best–and such hazy guesses were a poor foundation for a solid plan. She’d let the others bring up their observations first, though she did direct a question to Quintin:

“Forgive me if this seems… out of place, but could you observe anything about the moods of the patrolling bandits? Alert, of course, but… eager? Dismayed? Did you catch any snippets of conversation? If we discern something about their temperament, it may point us towards the ‘why’ of this situation–and if we know why they’ve done what they’ve done, that will surely point us in a good direction.” Irah asked, her gaze still fixed on Madara and her work but her words sounding no less present for it.

The Prophecy - Dreams of Destiny

Deo’Irah

Deo’Irah inhaled sharply through her nose as she began a pattern of controlled and practised breathing while she listened to the others, and considered events yet to come. The Baroness Bor suggested bringing those yet able-bodied alongside them, and Sir Yanin and Sir Freagon both indicated their disdain for the idea. Irah agreed with them; their usefulness would be slight, and the risk would be immense. Leaving Borstown without adequate protection–if one could assume it had adequate protection to begin with, given all that happened–was unconscionable, less so for the well-guarded Baroness in her big house with her staff but for all of the people of the village who relied on the grace extended by the Fadewatchers and the Baroness. Too many children had already lost parents and families lost breadwinners–to say nothing of friendships, of loves, of all the things that might was supposed to protect. Irah would not allow more to be taken from these people who had already suffered so much if she could at all help it.

“I doubt it will be that simple, Lhirin. There is likely not a road for us to take the stagecoach, and it would be too conspicuous either way… Sleeping on Arvos will probably not get me the restfulness I would need to replenish my reserves. I agree with Sirs Yanin and Freagon about not bringing the wounded, Baroness–they have suffered enough. They will be liabilities, and I would not have them throw their lives away for their childrens’ sake if nothing else. I am inclined to come along, Sir Yanin, if only so we have at least one extra healer–if Bren is injured, he will need attention. It would be foolish for Lhirin to waste the piaan he consumed, too. Let us rendezvous with the others and have this discussion with everyone caught up to speed, hmm? Lady Bor is right that we have limited options, but… There is a path through this. We will find it together.” Irah stated, though more hurriedly than she had before–and her voice was less impassioned than it had been previously, replaced with something less intense but still fierce in its own gentle way: hope.

Sir Freagon’s justification did not surprise Irah too much–from what little she remembered of the Knights of the Will, they were supposed to be great heroes. Freagon was an arse, yes, but he took his vows very seriously. To have a page like Jaelnec who still wasn’t promoted to squire… Irah suspected the weight of duty was heavy on his heart and mind, and that his age only exacerbated that fact. Cynicism, in her experience, was how the aged and weary protected themselves–for the nature of the world was just as cruel as it was kind, and it had no regard for the values of its inhabitants on any individual basis. The older one got, the more mired in regrets and woes… Vela Bor was a clear example of that. There was a weariness about her that was only found in those who had suffered and lost a tremendous amount–it was the same kind of sullen resignation that Deo’il sometimes got when Irah would ask him about Gazzeralesh as a child.

With that spoken, and a couple of seconds of quiet contemplation, Irah began to move forward, as if to lead them out of the room and rendezvous with the others. She was happy to take the lead if none of them would, and would continue heading downstairs until something or someone stopped her.

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

It was then that Ophelia realised that the pallid man, the beastman, and their lackeys--they couldn't see the lantern at all. They couldn't see the messengers. She turned around to look at the lantern, conspicuously lit with a pale-blue flame that seemed deeply out of the ordinary--even to one learned in some measure of esoteric practices like Ophelia. Something about it seemed... soothing, though--a pale gleam, just like the scroll that she'd read said. The... Hunter's Dream? She'd never heard of such a thing, but in the back of her mind across the veil of mist her other-self pressed herself against the boundary that separated them and some of the fog began to dissipate. Ophelia's mind twisted and turned, the hot and red flashes of urgent passion from the blood beginning to cool before the pale lucidity offered by the strange lamp and its guardian messengers.

Ophelia's eyes snapped back to the room, her brief reverie broken, as Torquil shuffled alongside her and shot her a wondering look. She didn't have a plan with Farren, per se, but they'd come to an unspoken agreement that violence most certainly was the answer--and violence they would have. Ophelia just had to work out what Farren had done--and her eyes drifted towards the closed door. Farren must have left and closed it--it'd be hard to hide in this fairly open room... and he'd had that wicked glint in his eyes of someone resourceful who was going to make things work.

"Drop them just there, dear?" Ophelia smiled, pointing about halfway between the door and the rightmost corner on that wall. Out of the way enough for them to get some distance, and to imply they would be filling up that corner and that the others should pick different ones. She wondered if it'd work--but then the pallid one hissed at her, and she snapped to him with a hard stare that she quickly tried to pass off as curiosity. She shrugged her shoulders at his words and nodded before speaking:

"... If you insist, dear. Shall we, Torquil?" she said, her tone flat and even as she turned around to look at Torquil, giving him a wry smile before heading over towards the door. She'd usher him to stand on the other side of the door so he'd be ready to bolt through if necessary, and turned the handle. As it swung open she moved to go through it immediately, not waiting for the pallid one, his pet, or the beast to have a chance to react--if they followed them out, they could turn the fight much more easily with their more advantageous positioning and ability to utilise the open space--fighting a hulking thing like that beastman would have been unpleasant indoors. As she stepped through Ophelia looked for Farren and where he might have gotten to, hoping for some sort of signal to be made obvious.

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

Torquil's unease fading to ease only widened Ophelia's smile, and she gave Torquil's shoulder another reassuring squeeze as he moved to grab the bodies--she felt the connection between them in his gaze, something about the way he looked at her shifting to... recognition, if she didn't know better. She certainly didn't remember Torquil: but that was a question for later, as the pallid man had expectations of them and pieces needed to be moved into place for their plan to work. Ophelia was about to turn on her heel to follow after Torquil when she heard the first ring of the bell. The sound was... almost familiar, but not quite. It was certainly different than it had been before, something about the act of using it seeming to imbue it with a depth and resonance it hadn't had while simply jostling around in his clothes... And then there was another, and this time Ophelia noticed movement in her periphery as she looked over the cots--the Messengers sank away into the floor from whence they came, as though the sound was... painful? Wrong? Ophelia couldn't tell--but they didn't like it one bit. Then another, and her eyes were immediately diverted towards the red glow and the otherworldly passenger that climbed out of it.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the Mad One--and then she audibly gasped as she saw its face. Its eyes... normally they'd be white, glowing like little stars--but this one... This one had dark, sunken pits instead of eyes, much like the pallid man. Something in Ophelia's stomach turned at the sight, and she sucked in a steadying breath as she hurried over to the body with Torquil and enacted her earlier plan. Keep this dead Hunter far away from these... she hesistated to even call them people. The beastman certainly wasn't, and the pallid one... Ophelia had her doubts about that too.

Stepping into the next room, Ophelia saw Farren moving for the lantern--exactly what she'd have done. There were other Messengers, though, aiming to get her attention--and Ophelia went straight for the one pointing toward the scroll, knowing that all the blood and gold in the world paled before the value of information.

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

At the pallid man's request, Ophelia couldn't quite stop herself from balking before she shifted her expression back to one of curious apprehension--she turned to look at the cots of her sleeping compatriots, these people who could have been her if she hadn't woken up when she did... would she forgive those who'd awoken if they'd let this Soulkeeper do... what? Embrace their beasthood, like the poor soul who'd died--whose eye rested even now in a glass jar near Ophelia and the cot. She felt a violent and sickening impulse sweep her in a rush of heat, and she caught Farren's gesture and expression just at the apex of that moment. There was a moment of synchronicity between them, and Ophelia used it to turn back to Torquil--who seemed confused, rather than filled with conviction like she and Farren. Ophelia turned around again and spoke out to the pallid man:

"Torquil here needs a little direction, let me explain to him--he's much stronger than I am, I fear I'd crumple beneath the weight of the sleeping fellows..." she said to the pallid man, her tone soft and kindly. She turned on her heel and walked over to Torquil with a bright smile on her face, facing toward him and interposed between the him and the others such to block their vision of him--unnaturally tall as she was, it was not a difficult thing to obscure Torquil's face--though his wider frame would definitely still be visible past her. Ophelia's mind spun for a moment--the beast-thing must also have a beast's hearing, so she would be limited in what she could communicate verbally. She reached out and gave Torquil's shoulder a reassuring squeeze while she looked at him and mouthed as clearly as she could: "Play along. Let Farren attack first." as she did so, and then she began speaking normally:

"We're going to help take the Hunters outside, okay, dear? Why don't you come and grab this one near me and help me with it, then you can grab another?" and began to lope off towards her original position with the cot once more, aiming to collect both the corpse and the eyeball--though with the cover of sudden movement, she hoped she'd be able to do so relatively sneakily. She could stash it and come back for it later, or attempt to smuggle it out on her person... She resolved to take it with her and deposit it outside somewhere out of the way, and hope something so innocuous would go unnoticed by these thugs. She waited for Torquil's compliance or disobedience as appropriate, looking at him expectantly if he had followed to take this corpse in particular. She couldn't help but think that any of these other people could have been sweet Torquil, and it only stoked the coals of rage within her more as she considered the very real threat of violence already delivered to them. They were going to regret this, even if it was the last thing she did.

Night of the Hunt - Paleblood

Ophelia

Something in Ophelia's expression turned at the pallid man's... repugnance? Condescension? She wasn't quite certain what it was, but it had provoked quite the proverbial snarl from the shockingly blue-eyed Farren--and now it threatened to do the same to her. She could feel her other-self's more lucid influence slipping away and the bile in her belly rising up with indignation, and what little lucidity she had left had a choice to make: withdraw and let the fire within reign, or make a push for rationality and reason. It all hinged on what their intentions were: she remembered... very little of this so-called Harrow, beyond that their idea of help was to become or emulate beasts, of all things--as though ailing Loran and fallen Isz's examples weren't enough to know how the scourge of beasts inevitably ended. She hadn't the time to delve deeper into her memories, and she could not reason away the open hostility they'd showed...

Ophelia swallowed the rising heat and took a deep breath in to cool her inflamed mind--she couldn't trust the others to think, to consider the implications that hovered beyond ordinary sight. Torquil... he seemed simple; dim, but gentle and sweet. Something in his dopey smile and the haunted depths of his eyes told her that many might have been unkind to him... and with that axe in his hand, there was something of the woods about him. She pitied the poor soul, and would try her best to keep him--all of them, really--safe this night. To that end... they were going to be safest if they could get outside; they could make the decision to fight or acquiesce then.

"... Farren, be a dear and help me outside? We... don't want to be hurt, now, do we?" Ophelia asked, her tone whimsical but her eyes, locked on to Farren's as she spoke, gave off an eager flash. She hoped that he'd... well, a part of her hoped he'd pick the fight anyway, and another part hoped they could get outside and assess the situation a little better before they got themselves into trouble.

Still... Ophelia liked their odds; even newly turned as they were, she was confident in their ability to overcome these foes if it turned to that--when it turned to that, most likely. She did not see things remaining peaceful for very long after they got outside, if they did.