Current
I think watching fight scenes can help in general terms with writing combat, since it can give you an idea of flow and choreography.
2 yrs ago
At least if you're writing something you know, with knights.
2 yrs ago
I mean, depends on what you're writing, and the tone and theme of what you're writing. Trained armored knights were legitimately monstrous on the battlefield, so looking up how they fought helps.
2 yrs ago
As much as there's a lot of reasons twitter sucks, I genuinely don't want to see it die for the sake of all the artists who now rely on it. Hoping the shithead stops trying to directly administrate.
1
like
2 yrs ago
roleplayerguild.com/posts/5… If anyone's up for fighting some kaiju, why not try out my new RP, Godzilla: YATAGARUSU?
Seeing little issue with the choice of assignment her soldiers had given themselves, Velvetica did not choose to intervene.
It was best to prepare as quickly as possible, for tonight was when they'd strike.
On one hand, it was possible to deny the fact that the cultists preferred to raid at night, for the element of surprise. But at the same time, that same tactic could be turned against them. If they were distracted by the bait, and the destruction of their blasphemous idols, then they would be far less prepared in the darkness.
And the night could work as a cloak for the Lions just as well as it had for the cult.
It was a moonless, cloudy night. Not a star could be glimpsed through the thick veil of clouds, though there did not appear to be a storm incoming.
To put it simply, it was an ideal night for an ambush.
The ambush point was not too far from the location of the cult's operations, near the disturbed earth and the greatest concentration of effigies, using the natural landscape as a barrier from which they could attack. The bait had been embedded with skilled warriors, but in truth it was only intended to gain the cult's attention. It was the destruction of their effigies that would lure them into taking direct action.
It was true. There was no way the cultists were unaware of their presence.
But that wouldn't matter in the face of fanaticism.
Velvetica had positioned herself with the ambush team.
Now it was simply a matter of time. They had their attention, certainly, so drawing them out was the next step.
And then she was being dragged off again, with little in the way of warning, stumbling over her feet. Deep down, this was probably a good thing. Being face to face with both the Prince and the Villainess was in no way good for her health right now. But at the same time, she kept being faced with so many questions.
It was relentlessly beating down on her, and she'd barely had any time to think. Putting aside how any of this had even happened in the first place, the fact that Serrica was acting so different...
It couldn't just be explained with the fact this was reality now, could it? It wasn't quite right for what Anne remembered of her character. Was something else going on here? But what?
"E-er, I'm fine, it's just that a lot has happened, eh-heheh..."
Anne took a deep breath, hand scratching the back of her head.
It was clear she was unharmed, and though her voice shook as she spoke, her first words were asking about her sister.
Despite everything, it was clear the news that Tili was alive was at least some small comfort to her.
The Lightning Witch was bound. She offered no resistance, and eventually elaborated somewhat on what she'd said to Lein.
That it was Damon Cazt who had brought the necromancer and his lackey, and Alfrid and herself, together. Damon Cazt who found the 'assassin' at the Necromancer's request.
It had gone from simply finding some way to strike at the crown that they would remember, in the name of family lost during the War of the Red Flag, to an assassination plot to kill the eldest Princess.
It was never meant to go that way, and by the time it had begun to do so there was no escape.
The prisoner was taken from the tomb.
Surely, Veilena would be angered to know just how many of her ancestors had been raised, but perhaps the exemplary performance of Erich Cazt even in death would be one she could show some pride in. There was no denying he reclaimed himself at the end, after all.
Damon's presence was far less of a proud moment for the Cazt heir.
Clerics from the church would be sent to cleanse the mausoleum and put the dead properly to rest once more.
For now, at least, whatever threat the conspiracy posed was ended.
And yet...
The throne room was decorated with purple and gold. The great windows lining its sides allowed the morning light to find its way in, each flanked by luxurious curtains.
At the far end were the five seats that housed the royal family.
The tallest of the five was occupied, the tall, finely-enrobed form of the King of Thaln seated there. The gleaming crown sat upon his head, his cool eyes fixed firmly upon her. On either side of him were two armored Crown Knights, their features impossible to see beneath the plate.
Fanilly knelt, her head bowed.
“Your highness,” she said.
It was the following morning that she had been summoned by the King. She had only just finished speaking with the Captain of the Crown Knights, the Princesses safely returned home, when she received the summons.
“Rise, Knight-Captain of the Iron Roses,” came the King’s clear, firm voice, “I simply wish to hear your report.”
She had been in the presence of the King before, more than once. But this time, it was following an attempted assassination on one of his children.
Fanilly rose to her feet, clearing her throat.
“It began with a disturbance at the ball,” she replied, “It soon became clear that, somehow, an assassin had entered the ball. Thanks to the intervention of Dame Lilette, no-one was harmed, and the assassin was swiftly apprehended by my knights.”
The King nodded.
“And then it was determined she was an adventurer from Velt?”
“Yes,” answered Fanilly, swiftly, “Her sister was being held hostage to enforce her cooperation. At the time it seemed strange that a note indicating as much would be left on her person, but everything that came afterwards proved it to be the truth.”
There was still so much that was strange about the conspiracy. The plan seemed fractured, as if sabotaging itself from within.
In fact, perhaps that was precisely the case.
From there, Fanilly recounted the events that occurred after their departure and arrival at the Cazt Mausoleum. The numerous undead fought there, the presence of Damon Cazt, the actions of the Lightning Witch and the death of all the other remaining Conspirators. His expression darkened briefly when she mentioned the presence of a demon, but aside from that he merely quietly listened until she was finished.
“Damon Cazt, then… to think, that family would once again become entangled in such wickedness,” he sighed, “Thank you, Knight-Captain. Your service ensured the safety of my daughters, and the swift eradication of the conspiracy that threatened her.”
He paused for a moment.
“But, I’m certain you don’t think that this is the end of it, do you?”
Fanilly hesitated, before clearing her throat.
“Damon Cazt’s behavior was strange,” she replied, “He only stopped one of my knights, Dame Serenity.”
The King didn’t reply for a moment, deep in thought.
“Our prisoners needed little questioning before telling us that it was Damon Cazt who supplied the assassin, and the vampire also brought them together. That witch in particular blames him for introducing her and her companion to the necromancer.”
When taken in consideration with everything else that had happened the previous night, it painted a bizarre picture.
The vampire had assembled a conspiracy doomed to fail? The assassin was no assassin, no matter her skills, and had been given a note that lead them directly to the conspirators. The conspirators themselves didn’t seem fond of each other from the very start, and those cracks had only widened until the lightning witch was all too eager to ensure the necromancer’s death.
“The witch claims that an assassination was never their goal until they received a hostage, and then both due to her companion’s presence and for the sake of the nem girl’s wellbeing she felt she had no choice but to remain,” Fanilly said, “If that’s the case, then…”
She trailed off.
What did it all mean?
“She’s said the same thing under interrogation,” the king replied, “It could be a convenient lie to try and escape punishment, but it does fit with the events of the raid.”
A conspiracy that was doomed to fail. Brought together by someone who had seemingly taken every chance to sabotage it from within.
Why?
What was the purpose of such a thing?
The only guess Fanilly could make was that the vampire had never wanted them to have a chance in the first place. But then why aid them at all?
There was too much information missing.
“Still, no matter what questions we may still have, the important thing is that my daughters are unharmed,” the King’s voice carried palpable relief upon it.
“How are they?” Fanilly asked.
“Shaken, but trying to keep a brave face,” came the King’s answer, “I’m going to spend the rest of the morning with them.”
Given the Queen’s absence, Fanilly could guess that was where she was already.
“Once again, I’m thankful for your service, and the service of your knights, in ensuring their safety,” the king continued, “If not for your efforts, and the efforts of the Crown Knights, then something terrible could have happened.”
“Something terrible did happen, father.”
The commanding voice came from the other end of the hall.
When Fanilly turned towards it, she was greeted with the dark-haired form of Prince Enrich, the middle child of the royal family. At fourteen, if anything had happened to Princess Elisandre, he would have been next in line.
“There was an assassination attempt on my elder sister, and yet you seem all too keen to praise the ones who failed to stop it,” he continued.
“Enrich, it is because of the Iron Rose Knight’s services that Elisandre is safe,” responded the King, calmly.
“Is it? Because by her own words it was because of Dame Lilette, not by any of the knights in her service, that Elisandre is still alive. A ball filled with knights, and yet an assassin walks within range of a Princess? What does that tell you, Father?”
Fanilly hesitated, uncertain what to say. While it was true the nem had managed to come into close range, no-one had seen her in the first place. It was almost certain she had concealed her presence in one way or another. It was only when direct attention was brought to her that anyone realized she was there.
“It tells me that perhaps this so-called legendary knight order isn’t as capable as they’d like to portray themselves,” continued the Prince, “A girl only two years my senior, as captain? Not to mention that vampire forever lost in the past. Do we truly need such-“
“Enrich.”
The King’s voice was firm.
“We’ll speak about this later.”
The Prince was silent. Then he turned on his heel, proceeding out of the hall.
“I’m sure we will, Father.”
The door shut behind him.
The King sighed heavily.
“… You’re dismissed, Knight-Captain.”
Fanilly bowed low.
“Yes, your highness.”
All the knights in Candaeln had the same dream; they dreamed of battle.
A dusty plateau amidst a sea of clouds, rolling grey stretching out to the horizon. A perfectly flat disc without the slightest hint of mortal work or natural life, notable only in how the brown wasn't the surrounding grey. In this featureless world, the observer in the blue sky above was all the more noticeable: a slender woman, hair black and eyes a chilling, icy blue. Although her features held all the chiselled sharpness of classical Ithillane nobility, her garb was unerringly foreign, a colourful asymmetrical robe with a broad sash and drooping sleeves. Why was she watching? No question would get an answer, no attack would connect, passing through like a mirage.
Then the fighting would start. A common bandit, appearing and going straight for the kill. A lopsided skeleton. An ordinary footsoldier. With each defeat, the body would disappear like smoke, and the ground would return to its pristine condition. With every foe, the challenge would increase, and soon the landscape itself would reshape--sometimes to the dreamer's benefit, sometimes to the enemy's.
The knight inevitably lost. Maybe it was pitted against a mountain of an Ingvarr from Barukstaed, his already armour caked in dried blood. Maybe it was some wizard of the foulest arts, dragging them down into the numerous graves the dream now contained. Or maybe they got so far as a mighty wyvern, almost a true dragon if not for the lack of intelligence.
Death was inevitable, a transient searing pain. Yet it didn't end, in a blink the dreamer was once again at the starting point. The next foe would come. And the next. Each stronger than the last; mighty commanders of Talderia in gilded panoply, elaborate plumes and trimmings making them no less deadly. Ancient knights and mages of fame, from across the kingdoms, heroes of prior wars. The sky above turned from blue to orange, and they were pitted against their heroic predecessors.
Although no less deadly, these fights were different. Although each dreamer fought but one, these founding figures of the Iron Roses were still there when they came to their feet again. Congratulatory, or apologetic, as was their nature: Cyrus the Hammer, enthusiastic and boisterous; Lilette as gentle as her name suggested. Even Edwin the Traitor would be jocular, not a hint of darkness about him.
Two foes remained. Those that had descended into the mausoleum at first would recognise the shining armour, the billowing cape: Erich Cazt, without the shackles of a necromancer. Aged even in a dream, but no less diminished, holding back none of the skill or magic he had been famous for. Grandfatherly words of encouragement given as the knight awoke once more, the sky turning to black, and the sea of clouds barely visible at the horizon of the vast platform.
A dragon. Massive and preening, scales a red so deep as to be almost black, save for when they caught the light of the full moon perfectly, or the actinic illumination of its own flames. Only then would it have a coat of a million rubies, an unearthly beauty on a monster so huge. A foe that had taken a full ten heroes to fight and the power of a saint to bring down.
Volkstraad.
And then they woke, memories of the dream lingering long in the daylight.
She had never seen a place like this before. Or at least, if she had, it felt more like a distant dream then a real location. A featureless, unreal plane of vast nothing, surrounded by an endless sea of clouds. This was no real place. There couldn't be anywhere in the world that existed like this. Not unless it was crafted, molded for a purpose.
What she did recognize was the face of the petite woman drifting above, wordlessly watching her as she looked around her surroundings.
Before she could open her mouth, call out to her, it began.
The first was a bandit. His weapon was parried in an instant, his chest pierced by the gleaming tip of her blade before he could even respond. Then a shambling undead. It didn't even swing its rusty axe before she cut its head from its shoulders.
A footsoldier, better equipped and more prepared for combat, thrusting his spear. She ducked low and caught it beneath the tip and forced it upwards, sliding her sword along the bottom of the shaft and using it to guide her blade directly to his throat.
The battlefield changed.
Now it was a more natural location, a snarled table of branches obscuring clear vision of her surroundings.
The battles changed, too.
The enemies emerged from the forest, now, aiming to take her by surprise. Their equipment improved. Their skill. She found herself pushed back.
And yet...
A thrust into a gap of an Ithillane Knight's armor, as he raised his poleaxe for a blow that would surely have killed her. A slash along the chest of a mighty barbarian, disrupting his attack and opening him for a finishing cut along the throat.
Identify your opponent. Identify their weapons. Identify their armor. Understand how they fought as swiftly as possible, then understand how to end them as a threat as swiftly as possible.
It was a method of fighting that had been drilled into her very soul from the moment she was chosen as the successor of prior Knight-Captain.
A blade of justice that swiftly and righteously ended the wicked. That ceased all that would threaten the innocent with the edge of a sword.
Now the wind howled. There was corpses all around.
A great ingvarr caked in blood raised his mighty mace. A single blow would surely shatter her skull.
She had to move.
Each swing came horrifyingly close. But she had to keep moving. His strength, his skill, they were unquestionable. But she had to win, didn't she? She had to keep fighting, didn't she?
For Thaln's sake.
For the sake of her position.
What kind of captain would she be if she ever gave up?
The searing pain hit. She'd miscalculated, she felt the blow strike her left side, felt herself lifted into the air.
Her arm twisted in a way that was not natural, flopping limply as she hit the ground. It was agony undeniable, tears welling in her eyes as her ragged breathing escaped her.
The ingvarr raised his mace.
Fighting for Thaln.
For its people.
A Knight-Captain wouldn't falter here.
The strength that suddenly surged through her legs propelled her upwards, her sword finding a gap between helmet and cuirass.
The hulking figure fell moments later.
Her arm was mended in an instant, but that wasn't the end. Now her foes grew even stronger.
When a bright light flashed in from of her, a great circle of magical energy opening before her, the muscle of her thigh severed moments earlier, there was nothing she could do.
Her armor melted away. Her flesh soon followed. Then her bones.
And yet, moments later she had returned, and it began again.
It wasn't the last time.
She faltered.
Her heart sank.
A mistimed parry, now, let a blade take her head. A Talderian knight cut her entirely in half with an enchanted blade when she didn't dodge swiftly enough.
She couldn't measure up, could she?
There was no way.
No matter how hard she tried, she was nothing compared to those who came before. She'd die and fail her knights. Fail Thaln.
That was what this told her. Every death let her understand the truth.
Olivier the Crimson. His painted red armor was unmistakble. The man who had sought to 'shatter the mirror' and slay Sir Florian, the Knight of Ithillin whose bloodthirstiness drove him to further acts of terror. It had taken a legend to defeat him.
She didn't bother raising her sword.
She would fail.
She knew she would.
So when he thrust his blade into her throat, she didn't even attempt to resist.
"... Why did you do such a thing, Knight-Captain?"
That voice was one she'd heard not so long ago, in waking hours.
"You performed so splendidly earlier."
A soft voice like cool, running water.
Her slender sword gleaming. Her armor resplendent.
The Gentle Blade.
Lilette.
But this was not the healer long retired from battle. This was the knight who stood alongside a Saint.
"... I know. I'm not worthy of my position," Fanilly replied, refusing to meet her gaze, "I was picked because it was convenient. I can't reach the same heights."
"Is that so? From my perspective, I'm not certain I agree," replied the elven knight, "So perhaps this is the best course. Simply parry this next blow. If you are so certain you shall die, then there is no pressure for you to win, is there? So you can focus on one thing alone. Parrying my next blow successfully."
Fanilly hesitated. She knew there was no way she would defeat the Gentle Blade, no matter how hard she tried. Lilette was an undefeated duelist. In her training, Fanilly had admired her, and Florian as well. It was largely through pure nerves and concern over her duties that she hadn't spoken to her more during the ball. They were something to aspire to, in terms of skill, even if she was certain she'd never reach those heights.
"But if you do, I want you to understand what that means," continued Lilette, gently, "That you parried a serious blow from a legend. A legend you admire. Surely, if you can do that, then there is still a point in moving forward, is there not?"
"..."
Fanilly inhaled deeply.
If the Gentle Blade made such a request of her, then she had to try.
The young Knight-Captain took up her sword.
She returned to her feet.
She readied herself.
Lilette smiled.
It was an unusual blow. A thrust that followed a strange pattern, curving from outside and inward. A dancing sword that would find purchase in even sturdy armor. Swift, elegant, and unquestionable.
Fanilly's arms moved.
She couldn't measure up to the other Knight-Captains.
But maybe...
The sound of metal striking metal filled the air.
Lilette's blade was thrown from its course.
"Now you understand, don't you?"
Fanilly was quite certain she stilled died in the next moments, even if she didn't feel it.
But at the same time, she had parried an attack from the Gentle Blade herself.
Did that mean...?
It had been a week since the raid on the conspirators in the tomb.
Judgement had yet to be passed on the nem girl, Tili. Naturally, her sister wanted her to live. The First Princess, surprisingly to some, also didn't see the need for her to die.
And a delegation from the Velt Adventurer's guild, apparently notified by a mysterious man leaving a message notifying them of the situation, was to arrive soon in order to argue on her behalf.
But there was still no way of knowing what her fate would be, yet.
Fierense had vanished.
She had cooperated, and made no attempt to escape. The cell she was housed in was warded by the Court Mage himself. There shouldn't have been any way for her to escape, and she hadn't made any attempts to try. There was no damage to the cell. The wards themselves hadn't been displaced.
And yet there was no sign of the Lightning Witch.
It was fairly early in the morning when Fanilly awoke that day.
Her maids assisted her in bathing, and braided her hair before helping her get dressed. Her thoughts drifted as her morning routine continued, to the strangeness of the conspiracy and to the strange dream she had experienced the night before.
She didn't speak of it to her maids, and she was certain they noticed how quiet she was being, one hand placed to her chest(at least until they asked her to move it so they could continue bathing her).
A reason to keep moving forward...
She'd been wanting to do some research. Both to see if there was any sort of historical precedence for all of this(perhaps she could find some record of Damon Cazt?) and in order to see if she could find some information on the figures that appeared in that bizarre dream.
Naturally, this meant she'd at least be starting the day in the library.
It wasn't a bad day outside. Quite the opposite, in fact. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Some of the local birds could be heard rather vocally in the gardens, serenading their fellows or staking claims on territory.
The Necromancer was rounding on the lightning witch, his staff glowing as his undead swarmed towards him to form a barrier.
"Damn you, you bi-"
There was a flash of light and wind as Cecilia's arrow found its target, striking him in the left arm, the one clutching his hostage. The tissue of his shoulder was severed in an instant, the burst of air sending him staggering back with a strangled cry of agony as he lost both his living shield and one of his limbs, blood spurting through the air.
It was at that very moment, as he stumbled back with a gasp, that his control faltered.
While the mindless, rank and file undead continued to due their critically wounded master's bidding, it was evident that the legendary corpse did not, sending Gerard hurtling towards the bleeding masked man as he struggled to stay upright.
There was a wet crunch.
Sir Gerard's mace found its target, and Fanilly slowed to a halt as she watched the crushing force strike their enemy square in the chest. Almost certainly, his ribs were shattered, and it was quite likely his own bones now skewered his internal organs as he was lifted clean off his feet and sent hurtling backwards from the impact.
Blood splattered across the wall as he struck it, from the severed stump of his left arm.
It seemed like a moment or two passed before he slid down the wall and hit his knees.
He didn't move.
Fanilly lowered her sword, eshaling heavily, as her blue eyes travelled over the trembling body of the conspirators' prisoner.
"... Check the prisoner, and unbind her," she said, swiftly. While the nem didn't appear to be seriously harmed, there was no way of being certain that was the case until they got a closer look. She noticed the voice from behind hem, from what could only be a demon, but she simply couldn't focus on it any longer.
They'd managed to stop it. To save the prisoner, and bring an end o this conspiracy.
The remaining undead now stood still, swaying slightly but otherwise entirely unmoving.
The ragged voice came from the slumped body of the necromancer.
He wasn't dead yet, but it wouldn't be long. The head of his catalyst was flashing, magical energy gathering around it and fading as he tried and failed to breath properly. Blood ran from his mouth and nose, down the front of his clothing, from his severed left shoulder.
There was no way of knowing if he was truly able to threaten them in his last moments.
Fanilly resolved to do what was necessary.
She approached, and the staff glowed just a little brighter.
"Kill you... I'll kill y-you... I'll-!"
The Knight-Captain's blade flashed.
The necromancer's head hit the floor, and he spoke no longer.
The Lightning Witch didn't speak, at least not immediately, as the undead collapsed around her. Instead, she walked over to the axe, slowly sinking to her knees.
Taking it in both hands, she clutched it, embracing it to her slim frame.
When she finally spoke to Lein, her voice was soft, and quiet. Her face was hidden by her hat.
"... It was never supposed to go this way, not until he showed up," she murmured, the 'he' left ambiguous, "Then those bastards came, then it ended up like this, taking a prisoner and killing a princess and..."
She trailed off, still holding the axe tightly.
"... I... I-I need to take care of him... He needs me to take care of him."
"Exactly what part of this sounds like standard tactics to you, Sir Guillame?" commented Velvetica, with one eyebrow raised, "If this is standard to you, you must have been in some interesting engagements prior to entering my service. I should truly love to hear about them, Sir Guillame."
She cocked her head, before clearing her throat.
"In any case, it's certainly worth noting there's no doubt they're at least somewhat aware of our presence, and perhaps the idea of spreading our bait a little wider and a little more aggressively isn't a poor one."
Seating herself, the Steel Princess steepled her fingers.
"But that will work excellently with the other part of our strategy. Our bait isn't merely bodies and supplies, with deadly warriors hidden within and an ambush awaiting out of sight. The effigies, those blasphemous artifices to whatever deranged faith they follow. Why, they're quite noticeable, aren't they? And we are dealing with fanatics."
A smirk crossed her lips.
"How do you think they'd respond to their destruction? Not merely supplies and people, but people who are directly insulting their madness? Tearing down what they have worked for?"
She let her question hang for a few moments before continuing to speak.
"It's not merely provocation," she added, "But a practical approach as well. If those effigies are ritual components, it's possible destroying them is not only an insult to whatever thing they're treating as a god, but also a direct disruption to whatever foul magic they have at play. Besides, they're a token of their gleeful defilement of the dead. Anyone should see it as their duty to destroy them."
Velvetica placed her hands down on the table.
"I shall tentatively allow you to arrange yourselves as best you see fit, to select either the bait and raiders or the ambush. If I disagree with your choice, I'll simply correct it myself."
This time, the barrier of ice shattered almost immediately. It was regrettable, knowing that she still wasn't back to the level of power she needed to pull off such a feat without effort.
But it had done enough.
The bird's beak yawning open, its body maimed, only barely recognizable as what it once was.
Aleksiya sighed, the air around her arm suddenly growing frigid. Water collected, coalescing around her pale limb, as the diminutive vampire formed a spike of ice that entirely incased it. It glistened, gleaming, shining, its point like that of the finest blade.
"Go to sleep. It's long overdo."
Her arm blurred as she thrust it forward. The length of the spike she had conjured was plenty, she was certain, to pierce the roof of re ruined avian's mouth, through the bone, and up into its brain.
To sever whatever remained of its life instantly, as it attempted to shut its beak around her.
Typically, Aleksiya took pleasure in slaying her enemies. Joy in destroying those who set themselves against her, threatened her companions, those people beneath her. Those who would trample over others.
With Hecate trailing along behind her, the shape of the Echo peering over her shoulder briefly, Nozomi pulled the boy along, sprinting as quickly as she could manage. The sooner they reached the others, the sooner they could destroy all their attackers and escape. Not that Nozomi was lacking in confidence in Hecate, now that she'd managed to call her, but two Echoes would be far better then just one, and to be able to protect the others together would be far better then any other option.
She just had to make it.
She just had to-
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them. Hecate immediately moved to shield her, raising and interweaving her ribbon-like arms to form a barrier, but her body simply wasn't large enough.
The spiderlike shape of another of the masked creatures was descending.
The wall itself rippled beside them, and a dozen arms erupted from the darkness, a white mask at their center. All of them were reaching for Yuzu, surging towards her, to surround her. To crush her.
As they exited the building, an inky black shape coated in maskes was just there. Each mask stretched out, red tongues emerging from their smiling maws and lashing towards the three boys. Behind them was the feminine creature. Before them was this monstrosity.
When she seemed to see them, her lips parted into a smile, as she tilted her head to the side. Her movement came with a clicking, jingling sound, almost like one would expect from a music box being wound.
"Ah, you're about to die, aren't you?" she asked. It was a nonchalant, playful tone, spoken in the voice of a little girl, "That's a shame, I suppose, but it can't be helped~"
The little doll girl giggled playfully, as if the news that they were about to die was something to find amusing rather then horrific.
"It's just too bad, isn't it? You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You looked at something that looked right back. Those ones didn't even get a chance, you know."
Whatever she meant by 'those ones' was left unsaid.
Her blue eyes seemed almost luminescent.
"Unless... there is something you can do, isn't there~? Two of you already know what I mean, I'm sure~!"
She giggled again, holding her bear tightly to her chest.
"I think you can do it now. It's deep inside you, you'll have to pull it up. You don't have ones like they do, so it's going to hurt. You're going to cry. You're going scream your heart out. But everyone does sometimes, don't they? It's okay sometimes, isn't it? To let everything out, no matter how much it hurts?"
With the creature thus restrained, and Aleksiya able to get a better look at it, she came to realize it was no oversized chicken at all. Even in a state of such decay, it was quite obvious she was looking at a rather more familiar animal then she had expected.
A tropical and exotic bird that had no right to be here, except for the fact that the one at the source of all this was fond of them.
Aleksiya sighed heavily.
"Wonderful, I can't even make fun of you, now," she lamented as she raised her hand, slowly tracing her finger through the air. Along the same course her hand too, a crystalline line began to form, developing a sharpened edge, widening into a wedge shape as vapors poured off of its form, "I hope you're happy."
All it did now was seem sad and pathetic, more than anything else. And what it foretold was nothing particularly good.
Still, it was an obstacle. It had to be removed.
The blade of ice was sent hurtling through the air, a whistling sound accompanying it as Aleksiya targeted the point where the straining, bound wing met the body. It would tear free soon, so grounding it and then finishing it off was their best option.
She'd stopped the Demonbreaker's swing! It was all she'd been asking for, in the moment, to prevent it from making contact and cutting through Sir Gerard's body.
Unfortunately, Fanilly couldn't stop what happened next, unable to do much more then watch as that shield deflected a blow from Dame Serenity before the undead hero's hand was used to send Gerard hurtling back. It was doubtlessly a better outcome then being cut apart, but it didn't change the fact that there was very little that Fanilly could do to stop it.
Already the shield was swinging into position, swiftly enough that she couldn't try and follow up. Even though Erich Cazt was undead, he still possessed such power and agility, far beyond the near-skeletal rabble that shambled about the room.
But she had to do something.
Fanilly had to try and ensure this ended, to save the hostage, to-
The axe landed on the floor with a heavy clank.
The air was still vibrating, glowing lines of light shining beneath Fierense's clothing as lightning crackled from her fingertips.
But the witch faltered.
It was only a moment before she spoke once more.
"... I don't forgive you."
But even as she spoke, the Lightning Witch turned on the spot, her crackling arm now pointed squarely at the barrier surrounding the necromancer and his hostage. As the flashing light grew, swirling, sparking with magic energy and electricity, it spread out from her palm, swelling with power. The building light was growing larger and larger, brighter and brighter, and then with a sound like a roll of thunder it was unleashed, and-
-Before Fanilly's eyes, the barrier cracked and shattered. There had been a spectacular flash of light coming from the right side of the room, and then the sound of shattered glass, and then it was coming apart. The fragments scattering into the air, cracking, dissipating into nothinginess, the necromancer's shocked gaze turning towards the source of the light...
Fanilly was already running, as the lesser undead began to surge towards the necromancer.
"Cecilia!" she called out. Of the two archers, Dame Cecilia had the better vantage point as far as she should tell. No clearer orders needed to be given.
The necromancer was no longer untouchable, after all.
Fierense lowered her arm, the lights beneath her clothing fading.
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