Shards of Twilight [Closed]

[encapturer]

Ashley was surprised when Rafael did not fall from all the punishment he took. In fact, his counterattack was that much more dangerous with her spear lodged in his chest. For now, Ashley turned to take his blow head on, and prepared to transform her spear back into a dagger.

 

The dark mist appeared again, surrounding the exposed portion of the spear. This time, red flashes of light were seen coming from the mist. After just a moment of this happening, Ashley let go of the spear, causing the mist and light to disappear.

 

Ashley subconsciously stopped herself from attempting to swap her weapons, with her memories of what happened to her parents surfacing. Rafael's blow quickly brought Ashley back to her senses, though at the cost of knocking her to back and damaging her breastplate even more. She brought herself upright again, and took a moment to take in everything that had happened. Noticing that her spear was currently lodged in Rafael's chest, Ashley tugged at her scarf around her wrist, as it became covered in the dark mist. She knew that something had caused her to rush at Rafael recklessly, and made it a point to attack more carefully this time.

 

Ashley gripped her sword with both hands and slowly approached Rafael. Before she could get in range, deafening laughter assaulted her ears. She stepped back, and turned to see that the sound was coming from that other girl. She was laughing hysterically for reasons Ashley could not understand. The laughter itself continued to get louder, with Ashley unwilling and essentially unable to do anything until the girl stops laughing.

[Guest Ixigo]

GM post

Characters involved: Saiba Aisu, Magnet, encapturer

NPC(s): Rafael

 

Preoccupied as he was with repositioned himself, Rafael had little time to prepare for the next set of attacks. As he swept around to face Hyena, he realized that her powers had kicked in, exploding into sound strong enough to cause shockwaves. Ironically, that worked in his favor as the pushback he suffered caused the blades of air the boy had conjured - at least, they felt like blades as they dug into his flesh - to miss his head, opening another set of wounds on his chest. Regardless. The body that had endured so much - that had been reduced to a conscious corpse - those wounds were nothing to it.

 

In the meantime, it was time to do something about the hysteric girl. Rafael wanted this to happen, and he was satisfied that he had the chance to assess everyone's powers - but if this got out of control, there could be serious collateral damage. Planting his feet firmly to the ground against the wave, he brought his foot back, facing their source with as narrow a part of his body as possible - then thrust his spear in front of him, slightly edging upwards, using the smooth surface of the broad blade to break and divert the waves. Now that their impact was greatly reduced, Rafael could approach, though it took every bit of his muscle pressure to do so. His wounds were hindering him as well - though not nearly as much as they should - but he managed to reach the half-crazed girl. Applying just enough force to knock her to her senses - or knock her out, if she was too out of it - he kicked her in the guts with an armored foot.

 

=====

 

OoC: Basically, Rafael's using the surface of his halberd's blade to "break" the sound wave, reducing its power and preventing it from hitting him head-on, and by crouching and approaching sideways he minimized the effective surface that would be struck, enabling him to close in. Also, the effects of the bloodlust should be waning about now, especially now that Rafael has diverted his attention elsewhere. It's a short-term effect.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce shook his head, muddled; it felt like he was moving underwater and coming out of a deep trance. As the effects of Rafael's bloodlust-inducing ability waned, he gradually regained control of his body and his senses; thunderstruck, he looked up in horror at the multiple wounds they had inflicted upon Rafael's body, and the terrible staunch of blood pouring out of them. Bile rose in his throat as he realized that many of those deep gashes were his own handiwork. He had attacked—no, intended to kill—not an enemy, but an ally. As the hot rush of bloodlust and intoxicating power faded from his thoughts, he registered that the Air surrounding them had once again assumed its cool, characteristic silvery color, and he was struck suddenly by the deadening exhaustion that always accompanied his manipulation of Air.

 

"Stop it!" he yelled at Hyena, whose screaming howls of mirth, though muted, still managed to permeate the gags of Air placed at his ears to some extent; his words were snatched away by the overwhelming noise. Her sonic waves of laughter were directed at the Knight, and it turned Cerce's stomach to see how much more blood he lost every time he moved against them. Hyena did not stop, perhaps because she could not hear him, or perhaps because she was still operating under the effects of Rafael's bloodlust.

 

To his left, he registered Ashley, the female warrior, standing dimly, clutching her weapon, her entire stance indicating a tense, perfectly coiled position, just waiting for a chance to attack Rafael as soon as Hyena's sonic assault presented an opening she could exploit. "No!" Cerce yelled. Although he could not stop Hyena's sonic waves—any weaves of Air that came too close would be warped and redirected—he could at least protect Rafael from Ashley. With another colossal effort, he reached for his ability once more. With a quick weave of his fingers, he sent four invisible tendrils of Air snaking towards her, and coiled them around her arms and legs tightly, binding the woman firmly in place.

 

===

 

OoC: I discussed binding Ashley with Encapturer via MSN. We both agreed that it makes sense under the circumstances, since Cerce can't know that she's also resisting the effects of Rafael's bloodlust-inducing powers.

[encapturer]

Ashley watched as Rafael approached Hyena, using his weapon to block the sound. She never thought that sound could be manipulated in such a fashion. Then again, she never had to face an attack that *was* sound. It was more powerful than Ashley thought, causing much destruction to the ring and surrounding area.

 

"No!"

 

Ashley couldn't quite make out what was said, but she was sure it was Cerce's voice. She attempted to turn around, however, found her legs and feet unable to move. It was as if someone tied her down with rope. She turned her head as far as she could, and was able to spot Cerce. He seemed tired, as if he had worked all day. Ashley, from her experience, believes people who get tired that quickly tend to have used special abilities.

 

"What are you doing?" Ashley yelled. She wasn't sure if Cerce would hear it, but hoped her struggling would at least catch his attention. Otherwise, she'll have to think of a way out of this on her own.

[Naimo]

Hyena's eyes bulged in unmistakable fury as she was kicked. The dogs stopped whinging, people were slowly getting to their feet, and Hyena was lying flat on the ground, her claws partially stabbed into the earth, strands of her hair covering her face. If there was any colour to show her rage, it would be vivid red - so much red it could blind if stared at for too long. She crouched like the predator in the grass, eyeing her prey - Rafael, in this situation. Her parted lips were trembling, her biceps and triceps were also quivering, yet Hyena was doing nothing. Only her eyes were darting, and like arrows they darted; left, right, up, down, center, like a sequence of programed flashing lights. She took in a whiff, and could smell the earth underneath her, the roots of the blades of grass ... and more importantly, the disturbance that was the figure of Rafael. Yet she did nothing.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce sighed in relief as Hyena's sonic assault was cut off by Rafael's well-placed kick. The Knight had managed to reach her in time, after all. Cautiously, he unwound the gags of Air at his ears, ready to weave them again if the wild-girl showed even the slightest sign of attacking once more with her shrieking laughter. Although his expression was serene, he was shaken. He had always assumed that his power would handle almost any opponent, and yet here were not one, but three people who also wielded extraordinary power—one who attacked with sound, another who could transform objects at will, and one who could induce bloodlust in others, and whose very body seemed indestructible. He caught sight of Ashley struggling angrily against his bonds. "What are you doing?!" she cried out to him, turning her head as far as it would go, which was, admittedly, not very far at all.

 

Realizing that the effects of Rafael's bloodlust had abated completely within the warrior woman, he cautiously severed the tendrils of Air functioning as her bonds, setting her free. "Forgive me," he replied, watching as she stretched her arms and shook her legs. "I had to be sure you weren't going to attack him, too."

 

Cerce turned towards Rafael, who had remained calmly where he was, blood streaming down his muscular figure. He took a half-step towards him, and then, as if making a decision and gathering his courage, strode forwards, past Hyena, who remained frozen on the ground in a snarl, intent on doing whatever he could to tend to the Knight's horrible wounds.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox looked towards the knight who joined him on the seats.

 

"This man is then either skilled beyond belief or lucky beyond belief," Paradox replied while watching the knight repel the recruits. Then, the feral girl began to laugh a screeching laugh that resonated to his core despite being a good distance away. He covered his ears through his hood in an attempt to block out the sound. When the laughing stopped, Paradox shook his head to try to shake the ringing from his head and continued to watch.

[Guest Ixigo]

OoC: Due to it being Christmas and all, this'll probably be my last post until some time tomorrow or the day after. Therefore, I'll try to make it a long one that gives you plenty of stuff to do until then. Happy holidays to everyone!

 

=====

 

Exhaling softly, Rafael watched the scream-girl assume a prowling stance. Well, at least she had stopped yelling. This should be enough for now. Turning away from her, he took a step forward - and fell on one knee. Cursing beneath his breath, he brought his hand to his chest - those injuries had taken far more of a toll on him than he had anticipated. His muscles and tendons had been ripped apart by spear, claws and cutting wind, his organs damaged. Though he would not die from these wounds, they were enough to bring him down. Blood was flowing from his mouth too as he coughed, trying to clear the dizziness. He had lost too much blood. Well - it was probably his fault for underestimating -

 

Something struck him on the back of the head, something solid and hard, much like Cerce's earlier club of air, only quite corporeal. Before he could feel surprised, he fell into unconsciousness...

 

"YOU - YOU DESPICABLE, DESPICABLE... PERSON!!" The yelling almost seemed to match in volume Hyena's earlier screaming as a slightly plump, yet tall and imposing red-haired woman, in a plain maroon riding dress with divinded skirts, bent to pick up the frying pan - of all things - that had just hit Rafael in the head, launched from a distance with deadly accuracy. "JUST HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ME HEAL YOU?! You think, just because you have that meteorite-body of yours, I will work overtime for your pathetic sake - "

 

"Um, miss Rena?" A diminutive girl, who had probably gone unnoticed hiding as she had been behind the woman. She wore her brown hair in pigtails, making her look even younger, and was wearing a simple white dress one would see the serving girls around the camp in. "I think he's dying..."

 

"No less than he deserves, trust me, Tia." The woman called Rena growled. She turned to the three recruits, spreading her arms while wearing an expression of absolute despair. "I'm sorry about him." She sighed. "He's just weird like that. You'll get used to it. Now where was I..." With that, she turned to Rafael, who was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, and kicked him viciously in much the same manner he had previously struck Hyena, turning him around. She bent down to examine his injuries.

 

"You sure did a number on him..." She murmured. "It's been a while since he was knocked unconscious from his injuries..."

 

"Miss Rena? I think it was the frying pan you threw at him that knocked him unconscious..." Tia said timidly, but Rena glared her into silence.

 

"You want to get him down, you hit his head. That's the only way he'll stay down." Rena continued, placing her hand on Rafael's chest. She inhaled sharply, and a soft, soothing light burst into being for a few seconds. When the glow subsided, Rafael seemed to be breathing a bit more evenly, and the flow of blood had been lessened.

 

"That's all I can do for now. With such damage, it was tough even on him. But he'll live. Take him to the infirmary." She motioned to two nearby guards, who proceeded to pick up the unconscious Knight and carry him over. She stared after them for a while, before once again addressing Cerce, Hyena and Ashley.

 

"Well, I never had a chance to introduce myself, I suppose. The name's Rena, and I'm the healer for this place. And let me tell you - they keep me busy enough without morons like him adding to my job."

 

"Miss Rena is also responsible for the kitchens." Tia piped in. She seemed to dance from one foot to the other, as if she couldn't contain her energy. "If you're hungry, come over and we'll have food ready for you in no time." She pointed westwards, where a tent larger than the others, presumably said kitchens, was situated near the edge of the camp's inner circle.

[Umbra]

Roland nodded in understandment. He understood that Cyndane might think he went too far with his demonstration, and that some sort of punishment for incapacitating her guard - Roland hadn't caught his name, Eri-something - and to keep her authority intact. Despite her warning that she'd kill him herself if the guard didn't get better, Roland felt at ease. He knew that - unless the guard had poor eyesight, which Roland considered unlikely - he would be fine within a few hours. He would welcome his punishment - struggling at this point would only make his situation worse.

"If you consider it necessary, my lady."

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce frowned slightly, his green eyes trailing after the two soldiers carrying Rafael away. Normally, he would have accompanied them until he was sure that the Knight would recover satisfactorily. However... He glanced back at the imposing but motherly-looking woman who had introduced herself as Rena. Her reaction to his terrible wounds had certainly been... interesting. She wouldn't have reacted like that if his wounds were really life-threatening, I don't think, he mused, then strode forwards with a serene look on his face, masking the intense exhaustion within.

 

Although he had only cast a handful of attacks at Rafael, he had imbibed too much power in them, most likely because of how the man's bloodlust-inducing ability had robbed him of all reason. Channeling so much Air into one attack made it that much more lethal, true; however, it also increased the drain on his stamina and made further manipulation difficult. He leaned almost imperceptibly on his staff, keeping his back straight—no matter what his conditions, maintaining serenity and inner strength was important.

 

Cerce nodded respectfully at the red-headed woman, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rena. As long as you are certain that Lord Rafael will recover, I will gladly accept your gracious offer, and thank you for extending your hospitality towards us." He rearranged his cloak slightly, and then tightening his grip on his staff, nodded once more before sweeping away towards the kitchens the girl, Tia, had indicated.

 

Mystical serenity be damned! he thought, putting aside all interest in Rafael or Rena for the moment. He was starving, a common-enough sideffect from using his ability. He was afraid that had he stayed another moment talking to the group, his stomach would have rumbled, and that would have been fatal. Due to his tiredness, his pace was not the fastest, true—but it was steady, and soon enough, he had reached the edge of the huge tented area that served as the Avalon Camp's kitchens.

 

Ducking under the flap of the largest tent emblazoned with the Avalon standard, he entered, only to be assaulted by a rich variety of smells and noises—the kind of cacophony one would expect from a cafeteria area. There was a constant stream of people—battle-hardened warriors, toting their weapons, cool-looking archers, and even healers wearing some sort of white uniform. Every few feet, a large, circular wooden table was laid. Noting that most of these were occupied, Cerce moved towards the end of line, where a glowering cook was serving the day's food with a zeal that seemed almost indecent.

[galesonic]

Jack kept walking into the village center, asking some people for directions to the Avalon camp. Everytime he either got people running away from him or they state that they didn't know. He hated having to find out by himself about the directions. He went to a tavern and sat a a table. The whole tavern smelled like grog and rum. He dispised the smell almost like the cold. He banged his head against the table as he heard the russle about of people either signing their drunken tune or fighting about a random topic. "I'm never gonna find the avalon camp." he said as he got up from his seat and walked out of the tavern.

[encapturer]

Ashley watched as Rafael slumped to his knees. Figuring the test was over, she began walking over to help him up. Her help would soon be unnecessary, in quite a surprising way.

 

Rafael had been knocked out with a frying pan of all things, by the healer Rena. She was rough on Rafael, but she meant well, or at least Ashley thought. At least the healers will be able to take out the spear lodged in his chest safely, she thought while watching him being carried away. She'll just have to ask for her weapon later.

 

After Rena and Tia introduced themselves, Cerce replied, thanking them for their hospitality. He seemed to be in much better shape now than he was moments ago. "Thank you," Ashley said, following up on Cerce's reply. She gave a small bow to the pair before walking off to get her first meal since entering the camp.

 

As Ashley walked, the damaged armor became noticeably more cumbersome. The breastplate in particular was very uncomfortable. Not wanting to eat in her dented up armor, Ashley decided to wear her casual clothing. As was the case with her weapons before, the armor became covered in a black mist, and was replaced with normal clothes. Her figure wasn't ridiculously muscular like Rafael's, but seemed more like she was a manual laborer of some sort. Perhaps a blacksmith or a lumberjack. Her plain green pants and brown shirt reinforced this image. Even with this, she was still carrying her sword by her side, since it wasn't safe to change it into a scarf yet.

 

She kept a leisurely pace, hungry, yet not starving. Cerce entered the building first, and lined up to get his food. Ashley got some strange glances once in the tent from the various soldiers there; after all, she was carrying an unsheathed sword. Noting that it was finally safe to put away her sword, she swapped her weapon with her scarf, and proceeded to wrap it around her waist once again. Some soldiers seemed surprised, while others continued about their business. After all, those with special abilities weren't that uncommon nowadays. Now sure she won't accidentally cut someone, she entered the food line herself, and waited to be served.

[Saiba Aisu]

Perhaps Cerce's cool expression made an impression on the cook serving the food, because she asked him politely what he'd like, rather than slamming a hearty, liquidized mixture of beef and vegetables onto his plate. Opting for a piece of toasted bread with some salad, he nodded his thanks, filled his goblet with cold water, and collected a fork and knife before making his way to a smaller, unoccupied table squeezed in at the left corner of the tent and sitting down lightly.

 

As he rearranged his cloak and ran a hand through his hair, he caught sight of Ashley, the female warrior from before, collecting her food, as well. With a subtle flick of his green eyes, Cerce caught her gaze and motioned that to her to sit down with him—after all, it wasn't like she had much choice; all the others tables were crowded. Propping his staff against his chair, he began to eat reservedly, trying hard not to reveal the intense hunger within. In spite of himself, he was certainly looking forward to learning more about Ashley—she seemed like quite the interesting and mysterious character.

[encapturer]

Ashley was looking forward to her meal, one very meaty soup, and two pieces of bread. She liked it, as it was simple and filling. As she went to get her drink, she spotted Cerce, who actually found a place to sit in this crowded space. He seemed to want her to sit with him, though she was distracted by others pushing her around, trying to get water as well. Once she completed collecting her utensils, she made her way over to the table Cerce was sitting at.

 

He had already started eating when she got there. Ashley sat down across from Cerce, and took a sip of her soup. It was pretty good, nothing outstanding, but good enough to eat comfortably. In the end, she felt lucky to get this seat, after all, she can try to learn about Cerce's strange abilities.

 

Ashley reached her hand across the table, offering Cerce a handshake. "I don't think we have been properly introduced," she said. It was true, most of the new recruits introduced themselves to the High Lady, but none to each other. "I'm Ashley Marlen," she continued, with a faint smile on her face.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce nodded with a cool smile; Ashley's grip was firm but friendly, and he was a big believer in the fact that people's handshakes tended to reflect their personalities. "My name's Cerce," he said, breaking the grip and picking up his fork. He offered her an apologetic smile. "You'll have to forgive me if I eat while we talk. Not that you aren't stimulating table company, of course, but that training session really took it out of me."

 

He broke his piece of bread in half and began buttering the surface; as he did so, he looked up at her. "That's quite an ability you have," he said conversationally, green eyes flashing with curiosity and sincere interest. "While I wasn't able to note the finer specifics, it seems like you're able to transform objects at will...?" he asked, spearing a piece of lettuce with his fork and bringing it to his mouth.

[encapturer]

After taking another sip of her soup, Ashley picked up one slice of her bread in one hand, and her spoon in another hand. "Not quite transform..." Ashley said, as the now familiar black mist covered the bread. A few moments later, the mist moved over to cover the spoon, revealing that the bread was no longer there. Once all the mist was there, it vanished, leaving only the spoon.

 

"Right now, the bread doesn't exist, except within this spoon, I think," Ashley said, before eating a spoonful soup with the same spoon that she used for the demonstration. She added 'I think' because she wasn't sure where items go when this happens. They were always in the same condition they were in when they vanished. Beyond that, she doesn't know; her ability is dangerous, after all. "It's kind of hard to explain, or demonstrate, unless I have enough time," she added, before continuing her meal.

[galesonic]

Jack was fed up with asking for directions and tried to find it by pure luck. He darted towards the forest, going as fast as he can. He kept getting scratches on himself from the branches, but he ignored it as best he can. He jumped over branches and small faults as he stopped when he noticed a camp. "This must be it." he said to himself. "The Avalon camp. Wonder who I should ask for the leader?"

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce's eyes widened in astonishment. "That's an amazing ability," he said, his green gaze trained on the deceptively average-looking spoon in Ashley's hand. "So you're unsure as to where the items go when you nullify them?" he asked, and she nodded. "Well, it'd be a fascinating subject to study," he continued animatedly, more to himself than anyone else. Ashley smiled faintly.

 

He blinked and seemed to come back to himself. "Forgive me," he said, smiling and taking a sip from his goblet. "I often get carried away with these sorts of things... It's just that there are so many mysteries and experiences to life, and I want to know them all!" He sighed slightly. "Sometimes," he continued, "I think I would have ended up traveling the countryside, even if the Ethereal Twilight hadn't struck the earth and caused all this trouble." At those words, the atmosphere of conversation around the table changed subtly, but he noted the change and approved of it. Polite dinner conversation was enjoyable, after all, but meaningful discourse was infinitely preferable and would give him a much better grasp of who Ashley really was.

 

And, more importantly, if he could trust her.

 

"Forgive me for asking," he ventured, wiping his mouth delicately with a napkin. "You may consider this a rude or impertinent question, but..." He laid down his fork from his empty plate and gave his full attention to the woman sitting across from him. "How exactly did you obtain your powers, and why did you feel compelled to lend your efforts and talents to the Crusade of Avalon?"

 

===

 

GM Post

Characters involved: Umbra, Ixigo

NPC(s): Cyndane, Ërminor

 

"I do consider it necessary," Cyndane said coldly, tilting her head slightly upwards, her black eyes slits. "See that it does not happen again, Roland," she said towards the dark-haired man. "You are dismissed." She watched idly as Roland swept from the room, one of her guards trailing after him menacingly, a black whip clutched in his black-gloved hand. She hoped that he wouldn't be disciplined too strictly, although she realized that this would most likely be the case.

 

She sighed. Although her punishment might alienate Roland from her in the future, it was a calculated risk she had to take—the approval and loyalty of her personal guards were too important to gamble with. While she regretted having to punish the man for his actions because of the consequences it might have on his loyalties, she understood that it had been a necessary action; what's more, a wise one. Her black gaze swept from the exiting Roland's back towards yet another approaching figure, clad in an elegant and finely-cut shirt of black with subtle, underlying purple tones which created an odd contrast with his flamboyant, wavy red hair, which was combed to one side.

 

With a start, she recognized Ërminor, the pale Head General in charge of maintaining the Amethyst Order's secrecy and security, as well as being a powerful Sentinel in his own right. As he approached, her black eyes sought out the slim gold band on the middle finger of his right hand—a slender, unremarkable piece of jewelry, embedded with a single polished fragment of curious black stone. Cyndane frowned slightly at the tiny fragment of stone, for it was certainly no precious gem to her—in her eyes, it was nothing more than a piece of that accursed star, the Ethereal Twilight. While he claimed that his powers were augmented while wearing it, she often wished that Ërminor would just throw the damned thing away—after all, while the Ethereal Twilight had caused the chaos that she had needed to escape the drudgery of her old life and climb the ranks of the Amethyst Order in a surprisingly short amount of time, she felt no particular affinity for it, nor for any of the Sentinels it had created.

 

As her eyes slipped from the ring, she noticed another figure trailing behind in the shadow of the tall, pale Sentinel—muscular, dark-haired, and clad in simple attire, he seemed harmless enough but for the scowl on his tanned face—most likely, he was some kind of blacksmith or laborer. However, Cyndane had a shrewd notion that this man was the reason why Ërminor had deserted his post at the main entrance to the Amethyst Order's underground headquarters; for what else would he have come in person? In front of her, Ërminor came to a smart halt and bowed incredibly low; had he been anyone else, Cyndane would have had him whipped for impudence, but she knew well enough by now that the Sentinel had a curious weakness for theatrics that he pampered shamelessly.

 

"Greetings, Lady Cyndane," Ërminor said, his voice unusually soft and gentle for such a tall man. As always, she found herself neatly disarmed by his peaceful stance and velvety violet eyes; she quickly reminded herself of the terrible power this man possessed at his fingertips, and the moment passed. "Well met, Ërminor," she said, nodding coolly in acknowledgment. "I must confess," Cyndane continued carefully, "I am surprised to see you here. It's not often that you leave your post at the Main Gates." Her black eyes flashed from Ërminor to the man behind him, who had offered only a perfunctory bow. "Who is this man," she asked of him, "that you have brought him into the confines of the Amethyst Order in this manner?"

 

She was not expecting Ërminor to smile, but the red-haired man's face broke out into a pleased grin. "He's a Sentinel by the name of Victor Vance, my lady," he replied, "here to dedicate his considerable services to the Amethyst Order." Cyndane felt a touch of unease at this last; Victor had to possess remarkable value indeed for Ërminor to have abandoned his post and gone through the trouble of coming all this way. She turned to him, folding her gloved hands neatly in her lap and adopting a skeptical tone of voice.

 

"And those services would be...?"

[galesonic]

Jack looked around the camp. It was rather bigger than the last village, as well as a lot more people. He noticed a couple of quards about, possibly guarding the leader. He snuck about the camp. He got to the top of the barracks and looked around. He noticed a large tent with a lot of lightning, possibly candlelight. He figured that the leader was living there. He jumped off the barracks and ran towards the tent. He heard conversation from a couple of people. He could tell one of them was a girl's voice. He looked at the tent and noticed a crack at it. He silently looked at the inside. "Is that guy the leader? I'm gonna have to talk to him after he finishes." he thought.

[encapturer]

Ashley's eyes lit up as Cerce spoke. He had a healthy thirst for knowledge, and that was something she respected. It didn't end there, of course. Cerce seemed to want to understand who she was. She chuckled at the fact that she came to ask him some questions about his ability, and she ended up being the one interrogated. Ashley drunk some water before replying, since she didn't want her throat to dry up mid explanation.

 

"I'm not sure how I obtained my powers." Ashley's voice lowered and got quieter as she spoke. She leaned in a bit so that Cerce could hear clearly. "When I tried to use them the first time, my parents vanished," she said quickly, as to not dwell on that point. "I have a working understanding how to use it to my advantage now, without that danger." She took another sip of water. "I was a guard back before the Ethereal Twilight, and I used what I knew to do a few odd jobs; some escorts, temporary guard duty, things like that. Of course, if I really wanted to protect people, I figured I shouldn't just work alone. That's why I'm here."

 

Finished with her explanation, Ashley sat upright again. "What about you? Why did you join Avalon?" she asked in return, with her voice returning to normal. Truthfully, she was worried that people who thought like her were rare in these dark days. Judging from Cerce's previous actions during Rafael's test, she felt he may feel like she does, which made her more comfortable talking about her past like that.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce blinked at Ashley's explanation—his first impression was to offer some words of comfort and apologize for the loss of her parents. However, he bit the thought back quickly. He knew all too well how it felt to lose a loved one, and he knew that well-meaning sentiments rarely did any good; rather, they often opened up old wounds. His conviction was increased when he saw how quickly she moved on to the next subject—obviously, addressing the disappearance of her parents was still a painful matter for her, even after all these years. Then again, Cerce still felt occasional twinges of sorrow and regret for his own family, and he had had nothing to do with their disappearance.

 

"I think that's an excellent motivation for joining the Avalon," he replied at last, pleased to have found someone who shared his own reasoning to some extent. "It only makes sense that you would continue to do your best to serve and protect others, even after you acquired your abilities." There, he thought. I'm being completely honest, and that's a nice enough way of showing her I admire the choices she's made. He cleared his throat slightly as she posed a similar set of questions to him; after all, he had been expecting something of the nature, and it was only fair that he answer, as well.

 

"I was too young to have developed any serious ideals or dreams when the Ethereal Twilight struck the earth," he said softly while looking down, his green eyes growing misty as he thought back through the twelve years that had cut his past life neatly apart. "When the star shattered and struck the planet at various points," he continued, "everything... changed. My peaceful and prospering hometown was quite close to one of the impact sites, and it was one of the places that was most affected by the terror and chaos of the Night."

 

Cerce's voice hardened, growing in confidence and conviction. "In the confusion and fire that followed the impact, I was separated from my family. I was only eight, but I did everything I could to find them again, until I was finally taken in and cared for." He looked up, his eyes flashing with passion. "Even during those troubled times when most people were wondering how they would manage to keep themselves alive, someone cared enough to take me in, to do their best to keep me alive, too." Ashley nodded sympathetically.

 

"It was this period in my life that made me realize that while the human race has its flaws and problems, underneath the fear, intolerance, and violence they so often exhibit, people are innately good, and deserve to be protected." Cerce paused slightly, drawing breath. "I left my hometown seven years later, when my powers began manifesting themselves," he continued. "I traveled the countryside, searching for my family and mastering my abilities." He smiled grimly at the expression on Ashley's face—both of them knew only too well how dangerous it was to travel alone these days, when bandits and strange creatures alike walked the land.

 

"Eventually," he finished, "I made my way to the Avalon, determined to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to their cause to protect others and eliminate evil wherever it's found." He lifted his goblet to his lips, drinking the last of his water. Around them, most of the other diners were getting to their feet and striding away—evidently, the lunch hour was over, and they were returning to their duties. Feeling remarkably refreshed from his meal and conversation with Ashley, Cerce stood, copying the example of the others and leaving his plate and utensils upon the table, where they would likely be picked up later by the cooks or their subordinates.

 

He looked down at Ashley, and a slight smile appeared on his features. Even though he enjoyed solitude and quiet, he could not deny that it was pleasant to have someone to talk to, someone who shared some of his goals and ideals. "I'm sorry for monopolizing our conversation," he apologized, "and for binding you unnecessarily at the Ring of Templars with Air—I had no idea that you had already thrown off the effects of Rafael's ability." He paused slightly. "Speaking of which... If you don't mind, I'd like to check in on Rafael and see how he's doing, because I feel partially responsible, and also because he may have further orders for us. You're welcome to come along, if you'd like."

[galesonic]

Jack noticed people getting up to leave. He hid behind the tent folds as he noticed they were going out of the tent through that opening. He got out of his hiding place as he walked into the tent, with the possible leader and the same woman there. He noticed a guard there, but he looked pretty drunk. He looked at the leader with a nervous face. "I'm guessing you are the leader of Avalon?" he asked. He honestly hoped he was, he spent a lot of time trying to find Avalon, and he didn't want to go look for them again.

[Naimo]

Hyena slowly crawled into the kitchens after a ten minute delay. She carried a stench with her, one which belonged to a dead squirrel she had just caught. She ignored everyone's looks and found Cerce and Ashley. She walked over to them, sat on the floor, spat out the body and began to tear it open with her claws. She became aware of the stares; she looked up and gave them another grin, her eyes wide, before she tore a piece of meat and noisily scoffed it down, licking her teeth after it was all gone. She shamelessly spat out bits of bone, then reached for it and began sucking on the marrow.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce frowned as Hyena crawled over to them and began gnawing on something bloody and ghastly, drawing several disgusted and horrified looks from the other diners as they moved away. She continued to eat her meal enthusiastically, making several slurping noises and leaving a mess of bones on the floor. "That's quite disgusting, you know," Cerce said conversationally to her.

 

He picked up his staff from against his chair and rearranged his cloak. "Anyways, Hyena," he continued, "Ashley and I were just thinking about going to see how Rafael was doing." He avoided wrinkling his nose at the stench that seemed to follow the wild-girl, but just barely. "Would you like to tag along, or finish your, er, meal?"

[Naimo]

Hyena smiled at Cerce and Ashley. "Hyena knows no etiquette. Wolves don't eat their prey by sitting at tables and using cutlery - oooo no, they eat like I do!" The way she pronounced her words was so accurate, it completely mismatched her imagery. "And yes, I am done." She just grinned even wider. "I think I shall tag along with you, once I'm finished with this." She slurrped the last pieces of marrow, cleaned the bones of all meat, and licked her lips. Several bits of meat were caught between her teeth, but she didn't care.