Shards of Twilight [Closed]

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox left the stands along with Hyena, a bit later as he was still trying to understand what happened to Rafael. He passed Hyena catching a squirrel and breaking it's neck with her jawsm making a sickening cracking noise. He then entered the kitchen and saw that the other two have already finished eating and were about to leave. Hyena also began to devour the squirrel carcass. Paradox wasn't averted the slightest, having seen worse.

 

"Oh, you two seemed to be finished with lunch. I would eat, but I have my new face cloth on and I wouldn't want to dirty it. If you are going to visit the knight you just fought, I'll be joining you shortly."

 

Paradox left the mess tent and let his guide show him to his tent. Apparently, he was sharing with another, who was absent at the moment. Paradox set down his pack and set up his essentials: his heavy bronze cauldron, a rack for his rapiers, a ornate gold pot with a handle and his massive book of spells. He then pulled out a combination of herbs and spices and lit them in his gold pot, emitting a blue sweet smelling smoke. Paradox then went into a trance, meditating, losing all sense of time.

[Guest Ixigo]

OoC: Since I don't have much time, I'll just be posting for Rafael now. I'll make my Victor post tomorrow. I'll also apologize in advance for the lame quality of this post, as I'm pressed for time right now.

 

=====

 

"Hmpfh. You'd better stay there until you're healed." Rena cast an imperious look at Rafael, who was lying on a makeshift bed in the small chamber in the back of the infirmary. She received no response from the Knight, who was still unconscious. With a final sniff, the touchy healer turned on her heels and walked out, not looking back.

 

But as the shadows reclaimed their place in the ill-lit room, something even darker materialized out of them near the corner - or rather, someone. A shadowy figure, too short to be anything older than a child. Her giggling - her voice was clearly female - stressed that fact, as she walked over to the bed where Rafael was lying. She was diminutive, but her facial features seemed somehow more aged than the rest of her body. Though her skin was deathly pale, her eyes, hair, fingernails, lips, and even every piece of clothing on her was a deep black, creating a sharp contrast. She smiled, a smirk that held no good will, as she examined the injured Knight.

 

"They got you good, didn't they? That wind-boy... ah, see where those air-blades cut him?" She monologued, tracing the still-healing, fresh scars that marred Rafael's chest. "Even after that witch's healing, they still refuse to close... and those aren't too shabby, either." She glanced at the carving marks Hyena's claws had left. "And of course, this..." She picked up the two pieces of Ashley's spear - Rena had been forced to have it broken in half in order to remove it safely - that were placed beside the bed. "All three of them are just soo wonderful! Isabella can't wait until she gets her hands on them..." Suddenly, she stopped, raising her head and sniffing at the wind, as if she was some sort of hound.

 

"They're coming." She stated, letting a smile curve her lips once more. "Oh, but it'd ruin the surprise if Isabella introduced herself just yet, wouldn't it? I'll just let them play with my friends for a little while..." She sighed, then, just as abruptly as she had made her appearance, she vanished in the shadows.

 

But, an ominous presence replaced her own, as four sets of dark crimson eyes shone in the darkness for a moment, their unseen owners lurking in wait.

 

=====

 

OoC: Basically, if you enter the room Rafael is in, you will be attacked by Geists. Geists are souls that were removed from their bodies while they were still alive, for various purposes. They are semi-incorporeal, but have to partially materialize before attacking, so the only way to damage them with conventional weapons is to strike while they are attacking you. They can turn themselves into a gaseous substance and move extremely fast as part of the wind. If you wish to, you can - reasonably - control them as your enemies for a bit to get things moving. Assuming all four of you will enter at the same time, each one will be attacking one of your characters, otherwise they will split to groups.

 

So yeah... once again, sorry for the general suckiness of the post...

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce led Ashley and Hyena as they exited the tent serving as the kitchen and cafeteria area, his green cloak billowing as they crossed the grassy clearing that led to the tented area serving as the Infirmary, clearly indicated by a large red cross upon white. Above them, the midday sun rose to its zenith, illuminating the entire camp with strong golden rays. Cerce came to a halt in front of the flap of the tent, which did not seem to be lighted from within.

 

"Rena?" he called, unsure as to whether or not she was inside and tending to the patients. There was no reply. "I don't think it'll do any harm to just check on Rafael," Cerce said firmly, turning to the others briefly, determined to assess the Knight's condition. Hyena gave a whining yawn and scratched her face disinterestedly, which might have meant anything; Ashley nodded, saying, "I don't think the healer Rena is there, anyways." Cerce nodded and ducked under the flap of the tent, entering the darkened depths within.

 

As soon as he entered the Infirmary, he registered that something was wrong. There was no illumination at all, and the air felt cold and sinister. Cerce looked around for Rena or some other healer, but the tent was largely empty, except for a large, muscular figure sleeping on a bed at one of the corners. Rafael! he thought, before shivering at the unexpected cold. Odd sighing whispers seemed to circle him, whispering fervently of malicious, bloody things. Behind him, two short bursts of sunlight heralded the entrance of Hyena and Ashley; not bothering to wait for them, he took a tentative step forward.

 

"Rafae—?" he began, then flew sideways with a shout as something heavy struck him unexpectedly across the face. Cerce lay sprawled against the ground, his head ringing as he lifted a hand to his mouth numbly; it came away stained with a blood. Then things began to happen very quickly. A female scream and an angry growl sounded from above him, indicating that Hyena and Ashley had both been attacked, as well. Struggling to his feet, Cerce watched in horror as four ghost-like figures materialized in the darkness of the tent before them, their tattered armor and blank eyes glowing with a pearly, otherworld luminescence.

 

"Be careful with your attacks!" Cerce had time to yell as the ghost-like figures sped forwards, ragged hands outstretched. "You might hit Rafael!" In the moment before the nightmarish creature fell upon him, he had time for one bizarre thought.

 

How are we supposed to defeat ghosts?!

 

===

 

OoC: Magnet, Encapturer, and Otaku-sama, please check your PMs. You will find details regarding this confrontation as they apply to your respective characters. Please be sure to adhere to those guidelines! Also, during the duration of this post, Encapturer gave me control of Ashley, since she was working and did not want to slow the RP down.

[galesonic]

Jack looked around at the tent and noticed no one there. "..This is just great..." he said with a scowl. He noticed the drunken guard yet again. He looked like he fell asleep. He walked up to him as he eyed the cup of grog. He almost felt sick as he smelt the alcohol from the drink. He gave the guard a light tap, but no response. He tapped harder, but this time, he slumped to the floor. "Is this guy dead?" hre asked himself. He sighed as he picked up the possibly dead guard and set him back at the table, as if he was still asleep. "Great. There must be someone here that can show me where I can at least find the leader." he said as he kicked a chair. The air suddenly became cold around him. He started to feel worse than he was before because of the cold air. "Great. What's the worse that could happen?" he asked to obviously no one whatsoever.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox was still in a trance when the stream of smoke from his incense was disturbed by a cold wind. Paradox woke up and felt the wind more closely.

 

"Hmm...Cold winds...Hostile spirits...or simply a cold front?" he asked himself.

 

He then heard noise from the Infirmary tent where he was supposed to meet his friends. Growling and a scream resonated through the cold air.

 

"...Oh yea...Definitely hostile spirits," Paradox answered his own question as he got up and picked up his equipment. He rushed towards the infirmary with hsi staff in one hand and his pot of smouldering incense in his other.

 

"X, Y, Z! Defend your master!" Paradox commanded his orbs, which burst from the staff and took control of his swords. They circled Paradox, seeming to look for signs of danger. Paradox entered the tent, where he saw his friends on the floor, stunned by the spirits, which were hiding. His pot of incense heated the air around him, giving a sense of sanctuary in a sea of cold. Paradox now waited from a spirit to reveal itself.

[encapturer]

"Ungh!"

 

Ashley was knocked down to the floor from behind. Instinctively, she rolled off to the side as a loud thump was heard. Her movements were more fluid now that she wasn't wearing her armor. Bringing herself back to her feet, she took a moment to survey her surroundings. That's when she caught a glimpse of them; ghostly armored figures that seemed to exist only partially in this world.

 

Ashley maneuvered herself slowly around the room as she untied her scarf from her waist. She knew her sword wasn't the best weapon to use here, since he had to deal with little maneuvering room, her allies nearby, and an injured man somewhere, but it was the best she had right now. She caught sight of one ghost, as it slowly moved towards her. Materializing the sword, Ashley prepared herself to strike when it came near.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce barely had time to register that Paradox had somehow appeared inside the tent before one of the ghostlike spirits detached itself from the rest and flew towards him, ruined hands making violent snatching motions, eyes glowing red. He spat away some of the blood from his mouth angrily, sending a thick club of Air sailing towards the apparition. A strong wind ruffled the tent as the attack passed harmlessly through the ghost and dissipated against the fabric of the opposite walls.

 

With each passing moment, as it drew closer, the spirit seemed to gain substance. With an eerie shriek, the ghostly warrior caught hold of Cerce by the throat and lifted him upwards effortlessly, fixing him with a terrifying red gaze. Although he struggled to break its cold grip, Cerce found his strength slipping away. His staff fell from his limp fingers to the ground with a clatter. Around him, he could hear the gasps and yells from the others as they struggled with their own assailants.

 

I've got to...! he thought, fighting for breath, green eyes wide. I've got to...! A fierce, howling wind rose arose Cerce and his ghostly assailant, throwing the two apart violently. He fell to the ground, coughing and massaging his bruised throat. The apparition caught itself, reformed, and then flew forward once more, intent on murder.

 

"No!" Cerce yelled, throwing his hand outwards. His fingers twitched as he expertly wove the surrounding Air into several deadly, sharp-edged blades which flew forwards and rent the ghostly figure from head to toe. It gave one last eerie shriek before dissolving into a cloud of silvery ethereal smoke. As he watched the smoke disappear, an idea blossomed in Cerce's mind. The spirits were vulnerable to wind.

 

Raising his hands together, a powerful gale rose around him once more, spreading from him to the entire tent and sending the ghostly figures sailing away from their much-heavier opponents, who weren't affected at all.

[galesonic]

Jack felt a strong sense of wind rushing into the dining tent and looked out of the tent. He noticed a man with his hands in the middle of the once was medical tent. He could tell the man was an air manpulator, and a powerful one at that. He got out of the tent and noticed the other two people with him. "That must be his group." he said to himself. He felt the cold air dissipate as the shrieks roared into his ears. "What is that?" he said, apparenty yelling. The shrieks disspipated and his ear felt normal again.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox closed his eyes in an attempt to tune himself with the spirits' locations. His pot of incense smouldered, clouds of warm smoke wafting around irritating the spirits. One decided it had enough smoke for an eternity charged at Paradox. Paradox slided to the side and his swords stabbed the spirit at three different locations. This didn't exorcise the spirit and it knocked the swords away, sending them flying in all directions. One spirit was forcefully knocked from its sword and was forced to return to the staff. Paradox waved his incense at the spirit and it shrieked, disappearing again.

 

The spirit came back quickly and this time Paradox was ready. He plunged his hand into the pot and threw a cloud of smouldering incense onto the spirit, which screeched as it tried to remove the embers from its body. The two remaining swords stabbed the spirit again and the spirit began to dissipate into mist. The spirit wasn't about to be exorcised and ran at Paradox, it's hands outstretched to crush the throat. Paradox smashed the spirit in it's head with his staff and followed up with a swing into it's torso with his golden pot of incense. The spirit attacked again, this time managing to swat Paradox's staff out of his hand and get a good swing at Paradox's gut. Paradox keeled over.

 

His swords came to their master's aid and stabbed the spirit in the shoulders, preventing their use, but the spirit still managed to grab Paradox's throat. Paradox struggled to remove the ghostly hand from his throat while his swords continued to stab the spirit in the back. Paradox then managed to gather enough strength to grab a handful of incense and forced it into the spirit's chest cavity. The spirit released it grip and flailed wildly as it's body lit up with a bright yellow flame. The spirit was finished and faded away.

 

"May you rest in peace, restless spirit..." Paradox said to the dissolving spirit, holding his hands in a prayer position.

[encapturer]

Ashley's blade went right through the geist, as they crossed each other. The geist itself flipped itself upside down in order to face Ashley and attack again, while Ashley brought her blade in closer to herself and spun around. She knocked the ghost back with the blunt side of her sword and regained her posture.

 

"So it's when they attack..." Ashley muttered to herself. She gripped her blade to await another onslaught, when she felt a sudden gust of wind on her back. The geist ahead was thrown back to the ground, and seemed somewhat solid now.

 

That works too... she thought, as she dashed toward the downed spirit. One should take advantage of every opportunity in battle, after all. She lept into the air and landed on the ghost, impaling its exposed head with her sword thrusted downwards. As Ashley removed the blade, the spirit vanished into the air. With her opponent gone for now, Ashley stood up, watching to see if anyone needs assistance.

[Guest Ixigo]

Thus far, Victor had remained rather unimpressed by the so-called Amethyst Order. Damp, mushy underground tunnels, narrow corridors and dark chambers - he could only hope that their personnel lodgings were of better quality. That is, if he ever ended up becoming a member of the order. For now, it seemed like this tiresome trip through the underground maze along with the guard who called himself Erminor would last forever.

 

Now he was an interesting fellow. Not one for many words, to be certain - not to half-strangers, at least. But there was something distinct about him. Victor thought fleetingly that it might have something to do with that black-gemmed ring he was wearing so blatantly. Nah, that was probably just his imagination running wild. It must've been the gloomy atmosphere of the place.

 

Before he had had a chance to exchange more than a few words with his escort, he unceremoniously entered what he supposed passed as the audience chamber. He almost took a step back as his eyes took in the predominant figure in the room, barely registering what Erminor had to say to her. Sure, Victor liked his women skinny - but he could not ignore the refined beauty of the girl in front of him. She was quite cute, with her full, sensual features and her slightly scowling lips. The poor blacksmith actually had to shake his head slightly to clear it.

 

Come on, Victor. He thought. What's a dark pretentious organization without its supremely-cute recruiter? Snap out of it! He recovered, barely in time to hear the question.

 

"Ah, Lady Cyndane." He gave her a bow, much shorter than the one that Erminor guy had - his body was not exactly fit for that deep flourishing pirouette - hoping against all hope that he had caught her name correctly. "My services. Yes." He shifted his weight slightly from one foot to the other, gathering his thoughts. Abruptly it occured to him that he must be looking quite like the ignorant, overawed country bum right now. He tried to amend that by assuming his most noble-looking, charismatic expression. Which was probably ridiculous.

 

"My lady, I'm afraid you may find my skills lacking at first, but I assure you, once you give me a chance to showcase their full extent, you may revise that view." He said pompously. "Behold, I shall demonstrate." He removed a small goblet, apparently made from glass, from within his cloak. "Now this here thing is made of no more than simple glass." He declared, lightly tapping it with his fingernail to produce the characteristic sound. "It was no more than an ordinary piece, but the one who crafted it had one specific thing in mind: to make it unbreakable. Of course, when it was finished, it'd take no more than a hint of effort to shatter it. But that's where I came in. And now..." He released the goblet, and it fell to the ground - but instead of shattering into dozens of pieces, it bounced harmlessly against the stone floor, settling near Cyndane's feet.

 

As silence fell, Victor felt sweat run down his temples, and fervently hoped Cyndane had been able to grasp the point that Erminor had earlier - that his ability extended to other things rather than making indestructible goblets. His stay might end up rather short-lived and heavily unpleasant, if she hadn't.

[Naimo]

Hyena merely growled as she got up, having been hit across the face. She saw the geist responsible standing some distance away, and she moved into her predator position. It was rare for her eyes to be this narrow, but she was in a rage, and when she was, she meant business. The geist suddenly shot forwards, bare hands ready; Hyena's senses kicked in when the gap was almost non-existent, and she rolled to the left, only just escaping the geist's grasp.

 

"Block your ears!" Hyena yelled as she rolled onto all fours, and watched her opponent slowly face her. She had no idea how to beat it, but she had to try. Her lips opened wide, and a cackle came out. The ghost seemed unfazed; what followed next was a protracted laugh. Dogs were whinging again, and pieces of pottery were breaking, yet Hyena's eyes were on the ghost, to see how it would react...

[Guest Ixigo]

Turning tail, the last remaining spirit fled into the shadowy recesses of the tent, vanishing like a gust of wind. Yet before anyone could react to its disappearance -

 

"It's gone now. Don't bother chasing after it."

 

Rafael had pushed himself upright, sitting on the bed. He was still wearing his black steel legplates. He shook his head slightly.

 

"Geists. Nasty things. Unpredictable, too. Not too hard to defeat, as you saw, but dangerous if you aren't careful. You did a good job with those." He then glanced at each of their faces. "This is quite serious, I'm afraid. If they've started materializing inside the camp... the High Lady must be informed. It is regrettable, but I fear you won't have a moment's rest yet."

 

=====

 

OoC: Rafael wants to talk to you guys, so don't hurry off just yet.

[Naimo]

Hyena heard Rafael's words, and slowly crawled over. She stopped by the end of his bed, and did nothing for several seconds; then she suddenly leapt up, and grabbed onto a bedpost. Her eyes were back to their usual wide state, her lips pouting. "You say ... we won't have a moment's rest?" She paused, as if expecting some answer. She said nothing, but merely rested her chin on the back of her hands, looking at Rafael with odd interest.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce lowered his hands gingerly from his ears; Hyena's sonic assault had caught him totally unawares. He directed his attentions to Rafael, who seemed to be feeling much better, despite the grisly wounds on his chest. "'Geists?'" he repeated curiously, bending down and dusting off his staff. Satisfied with its condition, he hefted it back into his grip and stood up, looking around.

 

"They weren't very difficult to defeat," he agreed, "but if you're ambushed, like we were..." Cerce massaged his bruised throat gingerly and grimaced, the dried blood upon his face very noticeable. "What does it signify if they start materializing within the camp?" he asked Rafael. "Is our security compromised? Can other hostile creatures break in, as well?"

[galesonic]

Jack felt amazed knowing that the group was able to defeat the ghosts. He noticed that they stopped and looked at a man, possibly he was being jailed for something that happened withing the group. He slowly moved towards a closer tent and looked through the corner at the group. "Why is it that I'm hiding?" he asked himself. "I basically infiltrated the camp and tried to cover the death of a guard. I could be killed for espionage and possible sneak attacking." his heart started pounding in his chest knowing he was probably gonna get caught, but he couldn't run now. He finally made it to the Avalon camp, but he just can't seem to go up to the camp and ask for the leader. He thought he could get attacked by the guards thinking he was gonna attack the leader. He sighed and kept on his idea of sneaking until he actually finds out who is the leader.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox recalled the orbs and retrieved his staff. The pot of incense beheld. Still had plenty of fuel left and was still releasing a steady column of sweet smelling smoke. Paradox walked over to Rafael, who lay in the bed.

 

"Hello sir, I don't believe we've met. I am Paradox and I have recently joined Avalon in your quest for peace," Paradox introduced himself, giving another deep bow. Cerce mentioned something about the spirits and Paradox replied.

 

"Spirits such as the geists are mostly spiritual beings and cannot be kept out of the camp through physical means. The spirits must have a reason for being angry and we must commune with them to be able to appease them."

[encapturer]

Ashley moved over to the bed where Rafael was resting, next to Paradox. An aside glance had her spot her spear nearby. While she wished to get more use out of it, she was glad that Rafael wasn't injured too badly by it. She picked it up while adding her input to the conversation.

 

"So, what will we do, then?" Ashley asked the whole group, while changing the broken spear back into a dagger. "I'm sure merely fighting them off isn't an option. If only we knew why they attacked here of all places..."

[galesonic]

Jack was slowly becoming bored with each passing second he was hiding. He had the dumbest idea to shoot some water into the air. He took a small jar from the other tent and pushed the water up. As the water was in the air, he froze it into a small spear-like object. The point was incredibly sharp, for a shard of ice. He spun it around a few times between his fingers and instantly grew bored of it. He threw it out of his hands, not knowing that it hit one of the support beams to the tent, leaving it as solid ice. "Oh crap." he said. "Thats gonna treat me as a threat. I'm get killed." He looked for a tent to hide in and hid in the kitchen tent.

[Saiba Aisu]

GM Post Amethyst Order

Characters involved: Ixigo

NPCs: Cyndane

 

Cyndane raised one slim brow in interest as the goblet clinked at her feet. She bent down and picked it up lightly, twirling it unnecessarily.

 

"That's quite an ability," she said at last, an ominous smile playing around her lips. "Your ability to enhance the purpose of objects could be quite useful." Ërminor had done well in bringing Victor directly to her. An idea began to blossom in Cyndane's mind, one which could prove doubly productive if cultivated properly.

 

She regarded Victor once more through a set of dark, liquid-looking eyes, adopting a more pleasurable tone of voice. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't express my greatest confidence in your skills immediately," she continued. "While your demonstration with the goblet was effective, it remains to be seen whether your expertise extends to other fields, as well." She leaned back in her seat, placing the goblet gently upon one of the armrests. "In the meantime, you will work at my discretion on several items that can be used to enhance or detract a variety of subjects."

 

Cyndane straightened and tossed a strand of her silvery hair back. "Now, Victor, you will kindly stay where you are." She turned and motioned at Baltimer, saying, "Go and fetch the other recruits. Bring them back into the Audience Chamber - I have one last thing to say to them before they retire to their quarters."

 

===

 

Cerce frowned slightly at Paradox - the man always seemed to have an opinion on everything. "So you've heard of these geists before then, have you?" he asked of him. "I would imagine that it would be difficult to keep spirits out of the camp through conventional means," he said, "but their appearance here must be significant."

 

Cerce rubbed some of the drying blood from his face and grimaced. "I don't think this is the time for wishful thinking. Those spirits certainly don't want to be appeased... They were trying to kill us." The dark-haired man turned to Rafael, who had straightened and was sitting in bed with a pensive expression on his features.

 

"We should notify the High Lady Niobe at once," Cerce said to him. "And what do you mean, 'we won't have a moment's rest?'"

 

===

 

OoC: Gale, this is your final warning. Either adhere to the guidelines given to you by Ixigo that are to be used to make assimilating Jack to the story much easier, or prepared to be expelled from the RP. It's clear that just ignoring you hasn't had any effect, and your posts have begun to break the continuity of the story. I repeat, this is your final warning.

[Otaku-sama]

Paradox thought about Cerce's response for a few seconds then replied.

 

"I suppose you have a valid point, but an exorcism is quite traumatic for spirits as they are forced to their appropriate afterlife and might re-appear if the proper seals are not put into place. If I were to do an exorcism, I would need at least fifteen other exorcists to help me expel the spirits from the camp. Plus, there is always a peaceful way to do business."

[Guest Ixigo]

GM Post: Avalon

Characters involved: Cerce, Hyena, Paradox, Ashley

NPCs: Rafael

 

Rafael watched Paradox for a few brief seconds, before actually bursting into laughter. It was a hoarse, low note, clearly rarely used by the Knight. His mirth was dark, though, and lasted only a few seconds.

 

"Exorcise them. Sometimes it is staggering what people will believe in. Valerian would make you the laughing stock of the camp for a week if he heard you preach those fairy tales." He shook his head. "Listen well. Geists are the spirits of people who were still alive while they had their soul extracted in order to use their body for something else. Those lost spirits can only be controlled by someone who can commune with them and subdue them. That they've attacked at this moment means that that someone is currently in the camp. This is one of the reasons you four are so important. With a traitor amongst us, trust is hard to maintain. That is why... I had to test you." He let those ominous words linger for a few seconds.

 

"There is no need to exorcise anything. The moment you struck them down, they were gone. Forever. Whatever was left of the souls of those poor victims was crushed to nothingness. At least, that's an educated guess from a person who's been around for much, much longer than either you or me." His eyes lost focus for a few seconds, apparently losing himself in some past memory. "That's the whole story."

 

"But as I said, there's no time to waste. The High Lady has spoken to me of an important task you were to be assigned to. However you look at the story, the Geists here were just a small part of it. And there's much more to be done. You've waded waist-deep into a hole of quicksand with no one to pull you out. And now you've got to sink along with the rest of us."

 

=====

 

"Ah. Yes. I'm sure you'll make the most out of what I have to offer." Victor blurted out hastily, offering another bow. Damn, that woman seemed even sharper than that Erminor fellow! Could anything escape her notice? Victor's original vision of the Amethyst Order as a place he could overawe with his talents and quickly earn a respectable position without much effort, reaping its benefits free-of-charge, through them alone was crashing down. Perhaps he had been a little too hasty with his choices. But it was way too late for second thinking.

[Saiba Aisu]

Cerce frowned, ignoring the look on Paradox's face - after all, what had he been expecting? Exorcism? Even he had known that those weren't ghosts, in the traditional sense.

 

"That sounds awfully similar to necromancy, in my opinion," he said, crossing his arms and shivering in spite of himself. "Whoever is practicing such unholy sorcery should be killed on the spot," he growled, his voice raw with anger. "Defiling the bodies and spirits of the dead is unforgivable." He closed his green eyes briefly and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Maintaining serenity and inner strength were what was important right now; giving way to anger would serve no purpose.

 

After a moment, he exhaled, the lines of his body gentler, softer, and more relaxed than before. "The thing that worries me the most is the fact that whoever was controlling those spirits is inside the camp," he said at last. "Unless they somehow managed to evade security and disguise themselves, they must have gone through the same screening process we did... The fact that they managed to conceal their abilities is only a testament to their cunning."

 

He looked at Rafael grimly, clutching his staff in one hand. "If this person is able to evade our notice so easily, the High Lady could be in danger from creatures much worse than the ones we just faced..."

[Umbra]

This wasn't a punishment Roland Sanlaine had expected. Wounds these fresh would harm his concentration. Still, it was not wise to bother Cyndane at this point. As for his escort... Roland eyed the whip-wielding guard, cast him a quick glance. He saw the hatred, the resentment, and understood it. Roland had hurt his (friend? associate? acquaintance?), and what's more he did it without the Lady's directions. Without a word, the guard stopped. Roland realized they were standing outside a wooden door with an iron handle.

"This is it, Roland of House Sanlaine. Get in."

Roland gulped, not only for show, and followed the guard's command. He wouldn't want to make a fuss about this now.

 

One, two, three

Twilight come and set us free

 

About half a minute later, Roland leaned against the wooden planks that stood against the cold stone wall. His shirt and shoulderpads laid on the floor next to his feet.

lash!

The whip cracked as the guard skillfully swung it through the air. Three scars were now visible on Roland's otherwise smooth back, and the muscles tensed.

To Roland, everything was pain. The floor was pain, it's chill digging it's way through his legs. The planks were pain, splinters and sticks burying themselves in the palms of his hands. Even the blood trickling down his back and soaking the trousers was pain.

"That's three, you bastard."

lash!

Roland tasted blood. Soon, it would be over.

 

Four, five, six, seven

Watch the sinners go to heaven

Eight, nine, ten

As the Twilight strikes again

 

"There we go." The whip had crossed Roland's back for a tenth time, his back now a complicated map of roads and paths drawn in blood. He fell to the ground beside his clothes, and somewhere he heard the guard's laughter

(shrill into his ears, hundreds and hundreds of bats)

as he admired his work.

"The lady will want you in the audience chamber shortly. Be there."

Roland felt a sting somewhere in his lower back, a burn - the guard had spat in his wounds. He heard the door close behind him.

 

The full punishment must have taken little over a minute, but to Roland it seemed like hours. Slowly he crawled across the floor, and struggled to put his shirt back on. The trousers were still soaked, but they would have to do. He reached for his shoulderpads, but his neck tensed up and he flinched. He'd pick them up later. Next time. Shuddering at the thought, he climbed onto the wooden planks and from there got to his feet. If Cyndane wanted to meet him, then so be it. Slowly and in great pain - barely disguised - he walked towards the audience chamber.

[The Warden]

Deus was outside praying. A soft hand was layed upon his shoulder and he looked up into the smiling face of the saintess. 'My lady' he remarked. 'Hello Deus' she replied in kind. 'Why are you here?' he inquired. 'To watch over you my son, for bad tidings are near, and I want you to be prepared and protected' she replied with a warm smile. 'Thank you my lady' he said gratefully. The saintess' warm smile and body vanished as the illusion broke. 'The lady requests you into her audiance chamber' a guard stated from behind the velvet curtain. Deus smiled warmly as he dusted his pants off and entered the audience chamber again. He stood by one of the new recruits and looked at his features from his perphirel vision. He was quite muscular, he was maybe a blacksmith or amorer, Deus figured it would be wise to not trouble himself with othr's affairs, so he remained quiet as he kept his eyes on Cyndane.