September Guided Quest B: All the Queen's Horses

[Skie and Avery]

As black shadow focused so intently on his targets, managing to kill eight of the nine men, he did not notice that he was being watched. When his bow lowered, a lithe figure sprang from a branch behind him. The woman was clothed much the same as he was, all dark clothes, tightly fitted and obscuring most of her facial features. Even her eyes were pools of darkness, a classic Akashiman brown so dark that it was hard to tell if she had pupils or not. A long braided ponytail was pulled through a hole in her hood, silver ribbon that bound the end of the braid the only light that caught the moon. The girl took a classic ninjitsu stance, both of her hands occupied with small steel daggers. Without warning or word, she lunged forward, swiping her blades towards black shadow's chest.

black shadow, you may not bunny this NPC. We are now in battle, and I will be writing with you directly. I will be erasing this message once our battle is underway.

As Elthas and Barnabas barreled back towards the small shack at the lake, they soon lost the guardsman. The stolen horses were covered in a sweat, steam wafting and dissipating after them from the heat of the magnificent beasts and the chill of the air. It was almost as if the men barely had to guide their steeds towards the lake, leaning into the evening wind that came off the water. The horses seemed to know where they were going, and their hooves beat out a steady rhythm. Within the hour, they were once more at the shack. The door was open, the fire inside glowing as if it had been piled up and stoked in their absence. Indeed through the door, the table that held their box of supplies was removed, and there stood a figure.

The woman Barnabus had spoken to was standing by the hearth. She lifted her hood, letting a mess of blond curls spill out. Her hazel eyes were trained on the two, the look flashing across them hovering somewhere between amusement and disbelief. Red lips, as dark against her pale skin as blood spattered against snow parted and she chortled out her greeting.

"So, you're alive, and you brought the horses?" She cocked her head, her eyes trained on Barnabus. "Tell me, how many of the royal guard lives?"

Behind the men, under the horses, a dark line began to trace in the soil. It was faint, as if the dirt was merely being wettened by some unseen source. As it began to form a circle, with lines cascading and looping through it, the horses ducked their heads and began to eat from the grass.

[Tourneymant]

The shack was warmer then when they left it, probably because of the fire burning in the fireplace. All who were in the shack would have noticed a frown on Barnabas's face if they could see him. Why would she want to know how many live? "I killed a man with a bunch of exorcising items. Other than that, we avoided killing. Though, we left that hotheaded ninja behind. Knowing him he probably killed many more after we left."

He paused, the woman seemed upset. "I suggest we get these horses to our employer as soon as possible. The guards and knights of the castle will probably be out looking for us." The blur called Barnabas then twisted towards Elthas. "Elthas, I suggest you get some new cloths as well as myself getting visible cloths, that way we can blend in while we leave town." Suddenly, thundering hooves could be heard coming down the path near the shack. "We don't have much time." Indeed the castle knights were searching the roads for signs of the horse thieves.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas looked at the woman that awaited in the same shack where there adventure started.

He noticed that the woman appeared agreeable, but he assumed that she was a messenger in this sordid affair. Once close enough, Elthas slid off of the horse and walked the rest of the way, guiding the horse by hand to the woman who required them. He looked at his companion, the other fellow seemed familiar with the lady in some way. Elthas nodded with respect towards her. He was a professional after all, and there was a code that needed to be followed. He looked at the man and the lady, not having a name made him feel at least a little bit of discomfort. Elthas narrowed his own eyes and handed the reigns to the lady.

"I don't think we managed to kill any." Elthas said. "There was a third with us, I don't know if he was sloppier than us though." Elthas chanced a glance back in the general direction that they came from. He was certain that the ninja-like fellow was probably fully engaged against Scara Brae's best. Elthas sighed, he hated leaving a comrade behind, but at the same note...there was a job at hand. Damn. I wish I could have gotten that guy out too. It's all right, he seemed like an able bodied warrior. Elthas then looked at the woman and Barnabas. Again, by their interaction, Elthas assumed they had at least some recent history with one another.

Elthas had never seen the woman before, but she appeared to be quite agreeable.

"What's next?" Elthas asked. His eyes darted around casually as he looked about, making sure that there was nobody heading up the path that they just came from. He was a bit nervous, and he did not hide it. The green haired Elf wanted to be somewhere considerably safer than where he was. I am feeling too exposed out here. This is not boding where for a member of The Syndicate. I have to be certain to get on safer grounds soon. I am certain that nobody spotted me or was able to identify me...

He carefully stretched, it was only then that he realized how exhausted he was. The use of the mute stone actually siphoned a lot of resources from Elthas, and wore The Syndicate Operative out much faster. He hated having to use the relic, but he had needed a clean escape. He looked about the shack a little bit longer before he finally convinced himself that they were likely safe...for the time being.

Elthas looked at Barnabas for a long moment. "That was impressive what you did back there." Elthas liked to have a social mood with potential comrades, and wanted to get to know them much better. "I wouldn't have approached the ordeal in such a way, but you did manage to buy the time I needed to get the horses. You are skilled." Elthas said. Elthas wondered what sort of race that Barnabas actually was, he seemed to be some exotic variant of Humans. Elthas looked back at the lady. "So as I asked earlier, what do we do next? I am sure we weren't put on the caper for just a single horse theft. What else is lined up for us?" Elthas was curious, he had a gut feeling that they were likely being manipulated by some of The Queens Agent's.

Even if that is the case, there is probably no direct link to this woman and The Queen. If there is, I will have to keep paying attention, I don't want a dagger in my back from whoever our secret benefactor is. Elthas pondered to himself. A great deal had happened in a short amount of time. Then he heard Barnabas speak. "Sorry, that's a no can do. I represent a certain group and we cannot simply just get an outfit change." Elthas said towards Barnabas's suggestion. "It's part of my trade. Plus, I happen to like looking good." Elthas smiled. I doubt anybody saw my face which is what counts, the only article of clothing that I might have which would label me as a suspicious character is my cloak... Elthas thought to himself. He decided that he wanted to continue the job at hand as long as he didn't have to break The Code that he followed.

But Barnabas did bring up a valid point. Elthas removed his cloak, and put it in his backpack. He took out a spare he carried with him, brown colored, and unmarked. It also had a hood. He equipped the cloak and moved gallantly, so that it flowed about his person adequately. He looked at Barnabas after that.

"I trust that will be adequate." Elthas said carefully. Then he looked at the woman carefully. "I haven't been able to test my skill like that in quite a long time." Elthas said to her. "I hope the next job will be equally fun." Elthas was actually enjoying himself. He still regretted having left one of their numbers behind, but perhaps, there would be a chance for a rescue operation later.

Elthas moved his head from side to side and cricked his neck. He was a little stiff from all the recent action, and his heart was pumping rapidly. He looked at the woman for a long moment, waiting for her to address them. In his mind though, the woman's red lips and brown eyes appeared to be quite handsome. Something, in the air perhaps, made Elthas feel at least partially attracted to the woman. He was an Elf after all, and part of his nature was lust. Though he would behave...for now.

[Skie and Avery]

The woman laughed, drinking in the nervous energy in the room. Outside her spell was almost complete. Underneath the grass where the horses stood, the ground began to glow with a deep crimson light. The woman smiled and lifted her hands at her sides, the door to the shack slamming shut, the group inside cut off from the scene outside.

Beyond the door, the screams and terrified whinnying of the steeds started up like a cacophony, then were suddenly silenced. The woman herself began to glow, as if there was some terrible light underneath her skin that illuminated her like a goddess. Her lips parted, and her voice sounded almost far away, as if her very soul were someplace just out of reach from either of the mercenaries before her.

"These were fine horses that you brought to me, and you'll be justly rewarded." Finally, her hand reached out, sparks and tiny jumping arcs of electricity leapt from fingertip to fingertip. "As my aeons, you shall serve me."

For you two, this is also now a no-bunny situation. Consider this a boss fight. As we are now entering into a high action piece of our writing, keep your actions 5 seconds long or under. We still want substance in our replies, so make sure you use as much sensory description as possible. I've been vague about what's in the shack and details of the woman's appearance - feel free to elaborate.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

"I serve nobody!" Elthas suddenly yelled. He'd been glad that nobody had spotted him at all. He'd worn his hood up the entire time and all they had to go on was a Syndicate cloak, so Elthas would walk away completely free from the situation, if he managed to survive. Elthas felt extremely betrayed, by the woman and whoever her employers were. Elthas was a professional, and he took that extremely seriously. So when the woman attacked, Elthas reacted by moving with all the lithe skill his Elven bloodline had gifted him with. He did the most simplistic action he could think of.

He jumped. And not just in any random direction either. As quick and intelligent as he was, he jumped upward. Grabbing the rafters and pulling himself up. He had a general appearance of the woman and for a moment, he pondered simply escaping the shack all together. Shaking his head, he knew he had to help that ghost-like kid out. The kid had proven useful, and Elthas could keep the fellow around. So, he drew his daggers and prepared for the battle at hand. He knew that the moment was likely a suicide mission, but either way, he couldn't leave the kid alone. After all, they had just committed the same crime. They were bound.

Elthas leaped down from the top of the rafters, and covered the distance between his former position and where he had wanted to land. He sent a powerful kick, extending his left leg forward, towards the woman's head. He knew she was busy summoning whatever power it was that she commanded, Elthas didn't care. He needed to rescue that kid and get things moving in a way that he could get them both out of there.

As soon as Elthas kicked forward, readied his daggers for the next sequence of his attack. If the kick connected, he would dance circles around the woman until she was dead. He hated the idea of killing a contractor, but the terms were breached. It was Syndicate business as usual now, and there was no payment for the job, so he could breach in exchange. He wasn't without pity for the woman though. If they managed to win, it would be a hard fought battle, he knew. His infra vision was detecting all sorts of energy patterns floating out from somewhere deep within her. A place that Elhas could only guess was dark and terrible. I have to ensure that the kid gets out safely. I can deal with this girl on my own. But the kid, has to get out. Elthas suddenly called out to partner.

"I got this!" Elthas yelled. "Get your big ass out of here man. Run. Run and don't you dare look back!" Elthas yelled and hoped that his big friend was capable of using that thing he had in his skull called a brain. In mid air at that point, he was locked in movement and there was naught any of them could do. Elthas was willing to sacrifice himself so his friend could get a way.

Bound in the dark, they were brothers.

[Skie and Avery]

Tourneymant, in your next post I'd really like to see more description in your writing. Can you give me two sentences describing things your character felt, two describing things he saw, and one describing a sound. These sentences should show, not tell, so make sure that you're making use of adjectives and adverbs to paint the scene. Also, when you happen to post on the wrong account, you can delete the post and repost it on the correct one.

Ducking under the elven man's flailing feet meant breaking her concentration, and the woman flipped blonde curls over one shoulder as she twisted towards the hearth. Her hand reached out and grasped at the rack of tools that were beside the fireplace. Her hand meeting cold iron, she pulled the decorative poker out and brandished it at the elf. The candelabra lay useless on the floor, and now she knew not where the taller shadow was. She would have to keep moving, wildly thrusting and swiping at empty space in an attempt to keep the tall spectre at bay.

With her free hand, she flung her fingers towards the fireplace and sparks tore from her fingertips into the stone recess of the hearth. The fire roared and flared, flames licking out and cinders flying from their depths. They showered the floor of the small shack, wooden planks and dead leaves that had been trailed in through the open door smoldering as they began to catch.

"I admire your bravado, sirs!" she called, delighting in the danger of the smoke that began to waft around the floorboards. "It's much more fun when my pets give me a challenge - unlike those weakling criminals that hired you!"

Her eyes narrowing, she turned her hand towards Elthas now, lightning wrapping around her hand before it shot out at him. The light flared, casting her features in stark relief, her skin as pale as death, her lips as dark as blood.

[Tourneymant]

The woman definitely was confused about the position of Barnabas. He watched as she flailed her weapon trying to keep him at bay. What she didn't know was that he rarely charged at someone, especially when they fear that if they don't flail they will be dead. Amusement rarely raised in Barnabas but watching the woman trying to fight an invisible man as well as one that was visible really was fun. The smoke in the air however was a different story. It made it hard to see, not only for him but for everyone. It could also choke out anyone stupid enough not to get to the ground. He quickly ducked below the smoke and started to look for that something he would need in order beat this woman. Suddenly the room shook with thunder as the lightning bolt struck Elthas. He looked like a rag doll thrown across the room. Anger started to brew in his soul, He looked around searching for something to through her off guard.His eyes noticed a red rug under the woman's feet. Smirking he grabbed the edge of the rug and pulled with a swoosh. He hoped that would stop her and if not he could always grab something to hit her with, eventually.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

When she moved, Elthas cursed.

He carefully landed with grace and agility. Elthas was trained to be a speedy fighter, and would have to use that to his advantage. Before he had a chance to see Barnabas move against the woman, the woman attacked Elthas with several lightning bolts. Then, she set the shack on fire. The fire was set before the attack on Elthas was put in play, he'd been watching her moving the whole time. Elthas danced on his feet, daggers in his hands. He moved backwards and slid across the floor and away from the lightning bolts. He knew magic was the great equalizer and he could not allow it to hit him at all costs. There was too much at stake.

Movement.

Out the corner of his eyes, he saw a rug being lifted, and Elthas acted.

"You're a crazy bitch!" Elthas yelled, and tossed one of his elegant daggers right at the woman's black heart. Or at least her chest area. He kept his other dagger in his hand, and was rotating it around. His eyes eagerly searching for a way out. They would have to kick the door down to escape. But first, they had to defeat the crazy witch. Once Elthas threw the dagger, he would see about retrieving it, but first, he had to be certain it hit in the first place.

He did not want to give away his friend's position as he knew that other fellow liked his stealth.

Elthas knew they were running out of time. The blaze was spreading quickly, and they would have to get that crazy bitch out of the blaze too. She's probably possessed or some crap like that. He didn't like the idea of having to rescue her as well, but he knew they had no choice. He would have to explain the whole ordeal to the guards once they did catch up with them. Luckily they don't have a description on me, so there's nothing for me to worry about. And I don't think Barnabas was spotted either unless that damn Mage got lucky. Elthas thought to himself, he looked at the dagger as it moved closer to it's mark.

[Skie and Avery]

As she brought up her arms to defend herself from Elthas' attack, her world went unstable. The rug was ripped from under her feet, and she began to fall. Within a split second, pain danced across her mind as she slammed down on the wood floor, the back of her head aching. Her arm was cut, where the dagger had bit in deep. However, the witch smiled gleefully. Pain and blood would only serve to feed her this night. Drawing on an ancient power, archaic and arcane words tumbling from her lips, she began to cast a spell. As the first syllables were uttered into the night, her blood began to rise from the wound, electricity buzzing and swirling around it. She shot it out at Elthas, cackling all the while.

Meanwhile, the rug that had been smoking was now in Barnabas' hands. The sparks had taken root, and flames began to erupt and spread as flicker turned to fire.

[Tourneymant]

Barnabas had expect such things from this woman, the rug he held was on fire and her blood had turned into lightning. He released the rug then scuttled over and grabbed his Golden Candle Holder. Gold doesn't catch fire, and attracts lightning. He grabbed an ultra thin wire from his pocket and wrapped it around the candle holder. Then he attached it a veil with a liquid inside. He stayed low and was about to charge when he heard it, the CRACK. Barnabas looked up and noticed that the ceiling was on fire. He looked around for something to stay close to so that if it caves he would be safe. He noticed a stone workbench in the corner. He scurried towards it getting ready to hit the woman as he passed her. He also was ready to block any form of electricity she would send his way.