The Night of Debauchery

[Paragon]

The breach in the northern wall allowed the worst of the Cult's minions and monsters to molest the sanctity of the Ixian stronghold. Many knights rushed out to valiantly try to stem the tide, but ultimately most of them were washed away. One such knight bravely stood his ground as long as he could, but now he lay on the ground, still holding up his sword and unable to see from one eye due to all the blood covering it from his cut forehead. A giant spider crawled towards him, snarls escaping between its fangs as its hairy legs took one step after another. The spider had a cultist rider, who joyously waved around a machete. The knight thought of his family in his last moments, and resolved to not go out without a fight.

That's when the spider stopped, twitching uncontrollably as a lance pierced through its head entirely, sticking itself into the ground. The spider's spasms did not last long, when its legs finally gave out and it collapsed, knocking the rider off into the dirt. The lance transformed into a small dragon figurine, flying up into the night sky. It flew up the walls of the castle, all the way up to the roof until finally someone caught it in his hand and then clipped it into his belt. The man who caught it then revealed the spear in his other hand, twirling it in the air above him before jumping off of the roof, falling down all the way down into the northern courtyard, but landing as if the huge jump was a little hop. He lifted his head, revealing his aqua eyes. It was Dorian of the Sesthali, General of the Labor Team. Noticing that one of the spiders had fallen, ghouls, cultists, and more spiders swarmed the young dragon knight.

The dead spider's rider was furious, but soon thought of the ways he would dismember the interloper when he taunted, "You came here alone? What do you hope to accomplish? You're dead!"

Dorian tightened the grip on his spear, his expression serious and focused, "Who said I was alone?"

At that moment, all around them the cultists screamed and the ghouls roared, and the spider rider looked around to see knights with various weapons cutting through them. He wondered where the hell they came from, then he looked up and could spot figures in the night sky jumping down from the roof. There were dozens of them, all landing and vanquishing the enemies around Dorian. Before he knew it, the dragon knight charged him and stick his spear into his gut, impaling the spider rider. As Dorian pulled the spear out, the man fell to the ground in agony. Then, he looked up. It was hard to see in this darkness, but flying high above was his black dragonling partner, Fallow.

"They've all landed!" beamed the dragonling's high-pitched voice into Dorian's head. "Fallien's contingent just landed in the southern courtyard, most of the Salvaran forces are in the eastern one, and the ones from Alerar and Raiaera are in the western one. Most of Corone's reinforcements are with you." Fallow was referring to the knights who came through the teleportation chamber since this conflict began, all of them instructed to immediately head to the roof and outfit themselves with special mass fate-crafted leg braces that for one night only, gave them all the Fate of the Dragonet, making them all members of Dorian's Dragoon Corps. In addition to soft landings from great heights, they all had quick movements and high jump capacity.

Dorian had been farthest away from the teleporter, but Sei knew that he would come. Once Dorian arrived, he went up to the roof and found all the foreign-deployed knights waiting for his order. Sei had told him to wait for the last few stragglers before making his move, but after he received word that Misery was no longer operational, he made his move.

Fallow's voice was heard again, but this time it was telepathically broadcast to all of the Dragoon Corps, "Starting right now, you're all part of the Labor Team! Your duties are to not let a single one of these freaks is get into the castle, got it?! The invasion stops here!"

Dorian smiled. Fallow was certainly in the mood, although the dragonling was floating high above the castle, using his nocturnal vision to clearly see everything that was happening outside. The short time Dorian was on the roof however, he saw the fires that were burning in Andarial. Sei had assured him that measures were being taken to ensure the safety of the townspeople, but watching those billowing flames the dragon knight couldn't help but think he was too late. The scene before him unfolded, with dragoons leaping from foe to foe. The giant spiders were no match for them, as they could attack from above. He couldn't do anything about the monsters that were already infesting the castle, as dragoons were weak in confined spaces, but now that nothing further was getting into the castle it was only a matter of time before they were all defeated.

That included Cassandra Remi.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla prayed quietly as her young son lay sleeping peacefully in his bed with his grandmother standing guard. Her orders were clear; she was to remain with Akiv until word was sent for them to move. Sei would take no chances with the boy, his only male heir and the only chance for the mystic race to survive. The mystic paced back and forth. She heard each shot ring out below. From her window she could see very little of the battle looming outside, but the occasional burst of light told her the fight was far from over. She watched her son’s chest move gently up and down. She thanked the Thaynes that he was blissfully ignorant of his home’s attack. Gran Gran’s head nodded softly as she struggled to remain awake. War was neither for the young nor the old.

Footsteps echoed through the door and Kyla quickly cast mystic protection on the defenseless child before summoning a shadow sword and bracing herself for an attack. She positioned herself near the doorway in hopes to stop whoever dared enter before they could reach Akiv. The door burst open and a young chaplain breathlessly tried to speak. His eyes were red from exhaustion and his clothing seemed worse for wear. Kyla quickly grabbed the man and looked deep into his eyes. “Do you bring word from Sei?”

The man shook his head, doubling over with his hands on his knees as he forced out the words. “No, it’s the Revenant.”

Kyla sighed, annoyed at the clergyman for coming to her. Already Akiv was starting to toss and turn and she would never get him settled down again with all the sound from below. “William Arcus can handle himself sir. There is little I could do to assist him even if my orders weren’t to guard this room. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m pretty sure there are a lot of places down there you could be of assistance. If my family dies because you felt the need to barge up here…”

“Miss Orlouge. General Arcus, I think he’s with the cult.” He spat the words, finally falling to his butt on the plush carpeted floor.

One look at the man’s face confirmed his belief, “Stay with them, if my son dies you better pray you do too.” Kyla raced from the room, her shadow sword held tightly in her grip as she made her way down the stairwell, slipping off her shoes as she ran. She was not dressed for combat, Sei preferring her to look helpless should someone make the trip to her living space. It would take them by surprise, he said, when she was able to defend herself.

Her bare feet slammed against the hard stone floors as she ran, trying to get to Misery where surely new troops would be receiving orders. She entered the creature’s room only to find it writhing in pain on the ground. A long gash was evident on the being’s midsection. It had been much worse she could tell, already noticing its wounds beginning to seal themselves. She gently touched its nose, her hand quickly becoming saturated in the goo that served as its blood. Her initial terror at the creature had grown into a deep love the first time Misery had saved her life. The first of many, her pet name for the disturbing creature filled her mind. “I’m going to find whoever did this, Fluffy, I swear it.”

The mystic pulled herself away from the plant, its eyes following her as she stepped backwards from the room. A loud commotion down the hall seemed as good a place to start as any. She ran, Sophia’s mane glowing as it felt the presence of souls nearby. Kyla rounded a corner and recognized William walking slowly away from her. She shouted, her breathing ragged from all the running, “Uncle William! What’s going on out there?”

William Arcus was a monster, that was a fact pretty much every one knew. Many knights had feared the man much more fiercely than any other general. That was what made him so effective. His will to accomplish a goal, to eliminate an enemy was not mixed in with his emotions. In Kyla’s mind though, William was so much more than that. They had spoken of family, of loss. They connected because at one time they each had everything they loved taken from them. They grew closer as both found a new family in the Knights. The girl would gladly lay down her life for the Revenant, and she truly believed deep in her being that he felt the same.

Kyla thought of the first time she spoke to the man, his cold exterior that she had been determined to break through. She pictured him in front of the lion's den at the local Zoo and remembered his words. “You don’t know about living like a beast, moving only with instinct to hunt and kill and survive. Nature isn’t plain and simple, girl, it’s brutal and unforgiving."


The Revenant stopped and turned around slowly, a blank stare on his face as he looked at the girl. Kyla quickly noticed Misery’s blood covering the front of his armor. “It’s not true is it William? Please tell me it's not true.” The girl’s eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him. She dropped to her knees, “If you truly are a monster than kill me now! Here I am, an Ixian Captain, show me who you really are right now William. Do it!”

As she waited for his reply her own response filled her mind. "Yes, a lioness will hunt and kill with no thought of the other animal, but that is far better than pretending to care for someone only to turn at the first sight of trouble. The brutality of animals is at least honest Mr. Arcus."

[Revenant]

It had only been a matter of time until his treacherous involvement in the evening’s affairs came to light. It would have been a nicety for William to be able to do what he wanted to without having to worry about the remaining Ixian forces, but niceties had no place in reality. Especially not William’s reality.

The sad truth of his recognition was simply that it put more innocents in harm’s way, something which William had known and accepted since he had made up his mind and accepted Cassandra’s offer. There was no particular love or affection between the revenant and the vast majority of the Ixian forces, but similarly there was no animosity. Live or die, the fates of both the castle’s inhabitants and its enemies mattered little to him. He supposed that the portion of him that empathized with his fellow soldiers had died to the same fostered attitude that had killed his feeling of caring what his peers thought about him. Sei had been very particular in excising his humanity from him in a way that made William the ultimate tool in the mystic’s arsenal. Unfortunately for him, the master of Ixian Castle overestimated the influence he possessed over his monster hunter as he seemed to overestimate nearly everything about himself.

He wasn’t sure exactly when or how his betrayal had become known to the Ixian Knights, but in keeping with the makeshift army’s mode of operation, he knew that they would send one of their stronger minions to try and deal with him. He was a major threat after all and they couldn’t simply leave him free to run around. He’d expected all of this, but what he hadn’t expected was for the Ixian Knights to send Kyla to be the one to confront him. But being unexpected didn’t mean being unwelcome, and the genocidal mystic’s presence told him far more than it had intended.

Kyla had to have come to him of her own volition. Sei was too insecure to actually send his adopted daughter into danger’s way without his direct supervision and Kyla was nothing more than an obedient puppet, dancing at the whim of her father’s strings. She could have possessed a core of iron, something William had tried without success to show her. But in the end she had proven to be too much of a slave to Sei’s desires to do anything more than pull against her leash with petty revenges. More than once William had heard her referred to as “the porcelain general” because of Sei’s treatment of her, but he’d also heard the soldiers refer to her by another moniker referring to her proclivity for multiple bedroom partners. But while Sei surely knew about these nicknames, William doubted that he understood how they were more directed in mockery towards him than they were towards Kyla.

And now here she was, dramatically playing up the tortured victim in a gesture that had doubtless won her many of her bedroom partners. William could only cock an eyebrow as he looked down upon her. He wasn’t sure exactly what portion of his emotions she was trying to appeal to, but he knew that it wasn’t working. Even without Libra’s aid William knew that there were no more recesses of emotion lurking in the back of his mind for Kyla. She had had her chance and had squandered it rather than using it to become something she could actually be proud of.

“So this is the best you can manage?” he said, Libra keeping the snappishness from his tone, though the intent remained. “All of your training and skill boils down to ‘kneel in front of your enemy and ask him nicely to stop’?”

A single forceful kick struck Kyla’s jaw with enough force to shatter it. It was a brutally direct way to shut her up and would knock enough sense out of her that she wouldn’t be able to mount much of a defense now that she knew her ‘sacrificial lamb’ ploy hadn’t worked. Somewhere in the back of his mind William could feel himself snort derisively, unable to comprehend how anyone could allow themselves to be swayed by such tactics. His was not the way of mercy and forgiveness, and the mystics’ insistences on trying to appeal to that side of him was folly. William stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Kyla’s hair, forcing her head back so that he could look into her cloudy, lolling eyes. “If you’ve really bought into all of Sei’s lies then I’m actually doing you a favor here,” he noted, watching a trail of blue blood run from the corner of the girl’s mouth. “But frankly, you don’t matter anymore.”

Kyla pitched forward onto the cold stone floor as William released her hair. She pushed herself up defiantly, only to scream as the heel of William’s boot came down and crushed the bones of her hand like crumpling an egg shell. He nodded satisfactorily as her scream echoed down the hall. “Sei,” he said, though the words were directed at Kyla, “if you hadn’t been listening to me before I’m sure you’re listening now. I’m done being your puppet. I’m done being everyone’s puppet. I’m going to kill Kyla now and there’s nothing you can do about it. Oh I’m sure you’ll find some way to fix her up, you’re good at swooping in after the fact and taking credit for the things you couldn’t be bothered to do yourself. But that’s not really the point, is it?”

The haft of William’s warscythe slammed into the side of Kyla’s head, knocking her once more to the ground, although she wasn’t quite so quick to get up the second time. “I’m leaving now,” he continued, squatting down on his haunches over his fallen peer. “I’m leaving this band of misfits you built as a temple to your ego and I’m leaving Corone. When I come back, if I come back, we can continue this discussion in a more … intimate way.”

Having nothing else to say, William reached down and tore the limiting bracelet off Kyla’s leg, unleashing the opposing forces of the mystic’s power against each other. Satisfied with what he’d done, William casually walked away, leaving Kyla to die as her own power consumed her.

[Arden]

The cleaving swing of Arden’s sword cut through the cartilage of a straggling ghoul with ease. As he over extended his blade, he grunted with relish, and let his anger draw back Kerria into a reverse grip. It dripped with blood, an acidic coating of death, defeat, and sinew. The roar of the beleaguered guard had grown in his emergence and become a triumphant battle cry that gladdened his enraged heart, and broke the shield wall into a forward rush. They clashed against the remnants of the horde like an arrow piercing the skin of madness.

Several of the elder veterans of the Ixian Knight’s cadre of house guard began to surround Arden, taking to their saviour like ducks to water. Blood stained shields clashed against feeble swords, not worth their weight in silver in terrified hands. Their footfalls were wet against the smothered stone, and pattered out a chorus of footprints in puddles. Seeing he was sealed away, Arden began to concentrate on his beating heart. His fangs, reddened and sharp slowly retreated into his gums with painful recessions.

“Everyone, get to the inner castle!” one of the elder guards roared. His command did not reach everyone’s mind until the last of the dwindling, gibbering, and zeal lead host had been despatched. The sound of blades cutting through bone continued to ring in the dark sky until the sound faded into nothingness.

“Go…” Arden whispered. He felt sick.

“Lord Tiger, come with us, won’t you? We could use that sword of yours to clear out the catacombs.” The guard smiled, his moustache, thick and bushy, bobbed up and down atop a broad grin of happiness and relief. He had, from what Arden could make out when he turned to examine the man’s face, been close to tears as he had ordered his men to make their last stand. The swordsman could only hope the next time he cried, it would be with tears of joy.

He shook his head.

“Not today my good man, I have a destiny elsewhere.” He pointed with his free hand up the grand staircase to the shattered door that lead inside to the medical ward. Slowly, the group of guards followed the crimson man’s gesture. Their triumphant cries of victory fell silent swiftly, and when the captain joined them, his jaw dropped.

“You are a persistent thing, Arden Janelle.” The man said, his voice penetrating the dense atmosphere without the need to shout or heckle. His tight clothing shone in the moonlight, and his blades, as equally cruel as his mistress’ shone with quicksilver. The guards began to fan out, encircling the bottom of the stair’s hundred ascents.

With every cautious advance, low stance, and racing heartbeat, the last of the courtyard battalion came to a halt. They all glared up at the enigmatic creature that had emerged from the catacombs of the inner castle, radiant in dark majesty, and smouldering with contempt for the man that had saved them from certain death.

“She said you would be more worthy of my attention now you were…awake.” He smirked. As he began to descend the stairs, the guards tensed, and readied themselves. “You may go, however,” he gestured with a wide wave of his blade laden hand over the guards. The captain turned to Arden. Arden nodded.

When the man reached the floor, he advanced to allow the guards their right to slowly and cautiously edge around him. The clattered of armour over tired bones ascending into the medical ward filled the air for several minutes whilst Arden and his destiny glared at one another. The silent swordsman took to his namesake and said nothing as he gripped Kerria tightly, and watched his opponent like a hawk. His eyes pierced the cowl of his mattered hair, and his armour, no longer silver, gleamed like a testing banner. He seemed to channel a challenge.

“What say you?” Jebb smiled. His teeth, porcelain white, gleamed in the twilight.

Once, Arden would have jumped at the chance. Now, however, he had travelled through the long corridors of the under croft of the castle for what seemed like hours. He had drawn on all his strength to resist Cassandra’s toying, and drained much of his strength grinding his energy against the masses of undead that the Cult had stolen into their confidence. He took a deep intake of air through his snot laden nostrils, and wiped his nose clean with the hem of his sleeve. It stank of sweat, blood, and mist. Tendrils of vapour drifted up from his hair as his body temperature began to rise in the wake of his Oni’s heart’s wrath.

He nodded slowly.

He had been mistaken about the reasons for his strange omen. He knew he had to die, but he had not realised why until now. He smiled, stopped his nod, and set Kerria forwards in both hands. Its tip pointed to Cassandra’s slave’s heart which only served to resign it’s wielder to his fate.

If this is what it would take…

“Behind every strong woman,” Arden spat, “there’s always a weak, feeble, and wastrel of a man.” Jebb roared in response with such ferocity and madness Arden shook. He closed the hundred feet battlefield of snapped bone and bestial graves with such speed not even Arden could have blinked out of harm’s way. He did not stand the slightest of chances. He did not hold any hope for ever dealing a concise blow to the Cult’s true heart.

The moment Arden Janelle died, the Heidegger Barrier imploded inwards.

Things changed.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen was always a few paces ahead of the other three, though Azza realized quickly she had no choice but to lift her sword and help in the fighting. The Cultists had no concepts of strategy or cohesion. They charged like gibbering lunatics, saliva dripping from each rotted tooth as they cried out for the delicacy of their depravity. Some would lose themselves in the euphoria of seeing the young girls body, their claws digging into her skirt and shirt to get at her innoncence. In the first engangment, her blade was stained. By the second it was covered in the viscera of the enemy. In the third wave the two Ambrose's fought off it was dripping off the tip.

The immortal felt his chest raise up and down in heavy, ragged breaths. His lungs burned as he twirled his blades around his body, the blood splattering on the walls of his home as he looked the front of the room where Arden would be. Azza caught up to him, her maroon eyes filled with a fighter's spirit as she kept herself together in this sea of madness. Jensen went to give her a comforting hug when both their heads snapped to the opening leading to the next hallway, soldiers rushing out of it the the colors of the Ixian Knights.

"Oh thank the Thaynes," the beleaguered guard captain muttered. "We were thought to be goners, until the Red Robed warrior of General Bracken arrived. We were going to meet up and join the battle on the wall when someone showed up, he sent us on our way, but we were worried for him. Perhaps with you, Mr Ambrose, he'll have a better chance!" Jensen thumbed the path behind him and the man nodded, ordering his men to move on. Jensen looked towards the portal again and narrowed his eyes.

"Arden," Jensen whispered in a hurry, recalling the memory of his promise to take care of his little brother in arms. Azza pushed him forwards as the knight ran to the opening, his body moving through the one man portal as the others kept a respectful distance as he charged into the hallway. There in the middle of the room was Arden Janelle, his robes tattered by several knife cuts, his body bleeding badly and his face looking like he wasn't just in a fight, but a brawl. The immortal slid on the stone floor, the task made easier by the blood slicked floor. He turned the silent swordsman in his arms so they looked to each other, and the immortal began to lose control of his emotions again.

"There you are," Arden wheezed and coughed. "you bastard. Always late, Duffy said..." Jensen gave him a wild grin.

"Well, you know how I like my flashy entrances," Jensen said gently as he chuckled with his brother. "You look like a mess, little brother." Jensen lowered the body and looked over to Erissa, seeing her leaning heavily on Tobias. Though she could probably help him, the strain may be too much. He turned his attention back to the red robed warrior. "Can you make it to the medi-"

"Jensen..." Arden whispered.

"To the medical ward!" Jensen insisted a bit louder. The silent swordsman coughed and spoke a bit louder.

"Jensen..."

"Aislinn will be there, she can-"

"Jensen!" Arden at last gasped, his gauntlet covered hand gripping him by his shirt as he looked his older brother in arms dead in the eye. They held their look for a moment in silence before Jensen grabbed his wrist. "You need to accept what's going on..." he said more calmly as he lowered himself. "Remember the promise you gave me?"

"No way," Jensen snarled. "I'm losing enough friends and people to that fucking bitch, I'm not going to lose you!" Arden chuckled now, a warrior's acceptance of the reality fate had in store. He said nothing, but Jensen could see his wounds and understood what he was saying. The immortal nodded as he stood up. "Tobias, take Azza please." The elf nodded as her hand reached out and grabbed a hold of Azza's shoulder and brought her in, covering her eyes.

"See ya in the next life," Jensen said to the silent swordsman lifting up the man's favored sword, and poising it over his heart. "Little bro..." With a swift motion he did the deed, slamming the weapon into Arden's heart and blasting it apart, impaling the flesh and striking the stone supporting Arden. His hands instincvly reached around the blade, holding it in place painfully as he let out a spasm of agony before he lay still. Jensen reached down and grabbed the hood to Arden's robes and placed them over his face.

The immortal looked to his group and Tobias and Erissa both gave him a sorrowful glance as Azza pulled herself away, tears in her eyes as she walked up to her father and looked to him. She could almost feel the tide of emotions in her father but with a simple nod she gave him a soft smile. Jensen nodded back to her, rubbing her head as he pulled himself back together.

"Thanks kiddo," he whispered. He looked to the other two. "Come on, we still got a lot of ground to cover. Up the stairs and around the bend."

Silence was prevalent around them again, save the cries of battle and the ringing of steel in the distance. The cold stone walls held no warmth on this night as he walked under the shadowy overhang to the upper level, eyes cast heavily to his feet as he tried his best to dam up his emotions and keep himself focused. As his boots tapped the top level he pulled himself to the window, looking to the outer gates where several spiders writhed in pain the size of the walls themselves, no doubt Sei's doing as the Mystic's telepathy knew no bounds.

"By the Horsemen," Jensen swore in homage to the four horsemen he worshiped. "This is a war alright..." Jensen turned around and his eyes widened as his lips let out a scream of concern, but it was a split second too late. From the shadows behind Tobias and Erissa a golden amulet twinkled off the crimson moon, the silver pendulums also reflecting a glow as a heavy, dirt laden boots from years of use kicked the green haired Elf on the floor. Two burly hands pushed flat against Erissa's back causing her to stumble the last step and fall, rolling near Jensen as Azza's lips let out a grunt of pain, her head contorted sharply where the aggressor's hands held her horns to keep her bent low near his body.

Jebb Remi, father of Cassandra, stepped forwards with blood all over his hands dropping a vial that Arden held on him to the ground so it clinked loudly on the stone surface, rolling to Jensen's feet.

"Hush little baby..."

[The Soulforged]

"Damn babe. Nice placeholders," Seed chuckled as he dodged a swipe of his opponent's sword, and groped the woman's left tit. He was basing his current strategy on the solid idea of going for his foe's most exposed area; in this particular case a pair of massive breasts.

Hey, it wasn't his fault that whoever passed out the genes handed this woman a giant rack. He was just playing against the cards that god, some thayne, or some lonely pervert dealt up.

Not that it was working. Oh sure, he managed to cop a good feel every now and then, but his sword skills were lacking, and his opponent's were anything but. Each attack he made was parried with precise dexterity, each advance forward was countered with solid determination, and no amount of perversion had made a crack in his foe's calm demeanor.

Not that the last thing was actually part of the plan; it just tended to happen pretty often around Seed.

But in the end, nine out of ten times, the skilled defeat the amateur. As much as Seed wished that this story was the one of the ten times, it very much was not. He soon found himself beaten, with his sword on the floor. He himself was scooting backwards on his butt, with his opponent (who's name she had not given him) approaching far too quickly for his teeth.

"Cripes. What I wouldn't give for a diversion right about now," Seed muttered as the deathblow approached. At that moment in time, some large guy wielding a maul stormed into the room as someone else was lit on fire. Green fire.

"Yup. That'll do," Seed said as he stuck out his left hand. The flame was obviously unnatural, but it didn't seem to be magical. If that was the case, and he concentrated hard enough...

No. There wasn't enough time to concentrate; he was about to get stabbed in the face. He'd have to quicken the process, cut out everything that could be cut out. It would be rough, and probably a bit more than painful, but time was a factor here.

Go straight for it.. Seed told himself; he only had a few seconds tops. Control, that's all I need. Cut out the finesse, the range, the order. Just grab the flame. NOW!

It exploded. The man who screamed as he was immolated by green fire gave one last bellow of finality as that fire consumed him at a dramatically increased rate. The woman about to stab Seed, as well as everyone else in the room, paused out of habit. After all, an explosion, small though it was, had that effect on people.

"Got it!' Seed shouted in excitement as a bit of the green fire leapt from the man, and onto his outstretched left hand. It stung, that was to be expected. He cut out everything but the essentials, so it was only natural that the flame danced too closed to him. Still, it was a pretty dance, especially with its green color. He smirked at his foe, and than cracked the flame like a whip at her.

She jumped back instantly, dodging the attack with all the skill she had shown throughout their duel; not that Seed expected otherwise. Still, it was enough to get her to back off a moment. He had been hoping to grab a bit more of treasure, but loot was a moot point if you were dead. Seed glanced about, and saw a plan of action to deal with that large guy with a maul, and everyone else in the room.

"Hey. Babe with the booby traps. Come 'ere," Seed ordered; not that whoever the girl with the vials was actually listened to him. She did however, give him a curious stare, and that was enough for the moment.

Without any politeness, niceties, or dinner being bought before hand, Seed reached into Amelie's shirt, and gave it a hard yank. Cloth, vials, breast, and nipple spilled into his hand, but it was the second of that list that he was most interested in. Ignoring everyone's screams, in particular Amelie's, Seed grabbed as many vials as his right hand would hold, and tossed them at his foes. Smiling the smile that only madman who managed to pool their facilities together for the perfect plan can, Seed shot the green fire at the vials.

Two of the vials were incinerated. Another one fizzled slightly. The remaining vials Seed had tossed exploded beautifully, lighting the entire room in a wonderful blaze that flickered in a constant dance of blue, green, and yellow.

The man with the maul at the entrance fell screaming, tearing at his flesh as he fell in a vain attempt to extinguish the flames. Apparently the stop, drop, and roll method did not work on whatever ingredients had created these flames. Not that any of that really mattered to Seed; the exit was clear, and the entire medical wing was in a panic. A sudden explosion had that affect on most people.

"Anddddddd.......I'm out!" Seed exclaimed as he jumped over the burning body; he was nimble if nothing else. Those Ixian Knights who could still fight were reaching for their weapons, albeit slowly due to their wounds. Seed was fairly certain that he would be able to make it out of here before they managed to arm themselves in time.

"See ya! Oh hey, Memnar and bitch-who-wouldn't-give-me-the-time-of-day, this is my escape route. If you use it, ya owe me. Cause, that means that a psycho, immature thief pulled off what both of you couldn't. Man, that's gotta hurt!"

Laughing, Seed took off as fast as his feet could carry him. It was time for him to get the hell out of here, treasure or no treasure.

[Requiem of Insanity]

Cassandra felt the kiss of the cool night air on her skin as she made it to the main courtyard of the inner cloister. There before her eyes at the bottom of the steps were the two armies engaged in their bloody battles. She strolled forwards into the melee, without fear of any form of danger to befall her as her footsteps carried her towards the tower of Sei Orlouge, her final goal. It happened in seconds and when it did it spread like wildfire, invigorating the attackers and demoralizing the defenders.

"The Dark Mother walks!" a Cultist shouted with praise, followed by several more similar chants. The so called chaplains of the Ixians began to shout their oratory, but with more fervor than ever her Cultists rose to their words of spite and malice, silencing them as Cassandra's warriors flowed forwards in a tide to repel the Ixians that could do their goddess harm. Only one managed to break through, his robes black as a raven's feather and hair as curly as a mop head screamed at her. His words were filled with zeal as he shouted that he would strike down the face of terror and destruction and this madness.

Cassandra cooed as her hand lifted upwards, catching his sword in her grasp and letting it dig into her skin causing her to bleed. The Chaplain's face remained spiteful as he tried to pull it away, but she lifted the weapon up as her other hand bunched into a fist and slammed into his gut. Bile escaped his lips followed by a trickling trail of blood as she opened her fist and grabbed at his robes, tossing him overhead onto the ground still holding his blade. She wrenched the weapon out of his grasp and snapped her fingers. In a moment one of her alchemically created body guards stepped forwards and began to rip at his body, grabbing his arm and pulling so hard it dislocated before it made a wet noise that ran out in the field of battle. The Ixians watching grew horrified as the Chaplain was beaten to death with his own appendage while Cassandra gave them all a baleful stare.

"Where is your courage now!" she laughed, her elegant finger lifting to the hordes at her command and sending them forwards with fresh energy. The howling grew louder as the Cultists were in a trance to take part in their Debauchery before the Goddess of Blessed Torture. A few of the Ixian captains called for orders but it was lost to the masses as the Cultists renewed their assault. Cassandra turned and continued her pace towards the tower of Sei Orlouge, her feet never gliding more than a steady saunter as she smiled, letting the crimson illumination of the moonlight wash over her skin.

She climbed the steps she walked up several times to the personal office of her old Lord, the memories of the anger she felt at him surfacing. In this single moment the demi god was going to get her revenge on Sei and what she needed to ascend to godhood. She held her hand out and her daughter Aerith lovingly placed the blade in her hand. With the familiar weight in her grip she smiled to the one who loved her like a mother and turned to Kane. She could feel his dark intentions melt with her, and he gave her a nod of approval and a smile so cold others would freeze to even gaze upon it. She smiled a loving smile back and turned back to the door. There upon it was engraved in meticulous detail the seal of Sei Orlouge, the Ixian Knights, and the different branches of the tree that made it up. The symbolism wasn't lost to her as her finger traced the edges where she once dwelt, at the base of the image. How utterly fitting, she mused with giggle.

"Nobody is to interfere unless I ask for it," the dark mother said to her entourage. She looked to them each, watching them nod in acknowledgment. She smiled before returning her attentions to the door again. "If I am to prove I have broken Sei Orlouge, I must finish him myself."

This was it, the confrontation with the Lord of Ixia and the demi-goddess. She let her lips curl into an uninviting grin. The woman lifted her blade up to her side at the ready, and feeling her divine might flow within her lifted her foot and shoved it into the doors of her former Lord. They let out a cacophony of noise, splinters raining down from the sides where the wood was ripped apart from the violent release of the portal. They bounced along the sides like a tumble weed lost in the wind, crashing against the walls and destroying glass casings and wall murals. Cassandra stepped forwards, sauntering as if this was her own mansion.

"Lord Orlouge!" Cassandra said opening her arms wide with supplication, bowing low in an exaggerated fashion. She felt the all too familiar tingle in her mind as her eyes slowly lifted to look up at her enemy, the mute Mystic glaring at her from his desk where he sat patiently. The woman felt her head begin to throb, the back of her eyes pounding as her muscles began to twitch involuntarily. Yet as quickly as the pain came from Sei's mind attack it faded back into her mind as nothing more than an irritating thought. The pain was replaced by a cold, friendly feeling, a feeling she had felt many a times when her Dark Companion touched her. He protected her mind as Kane's body stepped forwards, a devilish grin on the man's face. Sei merely stood, but made no hostile gestures.

"If it were that easy, Sei," Cassandra spat. "You would have done it long ago. Let's dispense the pleasantries and get down to the bare bones of it all." The mute said nothing, made no movements as Cassandra moved closer to him, her steps slow and graceful. When she stood before the desk she looked to her former lord, and flashed her teeth in a wide smile. "If you want this madness to end," she whispered. "Give me what I want..."

"Anything you want would be far worse than what is befalling my people," Sei thought to her, his words muffled and distant in her mind. He was a powerful telepath indeed, if he could force his so called words into her mind.

"Are you so sure..." Cassandra mused, placing her sword on the desk before him. "I can hear them, all of them, screaming!" Her eyes fluttered as she opened her mind to her Cult's mischief, letting the screams filter in so that Sei could enjoy them as well. She focused them all, brought each one into a harmony of depravity and selfishness as Sei's army cried out for their hero. There were some, louder than others too, who screamed for Sei, voices that Cassandra knew the bastard would know all too well. "I think your family has something to say about that statement. Would you let them be harmed, Sei?" Cassandra began to walk around the desk towards Sei. "Would you let them be maimed?" she continued on, her eyes filled with murderous intent as they reflected the red glow of the moon outside the window.

"Perhaps, maybe when they are...dare I say it?" she thought aloud, tapping her finger to her chin. "Raped," she whispered next to him, her breath tingling his neck hairs. "You would still, Sei, let your children suffer for your stubbornness?" Sei remained quiet, as if contemplating something, before he lowered his hand to his side.

"What father would I be to them, Ms Remi, if I do not stand up to the monsters I swore to protect them from?" Cassandra's hand darted out and grabbed the man's hand as he held up the chakram close to her gut. She smiled, thinking him so clever to try and surprise her, but her face contorted to pain as his closed fist connected with her jaw. "I don't hit women, but thankfully, Cassandra, you proved you no longer are even human," Sei thought as he let out a gasp of air, bringing his foot up to her stomach.

He kicked her hard, and her body lifted from the impact, her knees bending as she shook the cobwebs free, roaring with defiance. She placed her other hand on Sei's wrist and spun, tossing him like a satchel against his back wall. The warrior spun in the air like a top, bouncing off the wall and collapsing. She grabbed her blade and walked over to him; her eyes were filled with murder. Sei stood quickly, his hands coming up with the Gemini blade as she swung with all her might downwards. The curved blade caught the weapon, and instead of resisting it he guided it downwards and away from him. The parry was enough for him to side step the dark mother and punch her across her cheek again.

The demi-god reeled back, bringing her blade up in a block as the Gemeni blade notched deeply into the Butcher's Bill. As prodigious as her might was, she still had no clue how to fight; she had thought her strength and speed would be more than enough, but Sei decided it was prudent to do so otherwise. Still, he had yet to see her true potential. Sei loved to observe his foes, watch their moves and form a counter. yet he hadn't seen her fight save the one time against Jensen Ambrose. She was so much more powerful now, and she would show Sei his death.

The man before her lifted the Gemeni blade up, trying to wrench her grip away and toss her sword in the air. Her strength kept the weapons locked, despite being at such an odd angle to maintain her grip. It was then she noticed something as she blocked his fist with the side of her arm. She carefully observed the warrior before her...

…and noticed one of the Gemini blades were missing.

"You cunning bastard!" Cassandra shrieked with rage as her foot came up and pushed Sei away, his body slamming into a wall where he collapsed with a gasp of pain. Her blade free the dark mother turned to block another Sei flying down upon her, fairy wings glittering off the moonlight as her feet held her planted, another deep notch into her blade as the two looked to one another. The two glared at one another, but this time the hate was more than evident; it was even palpable to her.

"You will know pain, you know will suffering, and then you will die, Cassandra."

[Silence Sei]

He could see it in her eyes; the hatred, the potential to kill, but mostly there was fear. Cassandra’s eyes told him of a fear that even she was unwilling to admit, a fear that she had to tie up the loose end of Sei Orlouge if she were to obtain her ideals. The mute could feel himself being pushed off of Cassandra’s sword, causing him to back flip in mid-air and land on his feet. He heard as her blade echoed through his office once more. He looked up to see that she had once again had to focus on the telepath’s doppelganger, whose blade had come mere inches from finding a home in Cassandra’s stomach.

He looked to his double, locked in combat with his nemesis, and ran back into the fight. With his free hand, he reached for one of his chakrams, throwing the bladed ring towards the two engaged in combat. Cassandra turned her head just in time to see the impending danger, and bent backwards, sending the weapon straight for his clone. Sei could see the wicked smile on the woman’s face, confident that she had at least done in one Sei Orlouge.

“You missed,” she hissed with satisfactory venom to her tone.

“I wasn’t aiming for you,” Sei retorted, jumping into the hair and planting the tip of his boot directly into the demi-goddess’ face. Cassandra reeled back, the true Sei almost gliding behind her. Sei grinned and shifted his gaze down, which Cassandra followed, her eyes growing wide when she realized she was no longer holding the Butcher’s Bill. Her fear grew with the sound of breaking glass, and the girl almost lunged at Sei prime, her grip planted firmly into his wrists, nails digging into his skin.

He sucked in air as Cassandra rolled backwards, kicking the body of the original Sei straight towards his double. As the glass shot outwards in every direction, Sei managed to flip his body around, to look at the ducking Cassandra. She had effectively used him as body shield against his ‘brothers’ mystic protection. He could feel the glass whipping past his body, blowing with such a force that the band in his hair nearly came out. He landed on his feet just in time to hear the sound of shattering crystal once more, a spider web like fracture forming all around the true Sei’s form.

He couldn’t see her face, just her body as it dashed behind his desk, which already had many fragments of glass embedded into the fine oak finish. He looked to his double, who was already running to meet his enemy at the furniture, diving behind the desk as the second mystic protection broke apart and fired outwards, drowned out only by the sounds of Cassandra and the other Sei punching one another from behind their makeshift cover.

He ran to the desk, grabbing it by its trimming and flipping it forward. His doppelganger rolled towards him and Cassandra in the opposite direction. They both stood at roughly the same time, each with their share of bruises to the face.

“You’ve lost this one, Orlouge,” Cassandra spoke, he venomous words now veiled behind a curtain of fear, “All will remember this night of debauchery!”

“As the night that Cassandra Remi was slain, perhaps,” Sei began to walk to the side, Cassandra cautiously following him while keeping an uneasy eye on his imposter. “I know what you’re after Cassandra. It’s why I’m wearing my boots rather than my shoes. It’s why I’m using my chakrams instead of my staff. It’s why my chest is unprotected. I don’t have any of them on me. Furthermore, I’ve learned a few new tricks while you were exiled.”

Sei stopped his pace, looking towards his large window. He could hear the tides of battle turning in Ixian favor now, his hand instantly unraveling the kusari-gama from around his waist and using the scythe portion of the weapon to deflect an incoming knife. “For example, my doppelganger,” Sei spoke, finally turning his head back to Cassandra, a wide grin upon his features, “Did you know I can now make more than one?”

Before Cassandra could respond, a third Sei ran at her back, a large lance seeking to find a home in her spine and run her through.

[Dissinger]

Rage.

One emotion fueled him as he fought his way through the night. Men around him died without him even noticing, such was his focused rage. He had fought through Ghouls, fought through cultists. He had fought through hell and still he could not find his family. Every tunnel, every access way had been filled with the enemy. Everyone had sought to throw themselves in his way. It was infuriating as he had to literally fight for every inch. Rage was all that fueled him now. Rage was his companion on this journey through hell itself.

Rage fueled him to new heights of brutality. He would find disgustingly brutal methods of destroying all in his path to cause some of the insane fanatics to back off, only to find for everyone fled or cut down three more took their place. He continued to fight, even as he heard cries of the dark mother walking the castle. He could care less if the gods themselves threw their divine bodies between his wife and child, he would gut them just as efficiently as the cultist that was before him. Knives never stopped moving as more blades joined the juggling act, each blade plucked and placed in spots to maximize the brutality.

He was an engine of wrath and his rage knew no bounds.

Raw hatred kept him going long after his energy had left him. He pushed through the throng and it wasn't until he reached the white corridors did he stumble a step. His fatigue was evident, the blood splattering and caking him looking no better than the others. An Ixian Knight moved to intercept him, and it was every ounce of control not to slaughter him with his blades as he glared balefully, "Get out of my way before I use your head for a chamber pot..."

The man immediately moved aside before he shouted, "It's Seth! He's made it!"

Immediately cheers erupted through the ward as men quickly moved the fallen and injured out of his way. His white shirt was soaked to the elbows in blood, his face a mask of crimson, none of it his. He was an avatar of death and destruction, even as his blood soaked boots squished down the corridor. The torches caused the blood upon his form to flicker disturbingly in the light. Seth Dahlios was barely holding onto his humanity, and the looks of admiration the people gave him didn't help at all.

He moved down the hallway and looked into the medical ward, only to see a spider the size of a barn crash through another wall of the medical ward, the stone bricks toppling with ease. It appeared a hole lead out to the courtyard and the guard was fighting to contain the beast, even as it crushed maimed killed and despoiled the ward of Aislinn Orlouge. A shout of rage filtered through the hole and Seth could not remember what happened after that, only that he thought he saw his wife, cornered by the beast...

[TwinCast]

Aislinn fought to control her temper, even as she saw her lover harmed by the man who reached crassly into the alchemist's bosom, producing more of the infuriating explosive vials. As the vials threw them all to the ground, before they all heard it. A cheer erupted from the medical ward, before the giant spider crashed through the wall. As the bricks toppled everywhere Liliana unsteadily made her way to her feet, even as Adolph fought to put out the flames upon him. Aislinn immediately grabbed a nearby cloth and began to beat out the flames on her lover, as the two left in the wake of the third's distraction began to move.

Aislinn was loathe to let Alexander free, but she had no choice. Between the spider and caring for Adolph, there was nothing she could do to stop them. That was, until the bestial cry exploded in the room. Anyone who heard the noise could have sworn that it was not human, yet all the same an enraged Seth Dahlios had emerged in the hole, and had jumped upon the spider's hairy back in a move that caused the body for the first time to slam into the ground. A shriek of arachnid rage left the spider as the demon began pounding with his blades heedless of the ichors splashing over him.

It was a terrifying sight to behold, Seth Dahlios caught in the grips of pure unrelenting hatred.

More screams left the creature as Liliana looked upon Adolph, the flames finally out. Gripping Aislinn by the arm she shook the witch who turned to the Priestess. Finally Liliana spoke, "Get Adolph on his feet."

"If I do I cannot heal anyone else-"

"If you don't, that thing will kill more people and even my husband is not immune to that thing. Get Adolph up!" Liliana barked. The words no longer held the tone of a request but an order. The witch was unaccustomed to such treatment, but given the circumstances, even her pride took a back seat as she drained her healing to heal some of the burns from the fires. Liliana nodded before she added her own efforts to cure the warrior who looked remarkably unharmed in the wake of the attacks. As the man slowly drew himself to his feet He gripped the war maul and looked upon the sight of a raging Seth Dahlios continuing to stab into any spider flesh he could.

The beast was squealing in pain as it tried to use its legs to brush the thief off. Unable to reach the man who fought with a savage intensity, the spider was distracted as Adolph hefted Crozius. The spider looked upon the chaplain with a look of fear as the blue light washed over the head of the maul, amplifying the strength of the warrior to far beyond the spider's ability to resist. Seth was knocked form his perch by the unexpected movement, hitting the ground before rolling to his feet. His rage spent the thief had collapsed to a knee, looking upon the creature with a depth of Hatred even the chaplain could appreciate.

Both were men protecting the women they loved. Both were men united in their hatred, and for one moment, anyone who looked upon those two heading towards the spider felt a shudder of fear at the raw waves of furious rage. So palpable was their hate that the room grew even hotter in it's wake. leaving sweat to pour over those unable to move away. They stalked towards the predator, who could see its death in their eyes. It began to hurry as it scuttled back before venom laced words spat, "Life is passing you by!"

Grey energy arced and lanced over the thief before he threw it at the spider causing it to slow in it's tracks and it was then, in that moment of pure unadulterated weakness, Adolph pounced. The maul smashed into a leg, shattering the exoskeleton that kept it together. Causing another shriek of pain as Seth muttered another spell, tossing it at the creature with murder in his heart. Kunai peppered the thing, causing it to squeal in agony as the blades, glowing a soft white, sank into the carapace and to the nervous system of the creature. Pain flared into the thing that should not be harmed, the beast shrieking as it collapsed upon its legs as Adolph shattered another leg, and another, cruelly dragging out its death even as the Ixian Knights watched the beast in its dying moments. Seth merely collapsed to a seated position as he watched the chaplain finish the dismantling of the spider, bringing the full might of Crozious upon the creatures head.

Aislinn watched Liliana go to her husband, hugging him close the blood upon his body smearing her face as she gently soothed and kissed the thief. Seth was drained, tired, and unable to move as he leaned heavily upon his wife. His rage finally spent. What had been a solid twenty minutes of fighting had concluded as Adolph moved around the infirmary barking orders to the guards to hunt down the intruders and to secure the entry from the courtyard. Finally, in the sea of madness and loss there was a beacon of hope. The Medical Ward had finally been secured.

The rallying cries of the guard reinvigorated by the death of the spider echoed through the halls as people were told to rally in the Ward. Hope blossomed in this night of debauchery, chasing away the cruel tendrils of despair and grief. Warriors renewed their assault, hallways were cleared as people moved to reach the bastion of safety, emboldened by the acts of the Lavinian Demon and the Reclusiarch. Amidst it all Seth Dahlios was held, cradled by Liliana Dahlios, and Aislinn felt similar feelings for the Chaplain who had helped organize the disparate forces of the Ixian Knights.

"Aislinn!"

Her head snapped around as Liliana gestured the witch over. She knelt beside Seth and saw his eyes, so deliriously tired that he should not have been awake. Blood shot and barely passing for sentient, the Lavinian Demon was asleep on his feet as it was. A bloody hand clutched the front of her wrap and the handprint left was secondary in discomfort to the scent of death upon him. She had to fight the urge to vomit as she managed, "What do you want Seth?"

"My daughter, where is she?" The demon managed. She could see it now, the fear. He wasn't afraid of what he had done, he had done it to protect his wife. This much she knew. He was afraid for his daughter.

"She is not here your wife could have told you as much," Aislinn replied as she carefully pulled Seth's hand from the cloth that wrapped her chest. Seth held on with a deathly grip before he spoke once more;

"I'm too tired, I need all the energy I can get, wake me up..."

"You've pushed yourself farther than anyone should be able to go Seth. If you push yourself any farther I can't tell you what the ramif-"

"Fuck your ramifications my daughter isn't safe. Either help me or get out of the way!" The words were bellowed as the witch leaned back instinctively from the hatred she could feel radiating off him, the worst was in his eyes. She had seen such a look in predators in Concordia, and she knew why the spider had tried to flee in terror, it was all she could do to not run herself.

"Felicity tell Anastasia to grab the energy potion from my office. She should know where it is," Aislinn finally said. Seth was going to kill himself by pushing too far, but the Lavinian Demon needed all the help he could get, and it was for his daughter. She understood the sentiment, as Pierce would have done the same for her. As the cat dashed off she began to check over the demon before she began a list of issues, "Other than the possibility of collapse from sheer fatigue your bones will become more brittle as you fight. You cannot take solid hits anymore Seth. If you insist on pushing yourself, try to avoid contact at all costs. Your body would give out before you could even think to repair it with your magic. Blocking blows will result in as much damage as letting the blows land."

Seth nodded sully as he said softly, "Thank you Aislinn. I owe you..."

"After standing up to Cassandra Remi for me, we're even. If anything I owe you for giving me a chance to heal Adolph..."

Seth shook his head and said firmly, "If I get my daughter back we're even. I don't like having you in my debt. You're not someone who should be in anyone's debt..."

Aislinn frowned at the words and opened her mouth to speak before Anastasia rushed up clutching the vile green looking potion. Taking the glass vial she uncorked it for the thief before she spoke, "From this moment on you're on your own Seth. Anyone I know would have passed out and I'm sure its that stubbornness I've been told is legendary that's keeping you awake. Good hunting Demon..."

Liliana thanked Aislinn as Seth shifted back to his feet and moved. His eyes looked about before Aislinn spoke up, "Seth! Cassandra Remi is loose somewhere around here. I'm sure if anyone would know where your daughter is-"

She needn't have bothered, as soon as she had mentioned the Midnight Mistress, Seth knew the train of logic. He was gone, and the hunt for the Demi-Goddess began.

Demon or God, tonight would soon decide.