Mystic War-Chapter 1: Team 3

[Amber Eyes]

"Evacuate. All mystics, mothers, and children evacuate now." The sound filled the mind of each and ever person within either the castle or the tomb. Kyla turned around and looked at her men, each one looking to see if the young girl would obey.

"Your out of your mind if you think I'm going to abandon them when all those men want is me!" Kyla shot the thought at Sei like a bullet from a gun.

Now Sei's voice was meant only for her, "I will not have you acting out Kylana, do as I

The young mystic shut off her mind before Sei could finish his sentence. "Now that that's out of the way." She created a shadow sword and turned to the people behind her. "Let's get ready."

When no one reached for a weapon Kyla grew angry. "Well come on then, what are you waiting for?"

Her men stared at her before one finally spoke. "You aren't supposed to be here."

"Yeah, because I'm just going to run off and leave you. Weapons ready, and that is an order. I'm in charge until Sei says I'm not."

"Kyla," A finger tapped her on her shoulder and the girl turned to find her newest recruit, Axel Leonte looking at her with sad eyes.

"What!"

"He just said you weren't."

At that moment the sound of the first swords hitting reached the young generals ears.

"I'm going, follow if you want."

[Jasmine]

In their bedroom, Zerith and Jasmine were unaware of the army threatening their friends and home. This was not because they were sleeping; on the contrary they were wide awake as they moved about in their bed with their bodies intimately entwined. Jasmine laughed lightly at something Zerith murmured to her and bent down to capture her husband’s lips for the hundredth time that night. When Sei’s telepathic message came through she froze with her face barely an inch from Zerith’s as she looked into his eyes worriedly

“What could possibly be happening that we have to evacuate?”

“I don’t know, love, but I heard it, too. It must be serious.”

“Dammit,” she muttered as she reluctantly climbed off her husband. “Why now? It’s not fair!”

Jasmine got up and out of the bed quickly grumbling the entire time. She did not like being interrupted Her previous mood completely shattered by the evacuation order and the urgency and seriousness in Sei’s ‘voice’ in issuing said order. Hurriedly she got dressed in her usual knee-length blue dress and black boots. Being careful not to accidentally stab herself in her haste, she put a dagger in each boot, belted her sword around her waist, and then turned to help Zerith. He’d gotten dressed just as quickly and reluctantly and was now donning his armor.

“Zerith, what do we do? I don’t want to just run away,” she told him as she helped him with his armor.

“Jasmine, he wouldn’t have ordered an evacuation if it wasn’t necessary,” he told her, trying to sound reasonable. “You need to take Siela to safety.” He held up a hand as she started to object, “No, listen, for once just listen! I know you can handle yourself, but what about Siela? She needs to be safe first.”

“I wasn’t objecting to that, Zerith!” she snapped. “I know she needs to be safe. I’m not leaving without a fight – “

“Yes, you are.” He said blunty as he settled into his armor. “We both are for that matter. We’re going to make sure the rest of the women, children and mystics get out safely. Clearly, if that’s who’s being evacuated then there’s going to be some kind of battle. Now, go get Siela so we can get going.”

Somewhat upset by the way Zerith had overridden her objections without even listening to them, she hurried into Siela’s room and got the 8-month old baby girl ready. Siela was not at all happy about being woken up in the middle of the night and made that quite clear as Jasmine threw a few baby things into a small bag. She bundled the crying baby up in a blanket and headed out the door with the bag over her shoulder.

“Shhhhh, Sweetheart! I know, it’s okay. We have to go. Shhhh…”

She tried to soothe the infant as Zerith moved along with them. The small family hurried through the halls of Ixian Castle joining the growing crowd of evacuees. Everything was happening so quickly that Jasmine barely had time to allow her thoughts and emotions about the matter fully settle in her mind.

[Zerith]

Back when Zerith was a young boy, he and his friends learned the valuable lesson that alot of kids learned at one time or another. The lesson of what happens when you throw rocks and a beehive. On that day, so many years ago, Zerith was the unlucky boy who hit the target perfect, knocking the hive off the tree and causing it to crash into the ground. So after several stings and a having to run to the nearby lake and dive into it in order to lose his pursuers, Zerith learned his lesson.

There were just some things in Althanas you never disturbed. Otherwise there was no telling who or what would be angry or frustrated with you. A beehive was one of those things. The equation of a man, his wife and the bed they shared was another one.

Though he was thoroughly disappointed that his time with Jasmine was cut short, the urgency in this evacuation Sei issued helped the halberdier push his personal frustrations aside so that he could focus on what was going on around him. He dressed as quickly as he could and donned his armor as well, though he didn’t get far until Jasmine started to help him. They were really working as a team, until Jasmine decided to voice her desire to fight.

It wasn’t the fact that she wanted to fight whatever it was that was causing this sudden mass evacuation. As the truth was that the halberdier was confident that Jasmine would be able to take care of herself, not to mention be a great help to Sei in battle. The warder’s real issue was that he felt like she had completely forgotten about their daughter. Of course it may have just been him being selfish, but even Zerith wasn’t really planning on doing much fighting until he was sure that Siela would be taken care of. At the moment however, the two parents were the only things that were guaranteeing the baby’s safety. So before Zerith felt like he had the freedom to really defend his home and the people in it, he needed to feel like he wasn’t carrying his daughter in one hand and his halberd in the other.

As Zerith hurried alongside his family, his dark cloak trailing behind him as he felt the weight of his armor shift ever so slightly, it became clear to him that the commotion around Siela was making her uneasy. Despite the soothing voice of her mother trying to reassure her that everything was alright, the infant continued to cry as she was held tightly against Jasmine and wrapped in a warm blanket. “Do you mind switching?” Zerith asked, offering out Amenzanil for Jasmine to take so he could hold their daughter. The princess must have thought it was a wonderful idea, as she quickly agreed before the two stopped briefly to make the exchange.

Siela continued to wail like a banshee, despite the fact that she knew she was being held in the strong arms of her father. So with nothing really to lose, Zerith did something he rarely ever did. Something he was fairly sure Jasmine had never seen either.

He began to sing softly.

“Nothing’s going to harm you, not while I’m around...” He sang, it was a song his mother had apparently sung to him when he was a baby. Though it wasn’t until after Siela was born that she reminded Zerith what the lyrics were so that he would be able to sing the lullaby when he was trying to get his little girl to fall asleep and Jasmine wasn’t around. In the process, it began to carry its only special sense of worth. As it was one of the things that the halberdier really felt was something that connected the two together. Usually, it worked wonders on the little blessing, helping the baby put all of her fears at ease and just be content in the arms of her daddy. Sure enough, after going through the song a few times, Zerith looked down at the face of his baby girl and swore he could see a small smile and heavy eyelids as she was slowly beginning to doze of back to sleep.

“Once we find the others, Jasmine, I want to be sure that Siela will be taken care of. Then we can figure the best way the two of us can fight back.” He spoke softly to his wife before going back and beginning to recite the lullaby from the beginning all over again.

[Rehtul Orlouge]

Rehtul had been sleeping in the library when the alarm went off, telling all Mystics to evacuate. When Sei's voice entered his head, he jumped a good three feet off of the table. After settling back in the chair and flipping the book he'd been reading shut, he cradled his head, trying to clear the remaining cobwebs from his mind. "Something really bad must be happening. I had a feeling something like this was going to happen after I fought Uncle Sei."

He stood up and slipped his book back into his pack, his eyes full of resolve. "Well, whatever's going on, I should probably go and try and find someone." Slipping his pack over his shoulders, he took off down the hall from the library. After a little bit of running, he slowed down. Whatever fighting was about to go down hadn't started yet, so he had a little time.

Or so he thought. Within seconds of thinking that there was a little time, rings of steel on steel began echoing throughout the building. As he began picking up steam, he heard Kyla saying that she was going somewhere, with or without the help of the other Knights. What have I gone and gotten myself into? the older Orlouge thought to himself.

"Kyla!" he yelled, running into sight, "If you need help, I'll come with you." He stopped short of running into the main group. Despite the fact that he had joined the Ixian Knights, Rehtul still kept himself slightly apart from the main group. He had personal space issues.

[Ruby]

Ruby dreamt of fireflies and brimstone, and collected her thoughts into a landscape of wonderment. At the apex of her vision, the castle, shimmering in the radiant sun atop the highest peak of her wonder land shuddered, tumbled and fell. With a gasp, she opened her eyes and leapt up from her Spartan bed. Something, she felt, was amiss. Without speaking, or passing comment in her usual sarcastic tone, she layered on her casual gown and taught leather layers over her night clothes and steadily peered out into the corridor.

Bedlam.

People ran to and fro past her, carrying boxes, bedding, swords and stones, anything they could find to teeter the balance from surprise war to stoic defence of one's home. The daughter of song rested her hands on her hips as she decided on an immediate course of action, and being the woman of glamour that she was, she skipped back into her room to get dressed properly, don her amulet and necklace, and bridle her defence with the floral but well wrought armour she had brought in the bazaar not so long ago.

Delilah, her mother and daughter, had given her the insight to wear the weapons and shield of war at last. She did not expect to ever have to use it, least not in the Castle Orlougne, where she had taken respite to sing to her heart's content in the wake of Lucian's death. "Still," she mumbled, her silence broken, "there is no time like the present."

With candour, she waltzed out into the corridor stream once more and followed it.

She would find somebody that could tell her what the deuce was going on, and how she, the Voice of Reason, could attempt to put things right. She had no intention of resting on her haunches, that was for sure.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla reached the top of the ladder again as she heard her cousin's shout. She turned her head around and looked at each of her men. "I won't think less of anyone who doesn't follow me out there, but I will think a lot more of those who do." She looked directly at Rehtul and mouthed, "Thank you."

The mystic hit the top rung of the ladder and was quickly on the ground. A line of bushes hid her as long as she lay flat, and she tried to get a clear picture of what exactly was going on. The moment she saw the arrows flying towards her uncle Kyla made her move. With about a dozen people behind her she began her attack. If the rest of the army fullfilled thier initial orders, Sei's team would be on one side, Kyla's another and a third team would be on a third. They could squash the small battalion with light casualties.

Kyla's only fear was that she was going to be attacking alone. The girl went straight for the middle of the group, her shadow sword held firmly to the side. As she reached the group she slashed her sword across the belly of a large man and immediatly he fell to his knees. Under normal circumstances the sight of the man falling would have bothered the mystic, but rage filled her heart and she saw each member of the army as the potention murderer of her son.

She was quickly surrounded by enemies and brought her blade down again, this time hitting a soldier near his right shoulder, she did not notice the sword at her back until she heard the glass crack. In moments flaming blue glass surounded the girl before shooting outwards in all directions. Kyla watched with a sadistic grin on her face as the burning shards implanted themselves in the flesh of her enemies.

Everyone near her seemed to be struggling to get to their feet when she was grabbed from behind. Kyla screamed as loud as she could muster and began to kick her captor. The large arms made her unable to move her upper body and therefore unable to actually fight back. The young girl turned her head and realized it was Steppenwolf who bound her, "Let me go! This is my fight!" She screamed at her uncle.

"Shut up and do as your told. You are not going to die out here because you think you know what you are doing. I'm not letting you kill yourself or any more men." His retort was filled with anger.

At the word 'more' Kyla turned her attention once more to the battlefield, where she saw Tristan, the youngest of her command and a newlywed laying in the dirt. His shirt was torn and his face bruised. His wife's name is Linda. Kyla remembered the young man bragging about his bride. Her beautiful green eyes and freckles. He had spoken of nothing else during the groups free time. Kyla had met her once, she really was a pretty girl, eighteen years old. A single tear ran down Kyla's face as Steppenwolf lifted the trapdoor and dropped her in.

[Ruby]

Ruby fluttered across the melee field with indignant strides and twirling pirouttes, knives and spears slashing at her beauty as she went. Conflict was not hers to retaliate with, so she made for the fallen man like a matriarch of good health, and stooped to conquer his fear in his stead.

"Get up, get up!" She roared, a fiery snap forming between her words. The heat and passion kindled him to pounce upright and take up arms once more. He drove back Ruby's pursuers, and regained his repose. "You have something to fight for, every last one of you!" Her voice grew in pitch so that it ripped through the immediate area, and the castle's guards and attendants took stock of her presence.

"We must be the vanguard that allows the mystics and the undependable to escape to safety. We must be the shield for the weak, but the sword for the unheard and unspoken!" The floral doublet on her armour caught the sunlight, and she snapped her fingers mid-air to flourish her speech. From her slumber she had risen, and from nothing she had returned to the place she longed to be - on top.

"Gather round, let not the enemy pursue Kyla," she glanced back to where the young Orlougne had vanished below, and smiled weakly. She looked back to the oncoming wall of blades and tarnished, grimacing faces and patted Tristan on his shoulder. "Be by sword, and my voice shall be your heart!"

She splayed her legs wide to steel her stance, and sang.

As lights bounced around her, and a passion welled into existence on the tip of her vocals, hope rode into the conflict like a thundering cloud. Ruby pushed the fear aside, and swallowed it whole.

[Rehtul Orlouge]

Rehtul followed Kyla through the place until they arrived at what appeared to be her destination. There was a lot of fighting going on, and the young Mystic pulled his dagger out of its sheath just to make sure that there was a chance for him to defend himself. Kyla rushed out ahead, attacking a group of men. Rehtul didn't follow her. He'd made a mistake and had been noticed by another person. "Damn..."

He had to think quickly. Since he was young, the other man wasn't taking him too seriously. The Mystic turned and dodged as the man try to skewer him with his blade. Rehtul sliced him across the throat with a lucky swing and tried to follow Kyla as she went into the fray even further. She was surrounded before he could even make it to her.

Rehtul stopped short when his uncle Steppenwolf stopped Kyla and held her back from the rest of the fight. It appeared that she was one of the targets of the enemy. "Seems like I underestimated the threat of these people,whoever they are." People had already died defending his cousin, but here she was trying to rush headlong into what would amount to a losing battle.

"This is bad. Uncle, what do I need to do? Should I follow Kyla or stay up here?" he could only ask. His nerves were shaken, but he wasn't thinking about the man he had killed. He was worried about his family. His family ties were very important to him, and should anything happen to the family he was only beginning to truly know, he wouldn't know what to do. "I'll do whatever you ask of me."

[Jasmine]

A single eyebrow arched as Zerith soft singing reached Jasmine’s ears. To date, she had never heard him sing a single note; so hearing him sing to Siela was quite a surprise. She listened wordlessly as they hurried through the halls and down the many flights of stairs of the castle. In a few minutes, Siela was asleep despite the raucous chaos around her.

“Okay, since when do you sing?” she asked her husband, still somewhat surprised.

Zerith only smiled and hurried her along. They were nearing the ground level now and Jas could hear the distinctive ring of steel on steel echoing through the halls as whomever was attacking started breaking through. Part of her wanted to immediately turn and follow the sound, but a glance at Zerith holding their daughter reassured her that fleeing was the right thing to do.

“So where did you learn that song?” she asked, still curious about the song Zerith had sung to quiet Siela.

“My mother sang it to me and her mother sang it to her. It’s been in the family for a while. Keep moving! I can see the tunnels now. “

“Tunnels? Why are we going –?”

“Would you just go? I’m sure we’ll find out what’s going on when we get to a safer place.”

Scowling, Jasmine stopped asking questions and hurried on with the rest of the evacuees. She still wanted to know what exactly was going on, but was sure that she wouldn’t find out for some time yet.

[Zerith]

Sometimes, Zerith really wished his wife wouldn’t ask so many questions. Given the circumstances they found themselves in, the halberdier didn’t see why the mere fact he knew a lullaby was so important that Jasmine needed to ask about it more than once. As far as the prince was concerned, all they needed to know was that all mothers and children needed to evacuate. The cause behind the order was irrelevant as all that really mattered was that both Jasmine and Siela needed to ensure they were among those that would make it out of the castle safely. Once the warder knew that his mage and his daughter were safe, then he would answer any question the princess asked him. Yet they needed to keep moving as long as they remained in Ixian Castle.

Although he tried to look for a familiar face, Zerith didn’t see anyone he recognized. Azza and Stephanie must have begun the trip down the evacuation route earlier, as he couldn’t find any sign of a small girl wearing a straw hat or the red hair he often looked for when he needed to find Jensen’s girlfriend. Even Kyla was missing, and that was something that concerned the halberdier. It didn’t take a scholar to know about Kyla’s attitude and how it had the ability to make things even more complicated. Zerith understood this since Kyla’s attitude was so similar to Jasmine’s at times, although he would never say such things around his wife. Both women were stubborn and didn’t exactly seem to enjoy harbouring thoughts of retreat or running away from battles. The noble just hoped that the young mystic would put her son’s safety before her own pride.

As the two parents grew closer and closer to the tunnels that lead to a secret exit out of the castle, the familiar sounds of battles grew increasingly louder. The clang of steel on steel echoed down the halls and was accompanied by screaming parents who fled for their lives and crying children who called for their missing parents who were either dead or putting their lives on the lines so that others could continue living. Suddenly a loud crash was heard by all and was followed by the battlecries of what must have been a group of men. “They’ve broken in!” a young knight shouted as loud as he possibly could and a small group of Sei’s knights rallied to form a last defensive line against their attackers before shouting a battlecry of their own.

The Knights of the Dawn had broken into the castle. If that wasn’t bad enough, it seemed like they were quickly catching up to the people evacuating. If the army managed to catch up, everyone knew that a lot of innocent people would be slaughtered.

Siela woke up at the sound of the doors crashing open behind them and immediately began screaming at the top of her small lungs. With her hands balled up into small fists and her face growing redder and redder, Zerith gave a disappointed frown. “So much for trying to get her to sleep through all of this,” he thought. He was about to consider trying to get her to sleep again until a scream from behind him captured his attention.

A young mother no older than either Jasmine or Zerith was running for life. In her arms she carried a small girl no older than three years old. As the parent tried to run as fast as she could down the hall while carrying the extra weight, the small blonde haired toddler squirmed while trying to reach out behind them in desperation. “Daddy!” she screamed. “Come back Daddy! Don’t leave me! I want you to stay, Daddy!”

Not far behind them were three Knights of the Dawn with swords drawn and murderous intent shown in their eyes. Apparently the mother was aware of this, as she would look back over her shoulder every now and then. When they reality that the men were getting closer set in, she began screaming for help for both her and her daughter.

The prince took a deep breath, knowing exactly what need to be done. “Here,” he spoke to Jasmine in a tone that almost sounded like he felt defeated as he held Siela out to his wife. “Take her.”

“What?” The realization of what her husband was thinking suddenly dawned on her and she immediate began to shake her head furiously. “No, you can’t! You said we were both leaving! I won’t let you do this!”

“There isn’t time to argue about this, Jasmine! Now just take her and give me Amenzanil!” the warder shouted back.

Jasmine opened her mouth and was just to give her husband a piece of her mind when Siela began to scream even louder and cut her off. “You’re right,” she said after she realized that something needed to be done immediately. Taking Siela into her arms and handing Zerith his halberd as quickly as she could, the princess was quick to start trying to get the little infant to quiet down. “It’s okay sweetie, you’re okay.” She stopped to look up at her warder with pleading eyes, “Promise you’ll come back to us?”

“Just go on ahead and try to find the others, Jasmine. I’ll catch up as quickly as I can, I promise.” He gave his wife a quick kiss before he turned back around and began heading in the opposition direction, not even stopping once to look over his shoulder at his family to ensure they were making their escape. He was furious, hating the situation that sudden fell on the Ixian Knights and hating these intruders that suddenly decided to barge in and threaten the lives of his friends and family. Holding onto his precious polearm tightly, the halberdier stepped to the side as he ushered the mother and little girl past him and toward safety. Hopefully Jasmine would do her part and be gracious enough to travel alongside the two strangers and reassure them that everything would be alright in the end. In return, Zerith would give them as much time as he could.

“I hate you all,” the prince muttered under his breath as he watched the three knights begin shift their focus toward him. While his right hand held his halberd, Zerith’s left arm swung out to his side. His fingers moved and eventually began to shake, as if he was trying to clutch onto something and tightly as he could. Jaw clenched, the halberdier groaned from exertion as he tried to utilize his anger and will while continued his approach toward the three men. Between the two men, a large door to one of the many rooms of the castle shook while its hinges began to fight to keep the object in its place.

“Come on!” Zerith screamed, motioning with his free hand as if he were pulling the door out and into the hallway and demanding that his mind make it happen in reality. Eventually the door shook violently and broke free of its hinges, appearing to fly out from where it was fastened, slam into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway before it began to hover in the air. The feeling of triumph for what he accomplish lasted only a few seconds before Zerith did what he was intending on doing with the door from the beginning. Sweeping his arm towards the knights, the general threw the heavy wooden object at the three with incredible force. It didn’t really matter if the display of mental power dealt any damage to the knights, as chances were all three men would dive to the floor to avoid the improvised weapon. There was no way they could avoid what followed behind it.

As when the knights looked back up, Zerith was closing the final few feet with halberd his ablaze and his face having turned into a mask of rage. Since not a single one of those knights probably intended on showing mercy to any mother or child, Zerith wasn’t planning on showing them any either.

[Rehtul Orlouge]

Rehtul was waiting for someone to tell him what to do, as people were fighting around him. He felt the air around him, full of panic and discord. He could feel his mask of control beginning to slip as a deep anger began to fill his heart. The people he worked with, and the people he cared about were being hurt, not because of anything they did, but because of their race, as if anyone could actually help who they were. The ether of the night seemed still for a moment, as he felt something touch his mind.

"Uncle..." he said, his eyes closing as he listened to Sei's instructions. While he was not sure he could do it with his current level of power, he would most certainly try. The clash of blades rang through the air, accompanied by screams, shouts, and the other assorted sounds of battle. The grass was stained red with blood. "This is ridiculous.... Very well."

He seemed to lose all concentration for a moment, as he plunged his mind deep within himself, attempting to access hidden stores of power. He could feel the anger inside him, burning with a deep cold. I can use this... Emotion is energy, after all, and the more powerful the emotion, the more powerful the spell. He slowly touched on the anger, feeling it overcome him. The energy was immense, too much to control. No! I must control myself, or risk hurting those I love! Rehtul screamed within his own mind. The agony of the cold burning anger was almost too much to bear.

Then, Rehtul remembered his family. His father, his sisters, his uncles and cousins. Gritting his teeth and opening his eyes, Rehtul concentrated all the energy of his anger into the air around him, gathering the moisture, not just from the air, but from the blood of the fallen, the grass on the ground, the bushes, the trees, and the flowers. His eyes seemed to glow with a white light as he looked out over the field of battle. "No more!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he cast his spell. The moisture exploded outwards into a large wall of ice, completely blocking the way behind them. Whatever the reason for his uncle making the command to block the way behind him, the order had been followed.

However, it seemed the energy he used had indeed been too much for him to control without paying the price. Rehtul stumbled and fell, a sudden lightheaded feeling overtaking him. "No more meaningless pain..." he mumbled as he tried to force himself to stay conscious. He couldn't lose it here. He wouldn't be a burden on those he fought alongside. He was out energy. He wouldn't be able to fight any more. It was the end of Rehtul's usefulness, until he got a chance to rest. While he had indeed been training, he couldn't control that much energy without sever physical stress. His head was swimming. He brought his knees up to his chest and rested his head between them. The rest would have to be left to the others. He'd done all he could.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla looked around the path that the trap door had brought her through. The familiar stone walls and lighted torches brought senses of her home back into her mind. She looked up to her rather large uncle, confusion plastered across her features. She was so lost in the heat of the battle before that she did not pay it any attention.

"We're....in Sei's Tomb?"

"Yep," Steppenwolf nodded, "Sei and Willie discovered that there were a couple of tunnels leading into Ixian Castle. It made for a good escape route should anything had happened. I'm glad he thought ahead too, because you would have died out there in that fight."

Steppenwolf looked behind them to see his brother and Kylin rouge approaching. By this point, Rehtul, Steppenwolf's nephew, had joined the inventor, asking what their next move was. Steppenwolf pointed towards Sei in response to Rehtul's question.

The younger brother simply gave the Mystic a glare. The look in those crystalline blue eyes told the scientist all he needed to know, and he placed a hand on Kyla's shoulder, escorting her further into the Tomb. Zerith and the others had quickly joined him in his advance, and when the large warrior turned to see his brother, he was shocked to see a wall of ice had formed behind them.

Kyla turned to see this too, and gasped. "Did.....did Rehtul do that?"

"I....think so," he replied, almost immediately answered by the fact that his brother and Nephew came running to them. He had not even noticed that the group had lost Zerith in the confusion.

Kyla and Steppenwolf both stepped aside, allowing Sei and Kyla to take the lead. Soon enough, the group had made it out of the caves that were Sei's Tomb, only to be stopped by a hesitant and cautious Sei Orlouge.

That’s when Kyla heard it, the notching of arrows.

In a struggle of fight or flight, they had chosen flight. Now, it seemed that things were safer in Ixian Castle...

To Be Continued...

[Jasmine]

Jasmine glanced once more after her husband, then grabbed the woman’s arm, pulling her along faster. She took no time for words, not wishing to waste the breath. Zerith would catch up and all would be well. That was something that she would have to keep telling herself unti it came true. Otherwise, she’d be in no fit state to protect her baby or those around her.

Sooner than Jas expected, they were outside. Jas let the young woman go and worked her way back through the crowd, searching for her husband. All the while, Siela continued to holler. All the racket and movement was scaring the infant, but Jas could not seem to get the little girl calmed. Try though she might, Jas could see no sign of Zerith.

Following the pull of the bond they shared, she followed it back to the cave until she came to the wall of ice. She didn’t remember there being a wall of any sort and for a moment thought that she must have made a wrong turn somehow. She could sense Zerith on the other side of the wall and pushed a hand against it.

I could probably put a hole in it…but that would let the enemies inside come through at our backs. But Zerith…

“DAMMIT ZERITH!! Why do you always have to play the hero?”

Frustrated, knowing she couldn’t put a hole in the ice for Zerith to get through, she reluctantly turned back. “He’ll find a way to join us. He’ll be okay.” Tearfully she headed back out to the crowd, still trying to soothe Siela. When she got there she stopped, puzzled at the fact that the crowd had not moved on. Then she looked up.

“Oh no…”

[Ruby]

The clash of steel rang in Ruby's ears for so long she became dulled to the melody of her own song. The notes screamed from her, and roiled over the battlefield with cacophonous melee, but she could not appreciate her own work. The hem of her dress was by now muddied, and her heart beat in it's cage with heavy fatigue and the repetitive shudder of exhaustion.

The man by her side had fought bravely, and all the others in the courtyard had rallied to her side in defence of the last frontier between the defenders of the Orlougnes and the would be usurpers. She paused for thought, and cast her blood spattered armour a glance. She was far out of her depth, and continuining to drown in the moment.

"Come on," she tapped Tristan on the shoulder and turned, taking the lul in the wave of soldiers and murderers streaming through the far gates as a sign that their chance had arrived. "Now, we go...Kyla and the others are far from here or fleeing through the shadows in safety, we should do the same." Her kind words whispered like silk across skin and she and the remnants of the defenders streamed into the webways that lead to their salvation.

With clip clops her heels rattled down the ladder as she slipped into the exit that Kyla had dissapear down, and before she knew it, she was upon a familiar face, that had once been and no doubt would resume being an adversary.

"Rehtul," she smiled, a glimmer of fire in her hair from the excitement, and a raucous and salacious stance cocking her hip to one side and her bloodied physique to the other.

"How is everyone?" She addressed the group, huddle and withdrawn but thankfully alive. "The courtyard seems to be in capable hands, and Tristan was..." she looked over her shoulder, "right behind me..." the silence said all she needed too and perhaps a little too much..."what do we do next?" She chirped back, trying to forget the loss the families of the Mystics were suffering in the name of power and honour.

[Rehtul Orlouge]

Rehtul could barely walk, let alone fight. As he and Sei made it to the caves, Rehtul was already rapidly fading. He fought to stand up, and curled both of his hands into a fist. He had hoped that after that last little show of magical force he wouldn't have to do anything else for awhile. His energy was exceptionally low, and if he even tried to fire off a spell at this point, he'd probably either pass out or die from the sheer effort. “Damn it... I used too much energy in that last spell...” he said as Sei passed him to take the lead.

His Uncle Steppenwolf looked worried about him. Though his uncle was more of the scientific sort, he understood the costs of magic on the caster, especially magic outside of the caster's usual range of energy. That ice wall was a magical creation that many with much more magical energy wouldn't have been able to cast. The fact that Rehtul had actually managed to pull it off was an amazing feat in and of itself. The young Mystic's eyes were starting to look glassy and hazy. There wasn't an ounce of fight left in him, that much was certain.

Rehtul fought hard to keep his composure. His strength may have been fading, but he would not allow himself to fall before those he most respected. If Aislinn was there, or even Succed, he might have been healed, his power reserves restored. He took another step forward and faltered. No... I won't allow myself to give in to this exhaustion. I cannot...

Then came Ruby La Roux, a former rival of the young Mystic's. He looked at her with his cloudy eyes, half smiling. “Ruby...” he said, forgetting his manners as she had. He looked around and could feel the chill in the air. It wasn't a cold chill, but something was definitely wrong. “Why... does it have to be this way...?” he asked, struggling to remain coherent through the fog rapidly filling his mind.

It was finally too much for him to bear. A wave of nausea passed over Rehtul as he slowly crumpled to the ground, losing consciousness. Steppenwolf stepped over to his nephew and picked him up, slinging the young man over his shoulder. “Spellslingers, you can always count on 'em in a jam, huh?” he said aloud, his sarcasm evidently good natured. Under his breath, he added, “You did good, Rehtul... now rest.”

[Zerith]

In the end the three knights had never stood a chance against the halberdier. The door proved to be an excellent distraction, and it was because of it the fight was over before Zerith knew it. He was relentless, brutal in his movements and slaughtered the three knights with cold efficiency. They died quickly, so in a strange way the warder considered himself merciful, as he originally wanted to inflict as much pain on them as possible for what they had done to the Ixian Knights. Perhaps it was Zerith’s way of convincing himself that he was better than the Knights of the Dawn, or maybe he acted in such a way because he just wanted to get back to his family as quickly as possible. Whatever the real motivation was didn’t matter, what really mattered was for Zerith to get back to Jasmine and Siela.

The prince limped through the caves, a torn, blood-stained piece of cloth tied tightly around his right thigh representing the hindrance that was slowing him down. One of the knights had gotten lucky, managing to sink the tip of his sword into the warder’s flesh before he was cut down. It was a deep wound, one that probably would have many some wince at the sight of it and it hurt tremendously. At first Zerith left the wound alone and ignored the steady stream of his crimson lifeforce that flowed further down his leg. Though he eventually decided to make an attempt at bandaging it when he realized the amount of blood loss it threatened to inflict. So with no choice but to improving once more, the halberdier ripped a portion of a tunic off of the corpse of a fellow Ixian Knight as he muttered a prayer to Draconus that the Wyrm God would protect the poor soul as it entered the Antifirmament. Once he had the fabric wrapped snugly around his leg, Zerith continued onwards, having to use his halberd as a makeshift crutch.

Eventually the noble came across something, and his heart sank.

Before Zerith’s blue eyes stood a solid wall of clouded ice. Unable to see through it, the warder had no idea what lay beyond it or even how thick the barrier was. His first impression was to try and cut through it, but that idea died shortly afterwards when he realized that in addition to keep him away it was also preventing any Knights of the Dawn from following too. He reached a tentative hand outwards and eventually laid the palm of his hand flat against the cold surface, as if he part of him hoped his wife was on the other side and doing the same just to experience a brief connection. Jasmine was someone on the other side, he was sure of that. The unique bond they shared empowered him to sense her presence if they were close enough and it echoed back to him from further down the cave, somewhere beyond the wall. Feeling defeated, the warder turned as leaned his back against the wall, even banging the back of his skull into it as a expression of frustration.

“Just great, what the hell am I supposed to do now?”

Even though he asked the question, the prince already knew what the answer was. The reality was that there was really just one thing he could do. He’d have to go around. He’d have to fight his way back through the castle to the stables, find his horse and from there find a way to regroup with the others. There really wasn’t any other solution, at least not in his mind. He couldn’t just abandon the rest of the people evacuating, especially if they wound up running into any further opposition and needed his help. No, as much as he didn’t want to admit it he knew he had to hurry.

Sighing heavily, Zerith pushed off the wall and started to retrace his steps back through the caves and into the castle. “The night had started of soooo nicely,” he complained as he thought back to his evening prior to the attack, the lovemaking session with his wife being one in particular. “And now if have to deal with this crap?” He grumbled as he took another small step and winced as the pain shot up his leg and along his spine.

“...Sometimes I think the Thaynes hate me.”

[Breaker]

Music: Between the Beautifuls by HW
Mood: Content

I'll keep this brief, but I encourage any of you who want further help to PM me with what you're specifically interested in improving.

Plot Construction ~ 8.5/30

Story ~ 2/10 - Easily the most disappointing category. Starting a story with the climax is not an easy thing to do properly, and requires proper organisation with multiple PCs. I gave the points for some sporadic individual effort, but I saw no real cohesive effort to make this a story that would catch or keep a reader's interest.

Strategy ~ 4/10 - Considering this thread took place in and around a large conflict, there was remarkably little effective use of skills and abilities. The obvious exceptions to this are Zerith and Duffy but the good writing both of you offered was bogged down by wordiness. I will go so far as to say both of you impressed me with your writing skills, but not your application of them.

Setting ~ 2.5/10 - I only really knew where I was, or what was actually going on when I was reading Z or D. I've read several threads that took place entirely in the castle/pyramid, but cannot say I know what either looks like beyond... a castle and a pyramid. Amber and Jasmine, I found your lack of attention to detail disorienting at the best of times.

Characterisation ~ 14.5/30

Continuity ~ 3/10 - The lack of proper plot construction carried into this category. Because there was absolutely no information provided about who could be attacking or why, I really didn't care about the early events - until the main characters became familiar to me, there was really no possibility of attachment to the storyline. I was caught up wondering why none of you even told me what the attackers looked like. Realistically, based on threads I've judged in the past, I had a good idea who it was, and the characters should have too.

Interaction ~ 5/10 - Some really great stuff from Z and D, some decent stuff from Rehtul, but the rest... kind of confused me. While Jasmine's chatter and Z's response did help build that aspect of her character, I felt other, realistic aspects were absent. Amber, the dialogue you wrote was really the only part of your writing that contributed to my understanding the events better.

Character ~ 6.5/10 - Every single character in this thread (Rehtul to a lesser extent) is fairly well developed, and all of you are experienced writers. So decent character work was the one saving grace of this thread throughout. Because of the lack of any semblance of sentience from the attackers, I didn't feel like giving you the full 7.

Writing Style ~ 14/30

Creativity ~ 4/10 - A few quick tips... simply having something shocking/dangerous/inconvenient happen at the end of a story does not constitute a twist ending. Nor does finding out who is attacking your castle, unless they were some sort of super stealth ninjas and an air of mystery surrounded the entire thing. If properly planned and executed this could have been a badass story, but it fell flat in almost every area because of the lack.

Mechanics ~ 6/10 - I noticed a lot of errors early on, including a lot in the first post. When the first hundred words of a story contains basic mechanical errors, it doesn't send a good message.

Clarity ~ 4/10 - Even from the stronger writers, I got entire paragraphs of all telling and no showing. This ruins the flow of a story because the reader loses track of what's going on. Use physical actions (tangible verbs) to drive/reflect a character's emotions, and you'll keep them on the edge of their seat.

Wildcard: 7/10 - Even the action bored me, guys, and I like reading about fighting a lot. Despite that I can't really feel anything malicious towards this thread - I just feel like it lacked some of the most basic elements, and because of that even the best parts didn't click. So consider this a boon to your total with the hope you'll approach the next chapter from a different angle.

Total ~ 44/100

Zerith gains 500 exp and 100 GP
Ruby La Roux gains 300 exp and 100 GP
Jasmine gains 300 exp
Amber Eyes gains 300 exp
Rehtul Orlouge gains 200 exp

[Silence Sei]

GP-Exp added.